Hummersea Primary School

HUMMERSEA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs Margaret J Lewis

p.1

HUMMERSEA PRIMARY SCHOOL

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.

p.1

HUMMERSEA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Hummersea Primary School - 1

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Westfield Way Loftus Saltburn

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: The Reverend James Platten

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: April 1997 Hummersea Primary School - 2

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 22787 M Lewis Registered inspector Science What sort of school is it?

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Art The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Music How well are pupils taught? Geography How well is the school led and managed? Foundation Stage What should the school do to improve further? English as an additional language 14083 A Anderson Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 12631 M McLean Team inspector English

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

History Religious education Special educational needs 20326 P Clark Team inspector Mathematics How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Information and communication technology Design and technology Physical education Equal opportunities Hummersea Primary School - 3 The inspection contractor was:

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Eclipse (Education) Limited 14 Enterprise House Kingsway Team Valley Gateshead NE11 OSR.

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE. Hummersea Primary School - 4

p.5

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

p.6

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Hummersea Primary School educates boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 11. There are 169 pupils on the school’s roll with a similar number of boys and girls. Of these, 19 children were attending the nursery on a part- time basis at the time of the inspection. The school is smaller than the average for primary schools and has reduced significantly in size since the previous inspection. It serves a disadvantaged area in the designated East Cleveland Educational Action Zone (EAZ) drawing most of its pupils from the local council estate where houses are becoming empty and being refurbished. As a result, the school has an increasing amount of mobility amongst its pupils. Almost five per cent of pupils have English as a second language and come from a minority ethnic background. This includes four pupils who are refugees. A well-above average proportion of pupils, (58 per cent) is registered

p.7

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

for free school meals. Fifty-six pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs which is above the national average. Two pupils (just over 1 per cent) have a statement of special educational need which is around the national average. Six pupils attend a special unit off the school site for special educational needs on a part-time basis. Recent staff changes include a new deputy head teacher who teaches pupils in Year 6. Children begin in the nursery with low levels of attainment in communication, language and literacy, mathematical and personal and social skills and in their knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school that provides well for its pupils. The leadership and management of the school are good as is the quality of the teaching. These factors, and the school’s continuing commitment to improvement, have given rise to improved standards in English and mathematics. It has maintained its above average standards in science. The school gives good value for money.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The standard pupils reach in national tests in Year 6 for English, mathematics and science is above the average. Pupils do very well given the low attainment of many when they enter the school. • The head teacher provides good leadership and clear direction for the school. She is well supported by the deputy head teacher and governors. She ensures the school creates a good atmosphere where relationships and attitudes to work are very good, and this helps pupils learn. She is very committed to the aims of the school. • Teaching is good and teachers manage pupils very well. This helps them make good progress. • Pupils with special educational needs receive good support and make good progress. • The school provides very well for pupils’ moral development and the provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. Pupils have excellent opportunities for extra-curricular activities.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in religious education at Key Stage 2 and in design and technology at both key stages. • The role of subject co-ordinators in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in order to raise standards. • The teachers’ use of pupils’ progress records to improve lesson planning and ensure that individual needs are met. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Hummersea Primary School - 6

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was inspected in May 1997 and since then has made good improvement in many areas. Results in national tests at Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics have risen to be above average. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and art and design have risen. The quality of teaching and learning is better and there is now considerably less unsatisfactory teaching and a much higher proportion of good and very good teaching. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to work are very good. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ moral development and excellent provision for their social development. Parents regard the school highly and governors are more closely involved in financial planning. The issues from the last inspection have been tackled and strides have been made. However, subject co-ordinators do not yet have sufficient impact on all subjects of the curriculum to improve standards. Standards have fallen in religious education at Key Stage 2 and

p.8

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

are still below average in design and technology at both key stages. Assessment procedures have been reviewed but teachers do not use the results of the checks of pupils’ work carefully enough to plan lessons. The school has welcomed and supported the involvement of the Education Action Zone (EAZ) wholeheartedly and this widens pupils’ experiences. The school is well placed to make further improvements.

p.8

STANDARDS

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

p.8

STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

p.8

STANDARDS

English E* E B A well above average above average A B mathematics E E B A average below average C D science A B B A well below average very low E E*

p.8

STANDARDS

Standards are improving in English and mathematics and the school’s results in 2001 show a significant improvement on previous years. In April 2001 the school was awarded an achievement award for ongoing improvement in results from 1997 and 2000. Pupils do very well in English, mathematics and science, given the low starting point of many. In English and mathematics, standards have improved as a result of the school’s intensive and successful implementation of the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy. The recent initiatives in English such as booster classes and the Better Reading Partnerships have played a significant part in raising pupils’ standards in reading and in writing. Standards in all other subjects, apart from religious education and design and technology, are average for 11 year olds. The school exceeded its targets in 2001. Inspection findings show that in the current group of Year 2 pupils standards are below average in English, mathematics and science.

p.8

STANDARDS

This reflects the well below expected standards that children have in language and literacy development and mathematical development when they begin the National Curriculum. Pupils’ achievement is good. In Year 2 they attain average standards in all other subjects except in design and technology. Children in the nursery and reception make steady progress and their achievement is satisfactory. Although a small minority of the older reception children reach the goals expected for their ages, most are well below the goals expected of them in language and literacy and mathematical Hummersea Primary School - 7 development when they begin in Year 1. Pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress against their individual targets. Hummersea Primary School - 8

p.8

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils consistently show positive attitudes to their work. They are confident, motivated and eager to learn. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good as a result of the high expectations that all adults have of the pupils. Behaviour in lessons, at breaks and lunchtimes is very good and there is no bullying, sexism or racism. Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils are mature and act responsibly. They form very good relationships with other children and adults. Attendance Satisfactory. Most pupils arrive in school on time.

p.10

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils’ positive attitudes, very good behaviour and relationships are real strengths of the school.

p.10

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6 Quality of teaching Satisfactory Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

p.10

TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is good overall and a significant proportion is good or better. Consequently pupils achieve well and make good progress in their learning. Owing to the lack of monitoring of teaching there are some inconsistencies between subjects and classes. Children have a satisfactory start to their education in the nursery and reception where the strengths of the teaching are the good emphasis given to their personal, social and emotional development and on improving their skills of language and communication. Pupils in the nursery are given good additional support from outside specialists such as speech therapists. The teaching of English and mathematics is always satisfactory and often good or very good. Some excellent teaching was seen in English. In Years 1 to 6 teachers have good knowledge of how to teach the skills of literacy and numeracy and make good use of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. In Year 6 the teacher plans particularly challenging and

p.10

TEACHING AND LEARNING

interesting work which ensures pupils work hard. Teachers set high expectations of behaviour and manage pupils very well; as a result they become confident and secure in their learning. The very good specialist teaching in ICT and music is a strength of the school. In design and technology, religious education and in some science lessons, where teachers have received no recent training, teachers lack confidence and do not expect enough of pupils. Teachers relate well to pupils and know them as individuals, however they do not consistently maintain records of the progress they make or use the results of assessments effectively. This makes it difficult for teachers to help pupils build on their earlier learning. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 who have English as an additional language and those with special educational needs are supported well by learning support assistants and specialist teachers. Hummersea Primary School - 9

p.10

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspect Comment The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum meets statutory requirements and provides a range of worthwhile activities. Pupils have excellent opportunities for extra-curricular activities and visits. Visitors into school play a significant part in improving the curriculum. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils are well supported by teachers and learning assistants and their achievements match the realistic targets set for them in their individual educational plans. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are given all the help they need to do well and achieve their best.

p.11

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. The provision for pupils’ social and moral development is a particular strength of the school. Social development is excellent and central to all its work. The school takes every opportunity to widen pupils’ horizons and encourage them to have respect for others. How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils are looked after very well and very good provision is made for their health, safety and welfare. Procedures for assessing pupils’ achievement are satisfactory but the results of assessment are not always used well enough to plan future work.

p.11

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Relationships with parents are good and the school works closely with them.

p.11

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Aspect Comment Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff Good. The good leadership of the head teacher provides clear direction for the school which reflects its aims and values. She is well supported by the recently appointed deputy head teacher. The role of co- ordinators in monitoring standards and teaching is underdeveloped in subjects other than in English. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities well. They make a good contribution to shaping the direction of the work of the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Careful analysis of test data has begun and is now used to identify priority areas for development. Governors evaluate aspects of the school well. The strategic use of resources Good. Management of EAZ specialists and local consultants has led to effective staff training especially in English and mathematics. The

p.11

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

school makes the best use of support staff and specialist teachers.

p.11

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has sufficient teachers and support staff. Accommodation is adequate. The computer suite and the recently created library space provide a good environment for pupils to learn. Resources are satisfactory overall although they are good in music, ICT and English. The school applies the principles of best value well and spends its money wisely for the benefit of the pupils. Hummersea Primary School - 10

p.11

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The teaching is good and their children make good progress. • The children like school and the school expects them to work hard. • The school is well led and managed and they are kept well informed of how their children are getting on. • Behaviour is good and the school helps their children become mature and responsible. • The school works closely with parents and provides an interesting range of activities outside of lessons. • The amount of homework provided. • A few parents thought that there was bullying in the school during the lunchtimes.

p.12

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with all of the parents’ positive comments and views of the school but disagree with their concerns. The amount of homework is about the same as that in most primary schools. The school is very effective in discouraging bullying and midday supervisors are alert and vigilant. Hummersea Primary School - 11

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Standards in the school are improving. This is as a result of the good leadership of the head teacher and deputy head teacher and the emphasis that the school puts on raising the standards in English and mathematics. Standards in these subjects are rising and by Year 6 the benefits of past work have begun to have an effect. Test results for 2001 are a considerable improvement on previous years. Pupils attained standards above the national average in comparison with schools nationally and well above the average compared with similar schools in English, mathematics and science. Results in science show that standards have been maintained at above the national average for the past two years and in 2001 were well above the average compared with similar schools. The school added significant value to the performance of the Year 6 pupils in 2001 who achieved exceptionally well in comparison with their previous attainment at the end of Key Stage 1.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 There has been an upward trend in results over the past five years which is above that seen nationally. Pupils’ results exceeded the school’s targets for 2001. Targets for the current year are not high enough but are likely to be exceeded by the current Year 6 pupils. At the time they were set, targets were based upon good knowledge of the pupils’ previous attainment but the school has placed an increased emphasis on literacy and numeracy since then and pupils’ standards have risen and overtaken the school’s expectations. Targets have been raised for 2003 and are suitably more challenging.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 Results of tests in 2001 for pupils in Year 2 showed that in comparison with schools nationally standards in reading were well below the national average and were below the average in writing and at the average for mathematics. Compared with similar schools pupils attained average standards in reading, above average in writing and well above average in mathematics. Taking into account the very low starting point of many, pupils did very well in test results for writing and mathematics.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 In English and mathematics, standards have improved as a result of the school’s intensive and successful implementation of the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy across the whole school as well as the additional booster work which has been implemented for lower attaining pupils. This emphasis on English and mathematics is being maintained. Inspection findings show that pupils in Year 6 are attaining at the average level for their age in English, mathematics and science. Although pupils achieve well in Key Stage 1 and make up lost ground from their low starting point, in Year 2 they attain below average levels for their age in these subjects.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 Standards of work in literacy show that, although the school has initiatives in place to raise pupils’ standards in reading, these have not been in place long enough to have had an impact on raising standards to the nationally expected level for the current group of pupils in Year 2. Although pupils make good progress from when they start in Year 1, pupils cannot use their knowledge of sounds and letters to build words well enough. They rely on clues from pictures and the key words that they know in their reading. Progress in reading accelerates in Key Stage 2 and by Year 6 is in line with national averages. Standards in writing follow a similar pattern of good progress in Key Stage 1 followed by more sustained progress in Years 3 and 4, and accelerated progress towards and at the end of Key Stage 2 due to good and very good teaching. In numeracy, the school is successful in placing an increased emphasis on the oral and mental sessions at the beginning of lessons which helps pupils

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

develop the skills of mathematical thinking. This has a significant impact on pupils’ learning. Hummersea Primary School - 12 6 There are no significant differences in performance between boys and girls in English and mathematics although girls have slightly outperformed boys in test results in science over the past three years. Pupils attain at the expected level in all subjects of the National Curriculum apart from design and technology where standards are below average for pupils’ ages in Years 2 and 6. Standards are below those of the Locally Agreed Syllabus in religious education in Year 6. Standards of religious education and design and technology have dropped below average because of a lack of recent training for teachers in these subjects. Since the previous inspection standards have improved in ICT and art and design where pupils now meet the levels expected of them for their ages at the end of each key

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

stage. Improved standards in ICT are owing to the increased provision of computers and programs, increased teacher knowledge and the appointment of a specialist and highly qualified part time teacher in ICT. Art is used well to support other curricular areas such as history. Standards are at the average level in physical education which is lower than at the time of the previous inspection. This drop in standards is as a result of decreased allocation of time in the timetable owing to the intensive programme of literacy and numeracy.

p.14

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7 The school is very aware of its performance in national tests. It tracks pupils’ performance carefully from the time they begin in the nursery and reception year. Children in the foundation stage begin part time in the nursery at the age of three with low levels of attainment in communication, language and literacy, mathematical and personal and social skills and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Most children had only been in the nursery for six weeks but had already made good progress in their personal and social skills and were well settled. Children begin in the reception class at four either in the September or the January before their fifth birthday. This means that some have only two terms in reception before beginning in Year 1. Children make sound progress and achieve satisfactorily in the foundation stage overall but standards of attainment in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development are well below average for their ages when they

p.14

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

begin Year 1. Children make good progress in personal, social and emotional development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world in the foundation stage and reach the goals expected of them.

