Flookburgh CofE Primary School

FLOOKBURGH CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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FLOOKBURGH CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Winder Lane Flookburgh Nr Grange-over-Sands Cumbria

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Christine Cleasby

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 6-10 May 1997 Flookburgh CE Primary School - 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

21038 Mr G D Timms Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology Art and design Foundation Stage What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve? The school’s results and pupils’ standards. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 19807 Mr K Osborne 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? 19774 Mrs M Docherty Team inspector English Geography History Music Equal opportunities English as an additional language How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

29426 Mr D Grimwood Team inspector Mathematics Physical education Design and technology Religious education Special educational needs Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PBM Inspection Services Ltd PO Box 524 Cheadle Staffordshire ST10 4RN

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Flookburgh CE Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is located in the village of Flookburgh on the edge of Morecambe Bay in Cumbria. The school has 174 pupils on roll, including 19 children who attend the nursery part time and whose attainment on entry is broadly typical of that expected for their ages. The school is smaller than most primary schools. Numbers have remained very stable over the last five years but a fall in the numbers of children locally is likely to be reflected in a drop in numbers in the near future. The level of pupil mobility is broadly typical. The reception and infant pupils are organised into two mixed age classes, although for literacy and numeracy lessons they are organised in single year groups. In the junior classes, pupils are organised into single age classes. At the time of the inspection there were 45 pupils on the register of special educational need, which is an above average proportion. Only one pupil has a statement of special

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

educational need. The pupils’ special needs include physical, moderate learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties and speech or communication problems. Only a small proportion of the pupils have English as an additional language. The most common language spoken, other than English, is Dutch. Only about five per cent of pupils are known to be entitled to free school meals, and this is below the national average. However, this does not reflect the true socio-economic background of the area. During the inspection, the headteacher was seconded to the local authority and the acting headteacher and other members of staff were undertaking her role.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Flookburgh School is a very good and effective school in which many children make very good progress when compared to their prior attainment. The headteacher, acting headteacher and key staff provide very good leadership and an excellent direction to the work of the school. By the time pupils leave the school, standards are above those found nationally, with particular strengths in English and mathematics. The quality of teaching is very good and when all these factors, plus the improvement since the last inspection, are taken into account the school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology are above average throughout the school; by the end of Year 6 standards in history, music and physical education are also above average. • The leadership and management of the school are very good and provide an excellent focus on educational improvement; the target setting, tracking of pupils’ progress and analysis of test results is enabling the school to make very good, effective interventions in individual pupils’ learning. • The quality of teaching is very good and this has a very good impact on learning. The arrangements for assessing pupils’ work and keeping very useful portfolios of examples of work are very good. • The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good and is especially effective in helping their personal, social and emotional development. • Pupils’ attitudes towards school are very good and relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults

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What the school does well

are very good. • The school has a very good programme of outdoor education activities led by very well qualified staff and this has a very positive impact on the pupils’ physical, personal and social development.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in May 1997. Since then the overall improvement has been very good and has not been slowed by the secondment of the headteacher. Standards in information and communication technology have improved and the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning in most subjects has been developed successfully. The presentation of pupils’ work is much better and they are provided with more opportunities for independent learning and research into their own interests. The library has improved although more needs to be done to make this as useful a resource as it should be. In addition, standards are higher in most subjects. The quality of teaching has improved, as has the overall management of the school. Pupils’ attitudes are even more positive and Flookburgh CE Primary School - 7 assessment arrangements are now very good. Recent initiatives such as the literacy and numeracy strategies have

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English B A B B well above average above average A B Mathematics A B A A average below average C D Science C C C C well below average E

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Key

When the children start in the nursery their knowledge, skills and understanding are broadly in line with those expected for children of this age. The exceptions are in personal, social and emotional development, where their attainment is below that expected, and in physical development, where most children are ahead of the standard expected. Most pupils make good progress and reach the expected level by the time they begin their reception year. In the reception class progress is equally good and by the end of the Foundation Stage the great majority of the children exceed the expected early learning goals.

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Key

The 2001 national tests for the Year 2 pupils showed that in reading, standards were below average when compared with schools nationally and well below average when compared with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. This weakness was immediately addressed by the school and they have focused extra support and tracking for the pupils who took the tests to bring them up to a more appropriate level of attainment. In writing the test results showed standards to be above average and in mathematics standards were well above average, when compared to schools nationally. When compared with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, standards in writing were average and in mathematics they were above average.

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Key

The current standards in the school show that attainment in Years 1 and 2 is above average in all aspects of English, in mathematics, science, information and communication technology, and music. In religious education, design and technology, geography, history, art and design and physical education standards are broadly in line with those expected. Throughout Years 3 to 6, standards are above average in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology, history, music and physical education. In religious education, design and technology, geography and art and design standards are broadly in line with those expected. Attainment is very strong in mathematics and in information and communication technology shows a very good improvement since the last inspection. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress with their learning. The pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress in acquiring English skills. The standards in literacy are rising by the

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Key

end of Year 6 and the learning is good in all classes. The statutory targets set by the school for English and mathematics are correctly based on pupils’ prior attainment and are appropriately challenging.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are enthusiastic and interested in their work and show perseverance when undertaking tasks. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are well behaved at all times and this has a positive impact on their learning. Personal development and Good, overall. This has improved since the last inspection. Relationships are very Flookburgh CE Primary School - 8 relationships good and pupils demonstrate a good degree of initiative. Attendance Very good. Attendance is in line with the top 10 per cent of schools nationally.

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Aspect Comment

The pupils have a good understanding of the impact of their actions on others. When given the opportunity they work independently and take responsibility willingly. There is no evidence of any bullying and the school deals well with issues such as the inclusion of pupils from other countries.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching in the school is very good. The teaching in English and mathematics is very good. Overall, the quality of teaching is much better than that found nationally. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been very effectively introduced and the teaching of these lessons is very effective, and this is reflected in the high standards achieved. This represents a very good improvement since the last inspection.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

In the nursery and reception classes, teaching is at least good and mostly very good in all lessons. The planning is very good and the teaching methods used are appropriate for the ages of the children, but challenging enough to result in effective learning. The very good deployment of teaching assistants and volunteers results in them being a very important and successful part of the provision. Throughout the rest of the school the teaching is always at least satisfactory and the vast majority is good or very good. A major strength in the teaching is the way teachers get pupils to discuss their work and explain their learning. This provides very good speaking skills development, helping create articulate and well-spoken pupils, and also allows learning to be consolidated as pupils articulate their thoughts. Other strengths are: • the termly, weekly and lesson planning that addresses the needs of all pupils;

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

• the teaching of basic skills in literacy and numeracy is good; • where weaknesses are recognised, such as in Year 3 reading, the teaching is targeted on improving skills; • teaching assistants and support staff who are very effectively deployed; • information and communication technology is used well to assist learning in other subjects; • children are very well managed and a very good climate for learning is created in classrooms; • the teaching of pupils with special educational needs which is very good; • pupils at the early stages of learning English are very well supported and they make good progress.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Where the teaching could be improved is when the marking is inconsistent and does not help pupils understand what they need to do to improve.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum contains all statutory requirements and is well planned. It is appropriate for the needs of all of the pupils. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. All pupils are effectively supported and have full access to the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Although small in number, such pupils are well provided for and make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is good and this is reflected in the very good relationships between pupils. Their cultural development is satisfactory but insufficient is done to prepare pupils for living in a multicultural society and to study art and music from a wider range of cultures. How well the school cares Good. A particular strength is the high profile health and safety risk assessments have Flookburgh CE Primary School - 9 for its pupils in teachers’ lesson planning. The assessment arrangements are very good and have a very positive impact on the teaching and learning.

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Aspect Comment

The provision of extra-curricular activities is particularly good and includes a lot of opportunities to enrich the curriculum through trips, visits and visitors. A particular strength is the provision for adventurous and outdoor activities.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The management structure is very effective and the headteacher and acting headteacher provide an excellent educational direction to the work of the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governors hold the school to account effectively and are very supportive of the work of staff. They have a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school investigates its performance in depth and this results in very effective action being taken to raise standards. The strategic use of resources Very good. The range of finance and grants available for the school is used well and for the benefit of all pupils. Priorities for spending are appropriately based on the school improvement process.

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Aspect Comment

The range of resources and accommodation available for pupils is broadly typical. There is a good match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum and the numbers on roll. The school has benefited from its previous grant maintained status through the improved structures and skills needed by governors and senior managers. The process of working towards the ‘Investors in People’ award has also had a beneficial effect on the management structure, especially with regard to staff development. The school works hard to ensure best value in all aspects of its work.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Parents feel comfortable about approaching the school with a problem or concern. • The school expects children to work hard and achieve their best. • Children like going to the school. • The teaching is good. • The school is well led and managed. • The school does not provide an interesting enough range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The parents’ views of the school are very positive. The inspection team agrees with the parents’ views about the approachability of the school and that the school expects children to work hard. The teaching is very good and it is clear that children like going to the school. However, inspectors disagree with the significant minority of parents who feel that the school does not provide enough interesting activities outside of lessons. The provision of a range of extra- curricular and enrichment activities is very good, although most of them are aimed at the older pupils. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. When the children start in the nursery, inspection evidence indicates that the knowledge, skills and understanding of the majority of them are broadly in line with those expected for children of this age. The exceptions are in personal, social and emotional development, where their attainment is below that expected, and in physical development, where most children are ahead of the standard expected. The children’s personal, social and emotional development correctly has a high priority in the nursery class and this is successful, with most pupils making good progress and reaching the expected level by the time they begin their reception year. In the other areas of learning equally good progress is made, assisted by the improving maturity of the children and they are well prepared for the reception class. In the reception class progress is equally good and by the end of the Foundation Stage the great majority of the children exceed the expected early learning goals.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The national test results for the Year 6 pupils in 2001 showed a good improvement over the results in 2000 in mathematics and science, although English results fell. However, this continues an upward trend broadly in line with that found nationally and although the English results fell they were still above those found nationally, and a much higher proportion than is found nationally (50 per cent) attained the higher levels. In mathematics, also, 50 per cent of the pupils reached the higher levels. However, fewer pupils remained at a very low level which is why the overall result is better than that found nationally. In science, although all of the pupils reached the expected level, fewer reached the higher level than was the case nationally. The school has analysed these results well and has set up specific lessons to help bring more of the able pupils up to the higher level in science and mathematics, and to help more pupils reach the expected levels in English.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. These results represent a good level of improvement since the last inspection. When the test results are compared with the standards attained by the same pupils at the end of Year 2, the standards are average in science, above average in English and well above average in mathematics. When they are compared with the results of schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, standards are average in science, above average in English and well above average in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The 2001 national tests for the Year 2 pupils showed that in reading standards were below average when compared with schools nationally and well below average when compared with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. This weakness was immediately addressed by the school and they have focused extra support and tracking for the pupils who took the tests to bring them up to a more appropriate level of attainment. In addition, the curriculum in Years 1 and 2 has been reviewed and changes made such as, for example, to give a closer focus on phonics. The evidence from the present Year 3 is that these measures are already having a positive effect on standards. In writing, the test result showed standards to be above average and in mathematics standards were well above average, when compared to schools nationally. When compared with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, standards in writing were average and in mathematics they were above average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The current standards in the school, as judged from the inspection evidence, are very similar to those shown in the test results, with the exception that measures put in place to improve standards in both infant and junior classes are having a positive impact on attainment. Attainment in Years 1 and 2 is above average in all aspects of English, in mathematics, science, information and communication technology, and music. This represents a good level of improvement since the last inspection. In religious education, design and technology, geography, history, art and design and physical education standards are broadly in line with those expected. Throughout the majority of the junior classes, standards are above average in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology, history, music and physical education. In religious education, design and technology, geography and art and design standards are broadly in line with those expected. Attainment is very strong in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics and in information and communication technology shows a very good improvement since the last inspection. Achievement is good throughout the school in all subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress with their learning, and build a good level of basic skills that helps them to access the full curriculum. Where the extra support is provided it is well planned and targeted and is effective in raising pupils’ levels of achievement. The small number of pupils with English as an Flookburgh CE Primary School - 11 additional language is also very well supported in lessons and they have made very good progress in acquiring English skills since starting at the school. This is recognised and correctly praised by parents.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The standards in literacy are rising by the end of Year 6 and the learning is good in all classes. Pupils are now using their skills in, for example research projects and history and geography lessons, to a much greater degree than was evident at the last inspection. Standards in speaking and listening are strong and reflect the amount of very good opportunities provided for pupils to discuss their learning with others and with adults. Numeracy skills are especially good by the end of Year 6 and are also used in a range of other subjects such as science and geography. This enables pupils to use their newly acquired skills in practical situations and consolidates their learning very effectively. The statutory targets set by the school for English and mathematics are correctly based on pupils’ prior attainment and are appropriately challenging.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils are very enthusiastic about the school and the Year 6 pupils say it is an ‘excellent’ school. They enjoy lessons, and many take part in the wide range of extra-curricular activities. Many go straight to their classroom on arrival in the morning, and start work on their own, or talk quietly to each other. When they cannot play outside because of wet weather, they have a range of sensible activities to do, including the use of computers. During lessons they remain on task and listen attentively to the teachers. When talking about their work with adults they show a genuine pride in their achievements as, for example, demonstrated by Year 5 pupils evaluating their clay models and Year 1 pupils using the programmable robot. In lessons pupils work well together sharing resources and giving each other positive support.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Behaviour is very good, especially in lessons and has improved since the last inspection. No serious misbehaviour or bullying was seen, though the school agreed that some very young children had initially been slow to accept some children who are newly arrived. This has been addressed by staff and relationships are now very positive. Some playground behaviour is boisterous. One pupil has been excluded in the past year; she had serious behaviour problems, and has now moved to another school. The school followed the correct procedures. Pupils eat their packed lunches in civilised surroundings, talking quietly in groups of friends.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Personal development is good. Pupils show respect for others' ideas and views, for example when discussing safety in a Year 2 lesson and when talking about what to do with food and drink picked up in the street. There is scope for giving pupils more responsibility; the school has recognised this and plans to set up a school council very soon. Relationships are very good. Pupils relate very well to each other and to adults. Because they enjoy school, they respond well to group situations. They enjoy visits out of school, for example the annual Year 6 trip to London is a much-anticipated highlight. Parents are very proud of the high standards of behaviour and maturity that the pupils show on visits out of school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Attendance is well above the national average and among the top ten per cent of primary schools nationally. It has improved since the last inspection. Unauthorised absence is about average for primary schools, and is mainly due to families taking more than 10 days annual holiday in term time. However, some unauthorised absences are because no reason for absence has been recorded. There are only isolated examples of lateness, and all arrive before the registers are closed.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

