Gomeldon Primary School

GOMELDON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Ms H. M. Carruthers

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GOMELDON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 - 6 November 2001

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GOMELDON PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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GOMELDON PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Gomeldon Salisbury Wiltshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs L. Milligan

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 June 1997 Gomeldon Primary School - 4

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Team members

22167 Ms H. M. Carruthers Registered inspector 9472 Mr J. Edmond Lay inspector 22948 Mrs M. Vallis Team inspector

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Team members

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 9

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Gomeldon Primary School is situated in the village of Gomeldon and draws pupils from the village and a wide surrounding area. Many parents choose to bring their children to this school from other areas. Its 141 pupils, (69 boys and 72 girls) aged from four to eleven are taught in five classes, with an average class size of 28. The roll has increased by around 30 since the last inspection. Seventeen children in their reception year (the Foundation Stage) are taught in a class with Year 1 pupils. The school admits most four-year-olds in the autumn term, with the youngest attending part time to start. Most pupils receive some kind of pre-school education. There is a wide range in intake but for the majority attainment at entry is above average. Twenty- one pupils are on the special educational needs register. This accounts for 15 per cent of the school roll, and is below the national average of 23 per cent. No pupils have formal statements for special educational needs.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

A very small number of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is well below the national average of 19 per cent. No pupils require extra support due to having English as an additional language.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The present headteacher took up his post in September having previously been acting head for two terms and before that deputy head at his last school. Prior to the appointment of the present headteacher, the deputy head was acting headteacher at the school for 15 months.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school, which provides a good education. Pupils achieve good standards due to the high quality of the teaching. The new headteacher, governors and staff work together well and continue to improve the school. In this, they are supported by a detailed and thorough school development plan. The school has many very good features and provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English are well above average. • Teaching is of a high quality, being good or very good in the majority of lessons. • Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good. • Encouraged by very good provision for their moral and social development, pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development are very good. • The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities. • The school makes very good use of its resources and achieves the best value for its spending.

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is a good school:

• Greater use could be made of the information gathered through the analysis of test results to set targets in the school’s development plan for raising standards further, particularly in mathematics and science. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The last inspection report in June 1997 highlighted six key issues and judged that this was a good school. All six issues have been addressed with very good overall progress made. Provision, including the curriculum and assessment, for children in the reception year is very good. Teachers’ planning is of a very good quality and ensures consistent practice across the classes with ongoing assessment being part of this. The time the school starts has been altered to ease congestion, although there are still some traffic problems as there are no suitable parking facilities there is sometimes inappropriate parking. Good improvements have been made in extending the role of co-ordinators and in training. Very good progress has been made in improving the accommodation. A hall and library, improved toilets and classrooms, reception year outdoor area and play equipment have been added. Afternoon registration procedures and the governors’ annual report to

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

parents now meet statutory requirements. The school is meeting or exceeding its targets, particularly in English. There is a strong commitment and capacity towards raising standards further and continuing improvements. Gomeldon Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

A* performance is consistent with the top 5% of primary schools nationally. Similar schools with up to and including 8 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals.

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Key

These results show consistently well above average standards being maintained in English. In English targets are being exceeded and set higher and this reflects well the school’s key focus on literacy. In mathematics, the school is achieving above average standards and is broadly meeting the targets set. It is aware of the need to raise the proportion of pupils reaching the expected and higher levels in mathematics in order to improve performance further and in comparison to similar schools. In science, although the targets set have been met the 2001 standards have dipped to average from the above average results of previous years. This is because the percentage of pupils reaching the higher level is less in the 2001 tests. The table above shows that when the 2001 results are compared with similar schools these are below average for science.

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Key

By the end of Year 2, pupils’ 2001 results showed standards were well above average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics.

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Key

The school analyses its test results and has used this information well to set targets for improvement in its development plan to focus on raising standards in reading and writing. However, use of this analysis is less evident as a focus for mathematics and science to raise standards further, particularly against results for similar schools. The school is aware that it now needs to prioritise in its development plan improvement targets to raise standards further in mathematics and science.

