Summerfields Primary School

SUMMERFIELDS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th February – 1 st March 2001

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SUMMERFIELDS PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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SUMMERFIELDS 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. Summerfields Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Atkinson Drive Newport Isle of Wight

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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: Mr Gavin Rogers

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: May 1997 Summerfields Primary School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr D J Curtis Registered inspector Mathematics Design and technology Information and communication technology Physical education Special educational needs Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? How high are standards? (results and achievements) How well are pupils taught?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr B Sampson Lay inspector How high are standards? (attitudes, behaviour and personal development) How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mrs B Darley Team inspector English Geography History Foundation Stage How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs D Morrell- Glenister Team inspector Science Art Music Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 5 Lakeside Werrington Peterborough PE4 6QZ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Summerfields Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Summerfields Primary School is situated in Newport on the Isle of Wight and takes pupils from the ages of four to nine. There are 178 pupils on roll in seven classes, with 90 boys and 88 girls; this is a below average-sized primary school. There are no pupils from homes where English is not the first language. There are 38 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs; this is similar to the national average. There is one pupil with a statement of special educational need; this is below the national average. Thirty pupils are entitled to free school meals; this is below the national average. Children enter school with standards that are average for the local education authority. The headteacher was appointed in January 2000 and 50 per cent of the teachers joined the school in September 2000.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS This is a good school, which is effectively led and managed by a headteacher who is already successful in raising standards. Teaching is good and pupils achieve well at the end of Year 2. The attitudes, behaviour and personal development of pupils are a strong feature of the school. The school provides good value for money.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

What the school does well • In Year 4, standards in information and communication technology, religious education, art and design, design and technology and music are good. • In Year 2, standards in reading, writing, mathematics, information and communication technology, religious education, art and design, design and technology and music are good. • Standards in the Foundation Stage are good. • Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships are good. • Teaching is good. • The leadership and management of the school are very good. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • The provision for extra-curricular activities is excellent.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

What could be improved • Although satisfactory, standards in Year 4 in English, mathematics and science are not high enough. • The quality of teaching in Year 4 is not as strong as in the rest of the school. • The management of resources and accommodation for the Foundation Stage. • Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work, which is inconsistent. • Provision of computers for pupils in Years 1 and 2. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since its previous inspection in May 1997; it has addressed successfully the key issues. All pupils now have equal access to the National Curriculum and to acts of worship. Standards in information and communication technology have improved and are now good. The school development plan now has clear educational targets and these are linked carefully to spending decisions. The governing body is now taking a much more active role in supporting the management of the school. Summerfields Primary School

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Similar schools are those with more than 8 per cent and up to 20 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals.

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STANDARDS

Inspection findings judge that, by the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 4, standards in English, mathematics and science meet expectations for pupils of this age. However, more-able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged and do not achieve the standards of which they are capable. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress in their learning. In information and communication technology, standards exceed national expectations. In religious education, standards exceed the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In art and design, design and technology and music, standards are good and exceed expectations for pupils of this age. In geography, history and physical education, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age.

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STANDARDS

By the age of seven, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average. Standards in reading and mathematics have improved as the result of good and very good teaching linked to the effective implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. In addition, the school has set much higher expectations for more-able pupils, with the result that they achieve the standards of which they are capable. In science, standards are average. In information and communication technology, standards exceed national expectations. In religious education, standards exceed the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In art and design, design and technology and music, standards exceed expectations for pupils of this age. In geography, history and physical education, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age.

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STANDARDS

By the end of the Foundation Stage, children exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning.

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STANDARDS

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES Aspect Comment

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STANDARDS

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and, in the main, show very positive attitudes to their work; they work hard and persevere with their tasks.

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STANDARDS

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils behave well in lessons, when moving around the school and at breaks and lunchtimes.

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STANDARDS

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils are polite, friendly and very welcoming. They relate well to each other and to all adults with whom they come into contact.

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STANDARDS

Attendance Very good. Summerfields Primary School

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-9 years

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

During the inspection, the quality of teaching was good overall. Good teaching has a positive impact on the standards achieved and on pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning. In 54 per cent of lessons teaching was good, with 15 per cent very good and 2 per cent excellent. Of the remaining lessons, 25 per cent was satisfactory and 4 per cent unsatisfactory. Unsatisfactory teaching was seen in Year 4 in religious education and geography. The quality of teaching in Year 4 is satisfactory overall, but it is not as strong as in the rest of the school. Weaknesses exist in a lack of pace and challenge in lessons, with the result that pupils, particularly the more able, are underachieving. Pupils do not work hard enough when in groups; often too much time is wasted in idle chatter rather than completing the work set.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Strengths of good and very good teaching include strong subject knowledge, high expectations of what pupils can achieve and detailed planning which meets the individual learning needs of pupils.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of key skills, including literacy and numeracy, is good. Teachers have a good understanding of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and these are implemented effectively. Expectations are high, with the result that pupils achieve well.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers work effectively and in partnership with the special educational needs assistant and teaching assistants to support pupils in their learning.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is good. Teachers plan an interesting range of activities with a good balance of those which are teacher-led and those which the children choose for themselves.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good, with the curriculum being enriched by high-quality provision by visits and visitors. In the Foundation Stage, management of the use of teaching space and resources needs to be improved.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils’ individual education plans contain clear, detailed and achievable targets. Pupils’ learning is supported by the effective partnership between the special educational needs co-ordinator, class teachers, the special educational needs assistant and teaching assistants.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Spiritual development is satisfactory. Moral and social development is very good and contributes significantly to good behaviour and positive attitudes. Cultural development is good, particularly in art and music.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good, with particular strengths in the assessment of pupils’ learning and the use of that information to set targets for improving pupils’ performance.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school works effectively with parents who are very supportive of the work of the school. Summerfields Primary School

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides effective and very good leadership; he is clearly committed to raising standards. He receives effective support from the senior management team. The role of co-ordinators in managing subjects is developing well; many have only been in post since September.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil all of their statutory responsibilities. They support the school effectively.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The headteacher has identified key areas for improvement, particularly the need to fulfil the potential of more-able pupils.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. The school uses its resources efficiently, including specific additional grants, to support pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing, accommodation and resources are adequate, although space for children in the Foundation Stage is limited. The school applies the principles of best value successfully in its spending decisions.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school. • Children make good progress at school. • Teaching is good. • The school has high expectations. • The school helps their children to become mature and responsible. • No significant areas identified.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Twenty-one parents attended the meeting with the registered inspector before the inspection and 77 questionnaires were returned. Inspection findings support the very positive views of parents, although expectations of more-able pupils in Year 4 are not high enough. Parents described the school as ‘friendly’, ‘happy’, ‘warm’, ‘inviting’ and ‘understanding’. They are particularly pleased with improvements made since the last inspection. Summerfields Primary School

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter school with average standards as measured against the assessments made shortly after they begin school, using the local education authority’s scheme. As the result of effective teaching, children make good progress in all areas of learning and exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals 1 by the end of the Foundation Stage.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The results of the 2000 National Curriculum assessments for pupils in Year 2 were above average in writing, average in reading, but below average in mathematics. In comparison to those in similar schools 2 , results were above average in writing, average in reading, but well below average in mathematics. In the teacher assessments for science, results were below the national average and below average in comparison to similar schools. In writing, the percentage of pupils achieving the expected Level 2 3 and above is well above average, with results in reading and mathematics average. However, the percentage of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 is well below the national average in mathematics and this depresses the school’s overall results. The headteacher, as a result of a detailed analysis of previous year’s results, has identified that the school should be doing better in relation to the percentage of pupils achieving Level 3. Inspection evidence confirms that

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the strategies he has put in place, particularly in raising teachers’ expectations, are having a positive impact on raising standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Inspection findings are that, by the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average, with more-able pupils showing significant improvement in the standards they achieve. Standards are improving as the result of consistently good teaching linked to the effective teaching of literacy and numeracy. In science, standards have improved and are now average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In literacy, pupils show a keen interest in books and clearly benefit from regular reading practice at school and at home. They read with interest and expression in class-reading opportunities as part of the literacy hour, reading in groups to the teacher and when reading individually. Writing skills are good; pupils write imaginative and exciting stories and poems and they apply their writing skills successfully in other subjects, including science and design and technology. In numeracy, pupils read, write and order numbers to 100, with more-able pupils accurate to 1,000 and beyond. Mental arithmetic skills are good, particularly in explaining how answers are found. Pupils use and apply their knowledge of times tables successfully in solving problems.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in information and communication technology exceed national expectations. In religious education, standards exceed the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In art and design, design and technology and music, standards are good and exceed expectations for pupils of this age. In geography, history and physical education, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of ‘Early Learning Goals’ for children in this stage of education. These outcomes are a set of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the age of six. There are six areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. 2 Schools with more than 8 per cent and up to 20 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals. 3 The national expectation is that pupils should achieve Level 2 and above by the age of seven. Summerfields Primary School Year 4 4

