Shincliffe CofE (Controlled) Primary School

(CONTROLLED) PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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(CONTROLLED) 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. Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Beal Walk High Shincliffe Durham

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: The Reverend Stephen Sandham

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 28 April 1997 Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 4

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Team members

21024 Robert Robinson Registered inspector 9224 Mike Vineall Lay inspector 10269 David Figures Team inspector

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Team members

Schools Inspection Service Fairfax Hall Beckett Park Campus Headingley Leeds LS6 3QS

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is an average-sized primary school for boys and girls aged four to eleven years that serves the local area of High Shincliffe near Durham. It has 210 full-time pupils, 101 boys and 109 girls. There is a small proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds (three per cent) and three of these pupils are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. Twenty-seven pupils (13 per cent) are on the register of special educational needs, a proportion which is below the national average. An above average proportion of pupils has a statement of special educational needs. Children’s attainment on entry to the reception class is above average. Thirty children under the age of six are taught in the reception class (the Foundation Stage). The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is about one per cent , which is well below the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school. Standards of pupils’ performance in the national tests for eleven- year-olds are very high. Pupils have very good attitudes to their work, behave very well and have very positive relationships with other pupils and members of staff. Pupils, from entering the school at the age of four to leaving the school at the age of eleven, achieve very well as the teaching is good overall. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. The leadership and management are very good. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils’ overall performance in the national tests for eleven-year-olds has been at least well above the national average since 1996 and was in the highest five per cent nationally in 1998 and 2000. • The quality of teaching is good overall and very good in the reception and Year 5 and 6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result pupils achieve very well. • The school fosters pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development excellently. • The leadership and management of the school are very effective.

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What could be improved

• Guidance for teachers in ways to develop handwriting further for pupils under the age of seven is inappropriate. • The school is unable to make arrangements to enable pupils to learn to swim. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good progress since the last inspection in April 1997. High standards in English, mathematics and science have been maintained. The quality of teaching has improved and no unsatisfactory teaching was seen during the inspection. Pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal development remain very good. The leadership and management have improved. The school has addressed the areas for improvement very successfully as shown below: • The school monitors the quality of teaching regularly and there are now clear systems for teachers’ lesson plans; as a result the consistency of teaching has improved and there is now no unsatisfactory teaching though there are still some relative weaknesses in the teaching in Year 1. • The roles of the headteacher and subject co-ordinators in monitoring and evaluating the curriculum have been enhanced. • Very effective systems for checking pupils’ progress are in place; they are understood by

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

parents and pupils and include targets for future improvement. • Teachers now challenge higher attaining pupils very well, particularly in Years 5 and 6. Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 7 The particular strengths in the quality of teaching, pupils’ attitudes to work and the support of parents together with the very good leadership and management place the school in a good position to maintain high standards.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by eleven-year-olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

1998 1999 2000 2000 very high (highest 5 per cent nationally) A*

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Key

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

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Key

• Standards are impressive in English, mathematics and science and have been consistently high since 1996. Overall in 2000 , the school’s results in the national tests for eleven-year-olds were very high compared to the average of pupils nationally and in similar schools. The school was awarded a national school achievement award for the standards of pupils’ performance in the national tests in 2000. • Inspection judgements of the performance of this year’s group of Year 6 pupils, which includes a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs than in 2000, show that pupils’ attainments remain well above average. • The results of the national tests for seven-year-olds show pupils’ performance, compared to the national average, to be very high in reading and in mathematics and above average in writing. In comparison to pupils’ performance in similar schools, standards are well above average in

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Key

reading and mathematics and in line in writing. Inspection judgements support the results of the national tests. • Children make very good progress in the reception class and significantly exceed the standards expected of their age by the end of the reception year. Pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make good progress relative to their prior attainments. • The achievement of pupils is very good overall. The school provides a very good foundation for future learning in the reception class. In Years 1 and 2, pupils make satisfactory progress though the higher attainers are given limited opportunities to develop joined-up handwriting. Seven-to- eleven-year-olds achieve very well, as the teaching and pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good in Years 5 and 6. The school is on course to meet its challenging targets for the proportion of eleven-year-olds to reach expected levels in English and mathematics.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good; pupils’ attitudes to their work are very positive, particularly amongst older pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good; pupils behave very well both in lessons and around the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good; pupils relate very well to one another and their teachers. They take on responsibilities willingly. Pupils collaborate very well in lessons and work with the minimum of supervision Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 8 lessons and work with the minimum of supervision.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good; attendance rates are above the national average.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

