Creswell Junior School

CRESWELL JUNIOR SCHOOL

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

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CRESWELL JUNIOR 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. Creswell Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Elmton Road Creswell Worksop Nottinghamshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 25 - 26 January 1999 Creswell Junior School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

23004 Christopher Taylor Registered inspector Geography Music Physical education What sort of school is it? How high are standards? (a) The school's results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 19385 Gordon Stockley Lay inspector How high are standards? (b) Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development How good are curricular and other opportunities? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 22881 George Halliday Team inspector Equal Opportunities Science Design and technology Religious Education 112548 Sheila Pemberton Team inspector Special Educational Needs English History 31012 Ann Welch Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Art and design How well does the school care for its pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Quality in Focus Thresher House Lea Hall Park Demage Lane Lea-by-Backford Chester CH1 6LP

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Creswell Junior School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Creswell Junior School caters for boys and girls aged seven to 11 years. It has 240 full-time pupils and is similar in size to most junior schools. Numbers have risen slightly in the last two years. The majority of pupils join the school with levels of attainment well below those expected nationally. Thirty seven per cent of pupils - well above the national average - are known to be eligible for free school meals. Fifty five pupils - close to the national average - have special educational needs. Seven of these pupils have statements of special educational needs. The majority of pupils with special needs have moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties or emotional and behavioural difficulties. Three pupils are from ethnic minorities. One pupil speaks English as an additional language, but no pupils are at an early stage of English language acquisition. The inspection of this school included a detailed inspection of its provision for pupils with special

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Creswell Junior School is an effective school with a good ethos and a caring environment. Standards of teaching have improved recently and are now good. As a result, pupils are now making good progress in most lessons and have made satisfactory progress over a longer period of time. Pupils' attitudes to learning are good and their behaviour, relationships and personal development are good. Standards are well below the national average in English and mathematics, but are improving in line with the national upward trend. Standards in science are close to the national average. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The leadership and management of the headteacher, key staff and governing body are good. Expenditure per pupil is close to the national average and the school provides sound value for money.

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What the school does well

• Good teaching ensures that pupils are now making good progress during lessons. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Pupils' positive attitudes, good behaviour and relationships help them to learn effectively. • Good provision for pupils' social and moral development contributes positively to pupils' good personal development. • Procedures for ensuring pupils' welfare are good. • The good leadership and management of the headteacher, key staff and governing body ensure that the aims and values of the school are reflected in its work.

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What could be improved

• Standards in literacy and numeracy are well below the national average. • Standards are well below those expected nationally in information and communication technology (ICT). • Assessment of pupils' work is not used enough to plan suitable activities for pupils of different attainment. • Pupils' written work is often poorly presented and marking does not always indicate how the work could be improved. • Links with parents are unsatisfactory and require further development. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Creswell Junior School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress in addressing most of the key issues in the previous inspection report in January 1999. It has made sound progress in raising the standard of pupils' reading, writing and mathematics. Standards have improved markedly in science, but standards in ICT are still well below national expectations and teaching does not meet all the requirements of the National Curriculum in ICT. The school has improved procedures for assessing pupils' knowledge and understanding in reading, numeracy and science. Good progress has been made in setting targets for pupils which can be checked regularly and in monitoring standards of work. In addition to these key issues, the school has improved standards of teaching and learning. Pupils' attitudes, behaviour and relationships are much better and attendance has gone up. Provision for pupils with special educational needs has been developed well and is now good. There has been a good improvement in procedures for pupils' welfare

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

and in the provision for their social and moral development. Links with parents, however, are unsatisfactory, and action needs to be taken to increase their involvement in the life of the school. Overall, the school is improving steadily. It has identified appropriate areas for development and has a good capacity to make further improvements.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

In English and mathematics, the school's results in 2000 were well below the national average for all schools in the country. In science, they were close to the national average. They were below the average for schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals in mathematics, but close to the average in English and above average in science. Over the past four years, standards have risen broadly in line with the national upward trend in English and mathematics and faster than the national trend in science. Inspection findings indicate that standards in the current Year 6 are well below the national average in English and mathematics and close to the average in science. This is an improvement on last year, however, as higher standards of teaching are beginning to have a positive effect on this year group whose standards were very low when they entered the school. Standards are

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Key

well below national expectations in ICT, but are close to those expected nationally in all other subjects. Challenging targets have been set to improve standards in English and mathematics in the National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds in 2001. To meet these targets, the school has focused its attention on effective support for pupils with special needs, assistance for slower readers and additional time and resources for developing writing skills. The school was successful in exceeding its target for English in 2000, but narrowly missed its target for mathematics. Creswell Junior School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are keen to learn and are well motivated. They are interested and involved in all school activities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Most pupils behave well in class and around school. They are nearly always polite and helpful. Seven pupils were excluded for short periods during the last year for failing to meet these high standards. Pupils' attitudes and behaviour have improved greatly over the past four years.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Relationships among pupils and with staff are good. Pupils show initiative and take personal responsibility for their work.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance A little below the national average. Absence authorised by parents is above average; unauthorised absence is close to the average. Punctuality is good. There is little lateness.

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

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

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

During the inspection, teaching, overall, was good. Teaching was satisfactory or better in 96 per cent of the lessons observed. It was good in 33 per cent of lessons and very good in 22 per cent. Teaching was unsatisfactory in two lessons (four per cent of lessons seen). The teaching of English, including the basic skills of reading and writing, was good overall, while the teaching of numeracy was satisfactory. Strengths of teaching include good subject knowledge, high expectations, effective use of time, support staff and resources, and very good management of pupils. Weaker areas include insufficient use of ICT to assist learning in other subjects of the curriculum and not enough use of assessment to plan suitable activities for pupils of different attainment. The standard of teaching has improved recently and is much better than at the previous inspection. As a result, pupils are now developing new skills and learning

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

effectively during lessons. During the period of the inspection, pupils' learning was good in most of the lessons observed, though the standard of work seen in pupils' books indicates that improvements in teaching have been relatively recent, and pupils' learning has been no better than satisfactory over a longer period of time. In the two lessons where teaching was unsatisfactory, planning for pupils' activities was not thorough enough, some activities were inappropriate and the pace of the lessons was too slow. In ICT, many teachers have insufficient expertise to teach all the requirements of the National Curriculum, and there are too few opportunities for pupils to use computers and to practise their skills. The school is aware of these issues and already has plans in hand for more computers and additional staff training in ICT. Creswell Junior School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Unsatisfactory overall. The curriculum is broad but is unbalanced as there is not enough teaching of ICT. Statutory requirements of the National Curriculum are not covered in ICT. There is a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities for pupils to widen their interests.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils receive helpful assistance and make satisfactory progress towards the targets in their individual education plans.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Provision for pupils' personal development is good. Provision for pupils' moral and social development is very good, with clear teaching of right and wrong. Provision for pupils' spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good overall. Procedures for ensuring pupils' welfare are good. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very effective. Procedures for assessing pupils' attainment and progress are good, but assessments are not used enough to provide resources and activities suitable for pupils of different attainment.

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Aspect Comment

The school's links with parents are unsatisfactory and parents' support for the school is very variable. Parents are not involved enough in the work of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher and key staff provide good leadership of the school. They ensure that the school is moving forward with a clear sense of educational direction. Subject co-ordinators play an important role in monitoring and promoting high standards of teaching and learning.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good overall. The governing body is actively involved in the life of the school. Governors carry out most of their statutory duties well, but the annual report for parents does not include all the information required and provision for ICT does not meet all the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school monitors and evaluates its performance well. It has a good understanding of most of its strengths and weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. Educational priorities are supported well through the school's financial planning. All major spending decisions take into account the principles of best value.

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Aspect Comment

Currently, there is a good number of well qualified teachers and support staff to meet the needs of the curriculum. The school finds it difficult, however, to recruit temporary and supply staff, and until recently, the school was unable to provide high quality teaching in all classes. Overall, the accommodation is satisfactory and learning resources are sound. There are insufficient resources, however, to support the teaching and learning of ICT. Creswell Junior School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy school. • The school enables children to make good progress in their work. • The teaching is good. • The school expects children to work hard and to achieve their best. • Most parents feel the school helps their children become mature and responsible. • Half the parents who replied felt the school does not work closely enough with them. • Nearly a third do not feel comfortable about approaching the school with a problem. • Nearly half felt that they are not kept well informed about their children's progress. • Nearly a third felt that the school is not well led and managed. • Nearly a third felt that standards of behaviour are not high enough. • Over a third felt that the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons. • Over a third felt that children do not receive the right amount of work to do at home.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection findings support the parents' positive views. Inspectors agree that the school does not work closely enough with parents. While written information sent to parents about school events and pupils' progress is detailed and helpful, the school needs to improve day-to-day informal contact between parents and teachers, so that all parents feel comfortable about approaching staff with a problem. The headteacher and key staff provide strong leadership of the school, but they need to ensure that they are more accessible to parents on a daily basis. Standards of behaviour have improved greatly and most pupils behave well during lessons and around school. The school provides a satisfactory range of extra- curricular activities and sets an appropriate amount of homework, especially in literacy and numeracy. Creswell Junior School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Most pupils attend the local infant school before joining the junior school. When they enter in Year 3, the majority have levels of attainment well below those expected for seven-year-olds. Their reading and writing skills are well below the standards expected nationally and their numeracy skills are also well below the national average. Pupils are currently making good progress in lessons due to good teaching; but standards of teaching have improved markedly during the last two years, and most pupils have made no more than satisfactory progress until recently. By the age of eleven, the overall attainment of pupils is still well below the national average in English and mathematics, but is close to the national average in science. It is typical for their age in all other subjects except ICT where standards are well below those expected nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In English, inspection findings indicate that standards in the current Year 6 are well below those expected nationally, though there has been some improvement in recent years and standards are higher than at the previous inspection. Standards in English were well below the national average in the National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds in 2000, but were close to the standard achieved in schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Pupils are currently making good progress in listening and speaking due to recent improvements in teaching. By emphasising active listening , teachers ensure that all pupils become attentive listeners. Pupils discuss their ideas and opinions confidently in small groups, but many still lack the confidence and breadth of vocabulary needed to speak clearly to a wider audience. Following recent improvements in teaching, pupils are now making good progress in reading, though their learning has only been satisfactory

