Firfield Primary School

FIRFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 th to 17 th January 2002

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FIRFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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FIRFIELD 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. Firfield Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Sawley Road Breaston Derby Derbyshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Sue Bradley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

18706 Janet Gill Registered inspector English What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 14226 Alison Willatts Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 22182 Fiona Robinson Team inspector Science Design and technology Music Equal opportunities 11810 George Logan Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

3751 Trudy Cotton Team inspector Geography History Special educational needs English as an additional language 22421 Val McGrath Team inspector Art and design Physical education Religious education Foundation Stage

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Arden Inspections University of Warwick Science Park Unit 2, Barclays Venture Centre Sir William Lyons Road Coventry CV4 7EZ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Firfield Primary School is situated in the village of Breaston, in Derbyshire. It has 379 full-time pupils in 14 classes from Reception to Year 6; this is larger than most primary schools. There are a few more boys than girls. The number on roll has increased since the last inspection. Most of the children come from the village which is predominantly residential with a high proportion of owner occupied properties, although a few do attend from the surrounding area. Attainment on entry to Reception is broadly average with some evidence of higher attainment. At the time of the last inspection it was above average, but the number of pupils with special educational needs has risen. Children are admitted twice a year; 20 joined Reception a week before the inspection. 15 pupils (four per cent) are eligible for free school meals; this is well below the national average. The number of pupils with special educational needs is well below

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

average with 11 per cent on the special needs register; there are seven pupils with statements for special need, mostly for specific learning or physical difficulties. The number of pupils from ethnic minority groups is a bit higher than in most schools. No pupils are identified as needing extra support in learning to speak English; they are confident and competent speakers and writers.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Firfield Primary School is a very effective school. The headteacher, strongly supported by all the staff and governors, is providing the school with outstanding leadership. He has already achieved positive improvements. The quality of teaching is good; as a result standards are above average at the end of Year 6. Children are enthusiastic, behave very well, enjoy learning and make good progress. The school has a low income; it uses its resources well and provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The headteacher provides outstanding leadership which is directed at improving the quality of education and raising levels of achievement for all pupils. • There is very good teamwork. All staff fully support each other with an excellent shared commitment, and the capacity, to improve the school’s provision for the pupils in their care. • The quality of teaching is good, with very good teaching for the older pupils. This combined with the positive contribution of support staff helps pupils make at least good progress. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good in a caring school where relationships are excellent. They are highly motivated, enjoy school and keen to learn. • Links with the parents are very good; they make a very positive contribution to their children’s learning, such as their help in the very good arrangements for homework. • There are very good opportunities for all pupils to be included in all aspects of school life and a

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What the school does well

particularly stimulating range of extra-curricular activities are on offer to pupils in Years 3 to 6. • Financial planning supports the school’s educational priorities very well.

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What could be improved

• Standards in information and communication technology are not high enough, particularly for younger pupils. • Standards in handwriting and presentation are not high enough. • The internal accommodation is poor and having an impact on some areas of the curriculum. • The playground is a potential hazard and causing an unacceptable level of minor bumps and bruises. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has improved well since it was last inspected in May 1997. It has addressed most of the weaknesses identified then. Some of them, such as the quality of leadership and management, have improved dramatically which has had a significant impact on the rate of improvement. Standards have Firfield Primary School - 7 improved and are above average in the core subjects, with higher attainment in reading and speaking and listening, although handwriting and presentation are not good enough. Assessment procedures are now good in the core subjects and are being extended to other subjects. The curriculum is now meeting the needs of all pupils, with the exception of some aspects of information and communication technology, particularly for seven-year-olds. Some improvements have been made to the accommodation but there are still significant deficiencies that have an impact on the delivery of some subjects and also there is an

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

unacceptable rate of minor injuries in the playground. The governors’ role has improved; they are proud of the significant strengths of the school and are aware of the weaknesses. The school is in an exceedingly strong position to continue to tackle its priorities.

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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 B A B well above average above average A B Mathematics B A A B Average Below average C D Science C B A B well below average E

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Key

In the 2001 Year 6 National Curriculum tests, standards in all three subjects were well above average. In comparison with pupils from schools with a similar proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals, results were above average. The school has worked hard to exceed its targets in English and mathematics. Up to 2000 the school was improving at a higher rate, faster than would be expected. The rate of improvement steadied between 2000 and 2001. Children enter Reception with broadly average attainment. They make satisfactory progress and most are likely to achieve the early learning goals, with some higher achievement in reading, counting and personal and social development. Pupils achieve well and make good progress through Years 1 and 2. This continues through the school, with older pupils making very good progress in Years 5 and 6.

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Key

Currently, standards in Years 1 and 2 in English and mathematics are above average, with significant stengths in reading and speaking and listening. In science they are in line with national expectations. Whilst in Years 3 to 6, pupils build successfully on their knowledge and skills and, by the age of 11 many are working at above average levels in mathematics and science and well above average in English. This is a particularly good improvement in science. Given the increased focus on the core subjects in the lead-up to the National Curriculum tests and very good teaching, there is the likelihood that results may be higher, although there is a higher proportion of pupils with lower attainment than in the last Year 6. Standards of handwriting and presentation however are not high enough. Average standards have been maintained in ICT for 11-year-olds but are below average for seven-year-olds. For Years 1 and 2, standards are in line with that expected nationally in all other subjects but above

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Key

expectations in religious education (RE). There has been a good improvement in design and technology and music; they were previously unsatisfactory. Pupils, by the age of 11, are achieving above average levels in history, music, design and technology and RE, which is an improvement. In other subjects standards are average.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy coming to school, are highly motivated, work hard and are eager to participate in all that it offers. Firfield Primary School - 8 Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Throughout the whole school day, pupils’ behaviour is very good. Despite cramped conditions pupils move around the school safely and sensibly.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships are excellent. Pupils enjoy each other’s company and are polite and friendly. They respond happily to their responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is good and above the national average, with very few unauthorised absences. Pupils are punctual in arriving at school and there have been no exclusions for many years.

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Aspect Comment

The significant strengths in pupils’ very good behaviour and positive attitudes help them to learn well.

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

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

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

High levels of good and better teaching are helping standards to rise and supporting the very good attitudes and behaviour seen throughout the school. Of the 82 lessons seen, 59 were good and 17 very good. None were unsatisfactory, unlike in the previous inspection. This is a significant improvement. Teaching is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage but there is some over-direction in creative activities, fewer opportunities for children to observe and investigate the natural world, and insufficient use of the outside area for planned activities. The quality of teaching is good in the rest of the school, with particularly good teaching for older pupils. Pupils are taught basic skills well and teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. These skills are taught well and this helps pupils make good progress. However, ICT, handwriting and literacy skills in other

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

subjects are not taught sufficiently well.

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

There are significant strengths in teaching. The quality of planning is good with clear lesson objectives that are effectively shared with pupils enabling them to gain a good knowledge of their own learning. The setting of literacy targets with pupils is very good and is motivating pupils to achieve them. Teachers use very effective questioning to focus, check and extend pupils’ thinking. The organisation and management of pupils, based on the effective behaviour procedures and excellent relationships are very good. These strengths result in pupils concentrating very well and working hard. However, due to the present organisation there are a few occasions in Year 2, particularly in the introduction of literacy and numeracy lessons, where it is difficult to ensure all children have good opportunities to fully participate in the lesson. Teachers are skilled at using the best methods to help different groups of pupils to learn

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

effectively. This works particularly well in Years 5 and 6 where pupils are taught in classes for literacy and numeracy dependent upon their ability. In addition the contribution made by support staff, particularly for those pupils with special educational needs, is very good. Day-to-day assessment is good but the quality of marking is variable. Homework is organised well; it is extensive and is used effectively to support pupils’ learning across a wide range of subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides pupils with a satisfactory curriculum that meets statutory requirements. However, literacy is not always used effectively in other subjects. Insufficient access to computers means standards in ICT are not high enough, particularly for younger pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The management and provision for pupils with special educational needs are good. Pupils are included well in all that the school has to offer. Firfield Primary School - 9 Teachers and all staff support pupils’ needs effectively.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Pupils from ethnic minority groups speak and write English with competence and so achieve well in lessons. They require no extra assistance with the acquisition of English and benefit as much as other pupils from the good teaching and curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The very good promotion of pupils’ moral and social development underpins the calm, supportive ethos that permeates the school. Very good attention is given to developing pupils’ understanding of their roles within both the school and wider community. Spiritual and cultural development is satisfactorily promoted.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school has a caring ethos where all pupils are valued. Staff do their very best to keep them safe and secure despite the poor condition of the accommodation. Good procedures are in place for assessing and supporting pupils’ academic progress in English, mathematics and science and are developing in other subjects. Parents have very positive views of the school. The school works hard to maintain the good partnership with parents providing them with better information than before. Involvement of parents in the work of the school and with homework makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ learning.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher sets an exceptionally clear direction for the school. He is very aware of what the school needs to do next to improve. This is shared with the staff and governors. There is very effective teamwork, and the headteacher and staff show an excellent commitment to raise standards further.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their statutory duties well. They are very supportive of the headteacher. They know the school well and are committed to its further development.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school works hard to self-evaluate its success and weaknesses and is well aware of its overall performance. The school has taken good action to improve, and it is now a very effective school.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Educational priorities are linked very well to financial commitments. The budget is very well planned and monitored by the headteacher and governors. Specific grants are used very well to help pupils make good progress. Day-to-day procedures are very effective as a result of the efficient administrative staff. The school has a low income but nevertheless offers very good value for money. The principles of best value are very well understood and implemented by the headteacher and governors. The provision for staffing is good and this impacts on the progress of pupils, learning resources are satisfactory overall. However, accommodation, both internally and externally, is poor.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Parents are pleased with the way their children are taught in the school. • They are happy with the high expectations of behaviour the school promotes. • Parents like the way the school is led and • Parents of children in Year 2 are concerned about the number of pupils in the classroom. • A few parents are not happy with the amount of homework given to their children. • Some parents are not happy with the Firfield Primary School - 10 managed and are happy to approach staff with any queries. • They like the ‘open door ‘ policy the school promotes computerised format of annual reports.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors fully agree with parents’ very positive views. There were a few concerns about the number of pupils in the Year 2 classroom. Teachers are overcoming them well, but on a few occasions it is difficult for all children to be actively involved in introductions of literacy and numeracy lessons. Homework is good, linked well to work in the classroom and given for many subjects. The headteacher and staff are aware of parents’ misgivings regarding reports and are to review them. Firfield Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards rose at a better rate than in most schools from 1996, and steadied between 2000 and 2001. They are better than when the school was last inspected in May 1997. This is the result of very hard work by the school, particularly since the arrival of the current headteacher just under three years ago, who has put into place a number of effective strategies to bring about improvement. Standards of attainment when pupils left school in July 2001, at the end of Year 6 in the National Curriculum tests, were well above average in English, mathematics and science. In comparison with similar schools, results were above average in all three subjects. There has been some variation each year in English and mathematics, depending on the ability of pupils in the age group. However, results have been at least above average in the last three years. The school’s targets are challenging, but they were exceeded last year. Slightly lower targets have

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

been set in English for July 2002, which reflects a higher number of pupils with lower ability, particularly in literacy, in the present classes. In mathematics, similar targets have been set. It is likely that both these targets will be met. There has been a steady improvement in science over the last four years. At the time of the last inspection in May 1997, standards in science were unsatisfactory for pupils in Year 6. Raising achievement in science was a key issue. Good improvement has been made in the subject and now results are comparable with English and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Standards of attainment for seven-year-olds in the National Curriculum tests in 2001 were well above average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing. When compared to similar schools’ standards they were above average in reading and in line with the national average in writing and mathematics. In teacher assessment in science all pupils achieved at least the average grade, but few reached the higher level.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The effective teaching with a shared commitment to high standards from the headteacher, co- ordinators and all staff, ensure all pupils make at least good progress in the core subjects; many make very good progress particularly in Years 5 and 6. Above average standards are attributed to better teaching than in the last inspection. There are a number of reasons for this: setting of pupils in ability groups, the successful implementation of both the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, and good analysis and interpretation of data to identify weaker areas in the subjects. Effective planning and good quality teaching mean that standards continue to improve. The teaching of English and mathematics in Years 3 to 6 is often inspirational; it is at least good, but usually very good. Pupils are highly motivated and interested in their work, moved on at a rapid rate and their thinking challenged.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. When children start in the Reception classes their attainment is average, with a minority of pupils achieving higher than expected for their age, and a small minority achieving below average. Children make good progress in speaking and listening, reading, counting and personal, social and emotional development and the majority of children are likely to achieve or exceed the early learning goals by the end of the Reception year. In the other areas of learning including creative and physical development, writing, other aspects of mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world, children are making satisfactory progress and most will attain the early learning goals by the end of the Reception year. They will be satisfactorily prepared for the start of the National Curriculum in Year 1. At the time of the previous inspection, attainment on entry was good and children made a very good start to school. However, the proportion of pupils

