Spennithorne Church of England VA Infant School

SPENNITHORNE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 th – 14 th March 2002

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SPENNITHORNE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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SPENNITHORNE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Spennithorne Leyburn North Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Martin Littleton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 th – 21 st May1997 Spennithorne CE Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

12301 Mrs J Boden Registered inspector English Art and design Design and technology Geography History Physical education Equal opportunities Special educational needs English as an additional language The characteristics and effectiveness of the school The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Teaching and learning Leadership and management Key issues for action

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responsibilities

19361 Mr K Ross Lay inspector Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Partnership with parents and carers 27899 Mrs G Beasley Team inspector Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Music Religious education The Foundation Stage Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Quality and range of opportunities for learning

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responsibilities

Evenlode Associates Ltd 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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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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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a much smaller than average primary school, with 81 pupils on roll. It is situated in a small rural village and is a focal point for the community. It is popular and over-subscribed. Although the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is very low, the knock-on effects of foot and mouth disease have adversely affected the area recently. There are more boys than girls, significantly so in Year 4, where the ratio is 12:2. In the current Year 6, the ratio is 10:6. All the pupils are white and of UK origin except one who is European but whose first language is English. The proportion of pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs is below average . Most of these are at the early stages, but two have help from outside specialists. There are no pupils with statements of special educational need. The school does not have a nursery, but most children have some pre-school education before they start in the reception class.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Children’s attainment on entry is average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school that is doing well despite the restrictions of the accommodation. The quality of teaching is consistently good and children achieve at a good rate in English, mathematics and information and communication technology. They reach well above average standards in English and mathematics. Standards in information and communication technology are above those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The pupils have good attitudes to learning and behave well. The school is very well led and there is a very good relationship between the staff, governors and parents. All the adults are committed to ensuring that the pupils achieve their full potential in a caring atmosphere. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school is very well led and there is a very effective working relationship between staff, governors and parents. • The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is consistently good, and pupils reach well above average standards by the age of 11. • There are very good opportunities across the curriculum to develop pupils’ language and mathematical skills. • There is very good provision for information and communication technology, and standards are higher than in most schools. • The school nurtures pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development very well.

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What could be improved

• The accommodation is cramped and does not allow all the required elements of the National Curriculum to be taught. • Standards in science are not high enough. • Higher attaining pupils are not always challenged to achieve as well as they might in the non-core subjects. 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 at a good rate since it was inspected in 1997. Standards in English and mathematics are much higher now. The key issues have been tackled successfully, and despite the limitations imposed by the accommodation, the school has done all it can to improve provision. For example, space has been used very judiciously to provide a computer suite and a library. A car park has been constructed that will double as a five-a-side football pitch when it is completed in order to compensate for the lack of sporting facilities. Standards in science have declined since the last inspection because the school has not kept pace with schools nationally. Although there are the same limitations of space, the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage does not appear to be as good as at the last inspection. The improvements have been made possible through the hard work and commitment of the staff, governors and parents in raising the necessary funds. Given the enthusiasm and commitment of the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Spennithorne CE Primary School - 7 staff and the governors, and the very good support from parents, the school is well placed to improve standards even further. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 8

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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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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

1999 2000 2001 2001 English A C C E well above average above average A B mathematics B C C E average below average C D science B C E E well below average E

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

Standards in English and mathematics are higher, and pupils are achieving more than the table suggests. Because of the small numbers, the numbers of pupils who join and leave the school part way through their education affect the overall results, because each pupil represents a high proportion of the total. For example, there were only ten pupils in the class last year. Of these, three who were of lower ability had joined the school during Key Stage 2, while three higher attaining pupils had left. According to the table, compared to all schools nationally, standards in English and mathematics are average and standards in science are well below average. When compared to schools with a similar proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals, standards are well below average. The chart suggests that there has been a downward trend in attainment in all three subjects over the past three years. Evidence of the inspection is that pupils

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

achieve well in English and mathematics and that the present Year 6 pupils have reached well above average standards in both subjects. This is likely to be confirmed in the forthcoming tests, with a greater proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels. The school’s emphasis on teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy has helped to raise standards. There is no difference between the performance of boys and girls. Standards in science are below average. Pupils do not achieve as well as they might because not enough time is devoted to science and the teaching is not as good as in the other subjects. In art and design, and in information and communication technology, standards are above average. In religious education and all other subjects of the National Curriculum except physical education, standards are average. Standards are below average in physical education because the school cannot provide the

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

Children in the Foundation Stage make steady progress and reach the expected levels by the end of their reception year. However, despite the good teaching, they do not achieve as well as they could because there is not enough space for them to have access to the full range of learning activities on a regular basis. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1 and reach above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

Standards are rising and pupils are learning at a faster rate than they were at the time of the last inspection. Writing is a particular strength. Pupils develop a very sophisticated vocabulary and write very impressive stories by the age of 11. They use language creatively to capture and sustain the interest of the reader. The school is well placed to reach the challenging targets it has set for the proportion of pupils reaching the expected levels for their age in English and mathematics.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are proud of their school and are keen to please. They listen well and generally work hard in lessons, especially when teaching is lively and challenging. Reception children work especially well together for their age. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils behave well in class and in the playground. They get on well together and look after each other. Occasionally they lose concentration when teaching does not grab their attention, but they still behave well. Personal development Good. Pupils show respect to each other and to all adults. They accept Spennithorne CE Primary School - 9 and relationships responsibility willingly and work well together when asked. Attendance Good. Attendance levels are above the national average.

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

Quality of teaching Good 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

The quality of teaching has improved and is now good throughout the school. Teachers plan their work thoroughly and build well on what pupils have done before. In English, mathematics and information and communication technology they match work accurately to pupils’ needs despite having different age groups and abilities in the classes. Lessons are lively, and teachers are good at keeping pupils on their toes by asking them questions that make them think about what they have learnt before and taking them on further. As a result, the pupils are interested and pay attention.

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

The teaching of English and mathematics is very strong. Teachers are good at teaching children to tackle progressively harder words, for example, by sounding them out or breaking them down into syllables. They are very good at teaching children how to write creatively, using correct spellings and punctuation. When they mark pupils’ work, they write encouraging comments, but they also point out to each pupil how their work may be improved. Pupils of all abilities are spurred on to do better because they are keen to achieve the targets that are set for them. As a result, the work builds progressively, and by the time pupils reach Year 6, their writing is of a very high standard. In mathematics, teachers are very good at developing pupils’ mental skills, so that they can do quick calculations in their heads. They use a good range of interesting approaches to this that make learning fun. Teachers take good care to ensure that all pupils are

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

fully engaged in lessons. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Unsatisfactory in the reception class. The cramped accommodation makes it impossible for the children to experience the full range of activities required. Satisfactory overall in the rest of the school, although some subjects are not taught in sufficient depth. Provision for extra-curricular activities is very good. Despite the best efforts of the school, the curriculum for physical education does not meet requirements because all the elements cannot be taught. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ learning needs are identified early and they make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development There is very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. Provision for their cultural development is satisfactory overall. There are too few planned opportunities for pupils to find out about the variety of cultures that make up modern Britain. How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school looks after its pupils well, and they feel secure and happy. The school has good procedures for checking how well pupils have learnt and for moving them on to the next stage of learning.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a very good partnership with parents, and this benefits pupils’ learning. The parents have complete trust and confidence in the school. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very clear direction to improving the school. He provides strong leadership and has created a very good team spirit, so that the staff share the responsibility for improving standards.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governors are very committed to making the school better. They are closely involved in discussing how well the school is doing and in making decisions about its future. The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The school identifies accurately what improvements are needed in English, mathematics and information and communication technology. It has not given sufficient attention to other subjects, particularly science, in order to improve standards. The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes the best use it can of all its resources. For example, good use is made of an extra teacher to enable the headteacher to provide booster support for Year 6 pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The school has an adequate number of staff and is well resourced. However, the accommodation is very poor. The cramped conditions are having an adverse effect on pupils’ learning, particularly in physical education and practical work in other subjects. The anchoring of a cable stay to support an electricity pylon presents a safety hazard to pupils when they are in playground.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The staff are approachable. • The school is well led and managed. • Their children are making good progress. • A small minority feel that behaviour in the school is not as good as it should be. • A small minority are not happy with the amount of homework their children receive.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are supportive of the school and feel that the school is doing the best job it can in difficult circumstances. Inspection findings support this view. Behaviour in the school is good. The level of homework set is about the same as in most schools. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the reception class with a broad range of abilities, but they are as expected overall in all the areas of learning. By the end of their reception year, they reach the standards expected for children of their age. Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 make good progress in learning. There is no significant difference in progress or achievement between boys and girls.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In considering National Curriculum test results, these have to be treated with caution because of the small cohorts and the changing composition of classes as pupils move through the school. It is, therefore, not appropriate to compare the standards of attainment of last year’s cohort with those of the cohort of five years ago when the last inspection took place. In 2001, for example, there were only six pupils in Year 2, which means that each pupil represents 17 per cent of the cohort. Standards in reading have remained above the national average for the past three years, having been average in 1997. Standards in writing and mathematics have been consistently high for the past four years, although there have been slight fluctuations. In 2001, standards in reading and writing were average when compared with those in similar schools, and standards in mathematics were above average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The attainment of the present pupils in Year 2 is above average in reading writing and mathematics. This is likely to be confirmed in the forthcoming tests and assessments. Pupils achieve steadily from their earliest days in school because of the consistently good teaching with carefully matched work that stretches all to their full capabilities.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In Key Stage 2, although pupil numbers remain constant, the composition of year groups changes over time as pupils leave and join the school part way through their primary education. According to the published results, standards in English declined to average in 2000 and remained so in 2001, although they had been well above average in 1998 and 1999. In mathematics, standards have been consistently average for the past four years, except in 1999 when they were above average. Standards in science show a downward trend, with the latest test results indicating well below average standards. When the 2001 results are compared with those in similar schools, they are well below average. However, analysis shows that in this small cohort of ten, three lower attaining pupils joined the school part way through Key Stage 2 and three higher attaining pupils left. Although most pupils reached the expected level in the tests, only two reached the higher level in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