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Key

Inspection evidence indicates that standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, in English are well above average and in mathematics and science these are above average. There are particular strengths in the good quality of pupils’ written work. Where it was seen the standards of pupils’ work in other subjects was good. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. From entry, the youngest children make good progress and attain standards above those set out as the Early Learning Goals, which define the levels children are expected to reach at the end of the reception year. The high percentage of good or very good teaching and learning has a positive impact on pupils of all abilities achieving these good standards.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are highly motivated, keen and enthusiastic about their work. Parents report that their children like coming to school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils work and play together very well. Pupils are very polite, helpful and friendly to visitors and keen to talk about their work.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils are keen to take on responsibility and make good use of the school council as part of this. Pupils show consideration and tolerance.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. It is above the national average with a very low rate of unauthorised absence. Pupils arrive on time and lessons start promptly. Gomeldon Primary School - 8 Pupils manage the restrictions imposed by the size of the hard playground area well. Gomeldon Primary School - 9

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

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

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

Taking into account the lessons seen, the effectiveness of teachers’ planning, the quality of pupils’ work samples, the standards achieved and the progress made, the overall profile of teaching is very good. The quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics is very good. Literacy and numeracy skills are effectively taught and there is a strong focus on using these in other subjects, which extends learning further. Overall, the school meets the needs of all pupils very effectively. Teachers provide a stimulating learning environment for all pupils. Pupils’ work is valued and standards of presentation are high. The majority of lessons seen were imaginative and brisk in pace, which resulted in very good learning. However, in the few lessons, which were satisfactory, the pace was slower and opportunities to extend learning further missed.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. Effective planning provided for literacy and numeracy and all other subjects with very good provision for the youngest children in the Foundation Stage of learning. Homework is suitably used to support learning. A very good range of extra-curricular activities is provided.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. It is well managed with a successful emphasis given to ‘in class’ support for pupils. Useful individual planning for pupils would be improved further by devising more measurable planned steps.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Very good provision for pupils’ moral and social development. Pupils are taught right from wrong and show great respect for each other and adults. Provision for spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory; pupils made aware of the cultural diversity of society.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory overall. A caring environment is provided for pupils. However, several procedures needing attention are being addressed. The school is aware that extra child protection training to keep knowledge up to date will be required shortly and more formal monitoring is required for attendance.

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Aspect Comment

There are strong links with other schools and the local community and these enrich the curriculum provided.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. There is a clear educational direction and commitment to improvement and raising standards further while maintaining a broad curriculum. School development plan is thorough and the new headteacher aims to extend this further.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors have a good understanding of management issues and have developed a good committee structure. Governors have effective monitoring links with the subjects of the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory overall. Assessment has improved but the use of an analysis of data in school development planning to set targets, particularly in mathematics and science, is not well developed.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of Very good use of resources to make improvements to the accommodation and learning environment. All classes have a learning support assistant Gomeldon Primary School - 10 resources assigned. Staff work well together forming a strong team. The school is successful in its commitment to equal opportunity for all, but the policy requires review. Best value principles are followed effectively to make very good use of the school’s budget.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • Children are expected to work hard. • The progress their children make. • The standard of behaviour expected. • Children are mature and responsible. • The quality of teaching provided. • They feel able to approach the school. • The information provided about pupils’ progress. • How closely the school works with parents. • The information given about homework. • The range of extra-curricular activities provided.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agreed with parents’ positive views. On the issues that parents would like to see improved, the team found that good information is provided about pupils’ progress. The school works closely with parents providing good information on the curriculum and school matters as appropriate. Homework is suitably linked to literacy and numeracy, but more information is needed about the amount of time children are expected to give to this each night. The school has plans to address this. The number and range of extra-curricular activities provided are very good. From the other issues raised, the team agreed that the activities for pupils at break times are too limited; the school will look into ways of improving this. Gomeldon Primary School - 11