12. The overall quality of the teaching is very good. The amount of satisfactory or better teaching, 100 per cent, is higher than in the majority of schools. In addition, the amount of good or better teaching, 87 per cent, is well above that found nationally. Forty per cent of the lessons are very good with major strengths in the Foundation Stage and the junior classes. These figures represent a very good improvement since the last inspection where only 91 per cent of the teaching was satisfactory or better and only 7 per cent very good or excellent. One of the main reasons for the improvement since the last inspection has been the development of the role of subject coordinators and the management team in monitoring, evaluating and supporting teachers and providing appropriate opportunities for training in new developments or weaker areas.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. In the nursery and reception classes teaching is at least good in all lessons and is very good in 60 per cent of lessons. Again, this represents a very good improvement since the last inspection. The planning is of very good Flookburgh CE Primary School - 12 quality and all members of staff involved are continually looking to improve their teaching and try out new approaches. For example, the opportunities for pupils to self select activities and record their choices on a board is providing a new level of independence to their learning. The teachers have a very good understanding of the needs of younger children and together with the support staff and volunteers they provide a secure, happy and productive learning environment. The support for two pupils at an early stage of learning English is good and they have made very good progress since starting school. Assessment procedures are of high quality and accurately

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

record the progress made by pupils in each of the areas of learning. Particular effort is put into pupils’ personal, social and emotional development, as this tends to be the weakest area for most on entry to the nursery. In reception, good provision for literacy and numeracy ensures that children are taught at an appropriate but challenging level within their own year group. In other subjects, they share lessons with Year 1 pupils and this often encourages them to work at a higher level than they might otherwise.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. Throughout the rest of the school, the overall quality of the teaching is very good. The planning for the medium term, as well as that for lessons is detailed and effective in ensuring work is sufficiently challenging and builds on previous learning. Plans are well monitored by the headteacher and subject co-ordinators who offer support and advice where appropriate. The teaching of basic skills is very good. Teachers in Years 1 and 2 are focusing on reading skills and they have a good level of expertise in teaching phonics and other reading skills as well as basic writing and numeracy. Throughout the school the quality of learning is very good and pupils make very good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. In the mixed age classes in Years 1 and 2 careful planning and the good matching of work to pupils’ prior attainment ensures that all are appropriately challenged and receive work suitable for them. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been successfully introduced and these have provided a basic model for the teaching in many lessons. Well-planned and resourced group and individual work support very good whole class teaching. In most lessons teachers leave a good amount of time for the class to get together at the end and this helps reinforce and consolidate the learning made during the lesson as well as prepare pupils for the next steps.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The very good use of support staff and teaching assistants is of great benefit to a range of pupils. They have been well trained and teach groups who need support in basic literacy work as well as supporting those with special educational needs in class lessons. In addition, very good deployment of teachers enables the provision of booster groups in mathematics and science, specifically targeting weaknesses shown by pupils in previous tests. Although individual target setting is at a fairly early stage this is already showing benefits in English with pupils having a clear idea of their learning needs. The analysis of test results is detailed, and supports the other monitoring work in the school, giving staff a clear picture of where weaknesses in provision occur. The provision of homework is satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. One of the few weaker areas is in the consistency of teachers’ marking skills, especially in subjects apart from English, where they are good. Occasional very good annotation to children’s work is evident in the Foundation Stage, where it provides teachers and others with a clear picture of the learning expected and the progress made by the child. Higher up the school too much of the marking consists of ticks and brief comments to be of much value in helping pupils know what they have done well and how they can improve in the future. In the satisfactory lessons, teachers did not always fully gain the attention of all pupils and there are times when, although not disruptive to others, pupils are off task and do not get as much done as they could. However, most teachers have very good class management skills and their high expectations of pupils’ behaviour are rewarded by the good learning environment created.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. A particular strength in the teaching is the excellent opportunities provided for pupils to discuss their work with each other and with adults. This focus on oral work enables pupils to evaluate their work, as happened, for example in an art and design lesson in Year 5, and to consider how they could improve their work. In addition, the focus on getting pupils to explain their answers helps their thinking skills and assists them to articulate how exactly they have arrived at an answer. Good examples of this were seen in mathematics and science lessons. As well as reinforcing the pupils’ learning, this emphasis on the oral is helping develop an articulate and clear- spoken group of pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The provision for pupils with English as an additional language is very good and their learning is equal to that of their peers. The teaching of pupils’ with special educational needs is very good. The support is sensitive and effective and is largely provided within the class situation rather than through withdrawal. The one pupil with a statement of special educational needs receives appropriate help. Individual education plans contain clear and Flookburgh CE Primary School - 13 achievable targets for progress. Teachers assist the progress of pupils by referring to these plans when setting individual work for pupils with special needs. Pupils’ progress is also helped through the individual help provided by good quality, well-informed classroom assistants. The introduction of special programmes and classes in mathematics and literacy has also helped the progress of pupils with special educational needs. The school has

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

a policy for the teaching of gifted and talented pupils although no such pupils are identified at present.

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

20. The school provides a good curriculum that is broad and balanced, with appropriate coverage of the statutory subjects and religious education. A good balance and breadth to the curriculum is maintained with sufficient time given to all subjects. The curriculum provided for children in the Foundation Stage, the nursery and reception classes, is good. It covers all the recommended areas of learning, allowing pupils to exceed most of the learning goals by the time they start the National Curriculum in Year 1. It is particularly effective in ensuring pupils develop good communication, personal and social skills and physical development and takes account of the needs of pupils in mixed-age classes.

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

21. Pupils with special educational needs are quickly identified and supported. They are making good progress because of the good planning and effective deployment of support staff. The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs with an analysis of their educational need being built into the target-setting arrangements and lesson plans. Pupils receive the level of support to which they are entitled, and over and above this when the headteacher offers additional support in classrooms. This helps the school to provide equality of opportunity, with all pupils having full access to the learning provided. When this support is provided outside the classroom, great care is made to ensure that the timetable is adjusted each half term so that pupils do not miss out on the same subjects.

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

22. The two pupils learning English as an additional language in the nursery make good progress because of the high focus on talk and practical activities and the opportunity for them to learn alongside English-speaking peers in a secure environment. For example in a physical education lesson, where the instruction was beyond their level of English, they took their lead from pupils around them, confident that they would be doing what was required.

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

23. The curriculum for Years 1 to 6 includes all the subjects of the National Curriculum, religious education and physical, social and health education. While there is an appropriate emphasis on English, mathematics and science, including additional literacy support and booster classes, the non-core subjects are also taught well and provide breadth and balance and an opportunity to develop literacy and numeracy skills to meet subject-specific demands. Good use of information and communication technology is demonstrated in pupils’ research work, as well as in information and communication technology lessons and pupils have many opportunities to use this resource to enhance their learning. The planned curriculum takes account of the analysis of the end-of-year assessment papers and the priorities in the school development plan. Planning is detailed and includes the careful deployment of teaching assistants to help all pupils achieve their learning objectives through, for example,

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

a range of extra support and booster classes for mathematics and English. The curriculum is organised so that the music specialist is timetabled to teach music throughout the school, making effective use of her expertise. Mixed-age infant classes are divided into year groups for English and mathematics, and work is planned in two- year cycles for the non-core subjects to avoid repetition of content and skills development and to provide continuity and progression in the study of, for example, geography and history.

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

24. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been introduced effectively and are contributing to the improvement in standards evident throughout the school. Literacy and numeracy are also well used in other subjects through good planning. For example, the use of mathematical calculation and graph work in geography and the writing of a diary as if observing the Great Fire of London in history. Pupils use the Internet to research their work in history. They found out about developments in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London and the campaign life of Roman soldiers. Word processing and computer-generated work is evident in pupils’ books and in displays around the school.

p.13

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

25. There is a well-planned personal, social and health education programme, which includes appropriate sex education. Opportunities for pupils to discuss a range of matters makes a positive contribution to personal development, and the school’s approach to teaching and learning helps build positive relationships with a strong Flookburgh CE Primary School - 14 emphasis on group and paired discussions. For example, in music, pupils worked on composition in small groups and this enhanced the learning of individuals who were less confident working on their own or in bigger groups.

p.13

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

26. The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities, particularly to support the musical and physical development of pupils. The curriculum is enriched by educational visits to places of historical, geographical and cultural interest. The annual residential visit to London arranged for Year 6 makes a very strong contribution to pupils’ understanding of the development of the city of London from Roman times to the present. The school does not yet do enough to prepare pupils to understand the changing multicultural profile of Britain, including London and other cities. The school has made constructive relationships with its linked secondary school, which means that the pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. The pupils visit the local churches and support a range of charities. Recent field-study courses were curtailed by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease, but these are to be resumed, as is a visit to the local hospital to contrast conditions in

p.14

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

Victorian hospitals with those of the twenty-first century.

