Newbald Primary School

Dates of inspection: 22 nd – 25 th May 2000

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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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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. Newbald Primary School INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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School address: Beverley Road North Newbald York

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Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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Name of chair of governors: Mrs Bridget Baker

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Date of previous inspection: 26 th November 1996 Newbald Primary School INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities Mr Michael Raven Registered inspector Under fives Mathematics Science Information technology Art Design and technology Music What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught?

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Mrs Margaret Manning Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mr John Manning Team inspector Equal opportunities Special educational needs English Geography History Physical education Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well is the school led and managed?

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Meridian Inspections 23 Marlingford Way Easton Norwich NR9 5HA Newbald Primary School 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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The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Newbald Primary School REPORT CONTENTS

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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?

The school’s results and achievements 1 - 4 Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development 5 - 7

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER

OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS? 18 - 30

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 31 -

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 38 -

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 47

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PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN

AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 48 - 107 Newbald Primary School PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

North Newbald Primary School is a smaller than average school for boys and girls aged from four to 11 years. There are 81 pupils on roll, and 16 children attend the peripatetic nursery for three half days a week. All pupils are of white United Kingdom heritage and there are no pupils learning English as an additional language. Eleven pupils have special educational needs, which at 14 per cent of the school roll is below average compared to schools nationally. Attainment on entry to the school is average in all the six areas of learning for children under five: personal and social development; language and literacy; mathematics; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The overall effectiveness of the school is satisfactory; its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. Standards in English, mathematics, science, information technology and religious education meet expectations for most pupils by the time they leave the school at the age of 11. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. The quality of teaching is good. There is very little unsatisfactory teaching and some teaching is very good, especially for the children under five. Pupils make good progress in their learning. The school offers a curriculum which is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements to teach the National Curriculum and religious education. It meets the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs who make good progress in their learning. There are good procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare. The school has effective links with parents. They are well-informed about what goes on in school and how their children are

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

getting on and there are satisfactory opportunities for parents to be involved in the work of the school. The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection, improving assessment and planning procedures and information technology. There has not been enough progress in handwriting and the presentation of pupils’ work. The leadership and management of the school is satisfactory. The school offers satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The quality of teaching is good, including the teaching of basic skills in literacy and numeracy. Teaching is often very good for the children under five • The governing body makes a strong contribution to the work and development of the school • Pupils have good attitudes to school and attend well • Pupils’ personal development and relationships are good • Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and helped to make good progress in their learning.

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What could be improved

• The behaviour of a small number of boys in Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory • Marking does not give pupils enough advice on what they need to do to improve their work • Pupils do not take enough pride in their work and the presentation of work is unsatisfactory, particularly at the end of Key Stage 2. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Newbald Primary School

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in December 1996. The school has made satisfactory improvement since then. It has maintained good quality teaching. Procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress have improved and these are now satisfactory. A helpful portfolio of pupils’ assessed work has been compiled. Teachers’ planning for lessons has improved and it is now good, with clearly identified learning intentions. The teaching of information technology has improved. There has been too little improvement in the consistent use of the school’s handwriting style, particularly at the end of Key Stage 2.

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STANDARDS

Results of the 1999 national tests and assessments for 11 year-olds indicated that standards in English were well above average by national comparisons and above average compared to similar schools. Standards in mathematics were below average and standards in science were average. In both these subjects standards were well below average compared to similar schools. The very small number of pupils taking national tests at the school in 1999 make it very difficult to draw safe conclusions about standards, particularly in view of the proportion of pupils with special educational needs. With such small cohorts test results can fluctuate markedly from year to year and give a misleading impression of overall standards and trends over time. Standards are currently in line with national averages in English, mathematics and science by the time pupils leave the school at the age of 11. They meet national expectations in information

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STANDARDS

technology and the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Standards in the other subjects are in line with national expectations for pupils of this age. Pupils’ reading and speaking and listening skills are above average by the time they leave the school. The school has set realistic targets for improvement in standards. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good overall. Most pupils are eager to learn, try hard and concentrate well. Particularly good in the nursery.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory overall. Most pupils behave well in and around the school. The behaviour of a small number of boys in Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good overall. Pupils get on well together and help one another. For example, the youngest children and those who have special educational needs get good support from other pupils.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. Pupils attend regularly and are punctual.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Most pupils’ attitudes to school are positive. They respond well when required to work hard, rising to a challenge. This is seen, for example, in swimming lessons and in the nursery. Most pupils behave sensibly in and around the school. They listen attentively to the teacher and do their best. They play outside at break times sensibly. But a small number of boys in Key Stage 2 are inattentive in lessons and do not try their hardest. They disturb the learning of others. They are not learning as well as they should. Most Newbald Primary School pupils work and play sensibly together. They help one another and are polite and thoughtful, for example helping other pupils who find learning more difficult. Relationships with staff are mainly warm and respectful. Pupils enjoy coming to school and they attend regularly and on time.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

The quality of teaching in English and literacy is good overall. The teaching of language and literacy for the children under five is often very good. The quality of teaching in mathematics and numeracy is good overall. It is often very good for the children under five.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teachers match tasks well to the needs and capabilities of pupils. Teaching meets the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs who are well supported in lessons and helped to make good progress in their learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding. This was apparent, for example, in mathematics and science lessons in both key stages. Teachers plan lessons well, with clear identification of learning intentions.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons proceed at a brisk pace and teachers explain things clearly. Teaching is satisfactory or better in 98 per cent of lessons. It is good or better in 61 per cent of lessons and in 12 per cent it is very good, mainly in the nursery. In two per cent of lessons teaching is unsatisfactory. Pupils’ learning is good overall. They mostly concentrate well and show good levels of interest in lessons. The concentration of the children under five is particularly good. Some boys in Key Stage 2 do not concentrate and pay attention well enough, and this disturbs others’ learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements to teach the National Curriculum and religious education.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils are well supported in lessons by teachers and assistant staff and they are helped to make good progress in their learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, Good. Moral development is promoted well, for example though acts of collective worship which emphasise trust and honesty. Social development is promoted well, for instance through many good opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively in lessons. Cultural Newbald Primary School social and cultural development development is promoted well and there are appropriate opportunities for pupils to learn about the richness and diversity of a range of different cultures. The provision for spiritual development is unsatisfactory. There are too few opportunities for spiritual development through the curriculum, for instance in art, music and science.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Teachers know their pupils well. There is satisfactory monitoring of academic and personal development, particularly those who have special educational needs. There are good procedures to ensure pupils’ welfare and child protection procedures are good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The headteacher has a clear view of educational priorities and this is reflected in a good school development plan.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors are well led and they give good support and guidance to the headteacher in shaping the work of the school and in school improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. There has been some monitoring of the teaching and learning of English, mathematics and science, although the headteacher has limited opportunities for monitoring because of his class teaching responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. Funds allocated specifically for the education of pupils with special educational needs are well used to support their access to the full curriculum and help them make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are satisfactory. The leadership of the headteacher is satisfactory and all teachers have management responsibilities for subjects, which they discharge satisfactorily. The governors understand the strengths and the weaknesses of the school well and give good leadership and educational direction to the school. The school takes appropriate care to apply the principles of best value in obtaining goods and services . Newbald Primary School

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • They feel comfortable about approaching the school with any questions or complaints • Children like school and make good progress • Teaching is good • The school is well led and managed • The school expects pupils to work hard • The range of activities outside lessons • Homework • Behaviour

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team endorses the parents’ positive comments about the approachability of the school. It is true that pupils like school and on the whole make good progress. Teaching is good. The leadership offered by the headteacher is sound and governors play their part well. Pupils are expected to work hard and most do so. There are too few activities outside lessons. Homework is satisfactory. The behaviour of a small number of boys in Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory. Newbald Primary School PART B: COMMENTARY

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The school’s results and achievements

1. In the 1999 national tests and assessments for 11 year-olds, standards in English were well above the national average, and good compared to similar schools. In mathematics standards were below average, and very low compared to similar schools. In science standards were average by national comparisons, and very low compared to similar schools. The number of pupils taking these tests was very small – only eight – and a high proportion of these pupils – 25 per cent – had special educational needs. Only two boys took the tests, at both key stages. It is therefore not safe to draw any firm conclusions about standards based on these results, or about the relative performance of boys and girls. Trends over time cannot be identified clearly where so few pupils are involved and where cohort characteristics, such as the proportion of pupils with special educational needs, vary markedly from year to year. The same

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The school’s results and achievements

comments apply when looking at results at the end of Key Stage 1, where again only eight pupils took the tests in 1999. In the 1999 tests and assessments, standards at the end of Key Stage 1 were well below average in writing by national comparisons and very low compared to similar schools. Standards in reading were below average by national comparisons and well below average compared to similar schools. Only eight pupils took the national tests and assessments in 1999 and a significant proportion of these had special educational needs. This makes comparisons with the standards achieved by the present group of Year 2 pupils very difficult. Standards in mathematics were well below average and very low compared to similar schools. Standards in English are currently above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and average at the end of Key Stage 2. Speaking and listening skills are well developed and reading is of a high standard.