English and just one reached the higher level in mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Attainment in English and mathematics in the present Year 6 is well above average. A higher proportion of pupils are on course to reach the higher level 5 in the forthcoming tests and a significant minority should reach level 6. All the pupils have a love of books, and even the lower attaining pupils read fluently and with good expression. Higher attainers read very well from a very wide range of challenging texts. They understand the techniques authors use to sustain the readers’ attention. Their writing is very impressive. Pupils have a good command of the basic skills of spelling, punctuation and handwriting because teachers reinforce these skills well through a very rich diet of writing opportunities across the curriculum, using stimulating and thought provoking source materials. In mathematics, pupils’ mental skills are very well developed through regular practice, and they use these well to solve mathematical problems in a wide variety of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

contexts. The consistently good teaching in both these subjects means that pupils achieve well as they move through the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In science, standards are below average throughout the school, and pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Although pupils gain factual knowledge at a steady rate in the infants and lower juniors, this is not built upon satisfactorily in Years 5 and 6. Pupils’ enquiry skills are not good Spennithorne CE Primary School - 12 enough because they have too few opportunities to plan and carry out their own investigations. The reasons for this are twofold; not enough time is allocated to science, and the accommodation is too small to allow the free movement of pupils around the classrooms. 7. Standards in information and communication technology are above average, as they were at the time of the last inspection. There are more computers available now and the pupils achieve very well as a result of the high quality teaching and the additional support of a parent and a lecturer from a local college employed by the local cluster of schols. In most other subjects, including

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

religious education, standards are similar to those found in most primary schools. The exception is physical education, where standards are below average in gymnastics because the school cannot provide for this area of learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the good support they receive, both in lessons and in small withdrawal groups. They achieve particularly well in literacy through the judicious use of computer programs to stimulate their interest and support their learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Higher attaining pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and information and communication technology because the school is committed to stretching them as far as possible. They do not achieve as well as they could in most other subjects because the work does not challenge them enough. The school is good at identifying pupils with special aptitudes and provides appropriately for them. As a result, these pupils achieve well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. As reported in the previous report, children in the reception year settle quickly into school due to the good relationships with the local playgroup and with parents. They get on very well together and share the limited number of large toys during playtimes extremely well. They form strong relationships quickly with the adults and each other, and play alongside each other happily in the classroom and outside.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils have good attitudes to their work. This is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. Pupils tell how they are expected to work hard by teachers who know their capabilities. In mathematics and English attitudes are very good. This is due to the interesting work with which they are presented. Most pupils settle to work quickly and, apart from two occasions seen, walk sensibly into the classroom at the end of playtime. Pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong and many say that they can sort out minor problems amicably themselves. A good number of pupils enjoyed taking part in the recent ‘Wensleydale Tournament of Song’ and felt proud to represent the school and village. This is a reflection of the very good provision for pupils’ moral development and satisfactory provision for their cultural development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour in classroom is good overall although there were occasions when a small number of older pupils displayed unsatisfactory attitudes and behaviour in two lessons seen. Playtimes are usually social occasions when some pupils participate in a football match or skip with friends. Small groups of pupils prefer to stand quietly and chat or to compete in a game of chess. The pupils manage to get along well in the restricted space available made worse by the cable stay for the electricity pylon, which protrudes in a dangerous manner into the play area. They find their own space amicably and generally do not interrupt each other’s games and activities. There have been no exclusions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Relationships with adults and with each other are good. Pupils report that adults know them well and give them every support when asked. Any difficulties are sorted out quickly and pupils feel safe and secure in school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ personal development is good. They use their initiative when opportunities are offered and take their responsibilities seriously. The decision by a group of older girls to look after younger children at lunchtimes is particularly laudable. Although there are suitable opportunities for pupils Spennithorne CE Primary School - 13 to learn about the cultures of other races in religious education lessons, respect for feelings and beliefs although satisfactory overall do not always reflect the positive ethos put forward by the school. Pupils do not always show that they have a good enough understanding of the impact of their actions on others when they fail to listen to teachers’ instructions or pay attention. Their level of independence is good, fostered by being given responsibility for their own learning and taking responsibility for school resources. During a recent lesson in information and communication

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

technology, pupils independently took pictures of the locality for the newly updated website, taking full responsibility for the care of the digital camera. They worked in small groups to scan the photographs into the web page, agreeing and making choices on colour, size and position.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attendance is good; it is above the average in most schools. This has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. There is no unauthorised absence. A few children arrive late and disrupt the start of school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. It is now good overall with very good features throughout the school. During the inspection, only three of the 16 lessons seen were less than good, and only one was unsatisfactory. The best teaching is in English, mathematics and information and communication technology. The consistently good teaching of these subjects is enabling pupils to make good progress and achieve well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching in the Foundation Stage is effective in ensuring that children make a positive start to school. However, although the teaching is good, the children only make satisfactory progress overall and achievement is not as high as it could be because of the limitations of the accommodation. The classroom assistant and the parents who help on a regular basis provide very good support. All the adults set a good example to the children and teamwork and relationships are strong. The teacher has created a stimulating learning environment that supports children’s learning well. As a result, the children get off to a good start in their education.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Reading is taught well throughout the school. Early reading skills are taught systematically and teachers build well on these, often making good use of the national literacy guidelines. Teachers are good at pointing out to pupils how observing grammar and punctuation makes sense of text and brings out its meaning. They also teach word-building skills effectively. This gives pupils a good understanding of how writing is put together and gives them the confidence to tackle more complex books. Pupils achieve well in reading because teachers introduce them to a good range of interesting books.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teachers are good at linking reading with writing to demonstrate to pupils how to organise their writing and to inspire them to write creatively. The pupils are introduced successfully to the way authors use expressive language to hold the attention of the reader. As a result, pupils see themselves as authors when they write. They make good progress and achieve very well. By the time they reach Year 6, their written work is of a very high standard.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of mathematics is very good. Teachers are very skilled at developing pupils’ skills in calculation and emphasising that there may be many different ways of finding answers. They use the time at beginnings of lessons very effectively to practise these skills and sharpen pupils’ minds before challenging them to apply their knowledge to solve problems. As with English, pupils make good progress and achieve very well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well. They make good progress because of the good support they receive both at school and at home. Those who are taught in small withdrawal groups to boost their achievement in reading make great strides because of the high quality support they receive. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 14 22. The teaching of science is unsatisfactory. This is due mainly to the constraints imposed on teachers by the very limited space. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to plan their own investigations. As a result, their recall of facts is often muddled because not enough attention is paid to developing their understanding in different contexts.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching of information and communication technology is good. Teachers have very good knowledge and this gives them the confidence to plan challenging work for pupils of all abilities. The school benefits also from the expertise of parents and a specialist (employed by the local cluster of schools) who have a good input into the teaching. As a result, pupils of all abilities make good progress and achieve well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The main strengths of the teaching lie in the detailed planning and the very high quality of marking of pupils’ work. Teachers match work accurately to pupils’ needs and move them on very effectively in their learning by constantly pointing out how their work could be improved. This is done by means of very detailed comments in the pupils’ books, so that they can refer back to them and keep a record of their achievements. The very good relationships between all adults and pupils create a good atmosphere for learning. Pupils know that they are valued whatever their ability. They like the way their teachers treat them and work hard to please them.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The quality of teaching in most other subjects, including religious education, is satisfactory overall. A weakness across all these subjects is that higher attaining pupils are not always given the opportunities to achieve as well as they might through more challenging work. The teaching of physical education is constrained by the accommodation. However, despite the limitations of the accommodation, good and very good teaching was seen during the inspection.

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PUPILS?

26. The quality of the curriculum for children in the reception class is unsatisfactory. Although little has changed since the previous inspection, which reported the provision as very good, there are not enough opportunities for the children to take part in regular creative and physical activities and to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. However, the children make satisfactory gains in their learning because the staff make sure that, whenever possible, the children get good opportunities to use the space outside, especially to develop their social and physical skills. Despite these best efforts, the very cramped accommodation makes it impossible for the children to experience the full range of activities required for children of this age on a regular basis. There are not enough opportunities for them to take part in sand and water play activities or to develop their imagination through exploring music and art. Although the adults

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PUPILS?

working with the children are very creative with the space available and make sure that the planned activities are suitable, the classroom is too small to organise the full range of learning areas from which the children can choose. This makes it very difficult for the children to take responsibility for their own learning.

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PUPILS?

27. The quality of the curriculum in the rest of the school is satisfactory. It would appear that this is the same situation as was reported at the previous inspection, although no overall judgement was made. The curriculum is organised so that pupils cover the full range of subjects and learning required by the National Curriculum and Religious Education syllabus. It is broad and relevant but not balanced well enough. There is a comprehensive curriculum plan which details exactly what is to be taught in each class over a three-year period. This allows for useful revisiting rather than repetition of previous learning. However, there is some imbalance in the science curriculum. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 spend too much time repeating work rather than applying their knowledge and understanding to different situations. There are insufficient opportunities for the pupils to carry out their own investigations and work independently. This is partly due to teachers’ planning which

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PUPILS?

Spennithorne CE Primary School - 15 does not identify sufficiently well opportunities for independent investigation and partly due to the cramped accommodation, which does not give pupils enough room to select their own resources to carry out scientific experiments. The cramped accommodation makes it impossible to teach gymnastics indoors and the restricted space limits the movements that pupils want to include in their dance routines. This means that despite achieving well, those pupils who are able do not achieve as well as they could in this aspect of physical education.