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Standards in English are well above average.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. The 2001 National Curriculum tests results for pupils in Year 6 at the end of Key Stage 2 were well above average in comparison to all school’s nationally and similar schools. The school has exceeded its targets for the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 and this continues to be set higher. The trend over time is for consistently well above average test results in English for Year 6 pupils.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. The 2001 test results for Year 2 pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 were well above average in reading and writing in comparison to all schools nationally. In comparison to similar schools, results were average in reading and above average in writing. A well above average percentage of pupils reached the expected Level 2 and above in reading and writing and an above average percentage reached the higher Level 3 and above. For Year 2 pupils, there is an overall, improving trend over time in reading and writing. A dip to average results in 1999 resulted in a key focus by the school on raising standards further.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. Inspection judgements confirm these well above average standards by Year 2 and Year 6. The key school development plan target to continue to improve provision for reading and writing is well met. These targets include improving the identification of children at entry requiring extra help with literacy skills, increasing the number of pupils reaching the higher level in writing and to improve handwriting skills across the school. Children in the reception year (the Foundation Stage) make good progress from entry to attain above average standards at the end of the year in the Early Learning Goals for communication, language and literacy. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set for them. Pupils of all abilities are overall well provided for and benefit from an inclusive whole school approach to teaching literacy skills.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. Standards in speaking and listening are high. The youngest children in the Foundation Stage were keen to share experiences about taking their pets to the vet. Older pupils speak clearly and again are keen to talk about their experiences and views. In Year 3 and 4 pupils could describe Victorian toys well. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 have a wide range of vocabulary to describe events, such as a ‘bull in a china shop’ being ‘very destructive’. Pupils show much respect when they listen to each other. For example, pupils in Year 6 taking part in a discussion on self-esteem gave lots of positive examples about what makes them feel good about themselves.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. Pupils across the school read with fluency and expression and standards are well above what is expected. The youngest children in the Foundation Stage have made a good start with most reading at least simple sentences. Older pupils read a wide range of books and can talk about the content, for example discussing why they like a certain poem. Pupils in Year 6 use the library for research as part of their topic work. Pupils have very good attitudes towards reading.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. The standards in presentation of written work and handwriting are consistently very high. Pupils write for a wide range of purposes, letters, accounts, imaginative stories and poems. In Year 5 and 6, pupils compiled a class poem about a monster and made a wide range of suggestions, such as ‘teeth like freshly sharpened daggers’ before writing a poem of their own. Throughout there are strong links to using computers for word processing. These links are strong to other subjects, such as science, history and personal, social and health education. The marking of pupils’ work by teachers is helpful in moving learning forward. Pupils’ work is well displayed and the work in their books is of a consistently high standard.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. Standards at the last inspection were judged as average and occasionally above for Year 2 pupils and above average for Year 6 pupils. There has been a significant improvement with well above average standards now achieved by pupils across the school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Teaching is of a high quality and is very good or good in the majority of lessons.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. Overall eight lessons were judged very good, four good and three satisfactory out of the 15 seen during the inspection. The school has maintained its high teaching quality since the last inspection. Pupils often made very good progress in their learning due to the effectiveness of the teaching, which was well organised for all the different abilities in mixed age classes. Those pupils capable of higher attainment Gomeldon Primary School - 12 were challenged suitably. Lessons moved at a brisk pace and had clear introductions, brisk work sessions and concluded with an effective plenary, which drew out and extended what the pupils had learnt. Teachers used planning frameworks well and made lessons come alive through the use of imaginative activities, such as designing and making cats to illustrate the purpose of instructions linked to work in literacy. Teachers made good use of ongoing assessment notes to adjust their planning for

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

the next lesson. In the few lessons judged satisfactory imaginative activities were less evident and the pace could have been better during the middle part of lessons to extend learning further.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs was at least good. These pupils were integrated fully in all lessons with total inclusion, being ably supported by the class teacher or the efficient learning support assistant assigned to each class.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

10. Teaching in the three lessons seen for the youngest in the reception year, the Foundation Stage of learning, was consistently very good. This is a considerable improvement since the last inspection when this area was judged satisfactory. Here the youngest children benefit from stimulating activities, which help develop their literacy and numeracy skills very well. Children make very good progress in their learning. Again there are strong links across the Early Learning Goals with, for example, children making carriers for their pets, which involves developing speaking and listening skills and making and designing skills.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

