Bishopstone Church of England Primary School

BISHOPSTONE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th - 6 th November 2001

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BISHOPSTONE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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BISHOPSTONE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bishopstone Swindon Wiltshire Postcode: SN6 8PW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 th March 1997 Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21334 Miss S Ramnath Registered inspector Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Geography History Religious education Equal opportunities English as an additional language What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

13526 Mr R Barnard Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 18706 Mrs J Gill Team inspector English Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education The foundation stage Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

H & G Associates 2 Mead Road Cranleigh Surrey GU6 7BG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This smaller than average size Voluntary Controlled Church of England primary school is situated in the village of Bishopstone in Swindon. There are 43 pupils on roll aged between four and eleven years, organised in two classes and with slightly more girls than boys. The school serves a rural community, although some pupils come from outside the school’s local area. Pupils come from diverse social backgrounds where there is little social disadvantage and nearly all pupils have cultural roots in the British Isles. Two pupils speak English as an additional language. There are no pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. Twenty per cent of pupils are on the register of special educational needs, one of whom has a statement setting out the specific provision to be made. This is average for schools of this size. Attainment on entry to the Reception class is average overall; however, not all children

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

have had the benefit of pre-school provision. At the time of the inspection, eleven children, some of whom attend part-time, were in the Foundation Stage 1 in the mixed-age Reception/ Years 1/2 class. Since the last inspection, the number of pupils on roll has more than doubled and significant improvements have been made to the accommodation and outdoor play areas.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an improving school with many strengths. The ethos is warm and caring and the school has a productive partnership with parents. This leads to positive attitudes and very good behaviour on the part of pupils. The quality of teaching is often good but is satisfactory overall, and pupils currently in Year 6, other than those with special educational needs, are achieving the levels expected in English, mathematics and science. The leadership and management of the school give clear and sound educational direction. All staff work well together and share a commitment to further improvement. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Achieves above average standards in speaking and listening. • Pupils have very good attitudes and are very well behaved; relationships throughout the school are warm, caring and supportive. • The school provides well for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Pupils have very good social skills and a strong sense of moral responsibility. These impact positively on their personal development. • Attendance is very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school. • Partnership with parents is good. The school values parental contributions highly. • The governors are strongly committed to raising standards and provide the headteacher and staff with very positive support. • Financial planning is good.

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What the school does well

Foundation Stage is the provision for children aged from three to the end of the Reception Year. QCA (Qualification and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of Early Learning Goals for the end of the Foundation Stage. These goals are sets of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the age of five. There are six areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development, language, literacy and communication, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development and physical development. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 8

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What could be improved

• Standards in information and communication technology (ICT). Not all the skills which are needed for good achievement are taught. • Not enough use is made of assessment information to raise pupils’ achievement, especially the higher attainers. • Not all activities in the Foundation Stage are planned for and the current system of monitoring does not ensure that all children experience the wide range of activities on offer. • The length of the school day which is below the minimum recommended time. • Pupils’ annual reports do not meet statutory requirements. Not all subjects are reported on.

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What could be improved

The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1997. The issues raised in that inspection have been satisfactorily addressed. Schemes of work are well established for all subjects and provide useful guidance for planning on a two-yearly cycle. However, in the non-core subjects, these have not been adapted sufficiently to meet the needs of all pupils. As a result, pupils are sometimes given the same work regardless of age and ability in the mixed-aged classes. The social development of pupils is well promoted and provision for pupils’ physical development has greatly improved. The management skills and expertise of the headteacher have improved and governors now play a more active role in monitoring the school’s finances and curriculum. Many of the strengths of the school identified in the last report have been maintained. Good assessment procedures are fully in place and the information is used well to plan future work in English and mathematics. However, the information gained in other

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

subjects of the curriculum is not always used well for planning to meet pupils’ individual needs. The accommodation, both internally and externally, has been enhanced. Standards in subjects are broadly similar to those seen at the time of the last inspection except in ICT at the end of Years 2 and 6 in which standards are now below expectations. Overall, satisfactory improvements have been made since the last inspection. The school is in a strong position to continue its move forward. It has the commitment of staff and governors and the support of parents. The school improvement plan clearly identifies some, but not all, of the areas of improvement noted by the inspection.

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STANDARDS

The comparisons with all schools and similar schools are not made due to the small cohort size at the end of Key Stage 2. Currently, there are only two pupils in Year 6.

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STANDARDS

Evidence from the inspection shows that children in the Foundation Stage achieve satisfactorily and all, with a few exceptions, are on course to attain the Early Learning Goals in nearly all areas of learning by the time they start Year 1. In their personal, social and emotional development, children exceed expectations. In English, mathematics and science, pupils achieve the expected standards at the end of Years 2 and 6. In ICT, standards are below the level expected nationally because not all aspects are taught. Standards are similar to those found nationally for seven- and eleven-year-olds in art and design and in physical education at the end of Year 6. In religious education, standards are in line with those expected in the locally agreed syllabus at the end of Years 2 and 6. In other subjects, there was insufficient evidence to make secure judgement about standards. Pupils of average and below average

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STANDARDS

ability make satisfactory progress, but more able pupils are not doing as well as they could. They need more challenging work. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 9 Pupils with special educational needs achieve satisfactorily and make good progress when support is provided. Pupils for whom English is an additional language achieve well and reach satisfactory standards. The school has not yet identified any pupils as gifted or talented. There is little difference in the performance of boys and girls. The school has set realistic but challenging targets in English and mathematics for 2002 based on what it knows of the prior attainment of pupils currently in Year 6. Progress towards achieving these is good. Targets were met in 2001

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good – pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to lessons and respond well to the values that the school promotes.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good - the quality of pupils’ behaviour, including that of the youngest children, is very good. The playground is a very happy place as pupils co-operate very well in a wide range of games.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good - pupils help each other willingly and gain in confidence as they grow older. Younger pupils learn well from older ones. Relationships between pupils and with adults are also very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good – and above the national average. There are no unauthorised absences. Pupils arrive at school promptly and lessons start on time. This has a positive influence on their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes make a very significant contribution to the life of the school. They follow established routines well and have a very good understanding of the impact of their actions upon others. The school works hard to promote personal development.

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

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

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

The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory but with examples of good and very good teaching. Teaching was satisfactory in all lessons and has improved since the last inspection. It was good in just over half of the lessons and very good in more then one in six lessons. However, evidence from pupils’ books, teachers’ planning and discussion with pupils shows that there are some weaknesses in teaching and this has a negative impact on pupils’ learning over time and the standards they achieve.

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

The teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. However, not all activities are planned and methods do not always meet the needs of the youngest children. The quality of teaching in English and mathematics in Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory. The teaching of ICT is unsatisfactory because not all aspects are taught and as a result, learning is limited. Where teaching is good, the strengths include good questioning to motivate and challenge pupils, good planning with appropriate resources effectively used to increase learning and the demonstration of good subject knowledge which enables teachers to extend pupils’ understanding. Teaching is satisfactory but there are areas for improvement. These are Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 10 sometimes due to the inappropriate match of work to pupils’ abilities and the lack of challenge for the higher attainers. The needs of pupils identified with special educational needs and

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

those learning English as an additional language are met well in lessons. The school has not yet established procedures for identifying and supporting pupils who are talented or gifted.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. A broad and relevant curriculum is provided for all pupils, enhanced by a good range of extra-curricular activities. However, not all aspects of ICT are taught. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage, although satisfactory, is narrow in some areas of learning.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Pupils who need extra support are identified early and their progress is carefully tracked. They are given appropriate support in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Teachers give good support to the small number of pupils whose first language is not English.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Good role models and a clear code of behaviour ensure that pupils develop a secure understanding of moral responsibilities and behave well. Opportunities for pupils to develop their social skills and awareness of cultural diversity are good. The belief and the values of the Christian faith influence every aspect of the life of the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Overall good. The headteacher and staff know each pupil as an individual and support and encourage them well. This does much to promote positive attitudes. Good assessment procedures are in place. However, the information gathered is not used well to help plan the next stage of learning in all subjects of the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The school works well in partnership with parents and this is a strength. The school does not meet legal requirements to teach all aspects of ICT and not all subjects are reported on in pupils’ annual reports. Although the school provides a supportive environment, the use of assessment information is underdeveloped. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher has a commitment to raising standards and a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. A dedicated small team of teachers work well together, sharing responsibilities. Co-ordinators need to extend their role in developing their subjects and raising standards.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors have a clear sense of the school’s direction, focusing on improving standards for the school. They provide effective support and are involved in decision-making and evaluating aspects of the school’s work. They meet their responsibilities well.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. Assessment records are used well to set targets and to track pupils’ progress individually in English and mathematics. Subject co-ordinators have appropriately identified areas for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school’s educational priorities are well supported through good financial planning. Specific grants are used effectively for their designated purposes. The principles of best value are applied well in order to make use of available funding.

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Aspect Comment

The teaching staff are well qualified to teach the subjects of the National Curriculum and other aspects of what primary schools offer. The accommodation is used and maintained very well and there are adequate resources to support learning in all subject areas except for large climbing and balancing apparatus to promote children’s physical development in the Foundation Stage.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are pleased with all aspects of the school, but they are especially content that their children: • like school; • behave very well at school; • make good progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

They are also pleased that the school: • has a positive effect on their children’s values and attitudes; • expects children to work hard and achieve their best; • keeps them well informed; • is well led and managed. A small number of parents expressed concerns about: • the range of activities provided outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The team endorses the positive views of the parents. However, it does not share their concerns about the range of extra-curricular activities provided by the school, as this is better than that found in most primary schools. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 The previous inspection in 1997 reported that standards for both seven- and eleven- year-olds met or exceeded national expectations in all subjects. In the years following the inspection, initiatives have been put into place to improve overall standards: additional resources; improved accommodation; staff training; the adoption of a scheme of work in all subjects and the implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Despite the beneficial effects of these on standards, the tasks provided in some lessons do not challenge the higher attaining pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 Children are admitted to the Reception class at the beginning of the year in which they are five. Overall, their attainment on entry is quite varied and similar to that found in most schools, though in language and communication, some children do well. Not all the children who start the Reception class have had Nursery or pre-school provision. Overall, children achieve satisfactorily in the Foundation Stage 1 , so that by the time they are ready to start Year 1, nearly all, with a few exceptions, are well in line to achieve the Early Learning Goals . Most children are set to do better than this, especially with regard to their achievement in personal and social development. Overall, progress is satisfactory but is sometimes limited. This is partly due to the inappropriate match of work for the youngest children. Overall, children are satisfactorily prepared for the National Curriculum in Year 1 in all areas of learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 The comparisons with all schools and similar schools are not reliable due to the small cohort size at the end of Years 2 and 6. In 2001, four pupils took the National Curriculum test for seven-year-olds, and three pupils sat tests for eleven-year-olds.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 Current work shows that standards at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with the levels expected nationally in English, mathematics, science, art and design and in physical education at the end of Year 6. In religious education, standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with the recommendations of the locally agreed syllabus. In ICT, standards are below expectations as not all aspects of the subject are taught. This is partly due to the emphasis given to literacy and numeracy, inadequate planning and lack of resources in the past. There was insufficient evidence to make secure judgements about standards in history, geography, music and design and technology at the end of Years 2 and 6 and in physical education at the end of Year 2. In religious education, standards are in line with the recommendations of the locally agreed syllabus. Overall, although pupils’ achievement is satisfactory, the work is not always