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

27. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and the standards found at the time of the previous inspection have been maintained. The school is a caring and happy community and this has a positive effect on pupils’ attitudes, their behaviour and personal development. A large majority of parents are convinced that the school is helping their children to develop in a mature and responsible manner.

p.14

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

28. The provision for spiritual development is good. Good quality assemblies are planned around termly themes. They offer periods for reflection and prayer. Pupils enter the hall for collective worship in a quiet and respectful mood. Photographic evidence of special events, such as the Christingle Service held at the local church, catches the sense of wonder on the faces of pupils as they pass the lighted Christingle from one to another. Pupils have the opportunity to reflect on special events. For example, pupils wrote prayers in response to the events of September 11 and older pupils were able to use the Internet to access a book of remembrance, which the children signed. They also reflected on the foot and mouth crisis, which was of particular significance for the area. Pupils contacted an author who had written a novel concerning the subject. The numerous trips in the local area give pupils the opportunity to wonder at the splendours of nature. Trips further afield give them the opportunity to

p.14

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

wonder at man’s achievements when they visit places like York Minster and the London Eye. Time for reflection in classes allows pupils to talk about their fears. They were asked to consider the question of death when the school guinea pig died and was buried in the school’s wildlife area. Pupils are given the opportunity to consider the nature of God in their writing in religious education lessons. Year 6 pupils consider quite complex philosophical questions such as, ‘What is infinity?’

p.14

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

29. The school makes good provision for the moral development of its pupils. It has a strong code of conduct that is posted throughout the school. This is periodically reviewed so that the pupils feel part of the process and fully understand the meaning of the code. Teachers and pupils draw up a further set of classroom rules. Older pupils are asked to sign a copy of these rules. Parents are involved, through class meetings with teachers when behavioural procedures are discussed, and through home-school agreements. Again, older pupils are asked to sign these, although parents sign on behalf of the younger pupils. As a result of these measures pupils of all ages appreciate the difference between right and wrong. All adults are involved in the moral education of the pupils and, for example, midday supervisory assistants are invited to meetings with teachers, concerning matters of behaviour. There are high expectations of good behaviour of children in classrooms and the playground.

p.14

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

Relationships amongst pupils and between pupils and staff are well maintained. Adults provide good role models. Teachers encourage pupils to be appreciative of the efforts of others and a good example of this was seen in a physical education lesson.

p.14

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

30. The provision for the development of social behaviour is good. Older pupils are given responsibilities about the school: acting as door monitors at break times, ensuring that the library is kept in an orderly condition and delivering registers are some examples. Classes of older pupils work with younger pupils hearing them read. Pupils are encouraged to think of those less fortunate than themselves through their good support of charities, some of which are chosen by the pupils themselves. The very good range of educational visits away from the school site provides useful opportunities for pupils to mix in the wider community. The residential camping trips, where pupils have to plan and prepare some of their own meals, give them a chance to work together as a team. The school runs several sports teams and the emphasis is very much on sporting behaviour towards opponents. Reports on the matches written by the pupils put great stress on the giving of three cheers and shaking hands at

p.14

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

the end of the game. Theatrical performances in which all the children are involved help to let them appreciate that a venture will only be a success if everybody plays their part. Assemblies provide opportunities to celebrate Flookburgh CE Primary School - 15 pupils’ work and contribution to school life. Examples of work are then put on the special notice board in a prominent position in the hall. Pupils are asked to choose their class ‘star of the week’, when they list the positive characteristics of a member of the class. The school curriculum provides many opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively and older pupils are given the opportunity to mount displays illustrating their own interests.

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

31. Cultural provision at the school is satisfactory. Pupils gain an appropriate understanding of their cultural heritage through their work in history, which is given relevance by talks by local people about their memories of World War 2, and by their visits to local places of interest, such as the Coniston copper mines. Visits and demonstrations by the local band, and exciting events such as a cross bay walk, led by the official guide for Morecambe Bay, give them an understanding of local life. An idea of culture on a wider front is provided by trips to the theatre in Barrow and London to see productions of Shakespeare plays or performances by the Halle Orchestra. Visiting theatre groups perform in the school. Pupils are given good opportunities to study the works of famous artists like such as Picasso and Van Gogh and more local artists such as W. Heaton Cooper and photographers like Ansel Adams. The study of the art of other cultures is not so well advanced, although this is an area that the school

p.15

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

recognises as one for development. Opportunities for appreciating the works of famous composers are not so well developed. Pupils have the chance to study faiths such as Judaism and Buddhism in their work in religious education. Year 3 pupils make an investigation into aspects of life in Kenya. However, opportunities for studying the cultural diversity of British society are not as well developed as other areas.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The procedures for pupils’ welfare are good. Children who feel ill are promptly and sensitively cared for until their parents can collect them. Accidents are recorded in line with the correct procedures. The school shows good concern for children with specific needs, such as three whose home language is Dutch, or those with reading and language problems; their parents all praise the school's provision. The school is working towards ‘Healthy School’ status through its health education programme, promoting healthy eating and knowledge and understanding about how pupils can look after their bodies and keep safe. Health and safety procedures are good. The governors’ health and safety committee makes termly checks and risk assessments. Regular checks are made of fire and electrical equipment. Safety is stressed in lessons, for example, in physical education and science.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Procedures for child protection are very good. The headteacher is the named person for child protection, and all members of staff have received training. The school attends all meetings concerned with children's welfare, and as many of these are held in the school as possible. Local child protection procedures are followed carefully. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. Guidance for parents on the school's expectations, and on term-time holidays is included in the prospectus and home-school agreement. Explanations are requested for all absences, and no more than 10 days' absence for holidays is authorised.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Procedures for promoting good behaviour and eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good. The school rules are brief and clear, and are discussed with pupils at the start of the school year. Each class draws up its own good set of rules. High expectations of good behaviour are matched by a good response from pupils. Parents appreciate the high standards of behaviour, and inspectors agree with their views.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils' personal development are very good. Teachers know their pupils and their families very well, and keep good track of their development, as seen in the reports to parents each year. Parents appreciate the progress meetings, and the school responds well to their concerns. Weekly celebration assemblies reward and encourage children well for being good friends or learning partners, as well as for good work and behaviour.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The pupils’ academic development is very effectively monitored and promoted through very good systems for the assessment and recording of their progress. The school has begun to introduce individual target setting in English and mathematics and this gives teachers a clear focus on which to base their planning. Regular assessments are made of progress in all subjects and good records provide clear evidence of pupils’ achievements. Whole school monitoring of test results has grown and is now good, with accurate analysis of weaknesses in national tests and non-statutory tests. These are having a very positive impact on standards, as is evident in Year 3 where weaknesses in the reading scores last year are being targeted and skills improved. The national tests are correctly carried out and, together with the teachers’ own assessments, these help provide a clear picture of pupil progress. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 16

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. Parents' views of the school are very positive and supportive, and they are aware of many of the improvements that have been made since the last inspection. Most parents think that the school is well led and managed, and has a high standard of teaching. Their children are expected to work hard and achieve to the best of their ability. They say that behaviour is good, and that their children like coming to school. The inspectors agree with all these positive points. Some parents do not think that the school provides enough out-of-school activities. The inspection team disagrees with this view; the range of clubs and visits is much wider than would be found in most schools of this size.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. Very good information is provided for parents. The annual written reports are very clear, with detailed information on the child's progress in each subject and specific targets for development. Pupils themselves contribute their own views on their progress. The school prospectus meets statutory requirements, and contains detailed information about the curriculum to help parents understand what work pupils will cover. Newsletters are brief and readable. The school has provided very good learning opportunities for parents, for example the computer club for mothers, and parent partnership evenings on literacy and numeracy, and this valuable work is of great benefit in helping parents to support their children at home and in school. The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs at an early stage. Parents are fully involved in all stages of the process.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. Parents make a good contribution to children's learning. Several help in class, for example helping to staff the post office role-play in the nursery. They accompany groups of pupils on trips. The Friends of Flookburgh School raises considerable sums of money for additional equipment and books, and most parents contribute a regular amount towards covering the cost of school trips. The school's links with parents are effective and support the pupils’ learning.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40. Although at the time of the inspection the headteacher was seconded to the local authority advisory service, she remained involved in the strategic management of the school. From meetings and discussions with her before and during the inspection, it is clear that this experience is being beneficial for her own personal and professional development. It is also beneficial for the school, as she will return with a well-developed and wide-ranging appreciation of common strengths and weaknesses in leadership and management. A further benefit to the school is evident in the opportunity that has been taken to appoint a senior member of staff to the acting headship for the duration of the headteacher’s absence. Again, it is clear that this has helped develop in her an appreciation of many of the requirements of headship and given the school’s leadership a fresh approach.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The leadership shown by the headteacher, acting headteacher and other senior staff is very good. The school is given excellent direction by them and priorities are clearly focused on raising standards in the core subjects without abandoning strengths in other aspects of the school’s work and the pupils’ personal development. Recent work has shown that the school is very keen to develop its systems for self-review and for continuous improvement. This has helped towards the school being awarded ‘Investors in People’ status.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The management of the school has benefited from its time under grant maintained status when staff and the governing body learned a lot about financial management and effective ways of decision-making. The school development plan contains appropriate priorities and shows a very clear understanding of the school’s developmental needs. For example, recent priorities have centred round raising the proportion of higher attainers in science in Year 6 and in reading in Year 2. The targets set for attainment in English and mathematics are based on pupils’ prior attainment and are sufficiently challenging. The school has made considerable strides since the last inspection in many major aspects of its work. Standards have risen, the quality of the teaching has improved and the leadership and management are much stronger and more effective. The school works very hard to ensure best value in its provision.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. There is excellent delegation to staff and this results in a very well organised and effective system for the coordination and leadership of different subjects and other aspects of the school’s work. Clear job descriptions help teachers to have a good understanding of what is expected of them. The links with the school’s performance Flookburgh CE Primary School - 17 management policy are very good and priorities from this feed into the individual subject leadership. Classroom observations are common and teachers also monitor the planning and pupils’ work. In one very good piece of evidence gathering, the headteacher questioned a group of pupils about their learning in science. Teachers accept the need for this close monitoring of standards and it results in a very professional and positive ethos where teachers give each other support and advice, in addition to checking on standards in their subjects.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The governing body is very well organised and has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The current concerns over pupil numbers over the next few years has resulted in them planning the budget and staffing levels carefully and efficiently. They use test results to compare themselves with similar schools and consult regularly with parents to ascertain their views of the school’s work. Recent comparison with other schools has resulted in the school lengthening the amount of teaching time available for infant pupils by shortening their lunchtime. Consultations with parents will address a similar issue with the older pupils. The well- organised committee system works effectively to support the work of the headteacher and staff. The structure of the governing body enables a lot of work to be done in effective and efficient committees, including a management committee consisting of governors and senior staff. All contribute to the school development plan and they provide

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

a strong and supportive strategic lead to the work of the school.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. This results in pupils with special educational needs generally making good progress. The school has two coordinators for special educational needs; one with responsibility for infant pupils and one for junior pupils. This means that each co-ordinator is responsible for a relatively few number of pupils and is able to give each one greater attention. The school’s special educational needs policy will need updating in light of the recently introduced code of practice.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The financial management of the school is very good. The grant-maintained status provided the governors with the opportunity to access extra monies that were used for the benefit of the pupils, especially evident in the improvements to classrooms and other accommodation. The expertise gained at that time has been retained now that the school has foundation status. For example, the systems set up then are still all in place. The day-to-day administration is very efficient and supports the work of the staff effectively. Purchases are driven by the needs of the school development plan and the budget is well monitored by the finance group on the governing body.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. Resources have been improved since the last inspection with particular strengths in information and communication technology, physical education and musical instruments. The accommodation and provision of books for the school library is still inadequate and requires further improvement. There is not a wide enough range of music for pupils to listen to and appreciate at times such as, for example, assemblies. The staffing is good for the size of the school and numbers of pupils. The support staff and teaching assistants are very well deployed and their personal expertise is used very effectively. For example, one teaching assistant has particular information and communication technology skills and the nursery nurse in the nursery runs a part-time playgroup. The arrangements for staff development are very effective and linked closely to the prioritised needs in the school development plan. Training and courses are very well organised, monitored and assessed by the staff