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

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The quality of teaching was very good in seven out of nineteen lessons, good in four lessons and satisfactory in eight lessons. The quality of teaching and learning in the reception, Year 5 and Year 6 classes was very good.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

In the best lessons seen in the reception, Year 5 and Year 6 classes, teachers had a very good understanding of the subjects they were teaching and provided exciting and stimulating activities to engender pupils’ interest in learning. Teachers encourage the development of literacy and numeracy skills very well. The lessons are planned very carefully and teachers share learning objectives with pupils so that they know what they are expected to learn. Teachers use questioning very well , leading to pupils’ productive involvement in lessons. The pace of learning is fast as the organisation of lessons is very effective. Teachers provide clear instructions that they ensure pupils understand.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Weaknesses, in otherwise satisfactory lessons, are apparent when the pace of lesson drops and little learning is taking place. Teachers spend too much time instructing pupils and provide too few opportunities for pupils to consolidate and extend their learning independently or in groups, and classroom support assistants are not used efficiently. For example, pupils, in Year 1, spent far too long sitting on the carpet listening to the teacher during lengthy introductions to lessons with few opportunities for individuals, particularly lower attainers, to respond to questioning to check and develop their understanding of the new learning. In addition, the classroom support assistant had no active role in the teaching and the effective support of pupils’ learning.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The teaching caters effectively for pupils with special educational needs, for those learning English as an additional language and for pupils with particular talents, such as in mathematics and in sport.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is good overall. All subjects are planned thoroughly; however, the curricular planning does not enable pupils to develop joined-up writing before Year 3 resulting in higher attainers not developing their handwriting soon enough. Swimming tuition has not taken place at the school since 1999.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils are given effective support from teachers and classroom support assistants. Detailed individual education plans assist their progress positively.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Pupils learning English as an additional language are taught well in lessons and receive effective help from visiting specialist teachers.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and The provision for pupils’ personal development is a particular strength of the school. The policy for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development provides excellent guidance for teachers to help them Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 9 cultural development plan opportunities to enhance pupils’ personal development throughout the curriculum. In addition, there are strong contributions through high quality assemblies, religious education lessons and links with the local community, including the local church.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The caring ethos of the school, with security, support and a close understanding of all pupils, underpins much of what is achieved.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are very good. They work very well with effective subject co-ordinators.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its statutory duties very effectively. Governors work with staff very well to provide very clear direction for the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has identified areas for development well. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning are very good. The tracking of pupils’ progress is developed well throughout the school.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school deploys staff well and is very well placed to train new teachers. The outdoor accommodation and learning resources are used very effectively to enrich the curriculum. Financial planning is good and the governors use the allocation of funding wisely for the benefit of the pupils.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy coming to school and behave well. • The teaching is good and children make good progress. • Members of staff are approachable and parents are comfortable talking to them. • Teachers expect children to work hard. • The school helps children to become more mature and responsible. • The leadership and management of the school are good. • There is insufficient information for parents about their children’s progress. • The school does not work closely with parents. • The range of activities outside lessons is insufficient.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with the positive views of parents; however they disagree strongly with the views of a minority of parents. Parents gain much information about their children’s progress through homework, pupils’ progress sheets, which are shared with pupils and parents, and termly targets for each child. In addition, there are three parent consultation evenings each year and an informative annual report and parents are welcome to discuss their children’s work at any other time in the year. Parents should be well pleased with the very good level and range of activities in which children can take part, including choir, instrumental tuition, Latin, fencing, hockey and football. Nearly all parents acknowledge, rightly, that the school is well led and managed. Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 10

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well above the national average since 1996 and in the highest five per cent nationally

1 In the national tests for eleven-year-olds since 1996 the school has ensured that pupils’ overall average performance in English, mathematics and science was at least well above the national average. In 1998 and 2000 pupils’ average performance in these three subjects was in the highest five per cent nationally.

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well above the national average since 1996 and in the highest five per cent nationally

2 The results over time are outstanding and build on the very high standards achieved in 1996. In addition, the school has maintained an improvement in pupils’ performance, in line with the upward national trend, since 1996. The performance of boys and girls has been well above the national average for boys and girls respectively, though girls have outperformed the boys at the school in all three subjects since 1996. No significant differences were apparent during the inspection between the attainment of boys and girls.

