Moor Nook Community Primary School

MOOR NOOK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd - 6 th December 2001

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MOOR NOOK PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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MOOR NOOK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Moor Nook Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Mitton Drive Preston Postcode: PR2 6EN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Ian McKenzie

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: April 1997 Moor Nook Primary School - 2

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responsibilities

10373 Mr A J Dobell Registered inspector Music Physical education The school's results and pupils' achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 19443 Mrs N Walker Lay inspector Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 31175 Mr A Allinson Team inspector Equal opportunities Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage Science Information and communication technology How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

28200 Mr P Stevens Team inspector Special educational needs Mathematics Art and design Design and technology How well does the school care for its pupils?

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responsibilities

30033 Mr M Wright Team inspector English as an additional language English Geography History Religious education

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responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House Moor Nook Primary School - 3 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Moor Nook Primary School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 8

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? 9 - 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school serves the Moor Nook council estate which is situated some two miles east of Preston town centre. It has 266 pupils on roll and is bigger then the average primary school. Twenty four children attend the Nursery on a part time basis. There are more boys than girls in the school (55 per cent to 45 per cent). Pupils come from the surrounding area and families tend to be mobile, with many families being re-housed onto the estate. The school serves a community with unusually high levels of social and economic deprivation. Overall, the socio-economic background of the pupils and their learning skills when they enter the Nursery are very low in relation to the national average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Some 2.8 per cent of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds, which is above the national average. These pupils speak English as an additional language, but this does not, in itself, adversely affect their learning. Sixty five per cent of the school’s pupils are eligible for free school meals which is well above the national average. The proportion of the school's pupils identified as having special educational needs (63 per cent) is much higher than the national average, as is the proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs (five per cent). The range of special educational needs includes moderate learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties, speech and communication difficulties, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Thirty eight pupils (almost 15 per cent) left or joined the school during the course of the school year 2000-2001. This movement adversely affected attainment

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school in which pupils make very good progress in the Foundation Stage, and good progress between the ages of five and eleven. Standards of attainment, as measured in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Years 2 and 6, have improved well since the school was first inspected, but remain very low in relation to the national average. This reflects the very poor learning skills which children have overall when they enter the Nursery, and their poor command of English which hinders their learning throughout the school. Evidence from this inspection is that the school is in a good position to improve attainment further. The school effectively includes all its pupils in all its activities and pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make very good progress in the Foundation Stage and good progress from Years 1 to 6.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Under the headteacher's excellent leadership, the school has a very strong commitment to improvement and to providing its pupils with very high standards of care. Given the improvements in attainment since the last inspection, its very high quality of care for its pupils, the good progress that pupils make overall and the good quality of teaching, the school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The Foundation Stage provides children with a very good start to their learning and is a strength of the school. • Teachers are highly skilled at managing the challenging behaviour of a significant number of pupils and this skilful management enables all pupils to enjoy good quality learning. • As a result of skilful teaching, pupils make good progress overall throughout the school. • There is a very high quality of care for all pupils: this includes very good provision for moral development and for personal, health and social education, and comprehensive systems for monitoring attainment and progress. • Parents hold the school in very high regard. • The headteacher, very ably supported by her deputy and all her colleagues, provides outstanding leadership and management. As a result, the school has a very positive environment for learning, fully includes its pupils in all its activities and has a very strong commitment to improvement.

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What could be improved

• Pupils overall do not develop their language, literacy and communication skills sufficiently well, and this adversely affects their attainment and progress throughout the curriculum. • Pupils have relatively few opportunities to organise and manage their own work. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has improved well since it was first inspected in April 1997. It took the key issues identified by that inspection seriously and addressed them successfully. The quality of the education provided in the Nursery has improved markedly and the Foundation Stage is now a strength of the school. Attainment has improved well because the quality of teaching has improved and is now more focused. Assessment has improved very well and procedures for assessing pupils' attainment and progress are now very good.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

In addition, the quality of the curriculum is now good and is supported by improved provision for moral and cultural development and for personal health and social education, and by the very good opportunities for activities outside lessons. The support available to pupils has been strengthened further by the development of the 'Way Forward' group, a multi-agency group which supports pupils in a range of ways. Other initiatives, which include the Preston Education Action Zone, the 'Surestart' scheme in the Foundation Stage and a partnership with a local rotary club, are enabling the school to improve its provision for all age groups. All these improvements result from the clear-sighted leadership of the headteacher. The school is in a good position to improve further.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

Science E* E* E* E* well above average above average average below average well below average very low in relation to the average A B C D E E*

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Key

Attainment, as measured by results in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, is very low in relation to the national average. Attainment in the school has improved since the last inspection at a higher rate than the national rate of improvement. However, the school recognises that attainment is not yet high enough. The results reflect the very low levels of attainment which pupils have when they enter the school, the very high proportion of pupils on the special educational needs register and pupils' unsatisfactory skills in using English. Given the very low standards on entry to the school, the evidence shows that the pupils who took the National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6 in 2001 had made good progress during their time in the school.

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Key

Standards in information and communication technology at the end of Years 2 and 6 are below expectations, but the school is making rapid progress in this subject. Attainment in art and design, geography, music and physical education matches national expectations. In history, attainment exceeds national expectations, but in design and technology attainment does not meet national Moor Nook Primary School - 7 expectations. In religious education, attainment is at the level expected for pupils following the Lancashire agreed syllabus. Pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make very good progress in the Foundation Stage and good progress in Years 1 to 6. Children are now making very good progress in the Foundation Stage and this puts the school is in a good position to raise standards of attainment further.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils are enthusiastic about school and like to be there. However, they quickly become distracted in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is satisfactory, but only because pupils are well managed and heavily supervised. Many pupils have little self-discipline.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and adults, are good overall. This is because all adults are so skilled in managing behaviour and promoting good relationships. Pupils’ personal development is good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is below the national average.

