Gayton Junior School

GAYTON JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: April 29 th to May 2 nd 2002

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GAYTON JUNIOR SCHOOL

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

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GAYTON JUNIOR SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Gayton Avenue Littleover Derby

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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: June 1997 Gayton Junior School - 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

9479 C Field Registered inspector Information about the school The school’s results and achievements How well pupils are taught How well the school is led and managed What the school should do to improve further 9428 J Butler Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well the school works in partnership with parents 15414 D Carrington Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography History 30144 E Hastings Team inspector Science Physical education How well the school cares for its pupils

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

12145 P Patterson Team inspector English Art and design Design and technology How good the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils are

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

2818 G Warner Team inspector Religious education Music Equality of opportunity Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for pupils with English as an additional language

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Cherry Trees Wenlock Road Tasley Bridgnorth Shropshire WV16 4QB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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 SCHOOL

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28

Gayton Junior School - 7 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28

The school is situated in Littleover, a suburb of Derby. Pupils who attend the school live locally and come from a mixture of private and social housing. Most pupils are from white European backgrounds but about a fifth have a different heritage, including Indian, Pakistani or Black Caribbean. Some 19 per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language; none is at an early stage in learning English and do not need support with language development. There are 362 pupils on roll: 183 boys and 179 girls aged between seven and eleven years. Pupils’ attainment on entry into Year 3 is above average. About 14 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is broadly average when compared to other primary schools. Some 16 per cent of pupils have special educational needs that cover a range of difficulties. Four of these pupils have a statement of special educational need. The proportion of pupils in

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28

school with special educational needs is about average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Gayton Junior is an effective school. The mission of ‘work smart-feel good’ is well met. The quality of teaching is good and pupils make steady progress to reach above average standards by Year 6 in most subjects. The recently appointed headteacher, well supported by a talented and enthusiastic management team, is steering a good programme of improvement and the school is well placed to meet with success. The team spirit in school is high and all staff are united in their determination to make the school even better. Pupils have very good relationships with one another and there is very good racial harmony. Pupils are enabled to develop as responsible future citizens within a caring environment where pastoral welfare is given a high priority. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Achieves above average standards in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT), religious education (RE), history, music and swimming by eleven years. • Good teaching enables effective learning for most pupils, irrespective of age, background, gender or ability. • Good leadership and management ensure a positive ethos which values everyone, promotes very good relationships and attends successfully to the all round development of pupils. • Makes very good provision for pupils with special educational needs. • Provides a good quality curriculum with an excellent extra-curricular programme. • Makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and welfare. • Builds a very effective partnership with parents.

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What could be improved

• The impact of assessment, monitoring and evaluation work. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Gayton Junior School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was left with six key areas for improvement following the 1997 inspection: • Ensure that provision for design and technology, ICT and geography meets requirements; • Produce subject schemes of work where they do not exit or expand where there is currently insufficient detail to support teachers’ planning, to ensure that pupils make at least steady and continuous progress in learning throughout the school; • Extend the support for teaching and improve it where it has some shortcomings; • Expand the school’s resources, particularly books, but also other equipment and materials, so that the whole curriculum is appropriately supported; • Produce a longer term development plan which sets a steady pace to realise the next set of targets for improvement, now that staffing is mostly settled and the more immediate concerns over establishing a good ethos for learning have been achieved well; • Continue to improve the accommodation over time; develop, in particular, the facilities for the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

library and for design and technology, continue with the programme for redecoration and refurbishment and explore further ways in which the whole site can be use to support the curriculum.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress in tackling all the weaknesses identified in the previous report and has good capacity to sustain improvement.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

NB: Similar schools are those with 8%-20% of pupils eligible for free school meals

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Key

The school’s rate of improvement in standards is keeping pace with the national trend and standards have been steadily rising over the past four years. Results in the 2001 SATs were average in English and mathematics and above average in science when compared to similar schools. Results did not compare as positively to the national picture largely because proportionally many fewer pupils achieved at the higher level 5. In recognizing this, the school has targeted better performance in SATs as a key priority and introduced a number of strategies to support improvement. This inspection found standards to be improving at a good rate for the majority of both boys and girls and judges standards to be above average in all three subjects. Whilst they make satisfactory progress, middle attainers are hindered in their learning by the constraints of the school’s setting arrangements in English and mathematics. These sets

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Key

work to the advantage of pupils with special educational needs who make good progress because of the very good provision made, as do the higher-attaining pupils. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are represented in all ability groups and the same findings apply equally to them. Gayton Junior School - 9 There are strong indications that the school’s performance in SATs will be better in 2002 than in 2001. The school has set challenging targets in English and science in all years but could make those in mathematics more demanding. Some pupils are expected to achieve at a very high level in science and are receiving additional support. The school is not yet targeting the most able mathematicians in this way and this is a missed opportunity.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have good attitudes to school and are committed to their work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good both in lessons and around the school. Exclusions, while high last year, were fully justified.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Personal development and relationships are very good. Pupils become mature, tolerant and caring young people. The school council is an outstanding feature.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance and punctuality are good and underline the good attitudes to learning.

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

Teaching is much improved since the previous inspection and is good overall, with strengths in the teaching of basic skills, ICT, RE, history, swimming and music. All pupils irrespective of their background or gender share in this good teaching. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from the additional support given to them by well-deployed and well-informed teaching assistants and education care officers, and learn successfully as a result. Classrooms are productive and purposeful places of learning in which pupils work hard and show good levels of interest and independence. A relative weakness in lessons generally is the lack of precision in learning objectives that would enable pupils of different abilities to make the maximum progress, and enable more accurate assessment of the gains they make to support target setting. Additionally, a sharper focus on monitoring and evaluation would enable the very

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

best practice in school to be identified and shared. Gayton Junior School - 10

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is of good quality and enriched by an outstanding range of additional activities from which many pupils benefit. The organisation of learning sets in English and mathematics are not fully effective in enabling all pupils to do as well as they could. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very thoughtful attention is paid to providing realistic targets, which are met through the good level of high quality support given to these pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language No special provision is made because all pupils are competent users of English and are spread across the ability groups in schools.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good provision is enabling pupils from different backgrounds to learn together successfully and to become rounded and responsible young citizens.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good attention is paid to pupils’ health, safety and welfare. The arrangements for child protection are good. The school’s use of assessment is not fully effective in assisting the planning of lessons that consistently challenge all pupils, particularly average attainers. How well the school works in partnership with parents The school has a very good partnership with its parents, who think very highly of it and give their full support.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The new headteacher has introduced good strategies to boost standards and is clear about where improvement lies. She has the support of a talented management team which has the potential to influence change where it is required.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are very proud of their school and very much feel part of the team. They place high priority on providing a rounded education for pupils and fulfil their responsibilities well.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There are systems in place to enable evaluation of the work of the school but these lack rigour and are not used consistently. The school has only recently begun to use data to assist in monitoring and has only partial information about the achievement of different groups of pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good use is made of all the available resources and the school is pursuing the principles of ‘best value’ in all decision making. The school has reasonable accommodation and resources and a good level of staffing. The quality of education is good and standards are rising; the school provides good value for money. Gayton Junior School - 11

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school and are helped to become mature and responsible. • Teaching is good, there are high expectations and pupils make progress. • Parents find the school approachable and feel well informed. • The school is well managed and led. Nothing of significance

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Over a third of parents returned the pre-inspection questionnaire and 21 attended the meeting with the registered inspector. The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views and draws their attention to the area for improvement identified earlier in this report. Gayton Junior School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• Standards are better than they were when the school was previously inspected and are rising at the same rate as seen nationally in the SATs. • The majority of pupils, irrespective of their background or gender, make steady gains in learning; however, progress could be better for average attainers in English and mathematics. • Pupils achieve well in information and communication technology (ICT), religious education (RE), history, music and swimming. • The school provides well for pupils with special educational needs, who make good gains against their personal targets. • A fifth of pupils speak languages other than English as home but do not require specific support for their literacy development; they are represented in all ability groups in school and the inspection findings apply equally to them. • The school provides well for high-flying scientists but has not yet given the same attention to those

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

who have a special talent for mathematics; this is a missed opportunity to enable very high levels of achievement. • The school has set challenging targets in English and science in all years but could make those in mathematics more demanding.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The weaknesses in standards flagged by the 1997 inspection in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT), design and technology (DT) and geography have all improved. Standards today are above average in English, mathematics, science, ICT and swimming and average in art and design, DT, geography and physical education (PE). The average standards reported in 1997 in history, music, art and RE have all been raised to above average levels. Pupils’ progress over their time at school is good in ICT, history, music and RE and satisfactory in all other subjects. Standards today are better in most subjects than they were in 1997. Standards in art and design and geography are in need of further boosting as new schemes of work kick in and the school’s monitoring systems become more rigorous in pinpointing shortcomings and ironing out inconsistencies in practice. There is still evidence of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils of average ability making uneven progress in English and mathematics, but the achievements of both boys and girls from all backgrounds are getting consistently better as a result of managers’ concerted action to make improvement.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The school’s rate of improvement in standards is keeping pace with the national trend, and standards have been steadily rising over the past four years. Results in the 2001 SATs were average in English and mathematics and above average in science when compared to similar schools. Results did not compare positively to the national picture, largely because proportionally many fewer pupils achieved at the higher level 5. In recognizing this, the school has targeted better performance in SATs as a key priority and introduced a number of strategies to support improvement. This inspection found standards to be improving at a good rate for the majority of both boys and girls in all three subjects. The school is doing its level best to give its pupils a fair deal and is aware of the need to improve the provision for those of average ability.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Pupils with special educational needs, including those with statements, make good progress towards achieving the targets set for them. They achieve appropriately, relative to their low starting levels. The highly effective assessment systems for identifying the needs of these pupils enable staff to define appropriate targets and support, both in lessons and in small groups outside normal lessons. In some classes, pupils with special educational needs are grouped to work with other pupils of similar ability and receive additional support with their literacy work from Gayton Junior School - 13 well-deployed learning assistants. This is a good strategy that is having a positive impact on accelerating the progress these pupils make and assists the raising of standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. About a fifth of pupils on the school roll are identified as learning English as an additional language. This is because English is not their mother tongue. None of these pupils is at the early stage of learning English. The school gives them every opportunity to participate fully in all of its activities. These pupils’ capabilities are spread across the different ability groupings in school and the standards they achieve are in line with others. They work industriously. They listen with care. They ask questions if they are uncertain because they have the confidence to do so. They have formed very good relationships with both teachers and classmates that give them this confidence. The standards achieved in all aspects of English are comparable with those of other pupils of similar ability. Speaking skills are well developed because they are such good listeners. Reading is enjoyed with relish because they are given opportunity to use the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

skills of reading in many aspects of their work. Pupils write effectively about a range of different things, not only in English lessons but also in other subjects such as history and RE. Pupils who speak a language other than English at home are not achieving significantly differently from other groups of pupils in school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Inspection evidence shows that strengths in teaching basic skills ensure that most pupils make good progress in literacy and numeracy during their time at school. Throughout the school there has been positive impact on the achievements of pupils from the successful implementation of both the National Literacy and National Numeracy Strategies. They have had relatively more impact for the younger pupils, as for them, this is the normal way to learn, English and mathematics. For those in Years 5 and 6 the changes have come on top of already established working patterns and so the impact has been less. The setting arrangements in English, mathematics and science, a relatively recent improvement, are working successfully for the higher and lower-attaining pupils; a three-way split that involves pupils being grouped by ability are resulting in well-focused teaching and effective learning for most of the pupils for most of the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

time. The third or so of pupils in Year 6 in the top set are all expected to achieve at the higher level 5 in next month’s SATs. However, the system is not as effective for those of middle ability whose learning is slowed by being in one of two parallel sets with lower-attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. A handful of these pupils could potentially be achieving at a higher level than they are if work were better matched to their needs and more expected of them. Additionally, the good practice seen in science where the very top scientists are being given support to enable them to work at a high level (Level 6 in SATs) has not been extended to talented mathematicians, although there is potential for this. Skills in the use and application of ICT are developing well. There were several aspects of ICT that gave concern in 1997 and these have all been addressed. The new ICT suite is timetabled intensively to enable pupils ample