p.14

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 Pupils with special educational needs are identified early from the nursery onwards. In nursery they receive good specialist help from professional agencies on site, such as speech therapists and behavioural specialists. This good provision does not continue into the reception class and parents have to take their children much further away to a nearby town to receive the same support which is difficult for them to do. However, the special educational needs provision is good overall in the school and pupils are helped to raise the standards of their work. Pupils are well involved with their learning and their targets in their individual education plans match the realistic targets set for them. The school has not identified any pupils as being gifted or talented. Pupils with English as an additional language receive good support from their teachers and learning assistants as well as regular additional specialist

p.14

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

support. They take a full part in lessons, settle well into the school and make good progress in learning English. None of them are in the early stages of English acquisition and they reach satisfactory standards in speaking and reading and writing based on their previous attainment. They reach satisfactory standards in mathematics and science.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9 Pupils’ attitudes to the school are very good. They consistently demonstrate positive attitudes to their work. They are confident, motivated, enthusiastic and eager to learn. They quickly settle down in registrations, assemblies and in class. Children are attentive to their teachers, willingly ask and answer questions, and freely offer their own ideas and opinions. Most pupils are capable of sustaining high levels of concentration, persevering with difficult work, and staying on task. The vast majority of parents agree that their children like school. Hummersea Primary School - 13 10 Standards of behaviour are very good. The teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and the pupils themselves have high expectations of the standards of behaviour that are acceptable in the school. The vast majority of pupils behave very well and act in a mature and responsible manner at all times. Their behaviour in the classrooms, at breaks and at lunchtime is very good, and they move

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

around the school in a quiet and orderly manner. Inspection findings showed that there were no signs of any bullying or isolation of individual pupils. This was very positive despite concerns by some parents in this area. There have been no exclusions in recent years. The majority of parents agree that behaviour in the school is good.

p.15

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11 The relationships in the school are very good. The pupils relate very well to their teachers, to other adults and also to one another. Pupils are polite, courteous and welcoming to visitors. Children of all ages work very well together in the classrooms. They collaborate well, share resources, take turns and listen to each other. The vast majority of pupils consistently show respect for their teachers, each other and the environment. During assemblies, they are respectful of the occasion, willingly join in hymn singing and bow their heads reverently during prayers and periods of reflection.

p.15

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12 The pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils are learning a good range of social skills that is helping them to develop into well-rounded individuals. In the classrooms, the majority of pupils willingly take responsibility for their own work, and in lessons many children were observed working independently. This was seen when pupils in Year 2 worked enthusiastically during an art and design lesson. Pupils willingly take on a range of responsibilities around the school. For example, older pupils help supervise the younger ones at wet dinner times and pupils take their roles as librarians very seriously. There is a good range of social and educational visits, including a residential experience for the older children. The school supports local and national charities and pupils learn the need to help others. Most parents agree that the school is helping their children to become mature and responsible.

p.15

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 The attendance rate at the school is broadly in line with the national average as is the rate of unauthorised absence. However, attendance levels in the nursery are low. During the week of inspection both morning and afternoon sessions were depleted owing to illness. Attendance statistics are adversely affected by inaccurate registration of some pupils, who regularly attend part-time at a special unit off the school site. The school is aware of this and is taking steps to correct its procedures for their registration.

p.15

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 Pupils’ positive attitudes, their very good behaviour and relationships are real strengths of the school, and have a positive impact on the standards achieved.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15 In almost all of the 40 lessons seen the quality of teaching was satisfactory or better. In two lessons the teaching was unsatisfactory. Teaching was good in 30 per cent of lessons, very good in a further 25 per cent of lessons and excellent in five per cent of lessons. The overall quality of teaching and learning has improved since the last inspection and there is now considerably less unsatisfactory teaching and a much higher proportion of good and very good teaching. This improvement owes much to the intensive programme of staff training for literacy and numeracy which has been successful in raising the quality of teaching in these subjects, and to the high quality of specialist teaching in ICT and music which is a strength of the teaching in the school.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16 Teaching is satisfactory in the foundation stage and children have a sound start to their education. The strengths of the teaching in the foundation stage are the good emphasis given to children’s personal, social and emotional development and on the improvement of their skills in language and communication. The lack of a support assistant in the nursery and reception classes recently has limited the amount of adult interaction and support for children and hampered their Hummersea Primary School - 14 progress in some areas of learning such as skills in speaking. Immediately following the inspection a newly appointed and experienced classroom assistant was due to start in the foundation stage. Hummersea Primary School - 15 17 Teaching is good in Years 1 to 6 where pupils achieve well and make good progress. However, even in the satisfactory and good teaching there are some areas for development. For

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

instance, the ends of lessons are not used consistently to find out what pupils have learnt and the use of assessment information and the marking of pupils’ work is not used well enough to plan future lessons and to match the needs of all pupils. There are some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching across classes. The best teaching is in Years 2, 5 and 6. In the Year 6 class, the teacher provides particularly interesting and challenging work which ensures that the pupils work hard. Pupils are prepared very well for the end of year tests in Year 6 in English, mathematics and science and pupils know what is expected of them and what they need to learn. This preparation helps them to develop their confidence and independent learning skills and to achieve well.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18 A feature of the good and very good teaching throughout the school is the very good relationship teachers and staff have with pupils and the positive ways they have for managing pupils and developing good attitudes to work. This means that pupils are secure in their learning, confident, want to succeed and are willing to share ideas with their classmates, and to put forward their views during lessons. For instance, in a music lesson in Year 6 taken by the class teacher, pupils listened to music and shared the pictures they saw in their heads with the class, of waterfalls trickling and splashing and rivers meandering through the countryside. They enjoyed and appreciated the teacher’s humour when he played the wrong side of the recording by mistake and said he had ‘egg on his face’. Staff praise and encourage pupils’ achievements and the pupils respond to this with respect. They know not to call out when answering the teachers’ questions and quickly learn to take their turn.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Teachers give good clear instructions and explanations of work and question and challenge pupils very effectively. They ask questions which reinforce the pupils’ learning well. This happened, for instance, in an English lesson for pupils in Year 2 when pupils were discussing the characters in the story of ‘Rumpelstiltskin’, and in a lesson for pupils in Year 3 when they were studying myths. The teachers asked for predictions and reminded pupils about the types of stories they were studying such as a myth and a fairy tale and what was likely to happen and how the characters were likely to behave.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19 Teachers use effective methods to help pupils learn and have high expectations in English, mathematics and science lessons of what pupils can do, particularly in Years 2, 5 and 6. They use resources well in lessons, deploying support staff especially well and ensuring that not a minute of their time supporting pupils is wasted. In an excellent lesson for pupils in Year 5 for instance, where almost half of the class have special educational needs, the lesson was very well planned to enable the teacher and two support staff to teach and support groups of pupils in their use of ICT to find information. Resources were very well prepared and the good quality of teaching and questioning by all adults involved ensured that all the pupils made very good progress in their learning. At the time of the inspection there was no classroom support for children in the foundation stage. This had an adverse impact on the amount of adult interaction and development of children’s communication,

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

language and literacy and mathematical skills afforded to the children, particularly in the reception class, where the levels of children’s attainment were well below those expected for their age in these areas of learning.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20 Teachers invariably explain to pupils at the beginning of lessons what it is they are expected to learn and know by the end of the lesson. This is good and helps the pupils maintain their concentration throughout the lesson. In most lessons teachers bring pupils together at the end of the lesson to discuss it. However, the quality of these sessions at the end of lessons is inconsistent and they do not always move pupils forward in their learning. In some lessons, time is not used well enough and the final sharing of what pupils have learnt does not always take place. Although pupils respond with comments such as ‘It was fun’ and ‘It was cool’, not all teachers use this time well enough to check what pupils have learnt, to move pupils forward to the next steps in their learning and to plan future work. Hummersea Primary School - 16 21 In lessons where teaching was unsatisfactory, activities were not planned sufficiently well

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and were not matched to the needs of different pupils’ abilities. Teachers’ explanations lacked pace and resources were not well enough prepared with sufficient resources to involve all pupils in their learning during focused activities. For instance in science lessons in Years 1 and 4, not all pupils were clear about what they were meant to be doing in their scientific enquiries and as a result they did not learn enough and move forward in these lessons.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22 Although teachers generally know the pupils well and make regular checks of how they achieve over a period of time they are not consistent in how they record and use this information. During lessons teachers regularly check for pupils’ understanding. They do not always use what they know from these checks to plan subsequent lessons and to ensure that pupils are given tasks which build upon what they already know. This was evident in a lesson where children who had difficulty in writing and recognising single letters struggled to copy a sentence with words like ‘dandelion’ and ‘coconut’. In science lessons in Key Stage 1, pupils of all abilities invariably carry out the same scientific enquiry and record it in the same way with no increased challenge given to higher attaining pupils to record their work with an increased level of detail. As a result the number of pupils’ reaching the higher level is below average in Year 2.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23 The quality of teaching and learning in English is good overall. All lessons were at least satisfactory with some excellent teaching in Years 5 and 6. The teaching of the National Literacy Strategy has been embraced well and teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of teaching the skills of reading and writing. However, in some lessons teachers do not plan their time well enough and the introductory part of the lesson takes too long which leaves insufficient time for pupils to complete the tasks set. Higher achieving pupils have insufficient opportunities to devise their own methods of recording when solving problems. Teaching in mathematics is good overall and all lessons were at least satisfactory with very good teaching in Years 2 and 6. A strength of the teaching in mathematics is the way that teachers use the opening part of numeracy lessons to emphasise pupils’ oral and mental skills requiring pupils to work out answers in their heads. Lessons are brisk and move

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

at a good pace and develop pupils’ mathematical thinking to find out several different ways of working out answers. Pupils of all abilities benefit by learning by answering a range of questions carefully directed to them by teachers.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24 The teaching by specialist teachers of ICT and music is consistently of a high quality and pupils make good progress in learning skills in these subjects in a systematic order which helps them build well upon what they already know and have learned. This good provision is also used well to develop teachers’ knowledge and expertise in these subjects where some teachers have less confidence. However, teachers do not use ICT across all subjects of the curriculum enough. In design and technology and religious education where no recent staff training has taken place teachers lack confidence and do not expect enough of pupils who do not achieve as well as they could.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25 All pupils get a fair deal from the school and have equal opportunities to learn. Homework is satisfactory and is similar to that in most primary schools. It is given in accordance with the home school agreement and is in line in Years 2 and 6 with the recently introduced learning contracts. Pupils with special educational needs and statements of specific need are taught well and make good progress. They are identified early and the quality of their individual education plans is good. Teachers match work well to the needs of these pupils in most lessons and they are able to take part at a level which matches what they already know. Teachers and support assistants work well together to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are supported well and fully included in all educational and social experiences.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26 Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive regular specialist help and support from the local education service. None of these pupils is in the early stages of learning English Hummersea Primary School - 17 and they make good progress. They are well supported by teachers, learning assistants and other adult helpers in lessons and are well integrated into all school activities. Hummersea Primary School - 18

p.18

PUPILS?

27 The curriculum is satisfactory and meets the academic, social, ethnic and cultural needs of all pupils. It is a satisfactory broad and planned curriculum which meets statutory requirements in all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. Overall, there has been good improvement since the previous inspection. For example, provision for pupils’ reading and writing, ICT and art and design has improved although the use of ICT is not well established across many subjects of the curriculum and there are still some gaps in the development of pupils’ skills in design and technology. The school has only just begun to use the Locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education and in some classes in Key Stage 2 not enough curricular time has been given to the subject. As a result, standards for the oldest pupils are not satisfactory.

p.20

PUPILS?

28 There is some imbalance regarding the amount of time spent teaching certain subjects. The main emphasis, and rightly so, has been on the development of literacy and numeracy. The school recognises the need to review the teaching time allocation for all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education to ensure that all subjects receive their full time allocation. There are now suitable new policies and schemes for all subjects, and guidelines to aid teachers’ planning which include the sound use of recently introduced government guidelines. Occasions are planned for pupils to talk about matters that concern them, and they are supported well, as they increasingly consider their own thoughts and actions in wider social and moral contexts. The school makes good provision for pupils’ health education through its science curriculum and there is an agreed policy for sex education and drugs awareness. Good opportunities are provided for pupils’ personal and social

p.20

PUPILS?

education and, when appropriate, social, moral, emotional and health issues are dealt with very sensitively by staff.

p.20

PUPILS?

29 The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and they achieve well and raise the standard of their work. The Code of Practice is fully implemented. Pupils are successfully integrated into groups within the class as much as possible and are appropriately included in any additional activities provided by the school. The provision for pupils who have English as an additional language is good. Learning assistants and teachers as well as specialists work together to support them and modify work suitably to meet their individual needs. Both groups of pupils clearly benefit from the additional literacy support given.

p.20

PUPILS?

30 The school has correctly given literacy and numeracy very high priority. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented successfully throughout the school. Planning for literacy and numeracy is generally good, mostly identifying tasks for pupils with different abilities and establishing a range of assessment opportunities. In literacy lessons, pupils have well planned opportunities to work in small groups to extend and consolidate recently learnt new words. Nevertheless, although good opportunities exist for pupils to develop specific vocabulary to support their understanding in some subjects, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to develop their mathematical skills and knowledge of numeracy across other subjects. However, numeracy skills are well taught during initial mental ‘warm up’ sessions during designated numeracy lessons and as a result of this standards in numeracy by the end of Key Stage 2 do not suffer.

p.20

PUPILS?