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

well planned to meet the prior attainment of pupils of different ages and abilities in the mixed-aged classes. Frequently the tasks are matched more to the average achieving pupil, so that the older, higher attaining pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 Despite the small number of pupils, the school uses its performance data to address weaknesses and to set targets for raising standards in mathematics and English. For example, data analysis has identified the need to provide more opportunities for pupils to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Foundation Stage is the provision for children aged from three to the end of the Reception Year. QCA (Qualification and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of Early Learning Goals for the end of the Foundation Stage. These goals are sets of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the age of five. There are six areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development, language, literacy and communication, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development and physical development. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 13 write extensively. Small cohorts mean that there are fluctuations from year-to-year Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 14 and the school therefore focuses, appropriately, on the attainment and progress of individual pupils. The school has a system for tracking pupils’ attainment and uses a range of commercial tests. As a result of data analysis and teacher assessments,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

realistic targets are set for Year 6 pupils for 2002. The school is working hard to achieve them and indications are that pupils are on course to meet these targets. In 2001 targets were met.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6 From Year 1, pupils learn to apply their literacy and numeracy skills in design and technology, science, history and geography and this has helped to maintain standards. They measure and draw accurately for their designs and in science, make calculations to produce graphs of their observations. Pupils are introduced to appropriate vocabulary for the study of subjects such as science, music, art and ICT. They write simple reports, poems and posters to describe other work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7 The standards seen in pupils’ work in nearly all aspects of English are at the level expected nationally at the end of Years 2 and 6. The exception is speaking and listening where standards are above the expected level. By the age of seven, most pupils speak with clarity, using a wide vocabulary. Pupils currently in Year 6 have a wide and expressive vocabulary, share ideas and give well-considered reasons for their views. Throughout the school, pupils listen attentively to teachers’ explanations and instructions and respond appropriately to questions. By the age of seven, most pupils read with fluency and expression and enjoy a wide range of books. They have a sound knowledge of initial letter sounds and familiar words and use their phonic knowledge to help with the reading of unfamiliar words. By the age of eleven, higher attaining pupils read fluently. They confidently talk about the plot and characters and make critical

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

comments on the books that they read. Many Year 2 pupils write stories and factual accounts with increasing accuracy and clarity. Many use capital letters and full stops accurately while pupils in Year 6 produce varied and interesting writing, which conveys meaning clearly. Standards in spelling and handwriting are average and improving and some pupils develop a neat cursive style of writing by the end of Year 6. However, presentation of written work in other subjects is inconsistent across the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 In mathematics, standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 are at the expected levels. The implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy has placed greater emphasis on teaching number and as a result, many pupils by the end of Year 2 have a good grasp of numbers. They add and subtract numbers to 20 and beyond, begin to understand place value, identify odd and even numbers and accurately order numbers to 100. Eleven- year-olds show good levels of numeracy skills. Calculations both mental and written are usually accurate and most pupils are beginning to use different mental strategies to solve the same problem and are able to explain the reasoning behind their solution. Pupils understand the terminology ‘multiples’ and have a secure understanding of fractions and percentages. Most pupils are working at an appropriate level in lessons but there is room for more demanding work to extend the higher attaining pupils. ICT

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

makes too little contribution to attainment and achievement in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9 Standards in science are at the expected levels at the end of Years 2 and 6. However, progress is sometimes limited. This is partly because teachers’ planning does not take enough account of previous learning and pupils have too few opportunities for investigative work. Seven-year-olds confidently investigate the properties of different materials and know that pushing and pulling are different types of forces. Eleven-year- old pupils have a satisfactory understanding of how to plan and conduct an experiment. They can describe the main functions of the heart using sophisticated scientific vocabulary and know the main function of different types of teeth. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 15 10 In ICT, standards are below those expected at the end of Years 2 and 6 and progress is unsatisfactory throughout the school. Standards have been, and continue to be, restricted because not all aspects of the subject are taught and too little use is made of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

it across .the curriculum. In Year 2, most pupils are familiar with the basic functions of the keyboard and skillfully use the mouse for selecting an icon and moving objects around the screen. They confidently use an art package to produce attractive designs but do not have sufficient wordprocessing skills or use computers to collate information or produce graphs. By the end of Year 6, pupils extend their wordprocessing skills and confidently use CD-Roms and the Internet to access information. Despite this, by the time pupils leave school, the range of understanding and skills that the majority of pupils have are below expectations for their age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11 In religious education, standards are in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus at the end of Years 2 and 6. Year 2 pupils know that Jesus is a special person for Christians and that the special book telling stories about his life and work is called the Bible. By the time pupils leave school at the end of Year 6, many recognise some of the significant similarities and differences between world faiths, such as Judaism and Christianity.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12 Throughout the school, pupils generally achieve standards in line with those expected of pupils of the same age in art and design and at the end of Years 2 and 6 and in physical education at the end of Year 6. In all other subjects, there was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement about standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13 Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress, both in lessons and over longer periods of time. Those with specific learning programmes are supported effectively by their teachers and other adults. The pupil with a statement is supported well and makes good progress in all subjects. In physical education, pupils with special educational needs are offered good support and encouragement and could dribble a ball with a stick by end of lesson. Work is pitched at the right level for them and they receive specific support (ALS) which helps them to achieve their targets.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14 The school is socially and academically inclusive and gives the fullest encouragement to children from different backgrounds. Pupils for whom English is an additional language make good progress. The sensitive use of questions and the school’s supportive ethos are effective in promoting the good progress of these pupils. The needs of higher attaining pupils are not always met. In English and mathematics, these pupils are often given extension work, but in other lessons they have too little opportunity to extend their skills, knowledge and understanding by, for example pursuing ideas independently. The school has not yet identified any pupils as gifted or talented. There is little difference in the performance of boys and girls.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15 Pupils’ good attitudes to school, very good behaviour, good levels of personal development and attendance have a positive impact on their achievements. High standards have been maintained since the previous inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16 Pupils of all ages like coming to school and are keen to take part in activities. The youngest children in the Foundation Stage have settled into school well and have quickly adapted to routines. They generally pay good attention and are particularly attentive and maintain concentration well when engaged in practical activities. At times their attention wanders when they spend a long time sitting still or listening to their teacher talk. This was evident in a lesson in promoting children’s knowledge and understanding of the Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 16 world when they became restless and lost interest when the teacher had an over-long introductory session. This contrasted with a language and literacy session when they were particularly alert, especially when working well together drawing shapes of sounds in the air to partners. At all times their behaviour is very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17 Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as additional language are fully included in all aspects of school life. They have positive attitudes to their work and learning, they try hard and they concentrate on their tasks until they are completed. Pupils settle to work willingly, and they relate well to their classmates.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18 Throughout the school, pupils generally show good attitudes to learning in lessons and concentrate well. In about one quarter of lessons observed, when the teaching fails to capture pupils’ interest sufficiently, attitudes are satisfactory with pupils showing limited enthusiasm for their learning. Pupils are especially enthusiastic in participating in discussions. In a Years 3 to 6 lesson, almost all pupils were keen to debate issues arising from a survey they carried out as homework in relation to how life was different for adults when they were at school. Pupils’ enthusiasm for reading is reflected in the good levels of achievement for many.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19 Behaviour is very good at all times. There have been no permanent or temporary exclusions over the last two years. Pupils have a very good sense of fairness and are developing a very good awareness of the impact of their actions on others. No bullying was observed during the inspection and pupils show no concerns in this area.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20 Pupils are developing a very good awareness of citizenship and their role in the local and wider community. They take part in a range of local activities. Their links both with schools in inner Swindon and in Uganda give them a very good awareness of the different circumstances in which children live. Personal development is good. All pupils in Years 3 to 6 undertake duties and responsibilities keenly. They are very eager to apply for jobs such as garden or library monitors. Younger pupils also undertake a good range of duties and willingly and eagerly tidy up resources. Pupils’ independence in learning for themselves is limited by the lack of opportunities provided.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21 Relationships are very good throughout the school. Pupils are polite, friendly and helpful to others. They work and play together well. They are very appreciative of the efforts of others. For example, in a physical education lesson, they all applaud spontaneously when a pupil with special educational needs scores a goal with the support of the teacher.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22 Attendance rates are good, being above the average for primary schools. Pupils are prompt, enabling lessons to start on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23 The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory and has been maintained since the previous inspection. However, the percentage of good and very good lessons has increased. In all the lessons observed, the teaching was satisfactory or better. In 53 per cent of lessons the teaching was good and in 18 per cent of lessons it was very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24 Good and very good teaching was observed in both classes. Some of the weaknesses identified in the teaching in the previous inspection have been addressed. The introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and the use of a commercial scheme of work in mathematics are beginning to have positive effects on standards in English and mathematics. Whilst teaching is broadly satisfactory, some Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 17 weaknesses remain, notably in planning for the different ages and abilities in the mixed- age classes. As a result, some pupils, particularly the higher attainers, do not achieve as well as they might.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25 Throughout the school, the teaching of speaking and listening is good and music is well taught in Years 3 to 6. In the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, the teaching is at least sound in all lessons The teaching of ICT is unsatisfactory in both classes because not all aspects are covered and not enough use is made of computers when teaching other subjects. No judgement is made about the quality of teaching in art and design, history, geography, physical education and design and technology throughout the school and in music in Years 1 and 2 as there was insufficient evidence to make secure judgements. In all other subjects, teaching is satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26 The quality of teaching for the Foundation Stage varies in the different areas of learning. In particular, children’s personal, social and emotional development is given strong emphasis. Relationships and behaviour are good. This plays a significant part in helping children to take a more active part in other learning activities. Teaching is often good in aspects of language, literacy and communication, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. It is satisfactory in other areas of learning. Despite this, there are weaknesses in the planning as not all activities are planned for and lessons do not always meet the needs of young children. Currently, there is no scheme of work to support planning and to ensure that children’s skills are built upon systematically. Although staff know the children well, the monitoring of individual children’s experiences is not sufficiently rigorous to provide information that would

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

ensure a balanced curriculum and meet the needs of all children, especially those of the more able. However, despite these weaknesses, many children are well prepared for the next stage of learning in the important areas of early reading, spelling and number.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27 The teaching of English and mathematics has benefited from the introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Teaching is satisfactory but with examples of good practice in both classes. Whole-class sessions are lively with brisk questioning on a shared book, for example, or a mental mathematics session. In the best practice, teachers have high expectations and there is a high level of challenge. The shared text, ‘Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland’ in Years 3 to 6 was stimulating and pupils were challenged to use vocabulary precisely and adventurously. In numeracy, the oral and mental sessions are taught well. There is an effective focus on the development of mental arithmetic with regular, challenging, quick-fire questioning at the start of lessons. This helps to maintain pupils’ interest and enables them to consolidate previous learning. All teachers encourage pupils to explain their methods of finding solutions to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

problems and this is successful in helping pupils look for alternative ways of problem solving. Discussions at the end of lessons are used well to review the main points of the lesson and to ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of the work before moving them on to the next stage in their learning. The use of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills in other curriculum areas is satisfactory.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28 Teachers generally have a good command of the subjects they teach with the exception of aspects of ICT. Although teachers’ knowledge and use of ICT have improved through recent training, confidence amongst staff still varies and teaching is not planned to develop pupils’ skills effectively. Restricted by a lack of resources in ICT in the past, the current teaching does not enable pupils to make the progress they should as they move through the school. In other subjects, the teachers’ use their good subject knowledge to clearly explain their ideas, to lead effective discussions and to extend pupils’ understanding. This was well demonstrated in a Years 3 to 6 science lesson where the teacher’s knowledge of how the heart works and what it does led to active discussion. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 18 Pupils consequently showed very good understanding of the concept of circulation and the function of veins and arteries. Appropriate scientific vocabulary was introduced and

