Barlow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

CONTROLLED) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 th – 16 th January 2002

p.1

CONTROLLED) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- ii

p.1

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Church of England Voluntary Controlled

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Park Road Barlow Selby North Yorkshire

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: The Reverend D H Reynolds

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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.

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- iii

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 4275 Joyce Taylor Registered inspector Mathematics Art and design Physical education The Foundation Stage The characteristics and effectiveness of the school The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Teaching and learning Leadership and management Key issues for action 11084 Jane Hughes Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Partnership with parents and carers 27337 Sylvia Oultram Team inspector English Geography History Music Equal opportunities Special educational needs 4295 David Dodds Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Design and technology The quality and range of opportunities for learning

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Primary Associates Limited West Lancashire Technology Management Centre Moss Lane View Skelmersdale WN8 9TN

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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:

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- iv

p.3

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 1

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

p.4

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 5

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

p.4

AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 23

Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 1

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Barlow Church of England Primary School is smaller than most schools. There are 41 pupils aged between 4 and 11 years. Most of the children come from the village, which is situated several miles south of Selby. Pupils come from a range of different types of houses and backgrounds and the area from which the school draws its pupils has average social and economic circumstances. The village is fairly isolated and when the majority of children start in the reception class, their attainment is below average. There are fewer children entitled to free school meals than in most schools but a considerably higher number than average (7 per cent, compared with 1.8 per cent nationally) with statements of special educational needs. There are no pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. The headteacher came to the school last summer in a temporary position and was confirmed in the post in January 2002.

p.5

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an improving school that provides a satisfactory education for the children. The quality of teaching is good but the way the school organised and managed the curriculum caused the standards in the juniors to be lower than they should be. There is now strong leadership and the new headteacher is working very effectively with the staff and governors to improve the curriculum and to raise pupils’ achievement. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.5

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The standards in the reception and infant class are above average in English and mathematics. • The leadership and management by the headteacher and governors are good. • The children’s behaviour is excellent; they have very good attitudes to school and are excellent at forming relationships. • The staff manage the children very well and are very good role models.

p.5

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The standards in the juniors in science, information and communication technology, music and geography are below average. • The achievement of a few of the children, by the time they leave the school, is unsatisfactory. • The procedures for monitoring the children’s progress are not effective enough. • Some subjects in the juniors are not properly organised and are not taught often enough. Lessons do not always start punctually and time is lost. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.5

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The last inspection was in April 1997; since then the school has made steady improvements with most of the issues identified for development. The presentation of work in Years 5 and 6 is now satisfactory. Investigation and problem solving in mathematics is satisfactory but has only recently been reviewed in science and here it is still unsatisfactory. In addition to these aspects, the standards in the infants have improved but there has been some ground lost in the standards at the end of the juniors. During the past few months, there have been good improvements that have begun to remedy the problems. The new headteacher has quickly and accurately identified priorities for development. Standards are rising in the juniors. The role of the teachers as subject leaders is much improved and there is a strong commitment to improvement among the staff. Links with parents are better. The children’s behaviour has improved

p.5

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

significantly and is now excellent. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 2

p.5

STANDARDS

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

p.6

STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

p.6

STANDARDS

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

p.6

STANDARDS

The children in the reception year are meeting or exceeding the national expectations set out for children of this age. Their standards in communication, language and literacy, mathematics and personal and social development are above average. The school builds well on this good start and, by the time they leave the infants, most children reach standards that are as good as, or better than, pupils in most schools across the country. This is due to the good, well organised teaching and well planned curriculum. The teacher regularly checks the children’s progress and provides lessons that meet their needs. The teacher has recently reorganised the science curriculum to ensure the children reach average standards. This is an improvement as aspects of science have been unsatisfactory. Work seen during the inspection indicates that the current Year 2 children are reaching above average standards in English and mathematics and average standards in all the other subjects.

p.6

STANDARDS

By the end of Year 6, the overall standards reached by the children have been average or below during the past few years. Their national test results in 2001 showed that one or two of the children had underachieved and their standards fell below average. They reached above or well above average standards when they left the infants. This was because the children worked with different teachers during the week and their curriculum was not organised properly. There was no analysis of the progress each one of them was making and when their learning slowed down insufficient action was taken to improve their standards. The school has already recognised these weaknesses and has begun to take good action to resolve the situation. Improvements have begun and the standards are already rising in the juniors. The children in Year 6 are now reaching average standards in English and mathematics with an appropriate proportion of them reaching above average standards. This reflects the effective lesson

p.6

STANDARDS

organisation introduced recently for these subjects. Science and information and communication technology have been reorganised and while standards are still below average they are rising; similar improvements are needed in music and geography, which are also below average. In art, the standards are above average and they are average in the other subjects. The school has been reaching the targets it has set but these have not been high enough. More ambitious targets have now been set to ensure the children in the juniors maintain their good Key Stage 1 achievements.

p.6

STANDARDS

Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. They are given good individual support and their work plans are up to date and clear. Progress for higher achievers is satisfactory and they are given different and challenging work in English and mathematics lessons. Boys and girls make equal progress that is good in the infant class and satisfactory in the juniors.

p.6

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. The children enjoy coming to school and make the most of Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 3 their time. They work hard and persevere very well with their tasks. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 4 Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. This is an outstanding feature of the school. Pupils are exceedingly polite and show excellent self-discipline.

p.6

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils willingly carry out jobs given to them by staff and make sensible decisions for themselves.

p.8

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good. Levels of attendance are much better than most schools.

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

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.

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is good, as it was at the time of the last inspection. During the past few years the juniors have sometimes been taught as one class and sometimes as two. One teacher has worked a variable part- time contract and one has experienced long-term illness. This has disrupted the children’s learning and has contributed to a fall in standards and the quality of teaching. This situation is now more secure and the teaching has returned to the earlier good standards. Of the 18 lessons seen, two were very good, eight were good and eight were satisfactory, and there was no unsatisfactory teaching. Both literacy and numeracy are taught well. The children learn the basic skills at a good rate. Very good teaching in the infant class enables the children to identify the letter sounds and use this skill to spell new words when writing. Separating the two junior classes and reorganising the curriculum for literacy and numeracy has

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

improved the children’s learning. Both groups are now making good progress. Music and geography are not taught frequently enough in the juniors. This aspect of the teaching is still unsatisfactory.

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

There are some particular strengths in lessons. Teachers in all the classes are very good at helping the children become confident about trying things out. The teachers check carefully if the children have understood and note when they need to cover work again. This helps the children become more confident about asking for help. Teachers are skilled at asking probing questions about what children think or how they reached a conclusion. This is particularly helpful in mathematics lessons when pupils are calculating answers. The more ordinary lessons are not organised as well as the best. This can result in lessons starting late or in the children not having enough time to finish their work.

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Pupils with special educational needs are taught well. When they work with support staff, they make good progress, at other times their progress is slower.

p.8

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Unsatisfactory. Some parts of the curriculum are muddled in the juniors. Some subjects are not taught frequently enough and this has led to below average standards.

p.8

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. The children have an appropriate curriculum that is designed to meet their needs.

p.8

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Satisfactory. Very good moral development and good social development. Satisfactory spiritual development and appropriate teaching about the pupils’ own culture. There are too few opportunities to learn about different cultures and this aspect is unsatisfactory. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 5 How well the school cares for its pupils Good individual care. The procedures to improve behaviour are very good. Analyses of the pupils’ test results are satisfactory but more should be done to assess the progress they make.

p.8

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The curriculum meets statutory requirements but is still not organised effectively enough. Not all the subjects receive enough time. The school has improved its links with parents and this aspect is now satisfactory. Parents have positive views of the school and links between parents and the school are improving.

p.9

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The new headteacher has quickly identified what the school needs to do. Several subjects have been effectively reorganised, particularly in the juniors. The teaching in the juniors is more settled and has improved. The standards are rising. The staff are more involved in the work of the school and are committed to further improvement.

p.9

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors are strongly committed to the school. They fulfil their responsibilities and guide and support the school well.

p.9

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The head and governors know strengths and weaknesses of the school but need to further improve the curriculum and the assessment procedures.

p.9

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The school applies the principles of best value appropriately through seeking the views of parents and finding the best price for work that needs doing.

p.9

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The staffing and resources are adequate enough to meet the needs of the school. The accommodation for the Year 5 and 6 pupils is decaying and is cold and draughty. Sometimes this interrupts the children’s concentration.

p.9

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

p.9

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• They feel comfortable about approaching school with any concerns. • They are well informed about how their children are getting on. • The school is led and managed well. • The children are making good progress. • The range of activities outside lessons. • The amount of homework. • How children are helped to become more mature.

p.9

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with parents that they are welcomed and appropriately informed about their children. The school is led and managed well but progress is not satisfactory for the older pupils. The school, for its size, provides an appropriate range of activities outside lessons and the range and amount of homework is typical of most schools. The children are given good help to become mature. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 6

p.9

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Barlow Primary School is smaller than most schools and as a result there are small numbers of children in each year group. In 2001, there were ten Year 6 pupils and 6 Year 2 children. These small numbers affect the published test results as the percentages can fluctuate considerably.

