Chinley Primary School

CHINLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 12 th – 13 th November 2001

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CHINLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Chinley Primary School - 2 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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CHINLEY 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. Chinley Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Buxton Road Chinley High Peak Derbyshire Postcode: SK23 6DR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 th May 1997 Chinley Primary School - 4

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Team members

11816 Geoff Jones Registered inspector 8943 Margaret Manning Lay inspector 15175 Margaret Cooper Team inspector

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Team members

Wessex Education 2 Riverside Athelhampton Dorchester Dorset DT2 7LG

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Chinley 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Chinley Primary School has seven single age group classes, including a nursery for children who attend on a part-time basis. The school has 205 pupils on roll aged between four and eleven years and is average in size compared with other primary schools. Classes vary in size and have between 20 and 36 pupils. When the youngest children are admitted to the school their attainment is above average. The school has undergone a number of changes over the last four years, including the appointment of new head and deputy head teachers. The school has changed from being a grant maintained school to a Foundation School, and this has involved changes of procedures, particularly with regard to financial management. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average. There are no pupils who speak English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs is below the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

national average and the nature of the needs are concerned with multiple learning difficulties and multi-sensory impairment. There are three pupils with statements of special educational needs. Almost a third of the pupils live in Chapel-en-le-Frith which is more urban in nature than Chinley.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school that is led well by the head teacher. Pupils try hard and produce good work because teaching challenges them to do their best. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are taught effectively and this contributes positively to the above average test results, when compared with the national averages and the good progress made by all pupils. The head teacher, staff and governors understand what the school needs to do to improve even further because they have a good view of how well pupils are doing. Priorities for development are firmly based upon improving the pupils’ attainments and improving the quality of education. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils make good gains in literacy and numeracy and achieve well because the teaching of basic skills is effective • Pupils enjoy their work, behave well, tackle activities with enthusiasm and concentrate well • The leadership and management of the head teacher have been instrumental in raising pupils’ standards • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education (RE) have improved considerably since the last inspection

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What could be improved

• The use of assessment information is not being used effectively to improve and support children’s learning in the nursery and reception classes The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1997 and has made very good improvement since then. Standards have improved in writing and mathematics for seven-year-olds and in mathematics and science for the eleven-year-olds. Pupils’ attainments in ICT have improved considerably and their knowledge and understanding of RE has improved from being unsatisfactory to good levels throughout the school. The computer suite has allowed direct teaching of skills, enabling pupils to learn and have the opportunity to practise immediately afterwards. The leadership and management of the school are now much better. There is now a definite sense of direction to the work of the school. Procedures have been introduced that enable enhancement of standards and the quality of education. The school’s budget is monitored very carefully and systems for maintaining the smooth running of the school are now in place and the administrative personnel now work very effectively. The regular

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

marking of attendance registers at the beginning of every morning and afternoon session, so that the whereabouts of pupils can be checked in the event of a fire is now in place Chinley Primary School - 7

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

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Key

The latest test results have declined compared with the previous two years’ excellent scores which placed the school in the top five per cent nationally in science and mathematics. A close examination of the special needs register for last year shows that there was a comparatively high proportion of eleven-year-olds with special educational needs and this is the reason for the slight fall in standards. The inspection found that standards, in the present Year 6, are on course to be well above national expectations by the age of eleven years in mathematics and science and on course to be above national expectations in English. Overall the pupils’ work shows that they achieve well in their time in school. Literacy and numeracy skills develop well. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress resulting from high quality provision for their education.

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Key

Children start school with well-developed all-round skills; they talk clearly. A number of them know individual letter sounds and words and almost all build satisfactorily on this good base. By the time children start Year 1, standards are good in communication, language and literacy, personal, social and emotional development and mathematical development, and their achievement is sound. Assessment procedures in the reception and nursery classes are not developed sufficiently to enable the next appropriate step in children’s learning to be planned with certainty. This slows their progress because there is not enough information for the teacher to use when planning.

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Key

By the age of seven years, standards are above average in reading and well above average in writing and mathematics. Older pupils in Years 5 and 6 use their literacy skills to good effective in other subjects; for example, they research information for history and geography and write accounts of famous people’s lives or special events. The school has set realistic and challenging targets for the future, firmly based upon what they know pupils can attain.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good; pupils sustain concentration and tackle their work with enthusiasm.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good; pupils work and play together effectively.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good; pupils show a high level of support for each other. They recognise the achievement of others and enjoy celebrating each other’s success.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good; the attendance rate is very high and pupils enjoy coming to school. Chinley Primary School - 8 Pupils’ very good attitudes towards school play a strong part in their good achievements. The school council plays an important role in making decisions. The pupils who represent their classmates express their views well, for example, in the suggestions for improving the outside play facilities.