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

time to develop skills and knowledge, and class-based computers are put to generally sound use in fostering cross-curricular use of ICT, but could be used still more.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The inspection team judges that the school has good capacity to strive for still better standards and there are strong indications that the school’s performance in SATs will be better in 2002 than in 2001. Throughout this academic year, the school has appropriately focused upon the development of writing skills; this is resulting in a significant proportion of Year 6 pupils achieving above average standards. In mathematics, there is an above average proportion of pupils in all year groups who are working at above average levels. These are important improvements. The school has set challenging targets, particularly in respect of the proportion of Year 6 pupils expected to reach the higher level 5 in English, mathematics and science, to assist it in reaching its goals. The target set in mathematics for the proportion of pupils expected to achieve average or better standards is not as demanding as it could be and this requires review. The school has

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

only just begun to use data to help in tracking different pupils’ achievements and is aware of the need to widen the use of critical analysis to inform target setting. Gayton Junior School - 14

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development

• There have been good improvements since the last inspection in this aspect of the school’s standards. • Pupils have good attitudes to school and are committed to their work. • Behaviour is good both in lessons and around the school. • Exclusions, while high last year, were fully justified. • Relationships are very good and there is racial harmony. • Personal development is very good. Pupils become mature, tolerant and caring young people. The school council is an outstanding feature. • Attendance and punctuality are good and underline the good attitudes to learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development

7. Improvements since the last inspection have resulted in a strengthening of this aspect of the school’s standards. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, now have good attitudes to school, are eager to learn, committed to their work and more involved in evaluating their own progress. In lessons they show initiative; for example when pupils in Year 3 had to set up the equipment in a science lesson having received only the basic instructions. They worked well together testing out a variety of set-ups until they found one which met the requirements of the experiment. Pupils are also conscientious in carrying out their homework tasks, and are keen supporters of the many extracurricular activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development

8. Behaviour is good both in lessons and around the school. There are some very good features, particularly the way they conduct themselves as ambassadors for the school when on trips, such as the recent Year 6 residential. Pupils are confident, yet self-controlled, and can reflect on and understand the impact of their actions on other people.

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development

9. Last year there was a very high number of exclusions involving five pupils who have now left the school. These exclusions were fully justified and emphasised the school’s refusal to tolerate any aggressive antisocial behaviour. There have been no exclusions this year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development

10. Relationships throughout the school are very good. The school community is friendly, courteous and considerate and one in which there is complete racial harmony. Pupils’ multi-cultural awareness is very good and they demonstrate genuine respect for their colleagues, of whatever race or creed. Indeed the level of sensitivity, awe and interest shown by pupils in a religious education lesson about Sikhism was a credit to them, and to the teacher, who involved and praised the contributions made by the ‘specialist’ pupils who had first-hand knowledge to share.

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development

11. Pupils’ personal development is very good, and by the time they move on to secondary education they are mature, tolerant and caring young people. Parents value the way the school helps their children to develop in this way. Pupils are encouraged to learn from their mistakes, and to take responsibility both for themselves and for the smooth running of the school community. They understand and exercise democracy through the workings of the school council. This is an outstanding feature of school life which enables the growth of pupils’ personal development and future citizenship. Younger pupils are enthusiastic about their opportunities to make suggestions and to vote on items for school council discussion. Older pupils, particularly the 12 council representatives, conduct themselves with professional competence when preparing for and holding council meetings. All pupils share in a mature, responsible approach which enables them

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development

to consider costs and safety, and to learn to compromise.

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development

12. Attendance is good, and is above the national average for primary schools. Pupils are punctual and parents inform the school of reasons for absence. However, some parents are a little slow in complying with this requirement. The school dissuades families from taking extended holidays in term-time, and makes a positive learning experience of long visits to relatives in other continents when these cannot be avoided. Gayton Junior School - 15

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

• Teaching is much improved since the time of the previous inspection despite a very high turnover of staff. • Teaching is good overall and all pupils, irrespective of their background or gender, share in this good teaching. • Pupils with special educational needs benefit from the additional support given to them by well- deployed and well-informed teaching assistants and education care officers, and learn successfully as a result. • Classrooms are productive and purposeful places of learning in which pupils work hard and show good levels of interest and independence. • A relative weakness in lessons generally is the lack of precision in leaning objectives that would enable pupils of different abilities to make the maximum progress, and enable more accurate assessment of the gains they make to support target setting. Additionally, more focus on monitoring and evaluation would enable the very best practice in school to be identified and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. Teaching and learning are much better than they were at the time of the previous inspection. This is despite a high staff turnover. Senior managers have provided good support to new staff and this, together with an effective programme of training and positive implementation of the school’s performance management strategy, is helping raise the quality of teaching. Teachers feel well supported in school, morale is high and they are committed to raising standards. The culture for looking critically at the quality of teaching and learning in order to identify best practice is now set. The school is ready to draw more people into the process of self-review and has now to find ways of sharing more widely the very best features of teaching and learning to be found in school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. The quality of teaching in the 83 lessons observed during this inspection was always of satisfactory or better quality, with two-thirds of lessons of good or better quality. There are pockets of very good practice in Years 5 and 6. Teachers have good subject knowledge, high expectations and very good class management strategies, and use time and resources well. Homework is well planned to assist pupils’ learning. Good features in most classrooms are the folders of mathematics and writing challenges that pupils can access for themselves. Classrooms are bright and exciting places. Teachers want to be with pupils and vice versa and this shows in the very good relationships present. These factors result in the great majority of pupils, irrespective of their needs, abilities, gender or background, achieving good standards. The school draws well on specialist support in swimming and this is proving beneficial to the quality of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

learning. The school’s strategies for teaching and learning in literacy and numeracy are effective, though further improvement is required in developing independent reading skills. Skills of literacy are given good attention, particularly in literacy hours, and due emphasis is paid to language use in other subjects such as history and geography. The school’s strategy for numeracy is good and pupils are working with both speed and accuracy as they build up skills for working with larger and larger numbers. Teaching and learning in ICT are good, although the use made of class-based computers is inconsistent. The practical aspects of a range of subjects are being well promoted and, as a result, pupils are confident to ‘have a go’ at solving problems. Pupils are willing, show enthusiasm and try hard in lessons. Both boys and girls work hard, concentrate well and become mature and sensible learners.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good because of the clear focus that teachers give to enabling these pupils to work on their individual targets. Additionally, teaching assistants and educational care officers are effective in helping pupils with special educational needs to make good progress, including those with statements. Gayton Junior School - 16 16. Teaching is generally good for pupils aged between seven and eleven. Lessons are lively and interesting and the pupils and teachers enjoy their time together. The setting arrangements in literacy and numeracy are working successfully for the most part and best in science in upper juniors. The three-way split that organises pupils into a separate top ability group and two parallel mixed middle and lower ability groups is having a beneficial impact on those pupils at both ends of the ability spectrum in the acquisition of skills. It is limiting the potential of middle attainers,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

however, as the lesson focus and rate of learning expected is more geared to the slower learners. Teachers use a good range of techniques to help pupils learn well. Of particular note is the way in which well-chosen questions are helping pupils to think deeply and show good reasoning when putting forward their views. This was apparent in an RE lesson in Year 5 where pupils re-enacted an aspect of Sikhs’ religious observance and rituals when visiting the Gurdwara. The teacher had chosen resources well; for example music playing in the background to set the atmosphere. She asked well-timed questions to elicit that all pupils knew what they were doing and also to encourage them to talk through their feelings. The teacher usefully drew on the knowledge and understanding of some pupils who worship as Sikhs and this helped others in the class share in their first-hand experiences. The pupils showed great respect for the Guru Granth Sahib

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

understanding full well its importance as the sacred holy book. Pupils learned factual information but also gained a lasting memory of how worship is made special because of certain beliefs. When asked to write down feelings following the experience, an African-Caribbean boy wrote, ‘It made me feel like I was floating on clouds, the music soothing me, I felt at peace…’.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The scrutiny of a sample of pupils’ work saved since last September showed that this good teaching and learning is commonplace in virtually all subjects. Pupils have covered a lot of ground and work is neatly presented. There are examples of good achievement in all subjects and especially in English, as a result of the school’s strategies for improving writing. For example, in Year 3, pupils have created some good quality poems about night-time after reading ‘The owl who was afraid of the dark’. They have also given thought to the importance of the world about them. As one girl wrote, ‘Growing flowers is wonderful because they cheer you up when you are feeling sad’. In Year 4, descriptive writing is of good quality and demonstrates the advances in pupils’ literacy development. A focus on the beginning of stories has resulted in some imaginative pieces; for example, ‘Eggy Slimestone was the slimiest boy in town. His nostrils were as big as

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

potatoes…..’ The full range of writing for different purposes and different audiences is apparent in the work of the oldest pupils in school. Some high quality discussion pieces have involved personal accounts of different genres of poetry. For example, in recognising that the use of similes and metaphors makes Ted Hughes’ poem about ‘My Father’ come alive, one girl commented, ‘ I think the poet tries to make his father’s job of digging holes more interesting than it is. The use of language suggests that the job is dangerous; he might find new things never seen before. In writing “what fearful thing is creeping from down below”, he is suggesting that his Dad might save the world from monsters…’.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Teaching has satisfactory or better features across the board but some aspects of general practice would benefit from improvement. For example, an over-use of worksheets is inhibiting some pupils’ achievements in geography. Marking is too variable and only occasionally does it identify where improvement lies. There is little use of the pupils’ individual literacy and numeracy targets being used in marking. This is a missed opportunity to help pupils understand what they need to do next to improve their work. In all lessons teachers identify the focus for learning but few return to this when assessing how well different pupils learn. In the best lessons, the teacher further identifies clear objectives that take full account of the range of pupils’ different abilities, and pursues these during the lesson through the work set and by re-visiting them in the plenary session. This practice can usefully assist managers in tracking how well different pupils learn

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

across the subjects they study year on year and can support more accurate target setting. It can also ensure that pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do next to improve their work. The school has yet to find ways to share features of the best practice in order to improve the overall quality of teaching and learning. Gayton Junior School - 17

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STUDENTS?