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

over a longer period of time. The majority of 11-year-olds read with some expression, tackle unfamiliar words well and understand what they are reading. Progress in writing is satisfactory, but not as good as in reading. Spelling and punctuation are not always accurate and many pupils forget to use capital letters and full stops in their work. When pupils practice their handwriting, it is clear, joined and attractive, but when they write during lessons, their handwriting is often untidy and poorly presented.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In mathematics, inspection findings indicate that attainment in the current Year 6 is well below that expected nationally. Standards are below those achieved by 11-year-olds in similar schools. Standards in mathematics fell slightly in the National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds in 2000, but this year group had been taught by a series of temporary and supply teachers in Year 5, and did not benefit as much from recent improvements in the standard of teaching. Pupils are now making satisfactory progress, however, and over the last four years standards have risen broadly in line with the national upward trend. Pupils have benefited from the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. They are keen to use mental methods of calculation and are becoming more confident with written methods. In science, attainment is close to the national average for 11-year-olds, and above that found in the majority of similar schools. Pupils are making good progress and standards

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

have improved in recent years. Most pupils are reasonably competent in conducting investigations for themselves. They predict the outcome of experiments, understand the need for a fair test and draw sensible conclusions.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Pupils’ attainment in ICT is well below the standard expected nationally for 11-year-olds. Pupils do not cover all the requirements of the National Curriculum and there is not enough use of ICT in other subjects. Attainment in religious education is in line with the standards expected in the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils achieve standards typical for their age in all other subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. There are variations in attainment by gender in English and in mathematics. In the National Curriculum tests in 2000, girls did better than boys in English while boys did significantly better than girls in mathematics. The school is aware of these differences, but has not been able to determine why this is so. Boys and girls receive the same curriculum, and efforts are being made to improve boys' and girls' performance in these subjects. The few pupils from different ethnic backgrounds are actively included in all lessons and their progress is always at least satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs receive good assistance. Teachers and classroom assistants work closely Creswell Junior School - 12 together to identify pupils' special needs and to set appropriate targets for them to achieve. Pupils' learning is supported well and they make good progress towards the targets in their individual

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Pupils' literacy skills are well below those expected nationally, though pupils are currently making good progress in their reading and satisfactory progress in their writing. The 'Success For All' literacy strategy has been introduced in all classes and standards of reading and writing are improving broadly in line with national upward trends. The new knowledge and skills gained in literacy lessons are used in other subjects of the curriculum to improve pupils' writing, for example, in science and in history.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in numeracy are well below those expected nationally. The National Numeracy Strategy has been introduced effectively in all classes and pupils are making satisfactory progress. They are carrying out mental calculations with increasing agility and show greater confidence in manipulating numbers and using multiplication tables. There is an appropriate use of numeracy skills in other subjects such as ICT, history and science.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Throughout the school pupils show enthusiasm and have positive attitudes to learning. They are attentive and respond well to the good teaching that takes place in most lessons. They settle quickly to their work and usually apply themselves well, showing good levels of concentration. Pupils work effectively on their own and in pairs or small groups, contributing well by their responses to teachers' questions. The positive ethos successfully promotes friendship and trust throughout the school and this results in good relationships between pupils and between staff and pupils. A high proportion of parents who responded to the questionnaire indicated that their children like coming to school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Adults set a good example and pupils show understanding of right and wrong. The school's provision for personal, social and health education and the themes chosen for daily assemblies encourage children to value friendships and to choose a peaceful way of settling their differences. Pupils are friendly and polite to visitors and play together happily during breaks and lunchtimes. Although some bullying occurs occasionally, parents agree that it is dealt with quickly and effectively as soon as it is reported. There are a few pupils who are not able to meet the high standards of behaviour expected by the school. When the school's usual range of punishments fails to achieve the desired effect, these pupils are excluded for a short time. There were 19 fixed-term exclusions involving seven pupils during the last school year. The school's policies have been very successful in reversing the previously poor standard of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

behaviour, and most pupils’ attitudes and behaviour have improved significantly since the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Relationships are good throughout the school. Pupils work sensibly together in lessons, sharing resources and exchanging views and ideas. In the playground and around the school they usually play together happily, although there are occasional glimpses of the type of unsatisfactory behaviour that would be more common were it not for the very effective behaviour management strategies used by all staff in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils have a range of opportunities to carry out tasks such as taking registers to the office, counting dinner money, tidying up, and handing out books, equipment and materials in lessons. Older pupils act as library monitors and “reading buddies” to younger children. Many examples were seen during the inspection of pupils caring for others who had been hurt or were upset. One pupil in the dining room told an inspector that she was looking after the boy sitting next to her “because he is having a few problems at the moment”. The “Success For All” system adopted by the school makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal development as pupils are encouraged to tackle problems by working together in small groups with a group leader. Creswell Junior School - 13 12. Attendance levels are satisfactory, being just below the national average and rising year on year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Unauthorised absence is low. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, arrive on time for school and registers are marked quickly and in accordance with legal requirements. Registration sessions are used positively to provide additional opportunities for silent reading or number work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. During the inspection, the standard of teaching was good. Teaching was satisfactory or better in 96 per cent of the lessons observed. In 33 per cent the teaching was good and in 22 per cent it was very good. Teaching was unsatisfactory in two lessons (four per cent of lessons observed). The standard of teaching has improved recently and is much better than at the previous inspection. As a result, pupils developed new skills and learned effectively in most lessons. Pupils' learning was good or better in 55 per cent of the lessons observed. Teaching has improved greatly over the last two years and is now beginning to bring benefits for pupils. Over a longer period of time, pupils' learning has been no better than satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. During the inspection, teaching was good in English, science, geography, history, music and physical education. It was satisfactory in mathematics and in all other subjects. The main strengths of teaching are good subject knowledge, high expectations, effective use of time, support staff and resources, and very good management of pupils. Weaker areas include insufficient use of ICT to assist learning in other subjects of the curriculum and not enough use of assessment to plan suitable activities for pupils of different attainment. In the two lessons where teaching was unsatisfactory, planning for pupils' activities was not thorough enough, some activities were inappropriate and the pace of the lessons was too slow. Teaching that was good or better (55 per cent of all lessons observed) was a major factor in ensuring that pupils are now making good progress during lessons. This is an improvement on the satisfactory progress they have been

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. Teachers’ knowledge is good in most subjects and this ensures that pupils are now acquiring sound techniques and accurate information. In science, for instance, teachers’ very good knowledge and understanding inspire pupils and they make rapid progress. Teachers' expertise in ICT, however, is in need of further development. As a result, there is insufficient use of ICT to assist teaching and learning in other subjects. The teaching of basic literacy skills is satisfactory overall. The teaching of reading is good because it is based on teachers’ secure knowledge of the methods adopted and their considerable skill in using these techniques. The teaching of writing is less effective because the strategies used to improve spelling and punctuation do not always work well enough. The teaching of numeracy skills is sound as teachers have a good understanding of the methods employed in the National Numeracy Strategy.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. Teachers' expectations of pupils' work are generally high, though teachers occasionally do not challenge higher-attaining pupils sufficiently. Teachers have high expectations of pupils' attitudes and behaviour. Very effective classroom management and good relationships between teachers and pupils help to produce a pleasant, hard-working and creative atmosphere. In many lessons, good teaching leads to a keen response from pupils and an eagerness to learn. In most classes, very good management by teachers is reflected in pupils' high standards of behaviour and positive attitudes to work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. Most teachers use time well during lessons. Teachers usually time different activities carefully and lessons generally move at a brisk pace. As a result, pupils work productively and maintain a busy pace of learning. The use of classroom assistants is particularly good, and teachers and support staff work effectively together. Teachers make good use of a wide variety of teaching resources and this helps to maintain pupils' interest. There are many attractive and interesting displays in classrooms and around the school to stimulate pupils' thinking.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Teachers prepare their lessons thoroughly in English and mathematics, and benefit from following the detailed guidelines in 'Success For All' and the National Numeracy Strategy. In other subjects, both long-term and medium-term plans show a clear progression of skills and knowledge and this Creswell Junior School - 14 helps pupils to acquire skills in a logical order. A shortcoming of lesson planning, however, is that teachers do not make sufficient use of assessments to provide resources and activities that are matched closely enough to the needs of pupils at different levels of attainment. In English and mathematics, for example, teachers often limit the learning of lower and higher-attaining pupils by providing the same tasks for a whole group. In these circumstances, although pupils within the group may have broadly similar levels of attainment, some find that the work lacks challenge while

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching methods are generally effective. Teachers often begin lessons by referring back to the previous lesson to reinforce pupils' learning. Most teachers go over the learning objectives at the start of lessons and review what pupils have learned at the end. This helps pupils to consolidate their learning. Teachers usually give helpful and clear instructions. They use questioning skills well, and encourage pupils to improve their speaking skills by expanding on their answers. In science, the strong emphasis on developing investigative skills has been successful in raising standards, while in subjects such as music and geography, the emphasis on practical activities has ensured that pupils of all abilities are keen to learn and participate.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The day-to-day use of homework to reinforce and extend what has been learned in school is satisfactory, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Pupils take reading books home regularly and are set an appropriate amount of work to do at home. This helps them to make good progress in their reading and sound progress in developing their writing and numeracy skills. The marking of pupils' work, however, often does not follow the school’s marking policy. While marking regularly contains praise and encouragement, there is insufficient guidance indicating how pupils can improve their work. Pupils are not asked consistently to do corrections or to complete unfinished tasks, and untidy work is accepted by teachers on too many occasions. Pupils' handwriting is sometimes untidy and poorly presented, and teachers do not always make it clear how pupils should present their work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is mainly good. As a result, pupils with special needs make good progress in their learning. Because teachers use effective procedures for checking pupils’ learning, they identify pupils in need of additional support as soon as they enter the school. Teachers work closely with classroom assistants to support the learning of pupils with statements of specific needs. As a result, pupils with emotional and behavioural problems benefit from consistent and firm control that improves their attitudes to learning and their relationships with staff and other pupils. The competence and expertise of support staff boost the achievements of pupils with learning difficulties. This is especially the case when pupils work with high levels of support outside their classrooms. The teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is less effective when teachers lack expertise in writing clear targets for pupils’ learning. This also happens when

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

teachers occasionally provide activities that are too difficult for pupils with learning difficulties.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. The school provides a broad curriculum containing all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. It satisfies the statutory requirements in English, mathematics and science, but the National Curriculum is not fully covered in ICT, for example, in remote sensing and control technology. This is unsatisfactory and reduces the standards that pupils achieve in ICT. The teaching week is longer than the minimum time recommended by the Department for Education and Employment. The school sensibly places high priority on improving standards in English and this is seen in the generous time allocation for the subject. Teaching of English and mathematics occupies every morning and additional time is spent appropriately on developing reading and writing skills in the afternoons. The school has adopted the National Numeracy Strategy successfully in all classes for teaching mathematics, and has introduced the 'Success For All' programme for teaching