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the end of Year 4, standards in English, mathematics and science meet expectations for pupils of this age. However, for more-able pupils, standards are not high enough because they are not being challenged sufficiently and are not achieving the standards of which they are capable. There are weaknesses in the teaching of pupils in Year 4, particularly in relation to expectations, pace and challenge, with the result that pupils make insufficient progress in their learning. However, when given the opportunity to do so, pupils show that they have the capability to achieve much higher standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In literacy, pupils happily discuss their favourite books and authors. They are confident in explaining the organisation and use of content, indexes and glossaries in reference books. When challenged, pupils write imaginatively and create story beginnings that capture the attention of the reader. In numeracy, mental arithmetic skills and the knowledge and use of times tables are satisfactory, although skills in division are not as secure as they should be.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in information and communication technology, art and design, design and technology and music are good and exceed expectations for pupils of this age. In religious education, standards exceed the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In geography, history and physical education, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Across the school, pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning as measured against the targets in their individual education plans. They are taught well and receive very effective support from the special educational needs assistant and teacher assistants. The decision by the school to teach pupils with special educational needs in Years 3 and 4 in a mixed-age class of 20 pupils is proving successful and making a significant contribution to the good progress these pupils make.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The school has recognised that standards should be higher, particularly for more-able pupils. An effective policy is being drawn up for the teaching of these pupils, and the headteacher is working with a small group of Year 3 pupils on a regular basis with a view to developing their thinking skills. Inspection evidence is consistent with the school having the quality of teaching, leadership and management that will enable it to meet the higher and more realistic targets it has set.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils have good attitudes towards their school. These are a strength of the school and are consistent with the findings of the previous inspection, where attitudes were described as very positive. There is a definite, positive buzz around the school. Pupils concentrate well in their lessons and take a great interest in most activities in which they become involved, be it at work or at play. During a visit from the manager of the local farm, reception children were falling over each other to ask questions, such as “How many babies does a pig have?” and “How fast do they grow?” There was absolute awe and wonder when an incubator was uncovered to reveal new-born chicks and even more so when it was decided that the chicks could stay in the school for a few days.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour at the school is good and a strength. This finding also compares well with that of the previous inspection. Both during entry to school and in classes, morning and afternoon, pupils are well disciplined and usually quiet. They just come in and get on with some reading or writing or perhaps get out rulers, pens or books for their first lesson. At

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

4 At the end of Year 4, pupils transfer to middle school. Summerfields Primary School playtimes, they play well together and boys and girls frequently mix in games of tag, hopscotch or racing. During lessons, the majority of pupils are nearly always well behaved. In some classes, behaviour was seen to be very good, depending on how positive a strategy that teacher used. It was interesting to see one little girl, in a Year 3 lesson, taking charge of her table of five and ‘shushing’ them to behave, so that she could hear the teacher! The school has had no exclusions, of any type, within the previous 12 months.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The school’s absence of oppressive behaviour, including bullying, sexism and racism, is very good and a significant strength of the school. During the whole inspection, not one incident relating to any of these aspects was witnessed anywhere within the school. The pupils’ understanding of the impact of their actions on others is good and a strength within its own right. They know that if you hurt someone, either physically or verbally, they will more often than not want to hurt you back. No vandalism or graffiti were witnessed during the inspection. The pupils have a strong respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. They listen to each other’s opinions and ideas in lessons and at play. They are well aware that not everyone is necessarily brought up exactly the same as they are and they respect differences of view. It is most noticeable how much the pupils care for each other. Several instances were observed where someone had hurt himself or

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

herself and was accompanied to the teacher or first-aider by a caring friend. The majority of pupils are very polite. They say, “Good morning” to adults, open doors ahead of them and often ask people if they are lost.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The pupils are good at using their initiative and dealing with the variety of responsibilities given to them and these aspects themselves are strengths of the school. Every Thursday, the school invites local senior citizens into lunch and the pupils look after them. During the inspection, certain Year 4 boys and girls were also picked to sit with members of the inspection team and look after them at lunchtime. Year 4 pupils also work on locally funded mini projects, such as computer designing and printing of leaflets. Some help to produce the school’s magazine. Younger pupils collect and return registers and dinner money whilst older pupils put out equipment in the hall for assemblies.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Relationships within the school are a significant strength of the school; they are very good. The majority of the pupils get on very well together both at play and in class. Boys and girls mix very well and help each other, particularly with problems in lessons. In one numeracy lesson in reception a little boy, within the lower ability group, was patiently demonstrating to the girl next to him how to write a ‘3’ the correct way around. He persevered until she got it correct. At playtimes it was heartening to see a little boy in a wheelchair being pushed carefully around the playground talking to his classmates. The pupils really respect their teachers. In most cases, they appreciate that their teacher is there to help them acquire knowledge and they want to get on with them. Pupils love talking to visitors to find out where they come from and ask whether they like their school. Personal development and relationships are a major strength of which the school can be

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Attendance is now very good and has improved considerably since the previous inspection. Figures for the past year are well above the national average for this type of school. Authorised and unauthorised absences are below national averages. The school has no unexplained absence trends. The majority of pupils come to school and into classes on time. Most lessons commence promptly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The previous inspection judged that ‘teaching is good with a number of examples of very good and excellent teaching’. Ninety-six per cent of teaching was judged to be Summerfields Primary School ‘satisfactory of better’, with four per cent ‘unsatisfactory’. Strengths were identified in planning, the use of resources, including support from classroom assistants, marking and the use of homework. Unsatisfactory teaching was linked to lessons where groups of pupils were taken out of classes for additional support and given too narrow a range of activities not linked to the work of the rest of the class. Inspection findings show that the school has maintained the quality of teaching seen during the previous inspection and that the weakness identified is no longer evident.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. During the inspection, the quality of teaching was good overall. Good and very teaching has a positive impact on the standards achieved and on pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning. In 54 per cent of lessons teaching was good, with 15 per cent very good and 2 per cent excellent. Of the remaining lessons, 25 per cent were satisfactory and 4 per cent unsatisfactory. Unsatisfactory teaching was seen in Year 4 in religious education and geography. The quality of teaching in Year 4 is satisfactory overall, but it is not as strong as in the rest of the school. Weaknesses exist in the lack of pace and challenge in lessons, with the result that pupils, particularly the more able, are underachieving. Pupils’ attitudes to learning, particularly in group work, are inconsistent; often too much time is wasted in idle chatter rather than completing the work set.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. An excellent lesson was observed in the teaching of literacy in Year 1 and examples of very good teaching were observed in literacy and numeracy. Examples of good teaching were seen in all subjects, with the exception of music and religious education, where teaching was satisfactory. High-quality teaching is having a positive impact on improving standards in literacy and numeracy, particularly in Years 1 and 2, and in Year 3.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is good and has a positive impact on the progress they make in their learning. Lessons are planned well and there is a good balance between activities led by teachers and those which the children choose for themselves. For example, whilst the reception teacher was teaching printing skills to a group, other children worked independently with construction kits. Teaching assistants support children well, for example in the making of models of the newly-hatched chicks. Key skills of reading, writing and mathematics are taught effectively, with the result that children make good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of children with special educational needs is good and contributes significantly to the good progress made. Work is matched carefully to their individual learning needs and to the targets set in detailed individual education plans. Teachers liaise effectively with the special educational needs assistant and teacher assistants to ensure that pupils are supported in lessons. Relationships are good, pupils feel secure and confident and, as a result, work hard in lessons and make good progress in understanding. For example, in a numeracy lesson in Years 3 and 4, pupils make real gains in their knowledge and understanding of compass points and how to make ¼, ½ and ¾ turns both clockwise and anti-clockwise.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching of literacy is a strength. It is good or better in 80 per cent of lessons, with 50 per cent very good or excellent. Consistent features are good teaching strategies, very secure knowledge of the subject, careful planning and a very good understanding of teaching of basic skills. Together these support and challenge pupils well, resulting in a confident approach to spelling and writing and helping all pupils make good progress in their learning and development of skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching of numeracy is a strength. It is good or better in 75 per cent of lessons, including 50 per cent that are very good. Teachers plan work effectively and ensure that pupils of all abilities are suitably challenged in their work; this results in all pupils, particularly the more able, achieving high standards. Key skills of mental arithmetic and Summerfields Primary School knowledge and use of times tables are taught effectively. However, in Year 4 this is a weaker aspect and pupils are not challenged sufficiently in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. In the best lessons, teachers show secure subject knowledge, which is passed on to pupils with infectious enthusiasm. In a Year 2 numeracy lesson, the teacher’s own love of mathematics rubbed off on the pupils, with the result that they were totally absorbed during the whole lesson. They responded particularly well in the mental arithmetic session where they were bursting to answer questions, including how they found the answers to questions, such as, “Why should we want to count in fives?” Group work is planned well and introduced clearly and with detailed explanations. Pupils understand what is required of them and work successfully in groups or independently. For example, in an information and communication technology lesson, pupils in Year 3 made significant progress in using a graphics program to draw pictures of The Iron Man (a story by Ted Hughes being studied in the literacy hour). The final or plenary session is used effectively

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

to consolidate and assess pupils’ gains in knowledge from the lesson. For example, in a Year 1 numeracy lesson, pupils were expected to answer the question, “How do we know that 15 is bigger than 12?” Pupils responded immediately by using their knowledge of tens and units gained in the lesson to answer the question, for example, “There are 3 more units in 15 than in 12“.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teachers make very good use of teaching assistants to support pupils’ learning. A significant strength is the way teachers plan their work. In particular, teacher assistants are encouraged to make assessment notes on pupils’ learning in whole-class introductions and again in the final or plenary session. These notes provide teachers with very useful information on individual pupils’ strengths and weaknesses in understanding. In group work, teacher assistants work very effectively with groups as a result of careful planning by teachers. An outstanding strength is the management and use of the teacher assistant for information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning in the ‘IT-Suite’. This makes a significant contribution to the good standards achieved by pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Pupils are managed effectively and relationships with them are good. Teachers have high expectations of work and behaviour, with the result that in 73 per cent of lessons observed pupils behaved well and showed very positive attitudes to their learning. Because work is interesting, challenging and matched clearly to pupils’ needs, they achieve well in lessons and make good progress. In a physical education lesson in the reception/Year 1 class, pupils made good progress in developing gymnastic sequences, including a balance, using the large apparatus. At the end of the lesson, as a result of high expectations, they put the apparatus away sensibly, quietly and safely. However, in Year 4, pupils are not managed as effectively, with the result that they do not concentrate in lessons and achieve as well as they should.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The quality of teachers’ marking is inconsistent and does not always support pupils by showing them how they can improve their work. Whilst there are good examples, there are also examples where marking is a series of ticks and pupils are not guided forward in their learning. Teachers make satisfactory use of homework to support pupils’ learning. Summerfields Primary School

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PUPILS?