• The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets requirements fully; this is a significant improvement since the 1997 inspection. • The strategies for literacy and numeracy are effective and impact well on standards, though there is a need to review the organisation of learning sets. • The curriculum ensures good equality of opportunity and is fully inclusive. The provision made for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • The quality of provision for personal, social, moral, and cultural education is very good and is assisting pupils from different backgrounds to learn successfully together and to become rounded and responsible young citizens. • The extracurricular programme of activities, educational visits and visitors to the school is excellent.

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STUDENTS?

19. Gayton Junior School is a fully inclusive school that pays careful attention to meeting all of its pupils’ needs. All of those pupils whose parents wish to take part in religious education lessons and acts of collective worship do so. Teachers take pride in developing good relationships with all pupils. The behaviour of pupils is good. In general they have a clear understanding of the impact that their behaviour has on others. Consequently the pupils think about their actions and help to develop an atmosphere of harmony when all have an equal part to play in supporting one another. In carrying out tasks in this way pupils are following the school’s written policy that seeks to give equal opportunities to all. The school council, a democratically elected and self-governing body, is one example of how the school’s intentions are carried through into practice. In the same way that pupils take part in all lessons, they are equally fully involved in the school's extracurricular

p.17

STUDENTS?

activities. This gives support to pupils’ developing well as rounded future citizens.

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STUDENTS?

20. In the previous report, the curriculum offered to pupils was said to have weaknesses. Information technology, design and technology and geography did not meet statutory requirements. The picture today is much stronger because there is a good curriculum in place and all subjects meet requirements. Standards in each of the subjects have improved. In ICT they are now above average. Literacy and numeracy provision is good, as is equality of access to the curriculum for all pupils. The school has introduced a range of initiatives which provide further basic skills support for pupils. These include ‘the better reading partnership’ scheme, one-to-one support in lessons from classroom assistants, an effective homework programme, an additional literacy programme for Year 3 pupils, and scheduled booster classes to accelerate the progress of targeted pupils.

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STUDENTS?

21. The school pays assiduous attention to ensuring that pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in all of its activities. They work alongside their classmates in lessons because work is provided at a level where they will achieve success. They are actively involved in a very wide range of extracurricular activities. These include informative and helpful day and residential visits. The school does not treat the pupils with special needs any differently in this respect from any other pupil as a result of its fully inclusive ethos.

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STUDENTS?

22. The inconsistencies in curriculum planning identified at the last inspection have been addressed. All subjects have appropriate policies and schemes of work and medium-term planning is secure. Pupils are given worthwhile experiences of RE and all National Curriculum subjects. The provision for English is developing particularly well. There are good systems in place for the teaching of spelling and handwriting throughout the school. This is resulting in above average standards in the presentation of pupils’ work. Timetabled opportunities are also provided for creative writing, and this is also having a positive impact on the standards pupils achieve. The organisation of learning sets favours higher attainers and lower attainers and therefore the provision for middle attainers is an issue for the school to address. These pupils are not learning Gayton Junior School - 18 at a fast enough rate and the standards some achieve could potentially be higher. The English

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STUDENTS?

action plan indicates that a more systematic approach to the development of speaking and listening skills, and to the teaching of reading, are priorities for review. Inspection findings confirm these needs and identify some imbalances in the provision for geography and art and design. The delivery of the scheme of work for geography relies too heavily on worksheets and this limits the depth of study for many pupils. The art and design provision emphasises the teaching of skills and techniques and gives insufficient attention to the expression of individual ideas. This has a limiting effect on the standards pupils can achieve. Homework in all classes, though, is making a good contribution to pupils’ learning.

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STUDENTS?

23. The school is giving high priority to physical, health, social and citizenship education (PHSCE) and the planning for each year group is very good. Good procedures are in place for the assessment of pupils’ skill development in the various strands of PHSCE. A school council and class councils have been established which provide pupils with valuable opportunities to contribute to decision making in aspects of school life. Appropriate arrangements are made in school for sex education and drugs education and for transfer to secondary education.

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STUDENTS?

24. The range of extracurricular activities provided by the school is excellent. The current programme of school clubs is extensive and includes opportunities to play chess or learn about first aid, as well as sporting, musical and drama activities. Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities to visit places in the immediate locality and beyond. Pupils in Year 5, for example, visited Stratford-upon- Avon as part of their work on ‘Tudor Life’ and the Year 6 residential visit to Kingswood was a great success. Pupils participated in exiting activities such as archery, orienteering, robolab and laser quest. The school’s programme of activities, residential visits and visitors to the school makes a very valuable contribution to pupils’ learning.

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STUDENTS?

25. The last inspection found that the school made good provision for moral education and satisfactory provision for social, spiritual, and cultural development. Moral and social provision is now found to be very good and spiritual and cultural provision is good. Evidence from this inspection finds that the overall quality of provision for personal, social, moral, and cultural education is very good and is assisting pupils from different backgrounds to learn successfully together and to become rounded and responsible young citizens. The values and attitudes being promoted reflect the aims of the school very well.

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STUDENTS?

26. Pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is fostered appropriately through the acts of collective worship, religious education lessons and particularly through poetry and music. Assemblies also make a very strong contribution to the moral and social development of pupils. A lower-school assembly on the theme of ‘friends’ is an example of this. Pupils listened attentively to the moral message of the Christian story of the Good Samaritan and then were encouraged to reflect upon what friendship means and what actions they could take in their own lives to show friendship. They were further challenged by the question, ‘Has anyone helped someone who isn’t a close friend?’

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STUDENTS?

27. Cultural development is fostered through the comprehensive programme of visits and visitors to the school. Visits to Home Farm and to the Derby Museum by Year 4 pupils and the visit to Stratford-upon-Avon by Year 5 pupils provided a variety of cultural experiences. Lessons also generally contribute well to pupils’ cultural development, particularly those that explore the values and traditions of other faiths. Interesting work was seen on Buddhism and Sikhism, for example. The use of literature in English lessons is also making a good contribution to pupils’ learning in this area. However, a number of pupils make extended visits to other countries, particularly to the Indian Punjab, but the opportunities to draw upon these experiences to enhance cultural development for all pupils and to enrich the geography curriculum are largely passed by. Gayton Junior School - 19 28. Social and moral development is promoted very well through the school’s code of conduct. The

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STUDENTS?

code is displayed clearly in different parts of the school. Pupils know what is expected of them and know what is right and what is wrong. Their good behaviour and the very good relationships with staff and with each other illustrate this. Everyone is kept on their toes by the promotion of current behaviour targets. These take various forms: for example, there is a lunchtime behaviour target which is to ‘be responsible’, there is a weekly cloakroom challenge to promote tidiness, and there are class targets such as ‘show respect to visitors’. There is a range of rewards for good behaviour or good achievement such as the gold, silver and bronze awards and these are presented in front of the school community in weekly achievement assemblies. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to develop social skills and take responsibility for tasks in the classroom and around the school. Monitors, for example, take responsibility for the school library

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STUDENTS?

and tasks associated with assemblies in the hall. They carry out their responsibilities efficiently. The school council provides pupils with experience of the democratic process and encourages a sense of responsibility. Pupils are proud of the decisions in which they have been involved and the subsequent improvements. The extensive programme of extracurricular activities makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ social and moral development. Teamwork and an understanding of fairness are developed through the diverse activities provided. Confidence and independence are also developed, as one Year 6 pupil testified after the residential visit to Kingswood, ‘I enjoyed my three days at Kingswood without my mum, dad, and sister.’

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

• This a caring school where all staff share responsibility for pupils’ personal development • Very good attention is given to pupils’ health, safety and welfare. The arrangements for child protection are good. • Satisfactory procedures are in place for monitoring and improving attendance. • The school has very good procedures in place for promoting good behaviour. • The personal support and guidance for pupils is good. • The school’s use of assessment is unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. This is a school where pupils feel secure because of the level high level of care shown. Their personal development is well catered for by both teaching and support staff to ensure that they all benefit from a broad educational experience. Pupils are enabled to develop as responsible future citizens within a caring environment where pastoral welfare is given a high priority.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The provision for pupils’ health, safety and welfare is very good. The school takes health and safety issues very seriously and ensures that regular site inspections are carried out, as well as risk assessments on school equipment and on school visits either locally or further afield. Following a number of incidents of trapped fingers, considerable expenditure was allocated by the governors to fit safety devices to doors. This demonstrates their attention to health and safety matters. Many members of staff are trained in first aid, including a number of midday supervisors. The child protection procedures are good and firmly in place, and there are two designated teachers who have both received the required training. All staff, including lunchtime supervisors, are aware of the procedures and know what to do in case of need.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. There are satisfactory procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance. Procedures to be followed by parents in the case of absence or lateness are usefully published in the school brochure. Absence is monitored carefully. There is very good provision for the personal, social and health education of pupils that includes citizenship, sex-education and drugs awareness. The programme also includes opportunities for them to learn about themselves as individuals and how they can make informed choices about their health and their environment. Through the Health- Promoting School Award, pupils have become involved in thinking about the school environment and making decisions about healthy use of leisure time through developing playtime activities and a healthy diet, and creating a healthy, litter-free environment. The school has made good use of Gayton Junior School - 20 the experience and knowledge of visitors who have come to school to talk to them about these