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The children come into the reception and infant class with a wide range of attainment. Over the past few years, the overall standards on entry have been below average in communication, language and literacy, mathematics, creative development and the time and place aspects of knowledge and understanding of the world. Generally, the standards have been average in personal, social and physical development and the children’s knowledge and understanding of living and growing processes and modern technology. There are currently four reception children and they entered with generally average standards. They have made good progress in all the areas of learning. They have already reached above average standards in communication, language and literacy, mathematics and personal and social development. They are able to recognise and use initial letter sounds well and can count and recognise and order numbers to at least ten. Their rate of achievement is good.

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. At the end of their time in the infants, the children’s test results in reading, writing and mathematics, over the past few years, have been good. The standards have usually ranged from average to well above average although once they dipped below in both writing and mathematics. The children who took their national tests in 2001 reached above average standards in reading and well above average in writing and mathematics. Their standards in science were well below average and their achievement was unsatisfactory because the curriculum was disorganised. This has now been remedied and all the aspects of science are now covered systematically. They made very good progress in English and mathematics over the time they had been in school and achieved very well. When they entered the school as reception pupils their standards were below average. The children who are currently in Year 2 are already reaching above average standards in English and mathematics and

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

average standards in science. They are achieving well. This is due to the good teaching, well organised curriculum and the effective implementation of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy.

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. At the end of the junior stage, in the national test results in 2001, the children reached average standards in mathematics, just below average in English and well below average in science. This group of children reached above average standards in reading and well above average standards in writing and mathematics when they took their Year 2 tests. The majority of the children achieved at a satisfactory pace but some had unsatisfactory achievement. The new headteacher identified the urgent need to track individual pupils’ progress as they moved through the juniors to find out what was going wrong, raise standards and maintain pupils’ good, earlier achievement. During the past few years the children had different teachers during the week and sometimes all the juniors were in the same class for literacy and numeracy lessons. The textbooks for mathematics did not cover the requirements of the National Numeracy strategy. This slowed the pupils’ progress. Some subjects, such

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

as science, aspects of information and communication technology, music and geography were not organised efficiently and some had not been given enough time. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 7 The standards in these subjects were below average. The children were not able to build on earlier learning appropriately. In order to improve the standards the headteacher and staff have reorganised the classes in the juniors so that the headteacher and part-time teacher have their own classes for literacy, numeracy and science. This is already improving the standards as the teachers can concentrate on a narrower range of attainment. New and effective resources and methods for teaching science, information and communication technology and mathematics have been introduced. The school has identified the need for improved assessment procedures that should enable them to monitor the children’s progress more

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. These new procedures are already improving the standards. The children who are currently in Year 6 are reaching average standards in English and mathematics and their achievement is satisfactory. Their standards in science are still below average but they are achieving well. The higher attaining children are reaching higher than average standards in all subjects. When they left the infants they reached average standards in writing, above average in reading and well above in mathematics. This shows that although the children’s progress is still unsatisfactory overall, their rate of achievement is improving. The school sets targets each year for the eleven year olds to reach that match the national averages and it usually comes close to the targets. These targets should have been higher in the light of the children’s earlier standards. The school’s standards show a trend that is slightly below that of other schools. The

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

targets for 2002 match the children’s earlier standards and are appropriate. The school is on track to reach these higher targets this year.

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the end of both the infant and junior stages, the children reach average standards in physical education, design and technology and history. In the infants, the standards are average in all the other subjects. In the juniors, the standards are above average in art and design and below average in information and communication technology, music and geography. There has been unsatisfactory provision for these three subjects. The school identified the weakness in information and communication technology some time ago but was only able to purchase sufficient resources during last Autumn. Since then the standards in using computers as word processors have improved and are now average. The other aspects of this subject have not yet been taught to the children in Years 5 and 6 but are planned for later in the year. Inspectors’ judgements of the quality and range of the teachers’ planning and the provision for the

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

subject are that the school intends to cover the required curriculum at an appropriate level. The provision for the other two subjects is unsatisfactory and the children have infrequent lessons.

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. For the children with special educational needs, their work in English and mathematics is adapted at the right level. The work is carefully structured and based on an accurate assessment of what they need. Experienced and competent learning support staff help the pupils to learn and concentrate. In these lessons, they often make good progress at other times their progress is slower.

p.11

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Since the last inspection, the school has strengthened this aspect of its provision. Pupils’ very good attitudes, coupled with their excellent behaviour and the outstanding quality of the relationships they establish, contribute highly to the strong moral ethos of the school. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 8 9. Pupils show very good attitudes to their learning and this allows them to make the most of their time at school. All the parents who returned the questionnaire agreed that their children like school. This enjoyment of their time in school is also reflected in the high levels of attendance found in all year groups. Pupils are delightful companions, eager to engage in conversation about school or their personal likes and dislikes. They want to learn and some of the older pupils are quick to point out how they could make better use of their time in lessons. Most persevere very well with any

p.11

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

tasks set in class and conscientiously complete their work. Cooperative endeavours are an every day occurrence, encouraged by teachers. For example, some of the youngest children in the reception class were happy to help one of their classmates with his work on the computer keyboard when he had difficulties. They all stayed to help him but let him work out the answer for himself. His delight at a positive outcome was obvious for all to see.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Excellent behaviour by pupils of all ages is an outstanding feature of Barlow School and is one of the main reasons why the school functions as such a happy and vibrant community. Pupils have a clear understanding of the very high expectations held by staff about standards of behaviour. This means that very little time is wasted in refocusing their attention on what they should be doing during lessons. Pupils demonstrate excellent levels of self-discipline, mirroring the good natured interactions they witness between staff, along with the sense of fairness that comes from the headteacher. The children follow these excellent examples; many are exceedingly polite for their age and have a very strong sense of what is right. This is because the strong moral code is reflected in all of the school’s work and is reinforced by parents at home. All year groups share the same playground; older and younger pupils

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

actively enjoy each other’s company and very strong friendships and support networks are consolidated as a result. No incidents of harassment or bullying were observed and there have been no exclusions from school.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils are very willing to carry out any responsibilities allocated to them by staff; they are more than capable of performing these diligently. At the lunch table, for example, pupils take turns to be ‘servers’ for the week. They work out how many portions are needed, offer second helpings and some help to wipe down the tables. Although the children are extremely reliable and trustworthy, staff miss opportunities to delegate more tasks and responsibilities to them. Consequently, their personal development is not as strong as it could and should be, given their strength of character. For example, they would benefit from experiencing the democratic process of electing and serving on a school council or taking more initiative when organising fundraising events. The school does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to exercise leadership and responsibility. During the inspection, the maturity of the pupils,

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

particularly in relation to the conversations they conducted, was frequently noted. However, the children are unable to extend this facet of their personal development because the school does not yet include a full programme of personal, social and health education as an integral part of the curriculum. Consequently, pupils miss out on valuable aspects of their personal development. There are very few opportunities to listen to peers’ concerns or comments in a group session, or to build on their existing social skills.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Relationships between staff and those forged between adults and pupils are of the highest order. The exceptionally positive role models provided by staff enable pupils to become tolerant, compassionate and generally sensitive to the needs of others. The quality of relationships between pupils is equally impressive as older and younger pupils can socialise during breaks and lunchtimes, and during time spent at out of school clubs. The oldest pupils make the most of positive social experiences such as Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 9 the residential weekend in Years 5 and 6. They respond extremely well to the way staff highlight the main principles and values of school and community life.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Levels of attendance are well above the national average and are slightly better than at the time of the previous inspection. Instances of unauthorised absence have decreased over the same period. Pupils are punctual and the youngest children are brought to school on time by their parents.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. The quality of teaching is good overall. Of the 18 lessons seen, two were very good, eight were good and eight were satisfactory. This is the same as the previous inspection. Since that time there has been considerable disruption to the teaching for the junior children. The part-time teacher has worked to a very flexible contract that meant his times at the school were very varied. The other junior teacher experienced long-term illness culminating in considerable absence. As a result the junior children experienced little stability and their standards suffered. Recently the situation has stabilised and now the children are taught as two classes for the mornings and for one afternoon each week. This is an improvement and will help the teachers plan for steady developments through the year. The quality of teaching in the juniors fell during this disrupted time but has now returned to the earlier good standard. It has