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Teaching of pupils: Nursery and reception Years 1 - 2 Years 3 - 6

Lessons seen overall Satisfactory Good Good

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Teaching of pupils: Nursery and reception Years 1 - 2 Years 3 - 6

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: Nursery and reception Years 1 - 2 Years 3 - 6

In over nine out of ten lessons, teaching is good or better, and it is very good in just over a third. Teaching is particularly good in numeracy lessons, where teachers follow a consistent and effective approach that results in very good learning for all pupils. One of the strengths of the teaching is the very good way in which teachers manage pupils and promote a highly orderly, enjoyable and focused learning environment. This results in good learning as pupils work with effort and concentration, enjoy their work, and make good progress. They are also developing very good learning skills, including working independently, carrying out investigations, and working collaboratively. Pupils of differing abilities all make good progress in their learning because their work and the support they receive, are well matched to their needs.

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Teaching of pupils: Nursery and reception Years 1 - 2 Years 3 - 6

In the Foundation Stage there is a range of activities for young children and sound progress is made in their learning. However, there is no clear appropriate link between assessments of what children can do and the subsequent activities that are planned for them. This slows their progress in acquiring new knowledge, understanding and skills.

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Teaching of pupils: Nursery and reception Years 1 - 2 Years 3 - 6

Throughout the school, teaching is effective at drawing out pupils’ ideas and engaging them in discussions. By expecting a high level of response from the pupils, teachers get them fully involved in what is going on in the lesson. In numeracy lessons, teachers give pupils the chance to try out what they know about numbers to solve problems; the pupils enjoy being challenged, work hard as a result and extend their learning well. Teaching focuses support for individuals well because teachers have a good understanding of what pupils can do and what they need to learn next. They use the expertise of teaching assistants and volunteer parents effectively; these adults are clear about what they are expected to do and so pupils have effective individual or small group help.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good; activities are interesting and relevant to the age and interests of the pupils. Statutory requirements are met for the National Curriculum and religious education.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good; effective support is given to pupils with special educational needs. Members of staff know these pupils well and activities build in small steps of success which builds pupils’ self-esteem and confidence successfully.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good; staff provide very good examples for the pupils to follow. Older pupils are encouraged to help younger ones and some act as reading partners for reception class children.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good; the school keeps a good record of how well pupils are doing over time through the analysis of their work and test results. Chinley Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff The head teacher provides good leadership and gives a clear direction for the school. The deputy head teacher and Key Stage 1 co-ordinator play an effective role in decision-making. Members of staff are enabled to work as an effective team that strives to improve the work of the school continually. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors have an excellent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and play a very strong part in shaping its direction. The governing body fulfils its statutory duties well. The budget is checked rigorously and the school’s strategic plan is discussed and monitored regularly. The school’s evaluation of its performance Teaching is monitored regularly as a means of improving the quality. Test results are analysed to set targets and these are monitored rigorously. The school evaluates its performance well.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Support staff are very effective and work very closely with teachers. The administrative assistants enable the smooth running of the school. The budget is used wisely. The grant for special educational needs is used effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The school improvement plan is much improved since the last inspection and is now a useful tool to enable the school to continue its development. However, the criteria identified to judge the success or otherwise of the various initiatives in the plan are not always linked to improvements in pupils’ standards whenever this is possible. The school applies the principles of best value well. The governors plan to use the comparatively large sum of money that will be carried forward to the next financial year to improve the staffing levels for the early years and to eradicate the extensive problems caused by leaking roofs.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The good progress made by their children • Their children enjoy coming to school • The amount of homework the children are given is appropriate • Children are expected to work hard and achieve their best • They feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or problems • The information they receive about how their children are getting on at school • The closeness with which the school works with parents • The range of activities provided outside of lesson time