11. Teaching for pupils from Year 1 to Year 2 was very good in four out of the five lessons seen and judged good in the fifth. Effective teaching challenges pupils to apply what they know and extends learning further. Good use is made of resources, such as white boards, to provide examples and to support the very clear explanations given to pupils. Each part of the lesson is used by teachers to the maximum, which provides a consistent and productive pace and overall, results in very good learning by pupils. Pupils taking part in a numeracy lesson were highly motivated by the teacher’s questioning, on for example, doubling numbers, and enjoyed the challenges set during a mental mathematics session at the start of a lesson.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

12. Teaching for pupils from Year 3 to Year 6 was very good in one lesson, good in three and satisfactory in the remaining three. In the very good lesson, which formed part of the Year 6 personal, social and health education programme, pupils rose to the challenges of the tasks set and worked effectively in groups. Pupils learnt much about what makes them and others feel good. In the good lessons, pupils made good gains in learning, but enhanced planning would further extend pupils, particularly higher attainers. Teachers manage large classes very well and make effective use of learning support assistants.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Provision for the Foundation Stage is very good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

13. Since the last inspection, major improvements have been made for children in the reception class, who are in the Foundation Stage. At that time, this area formed a key issue as the curriculum and use of assessment was insufficiently developed for this age range, although links with the National Curriculum were effective. The specific curriculum is now strong and covers the Early Learning Goals for the Foundation Stage and it is well linked to assessment. Lesson planning is suitable for all abilities and is rich in well thought out practical experiences. These experiences are linked strongly to developing children’s literacy and numeracy skills and provide very good opportunities for personal and social development. During the inspection, children enjoyed taking part in a structured play activity based on their own ‘Animal Hospital’.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

14. The accommodation has been improved considerably since the last inspection, with the children now housed in a recently installed double unit classroom situated next to the main building. This unit is shared with the Year 1 and 2 class and has its own toilets and cloakroom area. Children in the Foundation Stage now benefit from a small, but designated outdoor area with good quality large play equipment based on a special safety surface. Here children can ride their tricycles and take part in other activities, including learning through use of sand and water at the sand and water trays. The outdoor curriculum is planned as part of the children’s school day.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

15. These improvements and the very effective teaching and learning have enabled children to make good progress. At the last inspection, progress was satisfactory.

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Encouraged by very good provision for their moral and social development, pupils’

attitudes, behaviour and personal development are very good. Gomeldon Primary School - 13 16. Pupils are keen to get on with their work and are enthusiastic about learning. Boys and girls work together effectively in mixed gender groups. Pupils want to talk about their work and share this with adults and each other. Pupils are respectful and show much consideration when listening to their teachers or other pupils. The overall very good quality of teaching, which provides interesting lessons, has a significant impact on pupils’ positive attitudes to learning. Pupils showed some slight lack of concentration on only a very few occasions when, for example, the planned activity failed to inspire them or the pace of part of a lesson was less demanding.

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Encouraged by very good provision for their moral and social development, pupils’

17. The behaviour of pupils in and around the school is very good. Pupils know right from wrong and the high standard of behaviour that is expected of them at all times. Pupils, throughout the school, are consistently polite and say please and thank you without any prompting. Pupils are involved in setting class rules and understand the school’s code of behaviour. Teachers and non-teaching staff provide good role models for pupils.

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Encouraged by very good provision for their moral and social development, pupils’

18. The very good opportunities provided for personal development helps pupils to develop positive attitudes and to know the standards of behaviour expected of them. Older pupils take their responsibilities seriously and rise to the occasion very well, for example, when taking registers to teachers in their classrooms, getting another classroom ready for hot meals at lunchtime or operating the overhead projector in assemblies. Pupils learn to work as part of a team by joining in sporting tournaments, such as netball, football, skittle ball and tag rugby.