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The school’s results and achievements

Pupils have good research skills, using books and computers well to search for information, for example looking up the meaning of words in dictionaries in English lessons and using the ‘intranet’ to find out about rivers, in Key Stage 2. Standards in mathematics are average at the end of both key stages, where there are particular strengths in pupils’ achievements in number and the application of mathematics to real- life problems. By the time they leave the school most pupils are skilled in mental calculation, for example they convert sums of money from pounds to pence in their head. They are good at using and applying mathematics in practical situations, for instance converting French francs to pounds sterling. Standards in science are average by the end of both key stages. By the time they leave the school at the age of 11 most pupils know, for example, that light travels in a straight line and that sound is

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The school’s results and achievements

produced when something vibrates in air. In information technology standards are in line with national expectations by the time pupils leave the school at the age of 11. Standards in religious education meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In the foundation subjects, art; design and technology; geography; history; music and physical education standards meet national expectations at the ages of seven and 11.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The children under five in the part-time nursery and in the reception class enter school with attainment which is as expected in all the areas of learning for children under five: personal and social development; language and literacy; mathematics; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. The good teaching they receive means that they are securely on course to reach the desirable learning outcomes by the time they are five.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. The school sets appropriate targets for pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics at the age of 11. These have been approved by governors and the local education Newbald Primary School authority and inspection evidence shows that pupils are on course to meet these targets in the coming year.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Pupils who have special educational needs are well supported in all classes by teachers and classroom support assistants. The school helps them to have good access to the full curriculum along with their peers, and they make good progress in their learning. Pupils with a statement of special educational needs are very well supported in all lessons by teachers and support staff and in other activities around the school, such as assemblies, where other pupils often help them to attend and take part in what is going on. There are good individual education plans for pupils on or beyond Stage 2 on the school’s register of special educational needs and these set out clear and specific targets for pupils’ learning which provide a firm foundation for teaching and supporting these pupils. There are no pupils learning English as an additional language and the school has not identified any gifted or talented pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

5. Pupils’ attitudes to school are good. They enjoy coming to school and taking part in its activities. Attendance is good and everyone arrives in good time.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6. Behaviour is satisfactory overall in school. While the behaviour of the majority of pupils is good in class, a few boys at Key Stage 2 show unsatisfactory behaviour which distracts the others from their learning. A substantial number of parents answering the questionnaire feel that behaviour in school could be better and the evidence from the inspection supports this. In a singing lesson at Key Stage 2 a few boys were silly and unco-operative which prevented the others from listening and contributing as well as they should. The same group of pupils, however, worked very well in swimming when challenged to work hard and even those finding the tasks difficult persisted until they had completed them. Older pupils in Key Stage 2 often chatter to a distracting level, even though they may be engaged on their work as was seen in a mathematics lesson. When they enjoy the activity like the science lesson on the sun, moon and the earth,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

they pay attention and do not want the lesson to finish. Pupils at Key Stage 1 listen well and work hard. They were attentive in a geography lesson using aerial photographs and were eager to offer their contributions. Nursery children are also attentive, listening very well to stories and they are very involved in their play activities. The behaviour of the older pupils is better around school than in class, both in the playground and at lunch. When pupils go out on visits the school receives good reports of them. The school has excluded one pupil once during the past year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Pupils are good-natured and mix well together. They show responsibility for those younger than themselves and thoughtfully help them without being prompted. Relationships are good as was seen in a Key Stage 1 mathematics lesson, both with the teacher and with other pupils. They co-operated well over resources and tidied up sensibly, making a good effort. The very youngest children take turns very well in the sand pit, knowing that there is only room there for a few at a time. While most pupils are well aware of the effect their behaviour has on others and respect their feelings, this is not so for all pupils, particularly a few boys at Key Stage 2. Older pupils can be trusted to set up the room for assemblies, operating the tape machine for the music and writing the number of the hymn for everyone to see. They are well able to do research work independently, for example, on projects in the library and also by using the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Newbald Primary School 8. The school has maintained good quality teaching since the last inspection. The good teaching promotes good learning. Teaching is at least satisfactory in 98 per cent of lessons. It is good or better in 61 per cent of lessons and very good in 12 per cent of lessons, mainly in the nursery. In two per cent of lessons teaching is unsatisfactory. This proportion is the same as at the last inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

9. Teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach and this promotes good learning. For example, in a Key Stage 2 lesson on electrical conductors and insulators the teacher had a secure knowledge of the subject and so was able to give good clear explanations and demonstrations, which helped the pupils to understand.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

10. Teachers are skilled in teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. They teach phonic skills well, particularly to the youngest pupils. Teachers build well on pupils’ previous learning. For example, when teaching pupils to extend their knowledge and recognition of initial letter sounds they point out that familiar words such as the name ‘Susan’ begin with the letter ‘s’ which pupils are learning to recognise. Numeracy is taught well, appropriately following the National Numeracy Strategy. For instance, mental calculation skills are developed well as pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 mentally multiply given numbers by six, four or ten, according to age and ability. Teachers give good support to help the least able and the youngest pupils to complete this task successfully. Year 5 and 6 pupils receive good opportunities to apply their mathematical skills to ‘real life’ problems. For example, they work out the total number

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

of spaces in a multi-storey car park and convert French francs to sterling.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

11. Planning for lessons is good. Teachers base daily lesson planning appropriately on medium-term plans, which detail the work to be covered in a term. They set out what it is pupils will do and what it is intended they should learn. For example, a Key Stage 2 lesson on the planets was well planned, setting out the activity for pupils and identifying clearly what they should learn – to understand that the moon and the earth move round the sun and to make a model to illustrate this. Such well-planned activities successfully promote pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. In the nursery, at Key Stage 1 and in lower Key Stage 2 teachers have good high expectations of what pupils can do and achieve. This has a positive impact in deepening pupils’ knowledge and understanding. For example, in a Key Stage 1 lesson on the subject of freezing and melting the teacher made good use of challenging questioning to make pupils want to investigate and find things out for themselves and to make them think. There is some appropriate challenge for more able pupils in Key Stage 2, for example when they are given an extension task in science to find out for themselves about the planets other than the earth and the moon, which rotate around the sun, and when they are asked, for instance, to look up the word ‘perplexed’ in an English lesson on language derivation. Throughout Key Stage 2, teachers’ expectations of the presentation of pupils’ work, including handwriting, are too low. Pupils are not

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

encouraged to take enough pride in what they do. In mathematics, for example, there are many examples of poor presentation in exercise books, including extensive crossings-out and the use of unsuitable pens, for example ‘biros’ and fibre-tipped pens with worn and thick nibs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. Teachers use an appropriate range of different teaching methods to promote pupils’ learning. For example, they make good use of video-taped material, for instance in science at Key Stage 1 where pupils watched a good video tape which illustrated the changes as water freezes and then melts. Teachers use whole class teaching well to introduce topics, such as solving everyday mathematical problems in Key Stage 2. Newbald Primary School They set group and individual tasks which are generally well-matched to pupils’ needs and capabilities, for example, as Year 2, 3 and 4 pupils work on the properties of three- dimensional shapes. Too little is done to help pupils understand what they will be doing and learning in lessons, for example by sharing the learning intentions of lessons with them at the outset.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The management of the children under five is very good, both in the nursery and in the reception class. They get gentle but firm guidance on how to behave and work. This successfully promotes their personal and social development and teaches them to co- operate with others and to concentrate and think for themselves. This is seen, for example, in the nursery as children are encouraged to wait and take their turn at playing on the large toys, such as the see-saw, and in reception, where they are helped to co- operate as they investigate melting ice. The management of pupils in Key Stage 1 is good. At Key Stage 2 the management of pupils’ behaviour is unsatisfactory. This is because the unsatisfactory behaviour of a small number of boys is not dealt with effectively enough. These pupils get too much attention by behaving inappropriately. The majority of pupils, who behave well, get too little recognition for their good behaviour