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

remained good or very good for the reception and infant children.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. The English coordinator has supported the introduction of the Literacy Strategy through monitoring and advising the teachers how to improve. This has been helpful and the teaching of literacy is good. Numeracy is taught well and the staff have a good understanding of how to extend the children’s skills in calculating. There has been some informal monitoring of the teaching in other subjects. The staff have responded well to recommendations following the monitoring and this has helped them improve their teaching. The teachers show particular strengths in the way they relate to the children. As a result, the children’s behaviour is excellent and they concentrate and work hard. The teachers plan their lessons effectively, using the national guidelines for English and mathematics and are now using the guidance for the other subjects of the curriculum. Homework is used effectively to support and develop the children’s learning.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. In the reception and infant class, this good quality teaching is supported by a curriculum that is planned and organised well and there is a well designed assessment programme. This contributes strongly to the children’s good achievement. In the junior classes, there is good teaching in English, mathematics, physical education and history. Most of the children make good progress in these lessons and any immediate weaknesses are noted and supported. The children’s longer-term achievement, however, has not been monitored effectively in the junior classes. As a result, one or two children slipped further and further behind and their poor achievement did not trigger sufficient action. While the teachers have always understood that the children were experiencing difficulties, not enough action was taken to help them succeed as learners. This has produced unsatisfactory results in the annual national tests. This unsatisfactory aspect of management has been

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

identified by the headteacher as a priority for development and systems of assessment using modern technology are being reviewed. The adoption of an effective assessment procedure will enable the junior teachers to plan more accurately for all of the children. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 10 17. The quality of the teaching in the reception and infant class is good. The teacher and classroom assistant have a clear knowledge of how the youngest children learn. The reception children are provided with direct teaching sessions. In these they focus, for example, on talking about the pictures and the text in storybooks and writing using simple spellings and guesses based on their phonic knowledge. Good attention is given to the development of spoken language. As a result, the children show a good level of achievement in communication, language and literacy. Good counting

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

sessions have raised the children’s standards in mathematics. These are followed by practical activities that let the children practise what they have learned, for example, using the creative play area to set the table correctly. The staff provide a good range of opportunities for the children to investigate and explore the resources linked to art and design for example. The teaching and learning outside is insufficiently developed and more opportunities should be provided for the children to work in the outside area.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The infant children are taught alongside the reception pupils. The class is organised very well to manage the different age groups and make sure the curriculum is challenging for all the children. The teacher knows the pupils well and plans work that is interesting and will stretch them. In mathematics, for example, while the oldest and potentially higher attaining pupils doubled numbers, the next group used number combinations to ten to find answers. The youngest children used mental calculation strategies to add or subtract one from numbers below ten. In English, the teacher’s good subject knowledge ensured the children learned a wide range of letter sounding skills. The more advanced learners confidently identified the number of sounds in several words. In their reading, they used these skills well to understand new words and make sense of the text. Where the teaching was satisfactory rather than good, in

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

science, for example, the lesson was aimed at a lower level than necessary. The organisation of this subject was frequently altered during previous terms leaving the staff unsure and they have made individual decisions how to cover the subject.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. In the junior classes, half of the teaching was good or better and half was satisfactory. The teachers provide a friendly and lively environment and the children are encouraged to take a good level of responsibility for themselves. For example, they collect the books they require without needing to ask and make sure they have the correct type of paper to work on. The teachers have a good understanding of how to teach the basic skills of mathematics and English. They understand the importance of counting and calculating and constantly reinforce this in lessons. By Year 6, the higher attaining children are already working comfortably in aspects of the higher than average National Curriculum Level 5 in both English and mathematics. The teachers understand the subjects well and provide challenging lessons to help most of the children, especially the higher attaining pupils, make good progress. This assessment

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

system is informal and in the past one or two average pupils have not made enough progress. The proposed new assessment programme is intended to build on the teachers existing skills and ensure all pupils make good progress. Sometimes there is not enough time for the children to complete their tasks properly. When this happens, they do not practise and develop their new skills to a satisfactory level. This was seen, for example, in information and communication technology in Years 5 and 6.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The marking of pupils’ work is not always rigorous enough. Currently it consists mostly of ticks and brief praise. There are no comments that tell the child precisely what is needed to improve the work.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. All staff are strongly committed to moving the children’s learning forward in a steady and systematic way. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 11 The specialist and support staff contribute positively to pupils’ development by, for example, helping them understand their tasks and work out solutions at their own pace. The quality of individual learning plans is good, they are precisely written with achievable targets. Review dates are recorded but some reviews could be more frequent as a means of speeding the children’s progress.

p.14

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. All the subjects of the national curriculum are taught but there are shortcomings in the way the curriculum is organised and managed in the junior classes. The school has not planned appropriately how all the subjects will be covered each year and this has caused a lack of balance. The coverage has not been monitored and evaluated and some subjects have been only partly taught. Geography and history are appropriately taught in blocks but sometimes there are two terms between blocks of geography lessons and as a result there is no continuity to the children’s learning. These long gaps mean the children cannot remember what they have learned and their standards are below average. One teacher takes the music lessons for the whole school, however the lessons did not take place for the juniors. As a result, the children have missed work on performing, listening critically to music, appraising performance and comparing music from different cultures and different times. This

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

has resulted in below average standards.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The scheme of work for science has been changed several times and the teachers have become confused. This has lowered the standards. The nationally recommended scheme of work has now been adopted but the junior pupils have not yet had sufficient experience of aspects of the scheme for them to reach satisfactory standards. Scientific investigation and enquiry have not been taught consistently enough for the pupils to be able to question and investigate independently although this is improving. In information and communication technology the curriculum has very recently been improved by the arrival of new computers and software. Whilst the skills in information and communication technology are being taught successfully within the subject, they are not yet being sufficiently applied to support learning across the curriculum. The teachers’ timetables are unclear and not always followed. Sometimes games lessons, for example, run past the next lesson and the children

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

miss a planned area of learning. This happened during the inspection and pupils missed parts of information and communication technology and science.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The curriculum for the reception and infant children is satisfactory. The teacher has designed schemes of work to ensure all the subjects and areas of learning are covered properly. Science has been less secure but recently the national guidelines have been adopted and this has strengthened the curriculum appropriately.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. The literacy and numeracy strategies are in place and are being taught effectively. In all three classes the children have many opportunities to apply and practise literacy across the curriculum. The headteacher quickly identified that the curriculum planning for mathematics was too time consuming as the teachers spend too long copying sections from the national guidance. He has taken steps to improve this. An out of date mathematics scheme that has not helped the teachers plan effectively has been recently replaced by more appropriate material.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The curriculum is supplemented by an appropriate range of activities out of lessons and the school also employs outside expertise to extend the learning. Coaching is Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 12 provided for rugby and some staff from a local football club support the soccer programme. Sporting activities and competitions are arranged within the school’s local area. History has been enriched through a role-playing historian and the school’s links with the church are used to good effect to support spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision and religious education.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. There are no lessons planned to develop the children’s personal, social and health education. The school has a sex education policy in place and aspects of this are delivered by the school nurse. Parents are invited to view materials before they are presented to Year 6 pupils. However, the lack of a structured personal, social and health education programme means pupils miss valuable opportunities to participate in moral and social discussions that have a bearing on mental and physical health in our modern society. The pupils are mature and are more than ready to cope with such discussions.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. There are sound links with the local community and pupils make the most of opportunities to show what they can do in front of a wider audience. Recently, a successful carol singing evening was arranged in the village and funds were raised for the school as a result. There are good links with the local parish church and this ensures the pupils meet regularly with local clergy when they lead school assemblies. The children learn how the church serves the local community. Community members are invited to attend a number of school events during the year such as Sports Day. There are also a number of opportunities for pupils to compete in sporting activities such as football and cricket with other local schools.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The school maintains satisfactory links with the primary and secondary schools in its local ‘pyramid’. High school staff meet with Year 6 pupils before they transfer to secondary school. This is a particularly important aspect of provision as the transition from a very small rural primary school to a large secondary school is a daunting prospect for many pupils. Although the secondary school makes some of its resources available to the school, there are no firm curriculum links in place yet.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The opportunities for pupils’ spiritual development are broadly average. Whilst the school benefits from the close and effective links it has with the local church, the spiritual dimension is not sufficiently focused upon in curriculum planning, and pupils are not given enough opportunities to reflect upon the spiritual side of life or on the contribution of the other faiths in our society. Assemblies and the Act of Worship make a valuable contribution, and the inclusion of visits from the local curate and the vicar give children the opportunity of meeting people whose faith influences their daily lives. The school uses the local church for some Christian festivals and pupils visit as part of their curriculum studies. The school is currently seeking to widen opportunities for visitors to assembly and classrooms to talk about their beliefs and faith.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school has a very good provision for moral development and takes this provision very seriously. For example, the code of behaviour has been developed in collaboration with parents. The pupils have created classroom rules for behaviour and the oldest children have made New Year’s resolutions that relate to behaviour and achievement in school. The school’s behaviour policies are designed to be positive in their approach and to promote good behaviour and considerate relationships. The codes and policies are applied consistently, sensitively and quietly. In consequence, the school provides a quiet and purposeful environment where voices are not raised Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 13 and courteous and harmonious relationships are evident. Children are taught right from wrong within the curriculum and through the programme for assemblies.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The provision for social development is good. The children are taught to treat each other and visitors with courtesy and respect and there are many instances of pupils helping each other. For instance, during a physical education lesson for the junior children, whenever a ball went astray a child would return it sensibly, without prompting, to the owner. The Year 5 and 6 pupils have a residential weekend visit each year when they extend their social skills. The children have opportunities to think of others and they raise funds for good causes. They learn to manage competitive events through, for example, sporting fixtures arranged with other local schools. Many of them work together in the relaxed settings of after-school activities. The children are given some responsibilities around school, which they undertake very conscientiously, but these are currently limited in scope and could easily be extended.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