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PUPILS?

28. The school has very good strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy. There are particularly good opportunities for pupils to write in other subjects. For example, in history pupils’ good understanding of the conditions in hospitals during the Crimean War is reflected in their writing about ‘how it used to be grimy and the stench was disgusting’ . Pupils are offered rich and interesting contexts and this motivates them to write very good quality expressive writing, which uses rich vocabulary and pertinent phrases capturing the mood and effect of the piece. For example, when writing about growing old one pupil captured the feelings of the young through the thoughtful phrase ‘but it’s a shame that old people are getting older because it’s a waste of beautiful people’ . Pupils have very good speaking and listening skills due to the emphasis placed on role play in the reception class and great number of opportunities to discuss their work. Every

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PUPILS?

opportunity is given for pupils to practise their numeracy skills. In Year 1, during activity time pupils chose to conduct a survey collecting independently information about their classmates’ favourite drinks and sandwiches. This was later presented as a graph so that they could answer relevant questions about the information that they had collected. Booster classes make a strong contribution to the good results achieved in the end of Year 6 national tests. Due to the extra help given to pupils in small groups, the great majority of pupils attain at least average levels.

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PUPILS?

29. Provision for extra-curricular activities is very good. Pupils with a musical talent gain greatly from the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument including recorder, flute, guitar and violin. Those with a sporting talent enjoy football and netball and join with other local schools to take part in tournaments and other sporting activities. Local singing festivals provide very good opportunities for pupils who wish to perform in front of an audience and those that do gain greatly in their personal development. Pottery and cookery clubs add another dimension so that all interest groups are very well catered for. The residential visit provides a very good opportunity for pupils to develop their geographical fieldwork skills as well as their personal development. Pupils are looking forward to the computer club, which is due to start again shortly.

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PUPILS?

30. There is a suitable scheme of work for pupils’ personal, social and health education. The governors have decided not to have a formal sex education policy and matters of a personal nature are dealt with appropriately through the science curriculum and in answer to pupils’ questions. There are suitable opportunities to raise pupils’ awareness of drugs through the science curriculum.

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PUPILS?

31. The community makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning. Parents, local companies and businesses have recently supported the school in creating a much-needed car park and efforts continue in trying to raise funds for a much needed hall. Visits and visitors make a strong contribution to curriculum enrichment from brass rubbing workshops to learning about how wool is spun and dyed ‘from fleece to fabric’. Recent visits have had to be curtailed due to the foot and mouth outbreak but the school has done everything in its power to make sure that pupils still benefit from those visits that have been able to go ahead.

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PUPILS?

32. There are good links with the local playgroup and secondary school, so that transition between the schools is smooth and as stress free as possible. Year 6 ‘taster days’ help to prepare pupils for the move to secondary school. There is an active cluster of local schools which supports pupils’ learning well. At present the focus is on developing information and communication technology capability so that pupils can communicate and exchange ideas by e-mail and video conferencing. There is a good range of specific subject days when pupils from local schools come together to Spennithorne CE Primary School - 16 learn about a range of different subjects during the year. These occasions make a good contribution to the curriculum.

p.15

PUPILS?

33. The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has been maintained since the last inspection and continues to be a considerable strength of the school. The residential visit builds pupils’ self confidence and self-awareness very well through the range of physical and emotional challenges with which they are presented. These include rock climbing, abseiling and caving activities, which provide great personal challenge to many pupils and help them to overcome potential fears. Weekly acts of worship at the village church and the celebration of Christian festivals such as harvest, Christmas and Easter make a very strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual development because they are able to reflect upon the issues in a conducive purposeful atmosphere.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual development is reflected in almost everything that the school does. Younger pupils are given very good opportunities to talk during ‘circle time’ about the concept of belonging and what this means. Very good opportunities are provided for pupils to talk about their own feelings and the times that they have been happy or upset. Good relationships mean that pupils are prepared to share their feelings openly. Teaching about other faiths is more content led, and pupils are not given enough opportunities to think about the purpose and meaning of the different practices. For example, although older pupils recall the visits to a mosque where they learned about the preparations Muslims make before prayer and the respect with which the Qu’ran is treated, they are not yet able to express why this is the case. Therefore, opportunities to develop their respect and value for different faiths are missed. Good opportunities are given in the

p.16

PUPILS?

weekly celebration assembly to reflect on pupils’ personal contributions to the life of the school. This makes pupils very self-aware and raises their self-esteem. English makes a particularly strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual development through stories and poetry. When considering growing old, pupils showed excellent thought processes in their writing, reflecting on how personalities might change but many still have ‘good stories to tell’. Pupils value what they learn from talking to older people.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. The school provides very well for pupils’ moral development. Adults set very good examples. Pupils have good relationships with adults and with each other and this encourages pupils to approach adults confidently for support and advice. Pupils are actively encouraged to consider the difference between right and wrong, and this adds to the friendly and congenial relationships across the school. Pupils organise a range of events during the year to raise money for charity. Last year sixteen charities were supported financially as a result of their efforts. ‘Pupil of the week’ is a very good way of raising pupils’ self-esteem. Pupils enjoy talking about what they do well and look forward to the weekly celebration of good work in the assembly. Assemblies provide very good opportunities for pupils to talk about issues including bullying and getting along together.

p.16

PUPILS?

36. There is very good provision for pupils’ social development. Agreed rules of conduct are clearly displayed and followed by all pupils for most of the time. Pupils are consulted at regular intervals to seek their views about the quality of playtime. They have played a large part in developing the designated areas for football, skipping and quiet activities and continue to make suggestions for additional improvements due to the open relationships between them and all adults. In most subjects pupils are given good opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning and develop independent study skills. Being next to the computer suite means that older pupils use this facility regularly to research topics and record their work. There are missed opportunities in science for pupils to develop independently their scientific enquiry skills as learning is often too directed and they are given too few opportunities to plan and carry out their own investigations.

p.16

PUPILS?

Older pupils enjoy caring for the children in the reception class at lunchtimes, and take their responsibility seriously. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 17 37. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils who choose to represent the school at the local Tournament of Song are given good support in preparing for this event. Pupils recall their pride in taking part and value the opportunity to do so. Pupils have regular opportunities to walk around the village to support their learning in history and geography. The youngest pupils plan to carry out a survey of the different houses in the village and compare these with those found in other parts of the country. Older pupils decide for themselves which local landmarks best represent the village culture when deciding what to include on the school website. In history and geography, pupils study the customs and beliefs of people in countries outside Europe, but there

p.16

PUPILS?

are still too few planned opportunities for pupils to find out about the variety of cultures, which make up modern Britain. Although pupils study a range of artists and composers, these are mainly from western cultures.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school provides good support and guidance to its pupils in a caring environment in which the headteacher and all school staff know the pupils well. This provides a good foundation for developing the positive attitudes to school, which they show. Parents feel that the school is a safe and caring environment. The positive situation found at the time of the previous inspection has been maintained. Procedures for ensuring the health and safety of the pupils are satisfactory overall. There are appropriate procedures to identify and control health and safety risks and to ensure that the premises, equipment and working practices are safe. However, a cable stay in the playground is a potential hazard to pupils’ safety. Despite the school’s previously expressed concerns, the matter remains unresolved.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Formal procedures for child protection are generally satisfactory and suitable systems are in place to deal with any situations that may occur. However, staff need to undertake up-to-date training to help them identify and react appropriately to child protection issues. There is suitable liaison with outside agencies that ensures that additional help is available when needed.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. First aid procedures are implemented effectively and there are sufficient staff trained in first aid. Good procedures for recording accidents and informing parents when necessary are in place. Procedures for helping children to settle in the reception class are good; consequently, children settle quickly and display a good level of confidence. An appropriate programme is in place to ease pupils’ transfer to the next stage of their education.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good and this is reflected in the above average levels of attendance. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and eliminating oppressive behaviour are good overall. Pupils are encouraged to behave in an acceptable manner through recognition, encouragement and praise. A suitable range of sanctions is available to back this up. Teachers and other staff are sensitive to pupils’ needs and monitor their personal and social development effectively.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Very little information about the school’s assessment procedures was available from the previous report. Baseline assessments are satisfactory. They are carried out at the beginning of the reception year in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and in mathematical development. These assessments give useful information about what the children can do in each area of learning. Expectations are built upon to develop the children’s personal and social skills and they are encouraged to care for their belongings from a very early stage as a result of this information. Satisfactory use is made of the information to plan suitable work for the children in literacy and numeracy. Activities are consequently practical, matched well to needs and presented differently to those for pupils in Year 1 in the same class.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. There is a comprehensive timetable for assessing pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics and this allows the school to track the progress of individuals and groups of pupils very closely as Spennithorne CE Primary School - 18 they move through the school. The information is used effectively to identify with the pupils precise targets for improvement in English and mathematics. This has led to greater achievements especially in writing and mathematics. The information is used to identify those pupils who would benefit from booster classes so that they can attain at least average levels in the end of Year 6 national tests and higher attaining pupils who are capable of attaining very high standards. This year, two pupils in Year 6 have been entered for the higher level 6 papers in English and mathematics as a result of careful tracking and monitoring of progress. There are end of unit assessments in science and information and communication technology but procedures have not