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

with special educational needs has risen which has an impact on overall achievement.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The present Year 6 pupils are working hard and achieving good results. Overall standards are not presently as high as the previous group of pupils. However, the school is hopeful of higher standards being achieved, given the increased focus on the core subjects during the next few months. Inspection evidence indicates that overall standards are well above average in Year 6 in English. This is because the standards in reading and speaking and listening are high, however in Firfield Primary School - 12 writing they are not as high, but they are still above average. Writing is a key priority for the school and a detailed action plan has been devised. However, handwriting and presentation and the use of writing across the other subjects were not identified as areas for development. Nevertheless, the school has acknowledged the need to raise standards in these key areas. On the evidence available at this stage in the school year, and before the major teaching input to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics which precedes the National Curriculum tests, a significant group of pupils in Year 6 are on track to achieve standards in mathematics which are above those expected nationally. The strengths in mathematics reflect the high quality of much of the teaching, the benefits of stable staffing, the depth of coverage achieved and the structure and consistency provided by the numeracy initiative. The school is making very good progress in pushing up standards in science. Pupils enjoy science, try hard and have good skills in being able to predict what might happen in a fair test. Consequently standards in the present Year 6 class are above average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Inspection evidence shows that, in Year 2, high standards have been maintained, at well above average, in reading and speaking and listening, but in writing they are around average. There are more pupils working at the higher level in writing than previously, but there is also a significant group of lower attaining pupils in the year group. Overall standards in English are above average. The good attention to developing speaking and listening and reading skills is evident from the time children start in Year 1. When observing and talking to pupils in Year 2 about mathematics it is clear they are working at above average levels because around one third of the pupils is already working at the higher Level 3 and half is working within the average level. There is a positive emphasis on practical mathematical activities throughout Years 1 and 2, which is helping pupils in their mathematical understanding. In the current school year, inspection findings indicate that

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in Years 1 and 2 standards in science are about average. Pupils use speaking and listening skills better now in science, as is evident when describing properties of everyday objects, which helps them to make good gains in learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. One of the reasons pupils are achieving better standards in such subjects as design and technology and music is the good attention to planning pupils’ work, with clear progression in their skills development and interesting activities. For example, in music there are good singing opportunities provided for pupils to share their skills in performances in the school and in the local community; this enhances their achievement. In information and communication technology (ICT) though, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise their skills in ICT, which has a negative impact on their progress, particularly in Year 2, where standards are below average. Standards are a little higher, and average, by the time pupils are 11-years-old, but this is because much of their knowledge, and many of their skills in the subject, derive from, or are significantly reinforced by, their work at home. This situation is compounded by insufficient time and priority

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

given to the subject, particularly for younger pupils. Consequently, limited access means they cannot develop their skills sufficiently well. Also, some teachers lack confidence in teaching ICT and there is variability in the priority accorded to the subject in different year groups. This is a key priority for the school at present.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In the foundation subjects, there has been good improvement in religious education, history, music and design and technology, particularly in Years 3 to 6, where pupils achieve higher standards than would be expected nationally. In the previous inspection, standards were unsatisfactory in music and design and technology. They are now average for pupils in Years 1 and 2 and above average for older pupils. Some of the reasons why progress is now at least satisfactory in the foundation subjects is the use of National Curriculum guidance and greater expertise of the teachers, which is leading to better teaching. There are good links with speaking and listening and reading in all these subjects, which has also helped to raise the quality of pupils’ work. However, writing skills have had less of an impact on standards and at times the quality of written work is disappointing. For example, in history the written work does not reflect

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the quality of learning and research that takes place in lessons. Good links between subjects have also contributed to improved standards such as in art and design and music. Very good links are made between music and art and design. For example in Year 4, the picture by Munch entitled the ‘Scream’ was observed while a piece of music by Schoenberg reflected the mood of the music. Pupils were then encouraged by the teacher to describe how it made them feel. Firfield Primary School - 13 9. The school makes very good arrangements to ensure that all pupils are included in the full range of activities. This ensures that there is little difference in the progress and attainment boys and girls make throughout the school. Pupils from ethnic minority groups speak and write English with competence and so achieve equally well in lessons. They require no extra assistance with the acquisition of English and benefit as much as other pupils do from the good teaching and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

curriculum. As a result they make the same good progress as other pupils and achieve well for their abilities. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and so pupils make good progress towards targets set in their individual education plans (IEPs). The clear, well- planned provision for pupils with statements of special educational need is helping them to achieve their best. They work alongside other pupils in the classroom and because of the expertise and very good support from the Educational Care Officers (ECOs) their specific needs are met in everyday lessons. Pupils are encouraged to join in with lessons and there are high expectations of their learning and behaviour. The school is setting for lessons in literacy and numeracy in Years 5 and 6, and this is helping to provide the right match of work for those pupils who have difficulties with reading and writing. Whilst targets in IEPs for pupils with statements are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

referred to in order to plan work, they are not so well used for pupils on other action stages and in the non-core subjects. Higher attaining pupils have equally good opportunities to achieve at a level compatible with their ability. The arrangement to group pupils by ability, for English and mathematics, in Years 4 to 6 helps them to achieve well. This is evident in the significant proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels in the National Curriculum tests.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Children in the Foundation Stage settle quickly in the warm and caring atmosphere of the Reception classes. Their personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority to good effect. Children are encouraged to become independent and take responsibility for their belongings. They behave very well when listening to stories and singing. They are confident to answer questions and concentrate well when painting or playing with construction materials. Teaching is good in this area, which helps most children make good progress and, as a result, many are likely to exceed the early learning goals by the end of the Foundation Stage 1 . However, due to the way the timetable is organised, children, many of whom have only just started school, are expected to sit for a substantial part of the morning. They have better opportunities in the afternoon to choose activities and play and socialise with others, this helps them make good

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitude to learning is very good. The school promotes a positive attitude to learning and pupils respond well to this ethos. Most pupils enjoy their lessons and contribute in a positive way to school life. Pupils are generally keen to learn and take an active part in their lessons when appropriate. Although library facilities are limited, pupils are able to use their own initiative when researching subjects. Many of the pupils take part in extra curricular activities with great enthusiasm. Some of these activities enhance the relationship with the local community, which makes the school more valued in the village. Pupils work well together and are pleased to celebrate one another’s achievements. An achievements’ award assembly is held regularly where pupils are rewarded for good work or for services to the school. Older pupils are willing to look after the younger pupils at play and lunch times, which enhances good relationships within the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

school community. The children in the Foundation Stage integrate well with the older pupils in the playground.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour in the school is very good. Pupils are friendly, sociable and courteous to each other, and to staff and visitors. They enjoy the company of teachers and ECOs, and respond well to visitors. Pupils and staff are happy in each other’s company and relate well together. Pupils behave very well around the school. Despite cramped conditions pupils move around the school safely, and are willing to let staff members or visitors through doors before themselves. Year 6 pupils look after younger pupils at break and lunchtimes. The constraint on outdoor play space means pupils have to modify their games but they do this well. Parents are pleased with the standards of very good behaviour the school promotes and achieves.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

1 Children in the Foundation Stage are those who are in the Reception classes Firfield Primary School - 14 13. The school has addressed the issue of personal development in a very positive way. Personal, health and social education is now part of the timetable, and circle time takes place once a week for all classes. Various topics are discussed at these sessions and pupils can express their views in an open forum. Personal, social and health education (PSHE) addresses issues about individual development and sex education. It also gives pupils information about illicit drug use and other social issues. These topics are well balanced towards the age group to which they are addressed. The school holds a School Council with representatives from all year groups. This new initiative allows pupil representatives to discuss issues important to them and has so far proved to be very valuable. Discussions have taken place about the use and markings of the playground,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

school trips, homework, and many other subjects. Pupils have various responsibilities within their classes such as returning registers to the office. There is a general expectation in the school that pupils will help teaching staff whenever they are asked to. They respond happily and willingly to requests for help from the staff. In addition the Year 6 pupils work as monitors at play and lunchtime. They help younger pupils with zips and buttons on their coats, watch for unsafe play and generally help the lunchtime supervisors. They take these duties very seriously and make a valuable contribution to the welfare of the younger pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance at the school is good. Attendance figures for the reporting year are more than 95 per cent of available sessions, which exceed the national average. Pupils are keen to come to school, are punctual and enjoy all that the school offers, both academically and socially. A computerised system of monitoring the registers has been introduced and this is supervised by a member of the clerical staff. Unexpected absences are checked and daily attendance figures are totalled. Late arrival at school is not a problem and there have been no exclusions for many years. The school has successfully addressed the issue of their registration systems not meeting statutory requirements. The Educational Social Worker visits the school twice a term to monitor attendance and is always available at other times.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils with special educational needs are encouraged to join in with lessons and because there is little work in withdrawal groups outside the classroom, pupils are included in all aspects of learning. Some effective support by ECOs with pupils with behavioural and learning difficulties is encouraging greater concentration in lessons, which in turn improves progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. Improvements in the quality of teaching have made a significant contribution to the rise in standards seen since the school was last inspected. In the May 1997 inspection, 17 per cent of unsatisfactory teaching was seen and the rest was satisfactory with 20 per cent good or better. That the standard of teaching has improved is largely due to the good monitoring of teaching and learning supported by good professional development. In the current inspection, no unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Of the 82 lessons seen, the majority (59) were good or better with 17 being very good. The best teaching was seen in Years 5 and 6, particularly in English and mathematics. The high levels of good and better teaching result in good learning taking place throughout the school by highly motivated and hard working pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. The Foundation Stage team work effectively together, providing a welcoming and secure atmosphere for young children. They plan the programme together well. There are strengths in teaching in speaking and listening, counting and personal, social and emotional development. This has helped children to make good progress in their first term, and the majority of children are likely to achieve or exceed the early learning goals by the end of the Reception year. There is good daily communication between the staff and parents regarding the children’s well being. The staff keep parents informed of what activities and topics the children will be engaged in and home/school diaries are used effectively to share children’s achievements and to identify progress in reading. This helps to develop good routines for homework later in the school. There is some over-direction in creative activities; this

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

inhibits children’s imaginative development. There are also few observed opportunities for children to look at and handle materials from the natural world. The safe outdoor environment, adjacent to the classrooms, is not used sufficiently for planned activities across all areas of learning. Firfield Primary School - 15 18. There are very few weaknesses in any elements of teaching in infant and junior classes. Teachers have good expertise, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. As a result, the majority of the basic skills are well taught and pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making good progress in learning. Speaking and listening and reading skills are taught very well. Throughout the school the management of guided reading is good and ensures pupils explore a range of different texts. For instance, in Year 5 and 6, planning is very well thought out and there are clear learning objectives, which enable pupils to study the features

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of different genres as well as practise their reading skills in a variety of contexts. However, less emphasis is given to promoting writing skills in other subjects, handwriting and presentation of work. Teachers’ expectations are not high enough in this area. Numeracy skills are promoted well through a good focus on ensuring pupils acquire mathematical vocabulary as well as the mental recall of basic number facts and simple calculations. Teachers also make sure that pupils learn to apply their skills in practical and problem solving activities and provide good opportunities for pupils to use numeracy skills in other subjects, such as science. Teachers recognize the importance of such skills and provide regular opportunities for practice. Overall, information and communication technology skills are taught satisfactorily. Teachers have undertaken some training for teaching ICT skills, but further support is needed to ensure that all staff have acquired

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sufficient skills and confidence in the subject in order to teach it effectively.

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19. The quality of lesson planning is good and is consistent throughout the school. It is related well to medium-term planning, with effective adaptation according to the progress pupils have made previously. A strong feature of the planning is the clear learning objectives identified for each lesson, which are always shared with pupils. These are then revisited at the end of the lesson and pupils are asked for their opinion on the progress they have made. This approach helps to motivate and challenge pupils and ensures they gain a good knowledge of what they are learning. In lessons in English and mathematics, pupils are grouped according to their ability in Years 5 and 6, and in mathematics in Years 4 to 6, the class groups are organised by ability. This is very effective in allowing teachers to plan very focused work for pupils. In all these lessons teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and this, together with the interesting activities

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provided, results in the vast majority of pupils achieving well. For example, pupils in the higher attaining group in Year 5 are working well above average in both reading and speaking and listening during their lesson on myths, and in mathematics challenging work is being provided for the higher attaining pupils in Year 6.