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Aspect Comment

Parents confirm that their children like school, that the school is effective in teaching right from wrong and that the school makes children more mature and responsible. Parents believe that behaviour is managed very well, and the inspection team agrees with this. There were seven fixed-term exclusions for five pupils in the school year 2000-2001. There is no clear pattern to absence.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teachers are very skilled in their management of behaviour and, as a result, pupils have access to good quality learning. The quality of teaching has improved well since the last inspection, particularly in the Foundation Stage. Very good and excellent teaching is characterised by teachers’ commitment and enthusiasm, their very good knowledge of their pupils and by effective plenary sessions which reinforce learning. Overall, the behaviour of pupils is more challenging as they get older, which slows the pace of lessons and affects learning adversely.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching is good in both English and mathematics. Literacy skills are taught well but opportunities to practise writing in subjects such as geography, history and religious education are missed. The teaching of numeracy skills is satisfactory, but pupils have too few opportunities to use and apply their mathematical knowledge in real life situations. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good or excellent in a significant minority of lessons and this is underpinning the very good progress that children under the age of five make. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs and for pupils who speak English as an additional language. As a result, these pupils make good progress overall in relation to their previous attainment. A central aim of the school is to fully include all pupils in all its activities. This is largely achieved, although there are occasions when

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

the withdrawal of a few pupils for separate activities affects their equality of opportunity for learning. Moor Nook Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality of the curriculum is very good in the Foundation Stage and good from Years 1 to 6. Statutory requirements are fully met. There is very good provision for activities outside lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs in the Foundation Stage and good provision in Years 1 to 6. Pupils make good progress overall in relation to their previous levels of attainment.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There is very good provision for pupils who speak English as an additional language in the Foundation Stage, and good provision in the rest of the school. Speaking English as an additional language does not adversely affect learning for these pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development There is very good educational and personal support and guidance for pupils. There is very good provision for their moral development, good provision for their social and cultural development, and satisfactory provision for their spiritual development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils All pupils are very well known to teachers and all adults in the school, and are given very high quality support.

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Aspect Comment

The school's curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant and the school makes good efforts to ensure that it meets the needs of all individuals and groups of pupils. Parents appreciate the very good quality support that their children receive. As a result of the hard work of the headteacher and her colleagues, the school has good links with parents and this is an improvement since the school's first inspection.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher, very ably supported by her deputy and all her colleagues, provides excellent leadership. She is determined that all pupils will be given every opportunity to achieve their potential both academically and as individuals.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its statutory requirements and has a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. It shares and supports the school's values and objectives.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has very good systems for analysing its strengths and weaknesses and for determining its priorities for further progress.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes very good use of its human and physical resources. Good care is taken to get best value from the school's expenditure.

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Aspect Comment

The school has made good progress since its first inspection because of the headteacher’s determination and clear-sighted leadership. There is an excellent shared commitment to improvement and capacity to succeed. The school is very well staffed to teach the National Curriculum and religious education, and teachers receive effective support from classroom assistants. The quality and quantity of learning resources have improved well since the school’s first inspection, particularly in the area of information and communication technology. The school has good accommodation in terms of space, but there is a shortage of small rooms for individual and small group work which is a major need in this Moor Nook Primary School - 9 school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Good teaching results in children making good progress. • Children are expected to work hard and do their best. • Parents feel comfortable when approaching the school with concerns. • Children become more mature and responsible. • The school is well led and managed. • Children like school. Of the parents who responded to the questionnaire: • 13 per cent express concerns about behaviour. • 16 per cent question if children get the right amount of homework. • 12 per cent question if they are well informed about progress. • 13 per cent question if the school provides sufficient activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The school distributed 266 questionnaires and 82 were returned (31 per cent). Sixteen parents attended the meeting for parents held before the inspection. These views represent less than one third of all parents and carers.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team supports the positive views held by parents. The behaviour of a significant number of pupils is challenging, but inspectors judge that the school manages behaviour very effectively. At the parents’ meeting, most parents supported this view. Inspectors believe that teachers use homework well to support learning. The quality of the information provided about pupils' progress is satisfactory. The school makes very good provision for activities outside class although, as is often the case, most of these are for junior pupils. Moor Nook Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the Nursery with learning skills which are, on average, very low in relation to those normally found. In particular, they have poorly developed social skills and little understanding of the need to take turns, share equipment and resources, and to put hands up and not to just call out. They make very good progress in developing these skills. They also have very poorly developed communication skills, particularly in explaining their work to others. This skill is more difficult to develop, but, in the Foundation Stage, teachers and other adults take every opportunity to improve children's communication skills. While children make very good progress, most will not have achieved the level expected nationally by the time they begin their work on the National Curriculum. Progress in other areas is adversely affected when communication skills are important. As a result, about half the children will not have reached the expected standards in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematical development by the end of the Foundation Stage. More children will have reached the expected standards in knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development by the end of the Foundation Stage because these areas of learning require a greater range of skills. Similarly, most children will reach the expected standard in personal, social and emotional development by the time they leave the Reception Year. During the Foundation Stage, from the ages of three to five, children including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, make very good progress. This is a marked improvement since the school's first inspection when the rate of progress of children in the Nursery was a major concern.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2 in 2001, 48 per cent of the school's pupils attained at least the national expectation of level 2 compared with 84 per cent nationally. This result is very low in relation to the national average and the average attained in similar schools in which over 50 per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals. In writing, 55 per cent of the school's pupils attained level 2 at least compared with 85 per cent nationally. This is very low in relation to the national average and well below the average in similar schools. In mathematics 56 per cent of the school's pupils attained level 2 at least compared with 90 per cent nationally. This, too, is very low in relation to the national average, and well below the average attained in similar schools. Science is not examined at the age of seven, but teachers' assessments were that attainment was very low in relation to the national average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The results in 2001 indicate that pupils made good progress in Years 1 and 2. They show an overall improvement since 1998 and an encouraging feature is that 15 per cent of the pupils in Year 2 attained the higher than expected level 3 in mathematics, which is a major improvement on what the school achieved in previous years. Evidence from the inspection suggests that pupils in Year 2 are on course to achieve further improvements in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2 in 2002. The attainment of boys and girls is broadly similar and is improving as a result of extra teaching support being provided in Year 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In the National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6 in 2001, in English, 34 per cent of the school's pupils attained the national expectation of level 4 at least compared with 74 per cent nationally. This was very low in relation to the national average and well below the average attained in similar schools. In mathematics, 45 per cent of the school's pupils attained level 4 compared with 71 per cent attaining at least level 4 nationally. This was very low in relation to the national average and well below the average attained in similar schools. In science, 41 per cent of the school's pupils attained level 4 while 87 per cent of pupils nationally attained at least this level. This was very low in relation to both the national average and the average attained in similar Moor Nook Primary School - 11 schools. Again, attainment for boys and girls was broadly similar.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Attainment at the age of 11 has improved well since the school was first inspected. Then, only 13 per cent of the school's pupils attained level 4 in English, eight per cent attained level 4 in mathematics and ten per cent attained level 4 in science. The school's careful analysis of trends indicates that, since the previous inspection, the rate of improvement in attainment in the school at the end of Year 6 has exceeded the rate of improvement nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In interpreting these results a number of factors need to be taken into account. The level of attainment when children enter the Nursery is very low. An exceptionally high proportion of the pupils have special educational needs and over half these pupils are at the higher stages of need. Further, an unusually high proportion of pupils join or leave the school during the school year because their families move house. For example, in the school year 1999-2000, there were 48 movements of pupils, and, in 2000-2001, there were 37 such movements. As a result of movements over the years, only 25 per cent of the Year 6 pupils who took the National Curriculum tests in 2001, had spent the full seven years in the school from the Reception Year to Year 6. Movement of pupils adversely affects levels of attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Evidence from this inspection is that children make very good progress in their learning in the Foundation Stage and good progress from Year 1 to 6. However, their difficulties with language depress attainment because they find it difficult to interpret questions under test conditions and to express themselves clearly and fully when answering questions. As a result, progress in learning is not fully reflected in test results. Children in the Foundation Stage are given good opportunities to manage their own learning. However, there are fewer opportunities in Years 1 to 6 for pupils to show initiative in organising and managing their work and this does not help them to be effective under test conditions.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Evidence from the inspection is that speaking and listening are unsatisfactory throughout the school. Most pupils listen better than they speak. They have difficulty in expressing their views at length and in using interesting and varied vocabulary. In reading, pupils are below the expected level at the end of Years 2 and 6. For some pupils, the books being read are insufficiently challenging and this hinders their progress to higher levels of attainment. Writing is also below the expected level at the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils have difficulty in expressing themselves at length in standard English and poor spelling, handwriting and presentation do not help the quality of written work. Attainment in mathematics is below expected levels at the end of Years 2 and 6 because pupils find it difficult to apply their mathematical knowledge to 'real life' problems and to interpret mathematical problems expressed in words. This is linked to their problem with