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

issues. Circle time has been introduced to encourage pupils to express their feelings.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The school has very good procedures in place through its school charter and code of conduct to monitor and promote good behaviour and to eliminate oppressive behaviour. Although only recently introduced, the procedures have already had a considerable impact in reducing the number of incidents of poor behaviour. Parents have widely supported this initiative, and are involved by the school in any cases of unwarranted behaviour by their children. Incidents of poor behaviour or bullying are dealt with swiftly and effectively.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school has satisfactory procedures in place for the assessment of pupils’ attainment, though practice is developing and not yet fully effective. The school makes good use of the information passed on from the infant school at the end of Year 2 SATs as its baseline assessment. In addition pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 are tested in English and mathematics. Reading tests are administered twice yearly from Year 3 onwards. In the non-core subjects teachers follow the national guidance for assessment and further planning. The staff meet on a regular basis each term to match pupils’ work to National Curriculum levels. The school has developed assessment procedures to place children in literacy and numeracy groups. All of these are positive features. In contrast, the use the school makes of assessment does not provide consistent challenge, particularly for the middle-attaining group of pupils. The marking of pupils’ work is not rigorous

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

enough to identify the next steps of learning and to provide small measurable targets for them. Since teachers do not set sufficiently precise lesson objectives, it becomes more difficult to assess exactly what has been learned by different pupils. Although a new tracking system has been introduced in the lower junior classes to monitor pupils’ progress each year, it has not yet had time to make an impact across the school. The use of assessment to inform the planning of work that more consistently enables all pupils to achieve to their maximum capability is a key issue for the school to address.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school takes very good care to meet pupils' special educational needs. The individual education plans are carefully drawn up by class teachers, and the special educational needs co- ordinator (SENCO). There is involvement of appropriate outside agency support if this is necessary. Plans are regularly and effectively reviewed. Resources are well cared for and updated appropriately by a well-informed co-ordinator in order that a high level of attention to pupils’ needs is sustained.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

• Parents think very highly of the school. • There are very effective links between home and school. • Parents receive very good information about school life and their children’s progress. • Parents and carers support the school very well. • The swimming pool rota and Friends of Gayton School (FOGS) events make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. • Fewer children than expected read to adults at home.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

35. Gayton Junior School has a very good partnership with its parents, who think very highly of the school and give it their full support. Despite considerable staffing changes in recent years, the school has maintained a friendly, mutually supportive approach which is founded on the very good information it provides for parents and carers. The governors seek and publish parents’ views and the staff place a high priority on involving the parents and local community still further in support of the children’s education.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. The very effective links between home and school are reflected in the parents’ opinion that the school is very approachable, and in the school’s response to parental requests. For example, the Gayton Junior School - 21 early morning club was set up after consultations between parents and school. The school provides information of a good quality that covers the whole range of school life, including forthcoming events and topics, celebrations of pupils’ achievements, and personal detail about progress and areas for improvement. The pupils’ annual written report provides useful information about individual achievement, though few state explicitly the targets for improvement. Parents hold positive views about the arrangements made for consulting with teachers about their children’s progress. The prospectus and governors’ annual report are very user friendly and cover all the legal requirements.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. For their part, parents and carers support the school very well, which has a direct effect on the standards achieved. They provide an essential role as supervisers on the swimming pool rota, without which the pupils would not be able to have so much access to swimming. The homework timetables and diaries reflect the good support children receive in their studies at home, particularly those of a discovery/research nature. However, fewer children than expected read regularly to adults at home and the school is aware of the need to encourage a better reading partnership. The school works very effectively with parents whose children have special educational needs. Parents are consulted frequently and are fully involved in drawing up individual education plans. They are able to request further information in between regular reviews. The school shows sensitivity towards parents as it recognises the anxiety that many feel. The respect

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

that parents have for the school's provision is shown by the very good level of support they give to ensuring that needs are met accurately at home as well as at school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. Parents also help in the provision of after-school activities, such as the first aid club. The very active parents, teachers and friends association, ‘FOGS’ makes a valuable contribution to school life by arranging social events and fund-raisers, often involving the pupils in the promotion and organisation.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• Since the time of the previous inspection the school has given good attention to eliminating weaknesses and sustaining strengths. • The new headteacher has introduced good strategies to boost standards and is clear about where improvement lies. She has the support of a talented and enthusiastic management team which has the potential to influence change where it is required. • There are systems in place to enable evaluation of the work of the school but these lack rigour and are not used consistently. The school has only recently begun to use data to assist in monitoring and has only partial information about the achievement of different groups of pupils. • Governors are very proud of their school and very much feel part of the team. They apply the principles of best value appropriately to decisions and fulfil their responsibilities well. • The school has reasonable accommodation and resources, and a good level of staffing. The quality

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

of education is good and standards are rising; the school has good capacity to sustain improvement and provides good value for money.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39. Since the time of the previous inspection, the school has given good attention to eliminating weaknesses and sustaining strengths. This is despite the fact that all but one member of staff, the new headteacher who was the deputy previously, have changed. Standards and teaching quality are now much better than they were and there have been advancements in aspects of management; for example, the school development planning process is a positive feature and is very well supported by a good performance management system. There remain enhancements to some of the issues the previous report flagged; for example buildings are in need of constant upgrade due to their age and deteriorating quality and some resources such as the library have been identified for still more improvement. The new senior management team, still not complete, is beginning to influence change for the better, and all are united in the educational direction being

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Gayton Junior School - 22 pursued. The staff team has bonded well and there is good morale in school for both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40. The new headteacher, who was appointed at the beginning of this term, has made an effective start to her new leadership role. She has the full confidence of staff and parents and is very clear about the way to improve quality and the need to boost standards. In preparing for inspection and planning ahead, she has been assisted by the acting deputy headteacher who is doing a good care-taking job whilst the school selects and appoints a permanent deputy. Together, they form the first tier in the new structure for school management, and their partnership is working well. The next tier of management includes the co-ordinators of lower and upper junior phases. These middle managers are growing into the role of ensuring that systems and procedures are applied consistently across the school and they have taken part in a programme, albeit limited, of monitoring standards, teaching and learning. The outcomes of this have been shared with the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

staff and some adjustments made to the curriculum and teaching methods to ensure that the shortcomings are corrected. They are a talented group who, between them, have the necessary leadership skills, enthusiasm and credibility with the staff to lead the school forward.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The subject leaders are getting to grips with management responsibilities effectively and all have developed good subject action plans to guide improvement. Their job descriptions, however, are not sufficiently focused on monitoring and evaluation activities. Most have overlooked this and have undertaken an evaluation of subject planning across the school and examined pupils’ work. The headteacher is aware of the need to review the role of subject leaders to enable wider monitoring activities; for example, the direct monitoring of lessons and also the management of a budget. The SENCO is a successful manager. She is well aware of the recent changes to the Code of Practice and has already identified the areas where change needs to be introduced. This is proceeding appropriately. The work of support staff and teachers can be carried out effectively because of the good supply of resources that the co-ordinator updates carefully. She uses the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

funds made available to her thoughtfully and accurately, so that maximum benefit and use can be obtained from them.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. There is no specific leader to oversee the provision for pupils whose home language is not English. This is because none of these pupils currently requires additional support to learn English and because their learning needs are well managed by all teachers and support staff. The recently appointed headteacher has clear plans to establish monitoring procedures that will check the impact of the school’s inclusive practices to ensure that no one is losing out.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The school has improved its process of development planning since the time of the previous inspection. The plan is a useful tool to guide improvement and sets out a list of the right priorities to assist the school’s growth towards still greater effectiveness. There is a good focus on how to raise academic standards, though the success criteria would benefit from sharper focus on precisely what percentage difference is expected. The headteacher and senior management team (SMT) have good insights into how well the school is performing. They are involved as team leaders in the performance management process that involves all teachers being observed teaching once per term. They use an agreed format to provide critical debriefs and there are clear links between professional development and school priorities in follow-up training. Everyone in school has agreed to improve writing as their pupil progress target and this approach is usefully

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

assisting the school’s improved standards in English. Additionally, senior managers carefully evaluate data such as the SATs results and have been instrumental in the introduction of a system of target setting and tracking to assist in the drive for raised standards. This has considerable merits but is clearly at an early stage of evolution. There are still things to do to ensure that pupils’ progress is consistent and maximized through a rigorous assessment system that produces the necessary information at the right time in all subjects to keep track of progress. The use of data to track how well different groups of pupils in school are achieving, for example by ethnicity or ability is at an embryonic stage. The lack of rigour has meant that only partial Gayton Junior School - 23 information has been available to assist in reviewing the effectiveness of some strategies, for example the organisation of year groups into learning sets for English and mathematics.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Nevertheless, there is a will to make the necessary improvements, and the prospects for better monitoring and evaluation of standards and progress look good.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The governors are well informed about the work of the school because of first-hand experiences through curricular links or visits. They are working to improve their role as the body that keeps the school under close review, and are supportive and proud of the advances made by the school, particularly in ICT. They keep a watchful eye on budgetary matters and are making strides in their contribution to school improvement planning and oversight of the curriculum. They do not play an active role in evaluating data in a bid to check that the school is as successful as others in the locality or across the country but they are ‘up to speed’ with local views about the school’s position in the district league tables. The governors are becoming more knowledgeable about the school and are following the principles of ‘best value’ in public service in order to ensure that the pupils and their parents are getting an effective deal from the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school. Governors make sure that all statutory requirements are met.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The school uses its finance wisely in the interests of the pupils. The school recently underwent an audit (October 2001) that concluded there were no major concerns. The school’s response suggests that all areas flagged for improvement have been given appropriate attention. It is evident that finance is matched well to school priorities and this can be tracked through the school improvement plan, which is used to prioritise spending plans soundly. The school spends well the additional funds that it receives for particular uses, such as that spent in support of the education of pupils with special educational needs and for boosting standards. In practical terms, there are no shortages of resources, including staffing and accommodation, but there are desirable enhancements to the range of materials in the library, buildings’ refurbishment and resourcing in ICT, PE and art and design that managers are pursuing. The carry forward of a

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

little over five per cent has been earmarked to support this priority.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The school is successful in meeting its aims and has made good improvement to the key issues raised by the previous inspection. The school’s mission of ‘work smart-feel good’ is well met. The ethos for learning is good and pupils gain benefit from their time in school, although standards could be higher still. The school has reasonable accommodation and resources and a good level of staffing. Overall, the school gives good value for the comparatively average amount of money it spends on each pupil’s education. The school is continuing to press ahead with improvement in its bid to become a centre of excellence and its prospects look good. Gayton Junior School - 24