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

new words were clearly explained. Information was imparted in a lively and stimulating way, which engaged pupils’ interest, and motivated them well.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29 Planning has improved since the last inspection and has benefited from action on the key issue to implement schemes of work in all subjects. Since then, the school has adopted the optional national schemes of work for subjects other than English, mathematics and science and this has assisted the planning process and ensured an effective whole-school approach. However, there is still room for improvement. The best and most detailed planning is prepared for the literacy and numeracy sessions and follows national guidelines as well as a published scheme of work in mathematics. Plans clearly show what is to be taught and learned and identify the provision for pupils of nearly all abilities. For example, in a good numeracy session in Years 3 to 6, the work was well matched to the needs of pupils. Planning is less effective in the non-core subjects and short-term plans do not always clearly identify what pupils of different ages

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and abilities will know, understand and be able to do by the end of the lesson, nor give a clear indication of the levels that different groups of pupils should attain. As a result, the same work, especially in the mixed-aged classes, is set for all pupils and higher attainers are not always sufficiently challenged. Although extension work is sometimes provided in subjects other than English and mathematics to extend the potential higher attainers, it does not always provide them with opportunities to think in more challenging ways. This weakness in planning also means that it is difficult for teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of lessons with any rigour in terms of how much learning occurred and what needs to be learned next. The needs of pupils with English as an additional language and of pupils with special educational needs are not routinely included in the lesson planning.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30 The management of pupils is generally good and often very good. The warm relationships between teachers and pupils result in the pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning. Most teachers convey infectious enthusiasm and are very positive in their use of praise. This leads to the willingness of pupils of all abilities to participate and to take risks. For example, a teacher of a Years 1 to 2 class very skilfully used cubes as ‘magic sweets’ to increase pupils’ understanding of odd and even numbers, whilst pupils with English as additional language in Years 3 to 6 felt secure enough to talk about how the heart works. Teachers’ expectations of work vary. When expectations are high, pupils respond well to this and are keen to do their best. A Reception literacy lesson was a good example of this. Children were learning about the ‘ou’ sound and a range of activities was carefully planned to reinforce sound and letter formation. As a result,

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

children worked diligently and behaved very well throughout the lesson. A weakness that is evident in some of the work is that expectations are not always high enough, especially in the mixed-aged classes when all pupils are given the same task.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31 The teachers’ use of questions to find out what their pupils know at the beginning, during and at the end of the lesson is good. Questions vary in difficulty to match the needs of the pupil and are skillfully used to check and challenge pupils’ thinking, encourage pupils to say what they know and to bring all pupils into the discussions. Very good examples were noted during a science lesson in Years 1 to 2, where the teacher’s effective questioning on light sources helped pupils to learn well and consolidate what they had been taught while it was fresh in their minds. Teachers also Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 19 make good use of the end-of-lesson discussions to review the learning objectives and to discuss with pupils how much they have achieved. This practice gives teachers an opportunity to evaluate their own teaching and pupils’ learning, and to know what to plan for the next lesson. Despite this, the use of ongoing assessment is inconsistent. There

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

are good examples of regular assessments in English and mathematics where pupils’ recent performance is recorded and used effectively to plan suitable tasks in subsequent lessons. However, assessment is not used sufficiently to help plan work for each level of ability and in particular, challenge the more able. Most pupils have a good idea of how they are learning. For instance, all teachers listen and respond well to their pupils and help them to improve the quality of their work by giving helpful feedback and praise which help to motivate and encourage them. Work is regularly marked. Praise and encouragement are given, but little written advice is provided to let pupils know how they could improve their work in subjects other than English and mathrmatics. Opportunities to enhance learning are missed.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32 From the very beginning, the school expects pupils to read at home and most do. Reading books and spellings are sent home regularly in the Years 1 to 2 class. In Years 3 to 6, homework is set regularly in English and mathematics and used satisfactorily to support learning. Occasional research topics are set to reinforce learning in other subjects. The work that pupils complete at home makes a valuable contribution to the learning at school and parents mostly agree that their children get the right amount of work to do at home.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

33 Teachers’ methods vary in their effectiveness. In literacy and numeracy, they are generally well thought out to match both the subject content and the needs of the pupils. This was well demonstrated in an English lesson for Years 1 to 2 where pupils carefully used the text ‘After Dark’ to support their knowledge and understanding of alphabetical order. Although lessons are generally well structured, with a clear introduction and a conclusion which reinforce what the pupils have learned, the use of time in the main part of the lesson varies. In both classes, teachers maintain a brisk pace during lessons and this helps to keep levels of challenge and pupils’ work rate high. However, in a few lessons, the pace of the lesson slows. As a result, pupils lose interest, become restless and cover less than they should. All teachers make good use of support assistants, involving them fully in the main part of the lesson, so that pupils have constant help from

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

adults. This enables pupils to seek advice and develop confidence in their own abilities. However, support assistants are not always used effectively during the first and final parts of the literacy and numeracy lesson. The use of computers to supplement or extend work in all subjects of the curriculum is unsatisfactory.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

34 Pupils with special educational needs are taught satisfactorily, at times well, by their teachers, the teaching assistant and the specialist classroom assistant. When work is matched to their needs, the pupils are helped to achieve their targets in their individual education plan. For example, a pupil with specific needs was supported well during the independent session during a Years 3 to 6 literacy lesson; this helped her to create a list of suitable adjectives to create suspense for an adventure story. Support staff work closely with teachers and the special educational needs co-ordinator, giving specific support that helps the pupils to make satisfactory progress.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

35 Pupils with English as an additional language are well supported in their speaking and listening during lessons by mainstream class teachers. This is because they involve them in discussion and because of the patient and helpful attitudes of classmates. Teachers generally use a range of effective strategies, such as questioning, modelling language and reviewing what has been learnt, to develop their English competence so that they take part in the full curriculum. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 20

p.19

PUPILS?

36 The previous report suggested that pupils were offered a broadly balanced curriculum which met National Curriculum requirements. Statutory requirements are not now met ICT as various aspects of the ICT curriculum are not in place. The issue has been identified and action has begun. The curriculum for religious education meets the requirements set out in the locally agreed syllabus. The key issue regarding the development of schemes of work has mostly been met. The school now has schemes of work for most subjects. The school is basing its work on the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s (QCA) national guidance and commercial schemes. These help teachers devise their medium-term plans and help to ensure adequate coverage.

p.20

PUPILS?

37 There is a satisfactory curriculum in place for children in the Foundation Stage, which covers all areas of learning. There are strengths in the curriculum, in particular, children’s personal development is given an important focus and the range of activities to promote the development of language and mathematical skills are well thought out. However, not all areas in the Foundation Stage are well planned. The outdoor environment is not used sufficiently well to promote physical development. Planning in the other areas of learning are not specific to the Foundation Stage and is sometimes based on work for Years 1 to 2. This means at times lessons are not suitable for young children. Often within these lessons, there are good sessions which help children to explore, experiment and carry out imaginative play successfully. For example, a good range of indoor activities encourages learning through play, such as role-play in ‘the

p.20

PUPILS?

38 Pupils with special educational needs receive an appropriate curriculum. Work is planned at different levels for them, and the tasks they are given enable them to make progress towards their targets. Regular assessment informs planning the next stages in learning successfully, particularly in English and mathematics.

p.20

PUPILS?

39 The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 provides a wide range of activities, which helps prepare them well for secondary school. The overall time allocated to the curriculum is below the recommended minimum for Key Stage 2 and does not allow all subjects of the National Curriculum to be given sufficient time. Many subjects, such as art and design, geography, history and design and technology, are blocked within half terms and on occasions, design and technology is taught as one or two day events.

p.20

PUPILS?

40 The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been satisfactorily introduced and are helping to improve achievement. However, the school is aware that pupils have limited opportunities for extended writing. This was raised at the last inspection and is being addressed. In both mathematics and science, there are limited opportunities given to the development of skills in using and applying mathematics and experimenting and investigation in science. A strength of the provision for both literacy and numeracy is the use of them to promote learning in other subjects. This, in turn, enhances provision for these areas.

p.20

PUPILS?

41 Strengths of the curriculum are the links and use of the community and other schools, extra-curricular activities and the attention given to pupils’ personal development. The school has a good programme for developing pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE). The high priority the school places on this area of its work is evident in the pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour and very good relationships they have with each other and all staff. The programme includes coverage of sex education and drugs Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 21 awareness, which are supplemented by the relevant sections of the science National Curriculum and through the religious education syllabus. Good attention is given to pupils’ personal development in their learning in other subjects, except that there are too few opportunities for pupils to show independence within their learning, particularly in mathematics and science.

p.20

PUPILS?

42 The school provides a satisfactory curriculum for all its pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. The provision for pupils with special educational needs conforms fully to the Code of Practice as it did at the last inspection. Pupils with special educational needs receive an appropriate curriculum. Some pupils are supported appropriately by a learning support assistant during the independent work in literacy. Work is planned at different levels for them, and the tasks they are given enable them to make sound progress towards their targets in their individual education plans. Pupils with specific physical disabilities are supported well by their teachers and fully integrated into all aspects of school life. The pupils for whom English is an additional language are fully integrated into all lessons by their teachers which helps them to make good progress. All pupils have full access to the

p.21

PUPILS?

curriculum but currently not enough thought is given in both classes to ensuring that they have the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential, particularly the higher attaining pupils.

p.21

PUPILS?

43 The school maintains good links with the community, and a strength of the school is the way the curriculum is enhanced through visits, visitors and the use of the local environment. They motivate pupils and help to enhance learning in English, design and technology, geography, history and music. For example, Years 1 to 2 pupils looked at houses in the locality to support their topic on homes while pupils in Years 3 to 6 thoroughly enjoyed their visit to The Globe theatre which reinforced their work on ‘Macbeth’. A good programme of bi-annual residential visits supports learning across areas of the curriculum, such as physical education and ICT. All pupils throughout the school benefit from swimming lessons and sessions in the gymnasium at the local secondary school during the summer term. The school provides a good range of extra- curricular activities, which pupils enjoy. These include netball, football, gym, art club and

p.21

PUPILS?

recorders. Close links with other primary schools help support pupils’ social development, which is an improvement since the last inspection. The football club plays matches against other schools, and pupils from town schools in Swindon visit the school, this helps both sets of children to have an understanding of what school life is like in the town and country. The Swindon Music Festival provides pupils with good opportunities to rehearse and perform as a large group. Good links also exist between the school and the secondary school to which most pupils transfer.

p.21

PUPILS?

44 The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Standards have been maintained since the previous inspection. Spiritual development is promoted well. Acts of collective worship 1 meet statutory requirements. Both whole- school and class assemblies allow time for reflection about moral and spiritual issues and provide pupils with opportunities to consider issues such as the wonder of healing based on a story of one of Christ’s miracles. The local environment is used well as a stimulus to pupils in areas such as science, art and design and writing.

p.21

PUPILS?

45 Moral development is good. Pupils are encouraged to think about the implication of their actions on others and about what is right or wrong. Staff act as good role models. Pupils are encouraged to be polite and well mannered. Social development is promoted effectively. Pupils are encouraged to share resources and help others. Strong

p.21

PUPILS?