28. The statutory requirements for the National Curriculum and religious education are fully met. The school provides an interesting and varied curriculum that extends learning opportunities for all pupils. It has a number of curriculum strengths. The organisation and delivery of national strategies for literacy and numeracy are good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good, particularly at the start of Key Stage 2. Pupils’ learning is enriched by excellent provision for extra-curricular activities. The very good links with the community and good links with partner institutions enhance provision. The provision for all aspects of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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PUPILS?

29. Since the last inspection, the school has worked successfully to implement the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. The majority of pupils now receive their full curriculum entitlement in all subjects. However, pupils in Years 3 and 4 do not receive their full curriculum entitlement, particularly in religious education, during the term in which they are swimming. Curriculum leaders have adapted their schemes of work to match changes for Curriculum 2000 and are using guidelines provided by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

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PUPILS?

30. There is an appropriately planned curriculum for children in reception. Teachers have worked hard to ensure that the policy and their planning match the new requirements of the Foundation Stage of learning. There is careful termly planning to match the Foundation Stage to the early stages of the National Curriculum for children in the reception and Year 1 class, but too much of the work is focussed on the Year 1 pupils. This means that reception children do not always have as much access to the foundation curriculum as their counterparts in reception. The classroom accommodation is too small to accommodate ease of access for children. Where possible the reception teachers make use of the shared area, but this is currently dependent on other adult assistance. The organisation and management of the area do not make best use of available resources for the development of the Foundation Stage of children’s learning. The two

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PUPILS?

classes are largely run quite independently rather than as a Foundation Stage unit with shared resources and do not provide sufficient activities based on first-hand experience to encourage observation, discussion and independence. The lack of appropriate storage and outdoor space and equipment further limits the curriculum.

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PUPILS?

31. The provision for special educational needs is very good. Pupils identified as having special educational needs are very well supported in the classroom. Teachers plan appropriate activities to meet their needs and ensure that classroom assistants are fully briefed. Very good additional literacy support is available to pupils whose needs are recognised. The Code of Practice 5 is fully implemented. Planning and classroom practice clearly show the school’s commitment to equal opportunities.

p.15

PUPILS?

32. The establishment and review of national strategies for literacy and numeracy are good. Good quality training in numeracy for both teaching assistants and teachers who have changed the key stage in which they work contributes to the effectiveness of implementing the strategy. The school recognises the need to focus on writing skills across each year group and has set key targets to support the raising of standards. Teachers regularly reinforce literacy skills in other subjects across the curriculum.

p.15

PUPILS?

33. Educational visits to places of interest both locally and on the mainland, such as Guildhall Museum, Quay Arts Centre, Carisbrooke Castle, Branstone Farm and the Millennium

p.15

PUPILS?

5 Code of Practice: This gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Summerfields Primary School Dome, enhance the curriculum. Older pupils undertake a short residential visit involving outdoor adventurous activities to extend provision for physical education. Performers and a wide range of visitors and events such as ‘Step into Story Week’ and the annual pet show enrich the curriculum. A broad range of good quality extra-curricular activities are offered to pupils both at lunchtime and after school, including football, choir, recorder, ‘IT’, French, board games, art and technology. These clubs are run with great enthusiasm by members of staff and supported by parents.

p.15

PUPILS?

34. The school provides effectively for personal, social and health education. Policies for drug, health and sex education are kept under review. ‘Circle Time’ 6 and class discussions make a good contribution to dealing with sensitive issues. Visits from individuals, such as a blind lady and her guide dog and the police, contribute effectively to pupils’ growing sense of citizenship and their understanding of road safety and the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. The school has very good links with its partner institutions and the community. It works closely with the on-site playgroup, which is able to take advantage of the school facilities. Strong links have been established with middle school colleagues to ensure good transfer arrangements for pupils in Year 4. The recent formation of a link group of pyramid of schools that feed the local high school provides an effective forum for discussion and local agreements, for example about schemes of work. Members of the local community, including the police and a representative from the local community church, regularly visit the school during the year. Pupils have visited the Portsmouth synagogue and the Anglican church and enjoy visits to a local farm.

p.16

PUPILS?

36. The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Daily school or class assemblies and religious education lessons develop pupils’ growing insight into human values and their belief in God. Collective worship is planned well based on weekly themes. Pupils listen to a wide range of music tapes prepared by the music co- ordinator as they wait for assembly to begin. They are encouraged to sing with enthusiasm in assembly and perform actions to songs such as “Great, great, brill, brill … to have a friend like Jesus”. Good opportunities for reflection are provided. Pupils write their own prayers showing great sensitivity, for example, “Please stop the wars around the world because it makes me sad when people die”. Teachers reinforce an appreciation of the spiritual aspects of school life, such as the brilliant colours of nature in an art lesson and, in a science lesson, the wonder of birth. There was a growing sense of

p.16

PUPILS?

awe and wonder as pupils watched slides of piglets suckling and handled day-old chicks. The school’s sponsorship of a young African girl reinforces the importance of caring for others.

p.16

PUPILS?

37. Moral development is very good. All teachers consistently encourage pupils to consider their behaviour towards others and have good reward systems in place. Pupils are encouraged to work co-operatively in lessons. Positive conduct in and out of lessons is always in evidence. Pupils’ movement around the school is calm and purposeful. They behave very well in whole-school assemblies. Pupils are well aware of the difference between right and wrong. Assemblies encourage pupils to appreciate the work of others and reflect on moral issues.

p.16

PUPILS?

38. Social development is very good. Teachers encourage pupils to be proud of their school community. All classrooms display a consistent message of ‘Aiming High’. There is a high standard of courtesy observed in the school and pupils perform a wide range of responsibilities, which they enjoy. Older pupils deliver registers, act as dinnertime table

p.16

PUPILS?

6 In these lessons, pupils sit in a circle and through agreed rules, have the opportunity to speak and listen to each other talking about issues, which touch them all. Summerfields Primary School helpers and assembly monitors, look after others as ‘playground pals’ and host a weekly luncheon club. Year 4 pupils share stories with the reception class. Teachers display lists of responsibilities in their classrooms. In a religious education lesson, pupils are encouraged to consider what it means to be a good friend to others. Staff, pupils and visitors are encouraged to recognise the achievement of others through the ‘Sunshine Book’. Pupils naturally applaud the efforts of others. A good example of this was observed in a numeracy lesson.

p.16

PUPILS?

39. The provision for cultural development is good. Teachers encourage pupils to appreciate art and music through the work of well-known artists. They incorporate good opportunities to appreciate music from around the world and select good quality literature from a range of cultures to deliver to pupils. In religious education lessons, Year 2 pupils think about foods around the world that can be shared and show the immense effort that is needed to make tea in Africa. In music lessons, pupils have access to world music resources such as the gamelan. A visit by an Indian dance expert provided a good focus on range of different cultural aspects, including music and clothing. The sponsorship of an African girl encourages pupils to understand the advantages of their own culture as well as the limitations of others.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school ensures that its pupils are looked after satisfactorily and overall this compares favourably with the judgement made at the previous inspection. The school has very good procedures for child protection. The named and trained person, plus another trained teacher, work together with the headteacher as a panel to deal with any incidents. All other staff are well informed. The school has an up-to-date written policy based on that of the local education authority and a detailed incident book. Very good liaison is kept with the local education authority and police child-protection teams. All relevant documentation is securely locked away.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The headteacher is the school’s trained health and safety officer and with the governors he has now ensured that a full and up-to-date health and safety check has been carried out. Fire exercises are now held every term and recorded. All escape routes from the school are appropriately and easily accessible. All fire and physical educational equipment is date tested. However, although the school has arranged for its caretaker to undertake electrical maintenance training, currently no such equipment has to date been tested. This was an issue at the previous inspection. In addition, the school has recently had a new fire-emergency system fitted, but no one knows how to operate it. The school’s accident and medicine procedures are efficient and sensitive and there are several trained first-aiders to help pupils. The school makes good use of outside professional help. The police make regular visits and talk to the children as part of a

