Twiss Green Community Primary School

RODE HEATH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Heath Avenue, Rode Heath, Stoke-on-Trent

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RODE HEATH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th – 10 th May 2001

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RODE HEATH PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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RODE HEATH 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. Rode Heath Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Heath Avenue Rode Heath Stoke-on-Trent

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Ian Stevenson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 28 th April 1997 Rode Heath Primary School - 2

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Team members

23696 Mr Johnny Morris Registered inspector 9981 Saleem Hussain Lay inspector 4350 Richard Clive Whittington Team inspector

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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 Rode Heath Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

Rode Heath Primary school is situated in a small, semi-rural village in South Cheshire. With 179 pupils between four and 11 years of age, it is smaller than many other primary schools. There are 16 children in the Foundation Stage. All of the pupils except two are white and two Swedish pupils have English as an additional language; this is equivalent to a below average percentage. Thirteen per cent of pupils have special educational needs and less than one per cent have a statement of special educational needs; these percentages are low. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average but, at eight per cent, is significantly higher this year than in any of the previous five years. The socio-economic circumstances of the pupils are generally favourable but available data shows that the pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is broadly average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school with many outstanding features. Standards are high, with the exceptional links made between different subjects being a major factor in the pupils’ wide-ranging achievements. Teaching and learning are very good throughout the school. Leadership and management by the headteacher and key staff and teamwork among all staff are excellent. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards are well above average. Pupils achieve very well throughout the school in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology, art, design and technology, geography and history. • The quality of teaching is very good throughout the school. The uniformity and consistency of the teaching in all classes and subjects result in pupils learning very well. • There is a very clear sense of purpose and educational direction to the work of the school. This arises from the outstanding leadership of the headteacher, excellent support by key members of the staff and very effective teamwork by all members of staff. • Learning opportunities are very good. The school very successfully meets the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. • The provision for the pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral and social development is very good and the

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What the school does well

provision for their cultural development is excellent. • The pupils’ attitudes to school and their personal development are very good. Behaviour varies from excellent to satisfactory and is good overall.

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What could be improved

• There are no significant shortcomings. 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

Improvement since the previous inspection, in 1997, has been very good. The school has made at least good progress in relation to the four key issues for action identified at that time. In particular, provision made for and standards achieved in, design and technology have improved dramatically in relation to those reported previously. National funding to reduce class sizes has been used very effectively. The quality of teaching has improved considerably. The school is well placed to maintain standards or to improve further. Rode Heath Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

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

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Key

Because of the relatively small number of pupils in each year group, statistical analysis of pupils’ performance should be viewed with some caution. The average points grades in the table above does not fully reflect the fact that standards in this school are high with no significant variations or weaknesses. The similar schools grades (based on the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals) for both English and mathematics would have been above average if only one pupil had achieved a higher National Curriculum level. Most significantly, the statistics show that the pupils who were 11 in 2000 made good progress in English and very good progress in mathematics and science in relation to what they achieved at age seven in 1996.

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Key

Attainment on entry is broadly average. As a result of very good teaching and learning opportunities in the reception class, the youngest children make very good progress and achieve above average standards, in all of the nationally recommended areas of learning by the end of the foundation stage. Standards achieved by seven year-olds are well above average in reading and writing and very high in mathematics, both in comparison with all schools and similar schools. Standards of work are very high in all other subjects that inspectors were able to examine.

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Key

Standards achieved by 11 year-olds are well above average in English, mathematics and science taken together in comparison with all schools nationally. They are above average or better in these and other subjects compared with similar schools. Because the school successfully identifies individual needs, pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language and those as having particular strengths, for example in reading, writing or sport, make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. All pupils enjoy school and work very hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms In lessons and at other times, behaviour ranges from excellent to satisfactory and it is good overall.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. There are very good relationships between pupils and adults and amongst the pupils. Pupils work well on their own and with others.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. Attendance is consistently above the national average. Rode Heath Primary School - 6

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

Lessons seen overall Very good 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: Aged up to 5 years Aged 5-7 years Aged 7-11 years

Teaching and learning are consistently very good throughout the school. Twenty lessons were observed and the quality of teaching was satisfactory or better in all of them. The teaching was good or better in 95 per cent, it was very good or better in 75 per cent and it was excellent in a quarter of all the lessons seen. Judgements from these observations are confirmed by the examination of pupils’ work.