When some Year 5 and 6 pupils successfully arranged a school disco entirely by themselves, they demonstrated what they could achieve when give the opportunity. Children regularly walk to and from school to the Village Hall or the church and the pupils use this time to discuss things sensibly with their partner.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The children are provided with a suitable range of opportunities to learn about their immediate environment. The neighbourhood, the local church and the two nature reserves are used effectively and pupils go carol singing around the village, and share Christian festivals with the community. There are fewer opportunities to visit art galleries, museums or other locations for learning because of the constraints of distance and cost. The school seeks to overcome this through occasionally bringing expertise and performance to the school, for example a theatre group. The school, rightly, is seeking to extend this type of event. There are opportunities for discussion about art from different cultures but not for music. There are not enough opportunities for the children to examine religious and geographical artefacts as part of their cultural development. The pupils’ knowledge, understanding and contacts with cultures other

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

than their own is unsatisfactory. The school is planning to introduce visitors from a range of cultures to lead assemblies in the near future but this aspect of cultural development is unsatisfactory.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Standards of pastoral care are consistently good and have been maintained since the last inspection. Procedures for child protection are sound and follow local guidance. The headteacher is the designated adult responsible for child protection issues and all the relevant documentation is in place. However, the school should ensure that the headteacher and other staff members receive the appropriate child protection training as soon as possible.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. There are effective systems to ensure pupils’ health, safety and general well being. All adults working in the school are well informed about pupils’ individual circumstances and needs. Staff, including lunchtime supervisors, develop a very warm rapport with pupils, ensuring that pastoral care policies are followed. Several adults fulfil a number of functions in school and this helps to cement relationships between pupils and staff. For example, the caretaker is one of two lunchtime supervisors; she also helps to run the very popular ‘Tuesday Club’ as part of the extra-curricular programme. The cook is seen in classrooms taking the dinner register and makes a strong impact on pupils with her cheery approach at the dinner table. She is well informed about any allergies pupils may have and ensures the menus are tempting and nutritious. Careful procedures are followed when minor accidents occur. Risk assessments are carried

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 14 out by health and safety governors who fulfil their roles conscientiously and with due regard to their duty of care for the pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school adopts a successful, low-key approach to the monitoring and promotion of pupil attendance. Parents are conscientious about informing the school of any reasons for absence and the rate of unauthorised absence has fallen since the last inspection. The school enjoys very good levels of attendance and this makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. It is also indicative of how happy pupils are at school. Overall, attendance registers are carefully completed.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. All adults in school are excellent role models for pupils with regard to their behaviour and social development. Staff are consistent in their dealings with pupils, calm and reassuring at all times. They ensure pupils understand right from wrong and bring personal integrity to everything they do. Staff award points for good behaviour or effort and these are presented during ‘Sharing assemblies’.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development are good; as the school is small, classteachers generally know pupils well and offer them appropriate levels of guidance and support. Suitably detailed comments about pupils’ personal development are collated and appear in the children’s individual written reports at the end of the year. Even so, the provision of a formal programme of personal, social and health education throughout the school would produce a far richer vein of information for teachers to draw from and would allow pupils to become even more mature in their outlook.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The procedures and systems for identifying standards are in place for the core subjects of English and mathematics. The results from the national tests in these subjects are analysed effectively and any weaknesses are noted. This has shown, for example, that aspects of the children’s writing, such as spelling, needed to be improved. The school has taken the necessary steps to improve these areas. This work now needs to be extended to include the non-statutory tests that are taken each year by the children in the lower junior classes as a means of providing information about these children. The reception children are assessed when they first come into the school. The teacher uses this information to monitor their progress during their first year in school and provide work to support any areas of weakness. This is a good system and helps the children make good progress during the year. The teacher uses

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

a similar system for the infant children. Individual pieces of work in the core subjects of English and mathematics are assessed regularly to identify the children’s standards and record their progress from term to term. The teacher has a clear view of how well the children are doing and what they need to do next. These systems help to ensure that the children in the reception and infant years achieve well and reach good standards.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. This system is not continued into the junior classes. There are no procedures for tracking individual children’s progress as they move through the four years in Key Stage 2. This has meant that children whose standards began to slip, while receiving helpful support in lessons, were not provided with detailed and specific support to improve their progress. The few pupils involved did not reach standards that were as high as expected when they took their national tests. There is no data, based on regular assessment that can be used effectively by the junior teachers to enable clear and consistent records of progress to be kept in all subjects and to support their planning on a regular basis. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 15 42. The school has recently written a policy for target setting that will involve teachers, parents and the children. This is a good move forward and is helpful. The school has

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

identified the need to introduce individual targets in English and mathematics. This is timely because the children are not as aware or involved in their own learning as they could be.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parents express positive views of the school and are particularly keen to emphasise the recent improvements in home school communication that date from the arrival of the new headteacher. They are particularly appreciative of the progress they feel their children make, the leadership and management of the school and the high expectations staff have for their children. A few expressed concerns over the extra- curricular programme and the amount of homework offered but these were not representative of the majority.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The school maintains a sound partnership with parents and carers and this contributes to the progress pupils make. Parents commented during the inspection and at the pre-inspection meeting that warmer and more open links are encouraged by the new headteacher and they feel home school relationships have improved as a result. Inspection findings confirm their views. The headteacher identified this area as a priority when he first took up the post; he has successfully begun the process of developing a strong and productive home school partnership.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The school’s prospectus and governors’ annual reports to parents are detailed and informative. When children begin in reception effective procedures help them to settle easily into the daily routines. The school collects information on each child soon after their arrival in school and this is given to parents along with some clear initial targets. Newsletters from the governing body help to inform parents about school events and have been well received by parents. Parents find staff are usually available at the end of the day. Questionnaires are occasionally used to gather parental views on specific areas of provision and parents are pleased to have their views canvassed in this way.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents have two formal opportunities each year to discuss their children’s progress with classteachers and these events are well attended. However, they do not receive any information at the start of the year about what their children are going to learn and this prevents parents from offering the best possible support to their children at home. The annual written progress reports they receive concerning their children vary in quality. The best comments are detailed and paint a very clear picture of what a child can do in each area of the curriculum, including foundation subjects such as geography and art. Many of the reports do not yet include targets as to what a child needs to do next to improve. The reports themselves do not look particularly impressive or valuable documents; teachers’ presentation is sometimes lacking and gives the impression of being rushed.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Parents are supportive of the home school agreement and were involved in drawing up behavioural rules. Many listen regularly to their children read at home and sign their reading diary. This would be a more useful exercise if parents were given more guidance about what to look and listen for. An improvement in the quality of comment would also assist teachers when they look at the diaries. Similarly, homework diaries are not regularly reviewed by all parents.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Very few parents help regularly in classrooms although the school welcomes any offers of help. Two parents help to run the Friday tuck shop. A small number of Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 16 parents support the extra-curricular programme in areas such as cricket, and previously in netball, and this helps to extend pupils’ personal development. Just over one third of parents replying to the questionnaire were critical of the extra-curricular programme. Inspectors found a satisfactory range of activities on offer, particularly in view of the small number of adults, both staff and parents, available to run these.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The ‘Friends of Barlow School’ organise a variety of fundraising activities that provide valuable additional resources for pupils and teachers. For example, new blinds were purchased recently for one classroom and the library has been redecorated with these funds.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. This aspect of the school is good. It was reported to be strong at the time of the last inspection however since then several areas of weakness had emerged. The leadership and management was not effective enough in improving these areas until the arrival of the new headteacher. By the end of the juniors the children’s standards had fallen and achievement had become unsatisfactory. There was no assessment programme to monitor progress. The curriculum had not been monitored appropriately and some subjects were not taught often enough and teachers were not provided with clear enough guidance to maintain standards. The staff were not involved in planning for developments and the parents felt excluded from the school.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The new headteacher has achieved much in the past term. He provides staff with clear, purposeful leadership that is focused on school improvement. For example, the drift downwards in the children’s progress at the end of the juniors was quickly noted and action has been taken. A new mathematics scheme was adopted and the junior classes have been split to provide each with continuity and stability. This has also given the teachers a more reasonable age-range to teach and plan for and is a successful strategy. The headteacher has improved the systems and structures for management and communication that the school needs in order to move forward. The team structure now enables all staff to make their contribution and feel that it is valued. Already, there is a strong sense of team spirit and a shared commitment to improvement. The headteacher leads the school well, alongside the other teachers and the governors. The staff have very recently been involved in evaluating the work of