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

language. In science, pupils find it difficult to interpret questions under test conditions and to express their thoughts clearly. As a result, attainment is below average at the ages of seven and eleven.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In the other subjects of the curriculum, attainment in information and communication technology is below the level expected nationally at the end of Years 2 and 6 but is improving rapidly. Attainment in design and technology is below that expected at the end of Years 2 and 6, largely because expectations are too low. In art and design, geography, music and physical education, attainment is at the level expected for seven and eleven year-olds. In history, attainment is better than that normally found at the end of each key stage. In religious education, attainment matches that expected for pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6 following the Lancashire agreed syllabus for religious education. Overall, the sound standards found at the school's previous inspection have been maintained. There has been an improvement in attainment in history and a decline in design and technology.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress overall in relation to their previous levels of attainment and very good progress in the Foundation Stage. This is a result of the school's good provision for special educational needs. Careful attention is paid to the needs of pupils through their individual education plans and the tailoring of resources to individual pupils' ways of learning. There is scope for greater attention to be paid to these pupils' progress in oral and written language. High attaining pupils are identified and make good progress. Moor Nook Primary School - 12 11. The school has introduced the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy successfully and teachers have a secure understanding of their underlying principles. They are beginning to have a positive effect on attainment. However, opportunities to practise the skills of literacy and numeracy in other subjects are not planned systematically which means that opportunities to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Targets are agreed for attainment in English, mathematics and science in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6. In 2001, the target for English (42 per cent) was not achieved since 34 per cent of pupils attained level 4, but the target for mathematics (34 per cent) was exceeded as 45 per cent of pupils attained level 4. The target for science (42 per cent) was virtually achieved with 41 per cent attaining level 4. However, half of the pupils in this year group were on the school's register of special educational needs and over one third were on the higher levels of the Code of Practice, and this adversely affected attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. The school understands that a major priority is to improve attainment. It has made an effective start, but standards of attainment are not yet high enough. The improved rate of progress now being achieved in the Foundation Stage is giving the school a firmer foundation on which to raise attainment further. The school has the determination and capacity to do so.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils in general have good attitudes to their learning. Many of them find it extremely difficult to concentrate for any length of time and easily become distracted. However, because of the very skilful way in which teachers manage pupils, the majority of pupils try hard, listen in lessons and follow instructions well. So long as lessons are interesting and well planned, pupils concentrate well. However, whenever the quality of teaching fails to capture pupils’ interest, their attitudes deteriorate. Children in the Foundation Stage are making very good progress because of the very good attitudes to learning that they have developed.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils’ behaviour is satisfactory. Even though there are a number of pupils who regularly display very challenging behaviour, particularly out of lessons, the majority of pupils behave well. During the last school year there were seven fixed term pupil exclusions, which is low in comparison with other local and similar schools. So far, during this school year, there has been only one such exclusion. Even those who do not find it easy to behave in an acceptable manner, respond well to the calm but firm approaches of teachers and support staff. Teachers are very skilful in their management of the large proportion of pupils who have special educational needs, including those who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. As a result, these pupils have the same positive attitudes as other pupils. Their behaviour is not normally challenging or disruptive and they are making good progress in co-operating with other pupils, with their teachers and with other adults.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Nevertheless, the majority of pupils have still not developed a sense of self-discipline and continue to need a very high level of supervision at all times.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Even though most pupils are polite and considerate, others show little respect either for their fellow pupils or for their elders. This is particularly apparent at lunchtimes. For example, some will do all they can to barge through doorways into school regardless of who else might be in their way. For many pupils, the automatic response to any perceived snub is physical aggression. The school is aware of this and has effective measures to deal with it. For example, in a whole school assembly during the inspection, the headteacher emphasised that kicking was totally unacceptable. The school’s personal, health and social education programmes are seeking to improve pupils’ self-discipline and understanding of the effects of their actions on others. In lessons, many find it difficult to wait to be asked and simply call out. This is often as a result of their enthusiasm and keenness to do well. However, pupils know that this is not the right way to