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

development officer. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 18

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

48. The school has been very successful in addressing the key issues raised at the last inspection, and in addressing a range of other national and local initiatives. There are no major weaknesses in the school’s work. However, to continue improving the governing body, headteacher and staff should follow through the planned priorities in the school development plan and they should consider including the following minor issues in their planning:

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q Improve the marking of pupils’ work by:

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• reviewing the marking policy and ensuring its consistent application;

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring the marking tells pupils what they have done well and what they need to improve in the future;

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q Ensure the pupils’ cultural development includes sufficient preparation for life in a multicultural society. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 19

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 9.5 155

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 8

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 45

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9

p.19

Attendance

School data 3.7 School data 0.5 Flookburgh CE Primary School - 20 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.19

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 21

p.20

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 15 13 28

p.21

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.21

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

Boys 14 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 13 13

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 82 (93) 100 (96) 100 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (88) 91 (90)

p.21

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

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

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

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (93) 100 (96) 100 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.21

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

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

p.21

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 7 20

p.21

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.21

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

Boys 9 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 6 4 7

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 75 (86) 80 (82) 100 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.21

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

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

Boys 10 11 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 6 5 6

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 80 (76) 80 (81) 90 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.21

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 22

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.22

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.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9 Financial year 2000/01

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.2

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 415 116

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 409 194

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 74 Expenditure per pupil 2 366

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 28 999

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 34 921

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 12.5

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.4

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.9

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.5

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Flookburgh CE Primary School - 23 FTE means full-time equivalent. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 24

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 51 43 6 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 39 58 3 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 60 6 1 6

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 48 1 3 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 69 25 4 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 37 0 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 46 46 6 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 54 43 1 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 43 49 4 0 4

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 48 18 0 2 Flookburgh CE Primary School - 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

49. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage, which comprises the part time nursery class and the reception children, is very good. Significant improvements have been made since the last inspection despite a more than expected number of changes in staffing. The nursery is well organised into different learning areas and good use is made of the available space. Staffing is well deployed and very good use is made of parents and other volunteers. The reception children spend much of the day working as a group but in the afternoon sessions they join with some Year 1 pupils for work other than the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. This is effective for their personal development as they spend time with some more mature and able pupils.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. The quality of teaching is very good overall and at least good in all lessons. This is also a significant improvement since the last inspection. The planning is very effective; teachers know the children very well and any learning occurring is very effectively assessed and recorded. Parents and children are provided with a very good introduction to the nursery at the start of the year and are offered the opportunity for home visits by nursery staff. As the nursery year progresses, links with the main school develop and children are very well prepared for moving to the reception class. There is a good outdoor area for nursery children, and it is due to be expanded shortly, but this is not easily accessible for reception children, who have access to a small courtyard.

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

51. When children enter the nursery class a significant number have under-developed personal and social skills. Improving these forms a very important part of the nursery planning and this results in the successful outcomes evident after just one term. These are built on in the reception class and by end of the reception year most children will have exceeded many of the early learning goals in this area of learning. The teaching in both classes is very good and very effective use is made of volunteer adults and teaching assistants. For example, in the nursery role-play area a parent made very effective interventions to help the children co-operate in their play. Children feel secure and confident, as is evident in the happy way they enter the classes ready to begin activities. In the nursery, effective routines are set up and are clearly understood by the children. Many opportunities are provided for children to listen to each other and this helps develop their relationship skills. For example, during

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

snack times adults sit with children and encourage conversation as well as emphasising table manners. During play with construction apparatus two boys talked animatedly about their work. Children help tidy activities away well. At break times or in physical education lessons, children can dress and undress themselves correctly.

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

52. In reception, the children’s independent learning is further developed. In both classes, a system for pupils to self- record what activities they are undertaking has been introduced and this is providing more opportunities for pupils to choose their activities. After visits to the toilet, children know to wash their hands without any reminders needed. Children also demonstrate a genuine concern for each other. For example, when one boy was ill and had to go home, the others were very concerned about how he was.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

53. The teaching is very good and by the end of the reception year the majority of the children will have exceeded the expected early learning goals. In both classes, teachers make effective use of puppets to reinforce learning and make teaching points more accessible to the children. In the nursery, the teacher is an excellent storyteller and this helps children’s understanding of characterisation. They listen enthralled and excited by the stories. Very good opportunities are provided for children to learn and act out stories. Good opportunities for individual reading sessions help familiarise the children with books and they are beginning to develop good reading habits. All know how books work, that they are read from front to back and that print carries meaning. Many are able to summarise stories from the illustrations. Children speak clearly to others as they tell what they have been doing at home. However, not many yet speak in full sentences.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

54. In reception, children are introduced to the National Literacy Strategy style of lessons. They respond well and make very good progress in learning, for example, about illustrations, photographs and captions in non-fiction books. When writing as a class, they learn about capital letters, full stops and finger spaces. Children have a Flookburgh CE Primary School - 26 good knowledge of letter sounds, with accompanying actions, but are not yet securely blending two letter sounds such as ‘pr’. About 80 per cent of the children have a good understanding of alphabetical order and are learning to use dictionaries to find words. They take books home every night and a good record is kept with good teacher comments.

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Mathematical development

55. The majority of the children start school with broadly average attainment but the very good teaching ensures that the majority will exceed the expected early learning goals by the end of the reception year. In both classrooms, displays of numbers and number lines have a high profile and children are used to seeing numbers and mathematics resources around the room. In the nursery, children sing a range of counting songs. For example, in one lesson they dressed up as firemen for a ‘five little firemen’ song.

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Mathematical development

56. In reception, children have a sound knowledge of common two-dimensional shapes. They know terms such as fewer and more than. Less able children can only count to five or six. Many opportunities are found for counting activities, including celebrations of children’s birthdays. Data collected by children, such as that on food tasted and enjoyed, is recorded using pictorial methods or on the computer. In one numeracy lesson children learned to subtract from five using fingers as a support. Higher attainers understand that two numbers can make 10 but using counting apparatus they are less secure at working out the ways of doing this. Others do a similar activity to 8, while less able children work with pegs and a support assistant on ways of making 7.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

57. The teaching is very good and ensures that the majority of the children will exceed the expected early learning goals by the end of the reception year. In the nursery, much of the work is based on themes that help children develop an understanding of the world around them. For example, during the inspection a lot of work on houses was planned and children made models of houses and learned the story of the ‘Three little pigs’. Good opportunities are provided for children to use construction apparatus. As part of their post office role-play work children write letters to their friends. These are to be taken to the local village post office and then delivered to the school by a postman who will stay and talk about his work. This topic provides very good opportunities for children to learn about the postal system. This is also linked to wet playtime activities as children watch a ‘Postman Pat’ video. As part of their religious studies, children visit a local Buddhist centre.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

58. In reception, children use the mouse to click on and drag pictures accurately as part of a sequencing activity on the computer. They can also type in missing words onto work prepared by the teacher. They are able to print their own work. In a history lesson they have very good opportunities to discuss the purpose and use of an old toy. The majority of the children have a good sense of time and differences between toys but only one able child can explain clearly that a new version would be made of plastic. In books, children have written about their special toys. They know which foods are healthy or unhealthy to eat and what to put in a fresh fruit salad.

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Physical development

59. When they start in the school, children have well-developed physical skills. These are built on well through very good teaching and by the time they reach the end of the reception year most children will have exceeded the expected early learning goals. In the nursery there are good opportunities for children to manipulate soft materials such as play-dough. In outdoor play, children move confidently and run around the playground with a good awareness of others. In a hall lesson children respond to signals immediately and follow instructions well, moving confidently and well. They run, walk backwards, hop and use a variety of step sizes.

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Physical development

60. In reception, children follow taped instructions well during a dance lesson. They are able to move in time to the music. They stretch and move their bodies in response to instructions, and can build a sequence of movements into a dance. For example, they can put together a set of movements to illustrate the nursery rhyme ‘Dr Foster’. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 27

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Creative development

61. By the end of the reception year most children will exceed the expected early learning goals. This is the result of the good teaching in this area. In the nursery children learn many rhymes and songs, some connected with other work such as counting. They are keen to join in with the actions and sing with enthusiasm. They use boxes and card to make houses, and contribute to whole class work on the ‘Three little pigs’, using sticks and straw as well as card and paint. In reception, children have good opportunities to learn, sing and dance to traditional rhymes and songs.

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ENGLISH

62. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards in all aspects of English are good and above those expected for their age. This is an improvement since the school’s last inspection. Results in the 2001 national tests for eleven year olds show the percentage of pupils attaining appropriate standards are well above average for reading and writing and the rate of progress is good. In contrast, the national test results for seven-year-olds showed attainment in reading was below the national average, though it was above average in writing. When compared with similar schools, the seven year olds’ reading standards were well below the national average. In view of the children’s attainment when they enter the school, the progress they made in reading by the end of Year 2 was unsatisfactory.

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ENGLISH

63. Inspection evidence shows a good improvement on these figures and this is because of the school’s efforts to improve standards in English. The school has analysed the performance of pupils in last year’s tests to identify areas of weakness and what needs to be done to raise attainment. One strategy is the development of a specific policy for reading to ensure that all teachers work effectively in this area of the curriculum. Another is the marking scheme for writing, which focuses on supporting pupils’ strategies for spelling and punctuation. This will ensure greater confidence in writing and in reading. In addition, teachers encourage pupils to build up their knowledge of words that they meet regularly. Effective action has been taken to support those Year 3 children whose attainment in reading was unsatisfactory at the end of Year 2. Each child has a number of targets and these are monitored carefully to help raise achievements. Children catch up and exceed national expectations in all strands

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ENGLISH

of the programme of study by the time that they are eleven.

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ENGLISH

64. When pupils enter the school, good opportunities provided in the Foundation Stage (nursery and reception) ensure that they are confident speakers and their listening skills develop well. In lessons, they are given very good opportunities to talk. Speaking and listening skills develop steadily as the children move through the school and they are engaged in discussion in most areas of the curriculum. In a celebration assembly, the work of Year 6 pupils in producing a radio play demonstrated high levels of performance in speaking with feelings expressed in dialogue very effectively.

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ENGLISH

65. Standards in reading are high in junior classes and this is because the school has taken very effective action in the aftermath of poor Year 2 test results. Pupils show enthusiasm for reading which clearly helps them develop good reading strategies by the time they are eleven. Work on traditional stories and myths and fables link well to geographical work on the contrasting environments. For example, “The Milkmaid” is a rewrite of the fable about not counting your chickens before they are hatched. Essentially the same story with an East African setting, pupils’ own experience and cultural expertise was demonstrated when a teacher’s misnaming of a seed crop was corrected by children from the farming community of Cumbria. The teacher’s deference to her pupils’ knowledge on rural matters was a model of effective teaching.

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ENGLISH

66. Year 2 pupils are developing a well-formed handwriting style. They use punctuation well to demarcate sentences but also to emphasise meaning using exclamation and question marks. Writing, however, is highly focused on teacher-directed tasks and English language exercises. There is too little evidence of more creative writing. In one creative writing exercise, pupils demonstrated good standards. Complex sentences were produced independently, for example “she (the horse) took me away back to the place where we were camping and so we had a good night’s sleep”. Characterisation is sometimes well developed, focusing not just on physical appearance but also on personal attributes, for example “she has white-coloured hair and wears a pink dress but she is also good at keeping secrets and is a kind friend.” In the re-writing of a published story, in which the text is almost wholly dialogue, lower attainers were unable to use speech punctuation appropriately and needed more support in laying

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ENGLISH

out the text. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 28 67. Writing skills are good by the time pupils leave the school. The majority achieve expected standards and many exceed expectations. Pupils are given the opportunity to plan work and to evaluate it against criteria as part of the drafting and editing process. The final version following this process is often of a high standard and pupils have taken account of evaluations of it, completed sometimes with the support of a partner. A whole-class task to write a ghost story, planned meticulously at school and completed at home, indicated high levels of attainment. Standards in writing are generally good in junior classes, with pupils developing their skills progressively. From a scrutiny of English books, it is possible to chart their growing confidence with punctuation, paragraphing and spelling. They edit their work to include adjectives and adverbs that are more interesting and use powerful verbs to

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ENGLISH

indicate different layers of meaning. For example, one pupil described the setting for a story, “as the golden desert sand of Egypt”, and in another story a pupil used “responded sarcastically” rather than the more prosaic “answered”. Pupils understand the use of idiom and figurative language to enhance their writing and are able to express characters’ feelings in their writing, for example “the desperation of people on the Titanic” or a running commentary on a mother’s search for a lifeboat finishing with “Oh no! I think I will have to jump overboard.”