31 The provision for extra-curricular activities, which includes visits and visitors to school, is excellent. There are numerous activities that take place during lunch times and after school. Government funding allows the school to provide an exciting range of sporting, musical and educational activities. These activities are available to all pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, with a take up rate (including the residential visits) of in excess of 80 per cent. This is a strength of the school. Visitors are welcomed to the school, and all pupils are provided with the opportunity to visit local places of geographical and historical interest. Hummersea Primary School - 19 32 The curriculum to develop pupils’ personal, social and health education as well as citizenship is beginning to have a high profile in the school. The school has recently appointed a co-ordinator who has produced a comprehensive policy and a scheme of work. The provision is good and appropriate

p.20

PUPILS?

for the age and needs of the pupils. Personal, social and health education is formally timetabled and taught in all classes. Good use is made of ‘circle time’ when pupils come together to discuss behaviour issues, including bullying. The school has taken part in ‘Crucial Crew’ activities, a day led by the police and other professionals which promotes health and safety in a meaningful way for pupils.

p.21

PUPILS?

33 Links with the community are well founded and bring additional learning opportunities to the curriculum. The school has very good links with the parent and toddler group run as part of the ‘Sure Start’ initiative for pre-school children, which is located in the same building. This serves as a good introduction for parents of nursery children to the school. Excellent use has been made of EAZ funding, for example, the daily breakfast club, which in addition to providing children with a healthy start to the day has improved attendance and punctuality. There is regular contact and very good relationships with the receiving secondary school. This ensures smooth transition arrangements as pupils move from school to school.

p.21

PUPILS?

34 Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall. This is an improvement since the last inspection, and is a strength of the school.

p.21

PUPILS?

35 Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. School assemblies meet statutory requirements. In collective worship, pupils are invited to sit quietly, and join in saying prayers. Teachers are alert to providing opportunities in religious education and ‘circle time’ activities for pupils to sit quietly, think about their own feelings, and share these with classmates. In Year 2, pupils sat with their eyes shut thinking about what they wanted to write when making their own prayers. However, there are some lost opportunities to promote spiritual development. For example, in assemblies, music is not used well enough to give pupils the opportunity to sit in silence and then to express how the music made them feel. Teachers do not yet plan for spiritual development across the whole curriculum.

p.21

PUPILS?

36 Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. The school has an established moral code based on the understanding that the school is a community where everybody is valued and respected. Pupils are involved in making their own class rules and this ensures that they develop an understanding of the difference between right and wrong. All adults working in the school are good role models for the standards of behaviour that the school promotes. Teachers and adults working in classrooms have high expectations of pupils’ good behaviour and this results in the very good attitudes and relationships found in the school.

p.21

PUPILS?

37 Provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. This provision is at the centre of all the school does for its pupils. Pupils are given every opportunity possible to widen their experiences. Through funding from the EAZ a wide range of extra-curricular activities are available for pupils in Key Stage 2. The school encourages pupils to take up these opportunities, to prepare them well for life as adults. Pupils in Year 6 go on a residential visit, and this promotes their self-reliance as well as developing their understanding of the importance of teamwork. Pupils’ self-esteem is raised in a variety of ways, including ‘circle time’ activities. Teachers consistently value the efforts of pupils. A breakfast club is run each day when adults are good role models, encouraging pupils to socialise with each other. Pupils have roles of responsibility around the school, and in classrooms. Some Year 5

p.21

PUPILS?

pupils are library monitors. They regularly check the library at playtimes and lunchtimes and return books to their correct places. In lessons, teachers regularly provide opportunities for pupils to work together in small groups, or with ‘learning’ partners. There is a strong sense of caring throughout the school, and staff deal with any emotional and behavioural problems that pupils have very sensitively. Pupils’ achievements are regularly celebrated. They are encouraged to think about those people less fortunate than themselves, and they regularly raise funds for a range of charities. Hummersea Primary School - 20 38 Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. Pupils develop a very good awareness of their own cultural traditions through the geography curriculum, when they study their immediate locality, and through history when they learn about important events in the past. There are a variety of visits

p.21

PUPILS?

and visitors to the school, including residencies in art and drama, funded through the EAZ. These help pupils develop their knowledge, skills and understanding across a range of activities. The school acknowledges that pupils rarely come into contact with people from different cultures or ethnic backgrounds and makes sure that resources reflect the multi-ethnic nature of society. Pupils are developing an understanding and respect for some cultures different from their own through their friendships with recent refugees who have joined the school and have become fully inclusive members of the school community. However, pupils’ overall awareness and understanding of our multi-ethnic and multi-faith society is not well developed. By Year 6, pupils have little awareness that the major world faiths, other than Christianity, are also practised in this country and this is a contributing factor to pupils’ unsatisfactory levels attained in religious education.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39 The school makes very good provision for the health, safety and welfare of its pupils. The head teacher provides very good leadership in this aspect. Children’s personal and social needs are central to the positive ethos of the school and this is effective in helping them learn. All members of staff place a very high priority on pastoral care, and are very approachable and totally supportive. The teaching assistants are very caring, committed and give very good support to both teachers and pupils. All members of staff, both teaching and non-teaching, have a very good understanding of the school’s pastoral and welfare procedures, and implement them consistently and conscientiously. Child protection procedures are securely in place and there is a very good awareness of them throughout the school. The governors and the head teacher take their health and safety responsibilities seriously and

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

all the required health and safety inspections, checks and risk assessments are systematically carried out and formally recorded. Conscientious teachers and teaching assistants, who are alert and vigilant, supervise pupils very well at breaks. Lunchtime supervision is undertaken conscientiously, and the standard of care is high.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40 The school has effective procedures for promoting and monitoring discipline and good behaviour, based on a positive approach to managing pupils’ behaviour detailed in a written policy. All members of staff have high expectations of what constitutes acceptable behaviour, and discipline is administered consistently and well. Good use is made of appropriate external agencies to support pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. This all has a positive effect on the high standards of behaviour that are maintained throughout the school. The school is very effective in discouraging bullying and consequently, pupils work and play in an environment free from oppression. Good attendance is actively encouraged and absence is conscientiously monitored and followed up rigorously.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41 The class teachers and teaching assistants know their pupils extremely well and have a very good understanding of their individual personal needs. Pupils’ personal development is planned for, apparent in lessons, and carefully monitored.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42 Class teachers use their knowledge of the pupils very well to monitor their personal development. The school has a detailed personal, health and social education policy through which pupils learn the ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ for a healthy life. Very effective use is made of visits from the police, and pupils have certificates for their part played in the visit of the ‘Crucial Crew’. Annual reports to parents give a clear general picture of pupils’ personal development but fail to meet statutory requirements because they do not include comments on pupils’ achievement and progress in all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. Hummersea Primary School - 21 43 The procedures in place for assessing pupils’ academic achievements and progress are satisfactory. Detailed analysis is made of National Curriculum test results, along with other formal assessments regularly undertaken by the school. The results of this analysis are used well to target

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

those pupils who need extra support to enable them to attain the standards expected for their age. For example, pupils are targeted for a variety of initiatives to reach standards in literacy. The results of assessments have been used effectively in English to identify weaknesses in handwriting and spelling, as well as weaknesses in the development of pupils’ reading skills to locate and retrieve information. Teachers regularly assess their pupils in the English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. The results of these are recorded, but the use of these assessments to inform planning of future lessons, or to set targets for pupils, is just beginning in English but not in other curricular subjects.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44 Assessment in other subjects of the curriculum is not yet developed to a stage where it has any impact on pupils’ learning. No formal assessments are undertaken in religious education.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45 Relationships between the school and parents are good. The school enjoys the active support of a small but committed number of parents. These parents regularly help in the classrooms and accompany the children on school trips. Some parents take an active part in the Better Reading Partnership and most parents are involved in their children’s work in school and at home. For example, they fully support homework and home reading. There is an active Friends Association ‘The Friends of Hummersea’, that organises social and fund raising events for the school. Although relatively recently started, a considerable amount of money has already been raised for the school. The school works closely with parents and makes parents very welcome. The head teacher and her staff make themselves readily available to parents and are very approachable. A small minority of parents disagreed that their children get the right amount of work to do at home. The inspection team

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

judged the use of homework throughout the school to be satisfactory.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46 Communication between the school and home is good. The school sends out frequent newsletters and letters about specific events and activities. Starting in the nursery, teachers send out very good newsletters each term with curriculum and topic information. The school publishes a comprehensive and informative prospectus. The governors hold an annual meeting with parents and publish a useful annual report. Between them, these two documents contain all the statutory required information. Parents are given an annual progress report and offered the opportunity to attend appropriate consultation meetings to discuss their children’s work with their teachers. The quality of these reports varies throughout the school. Reporting of English, mathematics and science is good. Reporting of other subjects tends to cover what the children have done, and what they enjoy, rather than clearly stating the progress made. The subjects, particularly religious education and ICT, are not

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

reported under separate headings and therefore are unclear. Parents of children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are kept well informed and fully involved in their children’s progress reviews and education.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47 The school’s leadership and management are good overall. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. The greatest strength is the good leadership by the head teacher, which provides the school with a clear sense of direction and vision consistent with the stated aims and values of the school and a commitment to raising standards. The positive impact of this is evident in pupils’ success at Year 6 in reaching above average levels of attainment. The head teacher’s vision for the school and its development is shared by all those involved in the school. She is well supported by the recently Hummersea Primary School - 22 appointed deputy head teacher, staff and governors. As a result of her driving force, the school provides good personal development and excellent social development for pupils.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48 A good example of the head teacher’s leadership skills is the way that she has welcomed and supported the involvement of the EAZ and other local initiatives such as the ‘Sure Start Partnership’ and Reading Recovery wholeheartedly. In addition to raising pupils’ attainments, she is determined that pupils should be given the widest breadth of opportunities to develop their experiences beyond the disadvantaged local environment in order for them to develop new horizons and take their place in society. From the initial setting up of the EAZ she has worked together with other primary head teachers and been instrumental in ensuring that the benefits available made an impact on the provision in the local primary sector. The many initiatives organised in school under the umbrella of the EAZ have been managed well and all contribute to the wide range of experiences available to pupils and which all help raise their self-esteem and levels of attainment. These include expert

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

teaching in drama and art and design from teachers and artists in residence, and out of hours activities such as the thriving breakfast club, football coaching and wildlife conservation. The school’s involvement in other local initiatives such as the recent ‘Sure Start Partnership’ for pre-school and nursery education and the more established Reading Recovery programme also plays an important part in the good provision offered to pupils and the impact on their reading is very significant. EAZ initiatives have benefited teachers in developing assessment procedures, the transition between Key Stages 2 and 3 and the training of teachers and teaching assistants in Reading Recovery methods.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49 The recently appointed deputy head teacher provides good support for the head teacher and is developing his role in leading and managing the school energetically. He provides a very good example in his teaching and has made a good contribution to raising standards in the Year 6 class. He has made a successful analysis of the school’s results in tests and is effectively contributing towards target setting for the school and areas for priority for the school improvement plan.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50 The school has made a good improvement since it was last inspected in 1997 in many areas. In April 2001 it was awarded a school achievement award for ongoing improvement in the school results from 1997 and 2000. Standards achieved in national tests by pupils in Year 6 for the year 2001 have risen to be above average in English, mathematics and science and well above average in comparison with similar schools. Standards for pupils in Year 2 have also risen in writing and mathematics compared with national averages and in reading, writing and mathematics in comparison with similar schools despite an increase of the numbers of pupils with English as an additional language who have settled in the area recently. Standards in ICT have risen to be in line with the expectations at both Years 2 and 6. The quality of teaching has improved considerably across the school and there is now a significant proportion of good and very good teaching and a much lower proportion of

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

unsatisfactory teaching. The provision for pupils with special educational needs has improved and is now good and the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development has improved to be very good. The school has made good progress in dealing with the key issues from the previous inspection and has the capacity to improve further. The roles of the subject co-ordinators have been defined and re-allocated since the previous inspection. However, some aspects of the issues have only partly been dealt with in respect of assessment and the monitoring roles of the subject co-ordinators and further work remains to be done. These areas for improvement are acknowledged by the school and form part of the school improvement plan.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51 Several co-ordinators are new to their posts this year and have not had sufficient time to make an impact on raising standards in their subjects. Two teachers have recently left the school. This has resulted in the appointment of a new deputy head teacher teaching in Year 6 and a newly qualified teacher on a temporary appointment in the reception class who does not yet have a subject responsibility. The role of the co-ordinators in the monitoring of teaching and learning has become more systematic in English and mathematics since the last inspection, but this process is not yet fully Hummersea Primary School - 23 established in science and other subjects of the curriculum. Subject action plans vary in quality and do not always sufficiently emphasis the raising of standards in subjects and how this is to be done. This is the case in science, history, religious education and the foundation stage.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52 The procedures for the monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning lack rigour and consistency and are unsatisfactory. The school acknowledges this and it is recognised as part of the school development plan. The monitoring of teaching is better established in literacy and in numeracy than in other subjects. The school has shown a strong commitment to professional development in literacy and this has been instrumental in raising the standard of pupils’ attainment. External consultants such as literacy and numeracy consultants from the local education authority have recently monitored teaching and provided staff development in their subjects. At the time of the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy, teaching was monitored by a visit from the regional director and Her Majesty’s Inspector of schools. Monitoring of teaching has been undertaken by the deputy head teacher in literacy across the whole school and other subject co-ordinators monitor teachers’ planning