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

English and mathematics are taught very well. Pupils acquire and understand the key skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology very well as a result of the very good direct teaching of these skills and the application of them in other subjects. Teachers successfully plan for and meet the needs of all the pupils very well, including the most able, those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs. Teachers have high expectations that all pupils can and will learn and reward success, for example, through praise and marking, so that all lessons are characterised by a busy but calm atmosphere.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The school provides a wide range of relevant and interesting learning opportunities. The work in the reception class is planned very well in accordance with the nationally recommended early learning goals. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are planned and delivered very effectively. Excellent links are made between the different subjects. Personal, social and health education and education in citizenship are provided.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The school meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs very well, including those with physical disabilities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The very good provision made by the school and by the local education authority results in these pupils making very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school makes very good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. Pupils are prepared very well for the next stage of their education. The provision for the pupils’ cultural development, both in terms of understanding their own cultural heritage and the world at large, is excellent.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good overall. Procedures for pastoral care are good and relationships between adults and pupils are very good. The school’s assessment procedures are very good in the foundation stage and in English, mathematics and science.

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Aspect Comment

A very notable feature of this school is its very strong partnership with the pupils’ parents and the local community. This has a very positive impact on the pupils’ learning and personal development. Rode Heath Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher provides excellent leadership. All teachers with significant responsibilities are very effective in their roles and all the staff demonstrate very strong teamwork and an outstanding sense of purpose.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors are fully informed and meet their statutory responsibilities well.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school analyses the results of national tests rigorously, particularly comparing standards achieved by boys with those achieved by girls. It compares its performance with all schools, similar schools and other schools locally. The quality of teaching and learning is closely monitored and evaluated. The school measures what it does effectively and seeks to improve its provision constantly.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Excellent. National class size funds and standards funds have been used very effectively. The school makes very good use of particular teacher expertise. Modern technology is used extremely well throughout the work of the school, exemplified by the excellent school web-site described by staff as “at an early stage of development”.

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Aspect Comment

The school applies the principles of best value very well by comparing its performance with other schools, constantly seeking ways of improving itself and using available funding wisely.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Of the parents who returned questionnaires, 95 per cent or more think that: • the school helps their child become more mature and responsible; • the teaching is good; • the school expects their child to work hard and try his or her best; • they can always approach the school with suggestions or problems; • the school is well led and managed; • behaviour is good; • their child likes school; • their child is making good progress; • they are well informed about their child’s progress ; and • the school works closely with them. Some parents think that: • their child does not get the right amount of homework. A few parents think that : • the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ very positive views of the school and disagrees with the concerns expressed. Homework is good throughout the school. The school provides a very good range of interesting activities at lunchtime and after school and also provides extensive educational visits and residential experiences. Rode Heath Primary School - 8

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mathematics, science, information and communication technology, art, design and

1. Pupils achieve very well throughout the school. The quality of teaching and the pupils’ interest and involvement in lessons result in very good learning in lessons and substantial gains in knowledge, skills and understanding over time. This very good progress starts in the reception class and is sustained year on year. Standards in this school are high, with no significant variations or weaknesses. Variations in National Curriculum results have been due to one or two pupils in particular year groups performing at a lower level than the majority. This has had a disproportionately negative impact on the average points scores in English and mathematics in 2000. Because the school successfully identifies individual needs, pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language and those having particular strengths, for example, in reading, writing or sport, make very good progress.

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mathematics, science, information and communication technology, art, design and

2. Attainment on entry is broadly average. As a result of very good teaching and learning opportunities in the reception class, the youngest children make very good progress and achieve above average standards in all of the nationally recommended areas of learning by the end of the foundation stage. The pupils’ work shows particularly good progress in writing because they complete an enormous amount for their age. They move at a rapid rate from copying to independent writing using well- formed letters and basic punctuation. The teacher uses specific strategies such as guidelines to help less able children produce a small amount of well-presented writing. The more able pupils write stories very well for their age and these are beautifully illustrated.