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

‘Citizenship Scheme’. They discuss the inappropriate use of drugs and alcohol and talk about ‘Stranger Danger’ and safety in the home and on the roads. There are regular visits from the school nurse, the educational psychologist and members of the behavioural support team. The pupils are provided with attractive and wholesome lunches prepared, served and consumed in very hygienic conditions.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has good procedures for monitoring and improving attendance and these account for the considerable rise in attendance since the previous report. Such procedures are another strength within the school. Attendance registers are marked in accordance with current procedures and returned to the office both mornings and afternoons. The school has an explicit range of forms for parents to deal with holidays, lateness and unauthorised absence, and parents are well aware of their relevant responsibility. The school’s lateness routine is secure and well adhered to. Good use is made of the local educational welfare officer. Summerfields Primary School 43. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are also good and a strength of the school. All pupils are aware of their school and class rules and most of the time they stick to them. Teachers’ behaviour control within classes is predominantly unobtrusive,

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

but usually successful. The school has a well-written policy with realistic rewards and sanctions. The pupils are very proud to win points towards the ‘Golden Award’ and also have their names put into the ‘Sunshine Book’. Where required, pupils do have personal achievement targets given to them and the teachers monitor these closely.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school has a major strength in its very good procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour. Both teachers and parents have separate written policies. Bullying is closely discussed within ‘Circle Time’ and at assemblies. It is impressed upon the pupils to have the confidence to report any incidents to an adult. On the rare occasions when this becomes necessary, both the victim and the perpetrator are interviewed together and parents involved if necessary.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are also good and another one of the school’s many strengths. The school’s personal, social and health educational policy is implemented effectively and gives the pupils a firm basis to develop into mature, moral citizens. Assemblies and ‘Circle Time’ are used well to give the pupils a feeling of belonging to a community. The personal responsibility tasks given to them make them feel grown up and pleased to help others. Each pupil has a personal file in the school office, which records their personal details and some progress. However, although the school has specific achievement assemblies, when pupils can bring in things such as evidence of sporting or musical achievements, they do not have individual records of pupil achievements in which to keep certificates or special pieces of work. Personal development is also communicated to parents on school reports. The caring

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

way in which the school looks after its pupils contributes considerably to the success of their learning.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Procedures for assessing pupils’ learning are good. The headteacher, supported by subject co-ordinators, carries out a detailed analysis of the results of the National Curriculum assessments. Weaknesses and gaps in learning are identified and teaching plans are amended accordingly. The school has analysed its results over time and has identified variations in the standards achieved by boys and girls. In addition, it identified that insufficient pupils were achieving the higher Level 3 in the National Curriculum assessments.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Information gained from assessing pupils’ learning is used effectively to set targets and plan further learning. In particular, information has been used to raise the school’s expectations of the number of pupils who should be achieving the higher Level 3 in the National Curriculum assessments.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. From information gained at the parents’ meeting, on returned questionnaires and from talking to parents during the inspection, it is clear that the majority of them believe that this is a very good school for their children. This is another significant strength of the school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents say that their children like the school, they are making good progress and their behaviour is good. They also indicate that they think the teaching is good, the school has high expectations of the pupils, it is helping the children to become mature and responsible citizens and it is well led and managed. Most parents agree that the school Summerfields Primary School works closely with parents and they have no qualms about approaching staff with questions or problems.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The information that the school provides for its parents is predominantly good and a strength. Parents receive regular newsletters, a copy of the school magazine, an updated prospectus and annual copies of the governors’ report. The former complies with statutory requirements. However, the current governors’ report has minor omissions of which the school is now aware. Annual pupil reports comment on all subjects of the curriculum, but do not indicate to parents their children’s achievements or details of improvement targets. The school has a whole range of very useful leaflets, which it sends to parents on such aspects as homework, behaviour and what happens if their children have special educational needs. Parents find these very useful. Home/school agreements are fully operational. The school also provides half-termly details of what pupils will be studying, home/school reading diaries, curriculum evenings for parent taster

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

classes and computer evenings. There are three evenings a year when parents can talk to teachers about reports, general progress and any other concerns. In addition, the school has an ‘open-door’ policy for parents to speak with the headteacher or any other member of staff.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The school is well aware and most appreciative of the very good contribution that their parents make to the children’s learning, both in school and at home. This is another significant strength of the school. A dedicated group of parents come into school regularly and help by listening to children read and in overall class work. A father comes in on various occasions and helps on the computers whilst another group of parents run the football team. At home, parents are very well briefed by the school on forthcoming projects and topics and they help constructively with their children’s homework. The school is very pleased with the co-operation and input that it receives from parents to their children’s special educational needs reviews and individual education plans. A very influential parent-consultation group meets regularly with the headteacher to discuss, for example, homework and behaviour. The school is also grateful for the contributions of its

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

energetic ‘Friends Association’, which has raised considerable funds for the children’s education. Such funds have gone towards the adventure playground, the computer suite and the library.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Overall the school’s links with its parents are very good and a considerable strength of the school. They contribute strongly to the children’s learning. This aspect remains as predominant as it was at the previous inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The inspection found that the school is successfully led and managed; a view that is supported by parents. There has been significant improvement in both key issues related to leadership and management since the last report. The school improvement plan is now a substantial and professional document, which successfully guides the work of the school; it is regularly reviewed and is closely linked to the school’s budget and other resources. However, the success criteria are often rather woolly and incidental to the review process. The governors are now well organised and knowledgeable about the school and have established a clear committee structure for guiding and monitoring the school’s work. They work in close partnership with the headteacher and meet their statutory duties.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The headteacher provides very strong leadership and educational guidance for the school. This is a significant strength. His perceptive analysis of the school’s strengths and weaknesses is shared with governors and staff. In just over a year, the headteacher has brought about significant changes and an increase in aspirations, expectations and Summerfields Primary School standards. All staff in the school share a common goal in raising standards and there is a clear focus on meeting the school’s motto of ‘Aiming High’. Performance management strategies are in place and teaching staff have clear targets. These help to raise their expectations, focus their work and strengthen their awareness of what needs to be done to raise standards further. The headteacher and key subject co-ordinators had identified that expectations by the end of Year 4 were too low. A strategy of support and development had been identified and was partly in place during the inspection ; this is

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school’s aims express a commitment to developing each individual, and creating positive relationships and respect for others, the school, community and the environment. The aims are reflected in the day-to-day life of the school. They are due for review. There are plans to raise their importance and link them to school review, with an emphasis on identifying clearly each individual’s contribution to the planned achievement of the school’s aims.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. Curriculum co-ordinators of foundation subjects 7 monitor planning and gather samples of work, but the analysis of what these tell them and what needs to improve is at an early stage. The headteacher has good strategies to involve staff in school improvement planning and these help to raise co-ordinators’ awareness of their role in monitoring standards and the quality of teaching. It is too early for these to have had significant impact and the role is, therefore, underdeveloped.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Reception staff have worked hard in relocating the reception classes and developing the Foundation Stage curriculum documentation. However, there are weaknesses in the organisation and management of staff and learning resources in this area. The reception classrooms are inadequate and unsuitable for their purpose. The two classes operate as largely independent units with a shared area, which limits pupils’ access to a full curriculum and available resources. The organisation and management of resources and the lack of appropriate storage for equipment limit pupils’ independent access to materials. The lack of a suitable attached outdoor play space and equipment further limits teaching opportunities and pupils’ learning.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. There are sufficient, appropriately trained staff to meet the needs of the curriculum. There are adequate induction arrangements for newly qualified staff and appropriate arrangements for further training for other staff. The school’s decision to employ additional teaching staff to support the particular needs of older pupils with special educational needs shows effective use of finances to support the school’s work. This provision is very good and provides well for pupils. A strong commitment to providing a high level of support staff is equally successful and they provide very good support for pupils. A very good example of this was in a Year 4 literacy lesson where a member of the support staff enabled a group of pupils to produce this powerfully expressive poem in less than half an hour.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The waves were splashing along the rusty sand. The clouds were turning grey and whistling by. Rain was thundering down, Thunder crashed like cymbals at their highest pitch. Lightning flashed like a flash light When suddenly a boat hit the sharpest rock in the sea.’ 59. There is a strong focus from governors and the headteacher to ensure best value and good use of available finances and resources. The school employs a financial assistant

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

7 Art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education Summerfields Primary School for monitoring its finances, which results in good systems and control. The school represents good value for money and makes appropriate use of specific grants to further school improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The accommodation is clean and in good decorative order and condition, but its design severely limits the teachers’ work. Several classrooms are too small and, consequently, cramped for whole-class activities. Most teachers make good use of the shared areas whenever they can for class and group work. However, these are thoroughfares, and thus interruptions and distractions from other groups working in the area limit their usefulness. The school is making the best use of space in some areas, for example by having folding furniture in the hall, which takes up less space. The information and communication technology suite is too small for a whole class and the addition of a very knowledgeable learning assistant to work with small groups makes the best use of the space and computers to enhance pupils’ learning. The adventure playground is a challenging and exciting resource for pupils, but other playground spaces are barren,

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

unimaginative spaces devoid of play equipment and with faded markings. The surface of the small playground is unsatisfactory as it is worn through to the concrete in places. Resources are satisfactory for most other subjects and good in design and technology, music and special educational needs. However, there are insufficient resources for information and communication technology in Key Stage 1. Summerfields Primary School

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

61. In order to raise standards even higher and to improve the quality of education, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) ensure that pupils in Year 4, particularly, the more able, achieve the standards of which they are capable by raising expectations (paragraphs 6-7, 10, 68-69, 77 and 90);

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) improve the quality of teaching in Year 4 to ensure that in lessons pupils are challenged and made to work harder. In particular, the management and organisation of group work need to ensure that pupils know exactly what is required of them in terms of work to be done (paragraphs 18, 23, 26-27, 77, 84 and 90);

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) improve the management of curriculum provision and accommodation for children in the Foundation Stage by improving the use of space and resources to meet children’s learning needs (paragraphs 30 and 57);

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) ensure that teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is consistent across the school, by rigorous monitoring of the implementation of the school’s marking policy (paragraph 27);

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) improve the provision of computers for pupils in Years 1 and 2 in order to support their learning in lessons when they do not have access to the ‘IT-Suite’ (paragraphs 60 and 112).