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and hard work. The unsatisfactory behaviour of a few boys in both Key Stage 2 classes is sometimes allowed to disturb others’ learning. This was seen, for example, in an information technology lesson in upper Key Stage 2, where silly comments by a few boys distracted others and made it difficult for them to concentrate on the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Teachers make effective use of the time available for lessons and they encourage pupils to work hard and at a good pace. This is seen, for example, in mathematics lessons in Key Stage 2, which get off to a good, brisk start with mental problems, such as recognising and converting a sum of money from pence to pounds, or counting on in four, six or ten from a given number, encouraging pupils to try hard. Pupils make a good effort when they are encouraged to work hard, for example in a dance lesson at Key Stage 2, where pupils were encouraged by the example of others’ performance to try harder to improve their own movement sequence on the theme of machines. Support staff are generally deployed well to help pupils learn. This is especially true in the nursery and for the children under five in reception. They are skilled in promoting children’s learning, including their personal and social development. For instance, a

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

good opportunity to promote mathematical knowledge and understanding was identified as a child spontaneously counted the number of boys and girls working at a cutting and sticking activity in the nursery and was then encouraged to work out the number of children altogether. A support teacher gives good support to Year 2 pupils working in a Key Stage 2 class to help them learn, for example in mathematics lessons. Good use is made of information and communications technology to support pupils’ learning. The children in the nursery make good use of the tape recorder and headphones to listen to and identify musical instruments, which promotes their listening skills well and contributes to their creative development. In Key Stage 2 pupils use information technology well to support their learning in a range of subjects, for instance as they create a database using mathematical skills and use their writing skills to produce a

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The quality and use of ongoing assessment has improved since the last inspection but marking is unsatisfactory at Key Stage 2. It is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and for the under-fives, where much marking is appropriately done by giving verbal feedback to pupils on their work as they do it. In Key Stage 2 too little is done to give pupils advice on how well they have done, and in particular what they should do to improve. Appropriate guidance on marking is given in the school’s new marking policy, but it is not being followed at Key Stage 2. Teachers know their pupils well. There is much informal assessment, which is not written down, particularly in Key Stage 1. Teachers Newbald Primary School use their assessment records appropriately to help plan their next steps in teaching in English, mathematics and science. Day-to-day assessment in literacy is appropriately based on pupils’ attainment and progress in the various aspects of the National Literacy

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Strategy. In mathematics assessment is appropriately based on pupils’ attainment of the learning objectives set out in the National Numeracy Strategy. The information gathered is used to diagnose weaknesses in pupils’ learning and identify any gaps in their knowledge and understanding. Assessment information has been used well this year to identify pupils in need of ‘booster’ classes in preparation for the annual national tests and assessments in the basic subjects. The scheme of work for science gives teachers appropriate guidance which they use to assess pupils’ progress and to set targets for individual pupils and the class.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teachers use homework satisfactorily to support pupils’ learning in school. However, many parents feel that there could be more regular homework, particularly to help prepare the oldest pupils for transfer to secondary school. Reading books are regularly taken home by all pupils, and most reinforce their learning in school by reading with parents. Parents are encouraged to comment on their children’s reading by writing comments in the child’s reading record book, and many helpfully do so.

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TO PUPILS?

18. The quality and range of learning opportunities for pupils are satisfactory with some good features. All statutory requirements are met.

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TO PUPILS?

19. This small school offers a balanced curriculum in both key stages. The planning is comprehensive and detailed over both the long and medium term. The provision for literacy and numeracy is good. These are taught consistently well from class to class. The provision for reading is particularly effective and has led to good standards this year. Whilst giving appropriate emphasis to the development of literacy and numeracy, the school maintains a broad curriculum which includes information technology, religious education, the arts, humanities and physical education. The curriculum for the youngest children in the peripatetic nursery and the reception class is appropriately planned to promote the desirable learning outcomes for children by the age of five and lead in to the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1.

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TO PUPILS?

20. The National Literacy Strategy includes opportunities for pupils to broaden their understanding of how language is used by engaging in debates and role play in history and geography, such as looking at whether a telephone mast should be placed in the locality. The school has effectively introduced and reinforced the National Numeracy Strategy, especially with younger pupils during registration time. These pupils, for example, apply aspects of number work to counting the number of school dinners ordered, and in graph work they compile the weather survey map.

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TO PUPILS?

21. The schools’ programme for personal, social and health education is supported by visits from the school nurse and the dental hygiene service to provide pupils with an understanding of healthy living, and from others to raise awareness of the dangers of drugs. The school has an appropriate sex education policy. There is no regular circle time in all classes to discuss personal and social issues, although these occur when the school judges it to be necessary. Some of the boys in Key Stage 2 would benefit from more opportunities to consider the effects of their behaviour on others.

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TO PUPILS?

22. The provision for extra-curricular activities is variable from time to time during the year and is generally unsatisfactory. There is no regular opportunity for many pupils to Newbald Primary School experience a range of music outside school. Sporting opportunities are dependent on local initiatives although there is a successful sports day each year. The school has run a “booster” club to support pupils’ academic progress but after school clubs are few. The annual residential visit for older pupils and several local visits for all pupils make a valuable contribution to their education and to their experiences of life.

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TO PUPILS?

23. Boys and girls have equal chances to benefit from the curriculum which the school provides. They mix well together in lessons and in the playground. They support each other in project work and give help to younger pupils who are in difficulty. All staff have a good understanding of the individual needs of pupils with learning difficulties. Occasionally the immature actions of a small minority of boys in Key Stage 2 inhibit the learning of others in the classes, who are trying to concentrate.

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TO PUPILS?

24. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. All statutory requirements are fully met. The individual education plans for pupils are clear, with very precise targets for improvement. Reviews are held as they should be and parents are given good information about the progress of pupils. In school the classroom support assistants know what they should be doing and they co-operate very well with class teachers. They keep clear, up-to-date records on how pupils are coping with the range of activities set for them.

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TO PUPILS?

25. The school has adequate links with the community and there is a good local education authority project which involves the pupils in a study of the environment. They link with other schools in monitoring the quality of water in the surrounding area. There is a strong partnership between the local primary schools who combine to share resources and to discuss policies and schemes of work. Good curricular links exist with the nearby secondary school. An example of this is the work done in design and technology on planning a key fob using cardboard which will be developed using plastic and other materials in the secondary school.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

26. The provision of moral, social and cultural education remains good, as it was in the last inspection, but provision for spiritual education is less well developed than before and is unsatisfactory. The school does meet the statutory requirement to hold collective worship on a daily basis.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

27. Spiritual development is too narrowly defined as solely related to religious education. As a result, opportunities are missed, for example in science and in information technology, to raise pupils’ awareness of how diverse and unfathomable some aspects of life can be. Opportunities were missed in assemblies to get pupils to reflect on the wonders that occur in everyday life. The symbolism of the rainbow and its moral aspects were clearly described but the spiritual possibilities were not explored.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

28. The school gives due regard to developing pupils’ understanding of moral issues. They are taught to know right and wrong and this is emphasised in assemblies and in lessons. In geography they explore the issues of pollution, debating whether it is right to set up a telephone mast nearby. In history they discuss the harshness of punishments and whether they are fair when studying the Tudor era.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

29. Provision for social development is good. Pupils go on several local visits and the older pupils experience a residential trip. They learn how to work with others in a different environment from school. Photographs of recent visits show that they gain a tremendous amount of confidence and self-awareness from such experiences. In classrooms and in the play ground they work as a team, both with and without Newbald Primary School supervision. Many pupils look after younger children and show great understanding of and care for those with special educational needs.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