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mathematics, science, information and communication technology, art, design and

3. Standards achieved by seven year-olds are above average in reading, well above average in writing and very high in mathematics, both in comparison with all schools and similar schools. They have been consistently high since 1997 and results in the national tests in reading, writing and mathematics have risen at least in line with the national trend. The percentage of pupils who achieve the higher than expected National Curriculum Level 3 has increased year on year. Standards of work are very high in all other subjects that inspectors were able to examine. Pupils have personal targets, which they know and understand, in key skills such as writing. Writing is neat and well-formed and more able seven year-olds use a cursive script confidently and consistently. Pupils present their work very well in different ways and contexts such as stories, poems, lists, speech bubbles and bullet points. One pupil, with English as an additional language,

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mathematics, science, information and communication technology, art, design and

has made particularly good progress in understanding tenses.

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mathematics, science, information and communication technology, art, design and

4. Standards achieved by 11 year-olds are well above average in English, mathematics and science taken together in comparison with all schools nationally. They are above average or better in these and other subjects compared with similar schools. These judgements are made on the pupils’ performance over the past five years and inspectors’ examination of current work. Standards have improved in line with the national trend since 1996. A very high proportion of pupils consistently achieves the higher than expected National Curriculum Level 5 in science and reading. Standards are still high but the percentages at Level 5 have shown more variation in writing and mathematics. The only pupils who do not achieve the expected Level 4 are those with special educational needs. These judgements arise from analysis of the results of the National Curriculum tests and the teachers’ records of standardised reading tests.

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mathematics, science, information and communication technology, art, design and

5. Pupils are very good listeners and express their understanding and opinions very well, for example, pupils in Year 4 who infer, from subtle clues in the text and illustrations, that a child in a story may be an orphan. Examination of pupils’ work and lesson observations show that many pupils write very well by the time that they leave school. Stories are extensive and imaginative and feature very good use of paragraphs, adjectives and adverbs and different characters expressing different opinions. The extensive comments made by the teacher in the pupils’ books reinforce the pupils’ Rode Heath Primary School - 9 successes and draw attention to spelling and punctuation errors. Pupils understand and use very large numbers confidently and explain how they solve mathematical problems very clearly.

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mathematics, science, information and communication technology, art, design and

6. The high standards achieved in literacy and numeracy provide a solid foundation for the pupils’ wide- ranging achievements across the curriculum. Year 1 pupils write clear instructions when making flip-flops in design and technology, and they use vocabulary well when writing descriptions of different sounds in work linking music and science activities. Similarly, information and communication technology is used to enhance pupils’ learning and allow them to present their work in different ways. Year 3 pupils have word-processed their descriptions of monsters very well and Year 4 pupils have produced a range of graphs and charts to show the findings of their surveys. Pupils know how to access the Internet and send electronic mail and, during the inspection, were learning how to use a camera attached the computer. Computers and other special equipment are used very well to enable pupils with physical difficulties to present their work neatly.

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mathematics, science, information and communication technology, art, design and

7. Pupils in Year 6 write very well in their science, religious education, geography and history books. They understand how to present work in different ways for different purposes and have a good understanding of the value of repeating scientific experiments to validate their findings. The pupils’ ‘study work books’ contain a substantial amount of high quality writing on a wide range of topics and projects. Examples include comparisons of Greek and Stoke-on-Trent pottery in history, a study of Kenya and records of local visits in geography and Bible stories in religious education. The high quality presentation, including illustrations and borders, in these books, and especially on the covers, demonstrate very high standards in art and design. For example, a less able pupil’s illustrations are extremely effective visually and provide evidence of real effort and perseverance. Pupils have made substantial gains into understanding how different people live, for example through

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mathematics, science, information and communication technology, art, design and

finding out about schools in Kenya and South Africa. They have made very high quality African-style masks, working in pairs, and explain how they did this in great detail. This involved planning, choosing materials, making, decorating and evaluating.

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The quality of teaching is very good throughout the school. The uniformity and consistency of

the teaching in all classes and subjects result in pupils learning very well.