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

development are very good; as a result pupils’ achieve very well.

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

3 The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Thirty-seven per cent of lessons observed were very good, 21 per cent were good and 42 per cent were satisfactory. Overall, pupils’ achievement by the age of eleven, relative to the attainment on entry to the school in the reception classes, is very good. This is, particularly, attributable to the very good teaching in the reception, Year 5 and Year 6 classes and the very good attitude to work, behaviour and personal development of the pupils.

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4 In the reception class, the quality of teaching and learning in two out of the three lessons observed was very good and in the other lesson it was good. In a particularly good lesson observed there was very good interaction between the children, the teacher and the nursery nurse , resulting in a wonderful learning atmosphere in the classroom. The lesson was very well planned and prepared children very well to develop an understanding of the structure and demands of numeracy lessons they would experience in subsequent years. The teacher and nursery nurse worked well together as a team to ensure that all children’s learning was appropriate to their needs. Lower attainers gained a better understanding of the recognition of numbers up to 10 because of the probing questioning by the nursery nurse. They understood the mathematical language ‘more than’ and ‘less than’ and applied it correctly. Children

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

learning English as an additional language benefited from playing a number game with others and were able to name numbers up to ten correctly and phrase simple questions in order to solve a number problem. Average and higher attainers were supported very well by the class teacher and challenged very effectively by playing a game to develop their understanding of the order of numbers up to 20. Higher attainers recognised the differences between two sand timers. The children gained an increased understanding of the passage of time by sitting still for one minute. They were very interested and expressed their views as to whether a minute is a long time. There was plenty of fun and activity in the lesson which sustained children’s interest very well. Very good opportunities were taken to practise literacy skills such as children writing their names Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 11

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

as many times as possible correctly in one minute. Nearly all of the children wrote their names accurately using appropriate upper and lower-case letters. The majority of children held their pencils correctly and formed their letters appropriately.

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5 In another high quality lesson, the very good outdoor facilities were used purposely to develop the personal, social, emotional and physical development of the children very effectively as well as aiding their mathematical understanding. The children responded to teachers’ instructions quickly and appropriately. They skipped and hopped and ran to a spot without bumping into anyone else. The staff used the fabric of a specially designed parachute to develop teamwork very well. The children really enjoyed lifting the fabric into the air and taking turns at running and swapping places under the parachute. The teacher skilfully developed the lesson to build up to a situation when children collectively could raise the fabric into the air then pull down the parachute and sit on the inside edge to form a ‘mushroom’. The children gained a sense of real success and realised the power of the wind and how they could harness it to their

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

benefit. The nursery nurse later worked with a small group of children to develop their skills on recently erected excellent outdoor large climbing apparatus. Most children made rapid progress in traversing a section of the apparatus using hand hooks at a height above ground and then landing on the safe landing surface, though some children’s landing techniques were unsatisfactory. The class teacher worked with the other children to practise counting skills and the sequencing of time by playing the game ‘What time is it Mr Wolf?’. Responsibility was given to children to lead the game and much enjoyable learning took place.

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6 In Year 5 and Year 6, the quality of teaching and learning was very good in five out of six lessons observed and it was good in the other lesson. In the best lessons , literacy and numeracy skills are developed very effectively. Pupils’ behaviour and concentration is very good. In one instance, the teacher chose an interesting text – a poem in Durham dialect - which intrigued and interested pupils and encouraged them to work hard. Pupils were totally absorbed and read the poem very carefully , offering ideas and suggestions about it keenly. Questions asked by the teacher were directed well and encouraged pupils at different levels of attainment to respond. Instructions were clear and included strategies for completing the task, so that every pupil was able to start their work at once. Pupils read the poem silently and offered answers which showed understanding beyond the literal. Higher attainers justified their opinions well

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

such as that the pupils who played truant were likely to be older pupils because ‘younger pupils take school seriously’. Some pupils deduced when it was written through other subject knowledge.