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

47. In their work to further raise standards and improve the quality of education at the school, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Introduce rigour into all assessment, monitoring and evaluation procedures by:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) extending the use of data to track the progress of different groups of pupils in school;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii) reviewing the organisation of learning sets in English and mathematics to ensure that all pupils are given consistently good opportunities to use their capabilities to the full, especially middle attainers;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iii) identifying the small but significant group of top achievers in mathematics and ICT who could potentially achieve at very high levels and make sure that they are given work and the necessary support to enable them to reach their personal best;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iv) evaluating how well different pupils achieve in their lessons against precise learning objectives and using this information to set suitably challenging work;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

v) widening the use of target setting, specifically in teachers’ marking and the pupils’ annual reports, and involve pupils more in assessing how well they are doing against the targets set;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

vi) finding regular opportunities to share the features of the best teaching and learning in school;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

vii) drawing all subject leaders into the process of self-critical review, including direct observation of lessons, in the drive for raised academic standards;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

viii) tightening up the success criteria by which whole-school targets are evaluated for their impact.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Paragraphs: 4, 5, 6, 13, 16, 18, 22, 33, 36, 41, 43, 49, 51, 53, 56, 57, 60, 68, 72, 80, 81, 85, 90, 92,

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In their action plan governors should also give attention to the following:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) Boosting standards in art and design and geography by: • looking at the depth of study enabled by the geography scheme of work and reviewing the use of worksheets; • checking that the new scheme of work in art and design enables pupils to explore ideas through investigation and make independent choices about their art work.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii) Pressing ahead with buildings refurbishment and planned resource enhancement.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Paragraphs 39, 45, 73, 88, 102 Gayton Junior School - 25 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 362

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 52 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 60

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

English as an additional language No of pupils

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 70

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 14

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 18

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Gayton Junior School - 26 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 40 35 75

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Boys 29 28 37 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 28 25 32

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of pupils School 76 (76) 73 (70) 92 (85) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Boys 27 28 36 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 27 33

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of pupils School 77 (62) 73 (70) 92 (76) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Black – Caribbean heritage 16 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Any other minority ethnic group 21 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Gayton Junior School - 27 Teachers and classes Financial information

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 14 Financial year 2000/20001

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total income 561,871

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 562,091

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total aggregate hours worked per week 130 Expenditure per pupil 1,553

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Balance brought forward from previous year 37,018

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

N umber of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent. Gayton Junior School - 28 Results of the survey of parents and carers

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of responses in each category

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

My child is making good progress in school. 53 42 3 2 0

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Behaviour in the school is good. 47 48 2 1 2

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 48 11 4 0

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 41 6 2 2

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 36 0 1 0

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 65 35 0 0 0

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school works closely with parents. 42 47 7 1 4

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school is well led and managed. 46 47 5 0 2

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 43 2 2 4

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 46 43 8 1 2

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

NB Rows may not total 100 per cent due to rounding Gayton Junior School - 29

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ENGLISH

• Standards in English are above average overall by the age of eleven. • There has been good improvement overall since the last inspection, however reading standards could be higher still. • The quality of teaching is good and enables most pupils to make satisfactory progress. • Pupils with special educational needs are well provided for and they make good progress. • Pupils with English as an additional language are competent users of English and achieve the same good standards as others of similar ability. • The setting system serves higher and lower-attaining pupils better than pupils with middle attainment and is in need of review. • Management of English is good but monitoring of lesson delivery is not rigorous enough to form a reliable overview of the quality of learning.

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ENGLISH

48. The results of the 2001 SATs in English for eleven-year-olds were average when compared with pupils nationally and those from similar backgrounds. The inspection findings show a more positive picture. Throughout this academic year, the school has appropriately focused upon the development of writing skills; this is resulting in a significant proportion of Year 6 pupils achieving above average standards. Boys and girls were found to be improving their quality of writing at a good rate in both English and other subject areas, such as history, RE and design and technology. Reading standards are average but there is an increasing focus on comprehension, and standards are set to rise in this area too. Speaking and listening skills are above average. They are appropriately developed in lessons by teachers’ well-focused questioning and through the excellent programme of extracurricular activities, for example the drama club. At present

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ENGLISH

there is not a clear school policy for the development of speaking and listening skills but the school has plans to address this; the high standards seen will then be secured and the stage set for further improvement.

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ENGLISH

49. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection because standards in all strands of English have been raised. There are now good resources for English lessons and the library stock is currently being expanded. The quality of marking, though, is still an area for further development. There is a good system in place for planning, target setting and tracking pupil progress in writing, but marking is not sufficiently integrated into this cycle. This system has yet to embrace other strands of English.

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ENGLISH

50. The strategies for teaching literacy skills enable the majority of pupils to make satisfactory progress overall. Reading skills in all years are broadly average. The school allocates time each week to groups of readers to give focus to accuracy and fluency. There is, however, a lack of focus on developing independent reading skills though good attention is given to library skills, research and retrieval of information. Most Year 6 pupils show that they can talk through ideas with each other and learn through co-operating together. Pupils use appropriate language and tone and communicate clearly when answering their teachers’ questions. In lessons pupils are not encouraged enough to comment on each other’s ideas and debate points of interest; opportunities for pupils to justify choices in class discussions are therefore missed. Creative writing is developing very well. In the upper school, poetry writing is a current focus. Year 5

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ENGLISH

pupils have fun experimenting with rhyming words and phrases on the theme of seasons. ‘Summer’ inspires combinations such as green leaves, blue seas , and light nights, water fights . Pupils show a high level of confidence in developing their ideas into verse and their understanding of rhythm is steadily improving. In Year 6 the good standards were observed in a lesson based upon several of Ted Hughes’ poems. Pupils recognised rhyming patterns and Gayton Junior School - 30 particular features such as repetition and the effect they can have on the reader. Virtually all pupils produced effective first drafts of their own ideas in the lesson. This demonstrated their knowledge of poetic devices and rhythm. One pair of pupils working together wrote, for example, ‘The silent hole seems harmless, without a peep or sound. The silent hole leads somewhere perhaps underground.’ Pupils try hard to incorporate imagery into their own work; for example,

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ENGLISH

one boy imagined that a ‘mutant colony of bees about to sting’ lives in his hole. Pupils in lower school show good progress in their understanding of grammar. They begin to distinguish between text that is written in the first person from text written in the third person and they are exploring the use of apostrophes. One Year 3 girl explained that an apostrophe ‘ lets you cut out letters in a word’. They know how punctuation is important when reading aloud and make good use of this knowledge.

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ENGLISH

51. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress throughout the school because they receive good quality support from staff. Pupils with English as an additional language do not need special provision because they are fluent in English and are appropriately placed in ability groups. The setting system works well for both lower and higher-attaining pupils because they have clear targets and focused support from staff. The provision for the middle attainers was found to be less well targeted, and the match of work to need less effective and detrimental to their progress. The overall quality of English teaching is good and in almost all lessons the management of pupils is very good. In the best lessons learning objectives are very clear and are shared with pupils so that they know what their teacher expects them to achieve within a given time. Specific learning objectives are referred to consistently by the teacher throughout the

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ENGLISH

lesson and learning is reviewed in the plenary. The marking of pupils work, though, does not consistently show them what they are doing well and what they need to do to improve with regard to lesson objectives or personal targets. The use of individual targets is at an early stage of development and too few pupils are encouraged to evaluate and improve their achievement against the personal ones they have been set.

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ENGLISH

52. In English lessons pupils are attentive and apply themselves well to their tasks. Most pupils have positive attitudes to acquiring new skills, knowledge and understanding. They work hard throughout the school day, both independently and collaboratively. Many are conscientious about completing homework and this contributes well to the improving standards. Inspectors observed little difference in the attitudes, behaviour and attainment of boys and girls and were impressed by the quantity of work they have produced during this academic year.

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ENGLISH

53. The English subject leader provides good direction for the subject; she leads by example and provides valuable support for colleagues. There is a good action plan for the subject that has appropriate time-scales for modifications and the introduction of new developments. The curriculum is secure, particularly so with regard to spelling, handwriting and creative writing. The school is aware of the need to review the teaching of reading because more emphasis needs to be placed on developing comprehension. Inspection findings confirm this and also show that not all pupils, including higher-attaining pupils, are confident in using phonic knowledge to tackle new words. It was also found that opportunities for pupils to read to adults on a one-to-one basis are inconsistent. Reading records indicate that some staff set reading targets and that good practice is not shared. The analysis of national assessment data has been used well to target resources

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ENGLISH

and to address areas of concern such as writing. The monitoring of lesson delivery has not involved the subject manager and this limits her overview of the quality of learning in the literacy sets. Gayton Junior School - 31

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MATHEMATICS

• Provision and standards in mathematics have improved well since the previous inspection. • Standards are above average overall and pupils make expected progress. • Pupils solve problems confidently, speedily and accurately. • Higher-attaining pupils and those with special educational needs do well. • Teaching and learning quality are good. • The subject is well led and managed and there are good prospects for continued improvement. • The system of setting pupils for mathematics is not advantageous enough for middle-achieving pupils. • The highest achievers could be challenged more. • The system of target setting and tracking requires improvement

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MATHEMATICS

54. The 1997 inspection report identified that standards in mathematics were below average and progress was satisfactory. Standards in Year 5 and 6 were judged to have improved significantly in the year since the disappointing SATs results in 1996. The school has improved mathematics well since 1997.

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MATHEMATICS

55. This year, there is an even more positive situation in mathematics. Standards are above average in all strands of the subject and there is an above average proportion of pupils in all year groups who are working at above average levels. Pupils have good mental dexterity when solving problems and many calculate the answers speedily. The focus on problem solving is good and most Year 6 pupils can analyse problems successfully prior to solving them.

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MATHEMATICS

56. Pupils make satisfactory progress generally, though the arrangements adopted for setting pupils work against the average attaining pupils and do not enable them to make the progress of which they are capable. Senior managers acknowledge the imperfections in the system of one top set and two parallel lower ones currently in place. Because the quality of support is good, pupils with special educational needs make good progress. Higher attainers are challenged well by the work provided and on the whole they too make good progress. Thus, the system of setting positively promotes the achievements of the higher and lower-attaining pupils, but those in the middle do not progress as effectively.

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MATHEMATICS

57. Mathematics is taught well overall. This in turn produces good learning. Because staff make the work motivating, pupils work hard and produce good amounts of well-presented work. Pupils are encouraged to become mature, sensible and independent learners and they show these characteristics clearly as they work. Teachers have good subject knowledge, they teach basic skills well and lessons are conducted at a brisk pace. The management of pupils and the deployment and effectiveness of support staff are strengths that contribute to the good quality of lessons. Assessment against precise and measurable objectives for the range of pupils in learning sets is the key area for improvement, alongside more constructive marking that will help pupils improve their work.

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MATHEMATICS

58. Pupils are very well behaved and are enthusiastic mathematicians. The quality of relationships is another strength. There are very good levels of racial harmony in lessons and pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are very successfully integrated. They are represented across the attainment spectrum and make the same progress as the other pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

59. The curriculum for mathematics is well planned and gives proper attention to the development of basic numeracy. The school’s strategy for numeracy is having a good impact on standards, and the work to promote mathematical problem solving and investigation is thorough and effective. For the future, more use of calculators will enable pupils to focus even more on the process of Gayton Junior School - 32 solving problems rather than on the arithmetic, which they are mastering well. There are some successful cross-curricular links that promote pupils’ mathematical understanding well. Some good examples are evident in ICT where, for example, Year 3 pupils use spreadsheets to collate and present mathematical data.