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The quality of teaching is very good throughout the school. The uniformity and consistency of

8. Teaching and learning are consistently very good throughout the school. Twenty lessons were observed and the quality of teaching was satisfactory or better in all of them. The teaching was good or better in 95 per cent, it was very good or better in 75 per cent and it was excellent in a quarter of the lessons seen. Excellent lessons were seen in the reception class, in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 literacy and in Year 2 numeracy. Judgements from these observations are confirmed by the examination of pupils’ work, particularly the range and relevance of work covered and the teachers’ high expectations being reinforced by their marking.

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The quality of teaching is very good throughout the school. The uniformity and consistency of

9. English and mathematics are taught very well. Booster classes, ‘maths club’ and ‘Springboard Maths’ are some examples of activities outside lessons which reinforce and extend learning in the classroom. Pupils acquire and understand the key skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology very well as a result of the very good direct teaching of these skills and the application of them in other subjects. Reading, spelling and handwriting are taught very well in discrete sessions and reinforced and developed in all subjects. A very good emphasis is placed on the pupils’ understanding and ability to explain how they solve number problems from an early age.

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The quality of teaching is very good throughout the school. The uniformity and consistency of

10. Homework is good throughout the school and effectively extends what the pupils learn during lessons, particularly in English and mathematics. As well as providing very regular reading, spelling and number tasks, teachers ask pupils to carry out additional tasks, such as pupils in Year 2 thinking of alliterative sentences at home for their book, ‘Animalia’. Older pupils complete a large number of commercially produced worksheets at home. This activity effectively consolidates work undertaken during lessons, where the majority of tasks are challenging and involve pupils presenting work in appropriate ways in different subjects.

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The quality of teaching is very good throughout the school. The uniformity and consistency of

11. Teachers have very good knowledge of the National Curriculum subjects at primary level and the prior attainment of the pupils in their class. This enables them to plan successfully for and to meet the needs of all the pupils very well, including the most able pupils, those with English as an Rode Heath Primary School - 10 additional language and those with special educational needs. Separate tasks are provided for different ability groups of pupils, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Specific provision is currently made for pupils identified as being particularly able in reading, writing and football.

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The quality of teaching is very good throughout the school. The uniformity and consistency of

12. Teachers have high expectations that all pupils can and will learn and reward success, for example through praise and marking, so that all lessons are characterised by a busy but calm atmosphere. Pupils are encouraged to contribute to whole class discussions and teachers listen carefully to their answers and value their opinions. These exchanges take place in books as well as lessons. For example, one pupil wrote, “I got a bit stuck”, and the teacher replied, “I will go over them with you again.” However, on one occasion, a pupil who raised her hand many times was not noticed. During individual tasks, pupils learn very well because they are provided with interesting, challenging activities and they are enthusiastic and diligent. Individuals are given time to pursue their own learning, for example children in the reception class making their own little books about their homes.

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The quality of teaching is very good throughout the school. The uniformity and consistency of

13. All lessons start and end with teacher explanations to the whole class and teacher-pupil discussions. The length of these is appropriately varied in accordance with the subject and lesson content. Pupils are told what the lesson is about and what they will be learning. Very good reference is made to what has been learnt previously, for example, in literacy and numeracy lessons in Year 6. Lessons are very well organised and learning materials carefully chosen, prepared and to hand. Very good use is made of available adults, accommodation and resources. In Year 6, the classroom is only just big enough for the current number of pupils and is an irregular shaped room. The teacher very effectively manages this potentially difficult situation and organises lessons so that all pupils carry out practical activities, such as scientific experiments and investigations. Planned building work, to improve the shape of this room in the very near future, has been approved by the

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The quality of teaching is very good throughout the school. The uniformity and consistency of

There is a very clear sense of purpose and educational direction to the work of the school.

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This arises from the outstanding leadership of the headteacher, excellent support by key

members of the staff and very effective teamwork by all members of staff.

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This arises from the outstanding leadership of the headteacher, excellent support by key

14. The headteacher provides excellent leadership. All teachers with significant responsibilities are very effective in their roles and all the staff demonstrate very strong teamwork. This results in an outstanding sense of purpose and successful implementation of the school's primary aim of ‘meeting all the needs of all of the pupils’. The governors are fully informed and meet their statutory responsibilities well.