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

yet been developed for other subjects. The information about English and mathematics provides very good information on how well the school is doing when compared to other schools nationally and locally. The quality of marking is very good and this involves pupils very well in their own learning. This means that pupils know precisely what they need to do next in order to improve their work.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The use of assessment information is satisfactory overall. Its use in English and mathematics, and for pupils with special educational needs is good. There are precise individual and group achievement targets for English and mathematics and progress is monitored closely to make sure pupils are on track to achieve their targets. Targets in individual education plans are precise and linked closely to what support will be given in lessons. These are monitored very closely to make sure that the needs of individuals are met. The English and mathematics schemes are constantly reviewed in response to assessment information about how well pupils do in each aspect of these subjects. However, too little analysis of science results has meant that there has been insufficient improvement in standards in recent years and the school has not identified closely enough where the weaknesses are. This means that there has been insufficient emphasis given to improving

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

pupils’ scientific enquiry skills and pupils’ understanding of new scientific concepts.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Very supportive and positive views of parents about the school are reflected in the summary of the parents’ questionnaires, parents attending the pre-inspection meeting and those parents who expressed opinions during the inspection. The school has continued to build effectively on its very positive partnership with parents since the previous inspection.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The school keeps parents well informed at all levels. They know that if a problem arises, whether to do with work, behaviour or welfare, they will be contacted immediately. This, together with the good overall information they receive, enables parents to become more involved in their children’s learning and have a secure understanding of the school’s work. Frequent correspondence deals with such matters as key dates and events, change of reading book scheme, healthy eating initiative and additional help for pupils in mathematics and English.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Pupils’ annual reports are satisfactory overall and meet statutory requirements. The results of end of Key Stage tests are included for pupils in Year 2 and Year 6. Reports show pupils’ strengths and weaknesses in English, mathematics and science. However, information on other taught subjects is brief and does not provide a clear view of pupils’ progress. A section showing general comments and an overview of pupils’ personal development is particularly helpful to parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The governors’ annual report contains useful information about the work of the school and the governing body. However, there are several omissions from this important document. For example, it does not mention the support provided by outside agencies, how the special educational needs budget is spent and the level of success of its special needs policy. The prospectus provides parents with a practical insight into many aspects of the schools work and is illustrated with examples of young children’s work. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 19 49. There is good dialogue between teachers and parents via pupils’ homework diaries and parents feel that homework is well structured and adds considerably to their children’s learning. The school provides parents with appropriate opportunities to discuss their children’s progress both formally and informally. Attendance at parents meetings is reported as 99 per cent, which is

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

commendable. The partnership, which the good communication fosters, gives good support to pupils’ achievements.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The impact of parents’ involvement in the work of the school and their contribution to their children’s learning, both at school and at home, is very good overall. A number of parents help in school with reading, art, netball, information communication technology and swimming support. They also help with school visits. Additionally, the school values the support provided by the Friends of Spennithorne, which organises and publicises a programme of social and fund raising events for families, friends and the village community. The substantial monies raised made a valuable contribution to school resources and benefit the pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. A curtailment of activities during the recent foot and mouth crisis, which impacted severely on both school and village life, stopped fund raising. The friends are now fired with enthusiasm for the latest project, which is to raise substantial sums of money for a new school hall and classroom. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 20

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. This is a school that is rightly valued by parents because it is committed to providing the best possible education for boys and girls of all abilities. Much of its success in maintaining its standards is due to good management and the close working relationship between the staff, governors and parents. Despite the difficulties that the school faces with the very cramped accommodation, there is a very strong determination to press on and raise standards further. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The headteacher provides very good leadership. He is very successful in creating a positive team spirit where all staff, including support and non-teaching staff, parents and pupils feel that they have an important part to play. He is well aware of what the school needs to do to improve further and he has devised clear action plans to bring about these improvements. A weakness here is that there is no action plan for improving science even though standards are not as high as they should be.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The headteacher works very hard. He has a heavy teaching commitment and makes the best use he can of the time he has available to monitor and evaluate the work of the school. His management is good. His team of two full time teachers and one part time teacher support him very effectively in this. There are no named co-ordinators for most subjects because the size and organisation of the school make this unnecessary. The teachers meet frequently to discuss what they are doing in different subjects and this enables all the staff to gain a good overview of what is happening within subjects.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The monitoring of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. This has resulted in improved standards in English and mathematics. The school has made good use of test result analyses to track pupils’ progress and identify areas of weakness. This has enabled the school to keep a close eye on how well pupils are doing and whether individual pupils are achieving well enough. It is also useful in helping to set realistic but challenging targets for the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level in English and mathematics each year. A weakness in the monitoring is that not enough attention is paid to pupils’ learning in other subjects, for example, by examining pupils’ work on a regular basis. As the headteacher has little time for monitoring, the falling standards in science were not picked up.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The development of staff is given a high priority. Performance management is in place, with objectives linked to the targets in the school development plan. The newly qualified teacher is supported very well by other staff and has regular developmental interviews with the senior teacher. She is fully involved in decision making, particularly with regard to provision in the Foundation Stage for which she is responsible. The management of provision in the Foundation Stage is good, and as a result, children settle into school well and get a good start to their education.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The management of special needs provision is very good. The co-ordinator has only had responsibility for this area for a short time, but she is very knowledgeable and has already devised a clear action plan. She has identified shortcomings in procedures and has already addressed them. For example, she has identified clear criteria for placing pupils on the register related closely to their learning needs, whereas in the past, any pupils who wore glasses or who had a slight hearing impairment were automatically put on the register. She has also redesigned individual education plans, so that they are clearly understood by pupils and their parents. Targets are more precise and regular reviews take place to measure pupils’ learning. These pupils receive good support, both in class and in small withdrawal groups. The school is fully committed to providing equal access to all aspects of the curriculum for boys and girls of all abilities.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school is constantly seeking ways to improve. With this in mind, it compares its own performance against schools nationally and against those with a similar pupil intake. The school Spennithorne CE Primary School - 21 works effectively with other local schools in seeking improvements. Management of the curriculum requires more attention. More detailed work needs to be done on analysing pupils’ performance and time allocations compared with other schools in subjects other than English and mathematics. Currently, the time allocated to the non-core subjects is below that recommended in order to give pupils a worthwhile experience. Although standards are in line with expectations overall in most subjects, pupils, particularly the higher attainers, could do better.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school development plan is a well-considered working document that identifies clearly what the school needs to do next. It contains realistic and clearly measurable targets. However, it does not identify science as an area for development despite the low standards.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities very well. The headteacher makes sure that they have all the information they need to enable them to understand how well the school is doing and what needs to be improved. The governors are very committed to the school and its continued improvement. Although they are very supportive, this does not stop them from asking challenging questions and holding the school to account. They are fully involved in performance management and have set appropriate targets for the headteacher. In the close-knit community setting, they meet regularly with parents both formally and informally. They constantly seek parents’ views and consult with them about significant changes. Pupils benefit from the commitment of governors, staff and parents in raising money for improvements to the accommodation. For example, a new car park has been added that will double as a five-a-side football pitch on completion. The budget

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

is managed well, including funding for specific purposes, for example special educational needs. The school seeks to obtain best value in all its work.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. There is a sufficient number of staff, and these are deployed efficiently. For example, a part-time teacher is used to take the Year 5 pupils for English and mathematics, thus freeing the headteacher to concentrate on ‘booster’ work with the Year 6 pupils. The school runs very smoothly on a day-to-day basis because of the very efficient administrator. She has very good office systems and deals effectively with general matters. This means that the headteacher can get on with the job of teaching. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The accommodation is very poor. Despite the best efforts of the whole school community, this has a negative effect on every aspect of learning. Children in the reception and Year 1 class are accommodated in a very small mobile classroom. There is not enough space for them to have regular access to the materials and equipment that they need for all the areas of learning. There are no toilets in this separate building, which means that they have to cross the playground to the main school. This is unsatisfactory. Although there is a small secure outside area, there is not enough space for the large apparatus, such as wheeled toys and climbing frames that they need for the physical area of their learning.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. In the main building, while the classrooms are just big enough for the numbers of pupils to do formal work, there is not enough space for them to move about doing independent work. There is not enough room, for example, for pupils to work on group collages or on a science investigation perhaps using hot water. Although the school does everything it can, it is not possible to deliver the curriculum for gymnastics. Physical education lessons take place in the Year 5/6 classroom with all the furniture pushed against the walls. The available space is too small to accommodate large apparatus, which pupils need to develop their balancing skills, for example. In any case there is nowhere to keep such apparatus. There is also a safety issue here as pupils are in constant danger of colliding with hard objects such as desks, piano and computer trolley. There are, currently, no pupils on roll with physical disabilities. The accommodation is not suitable for pupils in wheelchairs.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The school is well resourced except for physical education.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Despite the limitations of the accommodation, the school is moving forward and has successfully raised standards in English and mathematics since the last inspection. The quality of teaching is good and pupils of all abilities achieve well in English, mathematics and information and Spennithorne CE Primary School - 22 communication technology. Given the commitment of the staff, governors and parents, it is well placed to improve further. It gives good value for money. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 23

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to improve the quality of education for all pupils, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Continue to campaign for improvements to the accommodation so that:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Children in the Foundation Stage can enjoy the full range of activities required for the early stages of their education;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The curriculum in the rest of the school can include all the required elements, particularly with regard to gymnastics.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 6, 17, 22, 26, 27, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 91, 95, 97, 99, 119)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Raise standards in science, particularly for higher attainers at the end of Key Stage 2 by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Pinpointing accurately what pupils already know and can do;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Using this information to plan for the next stages of their learning;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Providing more opportunities for pupils to plan and carry out their own investigations;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Tracking the achievement of pupils as they move through the school.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 44, 53, 55, 59, 89, 90, 91, 94)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Raise the achievement of higher attaining pupils in the non-core subjects by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Providing more challenging work that will stretch their capabilities.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition, the headteacher, staff and governors should ensure that pupils are better prepared for life in a multicultural society by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Planning more opportunities for pupils to learn about the customs and beliefs of the many different groups that make up modern British society.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 37, 83, 90) Spennithorne CE Primary School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 16 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 19