1 In line with its Voluntary Controlled status, acts of collective worship were inspected by a representative of the diocese. Her report appears under a separate cover Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 22 encouragement is given to them to undertake roles as monitors and help with jobs around the school from an early age. The pupils are actively involved in the promotion of the school as a key part of community life in the village. Good provision is made to help pupils understand the traditions, cultures and beliefs of people from different backgrounds. For example, they study major world faiths and have links with schools in Uganda and in inner city Swindon. Pupils are encouraged to enjoy local culture through participating in music festivals and dance workshops. Musical appreciation is a particularly strong feature of the school’s cultural provision, as is the appreciation of literature through the promotion of reading.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46 Good standards of care have been maintained since the previous inspection. The good care shown by staff rubs off on pupils in their high standards of behaviour and relationships. Good procedures and arrangements are in place in relation to child protection and staff have a good awareness of potential issues. Good procedures are in place to monitor health and safety issues and potential risks are handled well. The school is secure, clean and tidy.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47 Pupils’ personal development is monitored well. Staff know the pupils and their backgrounds very well and this allows them to give good, individual support. Personal needs are dealt with effectively. All staff are first aid trained and the sick or injured child is cared for well. Parents and pupils value this care. Social inclusion is good, with special care being taken of pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. Good behaviour is promoted successfully. Praise and rewards are used consistently in relation to good behaviour and attitudes as well as good work or effort. Potential issues are dealt with well and parents and pupils feel confident that the school handles issues such as potential bullying effectively.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48 Procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance are effective and contribute well to the good overall levels of attendance. The headteacher monitors closely the potential issue of pupils taking holidays in term time.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49 Statutory assessment requirements are fully met. There has been an improvement in procedures since the last inspection but the use made of the data is not always used effectively to meet the needs of all pupils, especially the higher attaining pupils. Arrangements, therefore, for assessing and recording pupils’ progress and achievements are satisfactory overall.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50 There are good systems in English, mathematics and science. However, assessment procedures in the non-core subjects are not yet sufficient to monitor pupils’ progress over time. The school is aware of this shortcoming and has started to integrate assessment into medium-term planning in some subjects. In addition, the good analysis of pupils’ work in most subjects identifies areas for development. In this way, it was identified that extended writing was an area for development for the whole school. This is being addressed. The teachers in the Reception class have devised and implemented a satisfactory range of procedures to enable them to monitor the development of the children in their class, alongside the formal entry assessments required by the local educational authority. This provides useful information to help plan the Foundation Stage curriculum. However, the ongoing monitoring of individual

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

children’s experiences is not sufficiently rigorous to provide staff with information that would allow them to provide a balanced curriculum and meet the needs of all children, especially the more able. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 23 51 In the core subjects, specifically in English and mathematics, a range of formal assessments is used. Due to such very small cohorts, the analysis of National Curriculum data and formal tests is not reliable. Therefore, the school has devised recording sheets for each child to track achievement and progress, particularly in reading and spelling. However, there are weaknesses in the use of assessment information to meet the needs of all pupils, especially the higher attaining pupils. There is limited use of clearly identifying the next step in learning for each pupil, as set against National Curriculum levels, and work set in lessons is not always as challenging as it

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

should be. Good analysis of English books helps to identify future learning targets for individuals; these are shared with the pupil and they are clearly set out in their literacy books. Assessment in mathematics takes place at the end of each unit of work and any problems are incorporated into later planning.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52 Provision provided for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Clear procedures are in place and the school closely follows the Code of Practice 1 on the identification and assessment of pupils. A pupil with a statement for specific needs is integrated successfully into the class, as all her needs, both physical and academic, are met well through formal and informal assessment. Teachers and support staff work closely together to make sure that work is pitched at the right levels. Regular discussions between staff and analysis of pupils’ work help to monitor academic progress and their achievements. Personal development is monitored informally by teachers and other staff who know the pupils very well.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53 There are no specific assessment procedures for pupils who have English as an additional language. However, pupils are carefully assessed on entry to school so that support can be appropriately targeted. Pupils with English as an additional language receive particularly good support from their teachers and make good progress in their acquisition of English within the classroom, working and playing with their peers. All indications are that there are no significant differences in attainment between pupils with English as an additional language and others once the former have achieved a reasonable level of competence in English.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54 Teachers regularly check pupils’ progress through observations, questioning and tests. Marking in English and mathematics is used to assess pupils’ work and useful comments are made on how to improve their work in the future. However, this quality of marking is not consistent in all subjects. Good systems have been introduced for pupils to be self-evaluative about their achievements. Older pupils are encouraged to mark their own work and identify mistakes in areas such as spelling. This is good practice.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55 Appropriate support is provided for pupils with special educational needs. There is good liaison with outside agencies to support pupils with statements and specific difficulties. Teachers and support staff work closely together to make sure that work is pitched at the right levels. Regular assessments monitor pupils’ academic progress and their achievements. Personal development is monitored informally by teachers and other staff who know the pupils very well. Accurate records enable all staff to track pupils’ performance from Reception through the school’s entry assessments and baseline assessment.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

1 Code of Practice: this gives practical advice to school and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 24

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56 A good partnership has been established with parents, and the links described in the previous report have been consolidated well.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57 Parents are very positive in their views of the school. In the pre-inspection meeting and parental questionnaires, they were full of praise for the school and had no significant areas of concern. In particular, they feel their children like school, are making good progress, behave well and teaching is good. They feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem, that the school expects the pupils to work hard and the school is well led and managed. Inspectors agree with many of these views. Parents’ opinions and optimism in relation to the levels of progress and quality of teaching are higher than shown in the inspection evidence.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58 The positive relationships between parents and staff have a good impact on pupils’ attitudes to school. Parents are involved well in their children’s education by supporting homework, ensuring their regular and prompt attendance, helping with school activities, such as football and netball, and through their support of the Friends of Bishopstone School.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59 Annual reports to parents are satisfactory. They give good details of pupils’ achievements in mathematics, English and science but do not give sufficient information about national standards to allow parents to compare their child’s achievement. Reports do not meet legal requirements in that they do not report separately on ICT. Information on other subjects is limited and reporting is not consistent. Parents feel that consultation evenings are informative and they are well attended. Newsletters are informative and give parents good information about topics. Good support is given to parents of new pupils and a good induction process helps the youngest pupils settle quickly into the Reception class. Advice about helping with reading at home is particularly effective. The school has an ‘open door’ policy for parents. The good accessibility of staff contributes well to the strong partnership.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60 There are good links with the parents of pupils with special educational needs. Parents are kept fully informed of their child’s progress and achievements. They attend regular meetings and the staff are always available to discuss any problems that may arise. This enables parents to help and support their children’s learning well. Wherever possible, the school involves parents of pupils with English as an additional language in discussing the additional support provided.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61 The headteacher continues to give clear educational direction to the school as she did at the time of the last inspection in 1997. The caring, welcoming ethos still continues today. The effect of this is to create a school where pupils are positive in their attitudes and all are valued. Parents clearly appreciate the leadership provided by the headteacher. In their questionnaires, nearly all parents indicated that they considered that the school was well led and managed. 62 The clearly stated aims and values of the school are reflected in the day-to-day work of the classrooms. The school is committed to the promotion of positive attitudes and relationships and there is a good ethos for learning. The aims and values are largely met. Steps are taken to ensure that all pupils have the chance to partake fully in all aspects of school life and the school provides satisfactory support for pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. However, it

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

recognises that the needs of pupils in the mixed-aged classes are not always met in all Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 25 subjects. Progress in addressing the key issues raised in the previous inspection has, overall, been satisfactory, but in some instances, there is still work to be done. For example, raising standards especially in the non-core subjects for the higher attaining pupils. The headteacher, governors and staff are eager to improve further and the drive to move the school further is evident.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63 The headteacher enjoys the confidence of the governors who are proud of the school and contribute positively towards shaping the direction of the school. The previous report highlighted the need for governors to become more involved in the management of the school. This has been done despite the changes in the governing body over recent years and governors are becoming more involved in monitoring and planning for its future. They are supportive and through an active committee structure, contribute effectively to the management of the school. Designated members, who take responsibility for different curriculum areas, visit the school on a regular basis. The combination of the work of committees, detailed reports from the headteacher and subject leaders, and visits to school keep governors well informed. Overall, governors have a clear and accurate view of what the school does well, but there are areas that

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

need improvement. Standards in ICT are below national expectations and not all aspects are covered. Lesson time for pupils falls well short of national recommendations in Years 3 to 6, and pupils’ annual reports do not cover all subjects of the curriculum.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64 The arrangements for monitoring and evaluating how the National Curriculum is taught have been strengthened since the last inspection. Also, the management skills of the headteacher in reference to the curriculum, identified as a key issue in the last inspection report, have improved considerably. The headteacher delegates management responsibilities well and there are curriculum co-ordinators for each subject area, with all teachers having several areas to cover. A systematic programme of classroom observations and feedback to teachers and a regular scrutiny of pupils’ work and planning provide the headteacher and subject leaders with a clear picture of the quality of teaching and of standards across the school. However, action needs to be taken on the areas of improvement identified earlier this year.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65 The provision for pupils with special educational needs is sound and managed satisfactorily by the co-ordinator. Governors are kept informed about the provision of special educational needs and there is a named governor. The co-ordinator effectively liases with staff and all the relevant agencies, has developed and implemented sound systems and maintains the paperwork. Funds for special educational needs are used appropriately to provide additional support staff. This ensures that pupils progress satisfactorily in their learning and achievements.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66 The school has a clear and effective process of school development planning. Staff and governors are involved in the creation of the plan. The current plan is detailed, thorough, sets realistic targets for improvement and includes detailed developments in each subject. There is a clear long-term overview. Current priorities are broadly appropriate to the needs of the school, resource requirements are clearly identified, and staff development is closely linked to the priorities within the plan.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67 The school is very well staffed with experienced and suitably qualified teachers and a high level of support staff. However, further training and expertise is needed for staff who work with children in the Foundation Stage. The pupil-teacher ratio is well below Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 26 the national average and the job-share arrangements give pupils a wider range of teaching experiences than in most schools of this size. Staff are deployed well to support pupils with special educational needs. The school also benefits from a full-time trainee teacher in the current year.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68 Accommodation is satisfactory. Classrooms are of a good size for the current number of pupils. The computer area is cramped and is not used effectively for pupils to work in. This impacts on their standards in ICT and also their independence in learning. Resources are satisfactory overall. They are good in relation to English and science, where the local environment is used well. They are unsatisfactory in relation to large outdoor apparatus for the youngest children to develop their climbing and balancing skills.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69 Financial planning is good. The school has effectively addressed the key issue in the previous report about skills and expertise in relation to finance. The school had a large surplus at the start of the current financial year. The planned use of this is good. It has been maintained to fund a rolling programme of capital investment, such as enhancement to the playground facilities, and to provide a cushion against the constant fluctuations in pupil numbers. The school has a secure financial base. Budget allocations are linked well to educational developments. Financial monitoring is good and administrative support is effective and efficient, especially in supporting the governors and headteacher on finance. The governors and headteacher have a good understanding of the principles of best value and are actively looking at ways of more effectively using them to improve school performance. Specific grants are used well; for

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

example in relation to supporting pupils with special educational needs. The school receives no additional funding for pupils with English as an additional language.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70 The school receives funds at a level considerably higher than the national average for primary schools. Given that unit costs for very small schools are high, it barely provides satisfactory value for money.

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

71 In order to continue raising standards and to improve what the school provides, the headteacher and staff, in co-operation with the local education authority, should:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1) *Raise standards in information and communication technology by:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that statutory requirements for ICT are fully met; • effectively implementing the plans already drawn up for the improvement of the subject; • ensuring that all staff are given the necessary training to make the best use of the available resources; • increasing the quality and range of opportunities for pupils to use ICT across the curriculum.

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 4, 8, 10, 25, 28, 36, 87, 116-120)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) Review the length of the school day which is below the minimum recommend time.