30. The school goes to great lengths to ensure that its pupils are prepared for life in a multi- cultural society. They have participated in an Indian dance festival locally and have worked with people from different ethnic cultures in school. Pupils learned about issues such as arranged marriages. A Nigerian story-teller was very popular with pupils and gave them a new insight into stories from different parts of the world. Pupils like writing about different locations in geography and have a good understanding of the way different faiths attach importance to different symbols and writings. The local culture is explored in history.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The school’s procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare are good. Teaching and support staff are very well aware of the procedures they need to follow in pupils’ interests and proper attention is paid to first aid, for example. The health and safety policy is overdue for review to reflect more closely the guidance of the new local education authority. However, the school pays due attention to health and safety issues, and there are no current concerns. Pupils are well supervised at lunchtimes. The good relationships seen between all staff and pupils help to create an environment where pupils feel secure and cared for. Parents feel that their children are happy at school. Pupils with special educational needs are well integrated into the school community and a special effort is made to include children who may have difficulty getting about.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are unsatisfactory. The school’s discipline policy is out of date and does not meet current needs for guidance on dealing with unsatisfactory or poor behaviour. The school does recognise good work and effort at ‘special mention’ assemblies to which parents are invited and this helps to raise pupils’ self esteem. Teachers know their pupils well and record their personal development in the annual report to parents, setting targets for improvement such as, “trying harder to work in a group and taking turns”.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Attendance is good and procedures for promoting good attendance are satisfactory. Parents are not actively discouraged from taking pupils away on holiday during term time, however all the proper procedures are followed. Parents are very conscientious about letting the school know if their children are away for any reason.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school has improved its procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ attainment and progress since the last inspection and these are now satisfactory. Assessment arrangements at seven and 11 fully conform to the requirements of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. A useful portfolio of pupils’ work has been compiled, containing many good examples of pupils’ work, levelled according to National Curriculum criteria. This helps teachers judge how pupils are getting on compared to national standards and expectations. There is good regular assessment in English and mathematics, appropriately linked to the learning objectives set out in the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. This information is helpful to teachers in planning their next steps in teaching, building on what pupils know, understand and can do and plugging gaps in their learning. In science, the scheme of work gives teachers good

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

guidance on what to assess and when. The information gathered helps teachers plan their teaching. In the other subjects of the curriculum, an appropriate summary is made of pupils’ attainment at the end of each school year, and this helps planning for the Newbald Primary School following year. The progress of the children under five is assessed well by regular observation of their learning and personal and social development, including their attitudes to learning. There is good co-operation in this process between teachers and support staff. The information gained from baseline assessment of their abilities on entry to school is used helpfully to plan the educational programme for them in their early days in school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

35. Parents’ views are that the school overall is satisfactory. Eleven parents attended the meeting for parents before the inspection and 20 completed the parents’ questionnaire. All parents answering the questionnaire feel that their children like school, that they are making good progress, the teaching is good and teachers expect pupils to work hard. They also feel that the school is well led and managed. They are less happy about the homework their children receive but the inspection team found this is satisfactory and appropriate for the age of the pupils. The majority of parents think that the school does not provide a sufficiently interesting range of extra-curricular activities. While the inspection team agrees with this, it appreciates the difficulties the staff have in providing these in addition to a having busy working week. Parents who attended the pre- inspection meeting think behaviour is good apart from that of a minority of boys.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. The school makes good links with parents. Parents receive very good quality formal information about the school through the prospectus and the annual governors’ report to parents. The school gives parents good, regular opportunities to talk about pupils’ progress and most parents feel that they can come into school easily, for example, at the end of the day if they wish to talk with teachers. The nursery also has open days when parents can work alongside children and find out what they can do. Pupils’ annual reports give parents a good idea of what their children can do and what they need to do in order to make progress. These are written in straightforward language, without using confusing educational terms. Regular letters go out to parents and also there are booklets to help parents and their children when they start school and the nursery. In spite of this, a few parents, particular parents of younger children and those who work,

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

feel that they have to rely too much on receiving information more casually from other parents.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. Parents make a satisfactory contribution to their children’s learning at school and home. The school is very well supported by the friends’ association, which provides many items of benefit to the pupils. Some parents help in school, mainly listening to pupils reading or accompanying them on swimming sessions. Other parents go on school trips. Children are listened to regularly when reading at home and many parents write helpful comments in their reading records. Some parents of older children would like them to get used to having homework regularly before they go to secondary school and also would like to know more about what they are doing so that they can help. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are well involved in their children’s annual reviews. The vast majority of parents have co-operated in signing the home/school agreement which older pupils can also sign if they wish.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

38. The leadership and management of the school are sound. The headteacher and the governing body have a clear view of their main priorities for educational development and school improvement. They plan strategically with a close eye on financial reality. Newbald Primary School The staff work well as a team and are all involved in forward planning. They take on a range of curricular responsibilities and keep abreast of new educational developments.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39. Key members of the governing body visit the school regularly and are aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Though many members are new, the governing body is starting to become more actively involved as a critical friend to the school, sharing issues with the headteacher to help him in his many tasks. The headteacher has been set appropriate targets by the governors as part of the appraisal of his management. Statutory requirements are all met.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40. Monitoring of teaching and learning is largely informal. The headteacher has a large teaching commitment during the week. There has been some observation of teaching especially in the new literacy and numeracy lessons and staff have discussed the progress of these initiatives and made improvements. Up until recently the teachers compiled a helpful portfolio of pupils’ work which ensured that they had a common view of standards across classes. The school sensibly engages the local education authority’s advisory service to support its work on classroom evaluation. The staff and headteacher are committed to raising standards and there has been some success this year, for instance in raising reading standards.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The management of procedures for pupils with special educational needs is good. The drawing up of individual education plans for pupils is particularly effective. Teachers and support staff keep a close eye on these when planning day to day work for pupils. Staff keep detailed and very helpful records to track progress in reading and in other aspects of learning such as how well pupils’ speech and physical skills are developing. The school regularly holds reviews of progress and involves all the relevant agencies. It keeps parents well informed about progress.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The school is starting to use test results to set challenging targets in English and mathematics, although the changing nature and size of the annual cohorts make this exercise difficult. The headteacher and governing body consult the comparative tables drawn up by the local authority to test the value for money provided by the school. Some estimates are obtained to ensure best value within the scope of the school’s fairly small budget.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. All the teachers are well trained and fully qualified to teach the range of subjects in the National Curriculum and religious education. Specialist staff support the teaching of swimming. There have been no recent new appointments to the teaching staff. More training is planned for information technology. Support staff are well deployed to help individuals and small groups with special educational needs. They are also good with whole class groups in the nursery and in Key Stage 1. Sometimes they could be better directed with older pupils to channel the energies of those who are more volatile in class. All staff associated with the daily running of the school are efficient and cheerful.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The accommodation is undergoing some major improvements and will soon provide better opportunities for library storage, group work and classroom activities. What the school has presently is well used. Outside playing areas are attractive and quite extensive, but there is no suitable large play equipment for the children under five. Facilities for indoor physical education are unsatisfactory. There is no hall or large Newbald Primary School space for gymnastics in school. Good use is made of the village hall, but there is no gymnastics apparatus.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. Despite the fairly tight financial limitations, the school uses its resources wisely. The parents raise substantial sums of money each year and these have extended the range of equipment and books in the school. Specific budgets for special educational needs are clearly targeted to those for whom they are allocated. All other designated funding is appropriately used. The last audit report showed no major concerns.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The cost of educating pupils is above the average but not as high as in many small schools. Considering the good quality teaching, the overall satisfactory standards achieved and the good attitudes and personal development of most pupils, the school offers satisfactory value for money.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

47. In order to improve the quality of education provided and the standards achieved, the governors, headteacher and staff should now:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the behaviour of a small number of boys at Key Stage 2, whose behaviour is unsatisfactory and disturbs others’ learning, by developing and implementing a new behaviour management policy and strategy, supported by appropriate training for staff; (paragraphs 6, 7, 14, 23, 32, 37) • implement fully the school’s new marking policy to ensure that pupils know how well they are getting on and what they need to do to improve their work; (paragraph 16) • improve the presentation of pupils’ work, including handwriting, especially in Key Stage 2, by encouraging them to take more pride in what they do and expecting higher standards. (paragraphs 58, 69, 74)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• there is no safe outdoor play area or large play equipment, as required to promote the physical development of the children under five; (paragraphs 44, 48) • too few opportunities are planned to promote pupils’ spiritual development; (paragraphs 26, 27) • there are too few extra-curricular activities available to pupils. (paragraph 22) Newbald Primary School PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The results of national tests and assessments have not been shown because of the very small numbers of pupils taking these in 1999.