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor Number 0 2 10 3 1 0 0 Percentage 0 13 63 19 6 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one six percentage points.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 81 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 2 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 0 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 12

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 11 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

p.24

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 5.1 School data 0.0 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 25 Spennithorne CE Primary School - 26

p.24

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 3 3 6

p.26

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 3 3 3 level 2 and above Girls 3 3 3 Total 6 6 6 Percentage of pupils School 100 (75) 100 (88) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.26

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 3 3 3 level 2 and above Girls 3 3 3 Total 6 6 6 Percentage of pupils School 100 (88) 100 (88) 100 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.26

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 3 7 10

p.26

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys level 4 and above Girls Total 8 8 9 Percentage of pupils School 80 (82) 80 (82) 90 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.26

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys n/a n/a n/a level 4 and above Girls n/a n/a n/a Total n/a n/a n/a Percentage of pupils School n/a (82) n/a (82) n/a (89) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 27

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 0 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.27

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3.6 Financial year 2000/2001 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.5 Average class size 26 £ Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 182,787 Total number of education support staff 2 Total expenditure 181,496 Total aggregate hours worked per week 27.5 Expenditure per pupil 2,487 Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 2,739

p.27

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A Balance carried forward to next year 4,030 Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A Total number of education support staff N/A Total aggregate hours worked per week N/A Number of pupils per FTE adult N/A FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 Spennithorne CE Primary School - 28 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 29

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 75 25 0 0 0

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 46 12 0 0

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 42 12 0 4

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 54 38 8 0 0

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 88 13 0 0 0

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 63 38 0 0 0

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 67 33 0 0 0

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 75 25 0 0 0

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 71 21 4 0 0

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 54 42 0 0 4 Spennithorne CE Primary School - 30

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The children start school in the September before their fifth birthday. Due to the very good links with the local playgroup and good induction procedures the children start school with confidence and settle quickly into the routines. They have their own playground and this helps them to gain in confidence with older pupils before they move into Year 1. There are currently 8 children in the reception year. They are taught in a mixed class with Year 1 pupils.

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Children start school with the expected level of skills in all the areas of learning. They make satisfactory gains in their learning and the majority are on course to attain the early learning goals in all aspects by the end of the reception year. This is a lower standard than that reported in the previous inspection. Due to the restrictions in space and the new recommendations in provision for the Foundation Stage, the previous high standards have, apparently, not been maintained. However, since there is a different expectation on attainment since the previous inspection, direct comparison of standards is unreliable.

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. The quality of teaching is good. Particular emphasis is given to children’s personal development and their early literacy skills. This means that they soon develop very good attitudes to learning. Adults support most activities very well so that children get the individual attention they require. All the adults know the children extremely well and use this information to plan and deliver lessons that are matched accurately to the children’s individual learning needs. This is particularly effective in providing suitable tasks for pupils who have special educational needs and as a consequence they achieve well. Relationships between children and between adults and children are good. The children play alongside each other well and work together, for example, to make models or act out situations in the role-play area. The classroom is very welcoming with attractive displays and well-organised toys and equipment. This encourages the children to keep things tidy

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

and to look after the classroom themselves. Despite the good teaching, the children make only satisfactory gains in their learning due to the cramped conditions in the classroom. The small space limits what they can do and many of the expected practical play activities for children of this age do not take place. As a result, their learning is hampered and they do not achieve as well as they might.

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Personal, social and emotional development

68. The quality of teaching is good and the children make satisfactory progress in developing their social and self-care skills. Children have good relationships with each other and with adults so that they are confident to ask for help if they need it. They learn to care and look after all their clothes as they get changed for physical development activities, and through the gentle encouragement of adults working with them, many persevere to manage all but the most difficult buttons when dressing. All the children can find their coats when going out to play and hang these back on their pegs afterwards independently even though the amount of space in which they can move is very limited. The space is too limited to allow the children to choose tasks for themselves and this limits the development of their independence. Therefore, despite the good teaching, the children do not achieve as well as they could. By the end of the reception year the majority attain the early

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Personal, social and emotional development

learning goals in this area of learning.

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Communication, language and literacy

69. Children enter school with average communication, language and literacy skills. Satisfactory teaching through a well-planned curriculum means the majority of children make satisfactory progress and all but one child are on course to attain the early learning goals in this area by the end of the reception year. The children have good opportunities to develop new vocabulary Spennithorne CE Primary School - 31 through well-planned and stimulating activities. Despite the limited space available there is always a role-play area where children act out a range of situations linked to the current topic. This activity is supported well by adults who engage the children in conversation with an emphasis on encouraging them to think about their answers. They do this by asking questions that require more than a one-word answer. As a result, the children develop their imaginative language well.

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Communication, language and literacy

70. Early reading skills are developed well through well-chosen stories, which interest the children and motivate them to listen. The current growing topic provides good opportunities for the children to look at books, which give instructions on how to plant a variety of seeds. The children are motivated to explain in their own words how they planted their own seeds and what happened as these grew over the first few weeks. Parents support their children regularly at home by sharing books and hearing them read. ‘Bernard the puppet’ encourages the children to consider the first, middle and last sounds in words and this helps them to gain a good knowledge of letter sounds. The children take part in the daily literacy lesson with Year 1 pupils and although they make satisfactory gains, this is not always the best organisation for their learning. They spend too long listening to other pupils rather than developing their own learning through more suitable practical

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Communication, language and literacy

play activities. When they do have the opportunity to select from a range of activities, these are often too many and the resources soon take over the space available.

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Communication, language and literacy

71. Due to particular emphasis on handwriting skills, all the children have a suitable pencil grip and are beginning to form most letters correctly. Activities are fun, although the children work through the sheets whether they need to or not. Due to adults’ focused questioning and direction, they are able to sequence a story correctly and, with support, write a simple sentence about their favourite part. They are not always able to read these back at the end of the session however. All the children can write their own names independently and with correct letter formation.

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Mathematical development

72. Despite good teaching the children make only satisfactory progress in their mathematical development. By the end of the reception year, the majority of children attain the early learning goals in their mathematical development. However, the limitations of the accommodation mean that children of all abilities do not achieve as well as they should.

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Mathematical development

73. There is not enough space for the practical activities that children of this age need to reinforce their learning. For example, as there is no room for water and sand play to be organised in the small classroom, the children do not have enough opportunities to find out how much different containers hold. Learning takes place through suitable games and play situations when the weather permits. Whenever possible, the canteen is used. When this is not possible pencil and paper activities are used. This is not always appropriate, particularly for those children who have not gained sufficient understanding. Due to the particular emphasis placed on counting rhymes and games, the children make good progress in counting and number recognition activities. Activities for these aspects are well planned and meaningful to the children. For example they learn to count through matching the correct number of fruit items eaten by the ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’ on

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Mathematical development

each day of the week. The classroom assistant uses questions skilfully to make sure that the children are counting accurately and refers the children back to the story at relevant times to reinforce which day of the week the caterpillar ate the apples, for example. Well-planned activities such as this also allow the children to learn the sequence of the days of the week at the same time.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. The curriculum to develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory and coupled with satisfactory teaching, the children make the expected progress in this area of learning. The majority of children are on course to attain the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. The curriculum is organised into topics and this helps make learning relevant for Spennithorne CE Primary School - 32 the children. This term’s growing topic provides good opportunities for the children to learn about seeds and plants. A good range of practical and fun activities are planned to develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of fruits. During the inspection the children enjoyed making a fruit salad for snack time. The space available limits the children’s other design and making skills. There is not enough space available for the children to work with large construction kits at times

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

other than when the weather is fine. Consequently the children do not achieve as well as they should in this aspect of learning. Computer skills are good. The children have regular opportunities to use the computer in the classroom to support their learning in reading and mathematics. They have good mouse control and can find the keys on a keyboard quickly when writing their names.

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Physical development

75. In this area, the accommodation severely constrains the children’s development and the quality of teaching. Taking this into account, the quality of teaching is satisfactory and the children make satisfactory progress. By the end of the reception year the majority attain the early learning goals in some aspects of this area of learning. Pencil control is good. The children hold pencils with a suitable grip and have good control when writing their names or drawing pictures. Through the range of making activities on offer, pupils develop good cutting skills. The children move around the classroom and playground with thought to the space available and their own and others’ safety. Due to the lack of facilities and resources, there are not enough opportunities for them to develop their balancing, climbing and jumping skills either inside or outside. Although there is a small secure outside area for the children to use, there is not enough equipment for them to

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Creative development

76. The children make satisfactory progress and by the end of the reception year, the majority are likely to attain the early learning goals in their creative development. They develop their imagination well through relevant role-play activities. Dance lessons are very imaginative and creative despite the small amount of space available. Lessons are very well planned, providing the children with very good opportunities to develop their own imaginative routines. Some children do not achieve as well as they could because they are restricted from being adventurous by the limited amount of space. Although the adults do everything they can to provide suitable activities outside when weather permits and in the canteen when it becomes available, there are not enough opportunities for the children to work independently on creative activities. For example, they cannot explore music on a regular basis as they have no independent access to instruments and

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Creative development

singing due to the cramped space available in the classroom. There are not enough opportunities to paint, use clay or large toys as they take up too much space in the classroom.

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Creative development

77. Within the constraints of the accommodation, what the school does it does well. The space in the classroom restricts the teaching and hence the children’s progress in learning. The very good partnership between the school and home, coupled with good teaching, makes sure that the children attain the early learning goals by the end of the reception year.

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ENGLISH

78. Standards at the end of both key stages are higher now than they were at the time of the last inspection. The school places a high priority on developing English and devotes more time to it than most other schools. As a result, pupils make good progress in all aspects as they move through the school, reaching above average standards by the end of Year 2, and well above average standards by the end of Year 6. Pupils currently in Year 6 are likely to do much better in the forthcoming tests than last year’s cohort.