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

behave and, with just a facial expression or sign from the class teacher to remind them, they will usually correct themselves.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. There are good relationships in school particularly between pupils and teachers and especially with the headteacher and her deputy. In lessons, the majority of pupils work well together in pairs, they help one another and they share equipment. In special discussion times, known as Moor Nook Primary School - 13 'circle time', most have the confidence to speak to the class. They listen carefully to each other and make sure that all pupils have their turn and it is rare that someone will snigger at someone else's contribution. However, pupils have not yet had many opportunities to take responsibility for organising their own work and selecting their own equipment in lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Parents confirm that their children are keen to attend school and many pupils, in discussions with inspectors, said that they liked this school. Nevertheless, the school's annual attendance figure continues to be around one per cent below the national average. Current registers confirm that very many pupils achieve very good attendance and, so far this term, attendance may, at last, be improving. The school believes that this is as a result of absences being followed up immediately they occur. This has been made possible through extra money being made available through the Education Action Zone initiative. Much of the absence figure currently appears as unauthorised absence in the registers. However, this is largely because parents often fail to inform the school properly of the reasons for their child's absence and many are not contactable by telephone. A few pupils across the school often arrive late in the mornings but, once in classrooms, pupils

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

settle and lessons usually start on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching is good overall throughout the school and this is an improvement on the situation found at the time of the school's first inspection. In this inspection, 64 lessons were observed and the quality of teaching was unsatisfactory in only one lesson. Of the rest, teaching was satisfactory in 38 per cent of lessons, good in 42 per cent, very good in 19 per cent, and excellent in five per cent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. In the thirteen lessons observed in the Foundation Stage, six were very good or excellent, six were good and one was satisfactory. Teachers have a very secure understanding of how young children learn. Children enter the Nursery with learning skills that are very poor overall. They rapidly learn good work habits and their enjoyment in their tasks ensures that they work with impressive levels of interest and concentration. Their progress is being enhanced by the school's participation in the national initiative 'Surestart', which is helping to overcome their difficulties with English. Teachers are very successful, overall, in engaging the interest and imagination of the children so that they work with enthusiasm and a high level of commitment. Teachers are very well supported by nursery nurses and other non-teaching assistants who are involved very effectively to promote attainment and progress. The six areas of learning identified for children

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

under the age of five are covered very effectively and they make very good progress because of the high quality of the teaching and learning experiences available to them.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In Years 1 and 2, 17 lessons were observed. In three of these the quality of teaching was very good, in ten it was good and in four it was satisfactory. Very good teaching is characterised by a careful match of tasks to the abilities of different groups of pupils, so that all are challenged realistically. Careful questioning maintains concentration and tests and extends understanding. Where teaching is satisfactory, pupils' attention is less securely engaged so that less progress is made.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. In Years 3 to 6, 34 lessons were observed. In these lessons, the quality of teaching was excellent in one lesson, very good in five, good in eleven, satisfactory in sixteen, and unsatisfactory in one. In the excellent and very good lessons, work proceeds at a very good pace so that pupils are engaged and their interest does not flag. For example, in an excellent mathematics lesson in Years 5-6, the teacher's brisk change over from one aspect of the lesson to the next ensured that pupils did not become distracted. Her good eye contact, sense of humour, very good planning and provision of very good resources underpinned the excellent relationships which ensured very effective progress in learning. In the satisfactory lessons, more time is needed to manage behaviour so that the pace of lessons slows and learning slows also. In the one unsatisfactory lesson, too much time was spent in talk by the teacher, the work was

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

not matched appropriately to different ability groups and not all pupils were fully included in the lesson. Moor Nook Primary School - 14 23. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs and for those who speak English as an additional language. As a result, these pupils make good progress in relation to their previous levels of attainment. Teachers' plans clearly indicate the objectives for these pupils. Individual education plans with targets for each pupil are used well to guide the planning of lessons. Pupils with emotional and behavioural problems are very well integrated into teaching and learning because teachers and non-teaching assistants ensure that they are included in all activities and that their achievements are recognised. Most teachers successfully use humour to establish good relationships with their pupils. In lessons where a large number of pupils have special educational needs, teachers are very skilled at using short questions in a sequence to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

reinforce learning step by step. They are also successful in boosting pupils' self-esteem so that they willingly make greater efforts. Good effort or behaviour on the part of any pupil is quickly recognised through verbal praise and a range of rewards. The main point for development in the teaching of pupils with special educational needs is that a greater range of approaches could be used to promote learning, for example, role-play, information and communication technology, dance and music. There are occasions when this is done successfully. For example, in a physical education lesson for pupils with special educational needs in Year 1, the teacher very skilfully engaged the pupils by asking them how their dance could be improved and allowing them to demonstrate. As a result, they put a great deal of mature thought into their work, concentrated hard and made very good progress. The way in which they were involved effectively raised their