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the school and planning for improvements. They have worked with the headteacher to identify priorities for development and write the development plan. They have appropriately focused on the need to improve the children’s progress through the junior stage. Other aspects for development, such as improving the balance of the curriculum and the punctuality of lessons in the juniors are still unsatisfactory and now need to be given consideration.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The governors fulfil their role well and provide the school with positive, well-informed support. They have a very good, perceptive insight into the school's strengths and weaknesses, and share the headteacher's drive to improve the school. Several of the governors use their own skills, such as financial management, and building maintenance to improve these aspects within the school. There is a governor who supports health and safety. He is very involved and knowledgeable about these aspects of the school and provides good support. The governors have a good overview of the school's priorities. They carry out their statutory duties satisfactorily.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school improvement planning process is good. Priorities are closely linked to both the school's needs and to national initiatives. Clear costings mean that the implications for the school's small budget have been considered. Priorities, such as Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 17 new textbooks for mathematics, are linked to the available funds. The headteacher and the governors have begun to systematically monitor progress towards the school's goals. They do not yet evaluate the impact of their spending decisions in terms of school improvement. The headteacher has begun informal observations of the teaching and learning going on in classrooms. He plans to introduce a more systematic programme shortly.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Financial planning, monitoring and control by the headteacher and governors are good. The monitoring has been tightened recently since considerable funding was overlooked by the Local Education Authority financial support services. This immediately created problems for the school. Over the past few years, school budget restrictions have resulted in one teacher being offered a variable part-time post. This has meant that the two junior classes worked as a single class for some days each week and as two classes for others. The disruption caused by the arrangement, particularly in literacy and numeracy lessons, is likely to be an additional cause of the lower than average standards for some vulnerable children. The shortfall caused by the misplaced funds resulted in further reductions to this teacher’s hours, placing additional strain on the children’s learning opportunities. This situation is now

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

resolved. There are two full-time teachers in the junior classes with the additional salary costs are made up from the small schools administration budget. This staffing situation seems secure for the immediate future. The latest audit report has highlighted only minor areas for action.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school applies the principles of best value well. The headteacher and governors consider carefully the best way to use their resources to match the school's priorities. This is illustrated by the immediate alterations made in the juniors. The parents have been consulted about developments they would like and the playtime facilities have been improved as a result. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 18

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

56. In order to maintain and improve the standards achieved by the school, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) Raise the standards in the juniors in science, information and communication technology, geography and music by monitoring and evaluating the teaching and learning and providing guidance for improvement. (Paragraphs 4, 5, 6, 79, 92,100, 104)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

b) Improve the way the curriculum in the juniors is organised by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- providing a satisfactory balance of the subjects across the year and term; - improving the timekeeping to ensure all the subjects are taught as timetabled; - reviewing all subjects to identify weaknesses in provision and taking appropriate action. (Paragraphs 6, 19, 22, 23, 68, 80, 82, 94, 99,104)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

c) Develop an assessment system that monitors the individual children’s

p.22

by:

- checking the children’s standards at regular and frequent intervals; - identifying their rate of progress against the National Curriculum levels; - devising appropriate strategies to support children if their progress slows. (paragraphs 4, 5, 41, 42, 74, 77, 94, 103)

p.22

by:

d) Improve the role of the subject leaders for geography and music by ensuring that they monitor and evaluate the standards of teaching and learning in the subjects. (paragraphs 95, 105)

p.22

by:

In addition to the aspects above, the following less important development points should be considered for inclusion in the action plan.

p.22

by:

(i) Develop the marking in children’s books by including comments that help pupils improve their work. (paragraphs 20, 72,77)

p.22

by:

(ii) Improve the provision for learning outside for the reception pupils. (paragraph 58)

p.22

by:

(iii) Improve the provision for the children’s cultural development so that they learn about different cultures. (paragraph 34 )

p.22

by:

(iv) Provide more opportunities for the children improve their personal development by:

p.22

by:

- taking more responsibility for tasks around the school; Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 19 - providing more opportunities for children to discuss and consider each other’s views or concerns in group sessions. (paragraph 11) Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 20

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 32

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. [When the total number is substantially less than 100, add] Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one [two, three, etc] percentage point[s]. [Where the total is close to or greater than 100, use only the first sentence.]

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 41

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 1

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s 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

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 2

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 0

p.24

Attendance

% % Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 21 School data 3.8 School data 0.2

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.25

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 22

p.25

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 6 4 10

p.26

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

Boys 4 6 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 3 2 4

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 70 (60) 80 (80) 90 (80) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.26

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

Boys 5 5 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 3 2 3

p.26

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

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

p.26

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

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

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 23

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3 Financial year 2000

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16.5

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 152342

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 154107

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 14 Expenditure per pupil 3146

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 14221

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 12456

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 24

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 50 45 5 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 27 64 5 0 5

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 23 50 18 0 9

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 59 36 5 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 64 32 5 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 41 5 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 36 59 5 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 50 41 5 0 5

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 41 9 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 23 36 14 23 5 Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 25

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. There are four children in the reception group and the provision for them is good. The children feel secure and happy in the pleasant environment and, because of the effective induction procedures, they settle quickly into the daily routines. The provision for outdoor play is unsatisfactory. The outdoor play area is beside the classroom but the children have infrequent access to it. There are few resources and sometimes the children play outside without an attendant adult. This aspect of the curriculum is not planned properly and learning opportunities are missed. If this aspect received the attention given to all other areas, the overall provision would be very good. Over the past three years, the attainment of the reception children when they start school has been below average in all the areas of learning apart from personal development and physical development. When the current reception children entered the class, their

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

attainment was average in all the areas of learning.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. The children’s achievement is good. Already their attainment in communication, language and literacy, mathematics and personal and social development is above average. This is an improvement since the last inspection. They attain average levels in their knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. This is the same as at the time of the last inspection. The current assessment procedures are good overall. The teacher returns to the children’s initial assessments several times each year to see how much progress they have made and records the standards they have reached. She introduces the curriculum for the infants if the children are ready to use it and assesses their progress against the National Curriculum early levels.

p.29

Personal and social development

60. When children start in the school, many of them are not used to conforming to rules or following routines and some are not used to sharing or helping each other. The teaching in this area is good. As a result, the children achieve well, and already, standards are above the expectations for their age. The children show a higher than average level of maturity. For example, when one was stuck in his computer work the others told him what to do but did not take over. They were all pleased when he successfully completed the task. The teacher and the classroom assistant are sympathetic to the needs of the children. They adopt a friendly but firm approach to establishing the ground rules that are the foundation for a secure and happy learning environment. Their calm approach means that the children learn to trust the adults and settle down happily to learn. This was seen in the reception class where the

p.29

Personal and social development

children worked with the classroom assistant looking at the text and pictures in a book. They all contributed effectively and listened attentively to each other. The staff have high expectations of children’s behaviour and the consistent approach by the adults means that the children know how they should behave.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

61. The standards are above the expectations for children of their age and achievement is at a good rate. The teaching in this area is good. The staff provide an appropriate range of play opportunities where the children can talk together and chat with the staff and each other in a relaxed situation. Often, the staff engage the children in Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 26 conversation. They ask open questions and encourage longer answers than one or two words. The effect of this is that when the children communicate with one another they use good sentence structure and a wide range of nouns and verbs.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

62. The children are introduced to books through story times and group reading sessions, and they have good opportunities to explore books for themselves, sometimes with an adult alongside. These are useful and effective occasions. The children learn how to handle books and that they are interesting and fun. The effect of this is that the children handle books for themselves confidently and become familiar with the layout. The children are beginning to recognise simple words. Early writing skills are promoted very effectively through an appropriate range of well thought out activities. The teacher is skilled at teaching children the sounds that letters make and effectively demonstrates how to write the letters and use them in sentences. The children are encouraged to try and write. They are taught systematically how to form their letters and some can already write their names.

p.30

Mathematical development

63. The children enter the school with average mathematical knowledge and understanding. For example, they have knowledge of number and shape. For the current reception class, already, their standards are above those expected for their age. The teaching in this area is good and the children achieve well. The staff have a good understanding of how to build on what the children know. The children count together with the rest of the class and in a smaller group with the teacher. They can count to at least 20. As a result, they can use these skills to organise and make sense of their play. For example, the children set the table in the creative play area. They found the correct quantity of cutlery and plates for the ‘Three Bears’. They can sort objects, like small plastic toys, by quantity and most can already recognise numbers to at least six. The teachers use an appropriate range of number songs and rhymes to reinforce learning. Adults take appropriate opportunities to extend children’s

p.30

Mathematical development

learning in free play activities. For example, activities like blocks and puzzles are provided to develop mathematical concepts and vocabulary.