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with all of the parents’ positive views about the work of the school. Parents meet with teachers twice a year and have the opportunity to discuss the written annual report. The quality of information, other than the annual written reports on pupils’ progress, is good. There are termly newsletters, useful information about the curriculum and an induction booklet for parents of children in the Foundation Stage, all of which provide useful information for parents. However, the annual written reports have no clear targets for pupils to aim at achieving and are computer generated, resulting in information that is too generic and not specifically about individual pupils. There are meetings for parents about how to help with their children’s education at home. A home-school agreement sets out the responsibilities of both parents and the school and questionnaires seek parents’ views on the school’s work. All this indicates a willingness to work

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

closely with parents. The team feels that the extra-curricular activities provided by the school have a good range but the majority of these are only available for older pupils. However, each class has at least one educational visit per year to enrich the curriculum. These have recently included visits to Lyme Park in Stockport, Hardwick Hall in Bakewell and Eyam. In view of these factors the team feel that the provision for activities outside of lesson time is reasonable. Chinley Primary School - 10

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teaching of basic skills is effective

1. Children in the nursery and reception classes make a sound start in developing communication, language and literacy skills and in understanding early mathematical ideas. The teacher uses varied and effective ways of helping the children to learn commonly used words and mathematical words through repetition and practice. By the end of the school year children have made good progress and, for example, add and subtract small numbers of objects and place coins in order of value. Small groups of children in the nursery work with the nursery nurse to make printed patterns and during the course of this they develop vocabulary and communication very effectively. They begin to convey their ideas clearly because they are helped by the good support of adults who encourage them successfully to extend their explanations and discussions. However, children’s progress would be faster if assessment information was used to plan work that met their immediate

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teaching of basic skills is effective

needs in learning. Other adults share the content of books with children and encourage word recognition and discussion about the pictures that help them to extend their skills in communication through speaking.

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teaching of basic skills is effective

2. After the reception class, from the ages of five to eleven years, pupils meet challenges that excite and inspire them, because the teachers choose activities that make pupils think and express their views. For example, Year 6 pupils are set very challenging numerical problems to calculate in their heads. During these whole class sessions they are asked to explain their reasoning and in so doing clarify their own thinking and enable others to learn from them. In numeracy lessons, teachers recognise the need for pupils to learn number facts and provide time for repetition and practice; this leads to pupils having rapid recall of these facts and helps them to solve problems quickly. It also leads to good work rates and pupils producing accurate work across a wide range of mathematics. This builds pupils’ confidence and they try things out for themselves because they receive well-focused praise when they succeed. Carefully framed questions to help them think more deeply, they

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teaching of basic skills is effective

often provide an accurate answer to the question asked. Teachers ask questions in lessons that make pupils think hard and justify their answers. Pupils’ understanding is helped in this way and as a result, for example, Year 6 pupils not only measure angles accurately and know the difference between acute, obtuse and reflex angles but can also calculate the areas of triangles. Members of staff working with pupils have a good knowledge of how to teach numeracy; they consistently use the correct mathematical terms, fostering good habits in the pupils, and work matches the differing levels of attainment in the classes.

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teaching of basic skills is effective

3. Pupils cover a good range of reading and writing activities in literacy lessons. These enable pupils to develop the skills of interpreting text and gathering information from different sources. There are also good opportunities for pupils to express their thoughts and feelings in writing, for example, through poetry and accounts of events in their own or other’s lives. Pupils show interest in what they are doing and make suggestions in the security of knowing staff will value their views. This is evident from the very youngest children through to Year 6 and pupils confidently engage in talk and put forward their ideas. This has a significant impact upon how well the pupils learn in lessons. Teaching exploits the pupils' abilities to share their ideas and thoughts, and usefully build upon the suggestions put forward. For example, Year 5 pupils discuss an extract from Dylan Thomas’ ‘Under Milk Wood’ clearly. They follow

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teaching of basic skills is effective

Chinley Primary School - 11 this up by generating their own colour adjectives in the style of Dylan Thomas. Their ideas include examples such as ‘sweet corn yellow’ showing a good understanding of the style and approach of the author. Subsequently, they discuss how they will frame their own autumn poems, showing a good understanding of how to plan a poem.