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The quality of teaching in English is good overall in Years 1 to 6. Teachers have a clear understanding of the National Literacy Strategy and use it effectively. They have good strategies for the teaching of literacy skills. However, pupils' command of English is unsatisfactory and the raising of standards is proving difficult. This is not helped by poor levels of spelling, handwriting and presentation, and by the fact that opportunities to practise writing in subjects such as geography, history and religious education are not taken. Many pupils have difficulty in thinking and writing in extended sentences which develop a train of thought. These weaknesses in English adversely affect learning in the other subjects of the curriculum.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The quality of teaching in mathematics is good in Years 1 to 6. Most lessons are planned well and learning objectives are clear. There are examples of information and communication technology being used well to support learning in mathematics. However, pupils' poor English skills hinder their ability to understand mathematical problems expressed in words, and pupils have insufficient opportunities to practise their mathematics by tackling 'real life' problems. Careful teaching ensures that pupils make good progress in their understanding of number and of shape, space and measure. Pupils are competent in handling data expressed in the form of graphs, but the quality of presentation is often unsatisfactory.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Homework is used well to support learning, although there are examples of reading books being insufficiently challenging to help pupils to make good progress. Work is regularly marked and there are many examples of encouraging comments, but these tend to refer to good efforts being made as opposed to the quality of the work. There are too few examples of comments intended to help pupils to improve their work and not all teachers insist that improvements are maintained in future work. The quality of handwriting and presentation is significantly better in pupils' handwriting books than it is in their everyday work.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The hard work and careful planning of teachers mean that pupils benefit from very good quality learning experiences in the Foundation Stage and good quality learning experiences in Years 1 to 6. Most pupils are keen to be involved in learning and to give of their best, but they have too few opportunities to manage and organise their own work. Teachers are skilled in ensuring that pupils have a clear understanding of what they are learning and why in most lessons. While teachers are very consistent and successful in managing the behaviour of pupils, in some lessons, their need to spend extra time doing this slows the pace of lessons and the pace of learning. The school is aware of this and now has comprehensive systems in place to track the progress of all pupils. Information from these assessments will put the school in a good position to analyse the needs of individuals and groups of pupils and so improve the quality of teaching and learning

p.16

PUPILS?

28. A good quality, interesting and stimulating curriculum is provided from the Nursery upwards for all pupils from different backgrounds and with different abilities. All subjects of the National Curriculum, religious education and personal health and social education are provided. Provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage of Nursery and Reception is very good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and these pupils, as well as those for whom English is an additional language, make the same very good progress in the Foundation Stage, and good progress in Years 1 to 6, as other pupils.

p.17

PUPILS?

29. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes work towards the nationally-expected Early Learning Goals and cover all areas of learning expected for children at this stage. Activities are very well planned and managed to ensure that the maximum possible range of experiences is provided. Work is carefully matched to the maturity and ages of the children. A good balance is maintained between activities requiring the teacher's input and careful guidance and those where children select for themselves and explore and imagine. A suitably high emphasis is placed on the development of personal and social education and communication, language and literacy. The school’s participation in the ‘Surestart’ national initiative provides good support for developing communication skills. The secure outdoor play area for Nursery children is used well, whilst the Reception children make good use of another area, under close supervision. The opportunity for

p.17

PUPILS?

physical activities is also provided in the hall for both the Nursery and Reception classes. Provision for all areas of learning is very good because teachers have a very good understanding of the needs of young children, plan accordingly and the activities provided are well resourced. This enables all children to make very good progress. This is a very marked improvement from the previous inspection where teaching was described as over-controlled and limiting the progress of the children.

p.17

PUPILS?

30. Planning for pupils in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory and, in Years 3 to 6, it is good. The most recent national guidance and guidance provided by Lancashire Education Authority are used as the basis for planning the curriculum and adapted to provide programmes of work that ensure continuity and progression in pupils’ learning. A whole school approach is providing consistency and ensuring that there is full coverage of National Curriculum requirements. Planning carefully identifies what pupils are expected to learn, understand and do both over the term and in individual lessons. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. In those classes with both Reception and Year 1 pupils, planning clearly identifies what each group is expected to learn. Religious education meets the local requirements. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are well established and standards are improving. The banding arrangements for

p.17

PUPILS?

English and mathematics play a significant part in ensuring that pupils of all abilities are provided with learning experiences that are matched to their needs. Information and communication technology is a rapidly improving area in the school. Pupils are given good opportunities to develop their skills and are beginning to be given opportunities to use these skills to support other subjects. In all subjects pupils are given the opportunity to develop their skills of speaking and listening, but insufficient opportunities are provided for pupils to practise and extend their writing, including their handwriting skills. There is also a need to ensure that the withdrawal of pupils from the classroom for other educational support does not impede their learning.

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PUPILS?

31. Very good provision is made for personal, health and social education. In addition to personal and social education lessons, including 'circle time', subjects such as science and religious education and special lessons for older pupils enhance the provision. There is a suitable sex education policy and provision for education on the misuse of drugs. Much is done to broaden pupils’ experiences beyond the community in which they live. Visits to places of interest, including a well planned residential experience for older pupils to the Lake District, and visits from people with specialist knowledge and expertise, such as a story teller and a drama group that reinforces teaching about bullying, are all used well. The school draws on special funding to arrange evening theatre visits, for example for younger pupils to a production of ‘Postman Pat’ and, for older pupils, to ‘The Firebird’. Moor Nook Primary School - 16

p.17

PUPILS?

32. A real strength of the school is the provision of a very good range of extra-curricular activities. All clubs have a clearly specified purpose. For pupils in Years 1-2 there is a lunchtime ‘Honey Club’ to encourage good relationships and broaden play experiences. For older pupils, in addition to a range of sporting activities, there are clubs to support learning in areas of the curriculum such as French, science, information and communication technology and art. The gardening club is aimed particularly at pupils with special educational needs and funds are provided to support this club by employing a gardener with expertise in organic gardening to enhance the opportunities provided. This club has strong links with the local community centre whose staff also support the activities both on and off the school site. The homework club for pupils in Year 6 helps to raise attainment in English, mathematics and science.

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PUPILS?

33. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The school has a comprehensive policy which ensures that their needs are met well. It rigorously applies the statutory Code of Practice which recommends different levels of support to match the difficulties being experienced by these pupils. Hence, while some pupils simply need extra monitoring to ensure that they are making progress, others receive very close attention from specially trained teachers and support assistants. The school is flexible in changing the degree of support as pupils make progress or if they struggle in any way. The school dedicates a great deal of its finances to supporting pupils by providing staffing resources. However, attention needs to be paid to whether the current use of withdrawal of pupils from classrooms is always in the best interests of their learning. There is the danger of them not having full access to the curriculum to which they are entitled and which is

p.18

PUPILS?

being followed in the class from which they are withdrawn. The placing of some pupils into special classes is proving beneficial to their learning because they receive good, well-targeted teaching in these classes. However, more consideration needs to be given to a wider range of learning strategies. These pupils are fully included in the school’s extra-curricular activities. They particularly enjoy gardening and benefit well from their experience in the gardening club.