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

literacy. This scheme is still in its infancy and the school is taking part in a pilot project. While the school has had some initial success in raising standards of reading, the medium and long-term success of the scheme cannot yet be determined. Certain features of the scheme, such as active listening and small group discussions, are also used effectively when teaching other subjects. There are detailed schemes of work for all subjects of the curriculum and the school successfully Creswell Junior School - 15 ensures that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. The school holds an assembly and act of collective worship every day, and pupils regularly attend swimming lessons at the nearby leisure centre.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. Too little time is spent teaching ICT. There are not enough opportunities for pupils to develop their basic computer skills and to enable them to experience all aspects of the ICT curriculum. The shortage of appropriate hardware and classroom space for computers, together with insufficient software, is a significant factor in this situation. The school recognises the need for improved facilities.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. Over a third of parents who responded to the questionnaire expressed concern about the range of activities provided outside lessons. Inspection evidence shows that the provision for extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. Although the majority of activities involve training for sports, there is also a computer club, an art club, recorder tuition and a choir. The organisation of the school day limits the opportunities for lunchtime clubs and nearly all the extra-curricular activities take place on two afternoons only as staff meetings and family support meetings are held after school on two days. This limits the opportunities for pupils to take part in the whole range of activities.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. The school makes appropriate provision for pupils' personal and social education. The school nurse supports the teaching of sex education, and drugs awareness is provided through the science curriculum, supplemented by the 'Life Education' mobile teaching unit which visits the school from time to time and the 'Make it Real' scheme for personal and social education.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The school provides a good range of opportunities to improve the learning, behaviour, physical and personal development of pupils with special educational needs. It includes pupils with special needs in all aspects of its provision, but ensures that pupils with learning difficulties are excluded from National Curriculum tests that are too difficult.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. To improve the learning of pupils at the early stages of reading and writing, support staff give them extra help in small groups outside the classrooms. They provide pupils with work during these lessons at levels that meet their needs. These pupils have full access to the same curriculum as other pupils, as support staff are trained to provide them with similar, but more suitable programmes. When pupils with special educational needs achieve levels in reading just below those expected for their age, the school increases their chances of reaching the next level. It does this by providing opportunities for them to read on a one-to-one basis with trained support staff.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The school has worked hard to forge good links with the local community. These make a good contribution to pupils’ education. There are close links with the local church. Pupils visit the parish church at Christmas time and for a leavers’ service in July. The vicar is a regular visitor at school assemblies. Pupils’ sports skills are enhanced by the provision of coaching in cricket, hockey and basketball by staff from the local leisure centre. The parish council supports the school, as do several local businesses who provide gifts that can be used as raffle prizes or rewards for good behaviour and attendance. Pupils use the local community to enhance the curriculum. They plot different land uses in geography, for example, and visit the local flower shop to work on mathematical activities.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. There are satisfactory links with the local infant school and with the high schools to which pupils transfer when they are 11 years old. Joint training is arranged with the staff of the infant school and there is appropriate liaison and sharing of information as pupils move to the junior school. Pupils in their final year have suitable opportunities to visit their new secondary schools in the summer term and there are appropriate arrangements for the transfer of records and information.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school’s provision for pupils’ spritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Provision for pupils' moral and social development is very good. It is satisfactory for their spiritual and cultural development. This is an improvement, overall, compared with the previous inspection. Creswell Junior School - 16 31. Pupils’ spiritual development is promoted mainly through daily collective worship and religious education lessons. The school meets statutory requirements for collective worship, in which pupils’ spiritual awareness is developed well. There is a planned weekly theme such as People and Achievement , and appropriate music for pupils to focus on. Acts of worship led sensitively by the headteacher and deputy headteacher serve as good models for all teachers to follow. They bring together discussion, participation by pupils, hymns and modern worship songs, and suitable

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

prayers. Lessons in religious education are planned well to develop pupils’ spiritual awareness. Teachers give pupils time to reflect on prayer and to explore their own ideas and feelings. The school has yet to develop planning for spirituality in other lessons, however, although teachers take advantage of opportunities when they arise. In a science lesson in Year 5, for instance, the teacher drew pupils’ attention to the beauty of the flowers that they were investigating.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school’s provision for pupils’ moral development is a strength of the school. The headteacher and staff work hard to teach pupils the difference between right and wrong. The school’s approach is deliberate, positive and all-embracing. The school's moral climate benefits a great deal from this good teaching. Staff expect pupils to follow the school's code of conduct. They take time to reason with pupils in trouble. Pupils themselves learn the benefits of positive values such as reason, honesty and fairness.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The school’s provision for pupils' social development is also a strength, and is linked closely to how the school promotes pupils’ moral development. Teachers encourage pupils to work together responsibly and sensibly, especially in lessons such as literacy, numeracy, science and physical education. Displays in classrooms emphasise the need to co-operate and to be part of a team. This is an integral part of the school’s promotion of 'Success For All'. The school’s personal, social and health education programme (PSHE) makes a good contribution to the development of social skills. During PSHE lessons and at class councils, pupils learn to discuss issues both formally and informally. The school lays great stress on good social behaviour and rewards pupils with individual and team recognition. Pupils are given planned opportunities during lessons and in other areas of school life to take responsibility both for themselves and for others. They are all expected to

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

undertake class monitorial duties, especially when they reach Year 6. The oldest pupils act as buddies , for instance, to help younger pupils in reading. The school helps to prepare pupils for good citizenship by giving them opportunities to organise events for charity. Pupils are encouraged to have consideration for the less fortunate, especially for other children. The promotion of good citizenship for pupils in Year 6 is particularly effective. Pupils consider the likely responsibilities they will have when they are grown up, and look back from that viewpoint at those who have helped them. They learn that hard work brings success.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The school’s provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils learn about famous painters and composers during art and music lessons. In geography, they are introduced to different ways of life in other countries and to the problems of less developed parts of the world. In religious education, the school’s multi-cultural approach introduces pupils to a wide range of cultural traditions. The school plans a reasonable amount of visits to expand pupils’ horizons and a number of visitors share their experiences. During Book Week , for instance, they benefit from meeting authors and illustrators. Pupils visit a local heritage centre and a local theatre, and a travelling theatre group encourages pupils to join in drama activities. The school has good contacts with the local parish church, but there are no opportunities for pupils to gain experience from visitors of other faiths or to visit other places of worship.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The school has a warm and friendly atmosphere. The staff are caring and show a genuine interest in their pupils’ well-being. There is a good relationship between teachers and pupils in most lessons. Most parents are satisfied with the attitudes and values promoted by the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school has an appropriate policy and good procedures for child protection, and the designated person has had relevant training. Guidance on child protection arrangements and on the identification of potential concern about individual pupils has been shared with all staff, including mid-day supervisors and other support staff. All staff are brought up to date with developments Creswell Junior School - 17 during regular meetings with the child protection co-ordinator. These are good procedures, and ensure that children who may be at risk are identified quickly.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Sound arrangements are in place for regular health and safety inspections of the buildings and grounds. Reports on health and safety issues are made to the governors and prompt action is taken where necessary. Risk assessments are carried out regularly, and no health and safety concerns were noted during the inspection. Several members of staff have been trained in emergency first aid and accidents to pupils are recorded. The school informs parents by letter if a child has had a bump to the head. Overall, the school’s procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are good. This is an improvement over the past four years.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school has very good procedures for monitoring and improving attendance. This is seen as a key task by the school. Attendance is monitored daily and any unexplained absences are followed up with the parent s or carers immediately. The headteacher monitors pupils' absences every half term and arranges for action to be taken where attendance is unsatisfactory. The education welfare officer meets the headteacher fortnightly and visits families where attendance is unsatisfactory. Attendance is given a high profile around the school. Each classroom has an attendance target chart on the wall, and charts showing the whole school targets and current attendance levels are displayed prominently on the main corridor wall, together with a list of pupils whose attendance was 100% during the previous half term. There is intense competition between classes to win the prizes awarded for the highest attendance. The names of those who achieve 100% attendance for the

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

whole year are entered into a draw to win a mountain bike.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very effective. There is a useful behaviour policy which aims to ensure that all adults recognise, highlight, praise and reward good behaviour. Pupils and teachers have worked together to produce a booklet for parents that explains the school’s approach to behaviour and lists the rewards and sanctions used. Inspectors saw the policy being implemented consistently throughout the inspection, and it is clear that it makes a major contribution to good behaviour. The school has effective procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour. There is a sound anti-bullying policy containing guidance for children and for parents of bullies and victims. Confidential forms are available for pupils to complete if they are being bullied and any reported incidents are dealt with swiftly and effectively.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Since the previous inspection, the school has improved its procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils' academic performance in English, mathematics and science. These are now good. Pupils’ progress is checked carefully through a variety of school and national tests. An analysis is made of test results to identify trends in attainment and particular strengths or areas for development. The headteacher and senior staff use this information to track pupils’ attainment and progress over time and use it to make changes or modifications to the composition of classes and teaching groups in these subjects. Teachers also have systems in place to assess pupils’ performance in other areas of the curriculum, although these are not as rigorous or as well-documented as those in the core subjects.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Although the school has worked on improving the way that teachers use assessment to plan the next stage of pupils’ learning, it is still not used enough to plan resources and activities for pupils of different attainment or to fill gaps in the curriculum. Although teachers plan activities at the correct level in science, work remains to be done in English and mathematics. While classes in these two subjects contain pupils with broadly comparable attainment, teachers are not consistently taking into account the spread of ability within each group. Consequently, some pupils find that their work lacks challenge while others are unable to complete it. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ written work is also inconsistent. Although most teachers make positive comments in pupils' books, there is often not enough guidance to indicate how the work can be improved. Pupils are not asked to correct work or to complete unfinished exercises and are often moved on to new work without fully

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

understanding the work they have just completed. This is particularly so in mathematics. Untidy work is often accepted without comment by teachers, especially from lower-attaining pupils. Creswell Junior School - 18 42. The school uses its effective assessment procedures to identify the specific difficulties of pupils with special educational needs. Once pupils’ needs are identified, the co-ordinator for special educational needs contacts parents and asks different agencies for help and advice. Teachers make good use of this advice to provide guidance for parents and to plan activities that meet the needs of individual pupils. Whenever possible, teachers use the skills of educational psychologists to test pupils’ progress and to guide the writing of targets for pupils with statements of special needs. The school seeks help for its pupils from support services, such as those for visually and hearing impaired