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 81

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 5

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 11

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 2

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

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

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3.1 Financial year 1998/99

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y1 – Y6 Total expenditure 136350

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Expenditure per pupil 1921

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 40.5 Balance brought forward from previous year

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 1746

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE)

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff Newbald Primary School Total aggregate hours worked per week 7.5

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Newbald Primary School

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 45 55 0 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 15 55 20 0 10

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 15 45 40 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 35 55 10 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 60 35 5 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 65 35 0 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 35 55 10 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 35 65 0 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 40 10 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 0 35 55 0 10 Newbald Primary School PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

48. Children under five attend the part-time peripatetic nursery for three half-days a week and there are also children under five in the reception class. These children are mostly on course to meet the desirable learning outcomes in all six areas of learning by the time they are five years old. Provision for children’s physical development is unsatisfactory because there is no safe outdoor play area and there is no large balancing and climbing apparatus. The teaching of the children under five is good and sometimes very good, particularly in the nursery. Children’s achievements in the six areas of learning were found to be good at the time of the last inspection. They are now satisfactory overall, and the change is due to the cohort of under-fives currently attending the school, rather than any change in provision. The present cohort includes children with special educational needs.

p.26

Personal and social development

49. The children’s personal and social development is promoted well. They are confident in school, leaving their parents or carers happily at the start of sessions, selecting activities and resources on their own initiative and settling well to work or play independently. They get good opportunities for free-choice activities, for example when they have finished a set task and on Friday afternoons in reception. Their behaviour is good and the school helps them have a clear understanding of right and wrong. For example, they learn to share and take turns on the see-saw in the nursery and wearing the hats in the ‘Hairy Hat Man’s Shop’ in reception. There are good opportunities for the children to learn to treat living things with care and respect. In reception the children follow a ‘Living Things’ topic for part of one term and they learn to treat the visiting ‘mini- beasts’ with care. They also learn about how to care for their pets. They treat

p.26

Personal and social development

resources carefully, as they clear away and tidy up after activities and learn to put things in the proper place. Through religious education lessons the children in reception learn about some of the beliefs and customs of people whose culture and background differs from their own, for example through their work on Judaism. The children have good relationships with one another and with the adults who work with them, and the close working relationships between teachers and support staff set a good example to the children. There are appropriate opportunities for the children to show a range of feelings, such as wonder, joy and sorrow. For example, they respond with wonder as the ice they are investigating starts to melt and turn back into water. The children have good opportunities to respond to religious and cultural events, such as Christmas and Easter. For example, they take part in a decorated egg competition at Easter. They are

p.26

Personal and social development

learning to concentrate and persevere, for instance as the teacher in the nursery encourages them to try hard at a sound-recognition game which they play as they listen to taped musical instruments. The children are encouraged to have good personal independence, for example taking themselves to the toilet unaided, washing their hands and changing for physical activity sessions. Newbald Primary School

p.26

Language and literacy

50. Language and literacy skills are promoted well. The children enjoy listening attentively to stories, songs and rhymes. They are given good opportunities to talk about their experiences and so increase their vocabulary, for example in ‘news’ sessions each Monday morning in reception and after they have been on holiday or had a birthday. There are good opportunities for role play, for instance in the ‘house’ in nursery and in the ‘shop’, ‘café’ or ‘hospital’ in reception, linked to the topic being followed. Children have many good opportunities to enjoy a wide range of good quality books. They know how books ‘work’ – that text carries meaning and that we read from to top of the page to the bottom and from left to right in English. Most children recognise their own name by the time they are five, for example on their work tray and in reception they start to learn key words from the school’s reading scheme. They learn to recognise the letters of the

p.27

Language and literacy

alphabet by shape and sound, appropriately following a commercial phonics teaching scheme in the reception class. The regular use of rhymes helps the children learn to associate sound with syllables, words and letters. Most of the children write their own name by the time they are five, making appropriate use of upper and lower-case letters and there are good opportunities to use the writing table to practise their developing writing skills.

p.27

Mathematics

51. Mathematical development is promoted well. The children learn to use mathematical language, for example as they compare ‘bigger’ and ‘smaller’ objects and talk about things being ‘in front of’ and ‘behind’. They have good opportunities to recognise and recreate mathematical patterns, for instance with beads and pegs and many good incidental opportunities are taken to spot patterns around them, for example on their clothing. There are many good opportunities to count and begin to solve real-life mathematical problems and they do this on a regular basis. For example, a child in the nursery volunteered that there were ‘two boys and two girls’ on the see-saw and was then encouraged to work out how many children there were altogether. The children have appropriate opportunities to record some of the practical problems they have solved, for instance by writing the numbers and drawing pictures. The children are

p.27

Mathematics

familiar with many appropriate number games, rhymes and songs. By the time they are five most of the children recognise the numbers one to ten and they can write the numbers one to five with confidence.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

52. The children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is promoted well. They talk about their homes and families, for example as the children in reception go for a walk round the village and talk about some of the features of their immediate environment, where they and their friends live. They have good opportunities to explore and talk about some of the features of living things and natural and made objects and to look closely at similarities, differences and change, for instance as they look at ‘mini-beasts’, shells and rocks in connection with their ‘seaside’ and ‘water’ topics. They record some of their observations, for example by drawing their house in the village. The children have good opportunities to question why things happen and how things work, for example they consider what makes their plants and seeds grow and why some grow better than others. The children get appropriate opportunities to explore and select materials and

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

equipment such as scissors, glue and glue-spreaders and to use skills such as cutting, joining and building, for example as they create ‘junk’ models. The children in the reception class make appropriate use of technological equipment, such as the computer and the ‘listening centre’. This supports their learning in a number of areas, Newbald Primary School such as learning the alphabet and numbers. Although there is no computer in the nursery, good use is made of the ‘listening centre’.

p.27

Physical development

53. The provision for physical development is unsatisfactory, because there is no dedicated safe outdoor play area for the children under five and there is no large climbing and balancing apparatus. There are appropriate opportunities for small-muscle development and control, for example as the children use tools such as scissors and glue spreaders and materials such as dough, card, paper, ‘junk’ and construction kits.

p.28

Creative development

54. Creative development is promoted well. There are good opportunities for the children to listen to music and explore sound. They play a good range of untuned musical instruments. The children in reception learn to recognise and repeat a clapped rhythm, they sing with confidence and enjoyment and use musical instruments to represent parts of a story. There are many good opportunities for the children to explore colour, texture and shape in two and three dimensions, for example as they paint, model, print with hands and feet and use malleable materials such as dough. They respond to what they see, hear, touch and feel, for instance as the children in reception follow a topic on the five senses and enjoy using the ‘feely bag’ and identifying objects and substances by their smell. The children develop their imagination, for example through appropriate opportunities for role play and through dance. They use a range of appropriate

p.28

Creative development

materials and tools to express their ideas and feelings, for example as they paint and make models with ‘junk’ and also using construction apparatus.

p.28

ENGLISH

55. The number of pupils taking the National Curriculum tests at seven and eleven years of age in 1999 was less than ten at both key stages and a significant proportion of these had special educational needs. Comparisons with schools nationally or in similar social circumstances should therefore be treated with caution.

p.28

ENGLISH

56. At the age of seven, the proportion gaining the expected level, Level 2 in reading was well below the national average in 1999, and very low in comparison with similar schools in the reading tests and tasks. In the writing tests, standards were below the national average and well below that of similar schools. In recent years, standards of reading have been much better than this while standards in writing have usually been in line with the national average.

p.28

ENGLISH

57. At the age of eleven, standards in the English tests were well above the national average in 1999, and above the average attained in similar schools. Over the last three years, however, attainment in English tests has varied widely as has the size of the cohort taking the tests.

p.28

ENGLISH

58. In lessons and work observed, the standards of the current Year 2 pupils are mostly above national expectations. Pupils enter the school with average levels of attainment and the majority make good progress. In the current Year 6, standards are above expectations in speaking and listening and in reading. Spelling is not as strong, and writing is average overall with a few higher attaining pupils producing work of good quality in content but less attractive in presentation. The progress of a small number of boys is hampered by a short concentration span and an inability to listen to others. Newbald Primary School Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they are set relevant work. Their individual education plans give precise targets, and the support of classroom assistants and parent volunteers is carefully planned.