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ENGLISH

79. Pupils of all ability levels, including those with special educational needs, achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because of the Spennithorne CE Primary School - 33 targeted support they receive both in lessons and in small withdrawal groups, where the teaching is very good. An added bonus for these pupils is the very effective use of information and communication technology (ICT). They use well-chosen computer programs to enhance their learning. They also save their own files, and are encouraged to access these during indoor play and lunchtimes to reinforce their learning. Careful assessments are made of pupils’ learning and their progress is tracked effectively. The information gained from assessments is used to set detailed and appropriate targets for individual pupils and for groups. Teachers’ planning takes good account of these targets and the work is matched accurately to meet the needs of higher and

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ENGLISH

lower attaining pupils. 80. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in speaking and listening is above the level expected of pupils the same age. They are confident speakers and build well on this as they move through the school. By the end of Year 6, their speaking and listening skills are well above those expected of pupils the same age. They speak very clearly and expressively and use a much wider vocabulary than would be expected. This is due to good teaching and the very well planned opportunities provided for them to speak, such as reading out their work to others in the class or discussing aspects of their work with a partner. This makes a very good contribution to pupils’ social development. In the recent Wensleydale Festival of Music and Speech, the pupils gave a very good account of themselves in poetry, sight-reading and choral speaking. Ten pupils were placed first, second or third in their class, and two pupils gained special awards.

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ENGLISH

81. Pupils’ overall attainment in reading is above average at the end of both key stages. Teachers are good at demonstrating to children how to sound out unfamiliar words, for example, by breaking them into separate syllables. They match reading books well, with just the right amount of challenge and reinforcement. The good teaching and the very effective support of parents in hearing their children read at home enables pupils of all abilities to make good progress and achieve well. By the end of Year 2, most pupils read confidently. Average and higher attainers read with good expression and can usually recall the main points of stories they have read. Lower attainers read more hesitantly, although with encouragement they can usually sound out unfamiliar words. Because their reading does not flow easily, they cannot always pick up the meaning of the text. By the end of Year 6, pupils have developed a real interest in books and read a lot for

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ENGLISH

pleasure or for research. They compare the works of different authors and express preferences. They read very fluently, with good expression and a very good understanding of what the authors mean.

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ENGLISH

82. Pupils of all abilities make good progress in writing as they move through the school. The work is very well planned to build on their prior learning. In the younger age classes, the teachers are very good at teaching handwriting, basic spelling and punctuation. They introduce these well in grammar exercises, but they also give the pupils a wide range of opportunities across the curriculum to develop their skills in a meaningful context. This good start is built upon well and is the reason why writing is such a strong feature throughout the school. Standards are above average by the end of Key Stage 1 and well above average by the end of Key Stage 2. Teachers are very skilled at developing writing techniques. The main strength of the teaching is the very high quality of the marking that supports good achievement by boys and girls of all abilities. Teachers always acknowledge and praise what pupils have done well, but equally, they challenge

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ENGLISH

pupils to improve their work further, giving very clear pointers of how they can do this. They use a very good range of stimulating source materials to illustrate different styles of writing. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 have studied part of Charles Dickens’ ‘Hard Times’ in order to appreciate how language can be used effectively to paint a picture. As a result, pupils’ written work builds progressively in maturity and complexity as they move through the school. Stories are very imaginatively written and grip the attention of the reader from the start. A girl in Year 6 began her story of suspense, A red van drove speedily along the dusty road. The van halted and a man stepped out slowly. In her account of Grace Darling’s story, the same girl, writing in the first person wrote, Nothing can describe the churning feeling that filled my whole body as our flimsy vessel struggled against the horrific storm. There is no significant difference in

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ENGLISH

the attainment of boys and girls. In a literacy lesson, pupils in Year 4 wrote very impressive Spennithorne CE Primary School - 34 newspaper articles about a monster. One boy wrote, roaring and stomping, obliterating buildings and destroying everything in its path.

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ENGLISH

83. The very good relationships between teachers and pupils create a very secure atmosphere for learning. The consistently good teaching, with a strong emphasis on providing relevant and interesting contexts, motivates the pupils to work hard and behave well. The subject is very well managed and this is helping to maintain high standards. The school has adapted the national literacy strategy very effectively to suit its needs. Although there is no named co-ordinator, the small school setting enables the teachers to work very effectively as a team. Despite the cramped accommodation, the school has used available space imaginatively to provide a library. There is also a good selection of books within classrooms. However, there is not enough non-Western literature. The school compensates very well for the lack of space for drama by taking pupils to the village hall when appropriate.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Standards have improved since the previous inspection and are now well above average. Pupils currently in Year 6 are on course to do better in the forthcoming national tests than last year’s cohort, which included a high proportion of lower attaining pupils. The main reason for the improvement is that teaching has become sharper. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, can achieve. They identify exactly what they want pupils to learn in lessons and mark work carefully to check understanding. They share the outcome of marking with the pupils to set clear targets and identify the next steps in learning. When the pupils reach their targets they are presented with a certificate in recognition of their achievement. This involves them fully in their own learning from the earliest age and spurs them on to do very well. The match of work is consequently now very good. Booster classes

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MATHEMATICS

make sure that all pupils have a very good chance of attaining at least average levels and higher attaining pupils are identified so that they are given very good support to attain well above average levels. Boys and girls of all abilities achieve well as they move through the school.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 enjoy mathematics and are keen to tell what they know. They use the correct vocabulary when explaining that a half is the same as two quarters and the higher attainers can explain why they are equivalent. Lessons are practical and allow pupils to think through the problems for themselves. Teachers always ask for explanations so that they can assess how well pupils understand the thinking processes going on. For example pupils in Year 2 successfully collected the number of fruit in a tally chart before representing the information as a bar chart. After careful questioning they were all able to explain how the fifth tally was recorded and counted the totals more efficiently in fives rather than in ones. The thinking of pupils in Years 3 and 4 was challenged through a more complicated sorting activity that required them to place the blue square in the appropriate section for shapes that were not circles and not red. Although there

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MATHEMATICS

were missed opportunities to interpret the information and draw conclusions about the sets of shapes, pupils’ learning was good.

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MATHEMATICS

86. The practice of teaching Years 5 and 6 in separate groups twice a week is very effective because it allows the teachers to concentrate on each individual’s needs more closely. In Year 6, therefore, pupils get one-to-one attention to probe their understanding. For example, when working with decimals and their relationship with fractions, pupils successfully converted tenths and hundredths into decimals. Higher attainers applied this knowledge and understanding to converting halves, quarters and eighths. Following the teacher’s direct questioning and discussion, by the end of the lesson pupils managed to solve complex problems involving scale and measures, identifying ratio in terms of size. They can explain clearly using the correct mathematical vocabulary the strategies they use to reach their answers. They have a good understanding of mean and median and can apply this knowledge when finding numbers within a given range.

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MATHEMATICS

87. The quality of teaching is very good. The planned work follows that outlined in the national numeracy strategy and this makes sure that the pupils receive a balanced curriculum. Lessons are Spennithorne CE Primary School - 35 very well structured so that the mental activity, which starts every lesson, is linked to the learning, which will take place in the main activity. For example, in Year 6 pupils multiplied and divided decimals by 10 and 100 before learning how to solve problems using a ratio 1:10. The pupils selected the relevant measuring equipment to find the perimeters of the playground and field before using the information to draw a plan of the area to scale. Many activities are taught through suitable games, which keep the pupils’ attention and interest. The brisk ‘ping pong’ game got pupils’ brains into number thinking mode quickly and enabled them to identify quickly relative addition and subtraction facts. The game required them to listen and concentrate very hard so that

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MATHEMATICS

they did not miss their turn or get the answer wrong, thus getting them in a positive frame of mind for work. Strategies are discussed fully and pupils given very good guidance on reaching their own decision on which strategy best suits the calculation of a particular problem. Numeracy skills are developed well through other subjects. For example, in information and communication technology pupils in Years 5 and 6 learn how to put information into a spreadsheet and use the computer program to calculate the totals quickly. Younger pupils use computers effectively to support learning, especially in graph and shape work. 88. The co-ordination of mathematics is very good. Regular assessments are carried out to find out what pupils can do, and this information is used very well to match planned tasks to pupils’ individual abilities. This is very good improvement since the previous inspection, when the use of

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MATHEMATICS

assessment was a weakness and the match of work was inappropriate. Resources are satisfactory in number and quality and used effectively to support learning.

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SCIENCE

89. Standards have fallen since the last inspection and are now below average. This is slightly better than the results of the national tests in 2001. While a very high number of pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 reach average standards, few pupils reach above average levels. Pupils’ scientific enquiry skills are weak.

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SCIENCE

90. Pupils’ scientific enquiry skills are not as high as they should be because there are not enough opportunities for them to carry out their own investigations at a high enough level. Although many lessons are practical, pupils often watch teachers carry out investigations and this does not help them to develop a full understanding of what is happening. When pupils do have the opportunity to carry out their own investigations, these are often planned and directed by teachers. This is unsatisfactory because the pupils are not challenged to think for themselves, for example, about why things happen as they do and whether the results would be different if a different range of materials were used. In Years 5 and 6, the level of work for all pupils is often the same and this means that higher attaining pupils are not challenged as well as they might be. This leads to pupils becoming bored and inattentive, resulting in unsatisfactory attitudes and behaviour.