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teaching of basic skills is effective

4. An interesting lesson for seven-year-old pupils demonstrated well how their spelling was improved as a result of interesting teaching that involved a hand puppet that made deliberate mistakes. Groups of letters on cards, picture cards and Velcro strips also allowed pupils to assemble groups of letters into words. Later in the lesson a number of pupils evaluated the relative merits of four sets of instructions. The nature of the task was challenging and they rose to this task well and worked productively with good concentration. They recognise that written instructions can have a variety of forms, including recipes and instructions on how to play games. They write their own instructions for seed packets in a clear and concise manner knowing that there is no room for different interpretations of what they write. This is because the teaching provided makes useful reminders for them. The relevance to pupils’ other

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teaching of basic skills is effective

work is also carefully considered and work on seed packets is a good example of this because it links closely with the class work on ‘Jack and the Bean Stalk.’

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teaching of basic skills is effective

5. Pupils’ good achievement over time in literacy and numeracy reflects the strengths in teaching and the pupils’ own thirst for knowledge. Both of these ensure that learning is good and that attainment is above average by the age of eleven years. Teachers’ marking is very helpful to pupils’ progress because it provides them with useful guidance on how their work could improve further. Pupils take note of the comments and strive to make their work better as a result.

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concentrate well

6. Pupils enjoy school because there are absorbing and challenging activities on offer and lessons usually stimulate the pupils’ interest. The pupils are eager to learn and their enthusiasm in lessons is evident in their lively talk and the way they concentrate on what they are doing. Even when some find work rather challenging they persevere and make every effort to overcome their difficulties.

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concentrate well

7. Reception children work well with each other and are confident and relaxed when participating in the activities planned for them. They learn well through planned play activities that each have an aim. They establish good working relationships with each other and with adults. For instance, a visitor is offered an imaginary cup of tea by one of the children in the ‘home corner.’ Older children work independently, and both boys and girls share ideas well and sustain interest in what they are doing. Children behave very well, and along with their natural curiosity, this makes the classroom a happy place to be.

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concentrate well

8. Throughout the rest of the school, pupils build effectively upon the positive attitudes developed in the nursery and reception classes. Pupils in the younger classes listen well and this shows in the way they quickly settle to their work. It also reflects in the manner in which they explain what they are doing and answer questions. Both boys and girls offer their ideas willingly; the teacher effectively chooses texts that capture both boys’ and girls’ imaginations and this sustains their interest. Older pupils co- operate well and check what they are doing to avoid errors, for example when calculating times of the day in different world time zones. Their speaking skills are very good and they confidently discuss what they are doing. Both boys and girls are eager to take part in lessons and this was evident by the number of keen volunteers Chinley Primary School - 12 from Year 5 to read aloud from Robert Burns’ poem ‘My Heart’s in the Highlands’.

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concentrate well

The pupils’ thirst for knowledge and the way they concentrate and work hard make lessons run smoothly, aid learning and contribute well to the high standards they attain.

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concentrate well

9. Pupils play together very well in the playground. They have very good relationships with each other and with the staff. They willingly play together and older pupils watch out for those younger than themselves. The very good behaviour on the playground is also evident in lessons and around the school. Pupils are trustworthy and work independently of adult support, for example, in the ICT suite when practising drawing symmetrically using a computer mouse. This reflects the maturity that many pupils show in and around the school when they move from classrooms to the hall or out onto the playground. Year 6 pupils learn to understand the feelings of others when they discuss how it feels to be teased and relate the discussion to the playground.

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concentrate well

10. Members of the school council play an active part in the decision-making process in the school and represent their classmates well. The council gives pupils insight into how decisions have to be based upon a clear idea of what needs to be achieved and should reflect what is best for the majority of pupils. For example, they discuss one or two difficulties that occur during break times in terms of shortage of equipment for them to play with and the length of time it takes staff to drive off the playground in their cars at lunchtimes They are an active group that recognise that their views or ideas might not be acted upon but expect the reason to be fair and justified.

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raising pupils’ standards

11. The head teacher was appointed soon after the previous inspection and has introduced successfully a range of effective processes that have resulted in improving standards throughout the school. Firstly, teachers were appointed as subject co-ordinators to lead the development of different subjects in the National Curriculum and religious education. Secondly, the head teacher monitors teaching regularly in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. Thirdly, challenging targets for individual pupils are set so that all pupils improve their levels of attainment. Lastly, a more comprehensive school improvement plan has been introduced that details how the initiatives are to be achieved successfully. This has provided a much-needed framework on which to develop the school.