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

in their subjects. The head teacher supports and monitors teachers informally including the teaching of newly qualified teachers. However, no formal, planned programme for the monitoring of teaching by the senior management team or further monitoring of subjects or the foundation stage is in place. Systems for the performance management of teachers are on target and developing to include the involvement of the deputy head teacher as a second team leader, but as yet these procedures are having little impact on the teaching and learning.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53 The school improvement planning process has improved since the previous inspection and the costs of priorities are now carefully estimated, linked closely to the budget, and have specific criteria to judge how successful the action has been. However, the school improvement plan is for one year. It does not identify a longer-term plan against which it can plot the direction of its work and anticipate future trends and outline further priorities for development.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54 The governors work closely with the head teacher and support the school well. Since the last inspection they have improved their working knowledge of the school considerably and evaluate effectively the impact of the decisions they take upon the quality of educational provision and pupils’ standards. They organise their meetings efficiently through regular meetings of committees and are kept well informed about all developments. They have devised their own action plan and some have attended training which they have discussed together. They focus especially on the implications of their decisions for the benefit of pupils, and know that standards are rising and that pupils are benefiting from their planning to maintain single age classes, additional support assistants and make good use of the provision of the EAZ. Governors are attached to subjects of the curriculum and make focused visits to the school. They meet with co-ordinators to discuss issues, to learn about new

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

developments and to receive reports from the head teacher and other staff. For instance, with the appointment of the deputy head teacher recently, they were not content with the results of the first advertisement and persevered to enlarge the field of applicants.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55 The co-ordination of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and this ensures that they make good progress against their individual targets. The co-ordinator is very experienced and manages the provision and the support from external agencies very well. She is well supported by a part-time teacher funded by the EAZ and the school’s learning assistants who undertake additional training and qualifications. Support staff are organised well to work alongside teachers in their classrooms and to work with pupils in small groups. Funding provided for pupils with special educational needs is used well for its intended purpose. The co-ordinator has recently piloted the special educational needs ‘index’ and found this valuable for tracking the impact that funding for these pupils had made. Hummersea Primary School - 24 56 The school budgets systematically for all expenditure and makes good strategic use of its

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

resources. Specific grants are used appropriately to support pupils with special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language. The school’s finances are monitored regularly and efficiently by the finance department of the local education authority who the school pays under a service level agreement. The finance officer visits the school each half term and the governors are kept well informed about the budget throughout the year. There are clear links between the budget and the school development plan, expenditure is carefully monitored and the effect on pupils’ achievements is evaluated by staff and governors. A good example of this is the school’s decision to employ specialist teachers to raise the standards in both ICT and music. The school is concerned to get the best value for money when making financial decisions. A recent example of this has been the estimates taken for the new security fencing about to be erected.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57 The school has a satisfactory number of teaching and support staff to meet the needs of the National Curriculum although children in the foundation stage have not benefited recently from the allocation of a support assistant. Despite recent staff changes, there is a good team spirit, and newly appointed teachers benefit from the support of colleagues. Ongoing training since the previous inspection in ICT has helped to improve teachers’ knowledge and confidence and to raise standards. Good opportunities are provided for teachers to develop their own professional development needs. However, there has been no recent training in design and technology where standards are not satisfactory. In religious education a lack of recent training in the Locally Agreed Syllabus means that some teachers are not confident in the teaching of some areas of the syllabus. Satisfactory support is given to newly qualified teachers who receive their entitlement of courses and non-teaching time.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Most support staff have had training in literacy and numeracy, and their particular role in supporting learning is being developed. The head teacher and governors are well supported by an efficient and highly professional school administrator and also by a part-time administrative assistant.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58 Although there are ample classrooms, the teaching accommodation has some weaknesses. Semi-open plan classrooms in most areas allow some noise distraction. Some classrooms are cramped and provide access to other teaching areas. However, good teaching and class management minimises disruption to learning. The school benefits from an attractive library and a small but well appointed computer suite. The hall is adequate in size for physical education lessons but storing equipment and music resources around the room results in the loss of valuable space. The school is kept spotlessly clean and well maintained. The quality and quantity of the school’s learning resources are satisfactory overall and good in English, ICT and music. No curriculum area suffers from unsatisfactory resources. Hummersea Primary School - 25

p.26

W HAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in religious education at Key Stage 2 and standards in design and

p.27

technology throughout the school by:

In religious education: • Training staff so that they are more confident in teaching the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. • Allocating sufficient time to the teaching of religious education in all classes. • Using the guidance in the Locally Agreed Syllabus to assess what pupils know, understand and can do in religious education.

p.27

technology throughout the school by:

In design and technology: • Training staff in order to raise teachers’ awareness of what pupils can achieve. • Sharing existing staff expertise • Planning of work that ensures the systematic development of skills throughout the school in accordance with the recently adopted guidelines. (Paragraphs 6, 24, 27, 28, 51, 114, 149)

p.27

technology throughout the school by:

(2) Improve the role of the subject co-ordinators by:

p.27

technology throughout the school by:

• Defining the roles and responsibilities of the co-ordinators to include the more rigorous monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. • Improving the quality of subject action plans to give a clearer focus on raising standards of achievement with measurable targets. (Paragraphs: 50, 51, 86, 103, 113, 118, 122, 126, 142, 152)

p.27

technology throughout the school by:

(3) Ensure that teachers make better use of assessment information from lessons and

p.27

the marking of pupils’ work to plan subsequent lessons so that work is matched more

effectively to the needs of individual pupils.

p.27

the marking of pupils’ work to plan subsequent lessons so that work is matched more

(Paragraphs 21, 43, 44, 74, 101, 113, 122, 126, 152)

p.27

the marking of pupils’ work to plan subsequent lessons so that work is matched more

In addition to these key issues the school should consider the following less significant weakness for inclusion in the action plan:

p.27

the marking of pupils’ work to plan subsequent lessons so that work is matched more

Ensure that pupil’s annual reports to parents include comments on pupils’ achievement and progress in all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. (Paragraphs 42, 46, 126, 152) Hummersea Primary School - 26

p.27

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 40

p.28

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.28

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 10 151

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 88

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y 6

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 56

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 7

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

p.28

Attendance

Hummersea Primary School - 27 Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

p.29

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.29

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.29

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 10 17 27

p.29

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.29

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 17 16

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 78% (78%) 93% (78%) 96% (96%) at NC level 2 or above National 84% (83%) 86% (84%) 91% (90%)

p.29

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.29

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 17 17

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 78% (78%) 100% (74%) 96% (78%) at NC level 2 or above National 85% (84%) 89% (88%) 89% (88%)

p.29

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Where the numbers of boys or girls is 10 or less, figures are omitted.

p.29

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 9 22

p.29

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.29

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

Boys 12 11 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls - - -

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 91% (56%) 86% (48%) 100% (80%) at NC level 4 or above National 75% (75%) 71% (72%) 87% (85%)

p.29

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.29

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

Boys - - 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls - - - Hummersea Primary School - 28 Total 17 18 22

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 77% (36%) 82% (36%) 100% (68%) at NC level 4 or above National 72% (70%) 74% (72%) 82% (79%)

p.30

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Where the numbers of boys or girls is 10 or less, figures are omitted. Hummersea Primary School - 29

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 4 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.7 Financial year 2000 - 2001

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.6

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 444,120

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 432,349

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 102 Expenditure per pupil 2,686

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 15,508

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 27,279

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 10

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 Hummersea Primary School - 30 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 71 26 3 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 51 43 3 2 2

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 38 15 2 7

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 65 31 2 2 2

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 77 19 0 3 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 77 22 0 0 2

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 63 31 3 2 2

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 77 18 3 2 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 70 28 0 0 2

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 49 41 5 0 5

p.32

Other issues raised by parents

Some parents commented that there was bullying in the playground when midday supervisors were in charge. Hummersea Primary School - 31

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60 Children enter the nursery part-time, after their third birthday. Since January 2000 children have benefited before starting in nursery from the mother and toddler group which has been set up under the ‘Sure Start’ initiative in the new accommodation adjoining the nursery.

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61 Entry to full time education in reception is made in September for those who will become five before the end of February, and in January for those who will become five before the end of August. This means that the youngest children have two terms in the reception class. During the autumn term there was no planned interaction for them with reception pupils. At the time of the inspection the group of younger children in reception totalled 13 and there were just six older children. The numbers of children in the nursery were 13 in the morning session and 11 in the afternoon session.

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62 Children enter the nursery showing the full range of attainment but overall attainment is well below the agreed expectation for children of this age. Most children make good progress in personal and social development and satisfactory progress in developing communication skills. However, the absence rate in the nursery is high. At the time of entry to full time education in the reception class, the results of initial assessments show that overall children’s attainment remains well below expectations particularly in social development, language communication and mathematical development. Children’s physical development is in line with the expectations for their ages.

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63 Teaching in the foundation stage is satisfactory overall, although owing to a lack of a learning assistant or a nursery nurse, the overall ratio of children to adults has been high. Few parents help regularly in the foundation stage and this lack of adult interaction has had an impact on the progress that children make, particularly in their language and mathematical development. However, the school has rectified this with the appointment of an experienced support assistant for the nursery and reception class, who started the week following the inspection.

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64 Children make satisfactory progress overall towards the Early Learning Goals expected for their age in the nursery and reception class. However, owing to the very low levels of attainment children start with in the nursery, the majority of the children do not reach the goals expected of them in all the areas of learning by the time they leave the reception class. Apart from in personal social and emotional development and physical development, children’s attainment on starting the National Curriculum is well below that expected for their age. Most children’s personal and social attainment ensures a smooth transition into Year 1.

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65 Children with special educational needs are identified promptly in the nursery and given sensitive support by the school. Nursery children benefit well from the specialist help available on site such as speech therapy under the ‘Sure Start’ initiative. However, this becomes more difficult for parents to sustain when children start in reception, since they have to visit specialists further away to receive help.

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

66 Teachers give a strong emphasis to children’s development in this area and it is supported well by teachers in both the reception class and the nursery. The quality of teaching is good and children make good progress in both classes. Most reach the agreed level expected of them by the time they leave the foundation stage. Through well-organised induction procedures, children in the nursery quickly become secure and develop a good measure of confidence with most leaving their Hummersea Primary School - 32 carers confidently to choose an activity for themselves. Teachers provide good opportunities for children to settle in and to feel part of a whole group in a secure, calm, happy and friendly atmosphere. They support each child individually so that they develop a sound understanding of social conventions and of what is considered acceptable behaviour. This in turn helps them to relate well to each other

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

and their teachers. In a time when they gathered together with the teacher in a circle, children in the nursery had the opportunity to say how they felt that day. They were told that the toy fox was unhappy in the nursery and suggested good ways that they could help him such as, ‘I could look after him…. Cuddle him…. stroke him…. share my toys…. stroke him’. Children in the nursery quickly learn and independently follow the systems expected of them such as washing their hands and hanging up painting aprons after use. While most of the youngest children work happily alongside each other, as they become more confident they make friendships and enjoy working and playing together in pairs and small groups. Children learn to adapt their behaviour in different situations, for instance, in circle time with the teacher, sharing a tea party with a friend and when pretending to be mothers in the home

p.34

Personal, social and emotional development

corner. In the reception class, children work together happily in small groups, for instance when using construction materials, dressing up clothes and in mathematical games and looking at books in the book corner. They learn to take turns when working in both small and large groups and take their lead from the teacher. Children in the reception class were guided well by the teacher in a shared group musical game of passing the beater which helped them learn the need to take turns and play fairly.

p.34

Communication, language and literacy

67 The quality of teaching and learning in this area is satisfactory. Children start in the nursery with very low levels of attainment in language and communication. A significant number of children offer one word responses in both the nursery and the reception class although higher attaining children in the nursery repeat phrases used by the teacher accurately. For instance, when sharing the story of ‘The very Hungry Caterpillar’, one child repeated the teacher’s sentence and mirrored her intonation well saying, ‘He likes his fruit’. Teachers plan and explore the development of children’s skills for speaking and listening at all opportunities. In both nursery and reception they consistently use a varied range of everyday words and specific vocabulary related to subjects across all areas of the curriculum such as the naming of fruits like strawberries, plums, and oranges and different action words like

p.34

Communication, language and literacy

tiptoeing and stamping. In the reception children talk about objects such as dandelions and coconuts. This successfully increases the bank of words that children come across. In the nursery they begin to respond to simple questions and instructions and carry this on into the reception class. Children in the reception class listen very quietly to their teacher, follow instructions but speak very little. Despite sound teaching most children attain well below the expectations in this area by the time they leave the reception class. They become more animated during the times that they share rhymes and songs together. This happened in a challenging action song of ‘Heads, shoulders, knees and toes’, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Teachers use a variety of rhymes and songs with children. Aspects of the National Literacy Strategy are taught through stories and rhymes.