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SCIENCE

91. Although there are some strengths in the teaching, the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory overall, and pupils do not learn enough. The cramped accommodation plays a major part in this, because there is not enough space for pupils to move about freely during lessons, or for groups of pupils to spread out the equipment they are using. There is also a lack of space for interactive displays and ongoing investigations that would reinforce pupils’ learning. However, another major factor is that too little time is devoted to the subject. This means that teachers try to cover too much in the time available and do not plan worthwhile experiences, with suitable opportunities for independent practical learning. As a result, pupils have a shallow understanding of scientific facts. One lesson seen was unsatisfactory due to the low level of challenge presented to pupils and the lack of practical application of the knowledge and understanding that many of the pupils had already.

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SCIENCE

Lessons in the younger classes are suitably practical and this engages their interest and attention. Year 1 pupils were fascinated with the cress seeds that they had left in a cupboard since planting them a few days before. They showed genuine surprise and wonder that these had gone so spindly and yellow and speculated what would happen if they left them in the sunlight for a few days. Spennithorne CE Primary School - 36 92. When they are given the opportunity, pupils enjoy practical work and concentrate well. This was seen in the Year 2, 3 and 4 class when pupils investigated what happens when rice, salt, sugar and couscous are mixed with water and noted whether a solution would be made. They worked well together, sharing the equipment and discussing amicably the changes taking place. They have a sound understanding of whether the materials being investigated are solids or liquids and can explain clearly how salt can behave like a liquid even though it is a solid. Although the activity was

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SCIENCE

suitable and developed pupils’ understanding satisfactorily, there was too little time to apply and extend learning to investigating other solids and liquids or to develop the pupils’ own ideas. They are less secure, therefore, explaining why other materials are solids and liquids. 93. Information and communication technology is used effectively to support learning. Pupils use the Internet to find out which foods are healthy. They record information as graphs and use pictures and texts to create posters about Healthy Living.

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SCIENCE

94. The co-ordination of the subject is unsatisfactory. There has been a complete review of the curriculum so that the scheme of work covers all aspects of science and the school assumes that pupils learn the necessary skills to develop scientific knowledge and understanding in a structured way. Although the school has good knowledge of the work that pupils do, the monitoring of standards, teaching and learning is unsatisfactory because the weaknesses have not been identified. Pupils’ work is not looked at rigorously enough and therefore the weakness in scientific enquiry has not been picked up. Assessment information is not used well enough to identify what pupils need to learn next in order to improve. This means that work is not matched to pupils’ needs. Frequently it is too easy and does not challenge pupils enough. Not enough emphasis is given to the development of scientific enquiry skills and this means that pupils are too dependent

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ART AND DESIGN

95. All pupils, including higher attainers and those with special educational needs, make good progress as they move through the school. Standards are above average by the end of each key stage. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. The teachers are very well qualified and talented. This means they are very good at teaching skills and techniques, using a variety of different media. In Year 1, pupils have good opportunities to record their observations using paint, collage and crayons, for example. The cramped accommodation does not allow for free access to materials as would usually be the case with such young children. As they move through the school, pupils develop very good drawing and painting skills. By the end of Year 6, their work in these aspects is of a much higher standard than would normally be expected. The school makes the most of its good links with the local secondary school in taking pupils there to learn specific

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ART AND DESIGN

techniques in printing that they cannot provide themselves. Staff value pupils’ work and mount it attractively to enhance the environment.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. While the teaching of skills is good, teaching overall is too directed. Despite the fact that older pupils reach high standards, they do not enjoy the subject as much as you would expect. Only a small part of one lesson was observed. During this time, a significant number of boys were, unusually, unco-operative and disruptive. In discussion later, they said that they did not particularly enjoy art because ‘they never get to do what they want.’

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ART AND DESIGN

97. Leadership of the subject is satisfactory overall, but insufficient attention is given to what is provided to make sure that pupils have the same entitlement to all aspects of art. The curriculum is satisfactory overall. It is strong in observational drawing and painting, but pupils do not have enough opportunities to be creative. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Pupils study a satisfactory range of artists but this should be extended to include artists and craftspeople from further afield than Europe. The accommodation Spennithorne CE Primary School - 37 has a negative impact on teaching and learning. The restricted space makes it difficult, for example, for pupils to engage in group projects. There is also very limited storage space.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. Standards are not as high as those indicated at the last inspection. Standards are now as expected. Evidence from the range of pupils’ work seen indicates that achievement is satisfactory for all groups of pupils as they move through the school. This includes achievement for pupils with special educational needs, who are supported well in developing their measuring skills through this subject. Pupils are introduced to the design process in Year 1, drawing simple pictures of the things they will use, for example, the fruit they will put into a fruit salad. They evaluate their work effectively and suggest changes they might make. This is built upon steadily as pupils move through the school. Pupils in the Year 2/3/4 class designed burglar alarms incorporating an electrical circuit. Their designs showed increasing sophistication across the year groups, the older pupils modifying their designs. This project linked effectively with work in science, particularly

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

work on switches. In Years 5 and 6, pupils had made models of cigarettes as part of their anti- smoking designs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. No lessons were observed, but the evidence suggests that teaching is satisfactory. Leadership of the subject is satisfactory. While the quality of the curriculum is satisfactory overall in that all the aspects of the subject are covered, the same weakness exists as with art. The basic skills are taught well but work is over-directed by teachers and pupils have little opportunity to use their own imagination. The accommodation presents working and storage problems as with art. The pupils take finished work home because of the space limitations. There was, therefore, insufficient work available to judge any difference between the attainment of boys and girls. There are no formal assessment procedures.

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GEOGRAPHY

100. Pupils make satisfactory progress and standards at the end of both key stages are similar to those found in most schools, as they were at the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

101. Boys and girls of all abilities gain satisfactory knowledge and understanding by the end of both key stages. Pupils have been prevented from doing enough fieldwork over the past year because of the restrictions imposed by the foot and mouth epidemic. However, they have developed satisfactory mapping skills and a suitable knowledge of places through the effective use of atlases, maps and globes.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. By the end of Year 1, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of the immediate environment of the school. Early mapping skills and numeracy skills are developed effectively by drawing plans of the school and of individual classrooms. Pupils in Year 2 study areas beyond their locality. They learn about living on an island and can describe some similarities and differences between island life and life in their own area.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. This work is built upon well throughout Key Stage 2. Pupils have a very good understanding of the differences between life in large cities and their own rural village. They know, for example, that although some occupations are common to both areas, the features and characteristics of an area have a bearing on the jobs that many people do. They learn about the contrasting lifestyles of people living much further away, for example, on the Caribbean island of St Lucia. They know that the lifestyle and the occupations of the people there are influenced by the climate. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have done a lot of work in preparation for their forthcoming residential visit to Eskdale. They have a suitable knowledge of features of the area and can explain how land formations came about, for example, through the effects of glaciers. They have a satisfactory Spennithorne CE Primary School - 38 knowledge of European countries and are familiar with the main features of the world map.

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GEOGRAPHY

Achievement is satisfactory for most pupils, but higher attaining pupils could achieve more if they were given more opportunities for independent study.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. No lessons were seen, but evidence suggests that teaching is satisfactory. All the teachers working closely as a team manage the subject satisfactorily. National subject guidance is used as a basis for long-term planning, but this has not yet been integrated into a scheme of work that fully addresses the systematic learning of geographical skills. There are no formal assessment procedures, so the school does not have a clear idea of what pupils know and understand. The subject makes a very good contribution to the development of information and communication technology skills as pupils use the Internet and CD ROM for research. It makes a satisfactory contribution to developing the pupils’ knowledge of their own local culture.

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HISTORY

105. Standards are similar to those expected, as they were at the last inspection. Boys and girls of all abilities make satisfactory progress.

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HISTORY

106. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils can describe events such as the Great Fire of London and talk about the lives of people such as Florence Nightingale. They can distinguish between aspects of life in the past and life now. Through their study of Florence Nightingale, they describe, for example, how hospitals are very different now. In the one lesson seen, pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 learnt a lot about Florence Nightingale’s influence in changing the conditions in hospitals. Despite the wide age and ability range, the teacher organised the lesson very effectively to make sure that all the pupils could access the work at their own level. The approach was lively and the judicious use of a short extract from a video added to the pupils’ interest and enjoyment and kept their attention focused on the main points. The teacher gave pupils good opportunities to reinforce their learning about conditions, while at the same time practising their writing skills. The pupils really got

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HISTORY

to grips with describing things. One Year 3 boy, writing a letter as a patient who had had his leg amputated wrote, If you think I’m O.K., I’m not. In fact I’m in excruciating pain. A Year 4 boy wrote, It used to be grimy and the stench was disgusting. Now a breath of fresh air has blown in. Her name is Florence Nightingale.

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HISTORY

107. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Older pupils in Key Stage 2 have a satisfactory knowledge of past times and can put key periods into the right order. They can relate how some past civilisations have had an effect on our lives today. For example, they know that Archimedes was a Greek mathematician who discovered the effect of body mass when objects are immersed in water. They have a satisfactory understanding of what it was like to be a child in Victorian times and give good reasons why they would not have liked to live then.