p.28

ENGLISH

59. Pupils speak confidently and fluently from an early age. They all contribute in Key Stage 1 during the literacy hour and show good command of a range of mature vocabulary. Teachers know the pupils well and bring them into the discussion with precisely chosen prompts and questions which include those with special educational needs. Children from the age range of five years to seven are happily engaged in discussions about poetry and stories. They predict what will happen by talking about the pictures in a story. In a poem about rain they noticed that dark skies were an indication of bad weather ahead and one girl commented that rain helped their flowers in the classroom to grow.

p.29

ENGLISH

60. Key Stage 2 pupils are equally fluent in their oral work but less controlled in the way that they participate in whole class discussions. The oldest pupils can describe how Roald Dahl’s stories have similar themes and characters. They develop their ideas with some good questions from the teacher but some boys would gain even more from the debate if they were prepared to listen harder. Younger pupils took part in a good conversation with the teacher about a challenging poem and knew what a stanza is and what effect alliteration has in poetry.

p.29

ENGLISH

61. Reading is a strength in the school at both key stages. Few pupils cannot read and they all have an enthusiasm for books, stories and non-fiction material. They all have good strategies for coping with new words, using context clues and sounding out letters and blends of letters. Most are knowledgeable about how books are put together. Higher attaining girls in Key Stage 2 read the classics by choice and know about several famous books such as those of Mark Twain. Boys speculate about the next theme of the Harry Potter books as they go out to the playground. Pupils can find places on maps using contents and index pages and by tracing co-ordinates. They work out the meaning of a glossary by thinking about what it contains. Pupils’ independent research skills are well developed and they know how to supplement their research by using CD ROMs and the Internet. Pupils’ reading is well supported by regular homework, practice

p.29

ENGLISH

with classroom assistants and volunteers, and by a good selection of fiction in the libraries.

p.29

ENGLISH

62. The standards in writing are more variable. Pupils generally write well in Key Stage 1. From an early age they understand how to shape letters and to form their own names. Mark making on the page quickly takes the form of recognisable words. They can recount the story of the Pied Piper with accurate detail and in good sequence. Higher attaining pupils write at length and have command of capital letters and full stops. Spelling is satisfactory for their age. Handwriting as a copying exercise is well managed but few pupils take the same care when writing freely on topics of their own choice. In Key Stage 2 the same is true. The presentation of much of the written work lacks care or pride. Many pupils write interestingly and can evoke a clear picture of a character using subtle touches in the dialogue. Their personal writing about holidays is often amusing and sensitive. They control most punctuation well except for forgetting the

p.29

ENGLISH

need for paragraphs occasionally. Spelling is not good enough in most cases, however.

p.29

ENGLISH

63. Pupils enjoy English and take part in lessons with enthusiasm and good humour. They particularly like listening to well read stories and poems. Most are involved in the lessons and can organise their own work. A small minority of boys in both Key Stage 2 classes shows a lack of maturity and behave in a silly manner. A few others are easily distracted but on the whole attitudes, behaviour and pupils’ personal development in Newbald Primary School English are good. Most are happy to undertake quite challenging work on English literature.

p.29

ENGLISH

64. The quality of teaching is mostly good. All teachers have secure subject knowledge and bring a range of literature to pupils’ attention, stimulating their enjoyment of books. They produce different work for the wide range of ages and abilities in the room and the deployment of support staff is particularly effective for those pupils with special educational needs. Teachers’ questioning of pupils is sharp and perceptive, showing a good knowledge of their progress and level of understanding. There are some weaknesses, however. Although marking is regular and supportive it rarely gives pupils clear advice on how to get better. Teachers could give some lively boys more precisely targeted work and set deadlines in lessons so that their work is more concentrated.

p.30

ENGLISH

65. The literacy programme has been well planned and it has led to an improvement in standards of reading. Teachers occasionally spend too long on the introductory session and some pupils become restless. As a result they have sometimes lost the impetus to write. It also needs to be made clearer to pupils how important it is to present work so that the audience for their work is able to understand and enjoy the good writing they can often produce.

p.30

ENGLISH

66. The teachers work well as a team and the programme for English is coherent. The good standards in reading mentioned in the last report have been maintained but more could still be done to improve handwriting.

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MATHEMATICS

67. In the 1999 national tests and assessments for 11-year-olds, standards in mathematics were below the national average and well below average compared to similar schools. Only eight pupils took those tests and assessments and a high proportion of those – 25 per cent - had special educational needs. The results must therefore be treated with extreme caution when judging the standards which the school achieves. Inspection evidence shows that standards are currently in line with the national average by the time pupils leave the school. The difference between the standards in the 1999 national tests and those achieved at present are due to cohort differences between that year and this, and also to the effect which the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy has had in raising standards this year. Because of small cohort sizes and marked fluctuation in cohort characteristics from year to year, it is not possible to draw any safe

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MATHEMATICS

conclusions about trends in standards over the past few years since the last inspection. In a cohort of only eight pupils, two pupils represent 25 per cent of test results. The same degree of caution must be applied when interpreting the test and assessment results of pupils at the end of Key Stage 1. These were well below average in 1999 and very low compared to similar schools, but here too only eight pupils took the tests. Inspection evidence shows that standards at the end of Key Stage 1, when pupils are aged seven, are currently in line with the national average.

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MATHEMATICS

68. By the time they leave the school at the age of 11 pupils are mostly skilled in mental calculation. For example, they convert sums of money from pence to pounds and pence and vice versa, in their head. They have good skills in using and applying mathematics, for instance they recognise which mathematical operations are needed to solve ‘real-life’ problems, such as working out the number of spaces in a multi-storey car park and converting French francs to pounds sterling. Most pupils multiply decimals, working to two decimal places. They correctly identify and measure acute and obtuse angles and they gather, analyse and represent data graphically. Most know about and can calculate the mean of a given set of numbers, for example scores in a Newbald Primary School test. By the time they are seven pupils mentally calculate double and half of given numbers, for example, they double twenty and halve forty in their head. They multiply by

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MATHEMATICS

ten mentally. They know the names of common three-dimensional shapes, such as cylinder, cube, pyramid and sphere and they know some of their properties, such as the number of faces and vertices they have.

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MATHEMATICS

69. The teaching of mathematics is good overall and it promotes good learning. In the best lessons class control and discipline are secure. This ensures that pupils behave well, concentrate on the task set and enjoy what they do. In less successful lessons at Key Stage 2 the behaviour of a small number of boys is unsatisfactory and they are not well managed. They make silly comments and noises and spend too much time off task and chatting and this adversely affects their own and others’ learning. Teachers’ planning is effective. It is succinct and sets out clearly what pupils will do and what it is intended they should learn. But teachers often miss the opportunity to share with pupils at the outset what they will do and learn in the lesson, so helping them to have a better understanding of what they are doing and why. Teachers have good knowledge and understanding of mathematics and this enables them to explain things clearly and help

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MATHEMATICS

pupils to understand and learn. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are high at Key Stage 1, but expectations of the presentation of pupils’ work are too low at Key Stage 2. This results in some poor presentation, including handwriting. Pupils are allowed to write with unsuitable pens and few use a ruler in setting out mathematical calculations. Good use is made of the time available for lessons. Lessons start on time and proceed at a brisk pace. This encourages pupils to be attentive and work hard and enables them to make good progress in their learning. Satisfactory records are kept of the progress pupils make in their learning, appropriately relating this to the learning objectives set out in the National Numeracy Strategy. However, the marking of pupils’ work at Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory. It gives pupils too little advice on how they are getting on and what they need to do to improve. Satisfactory use is made of

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MATHEMATICS

homework to support pupils’ learning in school.

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MATHEMATICS

70. In this small school there is little time for the headteacher and other staff to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. There has been a little classroom observation, with appropriate written feedback to colleagues. All medium-term planning is monitored by the headteacher and feedback is given as appropriate. The local education authority’s advisory service also monitors teaching and provides written feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of what has been observed, enabling teachers to improve their classroom performance.

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MATHEMATICS

71. The introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy this year has been managed well. The strategy is working well and helping to raise standards. Pupils make some good use of their numeracy skills in other subjects, for example adding up the numbers of items in their food preference lists as they make sandwiches with varying ingredients in design and technology and measuring amounts of different substances found in water as they sample water from a local source in connection with a science project.