p.34

Communication, language and literacy

68 The nursery is well provided with story sacks to promote children’s interest in stories such as ‘Goldilocks and the three Bears’. These consist of books and soft toy characters and objects to make the stories interactive for the children and aid their understanding. A selection of ‘Big Books’ is used frequently in both the nursery and reception class for children to share with the teacher. Children begin to recognise the difference between pictures and words and, with coaxing, older children in the reception class talk about the simple stories they are reading. Parents are encouraged to support their children at home with early reading activities and many do so. Children share books with parents and brothers and sisters. Because of their poor speech many children in the reception class find it difficult to recognise letter sounds although they learn to do so through ‘Jolly Phonics’, an active approach to

p.34

Communication, language and literacy

learning letters and sounds. They confuse ‘g’ and ‘t’ sounds suggesting ‘telephone’ as a word beginning with ‘g’, although older and higher attaining children suggest words like ‘girl’. The higher attaining children in the reception class are beginning to form their letters correctly and write short Hummersea Primary School - 33 sentences under the teachers’ work, such as, ‘I can paint…jump’. Letters are recognisable and most children are beginning to recognise and write their names. Opportunities for pupils in the foundation stage to think and act independently as readers and writers are limited. Although classes have clear areas for mark making and reading, these are not used effectively enough in a structured way to develop pupils’ skills in such activities as making books, making lists, taking orders or writing prescriptions.

p.34

Mathematical development

69 The quality of teaching in this area is satisfactory. Children make satisfactory progress although when they begin in the reception class children attain well below the level expected of them for their ages and are not likely to reach the goals expected of them in this area by the time they begin in Year 1. Children in the reception class count reliably up to five but many have difficulty in counting everyday objects to ten. They learn to recognise numerals to five well and some older children are beginning to recognise numerals to nine. From the nursery on, teachers introduce children to colours, simple shapes, counting and number songs and rhymes. They miss no opportunity to reinforce the children’s understanding of shape, counting and numbers. In the reception class children are introduced to the ideas of ‘more than’ and ‘less than’, ‘larger and smaller’, but many have difficulty with the idea when asked for differences between larger and smaller numbers although they

p.35

Mathematical development

understand that one is less than two. They relate to this idea better in a practical situation when faced with the evidence of a large collection of objects and a small collection of objects. The use of practical activities with a variety of resources is not used enough in the reception class to consolidate and extend children’s mathematical understanding. There is too narrow a focus on paper and pencil work and on what children are to learn rather than on how they learn.

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

70 Children make good progress in this area. The testing of children on entry to the reception class indicates that overall attainment in this area is below expectations but children start in the nursery with a very poor knowledge and understanding of the world around them. This good progress continues through their time in the reception class although few children reach the levels expected of them for their age. The teaching and learning in this area is good. A suitable range of topics such as ‘Colour’, ‘Changes’ and ‘Ourselves’, is planned over time to enable children to investigate. For instance, teachers planned a ‘Red Week’. All the children wore red clothes, they took photographs of the teachers’ red cars and a fire engine visited the classes in the foundation stage. Children used the hoses and went inside the cab. This was an exciting week of discovery for the children.

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

71 The ongoing daily practical activities to which they have access such as water troughs, sand, construction and small toys promotes their development in this area well. Children in the nursery are encouraged to look after and feed pets such as goldfish and in both classes children plant and grow spring bulbs such as hyacinths. They observe the weather on a daily basis and nursery children know when it is windy. A nursery child observing the weather observed and gave a warning that, ‘It is bright and sunny, but it is cold’. In activity sessions teachers encourage children to choose their preferred activities and to complete their tasks before beginning another. In both classes children move freely between activities and sustain them for good periods of time. They build and construct with a wide range of objects. Children in the reception class became very excited when building a tall tower of bricks. They were very proud of how high they could build and called a visitor over to admire

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

their work. Children in both classes have access to a computer although it is more readily accessible to the reception children. They quickly learn to manipulate a cursor with a mouse to move objects and colour them in for making pictures of a house.

p.35

Physical development

Hummersea Primary School - 34 72 The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in this area. Children maintain the average and above average levels of development that they have in this area when they begin in the reception class and attain broadly in line with the learning goals. They have frequent opportunities in both classes to handle pencils, glue spreaders and manage small construction equipment as well as tools such as saws and hammers. These activities help to develop children’s manipulative skills appropriately. However, they have fewer opportunities for developing their cutting skills with scissors. Opportunities are integrated into self-chosen and teacher-directed activities which gives teachers the chance to intervene to teach children ways to improve control of their tools. An instance of this was seen in the nursery, when the teacher explained and showed a pupil who was sawing wood, how to

p.36

Physical development

use the vice on the workbench. Good use is made of the secure outdoor area and appropriate resources to develop skills by playing on larger equipment such as wheeled toys. Children in both the nursery and the reception class use the space appropriately but few structured situations are provided to extend their imaginative play in the outdoor area. Children in both classes have access to the hall to improve their progress in inclement weather.

p.36

Creative development

73 The provision and teaching for children’s creative development is satisfactory. Owing to limited speaking skills, children attain below average in their imaginative play and in play-acting situations. They work alongside each other happily but do not extend their play to others. Teachers intervene to extend children’s play activities but there is a limited amount of adult support available. Children in the nursery and reception use their imagination in play situations such as the home corner and in sand and water troughs when working with a wide selection of small toys such as model animals, extinct creatures such as dinosaurs and natural objects such as twigs and pebbles. For instance a child in the nursery was very busy using sand, a bucket and twigs to make a ‘garden’ whilst another sawing wood said that she was making an aeroplane. Children enjoy using malleable materials that they can roll and model such as play dough. They use paint, crayons and collage materials freely

p.36

Creative development

and enjoy and show pleasure at their finished work displaying it proudly to visitors. Children in both classes enjoy singing together and do so with enthusiasm and are keen to learn the words and actions of many songs such as ‘Five Little Monkeys’ and Ten Green Bottles’. Children have opportunities to experiment and play percussion instruments in group activities in the reception class.

p.36

Creative development

74 The quality of teaching in the foundation stage is satisfactory overall with a small amount of good and very good teaching. Teachers have a sound knowledge of the curriculum for each of the areas of learning and the Early Learning Goals. The nursery teacher has a good understanding of how young children learn and the reception teacher, who is newly qualified, is developing this understanding well. Both teachers in the foundation stage make regular assessments of the children’s learning. Children are assessed on entry to the nursery and to the reception class. Children’s finished work is annotated thoroughly and in most cases teachers make useful notes of what the children need to learn next and identify the implication for planning new work. However, although the reception teacher knows very thoroughly what the older reception children can do, she is less certain after a half term of what the younger children can do. Initial assessments for the 13 children who had joined the class in

p.36

Creative development

January and only had one and a half terms left in reception were not returned by the time of the inspection. Consequently, work is not always carefully matched to the learning needs of the younger children in reception and this is a factor that hampers their progress.

p.36

Creative development

75 Management of the foundation stage is satisfactory. The responsibility for co-ordinating the foundation stage is shared between the nursery teacher and the head teacher. Both teachers in the foundation stage work closely together. The nursery teacher has attended the recent training for co- ordinators and is joint mentor to the newly qualified teacher. Mentoring and planning meetings take place each week. The school encourages parents in the foundation stage to be involved with their Hummersea Primary School - 35 children’s learning and they are made very welcome to discuss with both teachers should they have any concerns regarding their children. Resources are satisfactory although there is an imbalance of books and story and number sacks between the nursery and the reception class. The accommodation is adequate although the nursery area is cramped. Its use would be more effective for all children if it

p.36

Creative development

was opened out into a complete foundation stage unit. Hummersea Primary School - 36

p.37

ENGLISH

76 Standards in English have improved since the last inspection. The school has dealt with the key issue identified at that time very well. As a result, standards in reading and writing in Year 6 match what is expected of pupils of this age. Because of the intensive small group teaching offered by the ‘booster’ classes, which start in the second half of this term, these pupils are on target to achieve standards similar to those achieved in last year’s national tests. In Year 2 standards of attainment are below what is expected of pupils of this age, although they are rising. Pupils make good progress against the very poor language skills of most children when they enter the school.

p.38

ENGLISH

77 The school has a number of initiatives in place, some of which are funded by the EAZ, aimed at raising standards in literacy throughout the school. The results of assessment data are used very well to inform the school of groups of pupils needing specific support in order to reach the expected standards for their age. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and who speak English as a second language, make good progress. Good teaching in Years 2, together with excellent teaching seen in Years 5 and 6, makes a positive impact on learning.

p.38

ENGLISH

78 In Year 2, many pupils speak very quietly and only offer brief answers to questions, although they listen carefully to their teacher. Pupils continue to make good progress, and standards in speaking and listening match what is expected of pupils in Year 6. This is because teachers, particularly in Years 2 and 6, provide good opportunities for pupils to talk in front of classmates in a variety of situations in lessons across subjects such as music, mathematics and science as well as in drama. In Year 2, pupils questioned one pupil who was acting the role of Rumplestiltskin. Pupils in Year 6 prepared difficult questions to ask a pupil who was playing the part of the main character in the text they were studying. These pupils then developed their ideas in drama activities, which were taught by a specialist teacher, funded through the EAZ.

p.38

ENGLISH

79 Not all the initiatives aimed at raising standards in reading have been in place long enough to impact on standards. Although pupils are making good progress from a low starting point, in Year 2 they attain standards in reading below those expected for their ages. In Year 1, some pupils have difficulty recognising letter sounds, and confuse the sounds of letters, such as ‘j’ and ‘d’. In Year 2, pupils read very quickly, and do not pause at the end of sentences. This results in a lot of errors, such as ‘ever’ for ’even’ and ‘stairs’ for ‘stars’. A few pupils still only read a vocabulary of key words, and use the clues in pictures to guess unfamiliar words. They do not build words readily or use knowledge of sounds and letters. This results in inaccurate guesses. For example, one pupil read ‘grass’ for ‘pond’ from looking at the picture of ducks on a village pond. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 3 and 4, and in

p.38

ENGLISH

Year 4, the majority of pupils read accurately and correct errors from their understanding of what they have just read. Pupils know how to find information in non-fiction books and they understand the organisation of the library and the purpose of indexes and glossaries.

p.38

ENGLISH

80 Pupils in Years 5 and 6 make very good progress, particularly in lessons. As a result of excellent teaching in a lesson for pupils in Year 5, pupils, learned quickly and successfully how to skim and scan texts to get information to support the history topic they were studying. In another outstanding lesson in Year 6, pupils were presented with a high level of challenge to make predictions from the text they were studying. The majority of pupils in these year groups read fluently and higher attaining pupils are very expressive. Pupils talk about the plot, characters and make informed predictions about what may happen next. However, pupils lack a range of word building strategies to read unknown words such as ‘unchivalrous’ and some struggle to read longer words correctly, such as ‘deliberately’. In Year 6, some pupils make good use of the public and the school libraries.

p.38

ENGLISH

81 Standards in writing are below those expected of pupils for their ages in Year 2. Pupils in Year 1 sometimes miss out some letters within words. For example, writing ‘picTrs’ for ‘pictures’. Hummersea Primary School - 37 Higher attaining pupils in Year 2, write a sequence of sentences, sometimes but not always using capital letters and full stops. However, capital letters are still often used in the middle of words, for example ‘caLLed’, and spelling is poor, for example ‘waz’ and ‘owt’. By Year 6, pupils have made good progress and standards match what is expected for their ages. Few pupils in Years 3 and 4 use a joined script and the presentation of pupils’ written work is poor. In Year 3, capital letters are still used incorrectly, and spelling is often poor. For example, writing ‘said’ as ‘siadt’. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Year 4, and they are starting to use a range of vocabulary for effect, such as ‘his voice

p.38

ENGLISH

echoed’. Spelling remains a weakness, with ‘kept’ frequently being spelt as ‘cepet’. In Years 5 and 6, the quality of pupils’ writing improves dramatically. Lower attaining pupils in Year 5 organise different kinds of writing well, for example using bullet points correctly to indicate the sequence when writing instructions to make toast. The majority of pupils are starting to use a joined script, and a variety of punctuation including question marks. Books produced by some pupils in Year 5, using word- processing skills, are of a high quality. Pupils have organised their ideas well, and used words and punctuation to gain a good effect. Pupils in Year 6, use a variety of beginnings for sentences, to make their writing lively. For example one pupil wrote, ‘Quickly he slithered’. Ideas are sustained well, and some pupils use speech marks correctly. Lower ability pupils use vocabulary well for good effect, such

p.39

ENGLISH

as ‘his watery eyes’, but spelling is still a weakness.

p.39

ENGLISH

82 Teaching has improved since the last inspection. It is good overall. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. Teachers have a good understanding of the National Literacy Strategy. All teachers manage pupils very well in lessons, and this impacts well on learning in the whole class session of the literacy hour, because pupils listen carefully and respond appropriately to teachers’ good questioning skills. However, in some lessons, teachers spend too long on this part of the lesson. This leaves insufficient time for pupils to complete their group or individual tasks. Sometimes independent tasks are not matched closely enough to what pupils have previously learnt. This is because teachers do not check how well pupils have learnt during the end part of lessons. As a result they do not plan future lessons carefully enough to ensure that all the pupils are building on what they already know and

p.39

ENGLISH

understand. For example, some pupils in Year 1 found it difficult to copy what was written inside speech marks, and they confused these marks with apostrophes. In Year 3, a group of pupils making sentences using the correct collective noun, did not know what a ‘shoal’ was and had difficulty using a dictionary to look for the meaning of the word.