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20. An effective range of teaching methods is used, being adapted well in most cases to both the requirements of different subjects and the needs of pupils in the class. Teachers explain things very clearly, give good examples and demonstrate well. They use very effective questioning to focus, check and extend pupils’ thinking. This was evident in a Year 6 literacy lesson, when the teacher uses questioning to extend the pupils’ ideas for titles for their debate on homework. Pupils offered excellent suggestions such as ‘Homework! Helpful or Horrendous?’ This is extremely good promotion of speaking and listening demonstrating why standards are so high in this aspect of English. An outstanding feature of the very best teaching is the methods that the teachers use to motivate pupils. For example, in Year 6 the high level of expertise in history, combined with great enthusiasm, brings the subject alive and keeps pupils enthralled. In another

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very good lesson, in Year 2, the teacher wrote a poem, with the children, based on senses.

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21. Pupils’ learning is promoted well by the very many opportunities pupils are given to discuss their work with a partner and then report back to the whole class. This helps pupils think of more effective descriptions including alliteration, such as ‘crispy chips and chicken’. However, there are occasions in the shared Year 2 class when it is difficult to provide for the full range of pupils’ needs in literacy and mathematics; this is because of the considerable size of the group. This affects, for example, the management and operation of the oral activities and on some occasions, where direct questioning of individuals is undertaken, there is a loss of pace and pupils’ learning is affected. Overall, the good teaching methods seen throughout the school in all subjects help pupils to acquire knowledge and skills easily and to work hard. Firfield Primary School - 16 22. The outstanding relationships seen in the school, together with the consistent application of the

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very high quality behaviour management procedures ensure that the organisation and control of pupils in lessons is very good. This very strong aspect of teaching, together with the challenging and interesting activities provided, means pupils are interested in what they learn. Most concentrate well and begin to take responsibility for their own learning and have a good understanding of their achievement. The promotion and monitoring of pupils’ individual literacy targets is promoted very well by teachers. A particularly good example of this was seen during the review of a literacy lesson in Year 1, when the teacher asked ‘have we all had a good go at getting our targets?’

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23. Teachers are very skilled at moving learning forward and in very nearly all lessons a good pace is maintained, ensuring that pupils remain focused and work hard. Resources are carefully chosen and effectively used to help pupils understand and make good progress. For example, in a good history lesson in Year 3, the choice of resources associated with Britain since 1948 helped pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the period well. The contribution made by the ECOs is of high quality. This is partly due to the fact that they receive very good training from the school. In addition, class teachers prepare them very well for the work they undertake in each lesson.

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24. The scrutiny of work that pupils had completed previously showed some inconsistencies in the quality of marking which prevented its effectiveness in helping to promote progress. Not all work is marked, and some that is, consists merely of a series of ticks, with a few comments used to help pupils improve. The best marking includes helpful comments, encourages improvement, acknowledges when this has been achieved and, in literacy, if targets have been met. Where the assessment has been thorough, the information is used well to plan the next lesson and identify any problems pupils may have had. During lessons, assessment procedures are effectively used by all teachers: this enables them to refine what they are teaching when necessary and support individual pupils well and at the same time challenge the higher attaining pupils. Homework is organised well; it is extensive and is used effectively to support pupils’ learning across a wide

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25. Teaching is good for pupils with special educational needs. Throughout the school, teachers and support staff are fully aware of the targets set for pupils with special educational needs and meet regularly with the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), to review and plan for the next step in learning. This is ensuring that lessons are being planned with the needs of pupils with special educational needs more clearly in mind. There is still some way to go in using individual education plans (IEPs) as effectively to guide work at different levels in non-core subjects such as history and geography. The quality of support for pupils with statements for their needs is first- rate. It is enabling the best possible progress to be made and for pupils to develop confidence. The ECOs give particularly good support in ensuring the pupils with special educational needs are fully included in all activities and are helped to achieve well for their abilities. In group activities,

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this support and encouragement ensures that pupils complete the work set thereby giving very good access to the curriculum.

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

26. The school provides a satisfactory curriculum, which is broad, balanced and relevant for pupils in the main school. The curriculum planned for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. It is based on the areas of learning recommended for young children, with good support for the development of basic skills. It provides a satisfactory range of experiences. However, the amount of time given to activities which support children’s creative and physical development is insufficient. Too much time is lost when moving between the lower school and the main school, both for daily assemblies and to use the hall, and this erodes teaching time. As the year progresses, the most able children in the Reception classes begin to work within the Key Stage 1 2 curriculum. The provision prepares children effectively for the National Curriculum and the next stage of learning. The majority of children make sound progress, with some making good

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2 Key Stage 1 is the term used for pupils in Years 1 and 2 Firfield Primary School - 17 progress in aspects in literacy and numeracy, in relation to their broadly average level of attainment on entry to the school.

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27. Overall, the curriculum for the older pupils meets the requirements of the National Curriculum for pupils successfully. The school places considerable emphasis upon the teaching of mathematics and literacy, and this is leading to secure standards in these key areas by the 11-year-olds, which ensure that pupils are well-prepared for the next stage of their education. However, issues of accommodation have made it difficult for the school to create an effective area for the teaching of ICT. This affects the development of pupils’ skills and although they demonstrate by the age of 11 satisfactory standards when working with computers, this is, in many cases, largely the result of good opportunities to access ICT at home.

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28. The allocation of curriculum time to individual subjects is satisfactory overall. However, too little time is allocated to ICT, particularly in the infants. Time slippage occurs when the infants need to use the hall in the main school. The pressure on hall space, and under-use of the hall in the mornings, constrains the time available for indoor physical education activities across the school. In the juniors, the priority given to raising standards in literacy and numeracy is balanced by a more limited emphasis upon the imaginative elements of the curriculum. The provision for music is satisfactory with good opportunities for singing and performing. There is a satisfactory range of work undertaken in art and design but there are fewer identified opportunities for drama. The overall curriculum time in the school now meets that recommended by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) for both infants and juniors. This is an improvement on the situation

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29. Religious education is taught in accordance with the locally agreed syllabus. Although no up-to- date policy has yet been drawn up, a good curriculum has been developed to support pupils’ personal, social and health education. All the necessary elements are in place, including sex education, drug awareness and citizenship. Some components are taught discretely, or in circle time, where pupils have an opportunity to discuss their concerns and to listen to others. Other aspects, such as sex education or health education, are more closely linked to the science or physical education curricula. The school prepares pupils successfully for the next stage of their education.

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30. The quality of the curriculum has improved significantly since the last inspection, particularly in the provision for literacy and numeracy. The school has adopted the strategies for teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy with success. The National Literacy Strategy is securely established with good practice evident at both key stages. However, while opportunities for the use of literacy across the curriculum are being developed, this is only spasmodically evident, at present, in subjects such as history and geography. The school has implemented the National Numeracy Strategy very successfully. This is having a positive effect upon standards in mathematics. Many pupils have secure number skills. The use of numeracy skills is evident in science, geography and history.

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31. The school has adopted the recently produced National Curriculum guidance and is now working towards the implementation of customised versions, more closely aligned to the school’s needs. There is a strong emphasis on the development of cross-curricular links, so that time is used efficiently. Therefore, art and design activities will often be closely aligned to work in, for example, history. The school has produced year plans that provide an overview of what is to be taught to each year group. Planning is thorough, provides a clear framework for the teaching and is supportive to teachers, including those with limited specialist skills in subjects such as music, design and technology or science.

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32. All pupils have very good equality of access and opportunity to the curriculum. This is an inclusive school which takes appropriate account of pupils’ ages, attainment, gender, ethnicity and needs. The opportunities provided for pupils with special educational needs in the main school are good Firfield Primary School - 18 and the school implements the Code of Practice 3 fully. Pupils on the register of special educational needs are set appropriate, focused targets in their individual education plans. The in- school support for pupils with statements of special educational need is good. These pupils are included fully in school life and, because support for them is within the classroom, there are no issues about missing work in class, or of access to the National Curriculum. The provision for children who may have special educational needs in the Foundation Stage is good, with planned support for pupils who require additional input in order to promote progress.

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33. The programme for extra-curricular activities is very good, with many staff voluntarily involved in providing a wide range of activities. Activities available during school time include individual tuition in a wide range of musical instruments, chess, French and gardening. A large number of sports clubs, including netball, football, cross-country and athletics are provided. The curriculum is significantly enhanced by a programme of visits outside school, including an annual residential visit for the oldest pupils, and a range of visitors to the school. The school has good links with the community, in particular with the local churches. It has good links also with neighbouring schools and with partner institutions, including teacher training.

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34. The school is very successful in the promotion of pupils’ moral and social development. This very good provision is implicit in the ethos of the school and explicit in the school and curriculum aims. The excellent relationships between staff and children, and the very good behaviour, co-operation and helpfulness demonstrated by pupils, illustrates this strength of the school. The spiritual and cultural development of pupils is satisfactory overall, with some strengths in provision.

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35. The provision and the quality of collective worship is good. Statutory requirements for a daily act of worship are met. Spiritual development is satisfactorily promoted by opportunities to reflect on spiritual issues in religious education (RE) and to participate briefly in personal reflection and prayer in assemblies. In a geography lesson featuring Mount Fuji in Japan, children were made aware that it is revered as a place of the gods.

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36. The very good moral development of pupils is promoted by high and consistent expectations by the whole school staff. In a calm and undemonstrative way children are made aware of codes of behaviour both in lessons and at break-times. Moral issues are discussed in class RE and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) lessons, and in response to social conflicts. Pupils are encouraged to consider the effects of their behaviour on others and are able to articulate their views on fairness. Older pupils consistently help young children as part of the daily routine, promoting a sense of responsibility and care for others.

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37. Children demonstrate very high levels of social awareness in their involvement in fund raising for a wide range of charities for those less fortunate than themselves, including Comic Relief and UNICEF. They show respect for each other in a range of social contexts, including lunch times and extra-curricular activities. They also display good social skills in lessons when they listen to each other and collaborate. When given the opportunity to work independently, pupils show initiative and can make sensible decisions. For example, in Year 5 pupils show flexibility and the ability to compromise when they plan their artwork in groups of three. The School Council effectively promotes social skills as it allows children to express their views on the school environment through class representatives.

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38. Pupils are provided with a satisfactory range of opportunities to appreciate their own and others’ cultures. Much of this is delivered through the curriculum, through stories from other cultures and religions. In their appreciation of art, music and literature children value the work of artists, primarily from western cultures. There are fewer examples of positive images of people from other contemporary cultures illustrated in photographs, books or paintings around the school although the accommodation does not lend itself to having many displays. An understanding of how

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3 Code of Practice - this gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Firfield Primary School - 19 children in other cultures have similar daily experiences to their own, however, is less well developed. Pupils appreciate a good range of their own cultural traditions. This is delivered through the curriculum as they value the work of authors, composers and visual artists. In one very effective lesson children were able to identify similar emotional responses communicated in examples of art and music. The pupils’ enjoyment and appreciation of their own culture is also promoted by the schools’ extensive extra-curricular programme which offers opportunities to

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participate in competitive sport, singing, music and gardening. The school also uses visits to the theatre and performances in school to enhance the curriculum.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school has a caring ethos where all pupils are valued, both physically and mentally. Staff know the pupils very well and have an excellent relationship with them. They do their utmost to keep the pupils safe. The tarmac playground is slippery in wet weather and is a potential hazard for any activity that involves running. The number of minor accidents, such as bumps and bruises that have occurred in the last five months because of the worn texture of this surface is unacceptable. Accidents are properly recorded by members of staff but are not yet reviewed regularly. The school buildings are clean and reasonably tidy although storage facilities are limited; this also has an impact on provision in some curriculum areas.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school has an effective behaviour policy. Oppressive behaviour and bullying is rare and occasional incidents have been dealt with efficiently. An incident of bullying that happened fairly recently was dealt with in accordance with the anti-bullying policy. The people involved were satisfied with the procedure and the result. At the time of the inspection no incidents of oppressive behaviour or bullying were observed.

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41. The systems in place for monitoring attendance are successful. Registers are marked twice daily and attendance is recorded on computer. A member of the secretarial staff follows up unexplained absences. The Educational Social Worker (ESW) will keep in contact with families who have any difficulty, and visits the school at least twice a term.