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ENGLISH

68. By the time they are eleven, pupils plan their writing well, use sophisticated punctuation and technique to emphasise drama and include phrases in brackets to demonstrate a closer communication with the implied reader. Paragraphing is generally secure and pupils are learning how they can use language for specific purpose, for example persuasion. The school provides opportunities across the curriculum to write reports and accounts of ongoing work. For example, in history in Year 3 pupils wrote as legionaries to their homeland in different parts of the Roman Empire. They wrote asking for replacement tunics or of the perils of war. In Year 6 they wrote accounts of the Great Fire of London, using primary and secondary sources for accuracy but also drawing on their own experience to describe the feelings of people who lost their homes.

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ENGLISH

69. The school has intervened successfully in writing to raise standards in highly focused ways, including targeting of Year 3 for additional literacy support provided by a specifically trained teaching assistant. Children’s attainment is “boosted” in carefully planned classes to help less experienced or lower attaining pupils to make progress. The teaching of English is good overall and some aspects are very good, particularly in some junior classes. Speaking and listening opportunities are provided and allow teachers to check pupils’ understanding and pupils to demonstrate what they know or are coming to know about the subject. In contrast, the “show and tell” talking opportunities appear staged, with questioning well rehearsed from previous lessons. When pupils engaged in more spontaneous and open-ended discussion, they showed an impressive development of skills. For example, in Year 1 and 2 when they discussed the floods around Morecambe Bay, which some pupils had seen at first hand,

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ENGLISH

they had a great deal to tell about what they had seen and interesting questions to ask. Such opportunities allow them to talk for real purposes and to understand the world they live in and real issues for their community.

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ENGLISH

70. Planning is effective, drawing on the National Literacy Strategy’s framework to ensure breadth and balance and progression. Teachers ensure that pupils know what they are expected to learn within a given lesson, often recording learning objectives on the board and checking at the end of the lesson how far they have been achieved. Pupils are often drawn into this process with good effect. Pupils have their own targets recorded in the front of their books and they are encouraged to check their work in the light of these goals. Teachers use whiteboards to model writing, to record pupils’ ideas and to demonstrate families of words, for example with a similar spelling pattern. Teachers use resources well, particularly enlarged texts, including overlay acetate for marking parts of a sentence to underline a teaching point. Planning is very detailed and includes teaching aims, expectations and the learning outcomes for different pupils. In some classes, overhead projectors are also used very effectively to

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ENGLISH

71. Resources for the teaching of English are good. The school has spent a good deal of money and uses the local library loan service to improve the range of books to meet the demands of the curriculum and to improve the library resource generally. There is still, however, a good way to go to achieve a library which is a real invitation to read or one which will allow pupils to pursue personal study and enhance the development of more scholarly skills. The use of information and communication technology in the library is a good development, though the lack of space is a problem of which the school is clearly aware. Teaching assistants make a tremendous contribution to pupils’ learning and their deployment in English is particularly effective with small groups.

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ENGLISH

72. Pupils have individual targets to help them focus on developing certain aspects of their work. This is supported by good critical marking, which not only praises but also suggests areas of improvement. These strategies are clearly having very good effect on overall progress and demonstrate the school’s high level of expectation and ambition for its pupils. Handwriting is improving and very effective teaching of skills was evident in English Flookburgh CE Primary School - 29 exercise books. Pupils’ pride in their work is also evident in handwriting tasks, but this is not consistently transferred to other subjects.

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ENGLISH

73. The subject co-ordination is very good and the monitoring of pupils’ attainment and the school’s readiness to take effective action are strengths. The senior management team is highly focused on raising standards in English and very effective in achieving its improvement targets.

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MATHEMATICS

74. Results in the national tests for 2001 show that standards for pupils aged seven and eleven are well above those achieved nationally and above those of schools of a similar nature. Since 1998, standards for both seven and eleven year olds have risen faster than the national trend. There has been no consistent, significant difference between the scores of boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

75. Observations in the inspection confirm that standards for both seven and eleven year olds are above average. Pupils throughout the school make good progress and achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported through work specifically designed for them and they receive a good level of high quality individual help and also make good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

76. Standards have improved since the last inspection and this improvement can be traced to the strong leadership of the subject. This has been influential in improving standards in mathematics through a number of measures. Firstly, the successful introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy has meant that the school covers the full curriculum. It ensures the systematic development of skills and learning throughout the school and has improved confidence amongst the teaching staff. Secondly, the systematic monitoring of teaching has led to a further improvement in staff confidence and an improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection. One consequence of this has been an improvement in the presentation of children’s work, particularly in the classes of junior children, and a reduction in the number of errors. The presentation of work was an area of weakness particularly noted at the time of the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

77. In addition, an improvement and extension in the use of computers has helped to support the learning of pupils. Teachers carefully choose programs to complement work done in lessons. Good assessment procedures, involving the use of nationally recognised tests, and regular use of checklists of skills, have meant that pupils’ progress can be tracked throughout the school. Thorough analysis of pupils’ responses to these tests has allowed the identification of areas of weakness in pupils’ learning and means that teachers can plan to focus on these areas in their teaching.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Standards have also been fostered by the successful introduction of schemes to boost the levels of learning of lower attainers in the junior classes by giving them concentrated help in small groups. Some of these groups, for example in Year 6, are taken by the pupils’ class teacher, who has an extensive knowledge of the pupils and is able to use the session to consolidate and extend work done in the class lessons. An improvement in resources, including items such as overhead calculators, allows teachers to explain teaching points more clearly and create interest and enthusiasm amongst pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

79. By the time they are seven, higher attaining pupils have a good understanding of place value and are able to use decimal notation when writing amounts of money. They are developing a good mental recall of addition and subtraction facts. They recognise and list some of the properties of a range of two-dimensional and three- dimensional shapes as well as being able to identify examples of reflective symmetry. Standards in data handling are not so high and most pupils are not, as yet, as confident when communicating findings and collected information in the form of block graphs and lists or in interpreting or extracting information from graphs.

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MATHEMATICS

80. By the time they are eleven most pupils show a good and imaginative knowledge of shape. Some pupils in Year 5, as part of the mathematics in the Christmas period, produce a particularly clever tessellation based on figures of shepherds. Year 4 pupils use a computer program to make sophisticated patterns. Pupils are able to use the formula for calculating the area of a rectangle to find the area of more complex shapes. They know the angle sum of a triangle and are able to apply this information to solve problems. Pupils are not so confident in the choice of correct units to answer problems, for example, not always using square units in solutions to problems involving area. They are able to interpret co-ordinates in all four quadrants. Although pupils show good ability in number Flookburgh CE Primary School - 30 being, for example, able to multiply three figure numbers by two digit numbers, their knowledge and use of place

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MATHEMATICS

value is not so well developed as other areas. They are able to do examples involving long division but give answers using a remainder rather than as a decimal fraction. They are not always confident in manipulating figures when multiplying by ten and a hundred. Pupils occasionally give answers involving both vulgar and decimal fractions in the same number. Data handling skills are not quite so well developed as other areas. Although pupils are confident in interpreting data presented in graphical form, they are not always so confident about choosing the right form of graph to display information.

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MATHEMATICS

81. The quality of teaching is good overall. It is never less than satisfactory and is very good in nearly half of lessons. Teachers, using the National Numeracy Strategy as a basis, plan their lessons carefully setting work for pupils of different abilities. In very good lessons they do this in the mental starter section of the session as well as the main part of the lesson, thereby helping to ensure that all pupils make progress. Teachers will often set individual tasks for pupils with special educational needs, allowing them to make progress in relation to their previous learning. In the classes of younger pupils, teachers will personalise worksheets thereby creating interest, building self esteem and encouraging learning. Teachers set clear learning objectives, which they display imaginatively, and share with the pupils, returning to them continually to ensure that their pupils remain focused and are clear as

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MATHEMATICS

to what they have to do. Lessons are occasionally less successful when teachers lose sight of the objective and do not follow it through in the lesson. For example, in a lesson, the objective of which was to multiply by four by doubling and then doubling again, the teacher used an imaginative example where a fixed number of eggs were fried in a series of frying pans. The doubling process was applied to the frying pans but then not extended to the eggs. In the work set for the children, only one of the three groups was required to use the double doubling process.

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MATHEMATICS

82. Teachers have good class management skills, which means that they have confidence to allow pupils to work in groups and encourage a practical approach to the subject allowing pupils to extend their learning. Time is used effectively; pupils remain focused on their task and are productive. Good management also enables teachers to create a positive atmosphere in lessons, where pupils feel confident to give answers and ask questions. Teachers question well, encouraging pupils to extend their answers, and, to explain strategies they have used to solve problems. ‘I wonder why all the children had a different number of strides?’ asked a teacher of Year 1 pupils measuring the width of the classroom. This not only helps to consolidate the learning of the pupil being questioned but also helps the learning of other pupils. It also helps to develop pupils’ skills in speaking and listening. Because of the good relationships, teachers are able to make good use of pupils’ errors to challenge

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MATHEMATICS

pupils’ thinking and correct misconceptions. For example, the teacher of Year 6 pupils was able to show a group of pupils investigating equivalent fractions that 6/9 = 3/4 could not be correct because the same process had not been applied to both numerator and denominator. Questioning is particularly well used in plenary sessions, when teachers bring together the threads of the lesson, to consolidate and assess learning during the lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

83. Teachers use imaginative methods of assessing pupils’ understanding in lessons. For example, Year 4 pupils have fans of figures, which they hold up to show their answers to questions, enabling the teacher quickly to assess their understanding. The quality of marking of pupils’ work varies. The workbooks of younger pupils contain clear and individual targets for progress but this process is not, as yet, so well developed throughout the school. Most work in pupils’ books is marked but the marking seldom extends beyond ticks and encouraging remarks. There are relatively few comments about how pupils might improve or extend their work. There are some examples of pupils repeating work that they have clearly understood previously. For example, higher attaining pupils in Year 5 complete large numbers of addition problems, over several sessions during the term, virtually all of which they do correctly.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Pupils’ attitudes to mathematics lessons are good. Positive attitudes are encouraged by staff with imaginative displays of work; ‘Maths Glorious Maths’ is the title on one display in a Year 4 classroom. They concentrate well, even when not being directly supervised. They work collaboratively, when necessary, and are productive. Year 2 pupils, working on money problems, became so engrossed that they were reluctant to stop in order to go out to play. These good attitudes help their learning.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Numeracy is used well to support other areas of the curriculum. Year 4 pupils use syringes to measure 100ml of liquid very carefully in science lessons. Other pupils use a range of data handling techniques and graphs to record the results of their experiments. Year 3 pupils equate one ‘squirt’ of liquid to 1 millilitre. Timelines are used extensively in work on history and Year 6 pupils produce a timeline of events in the Bible. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 31

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SCIENCE

86. The attainment of the Year 6 pupils is good overall. This has improved since the last inspection, when standards were found to be satisfactory overall. Many have a wide range of knowledge across all aspects of the subject as a result of the good teaching they have experienced throughout the school. Although all pupils who took the national test in 2001 achieved the expected level, not as many of them attained the higher levels expected of more able pupils as did so in English and mathematics. Concern over this has resulted in some effective action being taken through the provision of booster lessons aimed at helping more able pupils attain standards more appropriate for their prior attainment. This already looks to be having a significant effect on the pupils’ knowledge. It is still the case that not enough opportunities are provided for pupils to develop a rigorous understanding of scientific

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SCIENCE

methods and investigation. For example, they do not have sufficient opportunities to devise their own experiments and methods of recording results.