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraph 39) Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 27 3) Improve the provision for children in the Foundation Stage by:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring all activities available to children are carefully planned; • reviewing the current assessment procedures to ensure that all children experience fully the wide range of activities on offer, in order to prepare them better for the next stage of learning; • providing access to a suitably equipped outdoor play area to help promote physical development; • ensuring that staff who support in the Foundation Stage are suitably trained.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4) Continue to develop assessment practice and procedures throughout the school, and make greater use of the information by:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that information gathered is used consistently to assist planning to meet the needs of all pupils especially the higher attainers; • planning opportunities for pupils to develop their skills of independent inquiry; • improving the opportunities for higher attaining pupils to learn in different and more challenging ways.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 8, 9, 29, 31, 42, 49, 50, 51, 86, 94, 95, 100, 101, 110, 114)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

5) Ensure that the following statutory duties are met:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Pupils’ annual reports meet requirements.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

*This issue has already been identified by the school

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• The quality of teachers’ marking of pupils’ work so that comments consistently encourage pupils and give advice on how to improve their work.

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

(Paragraph 31) Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 28

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 22

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than five percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 43

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

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Attendance

School data 4.9 School data 0.0 Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 29 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 30

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 1 3 4

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 75 (83) 100 (83) 75 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 75 (83) 75 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 1 2 3

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (67) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School n/a (100) n/a (100) n/a (100) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

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

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

* Separate boys’ and girls’ results are not published because there were less than ten boys and/or girls taking the tests Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 31

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.4 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 160,561

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 133,435

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 55 Expenditure per pupil 3,511

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 10,382

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) Balance carried forward to next year 37,508

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 32 FTE means full-time equivalent. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 33

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 29 64 0 7 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 71 29 0 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 0 79 14 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 36 14 0 14

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 29 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 57 43 0 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 43 57 0 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 64 36 0 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 43 0 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 57 21 14 0 7 Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 34

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72 There are eleven children in the Foundation Stage in the class with Years 1 to 2 pupils. Nine attend full-time, and the youngest two children attend part-time until the end of term. Positive links are established with the parents through daily contact and good induction procedures. Children are very soon settled and get used to school routines. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs, to make good progress. When children enter the Reception class, their attainment covers the full ability range and is broadly in line with that of children of a similar age. However, not all have had pre-school experience prior to starting school. The entry testing data and teachers’ own assessments confirm this attainment profile. All children, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and, by the end of the Foundation Stage, most children are likely to attain the Early Learning Goals in all

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

areas. In personal, social and emotional development, children often exceed the expectations for the age; this reflects the very good behaviour management and good teaching in this area.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73 There is a satisfactory curriculum in place for the children in the Foundation Stage. It is structured to ensure effective coverage in communication, literacy and language and mathematical development. The planning in these areas is systematic and consequently, the transition to the National Curriculum in Year 1 is smooth. However, planning in the other areas of learning is not specific to the Foundation Stage and is sometimes based on work for most Years 1 to 2. This means, at times, lessons are not suitable for young children. Often, within most lessons, there are good sessions which help children to explore, experiment and carry out imaginative play successfully. Very good teamwork between the class teachers helps to create a safe, secure and stimulating environment, where satisfactory learning takes place. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good and has been adapted to meet the needs of the children

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

in the Foundation Stage. However, by the end of the summer term, children are sensitively introduced to the complete session. Assessment procedures are good. The information available, such as the entry data, is used well to identify those that need extra support and to ensure children are set appropriate work.

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Personal, social and emotional development

74 Children’s personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority and progress is good. Teaching is effective in this area and, as a result, many are likely to exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. The calm and friendly manner of the teacher has a positive impact on behaviour and attitudes to learning. Children respond well when obeying instructions. They are confident, friendly and form very good relationships with adults and one another. Adults encourage the children to be independent and help each other, such as putting on their own aprons before water play and helping each other work out which labels to place on a picture of an animal. When given the opportunity, they use their initiative and work independently and make choices about their activities. Good opportunities exist for the children to play together, in the role-play areas, where they share toys and co-operate. When they

p.34

Personal, social and emotional development

played in the castle, they chatted amicably and used resources amicably and constructively, cleaning the castle and preparing food for the toys. Children are encouraged to tidy up at the end of sessions; this helps them learn good classroom routines. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 35

p.34

Communication, language and literacy

75 By the end of the Foundation Stage, children attain standards that meet the nationally approved recommendations for children of this age in early reading and writing activities. In speaking and listening, they exceed the expected standards. The quality of teaching and learning in this area during the lesson observed is good and as a result, children learn well. The good emphasis on speaking and listening activities ensures that all the children make good progress, including those with special educational needs, who are well supported. Teachers successfully encourage the quietest children to respond to questions while the others listen attentively. Overall, children listen well for extended periods. Children enjoy looking at books and understand how books are organised. They understand that print conveys meaning and look carefully at words, for example when they use labels to identify parts of an animal. The teaching of basic skills

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Communication, language and literacy

is good and the children make good progress learning letter sounds. The teachers know how young children learn and make learning fun and stimulating in their own parts of the literacy lesson. Good opportunities for mark making are provided in the writing area. Here the children ‘write’ messages for their friends and practise writing their names. They use a range of symbols and letters from their name. The teachers motivate the children to write by giving them a magic wand, which helps ‘anybody’ to read their message; the replies returned sustain the interest. Frequent opportunities to practise letter formation in wet sand, paint and playdough help to reinforces concepts leant in the literacy session and help children to identify many letters and sounds correctly. Children are encouraged to recognise and write their own name when they find their name card prior to activities.

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Mathematical development

76 Children make good progress in their understanding of number and most are likely to reach the level expected by the time they are ready to start Year 1. The quality of teaching of mathematics and the provision for the development and awareness of mathematical language are good. The teachers have a secure knowledge and understanding of mathematics, and set appropriate and challenging activities for the children. There is a good balance between practical activities and work that is recorded. The most able children confidently count to at least 20. All children recognise numbers to ten and know that two comes before three and accurately count the number of spots on the ladybirds. Through a variety of activities in the sand and water and with playdough, children have opportunities to count and group similar objects together. For example, when children counted types of vehicles that they had cut out of playdough

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Mathematical development

and made them into a set; these activities help to reinforce a variety of mathematical concepts.

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

77 Provision and teaching for children to develop knowledge and understanding of the world around them are satisfactory overall. When activities are specifically planned for the Foundation Stage, children’s learning is promoted well. However, there are occasions when they receive only a limited amount of time within a lesson that is entirely suitable for young children. For example, in a geography lesson, Reception children sat through an overlong introduction that was unsuitable for many of them, but when they went to a well-planned set of activities afterwards, they made good progress. By the end of the Foundation Stage, many are likely to achieve the Early Learning Goals. Scientific concepts are developed well in conjunction with communication skills, when the children have the opportunity to work with boats in the water, planning a trip to France. It was evident that children have acquired the principles of floating and sinking

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 36 and use of correct vocabulary, when one child exclaims, ‘emergency, emergency my boat is sinking, it has loads of water in it’. Children’s awareness of their place in the family is gained through discussing their families and drawing themselves and other members. They learn about their community when they look at houses as well as technological knowledge when they create houses out of recyclable materials. During the inspection, no opportunities were observed for children to develop their skills in ICT. The school is aware that this is an area for development for the whole school.

p.36

Physical development

78 Despite the limitations on outdoor play facilities in the Foundation Stage, it is likely that by the end of the year, children will attain the recommendations in the Early Learning Goals. During the inspection, there were no observations of any planned physical development activities inside or outside. From the planning, it is evident that there are too few planned opportunities for children to engage in daily physical activity on large purpose-built equipment. Teaching is satisfactory in promoting physical development overall, as there is a good emphasis on fine motor control, which helps children make satisfactory progress. Dexterity is developed through the handling of objects, such as working in sand and water, with playdough, using pencils and paintbrushes. Children handle scissors, glue, pencils and brushes with increasing confidence and, from the time they start school in September, their writing, cutting and sticking skills develop

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Physical development

quickly. During a literacy lesson, children very carefully painted letters holding the paintbrush correctly ensuring that the paint would not drip. In their books, they very carefully draw and colour in pictures of themselves and houses.

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Creative development

79 Children make satisfactory progress and many achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. Teaching is satisfactory and children learn about colour, pattern and texture in two- and three-dimension. Children have regular opportunities to create detailed observational drawings in pencil, as they draw pictures of themselves and their families. Opportunities for role-play are good and promote imaginative play as when the children played in the castle discussing what they would feed to their toy guests and devised interesting ways of cleaning the high castle with a broom. The teacher successfully provides some direction to their play by participating. Good resources are accessible to promote creativity and imaginative play. Opportunities to promote creativity organised for the whole school, such as ‘World Book Day’ effectively include the Foundation Stage children.

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ENGLISH

80 The previous report indicated that overall, standards in English were above the national average at the end of Years 2 and 6, with writing skills broadly average. In the juniors, pupils did not always have opportunities to engage in extended writing. This is still the case as identified by the co-ordinator in a recent review of pupils’ work. Since the last inspection, certain improvements have been made, in particular the effective implementation of the National Literacy Strategy and the greater monitoring of planning, teaching and assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress by the co-ordinator. When children enter the school, their attainment is around average, they make satisfactory progress throughout the school, and by the time they leave the school at seven and eleven, attainment is around the national average. Inspection evidence shows that pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 are reaching the expected standards and have made

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ENGLISH

steady progress. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress overall, similar to the rest of the pupils, but those with English as an additional language Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 37 make good progress. They are keen to learn and are fully integrated into all aspects of the literacy lessons.

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ENGLISH

81 Standards of attainment in speaking and listening are above the national average throughout the school. Pupils are provided with frequent opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills to good effect. This is a strength of the school. Teachers use questioning skilfully to promote speaking and listening and to elicit responses from pupils. The teachers’ good understanding of the National Literacy Strategy is used effectively to encourage pupils to use the correct terminology, not only in literacy but also in other subjects, such as mathematics. In a literacy lesson, Years 3 to 6 pupils listened particularly well when their teacher read ‘Alice’s adventures in Wonderland’. This enabled them to describe the setting, which they did in very good detail using adjectival phrases. During a junior assembly, pupils spoke confidently and gave mature reasons why they had nominated particular children for recognition. All pupils were

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ENGLISH

included very well, and a pupil with English as an additional language gave succinct reasons for his choices. In a Years 1 to 2 literacy lesson, pupils recited the poem they had just created using expression and emphasis on the repeating phrase ‘after dark’. It is obvious that they were used to speaking out and are confident, articulate and enjoy the opportunity to perform.

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ENGLISH

82 Reading is promoted well in the school and as a result, most pupils in Year 2 are achieving a satisfactory standard. Some, but not all, higher attaining pupils attain higher standards. By the end of Year 2, reading is around average, with little higher achievement. Pupils benefit from good teaching in the literacy hour and the increased focus on literacy throughout other subjects. Teachers organise shared text sessions well and work effectively to maintain pupils’ interest with a wide range of suitable texts, both fiction and non-fiction. They look at the text carefully, identify capital letters and notice the text follows an alphabetical order. In Year 2, pupils develop good dictionary skills and understand where letters come in the alphabet and most confidently find words with ‘ou’ in them. Pupils read simple texts with increasing fluency and show in discussion that they understand them. Books are taken home on a regular basis, which

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ENGLISH

helps pupils to practise their skills. In addition to the group reading sessions in the literacy hour, teachers include reading and phonic sessions at other times to ensure pupils have sufficient practise.