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SCIENCE

72. In the 1999 national tests and assessments for 11 year-olds, standards were in line with the national average, but well below average compared to similar schools. Only eight pupils took those tests, and a high proportion had special educational needs. It is therefore not possible to draw any safe conclusions about standards in science at that time. Similarly, trends over time since the last inspection cannot be identified clearly, because of marked fluctuations in cohort size and characteristics from year to year. Newbald Primary School These comments apply equally to standards at the age of seven, when pupils complete teacher-assessed tasks rather than tests. Again, only eight pupils were assessed in 1999. Inspection evidence shows that standards are currently in line with the national average at the age of seven and 11.

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SCIENCE

73. By the time they are 11 pupils know about some of the different properties and uses of materials, such as those used for insulation. They investigate separating materials, such as rice, coffee, sugar, sand and salt mixed with water. They know that light travels in a straight line. They study life processes and living things and know that movement, reproduction and sensitivity, for example, are characteristics of all living things. They know that sound is produced when something vibrates and they investigate this by watching the vibration of rice on a drum. Pupils know about the anatomy and physiology of the human eye and how the eye reacts to light and what makes us see. They understand what is needed to make a bulb light in an electrical circuit and they know that the earth and the moon rotate around the sun. They make good models to illustrate this. The 11 year-olds are taking part in an exciting national water-monitoring project

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SCIENCE

and this gives them good regular opportunities to use such scientific skills as testing and observation and the mathematical skills of measurement, together with monitoring skills in information technology. Seven-year-olds learn about the five senses and they investigate these, for example using the ‘feely bag’ to explore the sense of touch. They know that different teeth have different functions. They learn about the main components of the human skeleton and this forms a firm foundation for work which they will later do in Key Stage 2 on the human body. There are good opportunities to investigate forces, for example as they measure the distance travelled by toy cars as they are pushed down different ramps.

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SCIENCE

74. The teaching of science is good and this promotes good learning. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the subject and this enables them to explain and demonstrate things clearly and help pupils understand. This was seen, for example, in a Key Stage 2 lesson on electricity and in a Key Stage 1 lesson on what happens when water freezes. Lessons are planned well, setting out clearly what pupils will do and what it is intended they should learn. However, the purposes of lessons are not shared with pupils often enough at the outset, helping them to understand their own learning. There are some examples of high expectations of what pupils can do and achieve, for example as higher attaining pupils in Key Stage 2 are set more demanding tasks relating to electricity and the rotation of the planets round the sun. They respond to this challenge by working hard and doing their best. But expectations of handwriting and the

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SCIENCE

presentation of pupils’ work are too low, particularly at the end of Key Stage 2, and this results in pupils taking too little pride in what they do. Teachers use a range of different teaching methods effectively to help pupils learn. For example, good use was made of a video tape in the Key Stage 1 class to illustrate what happens when water freezes and when ice melts. Good use is made of whole-class teaching, for instance as the whole class joined hands in a circle to illustrate the flow of electrons in an electrical circuit at Key Stage 2. There are many good opportunities for pupils to work in pairs and small groups, and this also helps promote their social development. Class control and discipline is satisfactory overall. It is very good in Key Stage 1, where the teacher has a very good relationship with pupils and they try hard to be good and please her. There was evidence of improving behaviour management in Key Stage 2 during the

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SCIENCE

inspection, as teachers effectively encouraged good behaviour by the use of praise and rewards. Lessons proceed at a brisk pace, encouraging pupils to work hard and make good use of time. Support staff are deployed well to promote pupils’ learning, especially the youngest pupils working in Key Stage 2 and the children under five in reception. There is satisfactory regular assessment of pupils’ attainments and progress, using good guidance provided by the scheme of work for science. Marking is unsatisfactory in Newbald Primary School Key Stage 2, as it does not give pupils enough advice about how they are getting on and what they should do to improve.

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SCIENCE

75. Little systematic monitoring of teaching and learning is possible due to time constraints on the headteacher and staff. There has been some helpful monitoring of science teaching, both by staff and by the local education authority’s advisory service. All planning is regularly monitored by the headteacher and feedback is given if appropriate. The subject co-ordinator has produced a good action plan for development in science over the coming years, setting out clear and appropriate targets for improvement in teaching and learning.

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ART

76. It was not possible to observe any art lessons during the inspection. Judgements about standards in art are based on the scrutiny of pupils’ work, both in their art folders and displayed around the school. It is not possible to make a judgement on teaching and learning or attitudes and behaviour.

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ART

77. Attainment in art meets national expectations at the end of both key stages. By the time they leave the school pupils have experience of a wide range of different media and techniques and are familiar with the work of some famous artists. They make careful observational drawings and paintings, for example of daffodils and the school goldfish. Pupils in Key Stage 1 paint rainbows in connection with their work on promises and this theme is also taken up in assemblies, helping promote moral development. The youngest children enjoy making prints with their hands and feet. They make effective collage pictures with paint and prints and they produce good close observational drawings of one another’s faces. Good map pictures are produced in connection with geography and good use is made of an appropriate computer program to ‘paint’ and print out ‘water’ pictures. Pupils weave using wool and fabric. In Key Stage 2 they paint

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ART

in the style of famous artists such as Van Gogh. They make very colourful designs using fabric paints, crayons and embroidery and produce colourful fruit designs using textiles. The oldest pupils have produced a very effective ‘millennium collage’, commemorating key events of the last millennium.

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ART

78. A part-time member of staff manages art effectively and resources are of satisfactory quality and quantity.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

79. Only two lessons in design and technology were available for observation during the inspection. The judgement on the basis of these two lessons is that standards in design and technology meet national expectations by the end of Key Stage 2. No judgement can be made about standards at the end of Key Stage 1. In the lessons seen teaching and learning was at least satisfactory and pupils’ attitudes and behaviour were also satisfactory. Teachers planned and prepared the lessons well and had good subject knowledge and understanding.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

80. Pupils in Year 5 design and construct a simple lever and cam assembly to demonstrate change in movement, making good safe use of cutting tools and successfully cutting, bending and joining card to make their finished product. In a lesson which links well with Newbald Primary School the local secondary school to which most pupils will transfer in September, pupils in Year 6 design and make in card a key fob which they will later make in plastic at secondary school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

81. The headteacher co-ordinates the teaching and learning of design and technology satisfactorily. Resources are adequate.

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GEOGRAPHY

82. Standards in geography are in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages and pupils make satisfactory progress over time. In Key Stage 1 pupils collect data about the weather and record it in simple bar charts, so making good use of some skills learned in mathematics lessons. They understand that the weather can be predicted by looking at certain clues, such as skies with dark clouds for rain. There are examples of pupils being able to indicate different weather regions on a world map. They can use a key to show the main differences between hot and cold regions.

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GEOGRAPHY

83. Also in Key Stage 1 pupils have traced the route of a balloon over sea, over mountains and over deserts. They know how to show where the land ends and the sea begins. In discussing weather poems they use words such as “drizzling” and “spitting” to describe rainfall. Teachers reinforce pupils’ understanding of natural water formations by referring to rivers in the village. Pupils are able to derive information from aerial maps and from photographs. In literacy lessons teachers often help pupils to build on their knowledge of different locations by reading with them stories about “Katy Morag” and her life on an island.

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GEOGRAPHY

84. In Key Stage 2 pupils’ work with understanding on aspects of the water cycle. Many can articulate how they have set up experiments to test how water evaporates or infiltrates into the ground. Teachers’ sharp questions make pupils think about the reasons why water disappears at different rates according to the composition of the surface where it rests. Studies in geography contribute to pupils’ understanding of moral, cultural and social issues in the world. For example, they talk about the dangers of pollution, whether communication masts are more good than bad, what it would be like to live and go to school in St Lucia. They have produced maps of their village, using data that they have collected to show local industries.

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GEOGRAPHY

85. Local visits and residential experiences have helped pupils to gain a good understanding of the natural formation of the coastline and how certain wild life has developed its habitat there. Teachers get full value from such visits by combining historical and geographical studies sensibly, so that pupils can write with understanding about Whitby Harbour and the life of Captain Cook.

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GEOGRAPHY

86. Pupils enjoy their work in geography, especially the practical activities involving them in performing experiments on weather. They behave well and show a lot of initiative in searching out information for themselves using the computer and reference library. The teaching seen was all at least satisfactory with some good features. Teachers are confident in their subject knowledge and their plans are supplemented by good visual resources. Some of the practical activities devised to help pupils understand difficult Newbald Primary School concepts work very well; for example, encouraging them to look at the pattern of movement of water in puddles around the playground. The subject is well co-ordinated.