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition, the governing body should consider including the following in its action plan:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensure that all electrical items are tested as soon as possible and from then on are tested annually (paragraph 41); • ensure that the new fire alarm system can be operated by staff (paragraph 41); • develop the role of subject co-ordinators, particular those with responsibility for foundation subjects (paragraph 56). Summerfields Primary School

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

2 15 54 25 4 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 178

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 30 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 38

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 12

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 11

p.23

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. Summerfields Primary School

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 19 15 34

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 17 18 17 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 13 14 14

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 88 (84) 94 (78) 91 (78) at NC Level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 17 18 15 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 13 14 15

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 88 (78) 94 (95) 88 (76) at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Summerfields Primary School

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.6 Financial year 1999-2000

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total expenditure 332,221

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 12 Expenditure per pupil 1,990

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 191 Balance brought forward from previous year 6,930

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 4,033 Summerfields Primary School

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 62 37 0 0 1

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 53 46 1 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 50 9 3 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 43 47 6 4 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 27 1 1 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 36 0 1 1

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 45 50 4 1 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 62 35 3 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 65 34 1 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 61 27 5 4 3 Summerfields Primary School PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Children get a good start to their education in reception. The school has maintained its standards since the last inspection. Most of the pupils attend the on-site playgroup and the school maintains good links with staff and children there, which leads to a smooth transition into school. Children start school in September in a reception class and a mixed class of reception and Year 1 children. Usually, children start school with standards in line with expectations for their age. By the end of reception, most exceed the Early Learning Goals due to the consistently good teaching in reception.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

62. In their personal skills such as hygiene, dressing and undressing, children are competent and confident. They have good relationships with other children and adults. They enjoy learning and behave well. They concentrate well in literacy sessions and in group work involving sound, word and reading activities. This has a positive impact on their learning. They happily work together and share toys and equipment. There are some opportunities for children to take responsibility in selecting creative activities. However, the organisation and management of the accommodation limit their independence. Classrooms are too small to allow significant movement for the whole class and ease of access to materials. The reception class teacher makes good use of the shared teaching area to extend opportunities and makes successful use of trained support assistants to teach and supervise pupils when engaged in free-choice play. Resources are not

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

sufficiently well stored or organised to enable pupils to select their own equipment at all times. By the time they start Year 1 most children exceed the Early Learning Goals and are confident at trying new activities and eager to learn more.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

63. In the reception class and the mixed class of reception and Year 1, children benefit from clearly structured literacy lessons. Teachers capture and sustain children’s attention and interest through a range of interesting stories, activities and tasks. Children listen carefully. Many recognise sounds and individual letters, and build and spell words confidently. Effective teaching of letter sounds helps children develop good early reading skills. Children recognise most of the key words involved in their reading books and have good strategies to work out unfamiliar words using the sounds they know. Most children in both classes confidently write their names from memory and spell simple words to write sentences on their own. All children have a good understanding of what books are for and how to handle them. Their knowledge of vocabulary such as ‘author’, ‘titles’ and ‘illustrator’ increases with experience. By the start of Year 1, many pupils have exceeded

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

the Early Learning Goals. They read simple books confidently and write simple sentences using some punctuation.

p.27

Mathematical development

64. Children count reasonably reliably from 1-10. They successfully write and sequence numbers and have some understanding of putting objects together and adding on. They are developing an understanding of numbers to 20. Children record simple addition sums to 10 successfully and have a good understanding of ‘more than’. By the time they start Year 1 they are confident in counting reliably, recognising numbers and writing them correctly. By the time they leave reception, they exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. Summerfields Primary School

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

65. Children have good general knowledge of the world around them. This is enhanced by good teaching, which helps them look carefully at living things such as plants and newly hatched eggs. Children identify correctly whether objects can be classified as living or not and know that plants grow from seeds. They take a keen interest in planting and growing cress seeds. They are less enthusiastic about the prospect of eating them when grown because they have not tried them before. Effective teaching and good questioning by the teacher ensure that they extend and develop their general understanding of the world around them well. By the time children start Year 1 they exceed expectations for their age.

p.28

Physical development

66. Most children in reception have the physical skills expected for their age. They handle small equipment and tools successfully and are developing good control of pencils, resulting in clearly formed letters in their writing. They build models from a range of construction kits unaided. Reception children in Year 1 explore different ways of moving, using apparatus in the hall. They demonstrate good control of their bodies and movements. Reception children ride wheeled vehicles and bikes in the playground area with control and awareness of others. A lack of appropriate resources and unsuitable accommodation limit children’s opportunities. The reception teachers have to negotiate the loan of outdoor play equipment from the playgroup and do not have access to an appropriate space attached to the area. The lack of covered outdoor space means that too often their opportunities are further affected by poor weather. Teachers make the

p.28

Physical development

best use of available staffing and the hall to minimise the effect on the children. The playground surface is of unacceptable quality for these small children. Children’s skills exceed expectations for their age.

p.28

Creative development

67. Children enjoy creative activities. They have some opportunities to explore paint, printing and making pictures with a range of materials. When a teacher says, “We are going to do some jobs this afternoon”, this is greeted with a chorus of delight from the children. Well- planned and prepared activities ensure that children move easily to task and settle quickly. They carefully cut circles to turn into chicks, drawing upon their experience of looking at newly hatched chicks brought to the school by the school farm manager. They manipulate tools and materials successfully to cut, shape and model farm animals from play dough. There are appropriate resources in the area to promote creativity through, for example, role-play and exploring music, but the poor storage and accessibility limit children’s opportunities and independence. Children’s skills exceed expectations for their age.

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ENGLISH

68. The school has maintained the standards seen during the last inspection in Key Stage 1, but not in Key Stage 2. This is due to a lack of challenge and expectations of pupils in Year 4 over the current year. In Year 4, pupils’ work is in line with national expectations and they make good progress in the development of their writing. However, the general level of work leading up to the inspection does not make enough demands on pupils’ abilities, particularly those of the more able.

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ENGLISH

69. The school had recognised a need to raise expectations in Year 4 and had started a programme of teaching support to ensure that this happens. An example of this support Summerfields Primary School observed during the inspection resulted in very good teaching and, when challenged by high expectations, the pupils rose to the occasion, displaying skills and abilities not evident in their previously recorded work. The teacher’s high expectation of pupils’ behaviour ensured that pupils concentrated hard and made good progress in their learning. Very good presentation of a poem captured pupils’ interest and showed how language is used to convey a sense of mystery and wonder. The pupils settled to their tasks with enthusiasm and worked hard. One group learnt the first verse from The Highway Man by Alfred Noyes and successfully presented it without notes, making full use of changes in the tone and volume of their voices. The content and quality of

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ENGLISH

teaching fired pupils’ imagination, encouraging them to use powerful words and strong imagery in their own writing. Clear time expectations by the teacher ensured a very good pace to the written work and two pupils produced the following short but expressive work in only 15 minutes. They had a clear understanding of how to end on a cliff-hanger to leave the reader wanting to know more.

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ENGLISH

the huge stone door, lives some bats…. Not any bats…. The biggest, badest, scariest bats ever. Further on you would see great, hairy poison spiders scurrying along and down the cracked wall. But the badest thing was in the corner, tucked in the corner was a monster and if you saw that monster you would probably faint. Next was a box covered in cobwebs, it had never been opened before…..’

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ENGLISH

Hannah Murphy ‘Behind the door, the great wooden door lives the great wooden tree but behind the great wooden tree a world of wonder with yellow, red, plus blue, orange and green. The biggest greatest flowers you have ever seen but there right in the corner lives a tiny tree, all alone in the corner. What a very poor tree. “We shall help the poor tiny tree,” said clearly another tree to the great white flower – “ but how will we?” “We will water him,” said the great blue pond. “Yes, yes we will”…. But now the tiny little tree is not feeling well he’s getting up to mischief what shall we do now? …

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ENGLISH

70. Good support is provided to pupils with special educational needs in Years 3 and 4. A clear focus on their needs and carefully structured group time ensure that they gain confidence and pleasure in working hard and succeeding. There is very good teaching of additional literacy work. In Year 3, very good teaching of a group of boys raises their self- esteem and interest in writing, releasing a flow of exciting ideas when they are planning a spy story.

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ENGLISH

71. The school’ s national test results for Year 2 pupils have improved in the last year due to good use of assessment information to drive up teachers’ expectations. In 1998 and 1999, pupils’ test results were below national averages for reading and writing. In the 2000 test, results were in line with national averages in reading and above in writing. In comparison with similar schools, results were average in reading and above average in writing. A strong focus throughout the school on writing and presentation continues to raise teacher expectations and standards further. Throughout the school, there is a clear focus on teaching handwriting and pupils have developed a well-written style.