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42. The school provides effective support and advice for all its pupils. A member of staff is available to give practical help and guidance to the Year 6 girls. The provision for personal, social and health and citizenship education for pupils is being developed and is being well received by them. All pupils benefit from the care and attention given to them by both teaching and all non-teaching staff.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The health and safety policy is reviewed regularly by the governing body and is an effective working document. School staff and governors, who undertake regular risk assessments, have proper regard for the health and safety of the school community. The school has regular visits from the school nurse and medical services. Provision for first aid is satisfactory. Two members of staff have appropriate training and are available during the school day.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The provision for child protection meets statutory requirements. A member of staff has responsibility for child protection and has had suitable training. Other members of staff are to undertake training so that the school has coverage if the member of staff with responsibility for child protection is away. Information about the arrangements for child protection can be found in the staff and visitors’ handbook. The school works closely with the local social services department and uses the guidelines laid down by the Local Education Authority.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school generally cares well for its pupils through the monitoring of their academic progress, personal development and attendance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. A key issue in the previous report was to improve the quality of assessment, which was judged to be poor. Since then, the school has taken great strides to put matters right and now assessment arrangements within school are good overall. The school has established an effective structure for assessment, particularly in tracking progress pupils make in English, mathematics and science. There is a policy and clear consistent procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress, Firfield Primary School - 20 which help teachers to make valid judgements about what pupils know and can do, the progress they make and what they need to learn next. Teachers are secure in their judgements of the National Curriculum levels and carry out national assessments (SATs) at seven and 11 years of age effectively.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Results from national and optional tests in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, are used effectively to monitor pupils’ progress year on year. This assessment also helps trigger any extra support pupils may need and guides the composition of groups in work in literacy and numeracy in the juniors. Although there is a higher number of pupils from minority ethnic groups within school, there is less evaluation of the progress the different minority groups make. However, these pupils do not need any additional support for English acquisition and make similar progress to all other pupils.

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48. The school is establishing a system for assessing pupils’ achievement in the non-core subjects. At present, assessment shows the ‘targets’ pupils achieve in each subject. Evaluation of pupils’ skills development to help ascertain progress and to inform planning is however, still lacking.

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49. Assessment is helping to guide planning. For instance, in English, good assessment linked to ‘writing grids’ and reading is helping to highlight strengths and weaknesses and to guide future work in writing and reading. Maths and science, however, do not have such useful, detailed procedures. Teachers make informal ‘notes’, as they assess achievement well in lessons and indicate what steps need to be developed next in pupils’ learning. Although all pupils have targets set to improve their learning, those identified for pupils with statements of special educational need, in particular, are used well to help plan the next step for their learning.

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50. In the Foundation Stage, early checks and tests are well used to establish attainment on entry to school. Teachers also make ongoing assessment of children’s achievement in all areas of learning in relation to the early leaning goals.

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51. The special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) has provided a structure for the early identification and support of pupils with special educational needs. Assessment and reviews of individual educational plans are used well to help plan new targets for pupils with statements. Pupils on other action stages are also well supported in lessons in literacy and numeracy, where work is planned for different levels and needs. In the non-core subjects, such as geography, work is not so finely matched to need. Assessment procedures have greatly improved under the guidance of the new SENCO and so the progress of all pupils, particularly in literacy and numeracy, is regularly monitored. In addition, individual targets for pupils with special educational needs are regularly reviewed and new targets set. Targets are recorded in workbooks and so pupils are aware of the progress they make and so take part in assessing their own achievement.

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52. The school has revised its marking policy and although work is regularly marked, the standard of marking varies. At best it is positive and helps to guide improvement in skills and spelling.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Procedures for welcoming new children to the school are well established and there is effective sharing of information with parents. Prior to starting school there are very effective systems for supporting children as they make the adjustment from home to school. Staff make home visits and communicate with parents through booklets and meetings. Once children have started school there is good daily communication between parents and the Foundation Stage staff. This enables parents and staff to be fully informed of the child’s needs both at home and school. A display of the planned learning for the week keeps parents informed of what activities and topics the children will be engaged in, allowing the potential to support learning at home.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The school has very good relationships with parents. The majority of parents are happy with the academic and pastoral care the school provides. The school has an ‘open door’ policy. Parents can meet teaching staff at the beginning and end of the school day for brief discussions and teaching staff are always happy for parents to make appointments for longer meetings. Regular Firfield Primary School - 21 parent teacher meetings are held and parents are invited to attend workshops concerning various aspects of the curriculum. Parents receive good information about the curriculum and practical issues and this fulfils statutory requirements. Annual reports to parents show how well pupils are progressing and provide the opportunity for parents and pupils to share targets and make comments if they wish, but, at present, the computerised format of these reports has not been well received. The headteacher and staff are aware of parents’ misgivings and are to review the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Parents support the school in many ways. Some parents are able to help in classrooms and make a valuable contribution to the pupils’ learning. They hear readers, assist small groups of pupils with class activities, help prepare resources for lessons and give invaluable support to the teaching staff. A few parents were not happy with the amount of homework set although inspectors consider homework is good and linked well to the work in the classroom. However, children are given good support at home to complete work, which has a positive impact on their learning. The school has an effective policy for parent helpers which informs them of their rights and responsibilities in a user-friendly way. Some parents and grandparents help escort pupils on outings or to swimming sessions; without this support these various activities could not take place. The school values the very good contribution that parents and carers make to the pupils’

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56. Parents are asked to sign the school home/school agreement which outlines the guidelines for behaviour, attendance and general acceptance of the school ethos. This leads to a strong partnership between home and school. Consequently pupils’ standards of behaviour are high and levels of attendance good.

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57. Parents are kept well informed of school activities through the newsletters which are sent out regularly. Other letters concerning outings and sporting events are also distributed to parents. Due to limited hall space, parents are invited to support their children by watching class assembly rehearsals.

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58. The school has an active and supportive Parent Teacher Association (PTA). They organise a number of social and fund-raising events; these are supported well by the parents and friends of the school. The school has benefited from the funds raised by the PTA who have recently paid for ICT and play equipment for the school. The social events are supported by parents and friends of the school and are enjoyed by the local community. The summer fayre is a popular event which is attended by many of the people living in the village as well as parents and staff.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The school has strong links with parents of pupils with special educational needs. They are part of the review process and contribute their views on provision and progress, which are good. They share learning targets at home and are very supportive of the school. The governing body reports on special educational needs and the school’s ‘open door policy ‘ encourages parents to discuss any concerns.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The leadership and management of the school is very good and having a positive impact on pupils’ achievements. This is a tremendous improvement as the previous inspection team considered that aspects of leadership and management of the school gave cause for serious concern. The school now benefits from the outstanding leadership provided by the headteacher who has been in post just over three years. He sets an extremely clear vision and direction for the school and is very aware about what the school needs to do next to improve still further; this is shared very positively with the staff and governors. The headteacher is ably supported by the senior management team, all the staff, governors and parents and together they have addressed most of the key issues identified at the time of the previous inspection. The school has been without a deputy headteacher for some time due to long term illness of the previous post holder. This has

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caused difficulties in the management of a large school. It is to the credit of the staff who have supported the headteacher so positively and capably in managing the school without a deputy headteacher in post. Firfield Primary School - 22 61. The school previously lacked clear educational direction and had no shared vision of its development. However, it was acknowledged that the commitment of the teaching staff and the compliant, good nature of the pupils contributed significantly to the learning environment. A mission statement and a clear set of aims that are linked to the school improvement plan now provide the direction for the school. The school sets out to be a community in which children, parents, teachers and other adults in partnership create an environment which is rich in learning opportunities and in which there is an atmosphere of mutual respect, enjoyment and personal value. In these aims the school is successful. The headteacher has generated a strong team

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spirit amongst the staff where there are excellent relationships. All staff fully support each other with an excellent shared commitment and the capacity to continue to improve the school’s provision for the pupils in their care.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. The school is now a very effective school. Standards have improved in science at Key Stage 2 and are now high. Music and design and technology have improved at both key stages and are above average at Key Stage 2. Significant improvements have been made in leadership and management and the school improvement plan is now an integral part of the school’s work. Improvements have been made in curriculum provision and assessment is now good in the core subjects, but the school is still establishing a system for assessing pupils’ achievement and skills development in the foundation subjects. There have been improvements in the educational opportunities offered to pupils and there are sufficient teachers to cover the National Curriculum. Resources have been improved but they are still inadequate in the library. Although there have been improvements in the accommodation, much is

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still inadequate and poses health and safety issues.

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63. Delegation to staff of management responsibilities has improved and is now good. Since the previous inspection, the headteacher has ensured that the senior management team and the co- ordinator’s role have become more effective. All staff fully support the work of the school and are keen to raise standards. This has been particularly helpful during the last eighteen months when the school has not had a deputy headteacher. Co-ordinators now have their budgets linked to their curriculum evaluations and development priorities, non-contact time and opportunities to gain expertise through professional development. They have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their subjects. They are playing an increasingly active part in the further raising of standards, particularly in the core subjects. However, the school is aware that in foundation subjects the co-ordinator’s role needs further developing and this has been identified as a priority.

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Nevertheless, they have a good understanding of their subjects and work enthusiastically at managing them efficiently. They provide support, encouragement and help to their colleagues. They are supported well through performance management, which is a good improvement from the previous inspection, where appraisal statutory requirements were not met.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), who is relatively new to the post, has worked very hard, and has improved the identification and provision of special educational needs throughout the school. There are now clear, shared procedures, which are ensuring that the specific needs of pupils with special educational needs are being met in school. IEPs are more concise and targets are clear and shared by teachers, pupils and parents. The school is responding to the new Code of Practice and the SENCO has the expertise and commitment to carry it out. Secretarial aspects are well managed and up to date.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The governing body has developed its role since the previous inspection. It is now effective, is properly constituted and fulfils its statutory duties well, including agreeing performance targets for the headteacher. Governors ensure they are now well informed by the headteacher about all aspects of the school. They fulfil their duty to be a critical friend of the school effectively and have a very clear understanding of the strengths and priorities for development. The governors fully support the headteacher in his vision for the school. They liaise closely with the school and support and monitor developments in provision and standards. They carefully assess plans and decisions before they are put into practice and play an important role in the formulation of the school improvement plan. There is now a close and open working relationship. This ultimately benefits the school and has meant that improvement has been good over the last couple of years.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Firfield Primary School - 23 66. The school’s priorities for development and the action taken to meet its targets are very well chosen and implemented very effectively. They are set out clearly in the school’s improvement plan, together with specific targets and suitable action plans to help it achieve its intention, as in the ICT development plan. This is a very good improvement since the last inspection. There is a good focus on the promotion of improved standards. For example, the literacy action plan for writing. The school reaches high standards in reading and speaking and listening but they are not as high in writing throughout the school. In fact handwriting and presentation has been identified in the present inspection as a key issue. Financial planning effectively links spending with priorities in the improvement plan.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school has an adequate number of fully qualified staff to teach the pupils in their care. The teaching and support staff are positively committed to the educational and pastoral care of the pupils. New members of staff are well supported by the headteacher and senior members of staff and newly qualified teachers in the school benefit from a well-organised mentoring system. Performance Management is working well in the school.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The educational care officers (ECOs) provide very good support for the teaching staff and the pupils. They are used effectively and know the pupils well. They mainly support pupils with special educational needs and do this in a very positive manner. They give of their best to these pupils who benefit greatly from their care and expertise. Midday supervisors take good care of the pupils and cope well with the number of minor bumps and bruises that happen on the hard playground.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. Accommodation for the number of pupils on roll is inadequate and unsatisfactory and continues to cause concern, as in the previous inspection. Younger pupils are accommodated in temporary buildings that are in poor condition. The hard standing play area outside the main school building is too small to accommodate the number of pupils who use it. It has a dangerous and slippery surface, and is a hazard for outdoor games of any sort. The very high number of minor accidents, mainly bumps and bruises, sustained by pupils that have been recorded over the last two terms, together with those seen during the inspection, confirm this observation.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Aspects of the curriculum throughout the school suffer from the inadequacies of the accommodation. There is no suitable library in the school, which has a negative impact on the development of pupils’ library skills. Classroom space is generally adequate although one class has no running water making curriculum delivery in science and art and design particularly difficult. The hall is small and cannot accommodate a large class for PE or dance. PE also suffers from the problems of the tarmaced playground which has an uneven slippery surface and sunken drain covers.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. Learning resources are generally good for the Foundation Stage and the delivery of the National Curriculum. Resources for ICT are adequate though the computers are situated around the school which makes group work difficult. Some artefacts and reference materials are borrowed from the local museum for history and geography and are used effectively. This has proved to be a valuable resource. Pupils with special educational needs are very adequately catered for. Curriculum co- ordinators have access to some funds for their subjects though these are limited due to the very low budget. Library books are limited by both funds and storage space.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. The school makes very good use of the resources it has. It uses the money available very carefully and very effectively to improve the standards the pupils achieve and the quality of children’s life in school. Spending is directed appropriately to help bring about what has been agreed will best help to improve pupils’ achievements. Governors are fully involved in the budget setting process. Together with the headteacher, they are totally committed to achieving the best value for money and the principles of best value are always considered and implemented. Administrative staff are very effective and efficient, giving valuable support to the headteacher and governors so that they have the most accurate and up-to-date information to guide their financial planning. Resources are very carefully managed, as are the additional funds to support pupils with special educational needs, who make good progress. Planning for improvement is fully integrated