p.39

ENGLISH

83 Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are supported very well in lessons. Learning assistants and specialist teachers work well with these pupils, which ensures they make good progress. In Years 5 and 6, where teaching was excellent, pupils were consistently challenged by the teachers’ excellent questioning skills. These lessons moved at a brisk pace, with very clear instructions, so pupils knew what they were expected to do. As a result, learning was very good, and pupils worked hard, with enthusiasm and they enjoyed these lessons. The learning assistant, supporting a group of pupils in Year 5, used an imaginative teaching technique by adapting the format of ‘Blind Date’. This engaged pupils very well. One pupil said, “This is good, isn’t it?” At the end of this lesson, the teacher used what one group of pupils had learnt very well to share with the rest

p.39

ENGLISH

of the class. This enabled her to assess how well pupils had learnt.

p.39

ENGLISH

84 The teaching of reading is improving overall. In some lessons, teachers have clear aims for ‘guided’ reading sessions, and they record how well pupils have read. However, few classrooms have attractive reading areas and teachers do not allocate sufficient time, particularly in Years 3 to 6, for pupils to sustain reading independently for pleasure. The use of ICT in English is developing.

p.39

ENGLISH

85 Pupils behave very well in lessons, and they have very good attitudes to learning. They work well together in small groups, or with their ‘learning’ partners. However, only in Years 5 and 6, do pupils take care when writing. Hummersea Primary School - 38 86 The subject is managed well. From the analysis of tests, handwriting and spelling have rightly been identified as areas for improvement. Teachers regularly assess pupils’ standards, and they have just begun to use the results of assessments to set individual targets for pupils in writing. All teachers have been observed teaching the literacy hour. However, the monitoring of teachers’ planning and looking at pupils’ work is not yet rigorous enough. As a result, there are inconsistencies from class to class in the planning of what different groups of pupils are expected to learn. Hummersea Primary School - 39 87 Resources to support teaching English are good. The library is attractive, and very well

p.39

ENGLISH

organised. Pupils have regular access at playtimes and lunchtimes. Library monitors in Year 5 undertake their responsibilities seriously. In Year 6, pupils’ skills are being enriched by drama opportunities provided by a teacher funded through the EAZ.

p.41

MATHEMATICS

88 There has been an upward trend in national test results since the previous inspection, but the latest results in the year 2001 show a great improvement. The previous inspection judged standards to be satisfactory, and the present picture is one of similar standards. The relatively small group of pupils in Year 6 consists of a large proportion of pupils with special educational needs. However, the intensive use of additional ‘booster’ classes prior to the pupils taking their national tests, and the very good teaching in the Year 6 class has had a positive effect on raising standards. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils enter the reception class with levels of understanding in mathematics well below national expectations; good progress is maintained as pupils move up through the school, accelerating in Years 5 and 6 to very good progress. Standards in mathematics are still not high enough for pupils

p.41

MATHEMATICS

aged seven, due to the overuse of workbooks that slows the learning for higher attaining pupils.

p.41

MATHEMATICS

89 Since the previous inspection, the school has been successful in placing greater emphasis on oral and mental work requiring pupils to work out answers in their heads. This is having a significant impact on their good learning. All lessons commence with a range of briskly paced questions. Higher attaining pupils are suitably challenged to find more than one way of working out the answer to a given problem. The use of white boards and number fans enhances all pupils’ eagerness to take part. All pupils gain from giving answers to a range of questions, special educational needs pupils benefit in particular from learning basic numeracy skills such as accurately learning their multiplication tables. All mental ‘quick thinking’ oral sessions are well taught. The strategies pupils use to find their answers are often shared when pupils work in a pair. This promotes confidence and motivation to solve difficult calculations. For example, pupils in a Year 6 lesson gave answers to a range of

p.41

MATHEMATICS

questions relating to the multiplication and division of given numbers by ten and one hundred.

p.41

MATHEMATICS

90 The practical, enthusiastic approach to numeracy is evident during most lessons and features prominently in pupils’ recorded work. In Year 1, pupils confidently learn to use decimal coinage to buy a drink of water before purchasing items from the school grocery shop. Pupils, with adult support, tender the correct amount or seek the correct change for items costing up to 5p. Pupils in Year 2 work confidently with numbers up to twenty, and some well beyond to fifty. They successfully compare the weights of a range of well-prepared parcels, developing an awareness of ‘heavier than’ or ‘lighter than’. Pupils in Year 3 recognise odd and even numbers accurately from zero up to one hundred, developing their own patterns systematically. Pupils in Year 5 revise and consolidate their multiplication tables before undertaking work involving the multiplication of single digit numbers by hundreds, tens and units. Teachers generally make good use of the session at the end of the lesson to

p.41

MATHEMATICS

check pupils’ understanding and celebrate some of the work done involving the multiplication of numbers up to one thousand.

p.41

MATHEMATICS

91 The quality of teaching and learning is good overall with some very good teaching in Years 2 and 6. Very good teaching in a Year 2 lesson enabled pupils to compare the weights of differently sized packages, developing an awareness that larger sized packages are not always heavier. Pupils displayed high levels of sustained enjoyment and motivation when required to estimate, weigh and record. After most pupils had placed the packages in order of descending weight, they weighed them against a standard metric weight and gave correct results of ‘heavier than’ or ‘lighter than’. Because the teacher and supporting adult stimulated pupils’ excellent positive attitudes, this enabled work to proceed at an accelerated rate. All adults held high expectations of both the ways pupils should respond and their ability to think mathematically. Pupils’ reading, speaking and listening skills were Hummersea Primary School - 40

p.41

MATHEMATICS

suitably improved at the end of the lesson when the story being read reflected the weights of various toy animals being added as passengers to a boat before finally sinking with the arrival of a mouse. In Year 6, confident subject knowledge assists the rapid pace of the lesson, and clear instruction gives much well directed support. As a result, pupils make very good progress in their overall numerical ability.

p.42

MATHEMATICS

92 The interesting activities the teachers plan ensure that pupils remain attentive and sustain concentration. Pupils enjoy mathematics and always behave very well in all lessons, and, on occasions, behaviour is exemplary. All teachers have high expectations, borne out by the enthusiasm of most pupils, including those with special educational needs, who are well supported and make good progress. However, higher attaining pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to devise their own methods of recording when solving problems that require separating from written text and consequently, fewer reach the higher levels in results compared with schools nationally.

p.42

MATHEMATICS

93 Most teachers make use of mathematical vocabulary displayed in classrooms. However, the good quality display of pupils’ work in Year 2 reflecting a range of data handling using ICT is not a regular feature throughout the school. This is an area for improvement. In most lessons, very good use is made of adult support staff. They know exactly what is to be taught and what pupils are expected to learn, and provide additional help, especially for pupils with special educational needs.

p.42

MATHEMATICS

94 Mathematics is not used sufficiently in other subjects. There is very limited evidence of pupils being given the opportunity to deepen their understanding by regular planned use of mathematics in other subjects. Nevertheless, recent developments in the provision of ICT are having a good effect on standards achieved in handling data. Analysis of pupils’ work indicates that most activities are directed too closely by the class teacher, failing to give higher attaining pupils an opportunity to devise their own investigations and problem solving techniques related to events in every day life. This is very evident in Years 1 and 2 where pupils systematically work their way through a commercial scheme workbook containing work already undertaken during an oral mental mathematics session. Higher attaining pupils completed the same work as other pupils before moving on to more challenging work, thus slowing their progress.

p.42

MATHEMATICS

95 The leadership of the subject is good, and this has had a positive impact on raising standards. Co-ordinators have identified weaknesses and developed a clear and detailed scheme based on national guidelines. The senior management team carefully analyses results, highlighting areas of relative underachievement, whether it is an aspect of mathematical understanding or by a certain group. The school is now well placed to continue its good improvement.

p.42

SCIENCE

96 In 2001 standards reached by pupils in Year 2 in national tests were above average compared with schools nationally and well above average in comparison with similar schools. Pupils at the end of Year 6 reached standards that were well above average in comparison with schools nationally and with similar schools. Since the time of the last inspection, standards for pupils in Year 6 have been consistently maintained at above average levels. This owes much to teachers’ thorough preparation of pupils for national tests.

p.42

SCIENCE

97 Given the below average attainment of pupils when they start the National Curriculum, pupils’ achievement is very good overall. Although inspection findings show that the standard of attainment is below average at the end of Year 2, pupils have made good progress since they began the National Curriculum programme of study. In Year 6 pupils attain at the national average for their ages. Differences between standards achieved by pupils in Year 6 last year and current standards in inspection findings are accounted for by the fact that, more pupils with special educational needs are in Hummersea Primary School - 41 the small group of 19 pupils than in the group of pupils who sat the test last year. In addition, preparation for national tests has not yet been undertaken. Pupils make steady progress in Years 3 and 4 and very good progress at the end of Key Stage 2, owing to very good teaching in Years 5 and 6

p.42

SCIENCE

where teachers have high expectations of pupils’ achievement. Pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as others, thanks to the good amount of support from classroom assistants. The school provides well for pupils who do not speak English at home and they make good progress and achieve well. There is no discernible difference in the standards achieved by boys or girls.

p.43

SCIENCE

98 Pupils in Year 2 undertake work that is broadly in line with that expected by seven-year-olds. From an effective, well-organised demonstration by the teacher and their own well-planned and supported individual investigations, pupils understood that different materials change when they are heated and cooled. They recognised and were able to explain some of the changes that happen for instance, when eggs are boiled, bread is toasted and cakes are mixed. Pupils are beginning to understand that these changes cannot be reversed. In a lesson which built very well on what they had investigated the previous week and as a result of very effectively focused questioning by the teacher and support assistants, pupils in Year 2 were able to observe and explain what happened when a cake was mixed. They said, ‘It’s getting smooth…. the egg and the margarine have gone’. However, they could not predict when the mixing began what would happen and some pupils remained confused

p.43

SCIENCE

between mixing and melting, although they had already investigated melting the previous week. In a less well-organised lesson with a slow pace, pupils in Year 1 did not listen carefully enough to the teacher and gained very little in their investigations of light sources and reflectors. The teacher’s explanations were confused and not clearly matched to the pupils’ levels of understanding and what they had already understood in previous lessons. Pupils make good progress in Year 2. They understand the safety rules for using electricity and have made a simple circuit and recorded what they did using a labelled diagram. Higher attaining pupils know that a switch can be used to turn it on and off.

p.43

SCIENCE

99 In Year 6, the work done by pupils is broadly in line with that expected by eleven-year-olds. There is a good balance of investigative work and pupils record their work in a structured way, for instance when finding out about soluble and insoluble substances such as salt, sugar and coffee and in the physical changes that take place under different conditions for solids and liquids. Teachers develop some aspects of work in science and pupils’ understanding about living things very effectively. For instance, in a very good lesson to demonstrate how the heart pumps blood around the body, the teacher showed good expertise and knowledge of science and communicated it very well to the pupils. He made the lesson memorable and fascinating for pupils with the use a floor diagram of the heart followed by the dissection of a cow’s heart and the use of a computer program. As a result pupils made very good progress in their understanding and learning and by the end of the lesson could name

p.43

SCIENCE

and label diagrams of the heart accurately and confidently.

p.43

SCIENCE

100 In most classes, pupils do not use ICT often enough to find things out, record evidence and present their work.

p.43

SCIENCE

101 The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall although it varies from unsatisfactory to very good. An unsatisfactory lesson was seen in each key stage during the inspection. The teachers’ good skills in managing pupils result in them behaving well in lessons. Teachers relate well to the pupils and this contributes strongly to the good attitudes that pupils have to science. The good methods of demonstrations and effective questioning by most teachers help pupils to gain skills, knowledge and understanding effectively. However, when lessons were unsatisfactory, the investigative part of lessons were not well organised, insufficient resources were available for pupils to have sufficient ‘hands on’ experiences, independent tasks lacked challenge and teachers’ knowledge was insecure. Teachers do not use the information of their assessments of what pupils have learned previously to design tasks of an appropriate level of difficulty for what pupils already know and understand.

p.43

SCIENCE

Hummersea Primary School - 42 Teachers plan to the units of the nationally recommended scheme of work but do not fully use the end- of-unit expectations to inform their assessments. They do not assess the development of pupils’ scientific ideas carefully and use this well enough to inform the subsequent planning of lessons. Hummersea Primary School - 43 102 The quality of pupils’ learning overall is satisfactory and is good in Year 2, and very good in Year 6. In all lessons pupils show a good level of interest and where the teaching is stimulating they are keen to answer questions. They settle down quickly to work and co-operate well.

p.44

SCIENCE

103 Management of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has a good understanding of the areas needed to develop the subject further and has an action plan in place to do so. However, it is general, does not clearly identify the further raising of standards and which areas of science specifically, for instance at Key Stage 1, should be prioritised. The school is aware of the need to provide opportunities for the co-ordinator to watch more lessons in order to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. The provision of learning resources has been improved, but more are needed, especially those which enable pupils to investigate more effectively.

p.45

ART AND DESIGN

104 Standards in art and design are satisfactory and are in line with the expectations for pupils’ ages in Years 2 and 6. This is an improvement since the previous inspection and owes much to the quality of good and very good teaching at the end of both key stages.

p.45

ART AND DESIGN

105 Only one lesson was seen during the inspection. However, scrutiny of teachers’ planning, photographs of completed work, and a school art portfolio indicate that art and design contributes well to pupils’ cultural development. It helps them appreciate and understanding of their own local environment as well as learn about well-known Western artists such as Picasso, Van Gogh and Klee.