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raising pupils’ standards

12. Subject co-ordinators have been allocated time to evaluate the subject that they lead and this has necessitated observations of lessons in English, mathematics and science. They monitor samples of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning in order that they can ensure that classes are following the agreed curriculum of the school and so that they can identify strengths and weaknesses in the subject. As a result of this, teachers have been given support in subject areas in which they are less strong. Pupils’ learning has benefited from this and standards have been raised.

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raising pupils’ standards

13. The head teacher also monitors teaching regularly. She evaluates the lessons thoroughly and provides advice on how to improve the quality of teaching. This has improved aspects of lessons such as the effectiveness of teaching methods and teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve. This led to better pupil progress in acquiring subject knowledge and understanding, particularly amongst the higher attaining pupils. Chinley Primary School - 13 14. Class teachers are required to evaluate pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding rigorously in reading, writing, mathematics and science and to set challenging but realistic targets for their attainment. Teachers identify strategies that will support pupils in achieving their targets and this gives them the help they need in focusing on each individual step necessary to reach the goals. For example, standards in spelling have improved in Years 1 to 6 as a result of identifying the needs of pupils.

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raising pupils’ standards

15. The school improvement plan has provided a strong framework to guide the school’s development. Governors play an important part in discussing and finally drawing up the contents of the plan. It sensibly covers a period of three years and each subject co-ordinator has an individual plan to improve the work in the subject they lead. The priorities are identified through a school self-review process that leads to a clear recognition of the most urgent needs. Targets to be achieved are established and dates are set for when the success of each initiative is to be evaluated. However, one aspect that could be improved is for the school to link the criteria to be used for the evaluation with improvements in pupils’ attainments. For example, when new resources are purchased for use in the classroom the school should expect pupils to gain in what they know, can do or understand. This does not detract from the

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raising pupils’ standards

usefulness of the improvement plan to the school. It has been instrumental in improving the pupils’ levels of attainment in general. The school budget is used very wisely for the benefit of the pupils. Although there is a comparatively large sum being carried forward to the next financial year the governors plan to use this to improve the level of staffing in the early years and to eradicate the extensive problems caused by leaking roofs.

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education (RE) have improved considerably since the last inspection

16. Pupils’ attainments in ICT at the time of the last inspection were judged to be meeting with national expectations. Levels of attainment are now above what is expected for seven-year-olds and eleven-year olds. The installation of an ICT suite has been instrumental in improving pupils’ attainments and rate of progress. It has enabled large groups of pupils to participate in demonstrations of how to use a range of facilities and to try these out for themselves. Since the previous inspection the computers have been networked, more computers have been installed in classrooms and further professional training has been provided for teachers to improve their own skills. There is much interest in ICT amongst the pupils and this is reflected in the popularity of the school’s computer club and its construction of a school website on the Internet.

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education (RE) have improved considerably since the last inspection

17. In an interesting lesson for Year 2, pupils worked quietly and enthusiastically to acquire skills in a systematic way. By the end of the lesson they had learned how to import graphics and combine these with the text they had written. Year 4 pupils used the computers to draw symmetrical designs to link with their mathematics lesson on symmetry. They used a computer mouse skilfully to draw designs, introduce colour by using the ‘paint’ facility, draw a frame around the designs and use the ‘clip’ facility to produce repeating patterns of their efforts. Although it was not possible to observe a Year 6 lesson, a small group of eleven-year-old pupils were asked to demonstrate their ICT skills. They use formulae in conjunction with spreadsheets and the Internet to download biographies of well-known people as a basis for making notes for their research to link with English projects. They use a digital camera competently and

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education (RE) have improved considerably since the last inspection

transfer the pictures on to the school website. They are all very confident at loading programs, saving their work, analysing data, using a control box to control traffic lights and using ‘Logo’ to draw a variety of shapes quickly using the repeat facility. This represents a good level of achievement at this stage. Chinley Primary School - 14 18. Attainment and progress in RE were judged to be unsatisfactory at the time of the last inspection. It was not possible to observe any religious education lessons during the present short inspection but a scrutiny of pupils’ work and an interview with the subject co-ordinator indicate that attainments are now above the levels expected for both seven- and eleven-year-olds. Pupils are now encouraged to relate what they have learned in religious education lessons to their own lives or to think about issues from another person’s point of view and this has helped greatly to improve their

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education (RE) have improved considerably since the last inspection