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HISTORY

108. Only one lesson was seen, but the evidence suggests that the quality of teaching is satisfactory. The teachers manage the subject satisfactorily as a team. The school has adopted the national subject guidance as a framework for long-term planning. However, this has not yet been developed into a scheme of work that addresses the systematic development of history skills as pupils move through the school. There are no formal assessment procedures, which means that the school does not know how much pupils know and understand. Although achievement is satisfactory for most pupils, higher attaining pupils could achieve more if they were given more opportunities for independent study. More use could be made of the immediate vicinity to develop pupils’ enquiry skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Spennithorne CE Primary School - 39 109. The provision for information and communication technology has improved since the previous inspection. The new computer suite means that pupils have good opportunities to practise skills and use a range of computer equipment to support their learning in other subjects. They have a good understanding of the possibilities created by the Internet. Pupils achieve well and pupils in the current Year 2 and Year 6 classes have reached standards above those expected for pupils of these ages. These standards are the same as those reported at the time of the previous inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110. The planned activities are interesting so that pupils soon become engrossed in their work. Younger pupils learn to publish pictures and writing together and enjoy moving their work around the screen until they get the required presentation. They can change the size of pictures and text with very little help and can save and print their work independently. Pupils know their way around the keyboard and can locate the keys quickly thus speeding up the rate of work considerably. They have a good understanding of the different menus available to support them in their work and this supports their decision-making skills well. The opportunity to reflect upon their own presentations makes a good contribution to personal development. A programmable robot is used effectively in the classroom to develop pupils’ understanding of control. All those asked can remember how they used the buttons to put in a series of instructions which made the robot move

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

across the floor, turn round and play a tune when it had stopped.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. The planned activities are varied so that pupils learn a range of computer skills during each one. For example, in Year 6 pupils are updating the school website. The careful consideration of how to present the information on screen means that they have a very good understanding of the needs of the audience in attracting interest to their site. They use the digital camera independently to take photographs of those areas around the school that they think would interest viewers. They give careful thought to how these will be enhanced before publishing them on screen alongside suitable commentary. This activity makes a very good contribution to other subjects including art and design, literacy, science and geography. Older pupils make good use of their skills when they are on residential trips to keep their parents informed by e-mail.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. The quality of teaching is good. Activities are well planned and suitably based in interesting activities and pupils are, therefore, motivated to learn. Links with learning in previous lessons are established and pupils are very clear on what they are expected to do. Pupils in Year 5 learn to put information into a spreadsheet and are fascinated by being able to get the computer to work out the totals for them by using a commercial program. Pupils in Year 6 remember this information and can talk about the many situations when this would be useful. Good subject knowledge and expertise enable teachers and support staff to answer the pupils’ questions informatively and to give them the necessary guidance to improve their skills. This means that higher attaining pupils make good gains in their learning as they develop their skills at a higher level. Pupils in Year 6 explained clearly how they are able to use Logo to write procedures for

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

drawing a square and repeat the procedure to create a range of different patterns on screen. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. The co-ordination of the subject is good. A suitable action plan has been developed, which identifies the strengths and areas for development. This action plan is linked closely to those of the schools in the cluster so that learning is linked and contributes to the smooth transfer of pupils to the secondary school. Suitable links are made to use computers and other information technology to support learning in other subjects. However, this is left too much to individual teachers so that the full range of possibilities is not always used. This is an area for development already identified by the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. The quality of computers is good and there are enough for pupils to work individually in the computer suite. Pupils work in pairs in most classes, practising the new skills learned during their weekly lesson. The computers are used very effectively to support pupils with special educational needs in literacy. The school benefits from the expertise and advice of a specialist teacher who teaches the older pupils on a regular basis. Knowledgeable parents and support staff continue to Spennithorne CE Primary School - 40 make a very strong contribution to computer work through leading lessons and supporting individuals with newly learned skills and knowledge in school and at home. Assessment procedures are currently being developed and focus clearly on the skills and knowledge that pupils learn.

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MUSIC

115. Standards in music have been maintained since the previous inspection and they meet expectations. Pupils are provided with suitable opportunities to perform and singing skills are satisfactory. Pupils’ singing is quiet and tuneful in assemblies and church services, but it lacks enthusiasm. The range of songs with which they are familiar is small and when asked to name some of their favourite songs, all those names were hymns. Although pupils recall singing in two parts, again this was in the context of hymns. Recorded programmes make a suitable contribution to teaching and learning and provide pupils with satisfactory opportunities to practise their practical musical skills. They also listen to a range of music at the beginning of assemblies usually from a classical period, and consequently, can name several famous classical composers and some of the music they have written. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory.

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MUSIC

116. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, and boys and girls of all abilities make satisfactory progress. Lessons contain a suitable balance of activities so that pupils learn to perform, compose and evaluate their work in every lesson. Because lessons are short, they do not always have the opportunity to make the necessary improvements identified and thus to improve the quality of their work. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to work together when composing and this provides well for co-operative group working skills. Pupils work together amicably and reach agreement about the quantity and types of sounds they want to use in their ‘sound pictures’. Teachers use questions carefully to probe why particular instruments have been chosen and give useful guidance on whether an alternative might be more suitable for the particular effect pupils want to create. Musical vocabulary is correct and this helps pupils to develop a sound

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MUSIC

understanding of the different musical elements they are using. Consequently pupils are able to give good reasons why they have organised the sounds in the way that they have. They record their compositions using pictures and give good thought to how they can make sure that the score is played in the way that they want.

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MUSIC

117. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and social development, and a satisfactory contribution to their cultural development. There are good opportunities for those pupils who wish to learn to play an instrument and this meets the needs of all pupils including higher attaining pupils. All pupils who play an instrument can read music. When playing as a group, they listen very well to each other to make sure that they are all keeping time together. The tone with which they play is good due to the constant feedback given by the specialist teacher on how to improve their techniques. Although there is an adequate range of musical instruments, there are not enough instruments from other countries to support the range of musical styles in the curriculum. There are too few planned opportunities for pupils to learn about music from a range of cultures especially those that make up wider British culture. Although there is adequate

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MUSIC

software for information and communication technology to support learning in music, these are not yet planned sufficiently well. The school recognises these as the next areas for development when music is reviewed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. The last report indicated that standards were in line with expectations at Key Stage 1 but below expectations at Key Stage 2. Although the school makes valiant efforts to teach the subject, the extremely cramped accommodation makes it impossible for pupils to make suitable progress in gymnastics. Overall attainment is below expectations at both key stages. No outside games were Spennithorne CE Primary School - 41 seen during the inspection. This aspect has been constrained recently by the effects of foot and mouth disease.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. Lessons take place in an already overcrowded classroom. The pupils are very adept at moving the furniture to create a space, but this measures only six metres by four metres. Even the youngest (and smallest) pupils are restricted in their movements in such a small space. In a lesson with reception children and Year 1, one boy tried to improve his sequence of movements by adding a roll and a handspring. However, he did not have enough space to complete the handspring. Although those pupils with average skills made good progress in this lesson, those with above average skills were prevented from being more adventurous because of the lack of space. Despite good teaching, achievement in gymnastics is unsatisfactory for pupils of all abilities because the school cannot deliver the full curriculum. The only apparatus that can be used is a set of wall bars. Only a few pupils at a time can use these while the rest watch.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. Pupils make much better progress in dance. In this aspect pupils achieve well and standards are better than those seen in most schools. This is due to the high quality teaching and the very good attitudes and determination of the pupils. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal development. Pupils work very co-operatively during lessons and in preparing the classroom for lessons. The pupils in Years 5 and 6 are adept at avoiding obstacles and when necessary they keep moving on the spot until a space becomes available. In the lesson seen they responded well to the lively well-chosen music and worked extremely hard. They are skilled at devising interesting sequences of movements and interpret the mood of the music very effectively. The girls have a better sense of rhythm than the boys. The teacher’s enthusiasm was a key factor in the success of the lesson.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. All pupils have swimming lessons at some stage. By the age of 11, they can all swim at least 25 metres. Good records are kept of pupils’ progress and achievements in this area. The school has recently re-introduced a suitable range of extra-curricular sports, following the restrictions caused by the foot and mouth outbreak.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. The previous report stated that pupils attained standards above those expected. There would appear to be a decline in pupils’ attainment. Standards currently are in line with those expected by the scheme of work used by most schools in North Yorkshire by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have a satisfactory knowledge of Christianity. They have a sound knowledge of the Easter story and use the terms crucifixion and resurrection appropriately to describe these events. Pupils’ understanding is reinforced suitably through discussion and activities, which are linked to their own experiences. Within an overall theme of ‘What is special?’ pupils make simple comparisons between the festivals and practices of Christians and Jewish people. For example, when learning about the importance of the Sabbath to both religions, they note the different practices with regard to work and rest. Pupils in Year 6 gave good insight into their knowledge and understanding of Christianity. They understand the significance of the various Christian services including Christenings and weddings. The regular visits to the local church makes sure that they are fully aware of the different parts of the church and their importance to

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Christian prayer. They have a good knowledge of the work of well-known Christians and can relate this closely to their own values and beliefs. This aspect of religious education makes a very good contribution to the development of pupils’ values and beliefs and to their spiritual development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. When teaching about Christianity, teachers use questions well to probe the pupils’ understanding before embarking on the next steps in learning. Very good Spennithorne CE Primary School - 42 opportunities are provided for pupils to talk about their own feelings and the times that they have cried when considering how Mary must have felt when Jesus died. Good relationships mean that pupils are prepared to share their feelings openly. Teaching about other faiths is more factual and pupils are not given enough opportunity to think about the purpose and meaning of the different practices of people of different faiths.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

125. Pupils recall the full range of work covered during their time at the school and this meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. Foot and mouth allowing, the curriculum includes visits to different places of worship and pupils learn about the different religions in a satisfactory way. However, they do not always understand the significance of these. For example, they are very aware of the fact that Muslims wash their hands before handling the Qu’ran but they are not fully aware that this is because they treat the book in such high regard. There is some confusion in their knowledge between the religions so they are not sure which religions practise Ramadan and Diwali. This shows a lack of real understanding of the faiths of different groups, which are part of wider British society, and is a weakness in their personal and cultural development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

126. Subject co-ordination is satisfactory. There is a comprehensive school plan, which outlines exactly what pupils are expected to learn. Computers are used for research purposes when appropriate, but these opportunities are not yet planned in any structured way. The school has identified this as a priority for development. There is an adequate range of resources available to support learning although there is a weakness in the range of artefacts available for pupils to reinforce the work being studied.

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