p.45

ART AND DESIGN

106 Teachers give pupils frequent and regular experiences in art and design helping them to learn at a steady rate through both key stages. They use the nationally recommended programme of work and this ensures that pupils develop their skills sequentially. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 build well on their experiences in the foundation stage. Good teaching encourages pupils to explore different techniques and skills and to develop an awareness of contrasts in textures and colours. The use of ICT is becoming effective in the art and design curriculum and pupils use programs such as ‘Dazzle’ and ‘My World’ for designing pictures.

p.45

ART AND DESIGN

107 Pupils explore a variety of techniques in their art and design work such as drawing, printing, painting, and collage using paper and fabrics. However, less three-dimensional artwork was in evidence at the time of the inspection although pupils in Year 6 had successfully worked with modelling wire and clay to successfully create figures showing movement as part of the unit they had studied showing ‘People in Action’.

p.45

ART AND DESIGN

108 During the inspection, pupils in Year 2 worked with fabrics and threads to make an individual collage using a variety of stitching and fabrics to gain texture. With good support from the teacher and support staff they learnt to use an electric sewing machine safely. When stitching by hand they were able to start and finish their own work. Pupils used a wide range of different kinds of fabrics and colours to introduce texture into their work to gain a good effect. Pupils show further progress in the range of fabrics they use in Year 6, when their work is related to the natural world around them found in their local environment ‘Deep Sea’. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language were fully involved in this lesson and made good progress.

p.45

ART AND DESIGN

109 Pupils throughout the school make successful observational drawings of things such as fruits and vegetables. Pupils’ work is valued in the school and some work is framed and put in the ‘Hummersea Art Gallery’. This is a good idea that enables pupils to appreciate each other’s efforts and to be proud of their own. Hummersea Primary School - 44 110 Pupils in Year 3 have made an effective group collage related to their geography work on the rainforest and have used printing, and have produced three-dimensional creatures from fabric such as snakes and leopards. Hummersea Primary School - 45 111 In a very well prepared and organised lesson seen, pupils in Year 6 achieved very well and responded to the challenges set by the teacher. They successfully learned to compare the ideas, approaches and results of famous artists. The teacher had used the Internet to obtain a wide selection of work by artists such as Turner, Gaugin, Klee and Constable. Through well-directed questioning and

p.45

ART AND DESIGN

discussion of the examples, pupils were able to exchange ideas on the approaches and techniques the artists had used in their work on landscapes. Pupils knew what they would want to change and how in their imaginations the landscapes could be extended. This very good teaching provided a good starting point for their practical work on landscapes that followed. Pupils compared their ideas, use of colour and mixing as they worked and displayed very good relationships with each other.

p.47

ART AND DESIGN

112 The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall although the lesson seen in Year 6 it was very good. In this lesson a strong feature was the teacher’s own knowledge, confidence and enthusiasm for developing pupils’ understanding of landscape painters and pictures. As a result pupils were able to create interesting work of their own. Pupils made good steps in their understanding of famous artists and landscape painting which built well on previous work they had done on portraits. This very good lesson was a good example of thorough planning, good management of time and working space, positive management of behaviour and organisation of groups of pupils and resources.

p.47

ART AND DESIGN

113 Management of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator is well established in the post and has confidence, and good expertise and training in art. She has a good understanding of the standards of work achieved and the areas of development needed. The school follows the recommended guidelines for art and design. No assessment is yet in place but the end-of-units assessment is planned to begin shortly. The co-ordinator supports staff but has not had the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching. The quality of display is inconsistent across the school owing to the fact that there is no school policy or guidelines for teachers for the display of pupils’ work. The school has benefited from workshops with an artist in residence as part of the EAZ initiative. The results of their work was displayed in the nearby Arts Centre in Saltburn-on-Sea.

p.47

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114 Standards of attainment in design and technology are below those expected for pupils in Years 2 and 6. The previous inspection identified weaknesses in the planned development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding. This weakness has only been partially addressed. The school has recently introduced a scheme of work that incorporates materials from national guidelines; this revised planning has only recently been fully established to secure coverage and progress. The school recognises that the subject should now be formally monitored, with a view to raising standards and improving the quality of teaching and learning. Improvement since the previous inspection has been unsatisfactory, due to the greater emphasis on improving literacy and numeracy in the school.

p.47

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115 Only one lesson was observed during the inspection, and limited evidence was available for analysis, therefore no overall judgement on the quality of teaching could be made. However, evidence was gained from scrutiny of displays, reviewing teachers’ planning and discussions with pupils that clearly indicates the subject, at present, has a low profile throughout the school.

p.47

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116 Pupils’ work in Year 3 shows a basic understanding of the developing, making and evaluating process, for instance, in the labelled design ideas for the making of a free-standing picture frame for pupils’ self-portraits. In their work in food technology in Year 5, all pupils including those with special educational needs and those who do not speak English at home, understand the consistency of various types of bread and their uses. Pupils’ knowledge of the importance of design and the awareness of cost was further developed in Year 6 when they used tightly rolled and re-inforced newspaper and art straws to make columns, fixed together to form triangular structures in the form of bridges. Hummersea Primary School - 46 Appropriate links with numeracy and science were made when the completed bridge sections were tested for strength. Hummersea Primary School - 47 117 Pupils enjoy working in a group and sharing ideas and tasks. This happened in a good lesson

p.47

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

at Year 6 when pupils closely examined pairs of plimsolls and trainers to identify the major differences in their design, and the subsequent use of materials to aid grip and comfort. At the beginning of the lesson, pupils were encouraged to make their own designs, identifying and evaluating problems as they proceeded through the initial stages of making a pair of slippers. Skilfully guided by the class teacher, pupils suggested ways in which the slippers could be made. They really enjoyed the session, remaining focused throughout. The well-established routines for clearing away were effective and efficient with no time lost. Behaviour was generally very good and all pupils shared their equipment sensibly and safely.

p.49

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118 There is sound leadership by the newly appointed co-ordinator, who has the expertise, energy and enthusiasm to raise the subject’s profile, as well as to advise and support colleagues. However, he has not been in post long enough to raise standards in design and technology. Since the previous inspection, management of the subject has not been satisfactory and monitoring of teaching has been insufficiently rigorous. Resources in the newly furnished design and technology area are accessible, sufficient and of suitable quality.

p.49

GEOGRAPHY

119 Standards in geography are satisfactory and are in line with expectations for pupils in Years 2 and 6. This is a similar judgement made as at the time of the last inspection. As they move up through the school, all pupils including those with special educational needs, gain a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of geography.

p.49

GEOGRAPHY

120 All pupils in Year 2 develop a sense of their own locality by making a collage and drawing maps of their school and town. They develop a sense of distance and travel to different places nearby and further afield by taking a much travelled toy, known as Barnaby Bear, to interesting places such as the local chimney by bicycle, to Scarborough by car, to Dublin by boat and to Malaga by air. This develops their interest and enthusiasm well. Teachers also link stories and characters in them to geography lessons such as ‘Katy Morag’ who lives on an island. As a result of discussion, observations and effective questioning by the teacher, pupils in a lesson in Year 2 made sound progress in their understanding of the differences and similarities of their own area with that of life on an island. By comparing and contrasting their own lives and area with that of the storybook character Katie who lives on an island, they developed a good idea of island life and commented that,

p.49

GEOGRAPHY

‘newspapers are taken to the island by boat’ and that, ‘you can fit cars on a ferry’. They compare aerial photographs of their town and the island commenting that ‘Loftus is flat and the island is hilly’. In a good, well-prepared lesson, pupils in Year 3 used the knowledge they had gained previously to compare places in other parts of the world such as France, Switzerland, Greece and Tunisia. They extended their understanding of differences and comparisons between countries to include those such as the weather, types of houses and different foods grown. The end of the lesson was used well by the teacher to assess what pupils had learned. Pupils’ gave confident, clear explanations and presentations of what they had found out and this made a sound contribution to their skills in speaking and listening. In an investigation of rivers, pupils in Year 6 have used the Internet successfully to find out and print information on ‘River Sources’. However, ICT is not used consistently to develop an

p.49

GEOGRAPHY

understanding of geography. Pupils work in Year 6 shows an understanding of the ‘Water Cycle’ and they have drawn well-labelled diagrams and explanations of it. However, pupils of all abilities have completed similar work and tasks at the same level indicating that higher attaining pupils have been provided with insufficient challenge in the recording of their independent task.

p.49

GEOGRAPHY

121 The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Of the two lessons seen, one in each key stage, one was satisfactory and the other was good. Evidence taken from teachers’ planning and pupils’ work also indicates satisfactory teaching and learning. Teachers use national guidelines to plan Hummersea Primary School - 48 and teach a balanced geography curriculum although they do not regularly assess at the end-of-unit expectations to inform their assessments of pupils’ progress. Annual reports to parents do not detail individual pupils’ progress sufficiently clearly.

p.49

GEOGRAPHY

122 The management of the subject is satisfactory overall and has been developed recently with the planning of the new scheme of work in consultation with staff and the recent national guidelines although no assessment is in place. Co-ordinators are beginning to monitor teachers’ planning but no monitoring of teaching in the subject has been undertaken. An action plan is in place for geography but does not indicate how standards are to be monitored or raised in the subject. Resources have recently been audited and are adequate although new resources are still required to match the units of the recent scheme of work.

p.50

HISTORY

123 Standards in history are satisfactory and are in line with expectations for pupils in Years 2 and 6. This is similar to the findings at the previous inspection. Pupils make satisfactory progress in history. This is an achievement for the school since children start in the nursery with a limited knowledge of the world and a weak sense of chronology.

p.50

HISTORY

124 Pupils in Year 1 are developing an awareness of chronology and draw pictures of the oldest and youngest person they know. Progress and learning is satisfactory. Pupils in Year 2 use their writing skills to sequence short sentences about the Great Fire of London. In Years 3 and 4 pupils identify some of the similarities and differences between the Romans and Celts and progress to finding out information about the life of King Henry VIII. They use dates accurately to give accounts of the events in the lives of his six wives. In Year 5 pupils recognise that changes in scientific knowledge have had an impact on the lives of people. They successfully organise information they have researched to produce a table showing important events and changes, which have taken place since 1950. Towards and at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have used information and communication technology well to find out about how people lived in Victorian times, and about important people, such

p.50

HISTORY

as Martin Luther King. When talking to pupils in Year 6, they said that they enjoy history, particularly “going on the web site to find out about the Victorians”. Pupils take these tasks seriously “because we have to share with the rest of the class what we have learnt”. Pupils sometimes have research tasks to do as homework.

p.50

HISTORY

125 Teaching is satisfactory but assessment procedures are not consistently used to inform planning. In some classes, pupils study the same aspects of work, although tasks are often modified in order to allow pupils to work at their own level of ability. Teaching was good in the one lesson seen in Year 5. Pupils worked on challenging and achievable tasks, and the teacher supported pupils with special educational needs well to ensure they also made good progress in the lesson. The lesson was well planned to enable pupils to use their literacy skills of note taking. Higher attaining pupils wrote in the first person as though they were a Persian or Athenian soldier reporting on the Battle of Marathon. This made a good contribution to their skills in literacy. Work in this class showed good links made with other subjects, such as art and English. For example, pupils have observed pictures of Greek

p.50

HISTORY

pottery and have drawn their own designs. However, there are very few displays in other classes or around the school showing what pupils have learnt in history.

p.50

HISTORY

126 The management of the subject is satisfactory. Co-ordinators have recently planned the curriculum at both key stages to allow for the units of work in the nationally recommended guidelines to be taught and have fitted the scheme of work to the needs of the school. Units of work in history are alternated with geography. Teachers’ planning is monitored to ensure that pupils are being consistently taught all the knowledge, skills and understanding expected. However, co-ordinators have no opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and assessment procedures are inadequate. Hummersea Primary School - 49 This is reflected in the quality of annual reports to parents, where pupils’ progress is not always reported well. Pupils experience a wide range of visits, and visitors bring more activities which enrich the curriculum well. For example, a drama group visited the school last term and increased pupils’

p.50

HISTORY

knowledge and understanding of the Victorian Era. Hummersea Primary School - 50

p.51

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

127 Standards in ICT are satisfactory and are in line with expectations for pupils in Years 2 and 6. Most pupils throughout the school are confident when using computers. This is a considerable improvement since the previous inspection when standards were found to be unsatisfactory and pupils attained below the expected level. Improvements have been due to a combination of factors. The new computer suite enables all pupils to have regular hands-on experience of computers. There has been a significant improvement in the quality of teaching of the subject with the appointment of a highly qualified, knowledgeable part time teacher who has sole responsibility for teaching ICT to all classes. The teaching of basic computer skills is very effective and, as a result, pupils’ progress in this aspect of the subject has been very good over the last twelve months. All teachers have worked hard to increase their own expertise, and national and local authority guidelines provide staff with a

p.52

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

128 Pupils in Year 2 demonstrated their considerable skills when asked to complete a database related to favourite fruit. Pupils benefited from the very good number of adults to pupils available during the lesson. This helped them to concentrate hard and work very well in pairs. Higher attaining pupils were given increased challenge and asked to continue the work, incorporating a different range of graphs, including block and pie charts. Less confident pupils learned quickly because they had been partnered thoughtfully with more confident pupils. During the session at the end of the lesson, the teacher skilfully used pupils to demonstrate what they had achieved. Their work was evaluated and this part of the lesson succeeded in providing good feedback and praise to pupils for their efforts. In the quality of their demonstrations and very good behaviour, the pupils showed how well they had progressed to their present average level of skill and understanding. Nevertheless, keyboard skills for

p.52

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

some pupils are still at an early stage of development. This very good lesson was the only one observed in Years 1 and 2, but the level of pupils’ work indicates that effective teaching is raising standards quickly from an originally low starting point.