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ENGLISH

72. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is always good, with examples of excellent and very good teaching. Consistent features are good teaching strategies, very secure knowledge of the subject, careful planning and a very good understanding of teaching of basic skills. Together these support and challenge pupils well, resulting in a confident approach to spelling and writing, which helps all pupils make good progress in their learning and development of skills. Expectations remain high because staff look carefully Summerfields Primary School at pupils’ assessment information to identify areas for further improvement, which results in changes to their approach. Excellent teaching in Year 1 ensures that high standards are reached because pupils are taught well and at a quick pace to which they respond eagerly. Pupils are presented with high quality resources made by the teacher using new technology. In Year 2, pupils have a clear understanding of the structure of different

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ENGLISH

forms of poems from a variety of cultures. They show an avid interest in examining what makes a poem effective; for example the way it is written, the rhythm and structure, the words used and the way it is read. They look carefully at their choice of words when writing a Haiku poem to ensure that they have a five, seven, five syllable structure. They succeed with this their first attempt at Haiku poetry:

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ENGLISH

‘I hear the sea swish The dolphins leap in the sea A dolphin splashes.’

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ENGLISH

73. Standards in speaking and listening are above expectations by the age of seven and when pupils leave school at the age of nine. Pupils of all ages talk confidently to adults about their work and Year 4 pupils easily maintain a conversation when, for example, eating lunch with inspectors or visitors to the school. They speak confidently to an audience, explaining clearly about their work and enacting dramatic presentations and raps related to their work on Vikings. Effective questioning in all lessons encourages pupils to express their opinions and speak clearly so others can hear.

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ENGLISH

74. There has been a clear focus on reading and much work has taken place to improve the quality of resources available to pupils through new reading books and recent relocation and improvement to the library. Pupils across the school have a keen interest in books and clearly benefit from regular reading practice at school and at home. They read with interest and expression in class-reading opportunities as part of the literacy hour, reading in groups to the teacher, and when reading individually. Older pupils happily discuss their favourite books and authors. Pupils have a clear understanding of how books are structured, starting with Year 1 pupils knowing terms such as ‘title’, ‘cover’, ‘author’ and ‘illustrator’, to older pupils explaining the organisation and use of content, indexes and glossaries in reference books. There are appropriate reading diaries where parents and school staff comment on pupils’ reading and they form a good record of what has been

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ENGLISH

read. There are missed opportunities to focus on identifying the levels pupils are working at and sharing this with parents, and there are too few comments about what strategies pupils use or need to develop in their reading. There are few opportunities for pupils to record their views, although some more-able Year 4 pupils do so.

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ENGLISH

75. There is effective management of the subject. The co-ordinator has established some new initiatives aimed at raising standards, including trialling new assessment sheets. She has a good grasp of standards from the analysis of data and is aware where standards and expectations need to rise. There are useful opportunities for monitoring lessons, teachers’ planning and samples of work. However, as a result of monitoring, the responsibility for developing a clear action plan of how to support individual teachers is not sufficiently clear.

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MATHEMATICS

76. The results of the 2000 National Curriculum assessments for pupils in Year 2 were below the national average and well below the average for similar schools. Although the percentage of pupils achieving the expected Level 2 and above was average, the percentage achieving the higher Level 3 was well below average; this depresses the school’s overall results. Inspection findings show that standards are good and above average. Improvement is the result of very good teaching linked to effective Summerfields Primary School implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. In addition, the headteacher identified the need to raise standards in mathematics, particularly for more-able pupils, and the school has been successful in achieving this.

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MATHEMATICS

77. By the end of Year 4, standards are satisfactory and meet expectations for pupils of this age. However, inspection evidence indicates that standards are not high enough, particularly for more-able pupils who are underachieving. Teaching in Year 4 is satisfactory, but there are weaknesses in the expectations of what pupils can achieve in lessons. When given the opportunity, as observed during the inspection, pupils show that they are capable of much higher standards than their previous work shows.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Numeracy skills are applied successfully in other subjects. Pupils use measurement accurately to record the results of science investigations. In design and technology, they measure accurately items that need to be cut as part of the making process. In history, pupils sequence historical events in the order in which they happen by recording dates on a timeline.

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MATHEMATICS

79. Pupils make good progress in the use and application of mathematics to problem solving and investigations. In addition, they are confident in explaining their mathematical thinking, particularly in mental arithmetic sessions as the result of teachers placing importance on pupils answering the question, “How did you solve that problem?” By the end of Year 2, pupils show good skills in investigations; for example, by finding seven different ways of making 20 by using any four cards from a set of one to eight. There is less evidence in Year 4 of work on investigations, although pupils are accurate in solving problems using standard units of measure.

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MATHEMATICS

80. Progress in number work is good. By the end of Year 2, pupils read, write and order numbers to 100, with more-able pupils accurate to 1,000. Pupils add, subtract, halve and double numbers to 100 quickly and accurately. Mental arithmetic skills are good. Pupils are quick and accurate in counting forwards and backwards to/from 100 in twos, fives and tens. More-able pupils mentally add 10 to 193 and continue the pattern. Pupils use their multiplication skills successfully in mental arithmetic and in problem solving. By Year 4, pupils read, write and order numbers to 9,999 accurately and solve problems using addition and subtraction of hundreds, tens and units. For example, they calculate the journey from Plymouth to Cardiff and then to Birmingham. Mental arithmetic skills are satisfactory, as is the use of multiplication tables. However, division skills are not as strong as they should be, particularly for more-able pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

81. Progress in work on shape, space and measures is satisfactory. By Year 2, pupils identify accurately common two-dimensional shapes and they understand line symmetry. They measure accurately to the nearest centimetre and read scales to the nearest kilogram. By Year 4, pupils measure angles accurately and know how to find the area and perimeter of shapes. They tell time accurately to the nearest five minutes.

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MATHEMATICS

82. In Years 3 and 4, there is insufficient emphasis given to work on handling data. However, when work is done it is linked effectively to information and communication technology, for example, in graphs that show pupils’ favourite sandwich fillings. However, pupils in Years 1 and 2 have no opportunity to use computers to support their work in numeracy other than when working in the ‘IT-Suite’.

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MATHEMATICS

83. Teaching is good. During the inspection, it was good in four lessons observed, very good in three and satisfactory in one. Good and very good teaching is having a positive impact on raising standards. Teachers show good knowledge and understanding of the National Numeracy Strategy and implement it effectively. Where teaching is strong, the mental arithmetic session is challenging and fast, with the result that pupils become totally Summerfields Primary School absorbed and ‘bursting’ to answer questions. In Year 2, pupils responded enthusiastically to the challenge of counting in tens from, for example, 29. Pupils are constantly expected to answer the question, “How did you work that out?” Planning of the group work is a strength with work matched clearly to pupils’ learning needs. For example, in a Year 2 lesson on counting in fives, more-able pupils were expected to go ‘beyond a hundred’,

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MATHEMATICS

average pupils expected to count backwards/forwards from any number below 100 and lower-attaining pupils given the opportunity to consolidate their understanding of counting forwards in fives. Plenary or final sessions are used effectively to assess pupils’ learning in the lesson. For example, in Year 1, after a lesson on tens and units, the teacher asked, “How do we know that 15 is more than 12?”

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MATHEMATICS

84. In Year 4, teaching is satisfactory; pupils are not challenged sufficiently in lessons. In the group-work session, they are not given clear targets for what should be achieved and they spend too much time in idle chatter. The amount of work they achieve is unsatisfactory and contributes to underachievement in the subject, particularly by more- able pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

85. The subject is managed effectively. Assessment is a strength, particularly the analysis of the results of National Curriculum assessments. This information is then used to address gaps identified in pupils’ learning and to set realistic and challenging targets.

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MATHEMATICS

86. Standards in Key Stage 1 have improved since the last inspection as the result of good teaching. Standards at the end of Year 4 continue to meet those achieved previously.

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SCIENCE

87. Standards in science at the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 4 are in line with expectations, with a small number achieving above that level. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. At Key Stage 1, the national interpretation of the teacher assessments in 2000 shows that the percentage of pupils reaching the expected Level 2 was below the national average. The percentage reaching the higher Level 3 was well below the national average. Inspection evidence shows that the pupils currently in Year 3, represented in these results, have made good progress in their study of life processes, living things and materials and are now attaining levels slightly above average.

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SCIENCE

88. By Year 2, pupils name parts of the body and know the properties of some materials, for example a brick is hard and carpet is rough. They learn about foods by planning a healthy sandwich. Pupils learn from first-hand experience that plants grow from seeds. Pupils use information and communication technology skills to label parts of the human body and sort living and non-living things. They investigate sources of light and define a shadow. Pupils sort materials according to properties, such as magnetism, and carry out an investigation to find materials that can keep you safe at night.

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SCIENCE

89. Pupils in Year 3 learn to carry out a range of investigations involving temperature, dissolving and filtering. They make predictions about which filter will work best. Pupils use fair testing to investigate friction when judging how high a ball will bounce on different surfaces. They draw diagrams of simple circuits and know the difference between solids and liquids. Pupils in Year 4 name some solids and use a decision tree to describe their properties. They make simple predictions about changes to materials when they are heated and record their observations. They carry out similar investigations to Year 3. In making an electrical circuit, pupils know that they need a power source and a complete circuit. Summerfields Primary School 90. Teaching is always satisfactory or better. Teachers have satisfactory subject knowledge and use appropriate scientific vocabulary that helps pupils’ learning. The lessons have

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SCIENCE

clear learning objectives, resources are well organised and the level of questioning enables pupils to reflect and make predictions. However, in Year 4, the pace of the lesson is not always appropriate and more-able pupils are not sufficiently challenged.