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SCIENCE

87. The attainment of current pupils in Year 2 is good and reflects the well above average results shown by the teacher assessments over the last three years. The pupils’ attainment is strong in all aspects of the subject, including experimental and investigative science. The attainment in the Year 6 national tests, when compared to the pupils’ prior attainment when they were in Year 2, shows satisfactory progress was made. When they are compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, satisfactory attainment is again evident. Girls achieve slightly better than boys in most years, but there is no inspection or other evidence to explain why this should be.

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SCIENCE

88. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 know about the need to make a test fair, although they are still learning how to do this. In Year 1 pupils have a good understanding about things that are living or non-living. Good opportunities are provided for them to study minibeasts in the school grounds. They can label body parts accurately and also are able to draw a variety of sources of light. Year 2 pupils extend this work by beginning to classify creatures through a range of characteristics. They can experiment with materials to test whether or not they conduct electricity. When studying bodies they show a good understanding of some of the ways bodies age and change as we grow older. In one lesson that formed part of a topic on health education, pupils in Years 1 and 2 showed a good knowledge of healthy and unhealthy foods. They knew the importance of washing their hands and cleaning their teeth well.

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SCIENCE

89. Pupils in Year 3 know terms such as attract and repel through their work on forces and magnetism. Good investigations into the strength of different magnets were carried out earlier in the year. By a term later pupils were able to make very good use of computers to produce graphs of findings, following investigations into the insulating properties of different materials. Higher attaining pupils have a good idea about fair tests when they test substances to see how well they dissolve in small amounts of water. Less able ones do so with the support of the teacher. In Year 4 pupils have a better understanding of fair tests and can show what is constant and what is variable in an experiment. For example, they accurately measure the water for testing how coloured water rises up the stem of a plant. They began work in one lesson by setting good questions about the task they are undertaking. From work earlier in the year it is evident that pupils have a good understanding of how shadows are

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SCIENCE

formed and how they change size. In Year 5, pupils have a good understanding of food chains. They can distinguish vertebrates and non-vertebrates and extend this work into a topic on the human skeleton and major organs of the body. During one practical lesson, pupils measured pulse rates before and after exercise and using numeracy skills well, they devised a variety of graphs to present their findings. In Year 6, pupils undertook an experiment to test air resistance by dropping a sheet of paper that had had its surface area altered by folding. They carried out this work with a good understanding of how to do the experiment fairly and they worked together well to share the timing and recording aspects of the experiment. By the end of the session, their ability to make generalisations about air resistance had improved. During a ‘booster’ group session on the topic of light, pupils developed a good knowledge of concept mapping. Again, the work was based round a great deal of discussion

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SCIENCE

and this meant all pupils were very involved in their own learning and in explaining their thoughts and predictions.

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SCIENCE

90. In all lessons observed, pupils were at least satisfactorily involved and, in most, their attitudes towards their work were very good. They undertake practical work with enthusiasm and enjoyment and this helps them to retain the knowledge and understanding of the work they are doing. The work safely and share resources well, working in pairs or larger groups very effectively. Their written work is always neatly presented and they show a genuine pride in their work.

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SCIENCE

91. The quality of teaching throughout the school is good and in Year 6 there is some very good teaching. Throughout the school, the teachers’ subject knowledge and understanding is good and has improved since the last Flookburgh CE Primary School - 32 inspection. The good teaching in Years 1 and 2 is characterised by a good range of work being provided with appropriate resources and a lot of opportunities for pupils to discuss their work and consolidate their learning through good speaking and listening opportunities. Some of the marking in Year 1 provides a very good level of annotation to describe what pupils were doing. Less able pupils are often provided with work that is appropriately matched to their level of attainment. Good resources are provided for lessons. However, in one lesson the teacher did not ensure that an experiment to test whether warm or colder water was better for washing hands was fair, as

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SCIENCE

soap was only used with one of the bowls of water. In Years 3 to 6 good class management enables pupils to undertake practical activities safely and get the benefit of a range of resources and experiments. However, in too many cases the teacher defines the experiment and provides the method of recording. Good questioning skills are used to assess pupils’ understanding at the start and often at the end of lessons. The very good teaching in Year 6 is characterised by very good questioning, using pupils’ misconceptions as a basis for discussion. In most classes the marking of pupils’ work is too basic and does not give them a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve.

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SCIENCE

92. The subject coordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject, which he leads well. Very good monitoring and evaluations of lessons, planning and pupils’ work have taken place. In addition, discussions with pupils in different classes have provided the coordinator and senior management with evidence of strengths and weaknesses in their learning. The budget for the subject is well managed and resources are satisfactory. Better use needs to be made of the outdoor accommodation but the school has recognised this and has plans to develop this further. Very good risk assessments are undertaken for all topics. The assessment of how successful lessons have been is very good and provides a very useful basis for the use of the same plans at a future date. Equally, the very good analysis of test results is providing staff with a very clear picture of which areas of the subject they need to focus on in more detail.

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ART AND DESIGN

93. Pupils aged seven and eleven achieve standards that are broadly in line with those expected for their ages. This indicates that standards have been largely maintained since the previous inspection. It was only possible to observe a very small number of lessons in the junior classes and none in the infants. Judgements have been based on a combination of displays, sketchbooks and the lessons seen, as well as talking to pupils. Pupils in all year groups achieve well and those with special educational needs or who have English as an additional language make equally good progress.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have created some good work based on seashells. They began with observational drawing and then developed these into colour pictures with paint and crayons. Finally, they created very effective, almost abstract collages using materials and paper in appropriate colours.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Pupils in Year 6 have created some very effective watercolour paintings in the style of a local Lake District artist. Very good skills in the use of colour and the watercolour technique are evident with very good detail such as shadows on the fells. They then built on these skills to create their own landscapes which although less successful do show that the skills in the use of watercolour paints have clearly improved. They have a sound knowledge of how different pencils can give different effects but they describe the pencils in terms of darkness or lightness rather than softness. In Year 5 pupils have designed and made clay pots in the style of Ancient Egypt. Although intended as a design and technology exercise, these show a very competent use of clay and some very careful work of which pupils are very proud. In Year 4, pupils used their sketchbooks to practise making lighter and darker shades. In one lesson, they practised using paintbrushes to mix primary colours. Their knowledge of

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ART AND DESIGN

colour mixing is good and the lesson, although not very creative, provided pupils with a level of skill that they can make good use of in their future work.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. Only a small amount of teaching was observed. It was good in Year 4 but the evidence base is too small to make secure judgements about any other teaching. Pupils’ attitudes, whether working on a paint exercise, on a clay pot or talking about their work are good. They show pride in their work and are keen to talk about it with adults. Good use is being made of computer software to produce some effective and complex patterns and to design items such as bookmarks or wrapping paper. The planning includes some studies of other artists but this does not have a very high profile around the school, especially with regard to art from other cultures and parts of the world. Flookburgh CE Primary School - 33 97. The subject coordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She has had a good induction to the role of coordinator and has a clear idea of the future needs of the subject. For example, she is already aware that pupils

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ART AND DESIGN

do not have sufficient opportunities for three-dimensional creative work. Lessons have been monitored recently and the coordinator had the opportunity to work alongside colleagues in junior classes. She is aware of the range in confidence, understanding and skills among the staff. The planning is reviewed and evaluated well by teachers and coordinator to assess the success of the teaching. Examples of work are kept in records of achievement and the use of the digital camera for recording pupils’ work is becoming more frequent. The use of information and communication technology is improving and more software is now available for artwork and designing. For example, Year 3 pupils designed and produced Christmas cards using computers. The use of sketchbooks is at an early stage and they are not yet being used fully and effectively. The coordinator is aware of this and has recently attended a course on their use, which she will pass on the staff at a staff meeting shortly.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. Because of timetabling arrangements during the week of the inspection it was possible to see only one lesson in the subject. However, through a scrutiny of teachers’ planning, a study of displays and examples of completed work and discussions with pupils, teachers and the subject co-ordinator, it is possible to say that the standards reached by pupils aged seven and eleven are at least in line with those expected nationally. The school has therefore maintained the standards found at the time of the last inspection. Further useful evidence is provided through the comprehensive portfolio of work and photographic evidence kept by the co-ordinator, which acts as an invaluable guide to the standards of work and progress of pupils throughout the school. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Pupils in Year 3 make good progress because of the enthusiastic and informed teaching they receive and the challenging tasks they are set. For example, they had to

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

design and make a model worked by moving air.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. The progress of pupils throughout the school can be traced through the projects they undertake. For example, Year 2 pupils make a moveable toy using a simple winding mechanism while Year 5 pupils make a toy, which includes a moving part based on a cam. Year 6 pupils make a moving toy driven by an electric motor. The construction of the toy involves quite extensive research. This includes looking at a variety of materials; a survey of different toys, looking at wheels, materials, chassis; making models using construction kits; research on pulleys and gearing systems and designing and making the chassis and cladding for the vehicle using a range of material, including plastic.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. The food technology aspect of the subject is practically based to give the subject a sense of relevance so, for example, Year 1 and 2 pupils make a fruit salad and Year 5 and 6 pupils plan, prepare and cook a meal on a residential camping expedition. Design and technology is used well to support learning in other areas. For example, Year 1 pupils make a moving model of a chicken to support their work in religious education; Year 4 pupils revise simple electric circuits when they construct a torch; Year 5 pupils make pots in the style of the Ancient Greeks and Year 6 pupils make models of geographical features.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. There is some evidence of information and communication technology being used to support pupils’ learning. Year 5 pupils use a digital camera to record stages in the making of their pots. Year 6 pupils use the Internet for research into making a high-energy food bar. They use spreadsheets for costing a new sports kit. Pupils are not, as yet, using control mechanism to program the movements of models, although this is an area for development recognised by the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. By the time they are seven, pupils have tackled a range of topics involving a variety of materials. They have looked at food technology, at textiles when making a glove puppet and wall hanging, and at wheels and axles using construction kits and reclaimed materials. By the time they are eleven, pupils have used a wide range of equipment and materials. They speak enthusiastically about projects in design and technology and clearly understand the design, make and evaluate process. They use terms like chassis and prototype when talking about projects. They are aware of safety and hygiene issues. They have used a variety of approaches including annotated drawings and design sheets to plan projects.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. The quality of teaching in the one lesson seen was very good. A particular feature of the lesson was the very good level of discussion, with the teacher stressing the nature of change and checking pupils’ ideas on their work and getting them to evaluate the quality of their product, a clay pot. The level of questioning was particularly Flookburgh CE Primary School - 34 appropriate and was influenced by the ability of the individual pupil. The quality of the clay pots made by the pupils is high. Pupils’ attitudes to design and technology are very good. Pupils in the lesson seen worked conscientiously and took obvious pride in the finished product. Pupils speak enthusiastically about projects they have tackled and pupils in Year 6 confirmed that they still had items, such as glove puppets, that they made in Year 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. Co-ordination of the subject is effective. The co-ordinator has developed a good scheme of work, ensuring full coverage of all aspects of the subject and that pupil skills are systematically developed as they move through the school. There is a useful portfolio, which is used to moderate standards of work. Health and safety issues are taken seriously and the co-ordinator has conducted a full risk assessment. The co-ordinator has started the monitoring of teaching but this process has not been established for long enough to have had much impact on standards as yet. Resources are suitable, include a good range of construction kits, and support the curriculum effectively.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. No lessons were observed during the week of the inspection, so evidence on standards is drawn from a scrutiny of work in books and the geography displays. The work follows a recognised scheme of work and this ensures that the pupils’ learning is soundly based on what has gone before. It builds on a wide range of map- reading skills and other geography investigations. In Year 2, pupils competently transfer data about parents’ work onto a graph, which indicates good links to numeracy, and they develop good research skills through the use of a range of questionnaires. They are also contrasting urban and rural environments. For example, one pupil wrote “I dislike dogs and glass on the road. I prefer the sheep and the buttercups.” In Year 3, pupils study life in a village in Kenya and compare it to their own. In Year 6, pupils learn about the geography of London to complement the work in history on London across the ages, and as preparation for a residential visit. This brings some valuable

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Pupils throughout the school are developing their skills at drawing maps. Most understand that maps are aerial views and different from a sketch of an area. Younger pupils make pictorial maps of stories and simple journeys in the locality, while others compare changes in the coastline as steam trains and motorised travel drastically changed the appearance of the seaside towns they are studying. Very good work in Year 6 indicates that pupils have been learning about the contour map and what it shows compared to just an aerial view. The work covered is of a very high standard, allowing pupils to map out contours, draw cross-sections and build three- dimensional models of mountains.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. As at the last inspection there is insufficient evidence to give a teaching judgement, but work in books indicates that the curriculum is planned to cover all the strands of the scheme of work, with skills developing progressively. Work also indicates an appropriate focus on the local environment and comparative studies of different localities.