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

7 In another high quality mathematics lesson , the organisation of the class was very effective , enabling all pupils to be in direct eye contact with the teacher , which resulted in a high level of concentration. The work was related very well to the usefulness of mathematical knowledge in everyday life. Lesson objectives were shared with the pupils so that they knew what they were expected to learn during the lesson. There was a high pace of consolidation and further development of learning through the teacher’s quick-fire questioning of individuals. Pupils had a very good grasp of the language of numbers and timetables , which assisted their mental calculations very effectively. Pupils knew the four rules of number very well and could convert litres into millilitres, and kilometres into metres, accurately. The use of time challenges for mental activities captivated pupils’ interest, influencing their work rate and enjoyment. In the

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

group work , pupils’ understanding of problem solving was very effectively enhanced through the use of very well-constructed worksheets suited to the levels of attainment of different groups of pupils. The teacher provided lower attainers and pupils with special Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 12 educational needs with additional help through focused discussion and additional learning resources. These pupils gained confidence and by the end of the lesson were able to calculate simple number problems using the four rules of number. Pupils learning English as an additional language were integrated fully into their respective mathematical attainment groups and their successes were clearly celebrated by the teacher especially in the development of their language. Average attainers worked quickly, neatly recording their work , which involved more complex calculations , including remainders in division calculations and the rounding up of numbers. Higher attainers

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

calculated percentages to solve problems and converted kilometres to miles using ratios; for example, they were told five miles were equivalent to eight kilometres and from this information calculated how many kilometres there are in 275 miles. In pupils’ workbooks, the teacher had recorded pupils’ attainments referenced to the levels and programmes of study of the National Curriculum so that pupils knew how well they were doing and what they must do to achieve the next step of learning.

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8 Parents rightly praise the high quality of teaching, their children’s positive attitudes to work, behaviour and personal development and the good progress their children make at the school.

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

The school fosters pupils’ spiritual, moral, social cultural development excellently.

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

9 The excellent provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported by guidelines of an extremely high standard which assist teachers’ planning throughout the school. Extremely clear expectations for the reception class are linked to the recent national curricular guidance for children of this age. Detailed targets are set which describe what pupils are expected to achieve by the age of seven and eleven. Specific contributions for each subject are detailed as well as broader aims to be achieved through other aspects of the school life such as collective worship, management of behaviour, equal opportunities provision, extra-curricular activities, community links, the school council and preparations for adult life. Teachers’ planning sheets link to on-going curricular work. Detailed records of individual pupils’ progress in spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are maintained.

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10 Teachers make exceptional use of school assemblies to enhance pupils’ personal development. Pupils understand that acts of collective worship are a special time in the school day. They enter the hall silently and await the leader’s greeting. Pupils are expected to participate actively; for example, on one occasion a pupil introduced the theme of the assembly confidently and audibly. Older pupils performed a dance extremely well as part of a study of Ancient Greeks , complete with high quality masks they had made previously in art lessons. Pupils led prayers they had written themselves celebrating their talents and reflecting upon how they could use these to help others. Music played an important part in the gathering both during the dance and when younger pupils sang a song rhythmically with good intonation. In another assembly , a member of the local clergy added a distinctively Christian dimension to the

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

act of collective worship which was most appropriate for the age range of the pupils. Pupils’ successes were celebrated both for personal achievements as well as group teamwork and whole school achievements.

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

11 The opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are exploited extremely well during class lessons. Children in the reception class enhance their personal, social and emotional development extremely well; for example, they were given excellent opportunities to explore their feelings when they completed the phrases ‘It makes me happy when -’ and ‘It makes me sad when -’. Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 13 12 Pupils in Year 2 make responses to the biblical story of Joseph and reflect on their own lives and how they have forgiven someone. They gain an understanding of citizenship through a particularly well-organised class council. Pupils know and understand the school rules – ‘to respect ourselves, others and the environment’.

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13 In Years 3 and 4 , pupils are encouraged to consider the positive and negative features of their local environment. They study the traditions, beliefs and artefacts of Sikhism. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on the word ‘said’ in order to improve their writing by using other words to link to the emotions of happiness, sadness and excitement. In art , they discover tie-dye techniques which are used to create Indian Laharia tie-dyed materials for use in fabrics for turbans.

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14 Older pupils consider ways to improve the school’s reception area to encourage pupils and adults to think about God. They are given opportunities to study the artefacts of Hinduism and to reflect on the story of Rama and Sita. They worked with a visiting artist to design a stained-glass window for the local church to celebrate the millennium. In geography , they are introduced to the life and customs of people who live in St Lucia and consider the similarities and differences between life in England and in St Lucia. The school celebrates the culture of minority ethnic groups within the school community; for example, a large banner in the school hall, previously used in a local display, depicts features of Bangladesh, the country of origin of some of the pupils.