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

with financial planning through the close involvement of the governors’ committees at the budget Firfield Primary School - 24 preparation stages. Given the low income the school receives, the good quality of education pupils receive which helps them to make good progress and achieve above average standards, the school gives very good value for money. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when value for money was judged to be satisfactory.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

73. In order to improve standards further, the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise the standards in information and communication technology (ICT) * particularly for seven-year-olds by;

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• implementing the planned development in ICT; • planning how pupils’ ICT skills can be developed through work in other subjects; • reviewing the time allocation and the organisation of large classes to ensure pupils gain the maximum amount of ‘hands on’ experience in ICT.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Paragraphs: 7, 18, 27, 28, 95, 97, 106, 135, 136 and 137.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* The school has already identified this as a priority and provided for it in the school improvement plan.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• emphasising the importance of correct spelling and presentation of work in English and in all subjects of the curriculum; • encouraging pupils to take greater care in their handwriting, including writing in subjects other than English; • developing literacy skills across the curriculum.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Paragraphs: 5, 8, 18, 30, 66, 94, 97, 102, 105, 128, 129 and 133.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Review the use of the present internal accommodation in order to:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• create an adequate library so pupils can develop independent research skills and learn how to locate books using a classification system; • ensure there is sufficient space for effective learning to take place when pupils carry out investigative and practical activities in subjects such as science and art; Firfield Primary School - 25 • place computers in suitable areas to enable teachers to teach ICT skills and for pupils to have adequate access to them; • ensure that all pupils have at least the recommended curriculum time for PE in the hall.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Paragraphs: 11, 27, 38, 62, 70, 71, 97, 113, 116, 117 and 136.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Urgently improve the condition of the site, in particular the playground in order to:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• minimise the high level of minor injuries (mainly bumps and bruises) that occur at break and lunch times; • ensure the surface on the playground is suitable for pupils to carry out PE safely.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Paragraphs: 39, 62, 70 and 151. Firfield Primary School - 26

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 43

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 379

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 15

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 7

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 41

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 19

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 17

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Firfield Primary School - 27 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Firfield Primary School - 28 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) Year Boys Girls Total

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 30 21 51

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 29 29 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 20 22

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 92 (97) 92 (95) 98 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 30 29 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 20 22

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 96 (95) 92 (97) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 28 35 63

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 24 25 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 32 28 35

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 89 (85) 84 (85) 98 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 22 24 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 29 35

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 84 (79) 84 (81) 98 (91) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Firfield Primary School - 29 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Any other minority ethnic group 4 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers and classes Financial information

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15.0 Financial year 2000/2001

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27.1

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 620124

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 12 Total expenditure 627749

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 220 Expenditure per pupil 1582

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance brought forward from previous year 26155

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year 18530

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3.0

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3.0

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1.5

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

FTE means full-time equivalent. Firfield Primary School - 30

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 51 43 6 0 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 47 1 0 4

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 46 14 2 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 46 40 12 1 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 68 28 2 1 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 63 35 1 0 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 48 37 13 0 2

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 60 35 1 1 4

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 54 38 6 0 2

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 40 38 11 1 9 Firfield Primary School - 31

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. The Foundation Stage consists of two Reception classes of 29 and 30 children. Approximately two thirds of the children started school in September and the younger children were admitted in January, only one week before the inspection. A total of nine lessons was observed. A scrutiny of wall displays, resources and children’s work was carried out and we heard children read and talked to them about their school experiences. On entry to school, attainment is broadly average, with a minority of pupils achieving higher than expected for their age, and a small minority achieving below average attainment.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. In speaking and listening, counting and personal, social and emotional development children have shown good progress in their first term, and the majority of children are likely to achieve or exceed the early learning goals by the end of the Reception year. In the other areas of learning, including creative and physical development, writing, other aspects of mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world, children are making satisfactory progress and most will attain the early learning goals by the end of the Foundation Stage in July.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

76. The Foundation Stage team work effectively together, providing a welcoming and secure atmosphere for young children. They plan the programme together, and nursery nurses as well as teachers are actively involved in supporting children’s personal development and learning. An additional classroom assistant supports a child with special educational needs. Overall the support for children with special educational needs is satisfactory. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall in all areas of learning, with the exception of personal, social and emotional development where it is good.

p.31

Personal, social and emotional development

77. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority to good effect. Teaching is good in this area which helps most children make good progress and, as a result, many are likely to exceed the early learning goals by the end of the Reception year. A warm and caring atmosphere enhances children’s sense of security and confidence. Children are expected to manage changing and washing themselves and are encouraged to take responsibility for their belongings. Children demonstrate good levels of concentration when painting and constructing. They behave extremely well as members of a large group when listening to stories, singing rhymes and when responding to questions. The established daily routine, consisting of literacy and numeracy hours and assembly time, places inappropriate demands on the newly admitted children. In consequence, children are expected to listen as part of a large group for a substantial

p.31

Personal, social and emotional development

percentage of the morning. Opportunities for more active exploration, socialisation and play, which are generally offered in the afternoons, are more effective learning contexts for the younger children.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

78. By the end of the Foundation Stage, many children have made good gains in their learning in reading, where attainment is above average. Most children are already attaining the early learning goals for reading and can link sounds to letters, retell stories and read familiar and common words. Home/school diaries are used effectively to share children’s achievements and to identify progress in reading. A good range of fiction and non-fiction books, organised into different levels of challenge, are enjoyed by the children and regularly taken home. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall but there is a good emphasis on reading and stories. The children’s appreciation of stories is stimulated by good story telling in lessons, which is both exciting and absorbing for children.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

79. Attainment and progress in writing, speaking and listening is satisfactory and children are likely to reach the early learning goals by the end of Reception. A writing area with a range of pencils and Firfield Primary School - 32 worksheets is made available to children, although during the inspection this activity rarely attracted children or engaged their sustained interest. The early stages of word building are supported satisfactorily in group work in the literacy hour, but examples of children producing early writing with a sense of purpose as part of their imaginative play both indoors and in the outside area are few. Children respond to questions from adults readily in large and small group situations, but children’s speaking and listening is less well supported where children are engaged in self-chosen activities and play.

p.31

Mathematical development

80. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall . Children are given daily opportunities to count to 20, sing number rhymes, and to read numerals. Good use is made of a wide range of attractive resources for providing stimulating activities for counting. This helps children to make good progress in counting and standards are above average for children of their age. Overall, children’s progress in mathematical development is satisfactory. For some higher attaining children the tasks set do not offer sufficient challenge, such as reading two digit numbers or counting on a 100 square. During the inspection the higher attaining children did not undertake simple addition or use pattern as part of their counting experience.

p.32

Mathematical development

81. The activities provided for the newly admitted children were, in most cases, appropriate for the children’s abilities in counting. The demands placed on them to respond in large and small groups, however, where activities required correct responses, were too demanding for them. This led to some newly admitted children being inactive and not participating in learning opportunities.

p.32

Knowledge and understanding of the world

82. Provision and teaching for children to develop knowledge and understanding of the world around them is satisfactory. Children’s learning is promoted well, and they make sound progress. By the end of the Foundation Stage, most are likely to achieve the early learning goals. Development in the children’s ability to explore and investigate, to find out how things work, to build and construct and to design and make are supported by well resourced classrooms and adequate space. Learning through a class theme allows plenty of potential for designing and making and using technology for a purpose. For example, constructing dragons out of found materials as part of their work on the Chinese New Year and using a tape recorder to listen to and replay music linked to the theme of winter. These opportunities allowed children to learn about their own cultures and the cultures and beliefs of other people.

p.32

Knowledge and understanding of the world

83. Children access a computer in the classroom and use a mouse and keyboard to move icons and change pictures as needed. Children enjoy dressing teddy for winter using appropriate software based on the PJ Bear stories. Their understanding of the natural world is enhanced, for example, by hearing suitable stories and looking at photographs of cold climates. There are few examples, however, of opportunities for children to observe and handle materials from the natural world such as plants, insects, animals, leaves, wood or ice. The safe outdoor environment, adjacent to the classrooms, is not exploited fully for this area of learning. There is potential to create small environments in the outdoor play area to support learning in knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.32

Physical Development

84. Teaching is satisfactory overall and children make sound progress. Attainment in children’s physical development is satisfactory and many will attain the early learning goals in physical development. As children access a newly created outdoor play area they climb and balance and in the hall they move confidently with appropriate control of their movements and awareness of space. Progress is less than satisfactory, however, due to lack of adult interaction and challenge during outdoor play. A short hall period, after time is taken out for registration, changing and walking to the hall, leaves insufficient time for physical activity in the hall. Children’s ability to manipulate and control tools using their hands is appropriately developed as they cut, stick and make marks using a range of paints, pens and pencils. Firfield Primary School - 33

p.32

Creative development

85. In this area of learning, children are given opportunities to engage in dance, music making, the appreciation of music, role-play, painting, constructing, designing and making. Overall teaching is satisfactory and the progress children make is sound. Many are likely to achieve the early learning goals in creative development. Often creative responses are linked to the class theme, such as making Chinese characters as part of their work on the Chinese New Year. In some creative activities, however, children’s work is dominated by too much adult direction. For example, children are asked to paint in a section of a dragon that had previously been cut out by an adult. The children are then directed to use specific colours on particular sections of the model. This did not offer any opportunities for children to be creative and represent their own ideas, to experiment or to explore the use of materials. However, an activity in which children built

p.33

Creative development

their own dragon model, joining boxes and tubes and painting them, did offer better potential for creative development.

p.33

ENGLISH

86. The previous report indicated that standards in English were (at least) in line for seven and 11- year-olds. The school has made good progress in all aspects of English and standards have improved significantly and are still improving. Since 1997 standards have continued to rise for both the seven and 11-year-olds. In the most recent National Curriculum tests in 2001, at the end of Key Stage 1, results in reading were well above the national average and in writing above average. At the end of Key Stage 2, results were well above average, with significant strengths in reading. These better results are associated with the effective implementation of the National Literacy Strategy and a strong commitment to raising attainment in the school by staff and governors. There has been good monitoring of planning, teaching and learning, and assessment and tracking of pupils’ progress, which is an improvement since the previous inspection. The quality of teaching

p.33

ENGLISH

has improved and the majority of teaching observed was at least good with most teaching in Years 5 and 6 being very good. There are good procedures for assessment, and effective use is made of the information gathered to set school and individual literacy targets and these are shared well with the pupils.

p.33

ENGLISH

87. Inspection findings from current and previous work show attainment in English to be above the national average by the end of Year 2 and well above average by the end of Year 6. Standards of speaking and listening and reading in both the infant and junior school are high, so that by seven and 11 years of age, pupils achieve well above the national average in these aspects. In writing, in Year 2, standards are broadly average. This is lower than in 2001 because there are more pupils with special educational needs in the year and of a lower ability who find writing more difficult than reading. Nevertheless, there is still a good proportion gaining the higher Level 3. Writing in Year 6 is above average with a significant proportion of pupils gaining the higher Level 5. Some of the pupils in Year 5 are already working at this level. All pupils, including pupils with special educational needs, make good progress. There is no difference in the attainment of boys and

p.33

ENGLISH

girls. Pupils from minority ethnic groups work equally well. They require no extra assistance in the acquisition of the English language and make equally good progress. Setting in English is used in Years 5 and 6; this is a very effective system as it ensures equality of opportunity because work is very carefully matched to pupils’ ability. This ensures that higher attaining pupils are very well challenged as is evident in some of the high quality teaching and learning.