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

64. When the children enter the school, they mostly show the expected levels of general knowledge about the world around them. The quality of teaching in this area is good and the children achieve well. Their standards are those expected for children of their age and, in some aspects, for example, in their wide general knowledge vocabulary and their knowledge of computers, their standards are higher. The teacher plans appropriately to interest the children in finding out about their local environment and how and why things happen. For example, when using playdough the children had fun experimenting with a range of tools that made different marks. The children chatted about the ‘pizza’ and ‘volcano’ they were making as they used different rolling pins or pointed tools. The children are introduced to computers and use them to good effect to support their learning. The older reception children help the younger by explaining

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

what to do when they are stuck. The children use the mouse very effectively to control events on the screen.

p.30

Physical development

65. When children start school, their attainment in this area is average in both the management of large and finer movements, for example, when cutting and drawing, and in coordinating their movements when carrying large objects. Through good Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 27 provision and teaching, they achieve well. Their standards are average overall with some demonstrating better than expected precision, for example, when using the computer. They refine their skills through work and play in the classroom and through physical education lessons in the village hall. The teacher provides plenty of opportunities for the children to practise their manipulative skills through using a good range of tools, equipment and materials. They cut out in art lessons and manipulate small toys, for example. They show good pencil control and this builds up their confidence and skill. The reception children have gymnastics lessons in the village

p.30

Physical development

hall alongside the infants. They have a twenty-minute walk each way to the hall and receive a good period of exercise during these walks. In the hall, they move with care and precision. They move with awareness of space and avoid collisions well.

p.31

Creative development

66. Children’s attainment when they enter school matches the level expected for their age. The overall good teaching leads to good achievement, the children’s standards are average overall and higher in imagining situations and making up events and in music. The teacher plans for the children to develop their imaginations by providing role-play situations, for example, in the home area. When the staff play alongside, the children improve their vocabulary and organise themselves well as they create imaginary situations. The provision for art is satisfactory and is good for music. The children sing and play instruments well. There are appropriate opportunities for the children to paint and draw.

p.31

ENGLISH

67. The pupils’ standards in English are above average at the age of seven and average at the age of eleven. This is an improvement for the infant children since the last inspection and the same for the juniors. In the National Curriculum tests for 2001, the results for the 7 year olds were above average in reading and well above in writing. The children make good progress by the time they are seven. The eleven year olds who took their national tests in 2000 and 20001 made unsatisfactory progress. Their results were average but these children reached above average standards when they left Year 2. The children have experienced several changes of teachers during their time in the junior classes that have affected their systematic progress. There was no assessment of their progress and one or two slipped behind. This caused the overall standards to fall. Over time, the standards of the eleven year olds has drifted

p.31

ENGLISH

downwards. About one third of the current Year 6 pupils are likely to attain above average levels in English. This shows an improvement and is due to the changes in the way the lessons have been organised into two classes. The teaching of English is good and one lesson was very good. Children with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in their development of literacy skills. The work is adapted at the correct level and is carefully structured and is based on an accurate assessment of what they need.

p.31

ENGLISH

68. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented effectively. Tasks are chosen carefully so that the children remain interested and the teachers present the lessons well. This results in very motivated learners. In one lesson, the introductory part of the lesson was too long, leaving the children insufficient time for their independent work. Although they concentrated hard and worked quickly, their progress in this brief section of the lesson was only satisfactory. The children said they needed more time. In other lessons, the balance of time was used well by the teachers to provide direct teaching and time for the children to practise and reinforce their skills. Good opportunities are provided for the children to write for a wide range of purposes, for Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 28 example writing a biography of ‘Henry VIII,’ in Year 5 and 6. Children in Years 3 and 4

p.31

ENGLISH

have compiled a ‘Litter Code’ as part of their work on protecting the environment. Younger children have written about their findings, after their work in science, on what keeps bread fresh.

p.32

ENGLISH

69. Throughout the school, the children are good listeners and, by the time they are eleven, many children are mature and articulate speakers. Throughout the school the teachers value the children’s responses and give them time to think through what they have to say. This encourages children to refine and improve their speaking skills. The children show a high level of respect and courtesy when they listen to the opinions of others; they are interested in what is being said. The teachers are excellent role models when developing this skill. When reading aloud as part of their literacy lessons, the teachers model reading well, so that the children develop an expressive tone. The children are used to presenting their own ideas and opinions, for example, when considering the conventions used by authors to show the passing of time or to create tension in stories. Their answers show their maturity and growing confidence,

p.32

ENGLISH

they are not inhibited when saying what they think.

p.32

ENGLISH

70. The children’s skills in reading develop appropriately as they move through the school. They have a good understanding of letter sounds that helps them when tackling new words. Reading skills are taught well through daily literacy lessons and through guided reading sessions. This is now matched more accurately with the children’s needs in the juniors since the classes were separated. The children read with increasing accuracy and fluency and, by the time they are eleven, the more able have developed a critical appreciation of a range of books and are able to talk about different styles and authors. Older and higher attaining pupils use the contents, index and glossary information in non-fiction books effectively. The reading skills of less able pupils and those with special educational needs are weaker, but they are well supported by carefully structured programmes and knowledgeable support staff.

p.32

ENGLISH

Although a love of books and reading is being promoted by the school, there are few attractive classroom book corners where children can browse and enjoy their reading. The library is not used sufficiently and many of the non-fiction books are old and out of date. The children’s reading diaries are not well used in the junior classes. Good records of individual children’s reading development are kept in the infant class, this system should be continued in the junior classes to ensure the systematic tracking of progress.

p.32

ENGLISH

71. In developing their writing skills, children of all abilities are now making good progress. The school has identified this area as being in need of further attention. The previous inspection reported that older children did not transfer their skills in spelling and handwriting to everyday work. This has now improved, however, work in ‘First Try’ books is still exceedingly untidy and careless and is not a good model for the children to continue. Careful planning and effective teaching have resulted in improvements in all aspects of writing. Good examples were seen in all three classes. In a very good lesson in Year 3 and 4, the children knew what they were expected to learn and how this linked with what they have learned previously. They quickly learned to improve a simple text by adding interesting adjectives, so that ‘the dog ran in the field’ became ‘the scruffy, noisy dog ran in the small, greasy, muddy field’. In this lesson, the

p.32

ENGLISH

children supplied more and more adjectives to enliven their writing. The teachers create frequent opportunities for children to practise their spelling and handwriting skills. Children regularly use the computer to develop their drafting skills. By the time they are eleven, children use sophisticated and interesting vocabulary to describe characters and create different moods. A good example of this was seen in Year 6 when writing jungle poems; imagery and metaphor were used skilfully. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 29 72. Management of English is good. The subject leader has monitored and evaluated the teaching and she gives good support to the teachers. She attends relevant training and is knowledgeable and up-to-date. The resources to support the teaching of English are adequate, but there are too many older books in poor condition left on bookshelves. Some of these collections are untidy and do not provide a positive

p.32

ENGLISH

image of the value of books. The school extends the provision by holding events such as ‘book weeks’ where children and adults dress as characters from their favourite books. At this year’s event, older children made three-dimensional sets based on a book, the younger children made papier maché ‘Humpty Dumpty’ models. This was a good link with the design and technology curriculum. Teachers’ marking is up to date but does not include comments that tell the children what they need to do to improve. The assessment systems for analysing attainment are satisfactory overall for English but the system for tracking progress is unsatisfactory in the juniors. As a result the unsatisfactory progress of some children, over the past two years, has not triggered sufficient action.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

73. Standards are above average for pupils in Year 2 and average in Year 6. This is an improvement, for the infants, since the last inspection. The standards for the juniors are the same. The school’s most recent national test data for pupils in Year 6 shows that standards in the 2001 tests were slightly below average. For Year 2, they were above average and the children achieved well. In Year 6, the results were lower than they should have been. These children reached standards that were well above average when they took their Year 2 tests. Some of them made poor progress during their time in the juniors and this lowered the overall standards. During the past two years, the standards in Year 6 have jumped from well above average to average. This is because the class was taught as part of a single Key Stage 2 class for part of the week. Additionally the mathematics curriculum was supported by an outdated

p.33

MATHEMATICS

scheme of work that did not match the national requirements. This has now been remedied and the standards are improving. The teaching is good overall with very good teaching in the infant class.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