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

pupils, social services, speech and language therapists, the local education authority’s learning support service and a local centre for autism. This ensures that teachers and classroom assistants are placed in a good position to meet pupils’ needs and to develop the writing of targets for improvement.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Arrangements for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Teachers plan activities during lessons that include opportunities for personal and social development. Pupils are encouraged to work and plan together, for example, and to discuss their work with other children. They are encouraged to evaluate their work, to make choices about their own work and behaviour, and to take responsibility for their actions. Teachers monitor pupils’ reactions and make comments in their day book. They note any action that has been taken, for example, when moving a pupil into another group or giving an extra responsibility to boost a pupil’s confidence. Personal targets for improvement are agreed with each pupil for both academic achievement and personal development and are shared with parents. Teachers consistently praise pupils’ achievements in class, and there are weekly special mention

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

assemblies where success is celebrated by the school and when pupils receive their certificates. In addition, the school awards success cards for particularly notable achievements. These have the added bonus of arriving at home through the post.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The school recognises the importance of an effective partnership with parents and the valuable role that supportive parents can play in improving the quality of their children's education. Regular invitations appear in the prospectus and in newsletters, encouraging parents to help at school and at home. However, the school has so far been unable to enlist the support of more than a handful of parents to work regularly in school, and it is clear from the questionnaire that half the parents who responded feel that the school does not work closely with them. This is unsatisfactory and the school needs to consider alternative strategies to change this situation in order to improve the quality of pupils' education.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Nearly half of the parents who responded to the questionnaire felt that they were not well informed about how their child was getting on at school. Inspectors, however, found that the quality of written information provided for parents, particularly about pupils’ progress, is very good and much better than is found in many junior schools. The school produces regular, informative letters and newsletters, some as long as four A4 pages. In addition to day-to-day information about school routines, these newsletters emphasise the importance of regular attendance and parental help with homework, and provide useful advice about how parents might do this. At the start of each half term parents are sent an excellent booklet setting out their child’s targets in English, mathematics and science, together with general targets and notes about appropriate reading and homework activities.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Pupils’ annual reports are detailed and informative. They give plenty of information about pupils’ progress during the year in all subjects of the curriculum, together with targets for pupils to achieve in the future and general comments about social skills, attitudes and behaviour. The section for headteacher’s comments is often quite detailed. Some of the reports, however, do not give parents a clear indication of how well their child is performing in relation to national expectations.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school offers parents two opportunities during the year to discuss their child’s work and progress with their class teacher. These are in the autumn and spring terms. In the summer term, parents receive a written report and they may request a meeting with the teacher if they wish. Although the school literature encourages parents to speak to class teachers and to the headteacher when they have concerns, this is not as straightforward as in many schools in practice. Creswell Junior School - 19 Parents are discouraged by the requirement to speak to teachers only after reporting to the school office. This puts barriers in the way of good parental partnership and there is not enough day-to-day informal contact with parents so that all parents feel comfortable about approaching staff with a problem. The headteacher and key staff are available to see parents on request, but they are not accessible enough to parents on a daily basis.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Teachers provide clear information for the parents of pupils with special educational needs as soon as their children’s difficulties are identified. They do all that they can to maintain an informative dialogue with parents, and encourage those who are able, to support their children’s learning at home. As a result, more parents now work in partnership with teachers than at the time of the previous inspection. Those who attend parents’ evenings receive regular guidance and information that clarifies their understanding of the progress made by their children.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents support school fund-raising events and concerts well. However, the parents’ association has disbanded and there is a shortage of suitable volunteers to run it. Some parents help their children at home by hearing them read or by testing their tables and spellings. The vast majority of parents, however, do not give sufficient support to their children’s education. The school needs to find ways of improving day-to-day communication with parents and involving more parents in the work of the school. There is also a need to raise the profile of the school in the local community in order to gain the standing that the school deserves. Currently the school’s links with parents and the impact of parents’ involvement in the work of the school are both unsatisfactory.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The management and efficiency of the school are good, as at the previous inspection. The headteacher and key staff provide good leadership of the school. They have clear aims and appropriate plans for the future. As a result, the school is now moving forward with clear educational direction and pupils' standards are rising as they benefit from recent improvements in the standard of teaching. During her four years in post, the headteacher has worked hard to develop the expertise and confidence of the staff and to raise the status of the school. This task has been made more difficult by instability in staffing and the problems of securing suitable temporary and supply staff. The headteacher has greatly improved pupils' attitudes to learning and their standard of behaviour and has been innovative in encouraging higher rates of attendance. She is committed to raising standards in the school and has developed a good ethos to support the effective learning of all

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

pupils. Her written communications with parents are helpful and informative, and she is available to meet parents, by appointment if necessary; but she has not been as successful at building parents' confidence in her leadership by welcoming them into school and listening to their concerns on a daily basis. The headteacher works closely with the deputy headteacher who plays an important role in assisting pupils, co-ordinating the ‘Success For All’ literacy strategy, and in supporting other staff.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The headteacher monitors teaching and teachers' planning effectively. She visits classrooms regularly to observe teachers at work and feeds back her observations to individual teachers, making suggestions for future development. These visits also identify teachers' professional development needs. Appropriate plans are in place to introduce performance management. The headteacher monitors pupils' standards informally when visiting classes, and, together with subject co-ordinators, she checks the standard of pupils' written work each term. The headteacher analyses National Curriculum assessments and other test results to identify progress made by different groups of children and she has identified and taken action to address weaker areas of the curriculum.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The aims and values of the school are reflected in its work. The school works hard to provide a caring and secure environment where pupils are encouraged to try hard and to do their best. Teachers generally have high expectations, and urge pupils to develop a sense of personal confidence and pride and a caring attitude towards others. The school has a clear commitment to improving the quality of teaching and has a good capacity to improve pupils' standards. Challenging targets have been set for standards in English and mathematics in the National Curriculum tests in 2001. To meet these targets, the school has directed its attention towards effective support for Creswell Junior School - 20 pupils with special needs, assistance for slower readers and additional time and resources for developing writing skills.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. Responsibility for different subjects is delegated to subject co-ordinators, who play an important role in checking teachers' planning and pupils' work. They also observe teaching in their subjects, and assist other teachers with their lesson preparation. This has made an important contribution to improving the standard of teaching since the previous inspection. All staff have job descriptions that specify their roles clearly. The co-ordinator for special educational needs provides good leadership for this aspect of the school’s provision. She maintains an informative, up-to-date policy for teachers and ensures that the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities. By working closely with teachers and support staff, the co-ordinator provides them with guidance to deal successfully with the difficulties encountered by different pupils. She maintains effective links with agencies outside the school, advises staff about pupils’ statements and individual education plans and keeps the governor

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for special educational needs informed of all developments.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The governors provide effective support for the headteacher. The chair of governors visits the school regularly to help in class and to accompany pupils to the swimming pool. There is a planned programme for other governors to visit the school to look at pupils' work and to talk to teachers and pupils. Some governors have already observed teaching informally and have reported back to the full governing body. As a result, governors are developing a good working knowledge of the school and are building a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. The full governing body meets termly, and committees meet regularly to discuss curriculum matters and to deal with staffing, buildings and finance. Governors are kept well informed by regular presentations from the headteacher. They discuss management and budget issues, and play an effective role in helping to shape the future direction of the school. They fulfil most of their statutory responsibilities, but have

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

not ensured that provision for ICT meets all the requirements of the National Curriculum. In addition, the governors' annual report to parents does not contain information required on the school’s targets for English and mathematics in the National Curriculum tests for 2001.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school supports educational priorities well through its financial planning. The school development plan identifies appropriate targets. The personnel, timing and resources involved are clearly identified, but there are no specific criteria by which the impact of these developments can be evaluated and the plan covers one year only. The governing body monitors the school budget regularly and satisfactory financial controls are in place. Day-to-day administration is efficient and computers are used effectively for placing orders and paying accounts. The school makes good use of funding that is allocated to support specific areas such as special educational needs, training in ICT skills and the National Grid for Learning. The large carry over projected for the end of the current financial year is earmarked for building and equipping a new classroom and a new school library. The principles of best value are applied to all major spending decisions to ensure that the school

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school currently has a good number of teachers, all of whom are suitably qualified and experienced. This ensures that effective learning takes place. An increase in the number of teachers since the last inspection provides the English co-ordinator with additional time to check and to develop the school’s provision. A generous supply of classroom assistants provides good help for teachers and pupils in lessons. The work of trained support staff is especially beneficial because of its positive effect on the learning, behaviour and personal development of pupils with special educational needs. Some teachers lack experience and the expertise needed to teach the school’s programme for ICT. As a result, standards in the subject are low. Until recently, the school has found it difficult to recruit a sufficient number of well-qualified teachers, and this has contributed towards lower standards of teaching in the past. Last year's Year 6 pupils, for example, were taught

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for long periods by temporary and supply staff, and this resulted in lower standards of teaching and less satisfactory progress. Although the school has done all it can to provide pupils with continuity to their learning and to include them in its good teaching, problems still exist in recruiting temporary teachers in the event of staff absence. This is having an adverse effect on pupils' progress in some classes.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57 Overall, the school has maintained a satisfactory range of resources since the last inspection. Good resources extend pupils’ learning in geography, history, music and physical education. However, a Creswell Junior School - 21 shortage of computers makes it very difficult for teachers to cover the school’s programme for ICT or to give pupils sufficient time to practise new skills. Resources for the effective teaching of reading have increased in quality and quantity since the school was last inspected. Materials are still missing from the school’s reading programme to extend the learning of more able pupils who reach its highest level. Resources are satisfactory for teaching in mathematics. The school makes sound use of the local area to provide wider opportunities for fieldwork and research. However, it makes little use of the skills of parents to support teaching and learning in classrooms.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58 The school’s accommodation is satisfactory overall, although some of the classrooms are rather cramped. Teachers continue to provide encouragement and ideas from bright, stimulating displays and to maintain the pleasant atmosphere for learning reported at the last inspection. Staff make good use of spacious corridors to extend pupils' enjoyment of books and to compensate for the lack of a library. Although the grounds and playing fields provide good areas for sporting activities, they do little to promote work in other subjects or their enjoyment by pupils with different interests. The building and grounds are spotlessly clean and maintained to a good standard. Creswell Junior School - 22