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This arises from the outstanding leadership of the headteacher, excellent support by key

15. An outstanding feature of the school is its approach to self-evaluation and improvement. The school has responded very positively to its previous inspection report, the national strategies for literacy and numeracy and local education authority monitoring of the implementation of them, and the rapid pace of change in modern technology. The school analyses the results of national tests rigorously, particularly comparing standards achieved by boys with those achieved by girls and examining the comparative achievements of older and younger pupils in the same year group. It compares its performance with that of all schools, similar schools and other schools locally and repeatedly asks the question, "Are standards high enough?"

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This arises from the outstanding leadership of the headteacher, excellent support by key

16. There are rigorous assessment procedures to find out what pupils know, understand and can do, and this information is used very well to plan what they need to do next, particularly in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. Although assessment procedures are rather informal in other subjects, the school very effectively considers pupils' achievements across the curriculum. The quality of teaching and learning is closely monitored and evaluated, particularly by the headteacher and deputy headteacher. In a school of this size with such a strong commitment to self-evaluation and self-improvement, the daily informal contacts between staff are an important factor in the teachers’ knowledge of the pupils and each other’s work. The headteacher has a substantial teaching commitment. She has in the past taught literacy and numeracy and currently teaches non-core subjects. The school development plan is an effective,

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This arises from the outstanding leadership of the headteacher, excellent support by key

detailed key tool for the management of change. It contains very appropriate objectives and targets and demonstrates how carefully this school measures what it does and seeks to improve its provision. Rode Heath Primary School - 11 17. The school makes excellent use of available staffing, accommodation, learning resources and funding. National class size funds and standards funds have been used very effectively to improve the quality of teaching and raise standards. Partly as a result of issues in the previous inspection, the school has explored ways of utilising particular teacher expertise. This is seen currently, for example, in mathematics teaching in the infant classes and the development of particular teachers' interest and strengths in information and communication technology. Modern technology is used extremely well throughout the school - for instance, in financial control, in teachers' planning and

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This arises from the outstanding leadership of the headteacher, excellent support by key

records and in classroom displays. This is best exemplified by the excellent school web-site, which is very effectively being used to improve and celebrate pupils' writing skills and to provide useful and interesting information about the school, for parents and for other interested parties. The description of the web-site, by the member of staff responsible for it, as “being at an early stage of development” illustrates the very high expectations of the school.

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Learning opportunities are very good. The school very successfully meets the needs of all

pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language.

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Learning opportunities are very good. The school very successfully meets the needs of all

18. The school aims “to develop the whole child and encourage a positive self image in all children.” It is extremely successful in meeting this aim through the wide range of relevant learning opportunities it provides and the way in which its provision for the pupils’ personal development permeates lessons and all other activities.

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Learning opportunities are very good. The school very successfully meets the needs of all

19. The work in the reception class is planned very well in accordance with the nationally recommended early learning goals. Very good provision is made to enable the children to make progress in all of the areas of learning. Although the school has relatively little large equipment, such as bikes and scooters, there is a very good area for the children to play outside and good provision is made for their physical development through lessons and play activities.

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Learning opportunities are very good. The school very successfully meets the needs of all

20. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are planned and delivered very effectively. Whilst due emphasis remains on the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, the school has fully implemented the National Curriculum 2000 and provides extensive additional learning opportunities. Subjects such as geography, history and religious education contribute extremely well to the development of pupils’ literacy skills. Similarly, subjects such as geography and design and technology contribute extremely well to the development of pupils’ numeracy skills. This is best exemplified by the children’s ‘study work books’, which contain very high quality topic or project work, that has been completed and illustrated with great care and pride. Information and communication technology is used in many situations to develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills as well as for research and creative activities. In Year 3, there is five or ten minutes

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Learning opportunities are very good. The school very successfully meets the needs of all

21. Personal, social and health education and education in citizenship are provided and require pupils to be involved in debates and discussions. There is a very good range of out -of-school activities and, although these are predominantly sporting and musical, they are not exclusively so. There are many educational visits to, for example, museums, art galleries, musical concerts, charitable organisations and the local area. All pupils from Year 2 to Year 6 have the opportunity to participate in residential experiences.