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PUPILS?

34. The provision of spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good overall. The provision for spiritual development is satisfactory, provision for social and cultural development is good, and provision for moral development is very good. The provision for the moral and cultural development of the pupils has improved well since the last inspection.

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PUPILS?

35. The school provides a daily act of worship for all pupils, which is broadly Christian in nature and plays a major role in the school's provision for moral and social development. There are limited opportunities for reflection to develop spirituality in the daily acts of collective worship. However, religious education lessons contribute well in this respect. Opportunities are provided for pupils to study a range of religions and, at these times, they show respect and understanding. Music is played as pupils enter assembly and candles are often used in dim light to create a spiritual atmosphere where pupils are encouraged to reflect or to say prayers. They consider their feelings about different issues, for example, the feelings of others or the uses of candles for sad and happy times. Through these experiences, pupils improve their understanding of others' values and beliefs. Opportunities to inspire feelings of awe and wonder do occur in music, history, art and

p.18

PUPILS?

science but teachers do not always exploit these fully.

p.18

PUPILS?

36. The provision for social and cultural development is good. The school council is well established and pupils are encouraged to take responsibility in their community. A strong sense of social responsibility exists in the school and is under-pinned effectively by the multi-agency support group that meets regularly. This close link with the community enhances the social and academic learning of pupils. The Moor Nook “Way Forward” group is an initiative by the school to provide skilled support for children referred by their teachers for social, behaviour or learning problems. The gardening club recently hosted a visit from a visiting Kenyan, Matthew, and all pupils are benefiting from the cultural links that began with his visit. Gifts and photographs have been exchanged and e-mail correspondence has now begun. This link with Matthew has promoted knowledge of cultural diversity. Assemblies are planned ahead to include topics of cultural

p.18

PUPILS?

diversity. These are also considered in 'circle time' where good quality material is used to promote an awareness and understanding of cultural diversity.

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PUPILS?

37. The provision for moral education is very good. Many examples of challenging behaviour in the Moor Nook Primary School - 17 school are met with calmness. Teachers and other adults are consistent and united in providing very good advice and support to pupils to help them to learn the difference between right and wrong. Displays of codes of conduct are in classrooms and there is advice on the school's system of rewards and sanctions. Teachers are very vigilant and quick to intervene if necessary. They are skilled in helping pupils individually and in class groups to reflect on their behaviour and its impact on others.

p.18

PUPILS?

38. The school has satisfactory links with other local schools and enjoys very good links with the local community. Pupils benefit greatly from these links, especially in their personal development. For example, through the school's very good relationship with the Preston North Rotary Club, pupils in Year 6 visit a number of local companies and businesses. As a result, they experience for themselves the world of work, but, more importantly, they develop an understanding of the purpose of working hard at school and learning. They gain aspirations and want to achieve them.

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PUPILS?

39. The school has planned its curriculum carefully to meet the needs of its pupils and is doing so successfully. The curriculum is now more carefully focused than was the case at the time of the school's previous inspection. The school is in a good position to develop its curriculum further for the benefit of its pupils, for example, by extending the use of information and communication technology to support learning in other subjects.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. At the time of the last inspection the school was judged to take good care of it pupils. This positive picture has been improved even further and the school now provides an excellent level of care and support for all its pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. There are well-established routines in school which create an orderly environment and pupils' safety is given a very high priority. For example, in addition to regular site inspections of the premises to identify and remove any potential dangers to pupils, risk assessments are carried out before pupils embark on visits outside school and other practical activities, such as the school's gardening project. The school's excellent arrangements to protect children from all forms of harm both in and out of school, are a particular strength. The headteacher has a very clear understanding of child protection issues and of the need to provide support for pupils who face real and complex difficulties in their lives. As a consequence the headteacher has formed a very effective support group known as 'The Way Forward'. The membership of this group is now extensive and includes representatives, for example, from the health authority, the police,

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

voluntary agencies including debt counselling, drug-line and the community alcohol team. A breakfast club is a valuable development which gives pupils a good start to the day. In addition, and through the Education Action Zone initiative, the school has the very valuable services of a full time Family Learning Tutor whose role it is to provide help for families whose children's learning is suffering because of social difficulties. All of these professionals are working together to provide real and practical support for pupils and their families in order for them to learn effectively. As a result, the school has seen a marked improvement in pupils' self-esteem and they are better equipped for learning both mentally and physically. In addition, this network of support releases teachers from a time-consuming burden of counselling and enables them to get on with the job of teaching.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has very good procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils' personal development. Teachers and other staff take a genuine interest in their pupils. They are very knowledgeable of, and sensitive to, the difficulties that some of them face. Every pupil is valued and welcomed and made to feel special. For example, pupils who have had to overcome a range of domestic difficulties in order to get themselves to school are not reprimanded for being late but receive an encouraging smile. As a result, all pupils feel secure and comfortable in coming to school. They grow in confidence and this enables them to play a full part in lessons, asking and answering questions and seeking help when they need it. Teachers and other staff present excellent 'role models' and have very good behaviour management skills. For example, even though very many pupils need to be constantly reminded of how to behave, staff are never heard to raise their voices

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Moor Nook Primary School - 18 in school; they simply deal with situations in a calm but firm way. As a result, although pupils are left in no doubt as to what is expected of them, they are never humiliated. Staff develop good relationships with their pupils. In turn, pupils respect their teachers and want to please them by doing their best in lessons and trying hard to meet the school's expectations for good behaviour.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and understanding are very good. The school assesses pupils as soon as they enter the Nursery in order to determine their needs. In this way those with special educational needs are identified at an early stage. Then a programme of intervention is put in place so that pupils’ needs are met. The school regularly assesses pupils’ work in order to determine the level they have reached in English and mathematics. It is giving consideration to how assessment in other subjects could be improved. The school also includes optional national tests for nine-year-olds in addition to the statutory tests. In English, it regularly assesses pupils’ spelling and comprehension against nationally expected levels. Tests are used to analyse any differences between boys' and girls' performances, and between pupils in different groups, for example, those with special educational needs or who speak English as an additional