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ENGLISH

83 Currently in Year 6, pupils’ attainment is around the national average, and in Years 4 and 5, attainment is higher. At least satisfactory and sometimes good progress is made across the juniors as a result of the good teaching of the skills needed to read with deeper understanding in whole-class sessions. The teacher’s penetrating questioning skills challenge pupils to look more deeply in the text and enable pupils to refer to the text using inference and deduction well, as they build up a picture of the setting in ‘Alice’s adventure in Wonderland’. During individual reading, the able and average readers in Years 5 and 6 read fluently and with good awareness of punctuation, thus improving expression. Pupils enjoy reading and make good reference to the text when they explain their opinions about books. Most successfully access and select information in non-fiction books, and know the functions of the glossary, contents and

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ENGLISH

index. Independent research skills are used well to find information on the computer. Access to a wide range of books, including the classics, actively promotes cultural development. Good links are made in other subjects, in particular history, when ‘Macbeth’ by Shakespeare is studied in context of the Tudors. A much-enjoyed visit to the Globe theatre also helps to promote the drama element of the English curriculum as well.

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ENGLISH

84 Currently in Year 2, writing is at the national average, with a few pupils reaching the Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 38 higher levels. Pupils are encouraged to write in a variety of forms and across the curriculum. For example, pupils write lists of materials for making a house in design and technology. Most write in a joined script and form their letters satisfactorily so that they are able to read back their own writing. Adventurous vocabulary is encouraged by the teacher during the introduction of the lesson. This helps Year 2 pupils finish writing a poem based on ‘After Dark’ using rhyming words such as ‘rats squeak’ and ‘cupboards creak’. The implementation of the National Literacy Strategy has also helped to improve spelling. Pupils use their knowledge gained in the literacy hour well to spell simple words correctly. Teachers remind pupils to use appropriate punctuation, full stops and

p.37

ENGLISH

capital letters and these are beginning to be used consistently and accurately by most pupils.

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ENGLISH

85 Writing is just in line with the national average at the end of Year 6. As identified by the literacy co-ordinator, there are too few opportunities for pupils to write at length; this inhibits the progress pupils make, particularly the higher attaining pupils. Teachers offer their pupils satisfactory opportunities to write in a variety of forms, including reporting, instructions, historical accounts and posters in science. Pupils have a good understanding of the conventions of different forms of writing. For example, following a visit to the Globe Theatre, a reporting style was used effectively. Older pupils ensured the events were sequential and a higher attaining pupil used capital letters well for added effect. The systematic teaching of spelling has been recently established and consequently, some older pupils of average ability and lower attaining pupils are still not spelling simple words correctly. The quality of handwriting is satisfactory overall. All

p.38

ENGLISH

pupils use a fluent, joined script. However, many use a variety of writing implements, including pencils, which leads to varied standards of presentation.

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ENGLISH

86 Overall, teaching is satisfactory, although good teaching was seen in lessons during the inspection. The teachers have worked hard to implement the National Literacy Strategy, which they do with good understanding of the requirements of the strategy. Basic skills are taught well. For example in Years 1 to 2, teaching letters and sounds is made fun; pupils learn their letter order by singing an alphabet song. Planning is satisfactory overall but teachers do not always offer sufficient challenge to the higher attaining pupils. Work is suitably matched to the individual education plans of the pupils with special educational needs. When these pupils are withdrawn for the independent session, they make satisfactory progress. Teachers are good at questioning, listening carefully and valuing the spoken contributions from their pupils, helping them to develop the confidence to speak in front of others. They challenge pupils to think carefully and

p.38

ENGLISH

extend their thoughts and ideas into words. A good example was observed when the Years 3 to 6 teacher encouraged pupils to explain the mood of an extract of music and how it set the scene for an adventure.

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ENGLISH

87 Day-to-day assessment procedures are used appropriately and marking is helpful in enabling pupils to know what they need to do next in order to improve. Literacy targets are shared with the pupils, they are keen to improve and refer back to the targets. Pupils are aware of what it is they have learnt in the lesson and what they need to do to improve. At the end of a Years 1 to 2 lesson, the teacher asked the pupils the purpose of the lesson. This is good practice and effectively carried out by teachers to help pupils evaluate their own learning and reinforce the learning objective. The quality of learning is good. Many pupils meet the expectations of their teachers, most work hard, concentrate and persevere, working within the time given. Elements of lessons are less successful when younger pupils are not checked during their independent work. This leads to a minority of Years 1 to 2 pupils not always understanding the task and at times, not fully

p.38

ENGLISH

concentrating on their work. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 39 88 The subject is appropriately managed. The co-ordinator has already assessed the strengths and weaknesses in the subject and areas for improvement are set out in the school development plan. Good opportunities are provided to monitor teaching and learning. Assessment procedures in English are good. Tests to monitor progress are in place along with sampling of pupils’ work. However, work is not always matched sufficiently well to the National Curriculum levels, which means the next steps in learning are not identified as clearly as they might for individuals. Regular homework is appropriately used to reinforce and extend work in lessons. The use of ICT to support learning is underdeveloped.

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MATHEMATICS

89 In the last inspection, mathematics was judged very favourably. Inspection evidence shows that standards of attainment for the six pupils in Year 2 and two pupils in Year 6 are in line with national expectations. Teaching in the Years 1 to 2 and Years 3 to 6 class is satisfactory overall and, as a result, pupils make satisfactory progress in their learning. The comparisons with all schools and similar schools are not made due to the small cohort size at the end of Years 2 and 6 in 2001.

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MATHEMATICS

90 The National Numeracy Strategy has been successfully introduced and many features, such as the mental sessions and the discussions of strategies, are securely embedded. An analysis of pupils’ books shows that the programme of work is covered systematically and thoroughly.

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MATHEMATICS

91 By the age of seven, pupils develop a good understanding of the number system and of place value. Most are beginning to understand the place value of digits and accurately sequence numbers to 100. In a lesson where some were being challenged to identify odd and even numbers, pupils quickly realised that ‘an odd number had one left over when sharing’. By the age of eleven, pupils make good use of their understanding of fractions and percentages of quantities and understand that 4/5 = 80% when identifying their correct position on a line. Work from last year’s Year 6 pupils shows that, by the end of the year, pupils multiply and divide whole numbers and decimals by 10 and 100 and devise efficient strategies to calculate the distance from Malborough to Bishopstone on a map, convert this to miles and then work out the time the journey would take there and back.

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MATHEMATICS

92 All aspects of mathematics are given due consideration. However, there are limited opportunities through the school for pupils to use and apply their mathematical knowledge in extended investigations. Pupils gain a good understanding of shape and measure and of data handling. Pupils’ previous work indicates that, by the end of Year 6, many explain the conclusions demonstrated by graphs and diagrams including pie charts. However, ICT is not always used well to support this aspect of mathematics. Pupils know the angle sum of a triangle and measure and draw angles to the nearest degree using a protractor.

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MATHEMATICS

93 There is a strong emphasis in all classes on mental computation. All pupils benefit from regular practice at the start of lessons, and their understanding of mental strategies is generally good. As a result, most pupils throughout the school are developing good instant recall of number facts. Teachers ensure that pupils are fully involved in the mental sessions. The very good relationships that exist between teachers and pupils gives pupils of differing attainment the confidence to offer answers, knowing that they will be appreciated. Teachers use a good range of resources, such as ‘white boards’ and individual cards, to allow all pupils to answer, checking each answer quickly. In these sessions, questions are carefully targeted to challenge all pupils. An excellent Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 40 example of this was seen in Years 3 to 6 lesson where pupils with special educational needs were fully involved even though they were being supported by a support

p.39

MATHEMATICS

assistant. The overall provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The support that these pupils receive from the classteacher and learning support assistants during lessons specially planned for them is of a very good quality. As a result of this provision, and class teachers’ understanding of their needs, pupils with special educational needs have full and equal access to the curriculum and make progress similar to that of other pupils in whole-class lessons. There was no evidence during the inspection of a difference in the attainment of boys and girls. In the good lessons, teachers challenge all pupils to answer questions, with boys and girls working together at all levels of attainment. Pupils with English as an additional language are well included in lessons and make progress comparable to that of other pupils of similar ability.

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MATHEMATICS

94 The teaching of numeracy is satisfactory in both classes and the school adoption of a commercial scheme of work to help meet the needs of pupils in the mixed-age classes has been positive. However, there are weaknesses in the overall teaching of mathematics. Planning needs further refinement as the needs of pupils are not always fully met. Although lesson plans show what different groups of pupils have to learn and do by the end of the session, not enough reference is made to the age-related levels expected in the National Curriculum. Teachers understand the importance of direct teaching when explaining work to the class. However, lessons are not always sufficiently adapted to meet the very wide range of needs in the class and work is sometimes too challenging for the younger, less able pupils. Common features of all lessons are the good management of behaviour through positive relationships. As a

p.40

MATHEMATICS

result, pupils work hard during all parts of lessons and this allows teachers to continue to teach as pupils work on individual or group tasks. An example of this was seen in the Years 1 to 2 lesson where Year 1 pupils started their task on counting numbers up to 20 whilst the teacher worked with pupils on counting numbers up to 100. Pupils worked conscientiously and behaved well as they worked. Consequently, the class teacher and the support teacher were able to concentrate effectively on groups of younger, less able pupils, to allow them too to make good progress. Where teaching is good, the choice of activity is inspiring. This was well demonstrated in a Years 3 to 6 lesson where pupils were accurately identifying ‘multiples’ of 50. Most know that the last two digits of these numbers are 0, 00 or 50 and use this information to write 4 and 10 digit numbers, which are multiples of 50. In all lessons, good use is made of mathematical language, and

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MATHEMATICS

pupils are encouraged to explain how they arrived at an answer. Carefully targeted questions involve all pupils and in many instances challenge them, although written work for the higher attaining pupils in the mixed-aged classes is not consistently provided. Teachers have good knowledge of the subject, sharing the learning intentions with pupils. Most lessons end with a good plenary session, which gives pupils an understanding of what they have learnt. Teachers in both classes need to make better use of assessment information to increase the pace of pupils’ learning from the start of Year 1. Pupils’ work is regularly marked and most teachers are successful in showing pupils how they can improve, either through positive feedback in lessons or by written comments in their exercise books. Other subjects such as design and technology, history and science show the successful use of measurements, timelines and graphs

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MATHEMATICS

and make a good contribution to pupils’ numeracy skills.

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MATHEMATICS

95 The co-ordinator gives good leadership in the subject and is enthusiastic and keen to raise standards. She has successfully implemented the National Numeracy Strategy and monitored its delivery in the classroom. Teachers’ plans and pupils’ work are also monitored to ensure coverage. The school uses regular assessment to track individual pupils’ mathematical development at the end of a unit of work. Although assessment Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 41 information is used for setting targets for individual pupils, it is not used to full effect to promote higher attainment for the pupils who are already achieving well. There is a good range of resources to support teaching and learning and these are well managed. Staff who provide targeted support are efficiently prepared, and provide good support to pupils’ learning. Throughout the school, teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. However, comments do not always provide guidance to pupils as to why work is good and what

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MATHEMATICS

they need to do in order to improve further.

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SCIENCE

96 Standards have been maintained since the last inspection and are in line with the level expected nationally at the end of Years 2 and 6. However, opportunities for pupils to investigate and experiment are limited. There is no significant gender difference in pupils’ learning. All pupils, including those learning English as an additional language and with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress throughout the school.

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SCIENCE

97 Due to the small cohort size at the end of Years 2 and 6 in 2001, comparisons with all schools and similar schools are not made. Only two lessons were observed and judgements are largely based on the scrutiny of pupils’ work, previous planning and discussions with pupils.

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SCIENCE

98 By the end of Year 2, pupils explore forces and know that pushing and pulling are different types of forces, which cause objects to slow down or speed up. When opportunities are provided, pupils confidently carry out experiments to compare the movement of vehicles down varying slopes, record their observations and begin to consider why variations occur. For example, in an investigation on forces, most understand that the higher the ramp the further the car will travel. Previous work shows that pupils have experienced a wide range of science topics and many are beginning to record their observations in drawings and simple tables whilst higher attainers write brief sentences. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of materials and their properties are good. This is reflected in their confidence to sort materials according to simple observable properties, such as, ‘shiny’ and ‘soft’ and to investigate the effect of heat on

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SCIENCE

chocolate and wax when cooking. They investigate the local environment and classify the creatures they found on the ground, on plants and in the air. Most identify different sources of light in the classroom and accurately construct simple circuits to enable a bulb to light. Younger pupils of all abilities accurately recall the names of the different parts of the body and plants using correct terms and vocabulary. They know that plants need light and water to grow and that living things move, feed and grow.