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15 The grounds provide excellent opportunities to develop social interactions resulting in harmonious playtimes and lunchtimes. The playing field and well-marked out playgrounds provide wonderful opportunities for ball games and traditional counting games. The ‘secret garden’ gives an area of interest and seclusion for private talks. Benches, tables and shelters all provide social areas which are available for pupils to use for conversation and social interaction. The woodland areas give pupils opportunities to discover small creatures to enhance their understanding of the wonders of nature as part of their scientific studies.

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16 The school’s motto ‘Working together’ , which is prominently displayed on the front cover of the prospectus, is most appropriate and is very well reflected in the life of the school. The governors, teachers, teaching assistants and support staff work harmoniously together and their professional relationships set a good example for pupils. Members of staff treat pupils with respect and the concern for one another is apparent in relationships between pupils and between pupils and members of staff.

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

17 The outstanding provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils has an extremely positive effect upon pupils’ achievements, their attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal development. Parents confirm rightly that the school helps their children to develop in a mature and responsible manner.

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The leadership and management of the school are very effective.

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18 The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are very good. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school to provide the highest possible academic and social all-round education relative to the aptitude of pupils within a caring atmosphere. She is supported admirably by the deputy headteacher whose teaching and rapport with pupils sets an example for other members of staff and pupils. Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 14 19 The subject co-ordinators work alongside each other and the senior management team very well. Together with the senior managers and the governors they have moved the school forward very well since the last inspection. There is a strong commitment amongst the headteacher and senior staff to continue to improve the present high standards. Priorities detailed in the school development plan are very appropriate and reflect the needs identified by subject co-ordinators to improve further their areas of

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6 classes, and the pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal

20 The governing body fulfils its statutory duties very well. Governors have specific areas of responsibility, regularly visit the school, report back their findings to governing body meetings and fulfil their role of critical friend very well. Close liaison is apparent between the staff and governors. The governing body analyses in detail the results of the national tests and ensures governors understand the basis for future targets for pupils’ attainments. Governors know the strengths of the school and recognise areas for development such as provision of an additional room to accommodate a computer suite and the lack of provision for swimming. The governing body, prudently, is building up surpluses from the school’s allocation to fund its aspirations for additional accommodation.

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21 The recent national initiatives for performance management have been implemented very well, building on previous appraisal systems. Appropriate objectives have been set for the headteacher and teachers linked to the school priorities and their personal development. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning are very effective , resulting in improvements in teaching since the last inspection. Together with the officers of the local education authority, the senior managers have sought to improve the quality of teaching and learning through feedback to staff that identifies strengths and areas for improvement and plans strategies for the elimination of unsatisfactory features of teaching through additional training and professional discussions. The tracking of pupils’ progress is effective , enabling the management of the school to monitor individual pupils’ achievements very well and to set targets for

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further development. The tracking of the progress of pupils according to year groups and gender is being considered as an area for development in order to refine further the present systems.

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22 The accommodation and resources are very good and support pupils’ learning very well. All available internal space is used , which limits further planned improvements to the curriculum. The governors have, however, obtained permission for an enlargement of the accommodation to create a computer suite once finance is available. The outdoor accommodation is of a high standard and used very well to enrich the curriculum for children in the reception class and to support the teaching of science and physical education. Members of staff are deployed well and the particular skills of teachers are used very well for the benefit of the pupils; the organisation of staffing ensures children receive a very good start to their education in the reception class and benefit from high quality teaching in Years 5 and 6. Members of the ancillary staff provide very good support for teachers through effective administration,

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good care of pupils at lunchtimes and by maintaining the school very well. The strong teamwork and high expectations of staff benefit pupils, placing the school in a very good position to provide training for new teachers.

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23 The governing body is careful to ensure that money allocated to the school is used purposefully for the benefit of pupils. This is achieved by allocating funding appropriately to the priorities identified in the school development plan. Effective financial procedures provide appropriate information to enable governors to monitor Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 15 spending regularly at each governors’ meeting. The cost of services is checked to ensure the school receives value for money. Initiatives in the school development are linked to improvements in standards and these are evaluated annually. Staff, governors and parents are consulted on major spending decisions.