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

language. The school takes great care to ensure that it is fully aware of the progress of pupils with special educational needs. There is also detailed analysis of the school’s overall strengths and points for development, so that the current low levels of performance in national tests can be addressed and standards of attainment raised further. This analysis also furnishes information about whether the school is developing pupils’ achievements as far as it can.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school makes very good use of the assessment information it gains to guide curriculum and lesson planning. With regard to individual pupils, the school maintains well organised portfolios so that it can record pupils’ progress from year to year. These include samples of pupils’ writing, mathematics and other academic work. This provides the information the school needs for reports, including those to parents. Assessments and portfolios provide the basis for literacy, numeracy and personal targets to be achieved and reviewed. For pupils with special educational needs, the records are more detailed and lead to clear individual plans which are meticulously maintained and discussed with parents. The classroom assistants who work with these pupils make their own very good contributions to these plans through feedback to classroom teachers. A broader picture of pupils’ achievements is gained by maintaining very full records in files. As well

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

as providing a basis for planning to meet their needs, this is an excellent way to raise pupils’ self- esteem. From an early age, pupils are encouraged to recognise what they can do and how well their character is developing. They also enjoy recognition through certificates and awards. When the school reviews its programmes for learning, it takes into account the information gained from assessments. This means that curriculum plans are tailored to meet the needs of its pupils. However, the school is aware that this aspect of its work needs further development. For example, the school has not fully recognised its pupils’ linguistic needs in the opportunities it provides. Nor has it worked on developing their independent learning, so that they think for themselves and are not frightened by unfamiliar testing situations.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school’s procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are good. The school has an excellent system for tracking and developing pupils’ academic progress. All the information gained from assessments, together with other aspects of pupils’ development, are placed in very well maintained pupil profiles. Moreover, the school provides advice to the parents of pupils with special educational needs about how to support their children. Co-ordinators monitor pupils’ work and feed back the information gained to class teachers. There are three main points for development. Firstly, a broader system for assessing and developing skills in different subjects is needed. Secondly, a way to monitor pupils’ progress in applying these skills to problem-solving situations and their degree of independence in doing so needs to be established. Thirdly, teachers’ day-to-day marking does not pay enough attention to the quality of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

work and its presentation, and does not provide pupils with a basis for self-improvement. Its strength is in building pupils’ self-esteem.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Nevertheless, there have been considerable improvements in assessment and its use since the last inspection and these are benefiting pupils’ progress. Indeed, the whole experience which the school provides has a very positive effect on pupils' academic and, in particular, their personal progress. It provides them with very valuable lessons for life and a means of running their lives Moor Nook Primary School - 19 effectively.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school has worked very hard over recent years to achieve its good and improving relationships with parents. As a result, parents hold the school in high regard and have very positive views of all aspects of the work of the school. In particular, parents are very pleased with the progress their children make, the quality of the teaching and the ease with which they feel they can approach the staff with any questions or concerns. This is a good improvement since the time of the last inspection. Again, as a result of the school's efforts to involve parents, there has been a marked improvement in the level of interest that parents take in their children's work in school. For example, five years ago attendance at parents' meetings was consistently around 30 per cent compared with 75 per cent more recently. Many parents help with homework and listen to their children reading at home. Other parents help where they can; for example, they have helped with

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

improvements to the accommodation and with the gardening project. A parent has just recently sent an excellent set of books into school to help with the delivery of the personal and social education programme, including bullying and selfishness. However, some parents are still reluctant to support their children's learning. For example, the school needs the support of all parents in ensuring pupils come to school on time every day and that valuable learning experiences are not missed through unnecessary absence. The school also needs parents to inform them of reasons for their children's absence in order to reduce its unauthorised absence figure. While most parents support the school in these areas, a minority do not.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Even though it is recognised that the school has worked very hard to involve parents in their children's learning, not least through a range of family literacy and early learning courses held in the school, more remains to be done. For example, although newsletters keep parents well informed of the daily life and events of the school, there is no information for parents on what is actually being taught in lessons, such as the focus of the topic work or the reasons for a particular visit out of school. Parents of children in the Nursery are given good ideas of how to help with early numeracy and literacy but this is not the case for parents of older children. Home/school reading diaries are not used consistently throughout the school and so not all parents are being encouraged to take an active interest and become involved on a day-to-day basis with their child's reading.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. There are sufficient opportunities for parents to discuss their children's progress with class teachers and parents are provided with copies of pupils' personal learning targets. However, the end of year reports to parents, although individual and written in parent-friendly language, are inconsistent in the quality of the information they provide for parents. For example, even though all reports tell parents what their children know and can do in English, mathematics and science, some do not tell parents what their children can do in other subjects but merely explain whether their child likes the subject and what aspects have been covered. This is particularly the case in religious education, history, music, and art.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The school involves parents of pupils with special educational needs effectively and keeps them informed about progress. Parents receive friendly letters inviting them to reviews and they play an effective part in assessing how well their children are meeting their targets for improvement before new targets are set. The school keeps parents well informed about how they can support their children and help them to make progress.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The school has a very positive ethos and this is reflected throughout its work. Essentially, it is to ensure that all children are valued and develop a sense of worth. Its aims state that this will be achieved through quality education within a secure and stimulating learning environment. The curriculum will be broad, balanced and accessible with all pupils' progress being tracked so that they can be helped to make further progress both as individuals and in their academic work. Moor Nook Primary School - 20 52. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and management which enable the school to achieve these challenging objectives. It is her determination and clear-sighted understanding of the school's needs which have enabled the school to improve well since its first inspection. She recognises that her pupils need to develop self-esteem and a positive self-image if they are to succeed academically and all adults in the school seek to develop these under the headteacher's