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SCIENCE

99 By the end of Year 6, pupils have a good understanding of how to plan and conduct experiments in a logical manner as seen in the experiment investigating the rate of decay of egg shell in coke, Ribena, vinegar and lemon juice. They understand why the test must be fair and that, if certain parts of the experiment were to change, then their results would be different. Current Year 6 pupils confidently use appropriate scientific vocabulary such as ‘veins’ and ‘arteries’ when describing the function of the heart, and search for relevant information on the Internet. Examination of work covered by the previous Year 6 pupils shows that by the end of Year 6, pupils correctly label the different parts of the tooth, know the functions of the different types of teeth and know how to look after them properly. They confidently describe the functions of the skeleton and sort foods into those that are good for us, and those that are not. Pupils’ knowledge

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SCIENCE

of forces includes an awareness that a Newton is a unit of force and the effect of gravity on an object. There is satisfactory evidence that work in science has contributed to pupils’ literacy skills through writing and to their numeracy skills in the use of tables to present findings and graphs to display information. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 42 100 However, overall attainment is just in line with national expectations because work is not always well matched to the National Curriculum. It is not always sufficiently challenging to meet the needs of higher attaining pupils and is sometimes insufficiently adapted to meet the needs of pupils of different ages in the mixed-aged classes. Also, opportunities are limited for experimental and investigative work.

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SCIENCE

101 The quality of teaching and learning, including that for pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, is satisfactory in both classes. Overall, teachers’ confidence and competency have improved and most show a secure understanding of the science curriculum. However, teachers’ planning and a scrutiny of pupils’ earlier work reveal that there are some weaknesses in current practice which limit the progress that pupils make, especially in the mixed-aged classes. For example, pupils in Years 1 to 2, 3 to 4 and in 5 to 6 are often given identical work regardless of their abilities. Consequently, the progressive development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding is limited. Short-term plans do not take sufficient account of the age groups nor make appropriate reference to the National Curriculum levels of attainment that pupils are expected to reach. Consequently, it is difficult for teachers to assess

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SCIENCE

pupils’ attainment and progress and set work which is best suited to pupils’ needs.

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SCIENCE

102 Where teaching is most effective, the lesson is well planned and the teacher is supported by very good subject knowledge. This is used effectively to help pupils understand, for example, how the heart works. Objectives were discussed with the pupils so that they knew what they were supposed to learn and the teacher skilfully developed pupils’ literacy and scientific thinking by questioning them about how the heart works. As a result, pupils of all ages and abilities made sensible comments about the function of the heart. The management of pupils is very good, aided throughout the school by pupils’ positive attitudes to learning. Teachers promote a good working atmosphere in which pupils enjoy what they do and are keen to learn. Behaviour was very good in both lessons and pupils of all ages and abilities worked together well and contributed willingly to discussions, making many thoughtful and informed observations

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SCIENCE

as seen in the Years 1 to 2 lesson on light and dark. This contributes well to their attainment and progress. Support staff are very well deployed and have a significant impact on the learning and the generally good progress that the lower attainers make, as was demonstrated in Years 3 to 6 lesson.

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SCIENCE

103 As is common practice in many small schools, the co-ordinator has responsibilities for a number of areas. There is a useful policy, which provides helpful guidance for teachers. Planning in all classes follows a local education authority scheme of work. However, plans are not matched sufficiently to the National Curriculum and rarely identify the level at which pupils are expected to work. As a result, teaching does not sufficiently develop and extend higher attaining pupils. Although pupils’ progress is assessed at the end of the topic, there is no ongoing monitoring of attainment and progress to allow effective use in future planning. Marking of work is of variable quality, ranging from a few ticks to useful comments which extend pupils’ learning. Resources are adequate to deliver the full curriculum and good use is made of the local environment. The use of ICT as an aid to improve presentation in science is

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ART AND DESIGN

104 No lessons were observed in the school during the inspection. Evidence was obtained from discussions with pupils and scrutiny of their work on display. Pupils enjoy art and design, make at least satisfactory progress and attain standards that are in line with the Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 43 expectations for their age. At the time of the previous inspection, standards were considered good. The art and design curriculum is satisfactory, with attention being given to a suitable range of two- and three-dimensional work. However, in discussion with pupils from all of the four year-groups in Years 3 to 6, they carry out the same work. It is difficult to judge how the progression of skills develops for the older pupils or how the teachers are able to carry out all in the scheme of work, as set out for the different year groups. Observational art is good. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’

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ART AND DESIGN

spiritual and cultural development through the richness of interesting and stimulating displays of pupils’ work. Although the current emphasis is more on western art and design, the multicultural dimension is covered as part of the four-year cycle.

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ART AND DESIGN

105 Throughout the school, pupils appear to develop a satisfactory range of skills using a variety of media and techniques. From photographic evidence, younger pupils have satisfactory access to paint and collage. For example, they cut and stick a range of materials to create collages of scarecrows. From observations of Reception children, it is evident that they are taught to use paint effectively as they use paint brushes well without paint dripping on their work; this is a good basis for later work.

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ART AND DESIGN

106 Good use of art and design is made to enhance learning in other subjects, although art through ICT is more limited. Plans to address this shortcoming are within the school development plan. Particularly good links are made with history. In Years 3, 4, 5, and 6, pupils sketched designs of Tudor jewellery and created carefully decorated papier- mâché reproductions. In discussion with pupils from the four year groups, it was evident that they could all explain the techniques used to complete their work. Pictures of Tudor houses were particularly good; this is because the pupils are encouraged to use their observational skills well. Teachers help to make art and design relevant. This was evident in many of the displays around the school, for example posters to illustrate science work and symmetrical patterns in mathematics.

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ART AND DESIGN

107 Pupils clearly enjoy their art and take considerable care in their work. The displays around the school show much good quality artwork that considerably enhances the learning environment. Pupils are keen to discuss their work, which they do with confidence, using appropriate vocabulary. It was also evident that they knew about some artists, for example Kandinsky. They could express opinions about his style and his use of colour and shape. This was borne out by photographic evidence. The picture ‘swinging’ was used for inspiration, and pupils created pictures in Kandinsky’s style with a good use of line, shape, colour and symbols to express his ideas.

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ART AND DESIGN

108 The co-ordinator monitors art through the school and pupils’ achievement in art by looking at the completed work on display. She does not formally monitor teaching and learning in the classroom but offers advice, support and training. There are, as yet, no formal systems for assessing pupils’ skills or progress over time.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109 As no lessons were observed and limited evidence was available of work completed this term, a judgement could not be made about the standards pupils reach in design and technology. It would appear that there is satisfactory coverage of the requirements of the National Curriculum during the three projects a year. Design and technology is taught, either linked to topic work in other subjects or one-off events, such as that planned this term. There are no formal monitoring procedures as yet, but pupils’ work is assessed at the end of projects . If work were to be assessed against National Curriculum levels, it would be helpful for teachers to plan skills development for all the pupils, particularly as each class covers several year groups . From planning, based on Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 44 national guidance, it would appear that all the elements of designing, making and evaluating are covered in Years 3 to 6. From scrutiny of work carried out by the co-

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

ordinator, there is limited evidence of design and planning in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 to 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110 Recent work in Years 1 to 2 of houses included a sketch of a house, but not a design upon which to base later work; they did include a list of materials that would be needed for their houses. Pupils made the houses with a variety of recyclable materials and a range of joining techniques and a satisfactory attention to the finished product. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 have designed wallpaper and made choices about the most suitable room for their design. However, there was a lack of challenge for pupils, particularly the older and higher attaining pupils, in the design brief. Pupils just had to insert a few words in the prepared text as to the type of room chosen for their wallpaper. In the scheme, there is good attention to health and safety requirements. This was borne out in discussion with Years 3 to 6 pupils.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

111 No history lessons were observed and only one geography lesson was observed in Years 1 to 2. Because of insufficient evidence from the analysis of pupils’ work, displays and even from discussions and reports, neither secure nor informed judgements on attainment, teaching, learning or attitudes throughout the school can be made about these subjects. It is therefore difficult to judge the quality of improvement since the last inspection. Overall, there was insufficient evidence to show coverage of all aspects of the history and geography curriculum. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress in the topics covered because of good support.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

112 By the age of seven, pupils develop appropriate mapping skills whilst investigating the local area. They begin to recognise some of the human and physical features of their own locality and correctly identify the roads and the different types and use of buildings by fieldwork activities. There are good links with design and technology where pupils make models of the different types of houses in Bishopstone, and to music where they accurately identify the countries in Europe that Mozart visited. In history, Year 2 pupils demonstrate a detailed knowledge of famous people, such as Mozart, listing their achievements, key events in their lives and reasons why they are remembered. They understand the changes that have taken place over time, and compare and contrast similarities and differences between the present and the past by highlighting changes to buildings in the village and seaside holidays today with those of a long time ago. Most

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

understand that historical artefacts are useful sources of finding out about aspects of life in the past.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

113 By the age of eleven, pupils have satisfactory knowledge about physical features of the landscape such as rivers. They study the local river and know important features such as tributaries, sources, and the river mouth, and contrast the nearby river with the Severn Estuary. There are good links with science when pupils study the water cycle. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about localities beyond their own. They appreciate that features of places and aspects of life may be similar to or different from those of their own locality, and develop their understanding of this when comparing life in Benin to the UK. Most understand the use of keys and symbols on maps and confidently use secondary sources such as books, atlases and the Internet to investigate and ask questions about physical human features which give Benin its particular characteristics. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ sense of chronology and the passage of time continue to

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

develop soundly. For example, most pupils in the juniors know that the Tudors came Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 45 before the Victorians. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 have a satisfactory understanding of the everyday life of the Tudors and use this knowledge well to make comparisons with their own lives and between the past and present. Previous work shows that they develop research skills effectively and learn to distinguish between primary and secondary sources of information which they use with confidence when looking for specific information on the Globe Theatre and the types of games that children played in Tudor times. Literacy skills are well developed as pupils acquire new vocabulary and write thoughtful accounts about what life was like for a peasant in Tudor times.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

114 The management of the subject is satisfactory and the co-ordinator supports her colleagues well. Since the last inspection, the school has improved the curriculum and has adopted the national schemes of work in both history and geography. These help to ensure that there is adequate coverage of both subjects. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that the geographical and historical facts are taught satisfactorily. However, there is a lack of rigour in the short-term planning and work is not always well enough adapted for pupils of different ages and abilities in the mixed-aged classes. Pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactorily assessed at the end of a unit of work. However, higher attaining pupils do not always get the extension work they need because assessment is not used well to target higher learning skills and develop critical thinking. Marking, although regularly carried out, is often limited to simple corrections, and comments do

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

not specifically help pupils to develop their historical or geographical skills, knowledge and understanding. Resources are adequate and used well. Very good use is made of the local environment for study, and visits help to bring the subjects alive for pupils. Both history and geography contribute positively to pupils’ social, moral and cultural background.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

115 There was no opportunity to observe the direct teaching of ICT during the inspection. Judgements are based on examples of pupils’ work, teachers’ plans and discussions with pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