p.33

ENGLISH

88. Standards of attainment in speaking and listening are well above the national average. Teachers provide pupils with good opportunities to ask and answer questions, to listen and respond to others, to present their own ideas and opinions clearly. This was clearly illustrated when Year 6 pupils spoke with conviction and persuasion when they debated the merits of homework. High expectations and effective discipline ensure pupils listen attentively and build on each other’s responses whilst waiting for their turn to speak. Teachers encourage pupils to use the correct Firfield Primary School - 34 terminology, not only in literacy, but in other subjects as well, as in a Year 4 lesson, when pupils used scientific vocabulary well when discussing reporting on environmental issues. From the start of school, speaking and listening are promoted well with a very good emphasis on reading and this enables pupils to explore and share books with enthusiasm. In the infants, younger pupils

p.33

ENGLISH

talk readily about illustrations, recall the main points of the story and describe the actions of characters with clarity. In the juniors, a good understanding of spoken language helps with reading at deeper levels of meaning. In Year 5, whilst reading ‘The Fatal Strand’ by R. Jarvis, pupils refer to the text to justify their opinions, as they identify the ancient language used by one character, and explain the meaning of ‘ hence’ and ‘thus’.

p.34

ENGLISH

89. Reading is a strength of the school. Pupils have a genuine enjoyment of reading and exploring books. They bring their favourite books from home, recommend books they have enjoyed reading and are very positive about their good reading skills. By Year 2, the vast majority of pupils read accurately and fluently and by Year 6 are mature and confident readers.

p.34

ENGLISH

90. In infant classes basic reading skills are developed well, as pupils link letters with sounds and recall words by sight. In Year 1, pupils make good progress, with more confident readers starting to self-correct their reading. Learning moves on well in Year 2, where pupils read with understanding in an accurate and fluent way. They talk readily about books they enjoy, and show empathy with poems about bullying as they make links with their own experiences. As yet, few pupils make ‘good guesses’ at unknown words and some less capable readers are confused about the difference between fiction and non-fiction books.

p.34

ENGLISH

91. By 11, the vast majority of pupils make choices of favourite author and can compare style and genre. A Year 6 pupil, reading a mystical story, states how different it is from the ‘real life’ style of J. Wilson. Another pupil explains. ‘The Chinese Cinderella’ was her biggest challenge in reading, because she was expecting something similar to a traditional English story. The attainment of average and more capable readers is similar. There is a small minority of pupils with difficulties with their reading, but they too are making good progress. Some readers in Year 3 have extra help in Additional Literacy Support groups (ALS). Setting in the literacy hour is helping to match the level of work to need. However, a few less able readers are struggling to read the books they have chosen themselves and evidence of teachers’ monitoring of this aspect of reading is limited.

p.34

ENGLISH

92. Inspection evidence indicates that attainment in writing is average by the end of Year 2 and above average by the end of Year 6. Given the highly motivated pupils and the extra emphasis on writing this term, there is the likelihood that standards may be even higher at the end of Year 6. However, presentation, including handwriting and at times spelling, is not as good as it should be. These weaknesses are not only affecting some of the quality of writing in literacy but also affects the written work in other subjects.

p.34

ENGLISH

93. Pupils make good progress through Year 1 and this continues through Year 2. Teachers offer their pupils a good range of work within literacy. They encourage them to write in a variety of forms. Pupils write instructions, for example ‘how to play playground games’ in Year 2 when they use appropriate language for the rules. Higher attaining pupils are joining their writing neatly and making appropriate attempts at spelling using their knowledge of sounds when writing their news, stories and poems. There is a wide range of ability in Year 2 and the work of the lower attaining pupils reflects this. They often need considerable support in writing, but have good ideas and understand the structure of sentences. This was evident when Year 2 pupils were writing lines of a poem for a class poem on senses. Average and higher attaining pupils make good attempts and show a good imagination with some of their suggestions. There is some good use of ICT in a

p.34

ENGLISH

Year 1 class, when pupils take it in turns to write a caption about animals and birds, which is linked with their literacy. This is good reinforcement when using non-fiction books.

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ENGLISH

94. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a very good understanding of, and recognise the importance of writing for, different audiences within literacy. In addition, there is a good focus on different styles and genres. Evidence found included: letters, poems, instructions, book reviews, debates and play scripts. They have a good understanding of the conventions of different forms of writing, for example, they know the need to start a new line when writing a play script. Good teaching of Firfield Primary School - 35 these aspects results in lively, thoughtful and interesting writing in literacy. Unfortunately these good opportunities offered within literacy are more limited in other subjects, such as in history, geography and religious education. Writing in other subjects can be disappointing considering the above average levels these pupils achieve in English.

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ENGLISH

95. Teachers use good strategies to ensure their pupils learn how to tackle different styles of writing, as illustrated in a Year 3 lesson. Linked to their work on traditional tales, pupils were required to write and illustrate each stage of a story. Very effective use of a planning sheet helped children to understand the story structure. In addition good opportunities to discuss ideas with a partner helped them to produce some imaginative text. In a Year 4 lesson, the teacher created a sense of ‘awe’ when she read the start of a story about ‘St George and the Dragon’ and showed them the illustrations. Through well-directed work on adjectives, pupils improve their knowledge of descriptive words which they later use in their written work. Very good skills teaching is a feature throughout the key stage 4 and helps pupils make good progress. Stories about ancient cultures helps to inspire Year 5 pupils, who enjoy reading about Ra, The Shining Sun God. This leads to

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ENGLISH

very good descriptive writing and the use of embedded clauses gives further interest. The higher attaining pupils in Year 5 work at a particularly high level and are very motivated. This was illustrated by their suggestions to make class books about myths which was supported enthusiastically by the teacher. However, work using ICT in the lesson was not particularly productive as pupils had difficulty with word processing skills, not the exercise in literacy.

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ENGLISH

96. The quality of teaching is good overall and a high proportion is very good. The vast majority of lessons, including literacy, group reading and extended writing are very well planned. The organisation of pupils into groups according to their ability in literacy lessons in Years 5 and 6 significantly helps the work to be well matched to pupils of different ability. Work is built on well on what most pupils can already do and this is supported by the good assessment within the lesson and over a period of time. The methods and organisation teachers use are mostly good, but it is sometimes difficult for all the pupils in the very large class in Year 2 to have the attention they would have if they were in a smaller group. This is particularly the case in the introductions and reviews at the end of lessons. The problem is not as apparent during group time, as sufficient adults are available to support the pupils in their work. The school’s very good procedures for

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ENGLISH

behaviour management, which are consistently applied by all staff, mean that the management of pupils is very good. This aspect is considerably enhanced by the excellent relationships teachers have with pupils. Very good attention is given to including all pupils well in learning. The support given by the very well qualified ECOs is very good. This is specially so for pupils with special educational needs. The ECOs help to explain things during introductions and pupils are encouraged to prepare their answers before answering in front of the whole class. This gives significant support to their self-esteem. Homework has been planned to support learning effectively and matched to work in the classroom. For example, Year 6 pupils prepared work at home in preparation for their work on debates about homework.

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ENGLISH

97. The co-ordinator provides good leadership for the subject. She, along with the headteacher, has monitored the effectiveness of teaching, learning and planning. The school has made good improvement in aspects of the subject and is in a powerful position to continue to improve the high standards pupils already achieve. Standards of writing have been identified as a priority on the school improvement plan and a detailed action plan to tackle this area has been put in place. The contents and use of the school library needs evaluating as it is still unsatisfactory. Some books are old and well worn and the range and number of books for each subject is limited. This was an issue identified in the previous inspection and has yet to be put right. It is having an impact on pupils’ learning. Pupils are developing skills with retrieving information, but few have regular use of the school’s systems of classification. Many pupils use computers at home to search for

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ENGLISH

information and so are developing their reading research skills well. Daily access to computers in school is somewhat limited, but by Year 6, pupils skim and scan and take notes from information from web sites .

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ENGLISH

4 Key stage 2 – pupils in Years 3 to 6 Firfield Primary School - 36

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MATHEMATICS

98. The last inspection report indicated that attainment in mathematics was slightly above the national average by the end of Year 2, and above the national average for most pupils by the end of Year 6. Progress, although satisfactory overall, was uneven, largely because of variations in the quality of teaching. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 were competent in number, but less secure in other elements of the curriculum. There were inconsistencies in planning and teachers did not use assessment information well. The co-ordination of the subject was unsatisfactory.

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MATHEMATICS

99. The school has worked hard to maintain high standards in mathematics and to improve the weaker aspects identified at the last inspection and they have made good progress. Attainment in the mathematics National Curriculum tests by the end of Year 2 has been well above average in each subsequent year up to 2001. Although standards were well above the national average in 2001, they were only judged to be in line with the standards achieved in similar schools. This reflects the lower than expected proportion of pupils achieving the highest levels. Pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests by the end of Year 6 was above average in 1998 and 1999, and well above average in 2000 and 2001. Standards in 2001 were above those achieved in similar schools. The school exceeded its target for attainment in mathematics at Year 6 in 2001. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 in 2001 was well above average. The school’s

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MATHEMATICS

tracking systems show that the majority of pupils are making good progress in mathematics as they move through the school.

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MATHEMATICS

100. On the evidence available at this stage in the school year, standards are above average in both Year 2 and Year 6. The strengths in mathematics reflect the high quality of much of the teaching, the benefits of stable staffing, the depth of coverage achieved and the structure and consistency provided by the numeracy initiative.

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MATHEMATICS

101. The school has implemented the numeracy initiative with considerable success and teachers are, overall, using the structure well. Pupils have access to the breadth of the National Curriculum in mathematics and there is now a good balance of experience through the school. In many of the lessons observed in the juniors, pupils were working on aspects of shape, space and area, or on probability. Children have a sound start in the Foundation Stage. In Years 1 and 2, pupils extend their knowledge of mathematics, particularly number. They add and subtract accurately with numbers of increasing size, successfully perform simple multiplication calculations based upon familiar tables. They estimate and measure length and weight accurately, although there was limited evidence of this in their recorded work. They recognize time and clock-faces and produce simple tally and bar charts, recording their favourite fruit. Lower attaining Year 2 pupils were

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MATHEMATICS

observed confidently sequencing numbers to 100. They are able to add two digit numbers mentally. They sequence in tens or 100’s from a given starting point on a number stick. From an early stage, staff encourage pupils to be independent, so that they have the confidence to work by themselves, seeking the teacher’s support only when it is necessary. There is a positive emphasis on practical mathematical activities throughout the classes in Years 1 and 2 which does naturally limit the amount of recorded work. However, in discussion it is apparent that Year 2 pupils’ have a good mathematical understanding. Around one third of the current Year 2 pupils are already working within or towards level 3, half are working within level 2, with the remainder still working within level 1. This is likely to produce an overall level of performance by the end of the year similar to that achieved in 2001.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Planning indicates that pupils cover an appropriate range of work in Years 3 to 6. There is a good balance between the elements of the curriculum. They have had experience of, and work accurately with, fractions, decimals and, in some instances, percentages, long multiplication, ratio and proportion, mean/mode/median and range, approximation, co-ordinates, negative numbers and indices. By the end of Year 6, pupils are familiar with, and can interpret confidently, bar charts and line graphs. These skills are used appropriately in other areas of the curriculum, particularly science and geography. Pupils are making good progress across the key stage, with some very good progress as they move towards Year 6. Pupils have considerable competence orally. However, as in the infants, there is little focus upon the quality of recorded work and this is often unimpressive. The quantity of work recorded is not high and there is no evidence of a focus

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MATHEMATICS

Firfield Primary School - 37 on the systematic presentation of work. This contributes to the difficulty of making precise judgements as to pupils’ levels of attainment. There is good use of practical activities to promote pupils’ understanding. The older pupils show a good grasp of tables and of the strategies necessary for accurate mental calculations. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 were mentally - and accurately – counting in 14’s, forwards and back to 140. Teachers recognize the importance of such skills and provide regular opportunities for practice.

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MATHEMATICS

103. The quality of teaching is good across the school, with some very good lessons – particularly in Years 4, 5 and 6. Most teachers have a clear grasp of the standards which pupils should be achieving and expectations are high. Progress by all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is increasingly brisk. There is evidence of challenging work being provided for the higher attaining pupils towards the end of Key Stage 2. The school does not, however, yet identify gifted and talented pupils in mathematics. There are challenges in providing for the full range of pupils’ needs in Year 2 because of the considerable size of the group. This affects, for example, the management and operation of the oral activities. On some occasions, where direct questioning of individuals is undertaken, there is a loss of pace and pupils’ learning is affected. In other circumstances, for example, when pupils use number fans, the level of participation is much

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MATHEMATICS

higher and the quality of learning improves.