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GEOGRAPHY

108. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good in both infant and junior classes. Younger pupils are very interested in the “Travels of Barnaby Bear”, an intrepid travelling toy who accompanies members of the school community in their journeys around the world and who has been photographed in localities as far afield as Edinburgh and Sydney. During the week of inspection, a governor returned the bear to school after a holiday in South Africa, where it was photographed sitting in the Table Mountain Visitors’ Centre. His travels are charted on a large world map in the hall, though the mapping of his visits in the UK appears over-crowded and would benefit from the use of a separate enlarged map of the British Isles. Most classes have a map of the world for pupils to refer to. One young boy was keen to show where Sri Lanka was, which had been mentioned in his reading, and another to find out where the Arctic is as he began a story called “The Arctic Fox”.

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GEOGRAPHY

109. The co-ordinator has recently put up a map of the world to record topical events as they are reported in the news. Currently the tragic events in the Republic of Congo are recorded, but not other important items such as the opening of the Winter Olympics, the fiftieth anniversary of the accession of Princess Elizabeth, who was in Kenya when she received the news, or the visit of the Prime Minister to West Africa. For this development to raise pupils’ awareness of world events, the map must be regularly updated and annotated with brief accounts of the occurrences to which they refer. The quality and quantity of resources are satisfactory and they are being built up Flookburgh CE Primary School - 35 into useful topic boxes. Co-ordination of the subject is under-developed and monitoring needs to check it has sufficient priority in the whole school curriculum plan.

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HISTORY

110. Only two lessons were observed during the inspection, with further evidence drawn from work in books and from displays from around the school. Pupils’ attainment at age seven is satisfactory. They learn about the conditions of field hospitals at the time of Florence Nightingale and compare them with present day conditions through video resources and visits to a local hospital. They can contrast medical care then and now. Pupils are able to ask a range of questions and demonstrate what they have come to know through effective “hot-seat” dramas, where children take on the role of a historical character, for example Florence Nightingale or a wounded soldier.

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HISTORY

111. Eleven-year-olds demonstrate good historical and enquiry skills in their London project, which is preparing them for a field study visit to the capital next term. To date, the project has included study of London from Roman times to the Stuart period, through which they have looked at characteristics of London society and changes within and across historical periods. During the inspection they were studying the Great Fire of London, using extracts from Samuel Pepys’s diary to bring historical accuracy to their own writing. They use the Internet to research specific questions from the mass of information available on this event. For example they looked at the aftermath of the fire and recorded details about the development of fire-fighting and insurance services and the rebuilding of the city with more durable materials, rather than the wood and thatch used at the time of the fire. The children understand why it was that the insurance companies were the first to finance fire-fighting services. Other

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HISTORY

pupils learn about the Globe Theatre in terms of its dimensions and structure and its history from Shakespearean London to the newly constructed theatre, which they will visit on their trip. Pupils understand about the development of the city of London across the ages but are also developing very good historical enquiry skills, which they can then apply in other topics. For example, they understand that while Samuel Pepys’s account is deeply personal, it is also a more accurate primary source than that of historians over the last three hundred years. They understand that the newly built Globe can only represent the idea of theatre in the round and in the open air, where primary sources can give much more detail about the performances and the discomfort of the theatre’s amenities. Pupils show genuine interest in the historical detail, for example how Samuel Pepys went to an ale-house as the fire broke out and his genuine fear and regret as he fled to the river in a shower of sparks.

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HISTORY

Pupils are amazed at the relatively small number of deaths and are keen to speculate about how this could be the case in a city made of straw and wood. One pupil took a personal view of the events, recalling that her great-great uncle was a master baker and this gave her a strong feeling of connection to the bake house in Pudding Lane.

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HISTORY

112. Writing in books is generally good, though often used phrases such as “the city fell into decline” suggest copying wholesale rather than personal interpretations of the information pupils read. In some books, spelling of subject-specific key words is weak. This indicates that topic vocabulary is not always made available to help children with their writing. For example, the spelling of words such as “territory” and “entrance”, while phonetically plausible, were incorrect. Since the historical detail and investigation are the focus of the work, the absence of key word-lists means that pupils are struggling unnecessarily with the unfamiliar vocabulary. Pupils acknowledge their sources of research information, including websites, library books and reference material, which indicates an appropriate development of study skills and their writing clearly benefits from their research. For example, the

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HISTORY

Year 3 display indicates a wealth of precise detail about the life of a Roman soldier, including the hierarchy between a centurion and his legionaries, the weight of travelling-packs and the length of time for which the ordinary soldier enlisted.

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HISTORY

113. The quality of the teaching is good. Teachers plan well and draw on a range of good resources, including video extracts, which brings history alive for younger pupils. Resources are being built up systematically. Currently there is a lack of materials to inform pupils of the contribution and achievement of black and minority ethnic peoples. This is of particular concern in a school where there is a need to broaden pupils’ perspectives and to explain the developments of the multi-cultural Britain of which they are citizens. The co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory. Planning meets requirements and the curriculum is delivered in a two-year cycle and focuses on appropriate study units and skills. Assessments are completed at the end of each topic and focus on historical content as well as on skills. Work is produced in a history portfolio to help raise teachers’ expectations for curriculum levels. Simple assessments are used to inform individual records and reports for parents.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Pupils’ levels of attainment are above those expected at the age of seven and eleven. This represents a very good improvement since the last inspection where attainment was below that expected. Pupils achieve well and their progress in learning the skills and knowledge necessary is good. This improvement is due to better resources and training for teachers and other staff that has resulted in improved subject knowledge and understanding.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. Discussions with Year 6 pupils reveals that they are very confident when using the computers for a variety of purposes. For example, they are using the Internet to research information about London, prior to a residential visit to be held later this year. They can stretch and alter the shapes of words in word processing software. They have designed gardens and classrooms and worked with control software to draw using a screen turtle. This work is evident in Year 4 where very good, complex patterns and mathematical shapes have been produced using this software. This work builds on the use of programmable robots in the infant years. Pupils have also used data handling software to enter and interrogate information collected from the class. The use of digital camera is growing and during the inspection, Year 5 pupils made very good use of it by photographing their clay models as part of a lesson where they evaluate their designs. In Year 6, pupils recreated the radio broadcast of ‘War of the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Worlds’ using the tape recorders without much adult intervention. In one lesson, Year 4 pupils worked with a teaching assistant to open and work on wrapping paper designs from a previous lesson. Pupils can open the files, change and improve their work, save it when it is completed and print it. They can manipulate shapes on the screen, altering their orientation and moving different shapes to the background or foreground.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. In Year 1, pupils use art software to produce patterns. They can label the controls on a picture of a robot. In one good lesson in Year 1, pupils recall how to make the robot move forwards and backwards, and they understand how far it will travel. During the lesson they learn to use the ‘Wait’ button and about fifty per cent learn to use the ‘Music’ button. This work is extended with older pupils to develop their prediction skills. In Year 2 they know a range of sources for information, including electronic ones such as CD ROM. They are able to change font sizes and colours. Most of them are beginning to understand some of the ways information and communication technology is used in the real world, such as for the control of traffic lights. Much of the pupils’ written work does not reflect sufficient use of drafting, re-drafting and editing skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. A lot of use of computers and information and communication technology is made in other subjects. For example, in one history lesson pupils in Year 6 used a word processing package to answer a range of questions and write fictional accounts about the Fire of London. In previous visits, pupils have sent e-mails back to the school to tell others how they are getting on. In literacy lessons, Year 3 pupils produce words in different shapes, colours and fonts they have manipulated to reflect the word’s meaning, such as ‘thick’ or ‘rainbow’. In the after school club, Year 3 pupils design and make attractive and individual bookmarks using a design software package.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. The pupils’ attitudes towards their work are good. They use equipment sensibly, safely and with care, showing a good level of understanding in how best to use the mouse or robot. They work well and while using computers are very much focused on the task given. Where they share keyboards, they do so well and take turns appropriately. They enjoy talking about their work and show pride in sharing it with others. Many have computers at home and this is likely to have helped improve their confidence and skill levels, and this is having a beneficial effect in school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. The overall quality of teaching is good. In the Year 1 and 2 lesson observed, effective use of staff resulted in small groups being able to work in a targeted and focused way with the programmable robot, and benefiting from the attention of the teacher. She has a good relationship with the pupils and this helped encourage even the most uncertain of them to have a successful go at moving the robot. The teacher’s good clear explanations helped pupils learn the use of new controls quickly and easily. In Year 4, the very good deployment of a teaching assistant with a good level of expertise, again working with small groups of pupils, led to good progress being made in developing their skills in manipulating shapes and patterns.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. The improvements in resources have included better and faster Internet access as well as more hardware. Staff share useful websites through a notice board in the staff room and this is effective for sharing good resources and ideas. Best value is ensured through a maintenance contract with a local firm who provides a very quick response to problems. All staff have received nationally approved training, although levels of personal expertise Flookburgh CE Primary School - 37 still vary. The assessment or two or three learning objectives each term provides a sound record of how well pupils are gaining in skills and knowledge. An attachment to a whiteboard provides some ability to transfer writing from the board onto the computer but this is only partially successful. Very good links with parents were created when some did some computer training in school and this would be a very valuable activity to repeat and provide even

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

better value for money in the use of the resources now available.

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MUSIC

121. The school has a strong musical tradition that encourages and sustains high standards of achievement. During the inspection, only three lessons were observed, two taught by a specialist music teacher, and a whole- school singing Assembly. This evidence, along with written work in older pupils’ books, indicates that standards are high and achievement above that expected for the pupils’ ages.

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MUSIC

122. In the lessons the teaching is always very good. Planning gives singing a high priority and pupils are given the opportunity to develop their singing voices well. They are encouraged to sing with an awareness of melody and rhythm. In the mixed Years 1 and 2 lesson, pupils worked on a song about a bee and a bear, where they contrasted the lumbering sounds of the bear with the fast and more staccato sounds of the bee, with very good results. This was a very ambitious piece. Children rose well to the challenge, demonstrating through their singing the contrasting characters. In this lesson, however, the reading requirements of the sung dialogue were sometimes beyond the abilities of the less experienced, and this sometimes reduced the overall impact. Pupils also worked with musical instruments, choosing and ordering sounds for “a machine and a goblin” composition, using long and short and high and low contrasts. Pupils worked well in groups and they were given the opportunity

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MUSIC

to appraise each other’s early ideas, which they did with good judgement.