116 The last inspection reported that standards were in line with nationally expected levels at the end Years 2 and 6. Since then, the school has made improvements in the resources and in developing staff confidence. Despite this, current standards are below those expected for seven- and eleven-year-olds. However, there are aspects of the subject where pupils in Years 1 to 2 are working at the nationally expected levels and pupils in Years 3 to 6 are exceeding the level expected. For example, the work which pupils in Years 3 to 6 are carrying out in using the Internet to access websites for information is above national expectations. Analysis of teachers’ planning, displays and discussions with pupils and staff show that pupils are not taught all parts of the required National Curriculum, and statutory requirements are not met. Although the school has recently begun to plan more systematically for the delivery of the subject in Years 3 to 6,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

plans are not yet advanced enough to have an impact on standards. Pupils still have too few opportunities to use computers to support and enhance their learning in other subjects and this adversely affects their attainment and progress as they move through the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

117 By the age of seven, most pupils are familiar with the computer keyboard functions. Many show familiarity with the keyboard functions, such as the ‘return key’ for a new line and ‘caps lock’ for a capital letter when wordprocessing simple sentences using question marks. More able pupils are confident with saving and printing work and most confidently use a paint program to a draw a picture of a wormery linked to their science topic. Younger pupils skillfully use a mouse for pointing, selecting and moving items of Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 46 clothing when dressing ‘Teddy’ for the beach. Despite this, too few pupils by the end of Year 2 are aware of the use of computers to draw graphs. Most have a very limited understanding about aspects of control technology and generally do not use the computer to store or present data.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

118 By the age of eleven, pupils are most confident in using the Internet to search information sources and to select and print relevant information linked to their work in religious education, geography and history. They confidently talk about loading programs and know the difference between accessing information from a hard disk and a CD- Rom. Year 5 pupils design an attractive magazine page using a paint program, while younger pupils in Year 4 develop their confidence in using a logo program to draw different types of quadrilaterals. All pupils are becoming increasingly familiar with correct technical vocabulary linked to the Internet. For example ‘website’, ‘download’ and ‘access’ Previous work and discussion with pupils reveal that as they get older, there is some extension of the work on wordprocessing and by Year 6, they become a little more sophisticated about what they do with the appearance of text. For example, they

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

successfully delete and insert letters and easily change the font, size and colour to enhance their work when writing a ‘Recipe for a good day at school’ in their literacy lesson or reports on life in Benin in geography. However, despite these opportunities, pupils’ achievement is not at a high enough level. By the age of eleven, they have had little experience in using spreadsheets to enter and store data, interrogate a database for specific information or choose the methods of displaying information according to purpose. Opportunities to use computer equipment for controlling events, such as electric lights or motors, monitor temperature or simulations to help them investigate relationships, are limited. An examination of pupils’ work showed that computers have yet to make a significant impact on pupils’ learning in all subjects of the curriculum. By the time they leave school, the range of understanding and skills and the level of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

confidence that the majority of pupils have are below expectations for their age.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

119 Overall, the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory because too few opportunities are provided for pupils to develop a range of knowledge and skills and to build upon the skills they bring from home. As a consequence, learning is unsatisfactory. Planning is unsatisfactory. Although there are clear objectives for the teaching of specific skills, there is no planning of opportunities when ICT will be used to support other subjects. In many lessons, computers were not used at all. In Years 1 to 2, there are no medium- term plans for the subject and short-term plans in both classes do not always identify when ICT will be used to support other subjects. Also the needs of all pupils of different ages and abilities are not always clearly identified. In-service training has improved teachers’ knowledge of the subject, and staff confidence in teaching all aspects of the subject is developing. Pupils’ experiences on the computer are recorded and provide a

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

check of what has been done. However, assessment and recording of individual pupil’s progress and attainment in learning specific skills are informal and this makes it difficult to ensure that teaching and learning are focused on specific learning objectives to promote progress. When pupils get a chance to work on computers, they show interest and application. For example, pupils in Years 5 to 6 talk animatedly about their many successes and take great pride in their ability to access information about the heart from the Internet. When working together, pupils learn to share ideas and help each other to use the computer. This contributes well to their attainment. Most pupils are articulate and confident in explaining their work. They understand about taking care of equipment and do so responsibly. They take turns and show sustained concentration. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

are fully involved. All enjoy using the computer.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

120 Improvement of standards in ICT is identified as a priority for the current academic year. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 47 The co-ordinator manages the subject well and offers advice and support to colleagues in planning and teaching. The subject curriculum plan is comprehensive in setting out what needs to be done and once implemented, standards are likely to improve. Resources are adequate but are underused to support learning. Hardware is modern and functions well. Software titles, which support pupils’ learning in other subjects, are increasing, although there is a need for this to develop further.

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MUSIC

121 The previous inspection report found pupils’ attainment to be above national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6. Unfortunately, it was not possible to make a judgement on the standards that pupils reach as no lessons were observed. However, from evidence in assemblies, pupils throughout the school make good progress with their singing and achieve good standards of performance. They enjoy singing, showing good control of dynamics, pitch and have a well-developed sense of rhythm. Teachers ensure that the pupils’ love for singing is developed effectively in assemblies. This was evident in an assembly during the inspection as pupils started to sway in time to the rhythm and older pupils successfully sang in rounds maintaining several parts well. In another assembly, Years 3 to 6 pupils sang with great enthusiasm, with a few pupils leading the singing. They had very good timing; this helped the pupils to sing in the

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MUSIC

response. All pupils have a very good sense of performance and a good awareness of their part. No overall judgement can be made about the quality of teaching but from the evidence of pupils’ singing, this aspect is taught well.

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MUSIC

122 From the planning and scheme of work, there is a structured approach to teaching music. There are, as yet, no formal systems in place for monitoring pupils’ progress over time. Music, particularly performing, makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Older pupils take part in the Swindon Choir Festival every spring, which gives pupils good opportunities to represent the school and work together with other schools. Opportunities to promote music from other cultures are taken in assembly. Pupils identified that the music playing was Asian music because they recognised the sitar. Extra-curricular activities further enhance the music curriculum. For example, Years 1 to 2 pupils have an opportunity to learn to play the recorder, and other pupils can learn to play a range of instruments when the specialist instrumental music teacher visits after school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123 The previous inspection indicated that pupils’ attainment in physical education was in line with that expected for their age. From a lesson observation of Years 3 to 6 pupils, the school has maintained these standards. There is good support for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs, which helps them to make at least satisfactory progress. No judgement about attainment can be made at the end of Year 2.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124 The pupils in Years 3 to 6 work particularly well in pairs and groups when they play games. They practise controlling a ball with a stick as they negotiate a line of cones. They dribble the ball well and are learning good tactics to keep the ball close to the stick. Learning by all pupils is promoted well because good attention is given to explaining how to improve performance. Pupils enjoy physical education; Years 3 to 6 pupils in discussion were enthusiastic about many aspects of the subject. They particularly enjoy games and swimming. They have good attitudes and they display good behaviour during lessons. Pupils are keen and attentive; they listen carefully to the teachers’ instructions and respond well. Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 48 125 A judgement about the overall quality of teaching cannot be made based on the evidence. However, a good lesson was observed during the inspection. The teacher set

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

a good example and was appropriately dressed to lead physical education. She provided good opportunities for warm-up at the beginning of the lesson but ran out of time to complete an adequate cool-down session at the end of the lesson. In discussion with pupils following the lesson, it is clear that pupils are very aware of the reasons why they warm-up prior to exercise and comment on the effects of physical exertion on their bodies. Obviously good routines have been established with good attention to health and safety, as pupils hold the sticks correctly and play with them with due consideration for others. Following the teachers’ demonstration and discussion of techniques, all pupils’, including a pupil with special educational needs, performance improved and they became more accurate when aiming and striking the ball. Pupils are keen to achieve, but equally willing to praise the efforts of others. Less confident pupils tried really hard to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

aim the ball into the net with the support of the teacher and when this was achieved, there was spontaneous applause.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126 The subject is led appropriately by the co-ordinator. She has not had, as yet, opportunities to monitor teaching and learning in physical education. There is a good balance of gymnastics, dance and games, with swimming being taught in the summer term. Each aspect is taught regularly during a half term, which gives pupils good opportunities to learn and consolidate physical skills. There is no consistent, formal assessment of pupils’ physical education skills as yet, although a skill record sheet has been introduced this term. However, teachers do assess and help pupils refine and improve their work well during lessons. This was evident in the lesson observed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127 As in the last inspection, the village hall provides a good space for dance, floor work in gymnastics and games but there is limited large apparatus. To compensate, the school has made good arrangements with the secondary school. In the summer, all the pupils in the school go swimming, and while some pupils are swimming, others use the apparatus in the gymnasium. Further opportunities are offered to the older pupils when they go on their residential trip, where they keenly take advantage of adventurous activities such as the climbing wall. Extra-curricular activities are good in physical education and enhance the curriculum. Children are keen to attend the after-school clubs, such as the football club, netball and gymnastics run by staff and parents.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128 It was possible to observe one religious education lesson during the inspection but pupils’ work was examined and displays noted. Pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6 meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. This is the same judgement as at the last inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress in religious education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129 By the end of Year 2, pupils understand the importance of the Bible to Christians and know that the stories such as ‘The Good Samaritan’ have an important message, which may help them to lead better lives. Previous work shows that most pupils are beginning to learn about the world’s major faiths in the context of their festivals. For example, they learn about the importance of Divali to Hindus and that this special event is celebrated by singing, dancing and giving presents. Pupils know that Jesus is a special person for Christians and that the special book telling stories about his life and work is called the Bible. They know that books, such as the Torah and the Bible have special significance for Jews and Christians and that care and respect is shown when handling these Bishopstone C of E Primary School - 49 books.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130 By the end of Year 6, pupils learn about the life of Helen Keller and thoughtfully write that one would ‘feel sad, lonely and trapped’ if deaf and blind. Evidence from pupils’ past work shows that many are beginning to understand that different qualities are needed for religious or political leaders and that some people devote their lives to religious causes. Pupils discuss the ‘Ten Commandments’ with maturity and write their own rules and reflect on the things they value most. This is well illustrated by,

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

‘I value wildlife because I love to run free and I would hate it if the countryside were turned into a city’.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131 Younger pupils have an awareness of the significance of some Christian festivals, such as Christmas and Easter, and places of worship like a synagogue. By the time pupils leave school at eleven, most acquire a suitable understanding of some of the customs, practices and artefacts used by Judaism and some of the main features of a Christian church. The curriculum is further enhanced by visits to a local church and mosque.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132 The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory throughout the school. Teachers have sufficient subject knowledge and developing confidence to enable them to interpret and deliver the curriculum. Teaching in the lesson observed was satisfactory and the use of role-play captured and sustained the pupils’ attention. The teacher’s high expectations of behaviour and good questioning encouraged pupils to develop their thoughts and kept them focused and interested. Her caring approach helped to build pupils’ confidence. As a result, many ask and answer questions thoughtfully and participate well in discussions. They are considerate towards each other and respect each other’s views. They listen very well to the story telling as was seen in Years 1 to 2 class when the teacher effectively told a story from the Bible to reinforce the importance of helping others.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133 Responsibilities for this area are shared by two co-ordinators who are supportive of colleagues, offering advice and resources when asked. The agreed syllabus is used to inform planning while the school awaits the scheme of work from the local authority. Assessment procedures are underdeveloped and there are no records kept of pupils’ ongoing attainment and progress. Consequently, there is no guarantee that work is well matched to pupils’ abilities. Monitoring to ensure that learning develops systematically from year-to-year and to avoid similar work being delivered in the different classes is underdeveloped. Good use is made of resources within the locality, for example through visits to the local church and links with the parish priest. The subject makes a good contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils. Overall, the school has a good base from which to develop the teaching and learning of religious

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