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

59. In order to raise standards and improve the quality of education provided, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in English and mathematics by (i) providing suitable activities to meet the needs of children of different attainment within each set more appropriately; (see paragraphs 18, 41, 64, 71) (ii) providing appropriate resources, especially for pupils in Year 6, to ensure that the different needs of children of various ages are met within mixed-age groups in English; (see paragraph 64) (iii) providing increased emphasis on the teaching of spelling and punctuation in English. (see paragraphs 2, 65)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Raise standards in ICT by (i) ensuring that teaching covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum including remote sensing and control technology; (see paragraphs 4, 22, 105, 109) (ii) providing additional resources to give children more opportunities to practise their computer skills and to use them to assist their learning in other subjects; (see paragraphs 14, 23, 57, 66, 84, 96, 106, 108, 110, 111, 127) (iii) allocating more time to the teaching of ICT; (see paragraphs 23, 108) (iv) improving the quality of teaching by additional training. (see paragraphs 15, 56, 107)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(The school is aware of these issues and already has plans for more computers and for additional staff training in ICT.)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Use assessment more effectively to plan pupils’ learning in all subjects by ensuring that suitable resources and activities are provided for pupils of different attainment. (see paragraphs 18, 41, 64, 71, 81, 96, 102, 127)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Raise the standard of pupils’ written work by (i) ensuring that marking helps pupils to identify how their work can be improved; (see paragraphs 20, 41, 66, 84, 96, 103, 127) (ii) insisting that mistakes are corrected; (see paragraphs 20, 41, 77) (iii) ensuring that unfinished work is completed; (see paragraphs 20, 41, 77) (iv) ensuring that pupils' work is presented neatly and attractively. (see paragraphs 2, 20, 41, 66, 77, 84, 127)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Develop the school’s partnership with parents by (i) improving teachers' informal contact with parents; (see paragraphs 47, 49) (ii) ensuring that the headteacher and key staff are more accessible to parents on a daily basis; (see paragraphs 47, 50) (iii) involving more parents in the work of the school; (see paragraphs 44, 49) (iv) raising the profile of the school in the local community. (see paragraphs 49)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues above, the school should consider the inclusion of the following minor issue in its action plan:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) The governing body should ensure that it fulfils all the statutory requirements relating to its annual report to parents. (see paragraph 54) Creswell Junior School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 29

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y3 – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) - 240

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals - 90

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y3 – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs - 7

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register - 55

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 12

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Creswell Junior School - 24

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 25 19 44

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 16 13 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 8 14

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 66 (52) 48 (65) 75 (85) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 20 17 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 12 16

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 75 (54) 66 (67) 82 (81) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Creswell Junior School - 25

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

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.

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.5 Financial year 1999-2000

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.3

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total expenditure 370,942

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 1,627

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 170.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 46,423

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 54,179 Creswell Junior School - 26

p.25

Questionnaire return rate 35%

Responses (percentage of answers in each category) :

p.26

Questionnaire return rate 35%

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagre e Strongly disagre e Don’t know

p.26

Questionnaire return rate 35%

2 My child is making good progress in school 35 56 7 0 2

p.26

Questionnaire return rate 35%

3 Behaviour in the school is good 21 44 18 11 6

p.26

Questionnaire return rate 35%

4 My child gets the right amount of work to do at home 18 36 35 7 5

p.26

Questionnaire return rate 35%

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on 19 33 27 18 2

p.26

Questionnaire return rate 35%

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem 36 30 14 17 4

p.26

Questionnaire return rate 35%

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best 51 43 1 2 2

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Questionnaire return rate 35%

9 The school works closely with parents 14 32 31 19 4

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Questionnaire return rate 35%

10 The school is well led and managed 18 46 12 15 8

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Questionnaire return rate 35%

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible 27 50 18 2 2

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Questionnaire return rate 35%

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons 15 40 18 18 8

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Questionnaire return rate 35%

NB: figures are rounded to nearest integer; sum may not = 100% Nil responses (i.e. blank boxes) are included in category 5.

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Strongest points in order:

• Some parents feel there could be better communication when concerns or difficulties arise, such as bullying, for example. • A few parents think that staff are sometimes unco-operative. • A few feel that children are sometimes unhappy about the firm way the school is run. • A few parents think that homework is not set consistently. Creswell Junior School - 27

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ENGLISH

60. Standards in English were well below average compared with those reached in most other schools in the National Curriculum tests in 2000. Standards have risen broadly in line with the national upward trend in recent years, however, and are better than at the time of the last inspection. The school has introduced the 'Success For All' programme for teaching literacy. This scheme is still in its infancy and the school, together with the local infant school, is taking part in a pilot project. While the school has seen some initial success in raising standards in reading, the medium and long-term success of the scheme cannot yet be determined. Standards were satisfactory in 2000 in comparison with those reached by pupils with similar backgrounds and the school reached its target for English. As in previous years, girls did better than boys in English.

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ENGLISH

61. Standards in reading and writing are well below the level expected of 11-year-olds in this year's Year 6. This is mainly because most pupils entered the school with very low attainments in English. Also, the school’s new programme for reading was introduced too recently to breach wide gaps in the learning of older pupils so that they could catch up with the standards expected for their age.

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ENGLISH

62. During the inspection, teaching in English was good or better in over two-thirds of lessons; but an examination of pupils' work over time shows that teaching and learning have been no more than satisfactory until recently. The way that teachers encourage pupils to listen to one another, and to instructions and explanations about their work, is now very effective. By emphasising active listening , teachers ensure that all pupils become attentive listeners who encourage one another to listen with high levels of concentration. Although pupils discuss their ideas and opinions confidently with their partners and in small groups, many lack the confidence and breadth of vocabulary needed to make their views clear to a wider audience. To overcome this difficulty, teachers draw pupils’ attention to new vocabulary in English and in other subjects. They also provide opportunities for pupils to talk to their classes about books they enjoy. The effectiveness of

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ENGLISH

this strategy was evident when pupils projected illustrations of their favourite characters onto a screen, explained why they liked the books they selected and answered questions from others in the class.

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ENGLISH

63. The teaching of reading has improved recently and is now mainly good. It is based on teachers’ good knowledge and skill when using the school’s programme to improve pupils’ learning. The programme is aimed primarily at helping pupils to gain meaning and understanding from stories and reference books through an exciting range of strategies. Because this approach engages pupils’ interests and eagerness to learn, most pupils’ reading and pleasure in books is now improving well, though learning has been at a steady pace over a longer period of time. When pupils with special educational needs are taught individually, or in small groups outside the classroom, their learning increases at a good rate with the skilled support of trained classroom assistants.

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ENGLISH

64. The way that teachers meet the needs of different pupils is less effective on the occasions when seven to 11-year-olds work in the same group. Each group consists of about 30 pupils who work at the same level in reading. Nevertheless, variations exist in each group in what individuals need to achieve to move their learning forward. By providing the same tasks for a whole group, teachers limit the learning of lower and higher-attaining pupils within the group. Because lower-attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs usually receive additional support in lessons, it is mainly the high-attainers who lack work that is challenging enough to boost their achievements. Similarly, it is sometimes difficult to find texts that match the interests of both younger and older pupils when they are working in the same group. The co-ordinator for English is aware of these weaknesses in a programme that is still in its infancy in the school. Work is underway that will fill

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ENGLISH

this gap in teachers’ planning and provide the resources needed to raise standards and to include all pupils in the benefits of the good teaching. Creswell Junior School - 28 65. Because the main focus of lessons in English is reading, teachers give additional attention to writing in extra weekly lessons. As pupils work with their own teachers for these lessons, it is easier for teachers to match the work to pupils’ needs. However, the teaching of writing is not as effective as it is for reading. This is because the strategies teachers use to improve spelling and punctuation are not working well enough. Although teachers work on new spellings with pupils and provide them with dictionaries and other resources, few pupils use this support or a wider variety of techniques consistently to improve the accuracy of their writing.

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ENGLISH

66. Teachers ensure that pupils produce different forms of writing in other subjects as well as in English. While higher-attaining pupils and pupils who work at a slightly lower level produce reasonable amounts of writing in subjects such as history and science, lower-attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs produce little finished work. The school’s lack of sufficient computers means that pupils have few opportunities to use them to improve their writing and spelling or to draft their ideas. Almost all pupils forget to use capital letters and full stops in their work and this weakness is not helping to improve standards. When pupils practise their handwriting it is clear, joined and attractive. When they write in lessons, their handwriting is often untidy and poorly presented. There is not enough improvement to the accuracy of most pupils’ spelling, punctuation and handwriting as they move through the school. Some of this is attributable

p.28

ENGLISH

to the marking of pupils’ work. While teachers discuss pupils' work verbally and some marking contains strong encouragement for pupils to improve, it often contains insufficient written guidance for pupils to modify and to increase their skills.

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ENGLISH

67. Most pupils enjoy lessons in English. Since the last inspection, their attitudes to learning and their behaviour have improved and are now good. The development of pupils’ behaviour, personal and social development is an integral part of the school’s programme for English. Consistent use of the programme encourages pupils to work together amicably in pairs and small groups, sharing ideas and improving their responses to questions. Teachers ensure that pupils change partners at regular intervals so that they benefit from different partners’ contributions to their thinking. Pupils become responsible for their own learning because teachers share the objectives of lessons with them. They help one another to overcome difficulties, to resolve problems through discussion, to mark one another’s weekly tests and to share books with others through the school’s buddy system. For instance, a group of lower-attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs

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ENGLISH

helped their partners to understand the problems facing the characters in simple stories. Higher- attaining pupils in the group found solutions to the problems after talking to their partners.

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ENGLISH

68. The co-ordinator provides enthusiastic and energetic leadership for English. From the strong support she provides for teaching and learning during lessons, the co-ordinator is well aware of the uphill task teachers face in raising standards above the low starting point experienced by many older pupils. Because the school now shares the same approach to reading with the local infant school, it is much more likely that, in future, pupils will gain greater success in improving their skills. Since the previous inspection, the school has adopted very effective procedures to check and record pupils’ learning. The clear picture that assessment provides of pupils’ progress in reading ensures that pupils receive additional support when they need it. What the school still lacks are similar procedures for checking progress in writing. Until this is established, teachers lack sufficient information to drive up standards in writing. The school has sufficient resources to

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ENGLISH

support teaching and learning in English except for the most advanced layer to its reading programme. This is currently hindering the progress of the highest-attaining pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

69. The results of the National Curriculum tests in 2000 show that standards were well below those expected of 11-year-olds. Not enough pupils attained the expected level or the higher level and the school did not reach the target it had set for raising standards in 2000. In addition, pupils did not do as well as those in similar schools. Although pupils made satisfactory progress during Year 6, results were disappointing because these pupils had entered the school with very low attainment and had experienced a lower standard of teaching during the previous three years, including a series of temporary and supply teachers in Year 5. Over the last four years, however, standards have risen broadly in line with the national upward trend. Inspection findings show that, although Creswell Junior School - 29 standards remain well below those expected nationally, they are higher in the current Year 6 than

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MATHEMATICS

last year. Although most pupils entered the school with very low standards in mathematics, they have made satisfactory progress over time. Boys do better than girls in tests, although the school has not been able to determine why this is so.