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MATHEMATICS

60. Mathematics is well led and managed by the enthusiastic subject leader. He has good insights into the quality of provision and standards in the subject. However, he has not had opportunities to check and evaluate standards, progress and the quality of education in lessons and so some aspects for development are not identified quickly enough. Because the subject is managed well, there is good potential for continued improvement. The action plan identifies the right priorities but is not sufficiently focused on how the planned actions will raise standards. The success criteria require sharper focus to take account of this. Attention to the needs of the highest achievers is recognised by the subject leader as another priority for development. He is keen to consolidate and advance the system of target setting and tracking that will enable the school to check that pupils, such as the top achievers, are reaching standards in accordance

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MATHEMATICS

with their capabilities. The system under trial should be extended across the school as soon as possible as there is every indication that the staff will make it another success story for mathematics.

p.32

SCIENCE

• The school has made very good improvements since the last inspection and pupils are now achieving above average standards by the age of eleven. • The overall standard of teaching is good. • Pupils learn well and acquire knowledge, skills and understanding at a good rate. • Science is well managed by a committed and conscientious subject leader who has good expertise, but so far too few opportunities to observe colleagues’ science lessons. • Not all lessons are planned sufficiently well to ensure that work is well matched to pupils’ different abilities and this hinders accurate ongoing assessment.

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SCIENCE

61. Since the previous inspection when standards were judged to be generally below the average expected nationally, considerable improvements have been made to the provision of science with all the required elements now being covered fully as a result of a new curriculum. Consequently, the school has been very successful in raising the levels of attainment so that, by the age of eleven, pupils achieve above average standards in national tests. Pupils of all backgrounds, including those who learn English as an additional language, are benefiting from the good, and improving provision made in science. Inspection evidence confirms these above average standards. There is very little difference between the achievements of boys and girls. Not all lessons, however, provide enough challenging activities for the younger, more able scientists, but the needs of older pupils are being met very well, with opportunities provided for those with

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SCIENCE

special talents in science to work at very high levels.

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SCIENCE

62. Pupils show a keen interest in science because of the good opportunities for them to become involved in investigations and scientific experimentation. During the inspection, classes of all ages benefited from this sort of activity, and were seen working well co-operatively in groups, keen to support one another, sharing and discussing ideas. For example, in a Year 3 lesson pupils were able to successfully measure the effect of the light source on the size of the shadow on their whiteboard only through working together. Pupils enjoy their science lessons and in those observed during the inspection they demonstrated good levels of concentration, and gave thoughtful answers to teachers’ questions.

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SCIENCE

63. To ensure that pupils in Year 3 have a good grounding in science investigations, they feature regularly in the topics studied. In one lesson, pupils planned an investigation to measure the effect of the distance from the light source on the size of shadow. They understand what it Gayton Junior School - 33 means to conduct a fair test, and what the variable factors are, because of the clear and confident explanations of the teacher. They have a secure understanding of the term ‘method’ and the higher attainers record the method they use independently, whilst lower attainers are given a useful worksheet to follow. Pupils’ findings are recorded on a line graph. Pupils know that this is the best way to present information when findings are not finite; they have used bar charts in the past to represent finite data, for example a survey of animals that can fly. Over the course of the year they carry out investigations on a number of topics, including the properties of

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SCIENCE

materials, the strength of different magnets when investigating the ‘push and pull’ of forces, and testing the hardness and porosity of rocks. Pupils make steady progress due to the good quality of the teaching. Pupils with special educational needs receive good levels of support that enable them to make good progress.

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SCIENCE

64. In Year 4, pupils continue to make progress and develop their investigational skills further when confronted with the problem of separating a collection of solids, and when given free choice to use a range of sieves, magnets and colanders. Pupils in a Year 5 lesson show a developing understanding of sunrise and sunset throughout the year, following the teacher’s interesting demonstration. One pupil explained that shadows are shortest at midday because the sun is directly overhead. They know that the Earth is tilted on its axis and that the seasons are caused during the Earth’s rotation round the Sun.

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SCIENCE

65. In Years 5 and 6, pupils are organised into learning sets that match them to others of a similar ability and are making good progress. The Year 6 higher ability set in preparation for SATs has been improving written evaluations, explaining the results of investigations. They know how to select the most appropriate explanation by using a set of criteria. They know when it is most appropriate to use a line graph or a bar chart, or no graph at all, and how to evaluate test results for fairness and reliability. Within this set there is a small group of very high attainers. This group is currently working on level 6 extension material and is expected to achieve well above average scores in the forthcoming SATs. The pupils are well on track to achieve this level. The lower ability pupils cover the same science topics and investigations as the other pupils. Work is well matched to their abilities to enable them to reach the levels of which they are capable.

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SCIENCE

Pupils carry out their science work methodically and accurately. Written work in science is well presented and neat. There are useful links to developing literacy skills too. For example, pupils have researched and written accounts of the lives of great scientists such as Edward Jenner and Louis Pasteur.

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SCIENCE

66. Teaching is good throughout the school; it is characterised by confident teaching by teachers who know their subject well. Resources, time and support staff are used well to support pupils’ learning. Teachers have high expectations of what they expect pupils to achieve, and are skilled at using questioning to ascertain pupils’ level of knowledge and understanding. Most lessons are conducted at a good pace, but the lack of challenge in a few lessons reduces the level of achievement for some of the more able pupils.

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SCIENCE

67. The science curriculum has been planned well to take account of National Curriculum requirements and national guidance to ensure continuity and progression. Useful links are made with other subjects to extend and develop pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding: in numeracy through measurement, calculation and recording of data, in literacy through writing, and in the use of ICT through the use of databases and spreadsheets. Lessons are usefully supported and reinforced through educational visits such as the one to Jodrell Bank. End-of-unit assessments are built into the curriculum, but the day-to-day marking is not effective enough to raise individual levels of achievement.

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SCIENCE

68. The subject leader is very effective and has worked successfully over the last four years to lead the drive to improve standards. The action plan is well conceived to guide improvement. She has provided training and support for her colleagues and this has helped to improve the quality of Gayton Junior School - 34 teaching, especially of investigational activities. The subject is continually monitored through checks on planning and by looking at pupils’ work, but she has had little time to monitor the quality of teaching through direct observation. Regular reports are sent to the headteacher and the link governor, and this is a positive feature in maintaining a high profile for the subject in the school development plan.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

• Standards in art and design are average at the age of eleven. • Pupils enjoy art and make satisfactory progress. • An up-to-date scheme of work is implemented across the school but requires careful monitoring to ensure that lessons are not weighted in favour of teaching as opposed to learning. • The subject leader has not had the opportunity to gain sufficient insights into the standards being achieved in all strands of art.

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ART AND DESIGN

69. Standards since the last inspection have been maintained at broadly average levels. There is more guidance available for staff now and the subject is planned for in all classes according to the new scheme of work. In the few lessons observed, pupils made satisfactory progress in the development of their understanding and use of technique, but had little opportunity to use their imagination or to explore materials or methods. Further evidence of standards and progress was collected from the artwork displayed around the school and from artwork completed in other subject areas. Evidence from teachers’ planning and evaluations of the topics in the new scheme of work were also taken into account. In addition, inspectors talked with pupils about their art.

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ART AND DESIGN

70. There is a good range of artwork displayed around the school but the standard of individual creativity is not as high as expected. Much of the work is competently produced, such as the Monet-inspired tissue pictures in Year 5 and the ‘relationships’ paintings in Year 3, but they lack significant individual interpretation This is because there is an emphasis in the school on teaching skills and techniques through demonstration. The expected level of imagination is shown in some topics, however. For example, the design and decoration of hats in an upper school display show some individual flair, and the design of owls in a lower school class is very expressive: a class of pupils in Year 4 had successfully used information technology to double the lines of symmetry in order to create their owl designs. The useful display of pencil drawings around the school shows that the progress made as pupils move up through the year groups is

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ART AND DESIGN

generally satisfactory. A small number of pupils reach above average standards in their work. An example of this is in Year 4 again, where an imaginative ‘Wanted’ poster shows a detailed pencil drawing of ‘a vegetarian with a very big appetite’. The use of sketch books in each year would be a useful addition to assist the school in monitoring pupils’ skills progression.

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ART AND DESIGN

71. The quality of teaching is judged to be satisfactory overall. Teachers are positive about the clear guidance that has been provided to support them in teaching art. Evaluations of topics covered earlier in the year show a genuine desire to build on their growing confidence to teach the full art and design curriculum. In the lessons observed, however, there was strong emphasis placed on how pupils should approach their artwork and on demonstration. To some extent this limited pupils’ creativity and is one aspect that requires monitoring. Pupils respond well to the opportunities provided for them in art and design lessons. They say they enjoy their activities and show interest in their work but they are not confident in sharing their thoughts and ideas about art. This is largely because teachers are not placing sufficient emphasis on the language required to discus their own and other’s work. This too is an area for improvement.