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MATHEMATICS

104. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. They plan in detail, identifying clear objectives and ensuring that pupils know what these are. They set targets for groups of pupils, although not yet for individuals. There is very effective use of both whole-class teaching and group work within each class. The pace of many lessons is very brisk with particularly effective behavior management. This ensures that no time is wasted. This was a very strong feature of the best lessons observed towards the top of the school. The most confident teachers encourage pupils to respond and challenge what they say. This was a very successful strategy in, for example, the lessons on probability in Year 6. Another excellent example was seen in a Year 4 lesson where a pupil, in discussing the area of two-dimensional shapes, realized the misconception involved in discussing three-dimensional objects as if they were two-dimensional shapes. These factors, together with

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MATHEMATICS

the good support provided for pupils with special educational needs, underpin the steady improvement in standards in mathematics which has been achieved and sustained. Homework is used well to support pupils’ learning in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

105. A weakness in teaching relates to the variable quality of marking of pupils’ work. This is often superficial, with few developmental comments. In some classes, work is unmarked. Together with the indifferent quality of presentation in many classes, this sets a poor example to otherwise highly motivated pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

106. Information communication technology is now making a satisfactory contribution to the teaching of mathematics, but this is an area for further development. There is evidence of work in the data- handling element of the mathematics curriculum, of the use of spreadsheets and of directional work using screen robots. Formal procedures for assessing pupils` progress are good. This has been an area of development recently. There is regular use of school-developed and national test material to support teachers in their planning. The co-ordinator is providing satisfactory leadership for the subject. However, while there is a regular programme of monitoring of mathematics teaching, there is too little awareness of the quality or quantity of recorded work across the school.

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SCIENCE

107. Significantly more pupils are achieving satisfactory standards than they were at the last inspection. This is due to improved teaching, an increase in teachers subject knowledge and understanding, improved planning and improved resources. All of these factors are having a significant impact on the improving standards of learning. In the most recent National Curriculum tests in 2001, standards increased significantly for both the seven and 11-year-olds. In the current school year, inspection findings indicate that in Years 1 and 2 standards are about average. In Year 6 they are above average. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, are Firfield Primary School - 38 making good progress over time. The school is making good progress in pushing up standards in science from unsatisfactory at the time of the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

108. Teaching is good across the whole school and lessons are well planned and delivered. There is clear guidance for teachers and work is planned at the right levels. This ensures all pupils, whatever their ability, are fully included in lessons. The curriculum is well planned and assessment procedures have improved and are now good. However, not all marking is helpful to move pupils on in their learning. Pupils enjoy the subject and they try hard. They are good at predicting what might happen in a fair test and are better than they were at recording work.

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SCIENCE

109. Year 1 and Year 2 pupils were using their senses to describe properties of everyday objects made from wood, metal, plastic and glass. Planning is successful and pupils make good gains in their learning. Clear introductions enable pupils to know what to do and they rise successfully to the challenge. Year 2 pupils are able to talk about what conditions plants need to grow and what the differences are between living and non-living things. Pupils are beginning to record their scientific findings in a written form.

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SCIENCE

110. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 do well when they are planning to use a fair test as part of their investigations. Year 4 pupils readily explain the differences between materials and classify them accurately as solids and liquids. In Years 5 and 6, pupils apply themselves well in group work. Tasks are pitched at the right level and teachers know their subject well. In Year 6, pupils are able to predict whether each liquid is pure or whether it has material dissolved in it. They have a good understanding of circuits and circuit diagrams and enjoy constructing these. Good use was made of ICT to record pupils’ findings. For example, Year 5 pupils have had experience of spreadsheets and used a database to support their work in science. Teachers have a very good subject knowledge and understanding and learning moves forward well because the teacher effectively draws out and reinforces the main points of the lesson.

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SCIENCE

111. The quality of teaching and learning is good and effective use is made of resources throughout the school. Pupils are good at making choices about the materials and equipment they use. They are also good at evaluating their own and others’ work. Staff are confident in their teaching and promote the use of scientific language well. The co-ordinator has very good subject expertise and provides clear educational direction. The curriculum is good, with all the elements in place and pupils’ attainment and progress are monitored carefully. There are good links with other subjects, such as music and design and technology, when pupils explored how musical instruments worked and how sound travelled. Effective links with feeder schools and Trent College enable Year 5 and 6 pupils to enjoy good opportunities when they take part in science based activities; this helps to consolidate their learning in science.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. During the inspection three art and design lessons were observed in Years 3 to 6. Art and design was not taught in Years 1 and 2 during the inspection. Completed work in portfolios, photographs, on display around the school and in classrooms was evaluated, and discussions were held with children. Pupils make satisfactory progress in art and design throughout the school and at the end of both key stages are working at a standard in line with that expected for their age. These are the same standards as those identified in the last inspection report.

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ART AND DESIGN

113. In Year 2 children are encouraged to experiment with techniques and materials. The pupils use textiles and create stitched, woven, printed, tufted and rippled effects. Due to limited display areas, it is difficult to promote work completed and consequently there are few examples of pupils’ artwork displayed.

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ART AND DESIGN

114. In Years 3 and 4, children understand how to control pencil and water colour in order to record degrees of shade and tone and have created sculptures and mobiles for the school garden. They use ICT to create repeating patterns and have communicated moods through montages of photographs. In Year 5, pupils bring their learning in history and English to their designs of Firfield Primary School - 39 mythical characters and have studied how the body moves when creating sculptures from pipe cleaners and foil. Year 6 pupils apply their knowledge of the style of Picasso to their portraits.

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ART AND DESIGN

115. Pupils with special educational needs participate in all art and design lessons and make satisfactory progress. All children are fully included in art experiences. For one class the lack of a sink in the classroom places additional demands on classroom management and time.

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ART AND DESIGN

116. In the three lessons observed the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Teachers have a clear understanding of the skills they want children to learn, and questions are used well to remind children of their previous learning. However, pupils are not always given sufficient opportunities to explore their own ideas and to experiment. Where teaching is better than satisfactory, there is good teacher subject knowledge and good technical skills tuition. For example, using graphite to effectively shade three-dimensional shapes. However, there are few examples of children applying these skills to work which they have composed. In a stimulating lesson based on Egyptian mythology, pupils were encouraged to gather the information needed for designing their own work. They used research skills to find stimuli and information in stories, photographs, artefacts, models of animals and the work of other artists. Where teaching was less effectual, too much

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ART AND DESIGN

time was used for teacher exposition and insufficient time was allowed for pupils to experiment with techniques and materials.

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ART AND DESIGN

117. The co-ordinator has good knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject which she passes on to colleagues. An adequate collection of teaching resources has been helpfully classified. Visits and visitors support art and design well. Following a visit to the Beetroot Tree Gallery to see sculptures, pupils created their own out of recycled materials. Unfortunately, many large three- dimensional creations are difficult to display in the school, due to lack of suitable accommodation. The resources offer fewer examples of artists from non-western cultures. ICT skills are developed in art and design through the use of graphic programs.

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ART AND DESIGN

118. At the time of the last inspection portfolios of children’s work were in the process of being compiled to support teacher assessment. This process is still underway. The art and design policy has been recently reviewed, and the staff mainly use Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) national guidance to assist planning their work. The art and design curriculum is planned to give pupils experiences of different techniques and media, including working with three- dimensional materials. Systems for monitoring the teaching of art and design are not yet fully in place.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. At the time of the previous inspection the attainment of the seven and 11-year- olds was unsatisfactory. Good progress has been made and this time pupils’ attainment in Years 1 and 2 is average, and in Years 3 to 6 it is above average. The curriculum is significantly better than it was, resources have improved and the co-ordinator has worked hard to develop good teaching and effective learning throughout the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. Pupils’ work is well planned, with clear progression in their skills and activities. From the Reception class, pupils are taught the correct way to handle tools and how to work safely. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are well motivated to complete their work to a satisfactory standard in Years 1 and 2 and to a good standard for pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. There is a strong emphasis on designing, making, evaluating and improving. All pupils are fully included in all aspects of the curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. In Year 1, pupils have discussed healthy eating and understand the importance of hygiene as they prepare sandwiches. By Year 2, they have used patterns and can join fabrics to create puppets.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. Pupils in Year 3 have a good understanding of structures and have designed and made some interesting photo frames. By Year 4, they have developed a good understanding of fabric properties and fastenings as they create an interesting range of money containers. Plans show Firfield Primary School - 40 that pupils changed some design details to achieve more suitable movements. They enjoy learning about lever mechanisms as they examine ‘pop-up’ books.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. Year 5 pupils have enjoyed tasting and evaluating bread and created a good range of musical instruments while studying a topic on ‘Sound’. Pupils’ earlier learning and skills are used and applied effectively. Year 6 pupils enjoy disassembling various styles of slippers and have learnt how to strengthen and reinforce ‘shelters’. They used a range of materials for this task and most pupils are able to use a variety of tools and equipment safely. They evaluate designs and can identify aspects that need improving.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. The quality of teaching is good with objectives shared effectively with pupils at the start of the lesson. Good attention is paid to safety techniques and pupils learn to handle tools correctly and safely. During the introduction and plenary parts of the lesson, pupils have good opportunities to evaluate their work as a consequence of effective questioning by the teacher. The curriculum is appropriately planned using QCA national guidance alongside the school’s curriculum plan. This is an improvement on the previous inspection and the skills of design and technology are developed in a systematic manner. The co-ordinator provides good, clear educational direction for the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

125. Only a limited number of lessons were observed in geography. Most classes are focusing on history this term and so evidence from pupils’ work, planning and discussions has helped to form judgements. Pupils achieve standards similar to those found nationally at seven and 11 years of age. These findings reflect the judgements of the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

126. In the infants, pupils study their local environment and make simple maps and plans of their classrooms and journeys to school. They begin to notice different buildings and label geographical features in a simple way. Effective links are made with history, as pupils learn about the seaside, consider its physical features and identify any changes that have taken place. In Year 1, pupils study weather and consider which animals live in cold climates. This learning is built upon in Year 2, with pupils describing weather conditions in warmer holiday destinations.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. There is a focus on the improvement of key skills in geography to ensure progression year on year. Work with using mapping skills is evident in most year groups. In Year 4, pupils learn about the eight points of the compass and make steady progress as they give instructions using their new knowledge. However, accessibility to resources limits greater exploration in this lesson. Good collaborative work in Year 6 enables pupils to explore the features of mountainous regions and to use maps and atlases to identify and share key information. There is evidence of a good general knowledge of geography in pupils’ discussions. In the scrutiny of work in books in Year 6, rivers are studied in some detail, and pupils clearly understand how rivers are formed and can identify the different stages of development. However, in general, in most classes throughout the school, the range, quality and presentation of written work in geography is disappointing.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. Pupils are keen to learn and their good behaviour ensures that learning goes on at a pace. All pupils are included fully in lessons and in particular, pupils with statements for their special needs are supported well by their ECOs and so make the best possible progress. Pupils from minority ethnic groups work well and boys and girls achieve similar, steady progress. Teaching is sound. Whilst lessons are clearly planned, and teachers use questioning and discussions well to develop learning, all pupils would benefit from greater challenge and expectations in their writing. The co- ordinator manages the subjects well and has an action plan to improve standards. Resources are barely adequate to support learning in some lessons, such as work with maps and the use of compasses.

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HISTORY

Firfield Primary School - 41 129. Standards in history are similar to those found in the previous inspection. By seven years of age attainment is average and by 11 years of age, pupils reach just above national levels. Throughout the school pupils make good progress as they develop their knowledge and understanding of history. However, written work can be disappointing and does not reflect the good quality of learning and research that takes place in lessons.

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HISTORY

130. In infant classes, pupils have a growing awareness of the passing of time, use simple time lines and often refer to ’the past’ and ‘long ago’. They are keen to talk about their class toy museums and begin to sequence toys in order of age. Effective teaching encourages careful observation of toys as sources of evidence, as pupils look for clues and signs of age. The identification of ‘Corgi’, ‘Matchbox‘ and ‘Dinky’ labels causes interest and the need to use reference books to find out their meaning. Work from home is used well to help with historical research as parents share questionnaires and provide first-hand information.