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MUSIC

123. In Year 5 the focus is on melody and children improvise, using a pentatonic scale. They are able to identify melody in notation, recognising when a small phrase of music is played. In compositional work pupils create melodies using the pentatonic scale against a steady pulse, which was demonstrated by a teacher and then by a pupil beating a drum. Work in Year 6 books indicates that good standards are being achieved in rhythm composition and pupils are improvising melodic and rhythmic phrasing. Work indicates that they are coming to understand the importance of lyrics, for example in popular songs such as “No woman, No Cry” and “Imagine”, to show attitude, tell a story, change a mood or raise a question. They contrast the proud, slow and solemn words and music of “God Save the Queen” with the quirky, jolly “Bob the Builder”. Pupils are also investigating the relationship between lyric and appropriate melody by choosing music to match a particular newspaper headline.

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MUSIC

While many chose football highlights, others opted for more thoughtful and subtle ideas to explore.

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MUSIC

124. Whole-school singing allows pupils to reach very good standards. Singing is also included in daily assemblies, where tuneful singing loses its overall impact as pupils are not encouraged sufficiently to bring feeling and expression to their work. Opportunities for pupils to listen to and appraise music from a range of traditions and cultures broaden their musical appraisal skills, particularly if the current resources are supplemented with a wider range of music from Asia, South America or Africa.

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MUSIC

125. The teaching is good and often very good. Work is very well planned, with specialist subject knowledge and imaginative delivery. In a Year 3 class, pupils sing and dance to the traditional music of Kenya, which enhances their study of this country in geography. In singing, they contrasted the joyful melody and dance of celebration with the slow, soothing sounds of a lullaby. The songs were sung in Swahili but the mood and meaning were clearly recognised and appreciated by the children. Such opportunity helps them understand that the common family experience of rocking a baby to sleep, whether in a village in Kenya or where they live, is often accompanied by soft singing and rhythmic movement. This is an ideal opportunity for pupils to come to understand the similarities as well as the differences of people’s experiences around the world. Pupils’ dancing movements help them to understand the musical concepts of rhythm and beat, tempo and dynamics.

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MUSIC

126. Pupils’ attitudes to music are good. They listen carefully, rise to challenges and work well in pairs and groups. They sing with good expression, when encouraged to do so, compose a musical piece and use teachers’ feedback to improve their own work, while appraising each other’s composition with good judgement. Assessment in music, along with other non-core subjects, is developing with a simple class assessment sheet. This is used to track the learning outcomes against the planned curriculum for a particular year group and across a particular area of learning, for example playing and improvising and composing melody. Musical resources are good, Flookburgh CE Primary School - 38 including tuned and untuned musical instruments and taped materials. This collection would be improved with the inclusion of resources from a wider range of cultures and musical traditions.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. By the time they reach the age of eleven, pupils attain standards that are above those expected nationally. The school offers a wide variety of experiences in its physical education programme, including a very good range of outdoor and adventurous activities. Pupils make good progress throughout the school and most pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. Standards have improved since the last inspection and this improvement can be traced to the effective leadership of the subject and the high proportion of enthusiastic and very well qualified teachers on the staff of the school. Two members of staff have considerable experience as mountain leaders and another has been specially trained to teach physical education. This means that the school is able to offer a wide range of activities. For example, the pupils have considerable opportunities to practise and develop their orienteering skills in a variety of exciting locations. They go mountain biking in Grizedale Forest, an activity they combine with a study of the sculptures that are there. They experience mountain walking and do Canadian canoeing and ghyll scrambling. Pupils also have the opportunity to go on residential camping expeditions where they can develop confidence and self-reliance by, among other things, planning and preparing their own meals.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. The good scheme of work, prepared by the co-ordinator, allows for the systematic development of children’s skills. An example of this is provided by the way pupils’ gymnastic skills are improved as they pass through the school. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 explore different ways of travelling, following commands, and changing direction at a signal. Children in Year 3 build a sequence of movements on the floor using pivot turns. Pupils in Year 4 are able to maintain a sequence of well-controlled movements on both floor and apparatus. By the time they are in Year 6 pupils, working in pairs, are able to build an extended sequence of synchronised movements involving floor and apparatus. A feature of the development of the skills is the great importance put on the children’s evaluation of their own performance and the part they are encouraged to play in the improvement of their performance. Teachers make good use of demonstration by pupils to illustrate coaching points and to initiate discussion by

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils as to how movements might be improved. Pupils in Year 4 are asked to visualise their movements before they make them so that they are able to move fluently from one to another. Pupils in Year 6 have their sequence of movements recorded with a video camera and then are asked to set their own targets for improvement, after viewing the video recording. Sometimes teachers are able to show how movements might be improved by demonstrating themselves. The lack of surprise amongst the pupils suggested that teacher demonstrations of this quality are not an unusual occurrence. Occasionally, over emphasis on the evaluation of pupils’ performance can lead to slow pace of lessons and mean that pupils have insufficient opportunities to practise their own movements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. The successful implementation of the ‘Top Play’ and ‘Top Sport’ initiatives have led to an improvement in resources and an increase in staff confidence and knowledge. Another feature of the effective leadership of the subject has been the successful introduction of assessment arrangements which allow for the tracking of the progress of individual pupils and help to ensure that pupils cover all aspects of the physical education programme. Standards in swimming are good. Year 5 pupils travel to the swimming baths in Ulverston and benefit from the expert tuition they receive there. Virtually all pupils reach the nationally expected levels and many exceed them. Pupils have a good knowledge of the effects of exercise on the body. Year 4 pupils carry out individual stretching routines covering most parts of the body as part of their warming up exercises. Year 6 pupils use terms like ‘quads’ when discussing muscle groups. It is a good target of the school that pupils have the opportunity to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

practise games skills in competitive situations in football, netball and rounders matches against other schools.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers use the good scheme of work as a basis to plan their lessons thoroughly, often including fairly precise timings and opportunities for assessment. This ensures they are confident with the content of the lesson and allows them to concentrate on improving the performance of their pupils. Teachers set a good example, and emphasise the importance of the subject, by dressing appropriately for lessons. This is an example followed by the vast majority of pupils, although some pupils are excluded from lessons because they have forgotten their kit. This is an unsatisfactory situation and one the school should review to avoid this happening. Teachers show good class management techniques, which help to ensure that pupils remain focused on the task at hand and so help their learning and development. Teachers are very careful to Flookburgh CE Primary School - 39

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

stress the health and safety aspects of the subject, laying considerable importance on the warming up and cooling down sessions of the lesson and stressing the importance of correct body positions during movements. They use praise well to build confidence and encourage further effort and a pursuit of quality. A structured programme of monitoring of teaching combined with follow up dialogue and written feedback have helped bring about an improvement in the quality of teaching, particularly in the classes of junior children. The quality of teaching in these classes at the time of the last inspection was satisfactory and is now good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. The positive attitude of teachers leads to equally positive attitudes to physical education amongst the pupils and these in turn help their development and learning. Year 4 pupils, despite being held inactive for an extended period while observing others, concentrate fiercely, observing features to adopt in their own performance. Year 6 pupils burst into spontaneous applause after a demonstration by two pupils. This is an attitude that encourages others, and is particularly helpful for pupils with special educational needs, who often lack confidence. A further example of pupils’ positive attitudes is provided by the high proportion of them who turn up for extra-curricular football and netball practices, where the high levels of good quality tuition help them develop their skills. Pupils throughout the school took part in a sponsored ‘marathon’ where they ran the distance of a marathon in relays.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Such was the enthusiasm that the sum of money raised far exceeded expectations. This money was used to provide the school with extra resources for physical education. Reports of school matches, written by the children and posted on the school’s sports’ notice board, place great emphasis on having three cheers and shaking hands with opponents.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. Resources for physical education are good and support the curriculum well. They include an adventure playground, shared with the local community, and field. This would benefit from grid markings for small-sided skill development activities. The programme for physical education is enriched by the input of outside agencies, developing skills in activities such as tennis and basketball.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. Standards at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. The school has maintained the standards found at the time of the last inspection although their have been some improvements in provision. For example, the weakness noted last time that there were too few opportunities for children to record what they found out has been successfully addressed. Pupils throughout the school produce a good amount and range of written work. Much of the written work is individual rather than merely a completion of set worksheets. Year 2 pupils are able to produce a storyboard version of the first Christmas. Year 3 pupils can write accounts about what they know about Christianity and people who inspire them, as well as their own versions of stories from the Bible. Year 4 pupils produce little dramas as well as writing quite sensitive pieces about how they would feel if placed in various situations and discussing their views on what would

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

make a perfect world. Year 6 pupils consider such spiritual matters as the nature of infinity. They also write about environmental issues but do not follow their arguments to a sufficient depth. For example, one pupil’s solution to the problem of the pollution of the sea is merely to ask people to stop polluting it. Despite this there is good progression through the school and this work undoubtedly supports pupils’ development in the area of literacy.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. Pupils in Year 2 are beginning to understand about the nature of the Christian church and support their work with a visit to the local church. They are beginning to understand aspects of symbolism through a study of the Christingle service and to note similarities between Christianity and Judaism. By the time they are eleven pupils have a good knowledge of the Bible, being able to differentiate clearly between the nature of the Old Testament and New Testament and to distinguish between characters associated with each. They can identify different genre within the Bible such as law, history and prophecy. They have the opportunity to look at various forms of the Bible and compare set texts in each for style of language. High attaining pupils are able to discuss more abstract ideas, such as Jesus being the ‘light of the world’ and connect this with the message of the Bible and suggest ways that this is represented through, for example, the design of the lectern in a church. Their knowledge of other

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

faiths is not so strong and few pupils are able to discuss even the basic tenets of a religion other than Christianity.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Teachers, using the locally agreed syllabus as their basis, plan their lessons thoroughly, setting out clear learning objectives and devise suitable strategies to achieve these objectives. They prepare well to increase the relevance and interest of their lessons. A teacher of a Year 6 class prepared eight versions of the same verse, from eight different Bibles, for her pupils to consider. Teachers provide Flookburgh CE Primary School - 40 their pupils with opportunities for discussion but do not always extend their thinking by questioning their opinions. For example, the teacher in the same lesson asked pupils their opinions on which was the easiest version to understand but did not challenge them to explain their answer. Teachers make good use of information and communication technology to support learning. The digital camera is used to record pupils involved in a

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Christingle service and the pictures are used to help consolidate pupils’ learning about the service. Teachers make good use of videos to show dramatic versions of stories from the Bible and to explain the background and environment of the Holy land. Year 6 pupils use the Internet to research into Biblical references. There are examples of insecure teacher knowledge; for example a teacher referred to ‘Mark five point four one’ rather than ‘Mark, chapter 5, verse 41’. This handicapped the pupils when they came to do their own research. Some lessons do not have sufficient religious content, for example, in a lesson for younger pupils about the parable of the Prodigal Son, there was no mention of the second son and the main activity in the lesson was making plans for a party. Insufficient thought is occasionally given to the time when topics are covered, for example, Year 3 look at the crucifixion of Christ in November.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

137. Pupils’ attitudes to religious education are good and this helps their learning. Evidence of their good attitudes is provided by the amount and quality of the written work the pupils produce. They are willing to enter into thoughtful discussion and are prepared to listen carefully to the views of others.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. Subject co-ordination is effective. The experienced and committed co-ordinator has been able to monitor teaching and has given written feedback on areas for development. Pupils’ written work has been scrutinised and evaluation meetings are held to discuss each topic. This process has been instrumental in the improvement in the standards of pupils' written work in the subject. Resources have been improved since the last inspection and support the curriculum well. Visits and visitors to the school enrich the work further. The ‘Ambassadors for Christ’, football coaches keen to spread the message of Christ, visit annually and act as good role models. The Bishop of Carlisle is due to visit the school in the near future. Year 5 pupils are to undertake the role of pilgrims and conduct a pilgrimage to Cartmel Priory.

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