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HISTORY

87. Based on the limited evidence available, standards in history are judged to be satisfactory at the end of both key stages. In Key Stage 1, pupils are encouraged to look at the ways familiar things, such as their toys, have changed over the years. They can describe, from postcards and photographs, the different features seen at the seaside in the earlier part of the century. The youngest children are able to say what a bathing machine was used for. They understand that old vehicles such as trams need tracks to guide their journey. Some of their writing on Tudor times shows that they had a feeling for the language of the period and they used relevant terms such as “cut- purse”. Higher attaining pupils wrote at some length about the punishments meted out and gave personal reactions about the fairness or otherwise of such treatment.

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HISTORY

88. Pupils gain a more sophisticated view of history as they get older. They learn to use a range of sources, such as the local directory, to find out about famous names in the village. There was evidence of good, accurate writing about the life of Captain Cook, inspired by a visit to Whitby. In a lesson on the Ancient Greeks, the teacher’s ability to tell a good story enthused the pupils who entered into an animated debate about the relative merits of Spartans and Athenians. The teacher also asked subtle questions to generate discussion about how different sources give different views of history. The class were aware of the bias that may occur in some historical sources.

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HISTORY

89. Pupils enjoy history and are keen to find out more about famous people from the past. Some of the writing on Henry VIII was rather sketchy and some was unfinished but other work on evacuees in the second world war, and earlier work on Roman Britain, showed evidence of careful thought in the presentation of writing.

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HISTORY

90. The teaching seen was always at least satisfactory with some good aspects such as the planning, the preparation of relevant work for the different ability groups and the use of effective resource material. The school has maintained a reasonable coverage of historical topics and, where possible, has combined it with the extra emphasis given to literacy.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

91. It was possible to see only one lesson in information technology during the inspection, at the end of Key Stage 2. Judgements made are based on the lesson observed and on a detailed discussion with Year 6 pupils. It is not possible to make a judgement about the quality of teaching and learning on this basis.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

92. By the time pupils leave the school standards are in line with national expectations. They know how to construct and use a database of information and this supports well their work on the study of world rivers in geography. They represent data they have gathered in graphical form and print it out. They use the Internet confidently to access information to support their learning in other subjects, such as finding out about the ancient Greeks in history. They have good email links with a school in Devon. Pupils produce a good newsletter using word-processing skills and they also produce word- processed book reviews and stories. They make good use of data capture equipment in connection with a national water-monitoring project of which they are a part, taking Newbald Primary School weekly water samples, using sensors and probes, and analysing the data they gather with the aid of the computer. They produce art work using the computer and have, for

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

example, recently been working on redesigning the school logo. They are confident in the use of ‘clip art’ images, incorporating them in some of their work, such as the newsletter. Younger pupils program and control the floor ‘roamer’, making good use of the laptop computer.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

93. Pupils interviewed are very enthusiastic about their work in information technology and many of them enjoy applying what they have learned in school when they work on their computer at home. They also often bring their learning from home into lessons.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

94. Resources for information technology have improved since the last inspection, but overall there are too few up-to-date computers and too little appropriate educational software for pupils’ use. The headteacher has appropriate understanding and expertise, and leads the subject well.

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MUSIC

95. Standards in music are in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. The youngest pupils in Key Stage 1 confidently recognise and copy a clapped rhythm of increasing complexity. They enjoy singing and do so well, and they effectively use percussion instruments to represent parts of a story. The teaching of these pupils is good. The teacher manages them well and maintains good discipline effortlessly. Lessons proceed at a brisk pace, encouraging pupils to work hard and maintain interest in the lesson. Activities match well the needs and interests of pupils.

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MUSIC

96. Taped music lessons are used for some lessons in Key Stage 2. Pupils do not all listen attentively to these programmes and join in singing. The behaviour of a small number of boys is unsatisfactory. These pupils are not well managed, and so they make unsatisfactory progress in their learning and disturb others.

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MUSIC

97. There are satisfactory opportunities for pupils to sing regularly in assemblies and older pupils learn to play the recorder. Resources for music are satisfactory and include a good supply of percussion instruments.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

98. The coverage of physical education is well planned and all pupils have access to the full range of activities. There are some restrictions on the work done in gymnastics at both key stages because of the lack of a hall and limited space and facilities off the school site. Pupils’ attainment is as expected in both key stages. In the younger class they warm up vigorously and copy the actions of others, most showing good co-ordination. Pupils with special educational needs take a full part in lessons and make good progress, well supported by classroom assistants. All pupils follow a list of instructions well and show good skills in catching and throwing. Many are able to hold a static pose with control. They are less good at evaluating their own performance although they can describe how others work when demonstrating an action. Partner work is good. Pupils co-operate well and help each other by taking turns and fetching the ball if it goes astray.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

99. In Key Stage 2 the older pupils show a good sense of safety when performing their movements in gymnastics. They enjoy their exercises and the teacher uses those who try hard to demonstrate to others. Most can devise a sequence of movements in pairs, and improve their performance with practice. Pairs work collaboratively and discuss the Newbald Primary School work but sometimes they do not listen carefully enough to directions. A minority of pupils do not achieve as well as they should because of their immature behaviour.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

100. In swimming, Year 3 and 4 pupils show determination and very good attitudes to the work. Even those who find swimming difficult give of their best for the whole session. They are encouraged by the staff and helpers and this gives them the confidence to persist. Standards in swimming are good. All pupils are likely to be able to swim at least 25 metres by the time they leave the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

101. Teaching of physical education is satisfactory overall, and the teaching of swimming is very good. Learning is best when pupils are strictly controlled, given clear, precise instructions and they have short achievable targets to reach.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

102. The school follows the locally agreed syllabus for religious education and complies with statutory requirements. Standards in the subject are as expected at the end of both key stages and reflect the attainment reported in the last inspection. However, some of the work scrutinised in the portfolio showed that higher attaining pupils are capable of good standards of writing. They are particularly effective at putting themselves into the position of others in different circumstances. For example, even younger pupils have some understanding of what the feelings of the various characters involved in the nativity scene might have been.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

103. The planning for the subject is thorough and by the end of Key Stage 1 most pupils can talk about the important events in the Christian calendar. They have some knowledge of Bible stories and accurately describe, for example, the events in the story of Noah. They also realise that they live in a world that has many different faiths and that different symbols are important to these faiths. They have studied festivals such as Diwali and Hannukah and many can recall the key features when asked. The subject contributes positively to their understanding of moral and cultural issues. In ‘circle time’ pupils have the opportunity to express personal beliefs, think about their actions in school and to hear about things that are special to others. In their writing they are sensitive in describing feelings such as anger and guilt.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

104. In Key Stage 2 younger pupils have a rudimentary understanding of aspects of Ramadan. They develop their ideas of different faiths over the key stage, being able to draw simple conclusions about the demands that certain beliefs place upon people. Most can understand how life is a journey of discovery with questions to answer. They talk about symbolism using the rainbow in the story of Noah as an example. Others know that religious writings such as in the Bible and the Quran have a great significance to many people. In their study of ceremony they begin to see how important concepts such as faith, promises and forgiveness apply in everyday life. They can speak about these issues with the support of their teacher but they find the writing more difficult. Most can cope with work sheets that demand short answers but only the higher attaining pupils are comfortable in extended writing on more abstract ideas.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

105. Pupils have a positive attitude to religious education in most lessons. They engage in discussions about how to cope with fasting and about what might be necessary in planning a wedding. Most are keen to contribute to the debate, but some speak without thinking carefully. Unless pupils are carefully managed, lessons lose their impact. Newbald Primary School 106. Only a few lessons were observed. In all of these the planning was good and the work interesting. Teachers use resources well and work sheets are clear and structured to meet the wide range of age and attainment levels in the different classes. Introductions to lessons tend to be too long and all follow a similar pattern. As a result some pupils become distracted and wander off the point. The most successful teaching occurs when pupils have been given clear tasks and a precise time scale to work to.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

107. The subject provides some appropriate opportunities for pupils to develop their spiritual awareness, for example in discussing miracles and unusual phenomena, but there is no real plan to introduce them to aspects of life and the world that are truly exciting. Teachers make effective use of some of the literacy time to ensure that the teaching of topics in religious education are coherent. However, the presentation of writing is not as neat as that seen in earlier work.

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