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MATHEMATICS

70. The school sees the raising of standards in mathematics as a priority. The co-ordinator has made a thorough analysis of test results and has identified gaps in pupils’ learning. This has highlighted some weaknesses in their understanding of place value in number, basic computation and mathematical language. Teachers are aware of these gaps and have already begun to tackle the problem. They concentrate on developing pupils’ skills in using number in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. In a good lesson in Year 5, for example, pupils were asked to think of as many mathematical words as possible associated with these operations. This prepared them well by helping them to choose the correct method when solving problems later in the lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

71. The school has good procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ achievements in mathematics but teachers do not use this information consistently to plan work to match the ability and attainment of different pupils. Although classes consist of pupils with broadly similar abilities, there is still, nevertheless, a spread of abilities within each class. The analysis of pupils’ work however, showed that within most classes there are times when pupils of different abilities are given the same work to complete. In these circumstances, some pupils find that their work lacks challenge while others may be unable to complete it. Even when work is planned to match the abilities and attainment of pupils it is often not done well enough and the effect is essentially the same. When the information available from the monitoring and assessment process is used properly, and pupils’ work is planned well, as for example in the higher-attaining Year 3 class,

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MATHEMATICS

pupils’ progress is faster and they narrow the gap between what is expected and what they achieve.

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MATHEMATICS

72. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, although good teaching was seen in a Year 5 class and some very good teaching in a Year 3 and a Year 4 class. During one lesson in a lower- attaining Year 6 class, the teacher had not planned work at the right levels for the pupils so that they were unable to complete the activities set and this was unsatisfactory. All teachers follow the guidelines of the National Numeracy Strategy and have a confident approach to the more structured curriculum. When the mental mathematics session is fast and paced well, pupils’ enjoyment is obvious in their enthusiasm to answer questions and to take part. This was seen in a very good lesson in a Year 4 class when all pupils achieved many correct answers in a short time as they added or subtracted to the nearest multiple of ten. When there is insufficient emphasis on all pupils taking part, some pupils make unsatisfactory progress. For example, in a

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MATHEMATICS

Year 5 class, the speed of the higher-attaining pupils in answering the questions, and displaying the answers, effectively precluded lower-ability pupils from taking part, except in so far as they picked up, and used, answers displayed by speedier pupils. The lower-attaining pupils then made unsatisfactory progress in this part of the lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

73. Teachers know how to teach the basic skills of numeracy. In a very good lesson in Year 3, by asking pupils questions which made them think and by leading them on to explain their answers, the teacher helped pupils to develop their own strategies for using mathematics. By using their explanations as teaching points, this enabled them to see the relationship between multiplication and division so that they could quickly work out from 4 x 3 = 12 that 12 divided by 3 = 4 and 12 divided by 4 = 3. Similarly, in a Year 6 lesson, using the same approach, the teacher helped higher-attaining pupils to work out that a was 1.66 in 2.34 + a = 4. At times, the main teaching focus of lessons is only relevant to the work given to the higher-attaining pupils so that only they get the chance to practise the new concept.

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MATHEMATICS

74. A strength of the teaching throughout the school is that teachers have good relationships with their pupils and this helps to create a pleasant, co-operative atmosphere. They continually praise pupils for their efforts, which encourages them to take part without fear of getting an answer wrong. Just such a relationship meant that one pupil in a Year 5 class put up his hand to tell his teacher in front of the whole class that he hadn’t understood one part of a calculation. Teachers follow the school’s arrangements for promoting high standards of behaviour and consequently the significant minority of pupils with challenging behaviour, who are to be found in every class, are kept in close Creswell Junior School - 30 check and are not allowed to affect the behaviour of others. Occasionally pupils’ enthusiasm to take part bubbles over and they call out answers. This is not always checked by teachers.

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MATHEMATICS

75. Another good feature of teaching is the support given to pupils with special educational needs. They often work in small groups led by the classroom assistant or teacher. The extra attention they get helps them to make good progress in their learning of mathematics. For example, in a lesson in the Year 3 lower-attaining class, the classroom assistant sat with a small group of pupils during the mental mathematics session and prompted them to try and answer questions. As a result they joined in the session and were prepared to 'have a go'. The good support continued as she helped them to sort two-dimensional shapes onto Venn Diagrams and guided them about where to place each shape on the diagram.

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MATHEMATICS

76. Teachers ensure that pupils use their mathematics in other subjects. In science, for example, pupils in Year 6 use bar line graphs to record how the speed of a parachute slows in relation to its size. In history, pupils develop their sense of chronology as they use time lines to highlight important events during the Tudor and Victorian eras. Pupils in Year 3 use their ICT skills to present the data gathered about favourite colours on a bar chart. However, there is little use of computers when teaching pupils about spreadsheets.

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MATHEMATICS

77. An aspect of teaching that could be improved is teachers’ expectations of how pupils should present their work. These are too low at times and untidy work with crossing out is accepted by teachers on too many occasions. This is particularly the case in the books of lower-attaining pupils who experience difficulties setting out their work and have to keep trying again. Work is often too squashed as pupils try to work on half a page at a time. Pupils are not consistently asked to do corrections or to complete unfinished work and they are moved on to other work without fully understanding the work they have just finished. When this happens, teachers are not following the school’s marking policy.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Although fairly new to the post, the co-ordinator manages the subject well and knows that raising standards is a key area for improvement. She makes good use of the results of tests and assessments to check whether pupils are learning at a fast enough rate and to predict the levels they will achieve by the time they leave school. The co-ordinator has a clear understanding of what needs to be done next in relation to monitoring teachers in the classroom and the monitoring of pupils’ books to keep a check on progress. This puts the school in a good position to be able to improve. Plans to involve parents more by inviting them to a mathematics evening should help to raise the profile of mathematics in both the school and the community.

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SCIENCE

79. In the National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds in 2000, standards in science were close to the national average compared with all schools and above average compared with similar schools. This is a good result for the school, especially as the proportion who achieved the level higher than the average was the same as the national figure. Although the result in 2000 was a little lower than the year before, the rapidly rising trend of the previous four years shows a heartening picture, lifting science from low attainment to average standards.

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SCIENCE

80. Inspection findings confirm the satisfactory standards achieved in the national tests. The school has maintained its standards compared with the previous inspection. Compared with four years ago, however, findings indicate a sharp rise in standards. This is the result of better teaching based on the solid foundation of a scheme of work which enables teachers to plan pupils’ work step by step. As a result, most pupils learn and progress steadily year by year. By the time they are 11 years old they attain a satisfactory level of scientific knowledge, understanding and skills. In particular, most teachers have made good strides in developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of experimental and investigative science because of their own increased subject knowledge. Creswell Junior School - 31 81. The emphasis given to practical and investigative work is a crucial factor in raising standards.

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SCIENCE

Most pupils are now aware of investigative methods and are reasonably competent in conducting investigations for themselves by the time they leave the school. In a very good lesson in Year 6, for instance, the teacher set pupils the task of identifying parts of a flower and observing differences in flowers and petal shapes. The teacher’s very high level of subject knowledge thoroughly enthused pupils so that they worked carefully and learned a great deal. All pupils enjoy investigative work. It is especially beneficial to pupils with special educational needs, as those who receive support from classroom assistants are able to make the same progress as other pupils. Most lower-attaining pupils, however, do not receive such support and find difficulty in recording their work. This highlights the need for teachers to ensure that low-attaining pupils are given appropriate work so that they can make suitable progress.

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SCIENCE

82. Teaching is good overall. In half the lessons, teaching was very good. In these lessons in Years 4, 5 and 6, teachers’ very good expertise inspired pupils and they made fast progress. All three lessons were fast-moving and interesting. No time was wasted in controlling behaviour because pupils were so interested. The teachers were good at questioning pupils to find out what they knew. In one lesson, the teacher’s pointed questioning made pupils realise what the scientific term producer means in a food chain . In another lesson, quick-fire questions extended pupils’ thinking about observed differences in parts of flowers. The result was that these highly motivated pupils made very good progress.

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SCIENCE

83. In another lesson in a Year 3 class, however, the teacher showed an insecure grasp of the subject. Because she did not prepare pupils well enough for the task, they were unsure of what they had to do and lost interest. In the investigation, when recognising how a food chain shows where our food comes from, pupils made no predictions and no conclusions were drawn. Consequently they learned little, and some were disinterested and misbehaved.

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SCIENCE

84. A growing strength of teaching is the increasing emphasis that teachers place on pupils undertaking their own experiments and investigations. This is leading to an improvement in pupils’ investigative skills. Most pupils predict the outcome of their experiments, understand the need for a fair test and draw conclusions. The school has some way to go before this process is carried out consistently, but a good start has been made. An area of weakness highlighted by the development of investigations is the lack of emphasis that most teachers give to making sure pupils record their work neatly and efficiently in a scientific manner. Most teachers do not mark pupils work in a way that identifies difficulties and helps pupils to improve. The co-ordinator has a thorough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject. For example, she is aware that teachers do not use ICT enough in science lessons, but this is mainly because of the

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SCIENCE

school’s limited facilities. Her close analysis of the results of national tests has shown that there were gaps in pupils’ knowledge about investigative science and the interpretation of data. This has subsequently been remedied by adjusting the lesson planning. Recently the co-ordinator has monitored the quality of teaching and has highlighted several areas for continued improvement. This puts the school in a good position to continue to raise standards.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. Standards have been maintained since the previous inspection and the work that pupils produce is typical for their age. By the time they leave school, pupils have used a wide range of techniques to produce two and three-dimensional work of a reasonable quality and they have a sound knowledge of several famous artists and their styles.