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Encouraged by very good provision for their moral and social development, pupils’

19. Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development have a significant impact on the overall very good quality of learning that takes place. Since the last inspection the school has maintained its high expectations and provision for this aspect.

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Encouraged by very good provision for their moral and social development, pupils’

20. There are numerous very good opportunities for pupils’ moral and social development. Assemblies, religious education lessons, personal, social and health education lessons are all used effectively to promote an understanding of tolerance and an awareness of others. The school is a highly inclusive community, which involves pupils very well in decision making through participation in its school’s council. Pupils are responsible for producing the minutes of school council meetings.

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Encouraged by very good provision for their moral and social development, pupils’

21. Pupils take part in a very good range of clubs and a number of other activities, such as the Salisbury Music Festival and the school’s league sporting events. Pupils work with other schools, for example Year 6 pupils have used on a regular basis the computer suite at a local secondary school and pupils from another primary school visit to take part in personal, social and health education programmes. Many varied visitors from the local community come to talk to pupils. A recent visitor was a policeman working with Year 6 pupils on a series of lessons as part of a personal, social and health education programme and another was linked to talking to pupils about harvest in Nicaragua. Pupils go on educational visits and older ones, from Years 3 to 6, take part in residential visits. Local places visited include Old Sarum and the Tutankhamum Exhibition in Dorchester. For residential visits, pupils have

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Encouraged by very good provision for their moral and social development, pupils’

stayed at St Mary’s Bay in Brixham and Braeside Environmental Centre in Devizes. Visits are made to the local church for special services and events. Since the last inspection, the school has maintained its strong provision for pupils’ moral and social development.

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Encouraged by very good provision for their moral and social development, pupils’

The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities.

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Encouraged by very good provision for their moral and social development, pupils’

22. Since the last inspection, the range of extra-curricular activities has broadened out from mainly sports, which were offered at that time. The number and range provided now is very good. The extra-curricular activities cover or have covered French and German, craft, gardening, recorders, judo and information and communications technology. Football, netball, skittle ball and athletics activities are still provided. Staff, parents and friends of the school are all involved in running these clubs. Year 2 and younger pupils join in some activities, but these are mostly for older pupils. In addition to these extra-curricular activities pupils learn to play the recorder and take part in peripatetic music lessons for violin, trumpet and trombone.

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The school makes very good use of its resources and achieves the best value for

23. Resources throughout the school are of good quality and used very effectively to support and enhance pupils’ learning. The school makes continued improvements to its resources, such as updating computers, increasing the range of books available and adding to the play equipment for the youngest children in the Foundation Stage. Plans are in the process of being developed to provide extra accommodation to house a computer suite to further enhance provision for information and Gomeldon Primary School - 14 communication technology. The last inspection report judged the school’s accommodation to be unsatisfactory. Since then major improvements have been made to provide a hall, library, new classroom facilities for the Foundation Stage and Year 1 and 2 classes, a main entrance and improved toilets for pupils. The pupils have been involved in improving the school’s resources with suggestions for a low-level play trail. The Gomeldon Home and School Association raise substantial funds and

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The school makes very good use of its resources and achieves the best value for

contribute towards many school initiatives. The school makes effective use of all its resources, time, staff, accommodation and the outdoor environment to provide a good quality of education with many very good features for its pupils. 24. The school manages its allocated funds effectively for the maximum benefit of pupils. It seeks best value in all spending and continually applies for numerous grants to aid improvements. The balance carried forward from this year’s budget has gone towards maintaining the identified priorities in the budget for next year, such as keeping full time learning support assistants for all classes. Reserves are kept to cover these expenditures and to go towards resources for planned major improvements. The school’s long term financial planning is based on the clear priority of providing an effective school for the local community and takes careful account of its carry-forward figure, at 12 per cent for the last

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The school makes very good use of its resources and achieves the best value for

financial year and reducing to 8 per cent for this.

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results to set targets in the school’s development plan for raising standards further,

particularly in mathematics and science.

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results to set targets in the school’s development plan for raising standards further,

25. There are clear procedures for gathering assessment information and the school uses this information throughout to aid planning and to set targets for pupils. The school tracks pupils’ performance from entry until they leave. Individual targets are set based on predicted levels for each pupil.