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24 In the response to the parents’ questionnaire almost all parents agree that the school is well led and managed.

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Guidance for teachers in ways to develop handwriting further for pupils under the age

25 The school’s curriculum guidance for the teaching of handwriting identifies that pupils should not join up their writing until Year 3; this instruction restricts the progress of higher attainers. In the national tests for seven-year-olds in 2000, the proportion of pupils who achieved Level 3 (the level above that expected for their age) in writing was ten per cent compared to the national average of nine per cent. Although the proportion of pupils achieving Level 3 in writing was above the national average, this compared unfavourably with the results in reading where 59 per cent of pupils achieved Level 3, which is in the highest five per cent nationally; this indicates some underachievement in writing.

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Guidance for teachers in ways to develop handwriting further for pupils under the age

26 Last year the school identified writing as an area for development with targets for improvement. Examination of pupils’ work indicates that most of the school’s targets have been achieved; however, the target to increase the number of pupils achieving Level 3 in writing by the age of seven by ten per cent in the national tests in 2001 is unlikely to be met. Scrutiny of the work of higher attainers in Year 2 shows all the characteristics of Level 3 with the exception of handwriting. Pupils’ stories are well structured with a good introduction and development and a satisfactory ending, while connectives of different kinds are apparent and spellings are mostly correct; however, handwriting is not joined despite being clear with well-formed printed letters. The lack of emphasis on teaching handwriting before the age of seven restricts the fluency of handwriting and depresses the proportion of pupils achieving Level 3 by the age of

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Guidance for teachers in ways to develop handwriting further for pupils under the age

seven. Most children by the age of six can write their names correctly and hold their pencils correctly but this good start is not maintained in Years 1 and 2 and too many pupils in Year 1 are allowed to write holding pencils incorrectly. In Year 3 , pupils of all levels of attainment learn to join their handwriting quickly and by the age of eleven the presentation of pupils’ work is of a high standard.

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Guidance for teachers in ways to develop handwriting further for pupils under the age

The school is unable to make arrangements to enable pupils to learn to swim.

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Guidance for teachers in ways to develop handwriting further for pupils under the age

27 The school has been unable to provide swimming tuition for pupils since January 1999 as the swimming pool used by the school is closed for major repairs. At the present time , the school has met its statutory requirement to provide opportunities for pupils by the age of eleven to learn to swim as the present Year 5 and 6 attended swimming lessons before the swimming pool was closed. The present situation is uncertain and pupils by the age of eleven are not being provided with sufficient opportunities to develop their swimming skills further.

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Guidance for teachers in ways to develop handwriting further for pupils under the age

28 The headteacher and the governing body have sought alternative swimming venues vigilantly but without success. Negotiations have taken place with the management of a local authority’s swimming pool but the times offered coincided with the end of the Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 16 school day when local transport was not available because of previously negotiated school bus contracts. A local independent school was also contacted but the timetable for its pool was full. The repairs to the pool used previously by the school are far more extensive than originally thought and the managers of the pool are not in a position to proceed with the repairs.

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Guidance for teachers in ways to develop handwriting further for pupils under the age

29 The local education authority is presently conducting a review of swimming provision though this will not be completed until September 2001. It is hoped that when ways are found to resume lessons immediate provision will be made available to the current Year 4.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

30 The governors and staff should undertake the following:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the quality of pupils’ handwriting by the age of seven through encouraging joined up writing at a younger age. (See paragraph numbers 25; 26)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Seek ways to resume swimming lessons.* (See paragraph numbers 27; 28; 29)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

*This area for improvement has already been identified by staff and governors. Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 16

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0% 37% 21% 42% 0% 0% 0% The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 210

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 2 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 20

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 18

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 13 16 29

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 12 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 15 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (100) 93 (100) 97 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 10 15 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 10 9 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 14 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 100 (85) 92 (94) 100 (91) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 8 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 13 14

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 92 (70) 88 (76) 92 (85) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 4 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.3 Financial year 1999-2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR - Y6 Total expenditure 330696

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5.0 Expenditure per pupil 1638

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 92 Balance brought forward from previous year 29899

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 27231 Shincliffe C of E (Controlled) Primary School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 48 39 5 1 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 53 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 30 55 12 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 27 44 20 8 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 51 34 13 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 58 38 2 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 26 43 18 12 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 61 30 2 1 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 48 47 2 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 32 19 12 5

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