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ART AND DESIGN

86. Only two lessons were seen during the inspection. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, although a good lesson was seen in a Year 3 class. When teachers stress the need to look carefully at the objects they are drawing, pupils produce sketches that are realistic and accurate, for example in Years 5 and 6, where pupils made detailed sketches of shoes and plants. However, when drawing from memory, pupils’ work is often too simplistic and shows a lack of understanding about form and shape. Their work using paint generally lacks maturity. This is because they tend to be heavy handed with the paint, do not select the correct size of brush for the task, and do not vary their brush strokes. Creswell Junior School - 32 87. The study of famous artists, mainly from Western cultures, is evident throughout the school. Pupils in Years 3 and 4, for example, experimented with the colour blue as they mixed paints to

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ART AND DESIGN

achieve tones and shades similar to those used by Picasso during his Blue Period. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 used pencils, paints or pastels to achieve similar effects to those of Cezanne for their still life work. Pupils’ work on display provides an attractive background for learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. A strength of the teaching is the good range and choice of resources used by teachers to support pupils’ learning. In a good lesson in Year 3, for instance, the fine selection of Greek pottery, enough for all pupils to handle and observe at length, enabled them to discuss common features such as colour, shape, pattern and the fine details shown on characters from the Greek myths. This prepared them well for their task of choosing a design or pattern for their own Greek pot to be made out of clay the following week. Another good feature of the lesson was the teacher’s clear explanation and good demonstration to lower-attaining pupils of how to sketch a Greek vase. This boosted their confidence and they renewed their efforts with success. Teachers encourage pupils to evaluate their own work as an integral part of the subject. As they share their own ideas with other pupils, they are becoming increasingly perceptive in their judgements.

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ART AND DESIGN

89. Art is one of the few subjects where pupils regularly apply their ICT skills. All pupils use paint programs on the computer to produce colourful and imaginative pictures. A small group of pupils in Year 4 used the Internet to find out about reflective and rotational symmetry in Hindu religious patterns, successfully linking art, mathematics, religious education and ICT in their investigation.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. The subject is led and managed well by the co-ordinator. She has a suitable action plan to develop the subject and is beginning to monitor the quality of pupils’ art by building up a portfolio of work. A structured system of assessing what pupils know and can do is in place and this helps teachers to fill any gaps in pupils’ learning. As a result, the school is in a good position to improve standards further. An after-school art club has recently been introduced and this is proving to be very popular with pupils.

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91. DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92. Standards achieved by 11-year-olds are typical of those found nationally. They are similar to the standards seen in the previous inspection. This represents a good improvement over the last four years as the school has taken effective action to improve the management and teaching of the subject.

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91. DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

93. Teaching is satisfactory, overall, and sometimes good. This is an improvement in teaching that has been helped by the effective implementation of a useful and practical scheme of work. Teachers use this scheme systematically to plan interesting lessons that build step-by-step on pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. As a result, pupils make sound progress in design, construction and evaluation.

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91. DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. In each year group, good planning by teachers encourages pupils to design products carefully before making them. In a Year 4 lesson, for example, pupils investigated how pop-up books work. They took apart the lever and linkage mechanisms of real books and then applied their learning to their own designs. The teacher’s clear instructions and demonstrations moved pupils on well to their next stage in learning. As they disassembled the books they discussed their discoveries enthusiastically and knowledgeably, using vocabulary such as pivot that had been emphasised by their teacher. When they drew designs for their own pop-up books during the next lesson, they made sure that they were well labelled and detailed enough to be a useful guide during the construction process.

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91. DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. The evaluation of products is a prominent part of pupils’ work. Pupils analyse the effectiveness of the product and take into account the needs of the users. In lessons in Year 5, when teachers invited pupils to share their evaluations with the class, pupils willingly explained how a cam caused movement in their designs, and showed how the toy was suitable and safe for babies to play with. In one class, pupils were particularly well motivated because of the teacher’s Creswell Junior School - 33 enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject. They worked hard and took a pride in their drawings. As a result, their designs were well prepared, reasonably accurate, well labelled and neat. Pupils throughout the school work sensibly together. The good support they offer one another reflects the ethos of the school and the way that teachers promote teamwork positively.

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91. DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. Throughout the school, in addition to working with food, pupils use an increasing variety of tools, materials and components. By the time they are in Year 6, they mark, cut and join materials such as wood, card, paper and art straws with satisfactory precision to make different kinds of bridges. They follow their plans well and the end products resemble their designs. Pupils improve their designs by testing and refining their models. One pupil who improved her model successfully was very pleased with her re-designed ramps "because last time they were too steep".

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91. DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Effective management of the subject has raised standards over the last four years. The co- ordinator has been in post for only a short time, but has made a good start in identifying strengths in the teaching of the subject, as well as areas that need development. One area identified for improvement is providing a suitable range of work that meets the needs of the lowest attainers and also offers a really good challenge to the highest attainers. In the best lessons, there is a suitable range of tasks, and both lower and higher-attaining pupils make good progress as a result. Not all teachers, however, provide such a suitable range of work. Similarly, not all teachers mark pupils’ work in a way that helps pupils to identify weaknesses and improve their standards. This results in a marked variation in quality in the presentation of the design and of the finished product between different classes. Teachers do not use ICT enough to aid teaching and learning about the

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91. DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

design process, mainly because of the school’s limited facilities. Overall, pupils progress at a steady rate as they move through the school, and the effective management of the subject puts the school in a position to improve standards further.

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GEOGRAPHY

98. Only two lessons were observed as geography was not being taught in every year group during the time of the inspection. Standards achieved by 11-year-olds are typical of those found nationally. This is similar to the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. In the lessons observed, the teaching was good. Teachers plan their lessons with appropriate learning objectives and make these objectives clear at the beginning of lessons. This helps pupils to understand what they are expected to learn. Lessons develop in a logical sequence and build on skills learned earlier. To introduce pupils in Year 5 to an exercise involving individual research, for example, the teacher revised atlas map reading skills in a short quiz, reminded pupils how to locate countries on a large wall map of the world and played Spanish guitar music to recall earlier work on Spain. Good teaching results from teachers' secure knowledge of the subject, very good relationships and high expectations of pupils' performance and behaviour. Teachers use questions well to probe issues and to elicit information from pupils. This encourages pupils to think carefully and to make good progress during lessons.

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GEOGRAPHY

100. Most pupils listen attentively to the teacher’s instructions and concentrate well when working on their own. Their attitudes and behaviour are good. Consequently, they waste little time and are keen to learn as much as they can. They co-operate well when working in small groups and make sensible use of attractive resources that have been well prepared by the teachers. In Year 5 and Year 6 lessons, for instance, pupils researched information on a range of countries making good use of maps of different scales, tourist guides, photographs, newspapers, geographical texts and climatic statistics. Pupils take turns to download information from the Internet to assist their learning. The interesting variety of resources and approaches ensures that pupils enjoy their geography lessons and do not have time to get bored.

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GEOGRAPHY

101. The scheme of work covers an appropriate selection of topics from the National Curriculum planned over a two-year cycle with the help of national guidance. This ensures that pupils progress steadily and develop their geographical skills in a logical order. This is an improvement on the previous inspection when geography lessons tended to lack progression from year to year. Leadership in geography is good. The co-ordinator ensures that suitable resources are available for Creswell Junior School - 34 all topics and monitors teaching and pupils' work effectively. As a result, the school is in a good position to improve standards further. Learning resources are good and satisfactory use is made of the local area to study different land uses and environmental features. Learning about the local area and contrasting it with life in a variety of countries such as St Lucia, India and Brazil makes an important contribution to pupils’ cultural development.

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HISTORY

102. Pupils in Year 6 reach standards in history that are typical for their age and are similar to those at the previous inspection. Effective leadership from the subject’s co-ordinator has improved teaching and learning in the subject over the last twelve months. This is because the guidance that emerged from recent checks on the quality of provision in history ensures that teachers now allow sufficient time to cover all aspects of the school’s programme in satisfactory depth. As a result, pupils gain good knowledge of different aspects of British history as well as of life in ancient Greece and Egypt. By the time they are 11 years old, pupils understand some of the characteristics of societies as different as those existing at the time of Creswell man , the Roman, Saxon and Viking eras, and Tudor and Victorian Britain.

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HISTORY

103. Teaching is mainly good and, as a result, pupils are beginning to interpret the past successfully. Good use of high-quality worksheets improves pupils’ understanding of events and famous people, and provides informative contemporary accounts, such as that written in Tudor times by Dean Colet in the statutes he established for St Bartholomew’s School. Teachers are also starting to use paintings by well-known artists as another rich source of material about the past. For instance, they provide older pupils with John Millais’s study of Walter Raleigh on the beach at Budleigh Salterton. In addition to establishing the background of Raleigh’s childhood, this picture gives pupils a good idea of the clothes worn by ordinary people in Tudor times. A less successful feature of worksheets is a lack of activities to meet the needs of different pupils in a year group. Without tasks that meet their needs more closely, lower-attaining pupils and pupils with special

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HISTORY

educational needs do not benefit from this helpful resource.

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HISTORY

104. In order to widen pupils’ vocabulary, the co-ordinator provides lists of vocabulary that are relevant to every era studied. For example, monastery, monarch, reformation, protestant, traitor and courtier are among the words teachers emphasise during work on the Tudor period. Inconsistencies in teachers’ marking limit opportunities for pupils to improve their writing and presentation, and to extend their ideas. Teachers are good at establishing links between history and work in other subjects. When pupils in Years 3 and 4 study life in ancient Greece, they draw on knowledge of myths and legends learned in English to increase their appreciation of creatures such as the Minotaur . When pupils decorate bowls in art, they depend for their effects on the close examination of the work of artists from ancient Greece.