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ART AND DESIGN

72. The management of art and design is effective. Staff know what is expected of them in terms of curriculum delivery. The scheme of work, based upon an adaptation of national guidance, is implemented consistently across the school. The new evaluation system is proving useful. Gayton Junior School - 35 Appropriate modifications are being made to certain topics so that they can be successfully carried out. There is a good standard of display in the school and resources are organised well and are accessible. The subject leader is enthusiastic and is seeking to enhance his expertise by visiting other schools and meeting with colleagues in other schools to share good practice. There is a good action plan for the subject and several objectives are being explored, such as inviting visitors to the school, and taking pupils out on visits to provide curriculum enrichment. The next step is for the subject leader to gain deeper insight into quality and standards and to

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ART AND DESIGN

pinpoint where improvement lies through the direct monitoring of teaching and learning.

p.35

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• Standards in this subject have improved since 1997 from below average levels to an average level. • Pupils enjoy planning and making products and achieve appropriately for their age. • An up-to-date and detailed scheme of work is assisting successful teaching and learning. • Effective subject leadership has ensured good improvement and is on track to make still more improvement through the well-conceived action plan.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

73. Improvement since the last inspection is good. Standards then were judged to be below average at the end of Year 6 and they now meet expectations. Pupils make satisfactory progress over time because of confident teaching. A sound curriculum and useful subject guidance are helping teachers plan worthwhile experiences for pupils of all ages and abilities. The focus on giving pupils the opportunity to ‘have a go’ in the planning and design stages has a knock-on beneficial impact on their personal development and this is a positive feature. Resources, though adequate, are in need of enhancement; for example, it is recognised that there are some minor shortages in food technology, and this is being addressed. 74. Teaching quality is satisfactory with class management and subject knowledge being good. The identification of learning objectives for different attainment groups and the marking of pupils’ work

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

are aspects for improvement, though they are satisfactory overall. Pupils experience a range of suitable activities but the change of class organisation to single age groups means that the new scheme of work will not be fully in place until next year. The introduction of work booklets for pupils provides invaluable support for certain projects. Pupils are able to record fully their ideas at every stage of the ‘design, make and evaluate’ process. In Year 6, pupils demonstrate their knowledge and understanding as they interpret their designs and make a range of different musical instruments. They have thought about how sound is made and the different sounds produced by particular designs and they persevere to achieve their goals. Progress is evident as pupils show confidence in their independent resolution of problems as they arise in the making process. All work together and share resources responsibly. Pupils in Year 3 show

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

expected progress when they design a sandwich for a specific purpose, for example for a vegetarian child at a picnic or for an adult at a business meeting. Some pupils showed imagination in choosing bagels, cobs or French sticks as starting points before considering an appropriate filling. Pupils say they enjoy this subject and are keen to explain how they completed previous design and technology tasks. They are pleased with their finished products. 75. There is good management of this subject. The subject leader is well trained for this responsibility and takes a positive lead. She has ensured that up-to-date guidance and resources are available for colleagues. A new evaluation system is in place and there is a clear action plan for the development of the subject. Design and technology has a secure place in the curriculum and, as the new planning and evaluation systems become fully embedded, standards

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

are likely to rise. The subject is set to go from strength to strength. Gayton Junior School - 36

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

• The quality of provision and standards in geography, have improved since the “unsatisfactory” judgements of the previous inspection. • Standards today are average and progress is satisfactory. • The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. • The depth of pupils’ study of the subject requires continued improvement, as does the profile of geography within school. • Achievement in geography is over reliant on the remembering of facts rather than research and investigation and this requires review. • Geography is led and managed effectively by a committed and enthusiastic subject leader who is keen to monitor geography lessons across the school to gain even better insights into standards.

p.36

GEOGRAPHY

76. In the 1997 inspection report, geography was judged to be in need of improvement. At that time, standards were below average and pupils made unsatisfactory progress. The quality of the curriculum was a weakness and the subject lagged behind others in its development as an important part of the school’s provision. The subject leader, supported by senior managers, has worked well in the interim to boost standards and improve the quality of provision, and overall improvement during the last five years has been good.

p.36

GEOGRAPHY

77. Today, standards are average in all year groups. There are some signs of above average factual knowledge, though there remain some areas for improvement to bring overall standards in the subject in line with those found in other subjects. Central to this is the need to promote more the skills of geographical research and investigation. These aspects of the subject are included in the curriculum and some effective examples were seen, such as Year 6 research from travel brochures prior to the writing of promotional text to advertise hotel accommodation in a ski resort. However, the base for standards tends to be pupils’ factual recall of facts given them by their teachers. The lessons observed tended to rely on teachers’ explanation and questioning, rather than on pupils’ research using a wide range of resources or their ability to apply their knowledge.

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GEOGRAPHY

78. Teaching quality is satisfactory with class management and subject knowledge being good. The identification of learning objectives for different attainment groups in planning, the use of resources and the marking of pupils’ work are aspects for improvement, though they are satisfactory overall. The quality of learning is satisfactory but the methods used have a sameness about them Pupils work hard and, whilst the level of productivity is satisfactory, the emphasis on worksheet use, especially in lower junior classes, tends to limit the range and depth of studies.

p.36

GEOGRAPHY

79. The curriculum for geography has improved well since 1997 and covers all the necessary strands. Ongoing improvement to the depth of the curriculum is a priority of the subject leader. She has some good ideas for taking the subject forward in this respect and is most concerned to ensure that all pupils, particularly the higher attainers, are set work that is always demanding and structured to develop the full range of skills and knowledge. Pupils with special educational needs complete a reasonable standard of work, given their starting point in the subject. In addition, pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are as successful as other pupils in their learning. They are integrated well in lessons, are represented in all attainment groups and make sound progress. There is, however, too little use made of the experiences some pupils have following their extended visits to India that could usefully add to the quality of geography studies,

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GEOGRAPHY

for example. A useful feature in most classes is the world maps that seek to raise pupils’ understanding about the world. There is however, an absence of display about school that could showcase work and stimulate interest in geography, and this is a missed opportunity. Gayton Junior School - 37 80. The subject leader provides effective leadership and management for geography. Opportunities for the subject leader to monitor standards and teaching and learning directly have yet to be provided. She is working with the subject leader for ICT to ensure that pupils use computers and other technology more in their research and investigation into geographical topics. Despite this, there has been good improvement in the subject and the potential for ongoing improvement at a brisk rate is good. Provision and standards have moved from being a weakness to being of satisfactory quality. The subject leader is ready for the continuing task of moving them to the

p.36

HISTORY

• There has been good improvement to history since the 1997 inspection. • Standards are above average and progress is sound. • Pupils know how to find out about history as well as key facts about different periods in the past. • The quality of teaching and learning is good and pupils are enthusiasts. • History is well managed and led. • Greater use of ICT and the enhancement of the target setting and tracking system are the main areas for development.

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HISTORY

81. The school has sustained the strengths in history identified in the 1997 inspection report. Further, it has built on them successfully to boost standards and rates of progress. In 1997, standards were average and pupils made satisfactory progress. Now, standards are above average and some good progress is made. The school’s inclusive approach is ensuring that all pupils are given equality of opportunity to succeed in history and this is a positive feature. The next step is for managers to track the progress that different pupils are making to enable targets to be set that will assist pupils to extend their learning in history, and literacy and ICT skills. 82. Pupils are learning not just the facts about people, events and periods of the past but are also building good skills of historical investigation and research. In this way, they know what the study of history entails as well as key facts about the topics studied. Pupils’ knowledge and skills in

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HISTORY

history are enhanced by the links made to other subjects, particularly literacy. Each term, a history focus tied into the current topic is provided in the literacy sessions. These are well planned and resourced and make a good contribution to both literacy and historical skills and knowledge.

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HISTORY

83. Because history is brought alive, pupils give a very good response to the subject. They are keen to succeed and enjoy history. They work hard in lessons and the quantity and quality of work produced are both good. Pupils with special educational needs complete very good quality work, given their starting point in the subject. In addition, pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are successful in their learning. They are integrated well in lessons, are represented in all attainment groups and make good progress. Very good racial harmony enhances the quality of history lessons considerably.

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HISTORY

84. Good teaching brings about the good learning quality in history. Teachers’ subject knowledge, teaching methods and expectations are all good. The management of pupils is a strength and the use of time, resources and support staff promotes learning well. A combination of such qualities was observed in the Year 5 sessions on ancient Greek artefacts. The re-enactment of an archaeological dig enthused the pupils as they ‘excavated’ pottery, coins and other items. Following the necessary cleaning operations, the pupils attempted to identify the items by posing a series of questions that would help decide their manufacture and purpose. So, not only did the pupils learn facts about ancient Greek objects, but they also re-enacted, in a simple but effective way, how archaeologists put clues together to discover the past. Gayton Junior School - 38 85. The subject leader has ensured that the curriculum for history is well planned, broad and

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HISTORY

balanced. She is keen to develop greater use of ICT to advance pupils’ skills and knowledge and this is an appropriate priority for the continual development and improvement of history. She has been successful in the introduction of target setting in the subject and recognises that this process requires further refinement to produce a system that can track effectively that all pupils are achieving in line with their capabilities. Because the subject leader gives good management, the prospects for advance on this front, and continued improvement to history, are assured.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• ICT is a subject strength of the school and has been improved very successfully since the previous inspection. Standards are above average and pupils make good progress in the development of knowledge, skills and understanding. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • The curriculum is broad and balanced and there are particularly strong links to the development of writing skills. The subject leader gives very good guidance and support to staff and knows the subject very well. The next step is for her to observe first-hand teaching and learning across the school. • The use of classroom-based computers is not consistent. • The most able achievers could be challenged even more. • Some aspects of ongoing assessment and planning require refinement.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

86. ICT is a subject strength of the school and the rate of improvement since the previous inspection has been very good. In 1997, inspectors flagged that standards were below average and progress was unsatisfactory. This was largely due to the state of teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence, and weaknesses in resourcing. The subject leader has worked very hard, and most successfully, to bring improvement, and today the situation has been successfully turned around.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

87. Standards are above average in all strands of ICT and in all year groups. Pupils of different gender and from all backgrounds and ability have a confidence in using computers that stands them in good stead as they learn more about their applications and use. Year 3 pupils, for example, have good insights into spreadsheets and use them effectively to organise, collate and present data. This age group also produces some very good artwork using graphics programs. Pupils’ mouse-handling skills are central to this. They are able to produce images of great accuracy and use a wide range of features to produce evocative illustrations. Similarly, Year 4 pupils achieve above average standards in the use of branching data bases and most Year 5 pupils work at level 4 in their graphical modelling tasks. These pupils know well that the quality of output depends on the quality of the input and they show this in the deliberate inclusion of poor

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

quality data or spelling in some work. They also know how to use spell checks and other editing features to eliminate the effects of poor input. Year 6 make very effective use of word processing in the development of their writing in other subjects, such as RE, and link the use of spreadsheet modelling to the work on area calculation in mathematics very well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

88. There are still a number of resource-based restrictions that mean that standards in isolated aspects are not of the good or very good level as in the examples above. Some work has been included for the first time this year, for example Year 6 work on multi-media presentations. Some, such as the work on the Internet, was developed at the very good residential camp for Year 6. At that time, the school’s Internet link was not functioning properly and, without this additional input, pupils’ skills would have suffered. However, there is determination and effort amongst the staff to ensure that pupils do not miss out and, in general, the curriculum is well balanced, broad and of considerable depth. Gayton Junior School - 39 89. One evident improvement has been in the cross-curricular use of ICT. The subject leader is keen to take this on further, and is right to do so. However, the use of ICT to promote writing

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

skills is an especially valuable development that has led to some above average writing in all classes, as well as the fostering of pupils’ word processing skills. The next step, as indicated by the subject leader, is the greater use of class-based computers to foster skills and knowledge in other subjects, now that the computer suite is being well used.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

90. The teaching of ICT has improved substantially. The teaching of skills, pace of work, class management and the use of resources all stand out as being well developed. Subject knowledge is greater than before, though the subject leader includes further staff training amongst the priorities of her good ICT action plan. The ongoing assessment and evaluation of skills development and the planning of work, especially to ensure consistent and appropriate challenge for higher-attaining pupils, are the other two spheres of teaching that require further improvement.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

91. Learning is also good. Pupils work hard, their productivity is good and they show enthusiasm for the subject. The firm focus on skills and knowledge development in lessons pays off well as pupils are becoming proficient ICT users. Good support from non-teaching staff ensures that pupils with special educational needs keep up well and make good progress. Progress is good for other groups too. The higher attainers produce some very good work and pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds succeed in their ICT studies as much as the other pupils. Work to challenge the more-able achievers is the next focus for continued improvement to ensure that every pupil rises to meet his or her full potential.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

92. The subject leader is a highly effective manager of the subject. She has very good insights into the quality of provision and standards, although she has had no opportunities to monitor these first-hand in other teachers’ lessons. She is an influential leader and manager and has ensured that ICT has moved ahead strongly since she took up her post five years ago. ICT has good potential to improve even more and there are no reasons why standards should not rise still higher to become well above average consistently across the full range of the subject.