74. Pupils are beginning to perform better in mathematics because the curriculum is better organised. The teachers have been wasting time by copying extracts from the Numeracy Strategy to use in their lesson planning. This situation has now been resolved. The teaching was good at the time of the previous inspection, since then the quality slipped but has recently improved and it is now good. An analysis of test results has enabled the school to set attainment targets for groups of children that match average expectations. These targets have been lower than expected according to the children’s Key Stage 1 test results. The targets for 2002 match the children’s earlier achievements. The detailed assessment of the children’s progress is good in the infants. Assessments of what the children have learned are used to identify what the children need to learn next. Lessons are planned to support identified areas of

p.33

MATHEMATICS

weakness. There is no system in the juniors that monitors progress. This is unsatisfactory and has contributed to the downward drift in the standards and achievement of one or two pupils. Although some children have not achieved as well as they should, this was not noted until they were leaving the school. Effective assessment systems would also enable more accurate targets to be set.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

75. Most of the children achieve well, particularly in their knowledge and understanding of number. This is because the National Numeracy Strategy is established appropriately and is having a positive impact in the school. By the end of Year 2, pupils are Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 30 experienced with numbers. The class teacher uses good strategies to give the children confidence. For example, they rolled dice and were encouraged to add the numbers as quickly as possible. They used number bonds to ten, doubling or near doubles to calculate the answers. The children were eager to succeed and concentrated well. The teacher is organised and understands the curriculum well. The lessons are sensibly linked across aspects of mathematics such as number or shape. The wide age range is taken into account and tasks are well planned to challenge all the pupils. The children are expected to work alone for parts of the

p.33

MATHEMATICS

lesson while the teacher works with one group. The children complete their tasks diligently even though they may be working without support. They help each other if difficulties arise.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

76. By Year 6, the children use all four number processes to solve problems, sometimes using more that one method to multiply large numbers. The children think hard about the problems they are given and draw well on earlier learning. For example when finding the factors of numbers such as 36 they recalled the six times table, they effectively used doubling, rounding up and down and inverse operations. The teacher reminded and prompted in a way that enabled the children to make sense of earlier learning with confidence and a sense of discovery. In Years 3 and 4, the children respond well to their teacher. They are learning to select the most appropriate way of calculating in number problems. The children are already experienced in using all four operations but hesitate when faced with problems. During the lesson, the potentially higher attaining pupils made good progress in mentally calculating using a variety of

p.34

MATHEMATICS

methods. The younger, or lower attaining, children also responded well to the quick pace of the lesson and made good progress with their own tasks. The children’s achievement is satisfactory in their study of other areas of mathematics, such as shape and space, and data handling.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

77. The teachers relate to the children well and give them good feedback during lessons that helps them improve. The marking, in the children’s books, is not so helpful and there are very few comments to explain to the children how they could improve. Pupils with special needs are managed very sensitively and their achievement is satisfactory.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

78. Management of the subject has been taken over by the headteacher. He has already gained a clear overview of the standards in the school and has developed an action plan to manage the identified weaknesses. His leadership qualities, commitment to improve and his teaching skills are already moving this subject forward.

p.34

SCIENCE

79. Standards in science are below average in Key Stage 2. Over the past three years, the school’s overall standards, by the end of Year 6, have fallen from average to well below average. Although most of the children reach average standards, too few reach the higher Level 5. Teacher assessment in the infants showed that pupils did not reach the expected level last year but a reorganisation of the curriculum has strengthened the subject and the standards are now average. Since the last inspection, the standards have fallen in the juniors and have returned to average in the infants.

p.34

SCIENCE

80. The subject has not received attention in the school development plan for some years and teachers’ subject knowledge is variable. As a result, some aspects of the subject, such as life processes are taught more strongly than the other areas. The recommended scheme of work has not been fully implemented as it was only partly Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 31 adopted. The weakness identified in the previous report of ‘an uneven development of the skills of experimental and investigative science’ has not been resolved. The role of the coordinator has not been sufficiently developed to create effective subject leadership and guidance. The picture is now changing. The school has fully adopted the recommended scheme of work and currently, the coordinator is developing the resources to ensure adequate support. The role of the coordinator has been strengthened and the subject’s needs have been identified in the school development

p.34

SCIENCE

plan. Further attention needs to be paid, particularly to identifying individual attainment and planning work accordingly. Scientific enquiry still needs the development identified in the previous inspection.

p.35

SCIENCE

81. Pupils make good progress in the infants because their attainment is carefully monitored and the work is appropriately challenging. Pupils’ thinking is developed through skilful questioning and appropriate intervention. Effective pace ensures good coverage of the scheme of work. The teacher has high expectations and pupils respond with carefully presented work that shows independent thought on how best to present findings. The teacher has sound subject knowledge and carefully ensures that appropriate practices are learned, for instance, when Year 2 pupils investigated how best to keep food fresh they paid attention to ensuring that the test was fair.

p.35

SCIENCE

82. Whilst progress has been unsatisfactory in the juniors, the picture is now changing and the children are beginning to make up the lost ground quickly. Lessons that develop investigation and teach all aspects of the curriculum are planned. For example, in Years 3 and 4 the teacher taught the children to judge the viability of electrical circuits that would use a battery and light bulb. The younger pupils were required to complete a simple circuit whilst the older children had to examine reasons for circuits not working. The work was appropriately matched to the pupils’ capability and they worked confidently to build and test their circuits. The children are very well behaved in lessons and co-operate well in group activities, and readily support each other’s learning. By Year 6, the children have sound knowledge and understanding of life processes and living things, materials and their properties and physical

p.35

SCIENCE

processes. They are encouraged to find independent ways of presenting their findings and take pains over this. Sometimes time is wasted when, for example, they record their work through collage rather than drawing diagrams. Sometimes pace and coverage are reduced through pupils drafting and redrafting their scientific recording in text and charts. On occasions, lessons in the juniors start late and are shorter than they should be. The new organisation of teaching the juniors as two classes is already proving useful. The teachers can now plan lessons for a more specific age range and challenge the potentially higher attaining pupils more effectively.

p.35

SCIENCE

83. The subject is now satisfactorily led. The nationally recommended scheme is being followed closely, and is appropriately resourced. The policy is helpful. There are no procedures to assess the children’s progress and the current practice of working on loose-leaf sheets means that pupils and teachers do not get a clear view of coverage, continuity and progress. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 32

p.35

ART AND DESIGN

84. Standards are average by the end of the infants and above average by the end of the juniors. This is the same as the last inspection for the infants but an improvement for the juniors. Basic skills such as colour selection and drawing are taught well and pupils successfully expand the range of their work as they move through the school. Achievement is satisfactory in the infants and good in the juniors.

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

85. Since the previous inspection, the teachers are using the nationally recommended scheme of work. This provides a strong basis for teachers’ planning. Pupils are developing a sound knowledge and appreciation of art as they progress through the school. For example, Year 2 pupils are developing a simple but effective understanding of perspective, while Year 6 show, in their still life drawings, a clear management of this aspect.

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

86. The children’s work is attractively displayed. Colourful presentations of historical costumes linked to the Tudors demonstrate the good level of care pupils take over their work, while paintings and book covers by Years 3 and 4 show careful observation and interpretation of photographs and prints. The three dimensional scenes created as part of the design and technology curriculum in Year 2 show imaginative application of different materials to bring out the effects of landscape and interiors.

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

87. Teaching and learning in the lesson seen were good overall. The lesson was well prepared and the teacher used pictures of headwear and masks from a wide range of cultures well to demonstrate learning objectives and to interest the pupils in their work. The lesson challenged the children well and they responded well by describing and designing masks that represented interests in their own lives. They all concentrated very well to produce work of a good standard for their age.

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

88. The subject is led appropriately by the headteacher. There are no plans to review art in the near future but, by supporting and encouraging the teachers as they use the scheme of work, the curriculum requirements are met effectively. Resources are satisfactory overall and provide pupils with opportunities to work with clay and fabrics as well as painting and drawing.

p.36

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. Standards in design and technology are average in both key stages. This is the same as the last inspection. The teaching is satisfactory. Pupils show that they are acquiring the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to design, make and evaluate artefacts successfully. By the end of the juniors, they create well drawn designs with annotated diagrams and clear instructions including methods of construction. They are competently evaluating their work with suggestions for improvement. Work is undertaken with great care and attention to detail. It is well presented, for example, in an appropriate folder that allows the process of designing, making and evaluating to be exhibited.

p.36

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. The school closely follows the nationally recommended scheme for design and technology, which it has modified appropriately to fit the needs of the school. For example, Year 2 pupils made some ‘scenes-in-a-box’ to illustrate a scene drawn from a favourite story from literature as part of the school’s book week . This work showed that the pupils use their imagination well. They used a wide range of materials and employed a wide variety of solutions to produce movement in the scenes. The work Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 33 was well constructed and delightfully individualistic. Throughout the school, the pupils have a good attitude to design and technology. They enjoy the practical nature of the tasks. They work carefully and design with precision. They are knowledgeable about the purpose of the task, and often link the purpose to the context from which it was derived. This was seen, for example, in Year 5 and 6 when the children talked about

p.36

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

how their construction work linked with their knowledge of Tudor buildings. All pupils are well supported in their learning and pupils with special needs make suitable progress.