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Learning opportunities are very good. The school very successfully meets the needs of all

22. The school meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs very well, including those with physical disabilities. Due regard is paid to the national Code of Practice and very good provision is made to enable the pupils to make progress at the same or at a faster rate than their peers. The school has very good resources to support visually impaired pupils. Very good provision made by the school and the local education authority results in the very small number of pupils with English as an additional language making very good progress.

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Learning opportunities are very good. The school very successfully meets the needs of all

23. A very notable feature of this school is its very strong partnership with the pupils’ parents and the local community. Parents' views and involvement are actively sought. The school is at the heart of the village community. This has a very positive impact on the pupils’ learning and personal development. There are strong links with the High School, including transfer arrangements. In all Rode Heath Primary School - 12 these ways, the school very successfully enables the pupils to become mature and responsible and prepares them for the next stage of their education. Rode Heath Primary School - 13

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The provision for the pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral and social development is very good,

and the provision for their cultural development is excellent.

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The provision for the pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral and social development is very good,

24. The school makes very good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. The provision for the pupils’ cultural development, both in terms of understanding their own cultural heritage and the world at large, is excellent. The list of activities and strategies the school employs that support these judgements is extensive. The staff set an excellent example to the pupils in their own manner and relations. Praise and rewards for success and achievement are the key to promoting hard work, good behaviour and caring relationships. Pupils receive an award for special acts of kindness in the form of a badge created in the memory of a past pupil. Sporting activities promote social development and include contributions from college students and Crewe Alexandra football club. The school’s book resources have been chosen to promote the pupils’ understanding and appreciation of stories from around the world, moral values and beauty in human creativity and

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The provision for the pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral and social development is very good,

the natural world. Every year there are major dramatic productions – these involve all pupils and contribute significantly to their social and cultural development. Pupils are involved in extensive fundraising for charities and long term sponsorship through Action Aid. The school was involved in the Odd Rode Pageant and Cheshire Pilgrimage millennium events which raised the pupils’ awareness of their own cultural heritage and local history. There are very strong and rapidly developing links with schools in South Africa, following two teachers’ visit there earlier this year.

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The pupils’ attitudes to school and their personal development are very good. Behaviour

varies from excellent to satisfactory and is good overall.

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The pupils’ attitudes to school and their personal development are very good. Behaviour

25. Pupils have very positive attitudes to school. They are happy at school and work very hard. Attendance is consistently above the national average, primarily because the pupils do not want to miss anything. Pupils listen carefully to adults and each other. They rarely call out in lessons and are friendly, polite and inquisitive in conversations outside the classroom with staff and visitors. In lessons and at other times, behaviour ranges from excellent to satisfactory and it is good overall. Most pupils in all classes are keen to learn and enjoy school and consequently they behave well. There are no examples of serious challenging behaviour and there have been no exclusions from the school. However, in some lessons there are minor disagreements between some pupils and some younger pupils are rather silly in livelier activities in music and physical education. There are very good relationships between pupils and adults and amongst the pupils. Pupils work well on their own

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The pupils’ attitudes to school and their personal development are very good. Behaviour

and with others. They take great pride in their work and take care of their own and the school’s materials. Playtimes are happy occasions, with no animosity or conflict noted during the inspection.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

26. There are no significant shortcomings and, therefore, no key issues to be addressed.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

27. All schools have to produce an action plan, which shows how the inspection issues will be addressed. Because there are no significant shortcomings, the school is required to submit the current school development plan, or a summary of it, to Ofsted and to keep parents informed of the steps taken to improve further. Rode Heath Primary School - 14

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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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

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 179

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 14

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 23

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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 2

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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 11

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Rode Heath Primary School - 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 10 9 19

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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 8 8 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 9

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 89 (93) 89 (97) 100 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 9 10 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 9

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (93) 100 (97) 100 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 17 10 27

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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 14 15 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 10 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (96) 93 (86) 100 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 13 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 9 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 86 (93) 82 (82) 89 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Rode Heath Primary School - 16

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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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.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.8 Financial year 1999/00

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.9

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 336,694

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Expenditure per pupil 1,881

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 53 Balance brought forward from previous year 20,737

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 20,961 Rode Heath Primary School - 17

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 55 42 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 51 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 44 17 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 55 41 5 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 68 31 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 30 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 45 50 5 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 64 35 0 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 44 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 47 6 0 6

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