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MUSIC

• Standards have improved since 1997 when the school was previously inspected and today are above average at the end of Year 6. • Good teaching throughout the school supports the pupils well in their learning. • Pupils make good progress as they enjoy taking part in a range of music making activities. • Music is well managed by a subject leader who gives confidence and a strong lead to others to teach music effectively.

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MUSIC

93. Standards are above average at the end of Year 6. This is an improvement on the findings at the previous inspection. Supportive leadership enables teachers to work confidently in order for pupils to reach these standards. Tasks in music build upon the previous task more often than not and so standards are built upon incrementally. A small amount of instrumental tuition further supports musical skills of a few pupils as they play violins and clarinets to a good level. Both boys and girls, including pupils with special educational needs, enjoy music making. They often develop talents fully in the subject because they are given the confidence to do so. Pupils whose first home language is not English make equally good progress. A positive feature is the good range of instruments available including ones from different pupils’ own cultural backgrounds to use in their music making. Again this gives them the confidence to take part fully. The activities

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MUSIC

make an important contribution to developing pupils' very good social skills and cultural awareness. Gayton Junior School - 40 94. In Year 3, pupils have early opportunity to develop their composing and performing skill appropriately. They are then able to move on to appraising one another's compositions. They do this skilfully because they have listened carefully after taking a good amount of time over their compositions. The pupils are able to interpret moods with confidence as they combine voices and instruments together purposefully. Voices are used effectively to create a mood of happiness whilst instruments are played carefully to create a calm mood. The pupils listen so that they can help one another in a constructive way to improve performance.

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MUSIC

95. The pupils continue to enhance their composing and performing skills throughout the school. At times this is carried out through use of voices, whilst on other occasions instruments are used confidently. In Year 4, voices are used as pupils confirm their understanding of the musical characteristics of playground singing games and chants. Knowledge of the pupils’ own culture is developed at the same time as that of volume and pitch in singing. Rhymes such as ‘Hot potato’ and ‘Mary sits a-weeping’ project a good rhythmic addition to words when suitable instruments are used. Pupils experiment with instruments in order to improve upon their performance. A good range of instruments is widely used by pupils in Years 5 and 6 when they successfully combine sounds together to create specific effects whilst telling a story. In both years the pupils record in notation form what they intend playing on keyboards, chime bars, bells, tambours and

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MUSIC

maracas. In Year 5 they create a magical journey into space, whilst in Year 6 they listen to composers such as Mahler before creating their own version of a jungle daybreak. This is performed with panache by one of the groups in a whole-school assembly.

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MUSIC

96. Teaching is good. Lessons are well planned and resourced. Teachers give thoughtful support to pupils as they move around groups who are experimenting in their music making. Teachers use correct musical language so that the pupils' technical musical language is becoming proficient. As the activities are interesting to them, pupils have very positive attitudes to their music lessons and confirm this by their sensible behaviour.

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MUSIC

97. Music is well led by an enthusiastic subject leader. She is confident herself and has made a good job of giving other teachers the confidence to teach music successfully. A useful scheme of work helps in this respect. The ongoing provision of resources also helps to promote music well throughout the school. The school is well placed to develop the subject even further when it carries out its intentions for the future, such as forming a school choir.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• PE has been given appropriate attention since the previous inspection and the standards being achieved are at broadly similar levels. Pupils achieve above expected levels in swimming and this is a strength of the subject. • Teaching enables pupils to make sound progress as they strive hard to achieve their best. • The school provides a good range of extracurricular sporting activities and has achieved some good results in sporting tournaments with other schools in the community. • The subject leader keeps abreast of standards and progress at present through monitoring planning and end of unit assessments, but has not yet had the opportunity to monitor teaching and learning directly.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

98. Standards in PE are broadly average and have been maintained at this level since the last inspection. The school has rewritten the scheme of work in the light of evaluations to better meet the needs of the school and to ensure that pupils’ knowledge and skills can be further developed. Teaching is mainly satisfactory with some good features. The teaching of swimming is good. The use of the school’s own pool is an advantage in assisting pupils’ good achievement in swimming. Gayton Junior School - 41 99. Pupils enjoy PE and strive hard to achieve their best; they work together well in pairs and groups. This was clearly seen in most lessons during the inspection where the focus was on the development of striking and fielding skills in tennis and rounders throughout the school. In a Year 3 lesson pupils play games already known to them, with agreed rules, in small groups and with a reasonable level of skill. The task is made more challenging for them by agreeing, in

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

discussion with their group, to adapt the rules. Most are able to rise to the challenge after a while and show developing control and hand-eye co-ordination in striking the ball to their partners. In Year 4, this skill is extended where pupils are learning to strike the ball using forehand, backhand and lob strokes with the intention of deceiving their playing partners by placing the ball where they cannot reach it.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

100. In a Year 5 class, pupils display excellent attitudes in response to their teacher during an outdoor lesson. They have a good understanding of the purpose of the warm-up activity, and listen intently to the teacher’s instructions. They play small-sided games, such as rounders. Some choose short cricket bats instead of rounders bats as the larger surface area gives them a better chance of making connection with the ball. This strategy works well to give confidence and perfect hitting for those less confident. Year 6 pupils show a reasonable level of hand-eye co-ordination and most strike the ball accurately enough for their age. Some pupils are able to demonstrate their skill level by sustaining good rallies in tennis. Overall, pupils learn at a steady rate and most make satisfactory progress, including those pupils with special educational needs. In swimming, all pupils make good progress and achieve above expected levels due to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

the good quality of teaching they receive. By the age of eleven, most pupils are able to swim the required 25 metres and many comfortably exceed it.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

101. The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory. As the new scheme of work starts to take effect in conjunction with the subject management, it is likely impact positively on teaching. Teachers show confidence in their lessons and an awareness of when to give coaching points. Lessons have elements of challenge to improve pupils’ level of skill and co-ordination, and move forward at an appropriate pace. Pupils are managed well and know what is expected of them. The best teaching observed focused on the building of pupils’ skills rather than too much teacher demonstration and also enabled pupils to evaluate their own and others’ performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

102. There is good management of PE by an enthusiastic and committed subject leader who is keen to ensure that pupils are provided with the best opportunities and experiences. In addition to the comprehensive policy and scheme of work provided to support her colleagues, she has provided a good programme of extracurricular activities, including football and netball clubs, aerobics, swimming and orienteering. Teams enter competitive football and netball tournaments with some success. Each year teams represent the school at the annual schools Bazuka swimming championships, the Railtrack Play Safe Football tournament, and the Derby City festival of sport, including netball and football. The school has useful links with Derby Dance and Derby Storm (basketball). The subject leader keeps abreast of standards and progress at present through planning and end of unit assessments, but has not yet had the opportunity to directly monitor

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

teaching and learning. Resources for PE have recently been extended and are adequate, though are identified for more enhancement, particularly the purchase of more racquets and balls.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

• The programme for religious education meets requirements. • Standards at Year 6 are above average and have improved since the previous inspection. • Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning, showing respect for one another's values and bel • The subject is well led by the recently appointed headteacher. Gayton Junior School - 42 103. The standards at Year 6 when compared with local and national requirements are above average. This is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection. Then they were found to be average with some unsatisfactory teaching. No unsatisfactory teaching was found in this inspection. Progress is now good throughout the school. Both boys and girls contribute well to mature discussions about a range of world religions. The study of different religions gives pupils whose first home language is not English a good opportunity to make astute and useful

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

contributions to others’ learning. Pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in religious education lessons. They are well supported when it is necessary for them to have support from educational care officers and classroom assistants as well as their teachers. The inclusive nature of the school is well demonstrated in religious education lessons, where pupils are learning from religion as well as about religion. Very good use is made of pupils’ own faith to enable first-hand experiences to be shared with one another. This is aiding the good racial harmony to be found in school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

104. Learning from religion is a core focus of the subject. Teachers make learning meaningful as they relate the focus of lessons to everyday life whenever possible. These good links ensure that pupils gain a good set of life-enhancing skills and principles. In Year 3 classes pupils focused upon sharing with one another. This was done through looking at the similarities and differences that there are between aspects of the Christian and Islamic religions. In a circle time activity pupils shared openly in a well-structured exercise about the sharing of wealth that they had been involved in through sponsored activities. This was a living comparison to the story of the rich young man in the Bible. The knowledge of a pupil from an Islamic home contributed valuably to the understanding of sharing contained in the third pillar of Islam. In Years 5 and 6, pupils’ maturing thinking consider profitably the meaning of respect for others religions as they make an

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

in depth study of the Sikh religion. Pupils’ first hand experiences are used in role-play as they replicate the rules and observance required when worshipping in the Gurdwara. Pupils who are Sikhs are willing to be interviewed to share their knowledge. Those who undertook the role-play recognised the importance of personal faith to others and also learnt, in a very meaningful way, about a major world religion.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

105. Teaching is good. Planning is effective. Pupils are well managed by the very good relationships established by their teachers. This reflects in the equally good relationships that are established between themselves. Pupils’ literacy skills are being well fostered as they develop speaking and listening skills to a mature degree, as well as writing about feelings in a well-structured way. Teachers act as good role models for pupils who respond positively. They behave sensibly in the practical activities. They listen to one another with care as well as listening to adults equally carefully. Pupils show respect for the beliefs and values of others as they handle religious objects thoughtfully.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

106. The subject is well led by the recently appointed headteacher who previously led the subject as deputy head. She has given teachers confidence to teach the subject from a practical viewpoint whilst also meeting the local and national requirements. Resources support developing knowledge and understanding of the range of religions indicated in the local syllabus. The school is well placed to meet future requirements with a revised policy when a new agreed syllabus is available.

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