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HISTORY

131. In lessons in junior classes, pupils’ very good speaking and listening skills are of benefit to learning, enabling pupils to communicate their findings and give their own opinions. Pupils study different periods of time in greater depth and recall specific dates and events. This is evident in Year 3, when pupils make comparisons of now and then, in their study of Post-War Britain. They are encouraged to look at primary and secondary evidence and predict the use of household goods. In Year 5, pupils make good progress as they develop new understanding about the Ancient Egyptians. Teachers’ effective use of artefacts from the Museum Service helps to bring this learning to life. Pupils’ learning from home contributes well to lessons. For instance, pupils suggest the meaning of hieroglyphics and recall information they have researched about Howard Carter. By 11 years of age pupils can work independently, research for relevant, factual

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HISTORY

information from different sources and communicate their findings in a mature way. The expertise and enthusiasm of their teacher is whetting their appetite to learn and they are very motivated.

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HISTORY

132. Pupils work hard in history lessons and enjoy their learning. Their good social skills and behaviour means that resources and ideas are shared amicably. For instance, working in pairs on the computer or sharing artefacts. Pupils with statements for special educational needs are well supported in lessons and so make good progress. Pupils from ethnic minority groups speak and write English with competence and so achieve well in lessons. There is no marked difference between the learning of boys and girls.

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HISTORY

133. Teaching is good in history. Teachers bring their own enthusiasm to the subject and, in lessons in the juniors, factual information is of a high standard. For example, in a lesson in Year 6, pupils learnt about the development of spinning techniques and the changes in society and wealth it created for mill owners. Whilst teachers plan lessons with clear historical content, the time for and the range and purpose for writing in history is limited. Expectations of the presentation of work vary, but tend to be lower than expected for the high standards in literacy many pupils reach by Year 6. Teachers manage lessons well and relationships are very good. Good use is made of homework that is shared with others in lessons. Assessment of pupils’ work is linked to achievement of targets linked to national guidelines.

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HISTORY

134. The co-ordinator manages the subject well. Schemes of work have improved since the last inspection and now follow national guidelines. The school’s own resources in history are barely adequate to support learning, but good use is made of the museum service resources.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135. At the last inspection, pupils were achieving standards in information and communication technology (ICT) which were in line with those achieved by pupils in other schools. Since then, the context in which the subject is taught, and the opportunities available to pupils, have altered significantly and the school has worked hard to keep pace – and, in terms of resourcing, with some success. At present, the standards achieved by pupils at 11 are in line with those expected, although standards at age seven are below the expected level. The chief reasons are that pupils in the infants do not have sufficient access to the available computers (particularly in Year 2), there is insufficient time and priority given to the subject, while a number of teachers, Firfield Primary School - 42 across the school, lack confidence in teaching the ICT curriculum. Provision is more secure in the juniors, although there is still variability in the priority accorded to ICT in different year groups.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

However, a significant benefit for the older pupils in particular, is their high level of access to computers at home. Much of their knowledge, and many of their skills in the subject by the age of 11, derive from, or are significantly reinforced by, their work at home.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

136. The quality and range of computer equipment have improved significantly since the last inspection. However, their dispersal around the school means that while there are sufficient machines, it remains difficult to ensure that pupils are given enough time and access to develop and practise their skills. The number of pupils who must share the use of each computer is high. This slows the pace of learning significantly. Discussions with pupils indicated that, in some classes, they do not work on computers often enough. The school is looking to develop an information centre which would enable them to streamline the teaching of ICT and improve the pace of pupils’ learning. However, constraints of space make it difficult to accommodate such a unit at present. Teachers have undertaken some training for teaching ICT skills, but the co- ordinator acknowledges that further support is needed, to ensure that all staff have acquired

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

sufficient skills in the subject. The co-ordinator provides very good support for colleagues, but, although the situation is improving, this is not enough to ensure that teachers yet enable pupils to learn in as many lessons as they should, and in all aspects of the subject. For example, while there was evidence during the inspection of the use of computers in a range of subjects, there was minimal evidence of prior work in ICT in the scrutiny of pupils’ work. In particular, there was virtually no evidence of word-processing in the majority of classes. Not all teachers are confident with all elements of the curriculum. This means that pupils do not make enough progress as they move through the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. Pupils in Year 1, particularly in one class, have regular access to computers in their classroom and are confident in using the mouse, in simple word-processing to produce labels and write simple captions, and in the use of an art program. The teacher maintains a list indicating when they have covered each area of work. Pupils in Year 2 use a mathematics program, have produced a Christmas card on an art program and occasionally practise their word-processing skills. However, they do too little independent work, and too infrequently, by the time they are seven. Their opportunities are significantly affected by the number of pupils in the class and the infrequency of their access to the computer.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. In Year 3, pupils have used a simulation program, have searched the Internet for information about the weather and sent e-mails. They were observed in the early stages of a unit of work on databases. Pupils in Year 4 have used the Internet for research purposes, have successfully used a control program and branching databases to support mathematics and experimented with an art program to produce repeating images. There is a little evidence of word-processed newspaper reports to support literacy work. In Year 5, pupils have had experience of spreadsheets, have used a database to support work in science and have accessed the Internet to research information for geography. Year 6 pupils confidently use CD ROM to support various subjects including history and geography. They produce databases based on information deriving from a river survey and access the Internet as the source of information on geography and mathematical

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

challenges. They use spreadsheets to record the distribution of Christmas cards to different classes in the school and skilfully use a digital camera to produce images which are then manually distorted to produce art images, after Hockney. They have experienced a multimedia program, with sound, and have begun to design a website for the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. Four lessons were observed during the inspection, in which quality of teaching and learning were satisfactory overall. However, all were teacher-led introduction to units of work to be followed up in the next two weeks. It was seldom possible, in such circumstances where pupils were not actively involved, to judge their competence. However, pupils spoken to had very positive attitudes to working with computers. The co-ordinator provides good leadership for the subject, but work remains to be done in checking the effectiveness of planning, teaching, learning and the standards that pupils achieve in year groups across the school.

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MUSIC

Firfield Primary School - 43 140. At the time of the previous inspection attainment was found to be unsatisfactory for seven and 11- year-olds. There has been good improvement in music and now standards are in line with those found nationally for seven-year-olds and above national expectations for 11-year-olds. Teacher’s subject knowledge and understanding is more secure, resources have improved and pupils’ musical skills are consistently developed throughout the school.

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MUSIC

141. In Years 1 and 2, pupils’ singing is enthusiastic and expressive. Year 2 pupils have a good sense of pitch and demonstrate a sound understanding of tempo as they sing. They have a satisfactory understanding of rhythm and beat. Valuable opportunities are provided for pupils to evaluate and refine their performance and overall they make satisfactory progress. Pupils are encouraged to listen to music, for example by Mozart, and their musical vocabulary is developed well throughout the school.

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MUSIC

142. By the age of 11 pupils have a secure understanding of pitch and rhythm and have made a good start at composing their own music. Sound use is made of ICT to support learning and pupils in Years 3 and 4 have a good understanding of instruments of the orchestra. Very good links are made between music, art and design and speaking and listening. For example, in Year 4 the picture by Munch entitled the ‘Scream’ was observed while a piece of music by Schoenberg reflected the mood of the music. Pupils were encouraged by the teacher to describe how it made them feel.

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MUSIC

143. The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good overall. Pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are developed steadily through songs and composition. Lessons are carefully prepared and the quality of the curriculum is good. Teachers have a secure subject knowledge and understanding and a realistic expectation of the pupils’ performance. Pupils co-operate well in lessons, listen carefully and display good attitudes, which helps them to make good progress in lessons. The co-ordinator provides good, clear educational direction for this subject and opportunities are provided for pupils to share their skills in performances in the school and out in the community. They perform in the local church and participate in local musical festivals and performances. A particular strength of the school is the School Choir, which has received recognition for its high quality of performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. During the inspection, gymnastics and games lessons were observed in Years 1 and 2 and dance in Year 4. Pupils acquire skills in these areas of PE to a standard expected for pupils of their age in both key stages. In dance pupils can evaluate and improve performance. In gymnastics pupils demonstrate satisfactory control of movement when executing simple balances and in games they show progress as they develop and master ball skills. The PE programme is fully inclusive and children with special educational needs are actively involved and adequately supported.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. In gymnastics emphasis is placed on the reinforcement of known skills rather than the improvement of them. The pupils’ tasks are carefully planned but there is little challenge to refine the quality of movements. In games, where progress in ball skills is good, pupils were encouraged to apply their skills to the challenge of making the ball change direction as they directed them around cones using a bat. Opportunities did not allow the children to apply their skills to a small game situation.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146. Very good teaching in a dance lesson, in Year 4, is exemplified by good teacher subject knowledge. Pupils are encouraged to plan their sequences, perform them and then evaluate their own and each others’ work. There is effective use of time when pupils change during break in order to maximise the time used for dance. There is a good balance of teacher explanation and physical activity, in which pupils select and apply dance skills to their own compositional ideas.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. Pupils are very keen to participate and when given the opportunity are keen to give their views on how to improve performance. Behaviour and attention to health and safety issues are very good. Firfield Primary School - 44 148. In both key stages pupils have access to one and a half hours of PE per week which is less than the two hours typical in most primary schools. In Years 1 and 2, the half-hour lessons offer insufficient challenge, partly because the time for physical activity is reduced by time taken to change and walk to the hall. The co-ordinator and headteacher have recently undertaken a review of curriculum time for PE and hall use. The current timetable does not maximise the use of the hall during morning sessions as most classes have literacy and numeracy. An extensive extra- curricular programme enhances pupils’ learning in PE and contributes to their enjoyment and sense of success in the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. Staff draw on three sources of guidance for planning which leads to some lack of clarity on how to deliver a progressive and balanced programme. At the time of the last inspection the PE co- ordinator was developing a scheme of work. This process is still underway. The present co- ordinator has good knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject but so far there have been few initiatives to develop the expertise of colleagues.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. Teachers assess attainment each term and are being encouraged record examples of pupils’ work using the school camera. The intention is to use photographs to build a portfolio to illustrate levels of attainment, and thereby support teacher assessment.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. Equipment for gymnastics and dance is adequate and accessible. The purchase of games equipment has recently been subsidised by the PTA and there remains a shortage of equipment for teaching small net games. During the games lesson the slippery surface on the playground restricted pupils’ ability to run, stop and start safely.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

152. During the inspection two lessons were observed in each key stage, a scrutiny of pupils’ work in books and displays was completed, and discussions held with pupils. The standards attained by pupils are above those expected in the locally agreed syllabus, by the age of seven and 11. This is an improvement since the last inspection, when standards were judged to be average.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

153. Pupils have an understanding of religious diversity. For example, in Year 2 pupils consider creation from the perspective of Hinduism and compare these stories with their own vision of what they would like to create in a new world. Year 6 pupils express thoughtful views on religious issues and demonstrate knowledge of some of the religious traditions. For example, in their study of Christianity they compare versions of the account of the crucifixion and offer their own theories of why different versions appeared. In Year 3, pupils use a good range of vocabulary to explain matters of belief. They reflect on what makes them happy and express the difference between material sources of happiness and that derived from relationships and experiences. On an annual cycle pupils are given good opportunities to visit Hindu and Sikh places of worship, as well as local churches.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

154. The quality of teaching is good in all lessons. It is characterised by teachers’ awareness of the need to give children both an understanding of religious traditions as well as encouraging them to form views on issues. Pupils are given opportunities to reflect on their own experiences. Good teaching is evident when the purpose of the lesson is made clear to the pupils and they were reminded of work covered in the previous session. Good use is made of story and large pictures to extend knowledge and to raise religious and social issues for discussion. There were few examples, however, of teachers using religious artefacts, videos or reference books. There were good examples of teachers valuing children’s creative responses through modelling, drama and discussion. Often teachers demonstrate patience and sensitivity when listening to children. This is an improvement on the sound teaching observed in the last inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155. The RE policy is due to be reviewed after the new Derbyshire Agreed Syllabus is published in the near future. Since the last inspection, the co-ordinator has improved the teaching resources and created ‘faith boxes’ containing religious artefacts, clothing, books, photograph packs and videos Firfield Primary School - 45 to support the topics in the current agreed syllabus. They are clearly organised, attractive and appropriate. The system for borrowing and tracing resources is easily administered and should support easy access. A portfolio of children’s work to illustrate elements of the agreed syllabus is in the process of being compiled.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156. Each half term the co-ordinator meets with year teams to discuss the next unit of work and to offer planning guidance and advice on resources. This enables some dissemination of the in- service training undertaken by the co-ordinator, who has very good expertise and subject knowledge. This has proved to be an effective strategy for improving the confidence and subject knowledge of colleagues in both key stages.

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