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HISTORY

105. By providing time-lines in every classroom, teachers develop pupils’ understanding of the passage of time. Although teachers use a variety of resources to encourage pupils to express their opinions and to analyse the consequences of past events, many pupils lack confidence in this aspect of their work. Teachers’ good knowledge and enthusiasm have a positive impact on pupils’ attitudes to history. Pupils are good at sharing ideas and at working together to find answers to problems. Improvements to teaching and to pupils’ enjoyment of the subject since the previous inspection place the school in a good position to raise standards further in history. Creswell Junior School - 35

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

106. At the time of the previous inspection, ICT was not developing well due to a lack of resources. This is still the case, and standards are now well below those expected nationally for 11-year-olds. In addition, the school is not meeting the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum to teach remote sensing and control technology. However, a recent link to the Internet has begun to improve the provision for ICT. The school recognises that raising standards in ICT is a key area for development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. There are a number of reasons for pupils’ poor achievement in ICT. The first and overriding one is that the school does not have the resources necessary to teach the subject satisfactorily. There are not enough computers to teach lessons to a whole class or even to small groups. With only one computer in each classroom, it takes a long time for every pupil to practise a skill or to complete a piece of work, and consequently, pupils’ progress is too slow. The school recognises this problem, and has already ordered some additional computers. Most of the classrooms, however, are too small to accommodate more than one or two computers, so it will still be difficult to teach ICT skills to a whole class.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. The second reason for poor standards is that, although teachers are familiar with computers, most have not had sufficient training to give them the skills and the confidence necessary to teach the subject successfully. This is particularly so when teaching more advanced skills to pupils in Year 6. Although the school has resources such as sensory equipment and associated software to teach control technology, for example, teachers do not at present have the expertise to use it. Teachers are very keen to remedy this situation, however, and additional training has already been planned.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. Finally, not enough time is spent teaching ICT skills, and pupils do not have enough opportunities to use and practise their skills. The quality of teaching in the lessons seen was satisfactory, but teachers are very restricted by the lack of resources. Although teachers give clear instructions about how to use different programs, many pupils are disadvantaged by not getting a clear view of the computer as the whole class is gathered around one machine. The cumulative effect of the lack of resources, teaching time and time for pupils to practise their skills means that many pupils gain only a superficial knowledge of some programs, and their skills remain well below the standard expected for their age.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110. By the time they leave the school, most pupils know how to use the tool bar, the meaning of icons and how to load, save and print their work, although some need a little help to do this. They experiment with different letter styles, sizes and colours to edit their work but do not use the computer often enough to draft or redraft their work directly on screen. Many pupils only use one finger to type words, and lower-attaining pupils struggle to find the letters on the keyboard. Pupils use a database to record facts about their favourite colours, for example, but they are unfamiliar with the use of spreadsheets. Most pupils are confident when using the features of a painting program and are pleased with the pictures they produce. However, they do not get the opportunity to program a moveable toy or give the computer instructions to produce a sequence of movements on the screen. This means that the school is not meeting the statutory requirements of the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

National Curriculum to teach control technology. Pupils spend too much time copying out instructions on how to use computer programs. This is unnecessary and an unsatisfactory use of their time. In discussions, pupils have some positive ideas when asked why they would choose to use a computer to communicate information rather than any other method. Pupils enjoy working with computers, and this is evident from the way they concentrate on tasks and behave well. They help one another readily when they experience difficulties.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. Most pupils know how to access the Internet, and they talk knowledgeably about sending electronic mail, although some are unsure of the procedures for doing this. Opportunities for pupils to use ICT skills in other subjects are limited, but some improvement has already been made, for example, in using the Internet to discover more about Henry VIII and his wives, to explore reflective symmetry in Greek art, and to research the life of Mother Teresa. The lack of resources, however, means that many pupils have to contain their excitement about using the Internet for a long time until their turn comes round. Creswell Junior School - 36 112. The newly appointed co-ordinator has a good grasp of what needs to be done to improve the subject and is committed to raising standards in ICT. A scheme of work that follows nationally agreed guidelines has already been produced and training is planned for the summer term to

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

improve the expertise of teachers. A digital camera and a scanner are to be introduced and there are plans to design the school’s own web site. An after-school computer club has been started for pupils throughout the school, and this already has a long waiting list of pupils anxious to take part. However, standards are unlikely to improve markedly until the school has enough computers for pupils to spend sufficient time developing and practising their ICT skills.

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MUSIC

113. Standards achieved by 11-year-olds are typical for their age. They are similar to standards observed at the previous inspection.

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MUSIC

114. In the lessons observed, teaching was good overall. Teachers plan their work carefully and lessons have appropriate learning objectives. These are explained clearly to pupils at the start of lessons and this helps them to understand what they should be learning. Teachers make good use of correct musical vocabulary and introduce a variety of activities and resources to gain pupils' interest. In a Year 4 lesson, for example, effective use was made of picture cards to encourage pupils to join in and perform actions at the appropriate time. Pupils develop their musical appreciation effectively by listening to a variety of music from different countries. They understand clearly how changes in musical elements such as tempo, texture and dynamics create different moods in a piece of music. Pupils in Year 4 who listened to The Gnome from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an exhibition , for instance, described the mood imaginatively as ‘scary’, ‘mysterious’

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MUSIC

115. There is a strong emphasis on composing and performing, and pupils are keen to play a variety of percussion instruments when learning to maintain a steady beat and when adding their own rhythms. This helps to maintain pupils' interest and concentration. As a result, pupils enjoy their music lessons and most have good attitudes to music. Teachers have very good relationships with their pupils. As a result, most pupils listen carefully to instructions and behave well when singing, playing instruments or listening to music. This helps them to make good progress in their learning. Pupils with special educational needs join in enthusiastically and make good progress.

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MUSIC

116. Pupils listen to a variety of music when entering and leaving school assemblies and opportunities are often taken by teachers to discuss the composer, the instruments or the mood conveyed by the music. Pupils sing a variety of hymns and modern worship songs tunefully and enthusiastically during collective worship.

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MUSIC

117. The co-ordinator provides good leadership of the subject. She monitors teaching and learning effectively, including observing pupils' performances in assemblies and at school concerts. The scheme of work, based on national guidance, ensures that pupils develop musical skills well and in a logical progression. The school benefits from a good range of percussion instruments and keyboards that are easily accessible on trolleys. There is no tuition from visiting instrumental teachers, but recorder lessons for pupils in Year 6 take place at lunchtimes. The school choir practices regularly after school. Listening to a wide variety of music in class and assemblies, and singing songs from a range of countries such as France and Israel helps to develop pupils' appreciation of different cultures.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. Standards achieved by 11-year-olds are typical of those found nationally. This is similar to standards observed at the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. The school's programme for physical education covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum and the quality of teaching is good. Teachers have a secure knowledge and Creswell Junior School - 37 understanding of the subject and are confident in their presentation. They have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and attainment. Lessons are planned carefully with clear objectives and a logical development of skills. As a result, pupils know exactly what they are expected to learn. Pupils understand the effect of exercise on their bodies and are aware of the need to warm up before strenuous activities and to cool down afterwards. Pupils in Year 6, for example, were out of breath after enjoying a series of aerobic exercises at the start of a session. The pace of lessons is brisk and good use is made of appropriate resources including a wide variety of recorded music for dance lessons. Consequently, pupils make good progress in developing their dance, gymnastics

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. In the best lessons, instructions are communicated to pupils precisely, teachers demonstrate games skills or expressive arm and body movements clearly and good use is made of praise and encouragement. This helps pupils to know exactly what they should be doing to improve their standards. In a Year 3 lesson, for example, the teacher demonstrated effectively how to use a hockey stick to maintain control over the ball. Occasionally, there is insufficient emphasis on demonstrating the skills to be developed and too little use is made of pupils' efforts to discuss and evaluate good practice.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. As a result of enthusiastic teaching, pupils' attitudes to physical education are good. Effective behaviour strategies used by teachers throughout the school ensure that pupils behave very well and concentrate hard on the tasks set. Pupils follow instructions well and obey the safety rules. They work sensibly in pairs and co-operate well. Pupils in Year 3, for example, worked well in pairs to develop a series of synchronised dance movements, and pupils in Year 4 learned how to pass a football accurately in small groups. Pupils in Year 3 worked with particularly good levels of effort and concentration to improve their hockey skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122. The school makes good provision for swimming. Pupils in Years 3 and 6 attend a local swimming pool to develop their skills with the assistance of a professional swimming instructor. Nearly all pupils swim 25 metres confidently by the end of Year 6.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. The subject is promoted well by the co-ordinator who checks teachers' planning effectively and monitors teaching standards well. The scheme of work, based on national guidance, ensures that pupils develop skills in a logical order. Resources are good and are easily accessible. The school benefits from a hall which is suitable for gymnastics and dance and a large playground and a good-sized playing field suitable for team games. With good leadership and resources, the school is well placed to improve standards further.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. Physical education makes a good contribution to extra-curricular activities. Pupils play rounders, tennis and cricket after school in the summer term, while girls and boys both attend the cross- country, football and netball clubs during the autumn and spring terms. The school takes part in matches and tournaments with other local schools. Parents support teams when they visit other schools, but do not provide assistance with training or leading activities. Staff from the local leisure centre visit the school to provide coaching skills in hockey, cricket and basketball, but there has been little support from local teams or other professional coaches. The good range of sporting activities provided by the school helps to develop the confidence, ability and self-esteem of pupils at all levels of attainment.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

125. Pupils' knowledge and understanding of religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for 11-year-olds and have been maintained since the previous inspection. Pupils' attainment has improved steadily as standards were unsatisfactory four years ago. The main reasons for this improvement are better teaching and the effective implementation of a scheme of work based firmly on the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. This scheme enables teachers to plan work that builds year-by-year on pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. As a result, pupils progress steadily as they move through the school. Creswell Junior School - 38 126. Teaching is satisfactory overall, and is occasionally good or very good. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a secure knowledge of several religions including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Pupils with special educational needs also make sound progress in

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

relation to the knowledge they gain, but write in less detail and show less insight.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. Teachers have a sound knowledge of the subject. This is evident from how they plan interesting activities for pupils and the way they hold their attention during lessons. A particular strength of the teaching is the way teachers use first-hand experience and relevant resources to help pupils understand the reality and importance of religion to people. Pupils take part in worship in the local parish church, for example, at Christmas and for the Year 6 leavers’ service. The local vicar also leads collective worship in school twice each term. In a Year 4 class, there is a realistic representation of a Hindu shrine. This gives pupils an insight into Hindu worship and helps prepare pupils for their learning about the importance of ceremonies in different faiths. Pupils were enthralled when the teacher dressed a girl and boy as a bride and groom as in a Hindu wedding ceremony. This gave them a good focus for exploring the rituals associated with wedding

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

ceremonies and different religions. In a Year 3 lesson with a similar theme, the teaching was not as successful. This was because the level of the teacher’s knowledge was not so high and her management of discussions was not as effective. Consequently, pupils’ attention wandered, and this resulted in occasional fuss and noise. The value of good subject knowledge was shown especially well in a lesson in Year 5. With thoughtful discussion of the story of Mother Theresa, the teacher enabled pupils to explain from a Christian point of view ways in which a person can become a Buddha . She developed the spiritual aspect of pupils’ learning well and helped them to understand the realities of life, the inevitability of growing old and the need for love and care. Very good teaching and a very good response from pupils went hand in hand in this lesson.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128. The management of the subject is effective. The co-ordinator has ensured that the subject meets the statutory requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. She has identified areas in need of development. Teachers, for instance, do not always match the work well enough to the needs of all pupils. In particular, this sometimes limits the progress that low-attaining pupils make. Good practice in providing suitable work for different groups of pupils was seen in some lessons, but this is not done consistently. The neatness and presentation of pupils’ work also varies significantly from class to class. Similarly, while some teachers mark pupils’ work in a way that helps them understand how well they have done, others do not. Most teachers do not use ICT effectively in religious education lessons, mainly because of the school’s limited facilities. The school has appropriate plans that place it in a satisfactory position to improve standards further.

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