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SCIENCE

91. Good teaching enables pupils to develop their skills and become increasingly confident in testing out their knowledge and understanding. As a result their attitudes are good. They demonstrate high levels of interest and work co-operatively. Pupils behave well during practical lessons and, therefore, gain much from the opportunities offered.

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SCIENCE

92. Teachers plan lessons well and in the most effective lessons share with the class what they want pupils to learn. This ensures that the pupils are clear about what is expected and they make good gains in their knowledge and understanding. Assessment procedures are good, but this information is not always used to plan work to match the individual needs of all pupils, in particular those who are more able.

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SCIENCE

93. The co-ordinator is new to her role and shows enthusiasm for the subject. In the short time available to her, she has begun to monitor teaching and the standard of work across the school. There is a satisfactory level of resources and these are stored efficiently in a central area.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. Standards throughout the school are above the levels found nationally. This shows that high standards have been maintained since the time of the previous inspection. Pupils at both key stages work creatively in a variety of media and use a range of tools and materials. Information and communication technology is used significantly to develop and enhance pupils’ work. In Year 2, pupils transfer woodcut designs to a computer and design Mondrian-style pictures. In Year 4, pupils create a design for a calendar involving textiles and using a range of different stitches. Pupils make good progress in observational drawing. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils produce careful drawings of historical artefacts and at Key Stage 2 make choices from a range of drawing pencils when sketching metal objects, showing improved techniques. Pupils at both key stages develop collages and three-dimensional work of high quality. Year 2 pupils study shape

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ART AND DESIGN

and form and link their very successful work to the sculptures of Henry Moore. Year 4 pupils draw inspiration from a Bruegel painting and sketch basic shapes from the original picture before making very effective collages.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Pupils have good opportunities to study the work of different artists including Seurat and Paul Klee at Key Stage 1 and Monet and Kandinsky at Key Stage 2. They successfully interpret some of the artists’ techniques and apply them to their own work. Pupils at both key stages combine different media and methods with confidence and to good effect.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. Pupils are very enthusiastic about their work and enjoy discussing how it and the work of famous artists were produced. The quality of displays is very good and enhances the learning environment well. In lessons, pupils are eager to try out new techniques and exchange ideas with each other. They share materials well and review and assess their achievements.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers prepare pupils well in the basic skills. They encourage them to use these skills and build up their knowledge and understanding of different media in a progressive and practical way. They make lessons challenging for pupils and provide stimulating opportunities to develop their visual education. Summerfields Primary School 98. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic about the subject and monitors standards by looking at displays around the school. She has built up a useful portfolio demonstrating the range of artwork at both key stages.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. By the ages of seven and nine, pupils’ standards are good and exceed expectations for pupils of this age. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well and make good progress in learning key skills, knowledge and understanding. Standards have improved since the last inspection, where they were judged to be ‘meeting national expectations’. Pupils apply their literacy skills successfully, particularly in their designs and their written evaluations of their finished products. Good use is made of numeracy skills, especially in the accurate measurement of materials to be cut.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. By the end of Year 2, pupils design, make and decorate imaginatively shopping bags, which have a handle. They use their literacy skills well to answer the questions, “What I think about my bag”, “What I found difficult” and “If I made my bag again I would ……”. Pupils show good cutting and joining skills when they design and make models of vehicles, including wheels and axles. They show good sewing skills when they design and make glove puppets.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Skills are developed successfully in Years 3 and 4. Pupils in Year 3 link literacy and design skills effectively when they make ‘pop-up’ books. Good skills are shown when pupils design and make working mechanisms to illustrate familiar nursery rhymes. Food technology skills are developed well when pupils in Year 4 make sandwiches; literacy skills are used effectively to write up the accounts of the project. Numeracy skills are used accurately and linked successfully to information and communication technology when pupils create graphs to show their favourite fillings.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. Only one lesson was observed during the inspection and the teaching was good. Inspection evidence from displays of pupils’ work is consistent with the quality of teaching being consistently good. Pupils are being taught successfully the key skills, knowledge and understanding of the subject. They clearly enjoy lessons and work hard and with perseverance to complete detailed and accurate designs, models and evaluations. In the lesson observed in Year 3, the teacher demonstrated good subject knowledge and used the whiteboard effectively to show pupils how to design a photo frame. As a result, pupils made good progress in the lesson in comparing hand-made and manufactured photo frames. In addition, they developed a good understanding of how to evaluate poor and good designs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. The subject is managed effectively by the headteacher, who is currently the co-ordinator. Pupils’ work is displayed with great care and shows that their work is recognised and valued by teachers, parents and fellow pupils. Resources are good and are stored safely; they make a good contribution to pupils’ learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. Standards seen during the last inspection have been maintained in Key Stage 1, with pupils attaining in line with national expectations by the age of seven. By the end of Year 4, standards are also in line with national expectations, but pupils do not reach the higher levels seen at the time of the last inspection. There has been a change in teachers across the school and current expectations of pupils in Year 4 are not high enough. There is a marked difference in the quality of teaching and learning between pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) and Year 4 when pupils leave the school. The main Summerfields Primary School differences lie in expectations, preparation and the management of pupils’ behaviour, which lead to a significant variation in the quality of teaching.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Where teaching is effective there is very good choice of materials to guide pupils’ thinking. The use of a ‘big book’ based on the story of a Scottish island helps pupils to focus on similarities between this island and their own, the Isle of Wight. Through effective discussion and questioning the teacher helps pupils identify the distinguishing features of the two islands, classifying features as either natural or made by humans. A particularly strong feature is the extent to which the teacher has supplemented commercially available materials through her own research and use of new technology. The qualities of the materials, story telling and clear expectations of pupils’ behaviour capture and sustain pupils’ interest. They behaved appropriately despite distractions from another group working in the shared teaching area and pupils going backwards and forwards through the area to the toilets.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Teaching is less effective in Year 4 because resources have not been sufficiently well organised to ensure that pupils gain the most useful information from their research. Expectations of pupils’ work during the lesson are too low, requiring more literacy work than the development of geographical skills and knowledge. There is too much time spent on pupils listening to the introduction, with pupils having insufficient opportunities to contribute suggestions and ideas. Too much time is spent in dealing with pupils’ lack of concentration. This slows the pace of the lesson and means that after 35 minutes pupils struggle to maintain their interest and they do not learn enough in the time available. From looking at pupils’ previous work, it is clear that it covers the knowledge, skills and understanding that should be taught. However, many pupils are not being sufficiently challenged in their learning. They have the opportunity to research information from a

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GEOGRAPHY

variety of sources, but are not given sufficient guidance in presenting their information.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. There have been changes to the curriculum effective from September 2000 and the co- ordinator is also new to the role. The policy is dated and a revision is planned. Simple assessment sheets are in place, but they do not identify the level at which pupils are working. The focus for the co-ordinator has been on adjustments to planning and a resource audit. The co-ordinator has used all teachers’ planning to draw up an overall plan of how the curriculum fits together and skills are developed over time. This is a good start in identifying gaps that need to be filled. There is some use of information and communication technology, but it is not sufficiently well linked to further pupils’ learning in geography. The monitoring and leadership role of the co-ordinator are underdeveloped, as there have been no opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching or strategy to use the samples of work collected to gain an overview of standards in the subject.

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HISTORY

108. Too few lessons were available during the inspection to make a judgement about the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ attitudes and learning. Discussion with staff and co-ordinators, and a scrutiny of pupils’ past work and that on display have been used to make judgements about the subject. Standards seen during the last inspection have been maintained. On the evidence available, standards are in line with national expectations by the age of seven and at the end of Year 4. However, the range of work in Year 4 is limited and recorded work focuses too heavily on drawing and illustration rather than challenging pupils’ abilities fully.

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HISTORY

109. Staff draw upon a range of resources to deepen pupils’ knowledge and experience of important events in history. They make good use of the local museum for visits and the loan of artefacts. In teaching about aspects of World War 2, teachers use a wide range of resources including books, videos, schools’ television programmes, grandparents’ Summerfields Primary School experiences, artefacts and visitors to help pupils understand the impact of war on children and their families. Effective teaching in a mixed Years 3 and 4 class engages pupils’ interest. Through good, sensitive questioning and helpful use of specific vocabulary and resources the teacher helps pupils to understand the feelings of an evacuee. Strong, effective support from the teacher and learning support assistant enables pupils to make good use of their literacy skills. Fired by their knowledge and information they put themselves in the position of a wartime child evacuee. They write evocative letters home

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HISTORY

describing their journey to a new place and their feelings on meeting the adults who will look after them for the rest of the war. Year 3 pupils effectively draw upon their knowledge of Viking times in presenting an interesting and informative assembly for parents and the rest of the school. In Year 2, pupils learn to identify key times in our past, such as the ‘Great Fire of London’, and use pictures of ‘now’ and ‘then’ to draw comparisons and state what has changed and what has improved. In comparing a Tudor street to a modern one, a Year 2 pupil thought the burying of drains was a significant improvement to the environment.