19. Year 2 pupils have a good recall of Bible stories and a good understanding of a range of religious ceremonies such as marriages and baptisms. They also understand the basis of festivals such as Christmas, Easter and Diwali. Year 6 pupils are encouraged to think carefully about religious ideas and practices. For example, they think deeply about initiation ceremonies such as enrolment as a Girl Guide and link their thinking with religious initiations such as baptisms. They give their opinions about the ten commandments or write accounts of Biblical events as if they were the person to whom they were happening. For instance, Year 4 pupils write a diary from the point of view of James and make entries such as ‘I am sitting on the edge of a dusty road, waving a palm branch, waiting for Jesus to come trotting along on his donkey,’ etc. Pupils discuss and evaluate the work needed to win awards such as a Nobel peace prize, an Oscar or winning team points in school.

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education (RE) have improved considerably since the last inspection

Their thinking then focuses on awards in school and why God might be pleased with the recipients. They share opinions about whether certain actions are good or bad, such as gambling, killing animals or drinking alcohol and relate these to the views of followers of different religions such as Islam or Sikhism. Such widening of the horizons enables pupils to gain greater insight into the beliefs of different religions and helps them to appreciate their underlying values.

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the nursery and reception classes

20. Whilst assessment procedures are largely effective for pupils in Years 1 to 6, they are not sufficiently effective in meeting the needs of the children in the Foundation Stage. There is a short weekly planning meeting involving the nursery nurse and the reception class teacher but there is insufficient time to cover the strengths and weaknesses of individual children’s achievements. The meeting takes place during part of a lunch break and there is not enough time to cover adequately the assessment of individual children’s efforts during the past week and connect this with planning for the coming week.

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the nursery and reception classes

21. Assessments take little account of the ‘stepping stones’ for children’s learning outlined in the latest guidance on planning for teaching and learning in the early years. These provide a very useful framework for the stages leading to children’s acquisition of the early learning goals 1 in all the areas of learning 2 . Because the

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the nursery and reception classes

Early learning goals form the final stepping stones and set out what children are expected to know by the end of the reception year before starting the National Curriculum in Year 1.

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the nursery and reception classes

2 There are six areas of learning for the Foundation Stage – personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development; and, creative development. Chinley Primary School - 15 different stages in children’s successful acquisition of the early learning goals are not taken into account it is difficult for planning to support the next steps in children’s learning.

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the nursery and reception classes

22. This lack of focus on individual steps is reflected in the weaknesses in monitoring children’s responses to the activities planned for them. There is not enough emphasis on assessing children’s progress through being able to look at, touch and talk about what they see, hear and feel. Groups of children working in the nursery, for example, are not monitored sufficiently to be able to make judgements on their progress towards meeting the early learning goals. For instance, one group of children working at imaginary activities in a builder’s yard were not monitored or talked to sufficiently to judge their various achievements. In addition, the frequency with which children participate in the activities planned is not checked to ensure they receive a balanced curriculum.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

23. To improve pupils’ achievement and maintain the high standards the school attains the senior managers and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve assessment of the achievements of children in the Foundation Stage and planning of activities in order to improve their attainment and progress further by: • ensuring there is sufficient time allocated to planning meetings between the reception class teacher and the nursery nurse so that assessments of children’s achievements can be applied to planning work that will meet their need; (20) • making use of the ‘stepping stones’ framework in the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage to assess children’s achievements; (21) • monitoring the frequency with which children participate in different activities to ensure they receive a balanced curriculum; (22) • using the assessment information more carefully so that it is used to plan the next appropriate steps in children’s learning. (21) (22) Chinley Primary School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 13

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 23.5 53 23.5 0 0 0 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 five percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 193

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 3 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 26

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Chinley Primary School - 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 12 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 10 11 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 12 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 88 (100) 92 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 10 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 12 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 22 11 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 20 20 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 9 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (94) 88 (94) 97 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 20 20 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 9 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (97) 88 (100) 97 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Chinley Primary School - 18

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total income 446857

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 437164

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 77 Expenditure per pupil 1960

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 40065

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0 Balance carried forward to next year 49758

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 15

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 9 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Chinley Primary School - 19

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Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

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Questionnaire return rate

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

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Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 48 45 4 3 1

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Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 43 5 2 6

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Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 55 8 1 1

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Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 29 38 22 8 2

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Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 50 41 6 3 1

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Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 34 2 1 1

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Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 27 40 19 8 6

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 48 36 4 6 6

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 43 43 4 4 6

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Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 28 36 22 5 8

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