p.37

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. The subject is led satisfactorily. The school has a helpful policy and the use of the nationally recommended scheme ensures that the children make steady progress as they move through the school.

p.37

GEOGRAPHY

92. The children’s standards of attainment by the age of seven are average; they are below average by the time they are eleven. At the time of the last inspection, the standards were average for both the infants and the juniors. There was no children’s work available to inspect because there have been no geography lessons since last July. A discussion with pupils in the junior classes indicated that their skills, knowledge and understanding are at an unsatisfactory level.

p.37

GEOGRAPHY

93. A discussion with pupils in Year 2 showed that pupils are developing their geographical skills appropriately. They know about their own village and can talk about the different places and buildings that they pass on their way to school. They can construct a simple map of their local area and, as part of their lessons in mathematics, can use simple co-ordinates to locate places. The teaching is satisfactory and the children are making satisfactory progress.

p.37

GEOGRAPHY

94. In the juniors, the provision and timetabling of geography is unsatisfactory. The yearly curriculum plan shows long gaps when geography is not being taught and there are times when aspects are repeated. The problem is most acute in Years 5 and 6 when children are taught geography in the first half term in the autumn and spring one year and the second half-term in spring in the second year. This means that the skills knowledge and understanding that children require to attain average standards are not achievable. When questioned, older children are not enthusiastic about geography. Assessment of pupils’ skills and knowledge is yet to be developed and this is unsatisfactory.

p.37

GEOGRAPHY

95. The leadership of the subject is unsatisfactory. Geography is not taught often enough for the children in the juniors to make appropriate progress. This has not been identified as a concern and no action has been taken to improve the situation. Since the time of the last inspection, resource provision such as globes and atlases has improved.

p.37

HISTORY

96. By the ages of seven and eleven years, the pupils’ standards of attainment are average. This is the same as the last inspection. The children, throughout the school, achieve at a satisfactory pace. The teachers bring history alive for the pupils. Visiting ‘Living History’ guides introduce the children to what it was like on washday in Victorian times and to the process of mummification as part of older children’s studies on Ancient Egypt. Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 34 97. A discussion with Year 2 children showed that they are developing their notion of chronology. They know that the fire of London took place a long time ago; they know how it started and why it spread so quickly. They could retell the story of Guy Fawkes with good attention to detail. There are opportunities for the children to compare old and new, for example, when considering the development of irons and hot water

p.37

HISTORY

98. In the junior lessons, teaching is good. The teachers and the pupils are enthusiastic about history and there is a high level of enjoyment. In the Year 3 and 4 class, the children know how archaeologists work and why care must be taken to preserve original evidence. For example, pupils were fascinated by the story of ‘The Trojan Horse’ as part of their lessons on the Ancient Greeks. Thoughtful questions showed their good understanding as they challenged the feasibility of the plan. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 know about historical characters such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. They can say what effects these rulers had on people’s lives and make judgements about whether Henry was a good or bad king. They show mature attitudes when evaluating different historical periods. For example, they talk about the developments in technology from the Ancient Greek period to the present day. There is no doubt in

p.38

HISTORY

their minds that life is more comfortable today. All the children are engrossed in their history work. Their teachers are very knowledgeable and give the children a breadth of knowledge from their own experiences.

p.38

HISTORY

99. The subject is lead satisfactorily. Resources are used well and worksheets are pertinent and well presented. This allows children to access information quickly whilst still being able to be selective and make their own individual judgements. There are long gaps when history is not being taught; this impedes the systematic development of the children’s skills. However, considerable additional support for history is provided through other subjects, for example in English, art and science. This has helped to maintain the standards.

p.38

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

100. The standards achieved at the end of the infants are average but the standards achieved in Year 6 are below average. This is the same as the last inspection for the infants but standards have fallen in the juniors. Progress is good in the infants and is satisfactory, but improving in the juniors. The junior pupils are making good gains in their skills, knowledge and understanding; this enables them to achieve well.

p.38

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. Although standards were satisfactory at the time of the previous inspection, the school’s provision, since then, had not been replaced or expanded until autumn 2001. The software had become out-of-date and did not match the nationally recommended scheme that the school had adopted. The subject had not received attention in the development plan and teachers’ subject knowledge was insufficient to cope with the changing demands of the curriculum. All of this has been recognised by the school and steps have been taken recently to remedy the problem. The school now has an adequate provision of computers although one machine is elderly and unreliable. The necessary software was recently installed on the machines. The school is now linked to the Internet and is part-networked, but suffers from unreliable connections which interrupt the pupils’ learning. The teaching staff are part way through their national

p.38

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. The subject is taught well. Many of the older pupils already have a good knowledge of the subject. They have yet to learn data handling, capture and control and multi media presentations but these aspects are planned for later in the year. The pupils’ attitude Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 35 to information and communication technology is very good and they are enthusiastic learners. They are confident and pick up new skills and vocabulary readily. Their behaviour is excellent and they work well collaboratively. During a lesson the infant pupils were shown how to use a floor robot by programming it with instructions. The younger pupils then worked well in small groups learning how to make the robot move forward to reach a destination through estimating and inputting. The Year 2 children were taught how to rotate the robot through programming turns and angles. They

p.38

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

reached appropriate standards during the lesson. A Year 5 and 6 lesson benefited from 4 pupils demonstrating on two machines how to access and enquire from the Internet whilst the teacher described the procedures to the rest of the class. In the juniors, the pace of learning is less marked when the lesson has not been planned in sufficient detail and lacks clear objectives. Sometimes, insufficient time is given to the activity or lessons are late in starting.

p.39

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

103 The coordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and is supported by staff who are willing to learn. The school has new resources that are used well. The school has yet to make adequate provision for information and communication technology to be used to support learning across the curriculum.

p.39

MUSIC

104. Children reach average standards in music by Year 2 as they did at the last inspection. The children’s standards in composition and listening to and appraising music in Year 6 are below average. This is a fall in standards since the last inspection. The junior children have had few music lessons in the past year. The subject leader’s planning shows that there was an intention for her to teach music to the older children but, in fact, these lessons did not take place. Consequently, the children’s progress by the time they are eleven is unsatisfactory. Curriculum provision, except for those aspects which include singing, is also unsatisfactory. Standards in singing in Year 6 are average. The children sing tunefully and with pleasure. A group of children and parents enjoyed singing carols around the village. This is a good opportunity for the school to ensure that the children experience what it is like to perform to an audience.

p.39

MUSIC

105. The children in the infants say they enjoy music and are able to recall lessons that developed their performing and composing skills. Recorded music is played at the beginning and end of assemblies but it is not always promoted as well as it could be and there are too few opportunities for children to listen to live or recorded music as part of their work. Resources to support the teaching of music are satisfactory. The role of the subject leader is unsatisfactory and music has not been given enough attention over the past few years.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

106. The standards are average in both key stages, as they were at the time of the last inspection. The children are achieving at a satisfactory rate in both key stages. They have appropriate provision for swimming and by the time they reach the age of eleven, almost all of them reach the expected national standard of being able to swim 25 metres. The junior children have their lessons as one class. The school uses the village hall for gymnastics lessons for part of the year. An appropriate range of apparatus is stored there. It takes the infant children 20 minutes to walk to the hall and the juniors a little less. This absorbs time that would normally be given to other subjects and makes good timekeeping essential. During the inspection, the timing of Barlow Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School- 36 the lessons slipped and caused shorter lessons for information and communication technology later in the afternoon.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107. The teaching is good. The teachers expect the children to make independent decisions that enable them to work well. In the infants, for example, they were expected to recall earlier learning and use their imaginations when moving across the hall. The children moved in a zig-zag and diagonal directions. The teacher used demonstration well and helped the children improve their performance. The children responded very well to this and watched each other closely. They made bunny jumps with care and good control following the teacher’s intervention. In the junior class, the teacher encouraged the children to begin designing a sequence of movements leading to a performance. The older children showed considerable independence as they built up routines based on forward and backward rolls, balancing and supporting each other. In an outdoor lesson, the teacher effectively showed the children the skills needed to send, receive and intercept a ball. The children responded well by trying to

p.40

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

improve their performance. They worked extremely well in small groups and showed good awareness of each other’s needs by fielding straying balls and returning them. Lessons are planned well and have a good structure. The main activity is always preceded by a warm up and children ‘cool down’ at the end of the lesson. They understand the importance of warming up before starting skill practices because the teachers discuss with them the effect that exercise has on their bodies.

p.40

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

108. There is a small range of out of school sport and games activities and these support the learning well. Both boys and girls join in. The coordinator leads the subject appropriately, is enthusiastic and has good expertise. There is a scheme of work which gives the staff confidence and ensures the curriculum is covered appropriately.

p.40