p.52

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

129 Very effective teaching was also seen in Year 5, where pupils were learning to set text in preparation for an article relating to their history topic on Greek gods. Pupils used their developing skills for finding information and built on them well to make a further search of a database. They knew that data was organised into fields and confidently used searches to find appropriate information using CD-ROM material. Pupils made rapid progress during the lesson because of the lively pace and the teacher’s considerable expertise. He was able to anticipate problems and give precise guidance without ‘spoon feeding’ pupils. All pupils were challenged to extend their existing skills, and all pupils were well motivated, behaved well and worked hard. Boys and girls worked well alongside each other and all pupils had equal opportunities to participate, a feature in all lessons observed.

p.52

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

130 Because of the recent improvements in the teaching and in the resources of the subject, pupils’ attainments in Years 5 and 6 are similar. Pupils in Year 6 attain sound standards for their age in ICT. However, it is likely that the current group of pupils in Year 5 will exceed these satisfactory levels because they will have had an additional year to improve on what they already know and can do.

p.52

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

131 In discussion with Year 6 pupils, they confidently demonstrated the use of a multimedia package that included their own recorded narration for work related to ‘Life in Victorian Times’. They had a high level of confidence, selected photographs, wrote the text and added sound effects where appropriate.

p.52

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

132 The school has recently acquired suitable equipment to teach pupils how to use sensors to monitor changes in the environment, such as temperature, light and sound, and to log these changes over time. This work is planned for later in the year. Hummersea Primary School - 51 133 ICT has a growing profile across the curriculum. In this way pupils learn more about the subject itself, but it also contributes to their knowledge and skills in other subjects studied. However, this is not consistent. In subjects such as science, music, art and design, geography and religious education, ICT has yet to be fully utilised to enhance learning opportunities. The subject co-ordinator has firm intentions, as expressed in the school action plan, to broaden the use of ICT across all the subjects of the curriculum.

p.52

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

134 Because pupils’ attitudes and motivation are good, learning in all lessons is good. Pupils co- operate and collaborate in their learning, and show good politeness with the minimum of fuss and bother. Learning support assistants give very good assistance to the pupils they work with, and those pupils with special educational needs have very good chances of success.

p.53

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

135 The management of ICT is good. The co-ordinator and specialist teacher work hard for improvement and they are well supported by other staff. Resources are good. The school is well equipped with up-to-date computers in classrooms as well as in the computer suite and a good selection of programs. The manageable assessment system to track pupils’ progress across the school is used well to inform future planning priorities.

p.53

MUSIC

136 Standards in music are satisfactory and are in line with expectations for pupils in Years 2 and 6. This is similar to the last inspection although owing to staff changes there are now fewer teachers with musical expertise amongst the staff and some are not confident in the teaching of music. The quality of teaching by the visiting specialist teacher across all the classes is a strength of the school and enhances the provision for pupils who achieve very well. These lessons are also used well to improve teachers’ knowledge and confidence. All pupils, staff and helpers were fully involved in working together and became visibly more confident in the activities as the lessons taken by the specialist teacher progressed.

p.53

MUSIC

137 Opportunities are given for interested pupils in Key Stage 2 to receive violin tuition and all pupils have benefited from visits from a range of performers. Pupils take part in performances in school for parents at festival times. Many pupils perform in a large choir jointly with other schools in the area and these additional activities make an additional contribution to pupils’ interest and ability to read and perform in musical activities.

p.53

MUSIC

138 The curriculum is well planned in accordance with the recent nationally recommended guidelines. It enables pupils to explore a variety of musical activities that combine performing, composing and listening and appraising music. All pupils sing a variety of hymns satisfactorily in assemblies and enjoy singing and music making activities. In lessons in Key Stage 1 pupils show good developing control of pitch, dynamics and rhythm in their work. As a result of good planning, challenging activities and pace in a Year 1 lesson, taken by the class teacher, pupils achieved well. With perseverance and practice they succeeded in clapping rhythms although many found this activity difficult. They particularly enjoyed clapping the rhythms in their own names. They successfully memorised the words and tune of “Poor Billy Don’t Cry”, which they sang and responded to well, expressing their own feelings for the song through their movements.

p.53

MUSIC

139 The lessons taken by the music specialist were very well planned and contained a fluent sequence of activities which moved smoothly and built upon what children already knew and had been taught in previous lessons. For instance, in a Year 2 lesson, pupils developed their understanding of a regular pulse and by the end of this part of the lesson they were able to perform in two parts with one group maintaining a steady, regular pulse and a second group a rhythm pattern. Pupils develop a good repertoire of songs and add a variety of actions confidently to those such as “That Old Steam Train” Hummersea Primary School - 52 and “If You’re Happy and you Know It”. Pupils in Year 2 used their knowledge and control of loud and soft voices well to create the sounds for an accompaniment to a story “Animal Kingdom”. They were proud of the results of the recording of their final performance. Hummersea Primary School - 53

p.53

MUSIC

140 Teachers build well on the progress and learning that pupils make in lessons with the music specialist to plan their own lessons. For instance, over the first half of the term pupils in Year 6 had been working on the composition of a “Soundscape” with the use of different instruments and techniques such as a crescendo, using a repeating pattern of notes on tuned percussion, and composing simple melodies. In a very good lesson they were able to use the composition skills they had learned to work independently of the teacher in a group for a composition the different stages of the journey of a river to the sea. The teacher gave good opportunities for pupils to play and explore a wide range of instruments in their work before choosing those most suitable for their group composition and to review and discuss the results of their completed work. All pupils have opportunities in lessons to listen to and

p.55

MUSIC

respond to a range of music from different times by a variety of composers such as Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky and Satie, in their lessons. However, opportunities before and following assemblies are sometimes missed for additional listening of a range of recorded music.

p.55

MUSIC

141 The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school was very good. Teachers and the visiting specialist teacher take lessons on alternate weeks. Class teachers are well supported by the specialist teacher in the planning of lessons. Lessons move at a good, brisk pace and have a variety of structured activities which results in increasing pupils’ interest and motivating them very well in their learning. Good use is made of audio recordings and taped resources in music lessons. Lessons make a good contribution to developing pupils’ skills in listening, speaking and vocabulary.

p.55

MUSIC

142 The management of the subject is satisfactory overall. As co-ordination is the responsibility of two teachers, one in each key stage and the head teacher also plays a significant part in developing music provision in the school, it is difficult to determine who is responsible overall for the co-ordination of music. There is a whole school action plan in place for areas of improvement in music for the current year and this is being followed. Resources are good particularly in the quantity and quality of classroom instruments, however, the school has less recorded music available for teachers’ use, particularly recorded music from other cultures. Teachers are beginning to assess and record pupils’ progress in music following the completion of units of work. The co-ordinators check samples of teachers’ planning but have not yet had the opportunity to monitor teaching and learning across the

p.55

MUSIC

school to assess standards that pupils reach.

p.55

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143 Standards in physical education are satisfactory and are in line with expectations for pupils in Years 2 and 6. A number of the older children do well in competitive sport that includes basketball. Since the previous inspection, standards have fallen due to the high priority placed upon literacy and numeracy, and the subsequent reduction in timetable allocation for the subject.

p.55

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144 All pupils have regular physical education lessons that cover games, dance and gymnastics. In dance lessons, Year 2 pupils showed a good degree of control and awareness of space. In one lesson involving ‘Granny’s Home’, pupils responded well. They explored high and low movements, and interpreted the music confidently. Pupils listened very attentively to the pre-recorded instructions and to teacher’s directions. They watched clear, concise demonstrations and learnt to improve their performance. They showed an understanding that physical activity increases heart rate.

p.55

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145 Pupils’ skills are extended in Year 6. In an indoor games lesson, the pupils confidently organised themselves into teams to play an abridged game of rounders. Most held the striking bats appropriately and had accurate batting skills. They worked well together in mixed teams, taking pleasure in playing fairly. In a gymnastics lesson in Year 4, pupils displayed sound control. However, the use of pupils’ comments on each other’s performance, highlighting the good things and leaving the performer with future challenges, is not a regular feature of lessons. Nevertheless, pupils are confident to demonstrate in front of their friends. Hummersea Primary School - 54 146 Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory, and pupils make steady progress. Good teaching observed in Years 2 and 6 involved the teachers joining in, and making positive comments to help pupils improve and gain in confidence. In all lessons, the teachers have very good relationships

p.55

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

with their pupils, and encourage them appropriately. They are well organised and use their time well. However, most equipment is currently stored in the hall and this restricts the space available, in particular for the oldest pupils in Years 5 and 6, to undertake games activities.

p.56

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147 Pupils’ skills in games are greatly improved and developed by the use of coaches from the local community, funded by government grants. They have the opportunity to learn a range of games as they move through the school. At lunchtime, for example, pupils in upper Key Stage 2 were organised into a series of football coaching sessions. These sessions make a good contribution to the development of pupils’ progress in physical education and were challenging and enjoyable. The coaching gradually challenged pupils through a variety of different activities, so that, by the end of the session, they showed greater confidence in passing and striking the ball. Older pupils in Years 5 and 6 have the opportunity to continue to improve their skills during a well-planned residential visit. By the time they leave school at the end of Year 6, most pupils swim the recommended expected distance of at least 25 metres using a recognisable stroke.

p.56

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148 Management of the subject is satisfactory. The newly appointed co-ordinator has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject throughout the school and is confident to provide training for other staff, such as in gymnastics and dance. There are some areas where staff are less confident, and the climbing apparatus in the hall needs to be used more frequently. At present, assessment in the subject is reliant on the individual knowledge of teachers. Ongoing assessment is weak. It varies in quality, and this is reflected at the end of term reports that do not always tell parents what pupils have learnt.

p.56

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

149 Only one religious education lesson was seen, but evidence was available from teachers’ planning, pupils’ previous work and discussions with teachers and pupils. Standards in religious education have dropped since the last inspection, and are below the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus by the time pupils reach Year 6. One of the main reasons why standards have dropped is that, until recently, the school has been planning the subject using only the national guidance for religious education, and not the Locally Agreed Syllabus. Also, there is not sufficient curricular time allocated for religious education in some classes. This results in pupils in Year 6 not having the breadth of knowledge and understanding expected in the three faiths taught. Some teachers lack confidence teaching the faiths of Judaism and Sikhism.

p.56

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

150 Standards in Year 2 match the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus, and pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils know, and can retell, the story of Moses in the Bulrushes. They use their writing skills effectively to give a simple account of Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. Higher attaining pupils sequence the events of the Nativity story very well. Pupils know that ‘prayer’ is when people are talking to God. They know that Christians say special prayers in churches, and that they say prayers in school. Photographs show that pupils prepared a Shabbat meal, and took part in the ritual in their classroom. In Year 3, pupils’ previous work shows they have some understanding of the meaning of some Christian symbols. However, there is very little recorded work from last term. In Year 4, pupils recount stories from the Bible, such as Jesus at the Temple, and the baptism of Jesus by John the

p.56

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Baptist. There is evidence of pupils learning about the importance of the ten Gurus in Sikhism, but most of their work is completed on simple worksheets. Evidence of work in religious education last term in Years 5 and 6 is very sparse. In Year 5 pupils are learning about some important Jewish rituals and artefacts. In Year 6, pupils have visited a local church, looking at church furniture, but in discussion they do not always use the correct terms for ‘pulpit’ and ‘lectern’. Pupils do not know that Hummersea Primary School - 55 Judaism and Sikhism are practised in this country. They know that Christianity is a worldwide faith. As an example, they talk about their Albanian friends who are Christians. Hummersea Primary School - 56 151 Teaching was good in a lesson seen in Year 2, but is unsatisfactory overall. In the lesson seen, pupils were managed very well. This enabled the teacher to provide good opportunities for

p.56

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

pupils’ spiritual development; they closed their eyes and thought about what they might want to thank God for when making their own prayers. Most pupils willingly shared their ideas, including those who had English as an additional language. Pupils were supported well in their task of writing their own prayers with tasks being matched well to their various abilities. Planning for lessons is now satisfactory, and follows the requirements of the agreed syllabus. However, pupils’ literacy skills are not used well to support learning throughout Key Stage 2. Work is often marked with merely a tick. There are often low expectations of what pupils can do. For example, in Year 3 most of pupils’ work comprises of drawings which have been coloured in, and in Year 4 pupils often complete commercial worksheets by writing a few sentences next to pictures, which they then colour in. There is no indication in teachers’ planning of the use of ICT to support religious education and no displays in

p.58

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

classrooms about the work pupils are doing.

p.58

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

152 Management of the subject is unsatisfactory overall, although the recently appointed co- ordinator has worked hard to provide guidance for teachers about what they should teach based on the Locally Agreed Syllabus. She has also collected examples of teachers’ planning from last term, and a few examples of pupils’ work. However the co-ordinator’s role does not specify responsibility for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in the subject. As a result, there is insufficient monitoring of whether pupils are building on their previous learning. Annual reports to parents do not consistently report on the progress pupils have made in religious education. This is because teachers do not use the guidance in the agreed syllabus about what should be assessed at the end of Years 2 and 6.

p.58