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results to set targets in the school’s development plan for raising standards further,

26. Whole school targets are set in English, mathematics and science and agreed with the local education authority. These targets are based on the school’s assessment information, and reflect the percentage of pupils anticipated to reach the expected levels in the National Curriculum tests by the end of Year 6. When setting targets the school and local education authority take into account year-on-year variations in intakes, the number of pupils with special educational needs, the mobility of pupils leaving and joining the school and key initiatives. A key initiative for the school has been developing the use of literacy and maintaining the high standards attained in English. The school has been exceeding and increasing its whole school targets in English and achieved well above average standards at the expected and higher levels in the National Curriculum tests for 2001. In mathematics, targets have

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results to set targets in the school’s development plan for raising standards further,

been exceeded or broadly met. In the 2001 tests, results in mathematics were average at the expected level and well above average at the higher level. In science, targets have been met and exceeded, but in the 2001 tests, although standards were above average at the expected level, these remained average at the higher level.

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results to set targets in the school’s development plan for raising standards further,

27. The Standards table, which forms part of the Parents’ Summary of this report, shows the average points scores for English, mathematics and science. Points are awarded for the expected and higher levels achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 in the National Curriculum tests. These points are then combined to form the average point scores for English, mathematics and science. This information shows well above average standards for English in the National Curriculum tests in comparison to all schools nationally and similar schools. It shows above average standards for mathematics against all schools nationally but in comparison to similar schools, these results are average. In science, standards are average in comparison to all schools nationally but are below average when compared to similar schools. In science, the results for 2001 have dipped from the above average standards of the previous two years.

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results to set targets in the school’s development plan for raising standards further,

28. Some information from the school’s analysis of its National Curriculum test results is used to set targets for improvement in the school’s development plan. Effective examples of this have been improvement targets, which focus on raising standards further in reading and, in particular, writing. The success of this is evident in the school exceeding its whole school targets for English and in its National Curriculum test results for reading and writing for Year 2 pupils and in English for Year 6 pupils. The school has clear intentions to aim to raise the percentage of pupils reaching the expected and higher levels in mathematics and has made a start towards this. It intends to analyse further its science test results to aid planning for improvement, particularly at the higher level. However, raising standards further in mathematics and science and the use of information gathered through assessment

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results to set targets in the school’s development plan for raising standards further,

Gomeldon Primary School - 15 and the analysis of test results to support this, is as yet insufficiently highlighted as school development plan priorities as English has been the main focus. Gomeldon Primary School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

29. Areas for improvement, both in this section and elsewhere in the report, most of which already forms part of the school’s development planning, should be seen in the light of the judgement that this is a good school:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Make greater use of the information gathered through the analysis of National Curriculum test results to set targets in the school’s development plan for raising standards further, particularly in mathematics and science. Gomeldon Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 14

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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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. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one (two, three, etc percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 141

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 21

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language N/A

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

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Attendance

National comparative data 94.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Gomeldon Primary School - 18

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 N/A 15 23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys N/A N/A N/A Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (90) 96 (95) 100 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys N/A N/A N/A Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 15 15

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (90) 100 (100) 100 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 11 N/A 20

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys N/A N/A 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls N/A N/A N/A

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

Percentage of pupils School 90 (88) 75 (81) 95 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys N/A N/A N/A Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls N/A N/A N/A

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

Percentage of pupils School 80 (85) 60 (76) 80 (77) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

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

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

The number of boys and girls is excluded from the tables if the group size is ten or fewer. Gomeldon Primary School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.8 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 327,478

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 311,877

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 93 Expenditure per pupil 2,108

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 24,915

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 40,516

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.8

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Gomeldon Primary School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 42 42 10 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 54 3 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 30 44 17 3 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 23 47 26 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 41 45 10 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 52 43 3 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 27 49 19 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 28 46 8 2 15

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 41 50 3 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 21 46 14 5 12

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Percentage of responses in each category

Due to rounding up not all percentages add up to 100 percent.

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