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HISTORY

110. The co-ordinator is new to the role and is responding to changes to the curriculum effective from September 2000. Appropriate negotiation has taken place with the secondary school to look at how this can best be managed during a period of readjustment, reorganisation and resourcing for new themes. Most work has been focused on replanning the curriculum and identifying resource needs. The policy is dated and a revision is planned. Simple assessment sheets are in place, but they do not identify the stage at which pupils are working. The monitoring and leadership role of the co-ordinator is underdeveloped.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. By the end of Year 2 and Year 4, standards are good and exceed national expectations. Standards have improved significantly since the last inspection, when they were judged to be ‘below national expectations’. Improvement is the result of good teaching and the introduction of a new ‘IT-Suite’.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well and make good progress in their learning. Pupils benefit from the provision of the school’s ‘IT-Suite’ and the very effective support provided by a teacher assistant, who is employed specifically to support pupils’ learning. Teachers plan and introduce each lesson, but the teaching assistant then supports groups from each class on a rota basis. At present, this means that pupils receive an hour a week of intensive high-quality support, which contributes significantly to the good progress made. In Years 3 and 4, pupils benefit from access to additional computers in their classrooms. However, at present pupils in Years 1 and 2 have no access to other computers and this restricts opportunities for them to apply their skills to literacy and numeracy in particular. When given the opportunity, pupils use their literacy skills successfully, particularly in word-processing stories, poems and factual

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

accounts. Numeracy skills are applied accurately when pupils construct graphs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. By Year 2, pupils are confident in the basic skills of controlling the mouse, using the keyboard and in loading, saving and printing their work. They use word-processing skills accurately and are successful in combining text and pictures. In Year 1, pupils create exciting firework pictures using the ‘spray’ feature of a graphics program and combine this with adjectives describing fireworks. Pupils are accurate in entering commands into a programmable toy that will enable it to follow a planned route around the classroom.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Pupils make good progress in their learning in Years 3 and 4. In Year 3, pupils use a graphics program creatively to design patterns to produce their own versions of the ‘Bayeux Tapestry’. Pupils use a ‘logo’ program successfully to enter commands that Summerfields Primary School instruct the computer to draw patterns, for example smaller squares within a larger square. In Year 4, pupils made very good progress in a lesson in which they were introduced to a new graphics program. By the end of the lesson, they were using its features successfully to ‘draw’ pictures of The Iron Man . In Year 4, pupils use the Internet to research information on weather and climate. They combine text and pictures successfully to produce their own guidebooks to the town of Newport.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. Teaching is good and has a positive impact on the good standards achieved. Pupils achieve well in lessons because of the good-quality support that they receive. They enjoy learning new skills and having the opportunity to apply them. Pupils benefit from working in small groups and the high degree of personal support that they are given in lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. The subject is managed effectively by the co-ordinator. There is a clear policy and detailed scheme of work, which show how the subject is to be taught and the knowledge, skills and understanding to be taught as pupils move up through the school. Resources are adequate, with the ‘IT-Suite’ being a positive feature.

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MUSIC

117. Standards throughout the school are good and exceed national expectations. This shows that standards have been improved since the last inspection. As pupils move through the school, they are given good opportunities to learn to play an instrument. Peripatetic music teachers visit the school and offer tuition for violin, cello, cornet and trombone. Teachers give recorder lessons as an extra-curricular activity at lunchtimes. Pupils are invited to join the music club, which includes a percussion group run by the co-ordinator. Pupils perform regularly in school and to an audience. A high standard of performance has been achieved in a relatively short time.

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MUSIC

118. Teachers make good use of music in the day-to-day life of the school. Music is played as pupils enter assemblies and for warm-ups to physical education lessons. The school is involved in an annual music festival and plans other musical activities throughout the school year. There is a school choir attended by a small group of pupils; they sing with enthusiasm.

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MUSIC

119. Pupils enjoy music. They listen well and are willing to experiment with ideas. Pupils handle instruments with care.

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MUSIC

120. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers are offered good support by the co- ordinator through in-service training and the provision of a progressive teaching programme. The co-ordinator manages the subject very well and supports pupils’ learning effectively. Pupils benefit enormously from the hard work and effort of teachers involved in extra-curricular activities. Resources are good and include a range of tuned and untuned instruments, some from other cultures.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. By the end of Year 2 and Year 4, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age and they make satisfactory progress in their leaning. Pupils with special educational needs achieve in line with their peers. During the inspection, lessons were observed in games and gymnastics, but teachers’ planning shows that pupils receive a full curriculum including dance, athletics, swimming and outdoor pursuits. In lessons, pupils have good opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills when they are encouraged to evaluate each other’s performance. Summerfields Primary School 122. By the end of Year 2, pupils know the importance of physical exercise in keeping fit and healthy; they understand why they need to warm-up at the start of lessons. Pupils show a satisfactory awareness of space and change of direction when playing a game of ‘tag’. They show satisfactory skills in controlling a tennis ball by using one hand to balance it or

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

to bounce it on the floor. These skills are transferred successfully when pupils use a bat to balance and control the ball. Pupils are aware of the importance of ‘keeping your eye on the ball’. In gymnastics, pupils are confident in using the apparatus and in transferring sequences from the floor to the apparatus, including holding a balance. They get the apparatus out and put it away very sensibly and safely.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. By Year 4, pupils show good skills in hockey. They know how to hold the stick correctly and show confidence in trapping, controlling and passing the ball. They apply these skills well to relay games in which they dribble in and out of cones before aiming at a goal. Techniques in defending and marking are good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. During the inspection, teaching was good in three lessons observed and satisfactory in the remaining two. Good lessons begin with a rigorous warm-up, with, in a reception/Year 1 lesson, good use of music to capture pupils’ interest and enthusiasm. Lessons proceed at a brisk pace, with a strong emphasis on activity. Teachers support individuals well by improving skills and techniques, for example, by reminding pupils to, “Keep your eye on the ball”. Good use is made of pupils to ‘model’ good performances, which encourages others to improve their work and most respond accordingly. Pupils work hard and with good concentration and are keen to refine and improve their skills and techniques. In lessons that were satisfactory, teachers did not ensure that pupils were active; there was too much listening to instructions. In addition, teachers do not ensure that pupils work in silence and this poses a risk to their health and safety.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. Pupils enjoy and benefit from an impressive range of extra-curricular activities, including well-attended football and netball clubs. Matches are played against local schools. The school provides good additional experiences including the running of a dance workshop for pupils in Year 3. In the summer, a visiting coach teaches pupils in Year 4 how to play ‘Kwik Cricket’. Parents and pupils enjoy the annual sports day.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. The subject is managed successfully by joint co-ordinators, who have been in post since September 2000. Teachers have benefited from in-service training courses on the teaching of gymnastics run by a teacher advisor. Resources are adequate and pupils benefit from access to a playing field and the opportunity to go swimming when in Year 3. Standards have been maintained since the previous inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. Standards throughout the school are good and exceed the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128. Pupils have a good knowledge of Bible stories, such as the Parable of the Lost Sheep , the Feeding of the Five Thousand and Noah’s Ark . They understand the morals represented by these stories and relate them to their own life. Teachers encourage pupils to think about spiritual values, such as caring for the world around us, the nature of friendship and gifts that do not have a financial value. Good quality acts of collective worship support this work, for example assemblies with a theme such as ‘working together’.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. Pupils explore different religions, studying their stories and festivals. They consider the impact that belief has on its followers. For example, pupils in Year 4 extend their knowledge of Judaism and write a very good account of a Bar Mitzvah. Pupils play the Summerfields Primary School role of the father or son for a class assembly. They develop a good understanding of other religious customs. Pupils respond sensitively to significant questions. In Year 2, they consider what they think is amazing: “A rainbow is amazing because it comes and goes”. In Year 4, pupils think about how the world was made and who made it: “God has the power and the glory for ever … and he can do anything he wants”. After visiting a local church, pupils were asked to design a church that they would really like to go to. These designs were entered for a competition. A highly imaginative entry by a girl won a

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

cup for being the best entry from the whole island in the category expressing meaning through symbol. Her church would be “in the shape of a fir tree because they stay fresh and new in the winter, and in the winter Jesus was born”.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. Teachers make good links with other subjects, particularly literacy, and this extends pupils’ learning well. In Years 3 and 4, pupils were asked to imagine the time of creation and one pupil wrote, “I imagine that cliffs broke in half and water fell down and planets appeared …”.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. Teachers link personal and social education with religious education. They give regular opportunities for ‘Circle Time’, when pupils take turns to discuss their thoughts and feelings about a range of issues. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn about the need to listen to other people, to work and play co-operatively and to feel positive about themselves. This builds up their confidence and self-esteem and is instrumental in developing the very good relationships evident throughout the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. Pupils respond well in lessons. They listen sensibly to each other and willingly share ideas. They organise themselves very well and treat each other and equipment with respect.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. The majority of teaching and learning is at least satisfactory, although in one lesson observed the quality of teaching was unsatisfactory. In the unsatisfactory lesson, the pace was slow and pupils made insufficient progress in their learning. In better lessons, teachers plan effectively and ask good questions that challenge pupils very well. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. The co-ordinator is very knowledgeable about the subject and provides very effective support for pupils’ learning.

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