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

leadership. All pupils feel valued for what they can achieve and are delighted and motivated when their achievements are recognised. The process of developing self-discipline is slow and difficult, but is succeeding, not least because of the increasing focus on personal, health and social education under the leadership of the deputy headteacher.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school addressed the key issues from the previous inspection seriously and has addressed them successfully. There has been a marked improvement in the quality of provision in the Nursery and the Foundation Stage is now a strength of the school. Attainment has improved well overall, because the quality of teaching has improved and is now more focused. However, the headteacher recognises that attainment is not yet high enough. Assessment has improved significantly and the school now has comprehensive systems for tracking pupils' attainment and progress. The school's marking policy is not, however, applied consistently throughout the school and day-to-day marking does not consistently point to ways in which pupils can raise their attainment and make further progress.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The headteacher and her colleagues are very aware that children enter the Nursery with skills in communication and language which are well below those normally found. The school is using a range of initiatives including the Education Action Zone and 'Surestart' effectively to help to address these very low levels of learning skills. These initiatives, together with very effective management in the Foundation Stage and good teaching, are resulting in very good progress being made by the time children begin their work on the National Curriculum. This improvement is the result of leadership and management identifying a major weakness and taking successful steps to address it. The result is that the school is now in a strong position to continue this improvement into Years 1 and 2 so as to improve attainment further in the National Curriculum tests at the age of seven. Careful planning will then be needed to ensure that this very good

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

progress is built on further in Years 3 to 6.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher receives very good support from her deputy and from all adults in the school. She and her deputy are frequently about the school and their presence is a major factor in achieving orderly conduct. The headteacher has a clear understanding that the school's most valuable resource is its teachers and other adults. The school has very good procedures for the professional development of staff and for the induction of new staff into the school. Teachers and other adults in the school are fully committed to the improvement of standards and to the school's systems for supporting its pupils. They are very effective in maintaining a consistency of approach to all pupils which emphasises that they are all valued and that the school is committed to enabling them to succeed both academically and as individuals.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The co-ordinator for special educational needs provides good leadership so that there is a coherent approach to the school's provision in this major area of its work. This is based on effective communication between all those responsible for supporting these pupils. The school has good links with the school psychology service, but has gone further to develop an excellent system of support through its 'multi-agency' initiative. Representatives of a wide range of agencies including the medical profession, child and family support agencies, welfare officers, the police and many others, support pupils and their families. The results of this initiative are immeasurable, but its very positive impact on pupils and their families is very evident. A major element in this support is the school's family learning tutor who works with pupils and families with significant difficulties. A major benefit of this support is that it enables the school and its

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

teachers to concentrate on educating pupils knowing that their personal and social needs are being dealt with elsewhere.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The governing body is effective and supports the school's aims and objectives. Many governors have a connection with the school either as parents or because they work in the school in some capacity and they are able to bring this first-hand knowledge to their meetings. Governors have a Moor Nook Primary School - 21 good appreciation of the school's strength and areas for development. There is an appropriate committee structure to support the governors' work, and it is effective. Governors are successful in ensuring that expenditure achieves best value. The governing body fulfils its statutory obligations. It is aware that the school serves an area with exceptional social and economic difficulties, and appreciates the very effective contribution that the school makes to the lives of its pupils and their families.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school makes good use of new technology in administration. Its use in supporting learning in subjects across the curriculum is satisfactory and is improving. Pupils' skills in using computers are improving rapidly and the school is in a good position to develop further the benefits that its pupils gain from new technology. Further staff training is planned and this will put the school into a stronger position to develop its use of information and communication technology to support learning in other subjects.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school has very good systems for monitoring and evaluating its work and for establishing priorities for its further development. Strategic planning is a strength and staff and governors are involved in identifying priorities for development and in determining how to attain them. Funds are identified in the budget to support agreed priorities and developments. The School Improvement Plan is an effective working document and systems for analysing its effectiveness and determining new areas for development are built into its framework. There are highly effective systems for devolving responsibility to staff with management responsibilities.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The school runs efficiently on a day-to-day basis. Its routines are clear and well understood, and little time is lost in moving from one activity to the next. The school's finances are managed well by the school secretary and expenditure over the year is monitored by the finance committee of the governing body. There are effective systems for ordering and paying for purchases. The school's accounts were last audited in November 2000. The audit report was largely supportive and the small number of minor recommendations have been adopted. The school manages its finances prudently and identifies sums of money over time to finance major items of expenditure. The school uses grants made for specific purposes, for example, for special educational needs, effectively. The headteacher is successful in seeking out funds to improve the quality of the school's provision for its pupils.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The school is very well staffed to teach the National Curriculum and religious education. Teachers almost always make effective use of the very good classroom assistants. Their ability to work well together is a major factor in the school's success. The unity of purpose which is evident among all adults in the school has been a key element in the good improvement that the school has made since its first inspection. Teaching and learning are managed well and the school is a valuable provider of initial teacher training.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Accommodation is good. There is plenty of space for the pupils and the range of specialist areas allows for all aspects of the National Curriculum to be taught. For example, there is a large hall for assemblies and physical education, a large computer suite and a library. Considerable maintenance and improvements have been put into effect since the school's first inspection. As a result, there is now a more stimulating environment and one which is conducive to learning. Staff are diligent in maintaining displays to enhance the learning environment. A recent success has been the bringing back into use of the school playing field by repair and renovation. The school building is well maintained by the site supervisor and his team. However, some small groups still meet in odd corners and in corridors because of the lack of small rooms for individual counselling and the teaching of small groups. The very large cloakroom is unused for most of the day and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

creates security risks. Resources for learning are good overall and the recently created computer suite has enhanced the provision for this subject area markedly.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The headteacher clearly understands that, in this school, pupils need to feel secure and valued if they are to make progress academically and to develop as individuals. The school has achieved this, and, as a result, has improved well since its first inspection. However, while attainment has improved well, the starting point was so low that attainment is still very low in relation to the national average at both the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The headteacher and her colleagues Moor Nook Primary School - 22 understand that attainment is still not high enough and have measures in place to raise it further. This will take time, but pupils and the community are coming to place a higher value on education. Much remains to be done, but the school, under the headteacher's rigorous but sensitive leadership, has the determination and the capacity to continue to improve.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

64. To improve attainment and the quality of education further, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise standards of attainment further by

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- improving pupils' acquisition of language skills and providing more opportunities to practise these skills across the curriculum; - ensuring that marking consistently helps pupils to improve the standard of their work; - improving the quality of the presentation of pupils' work including their handwriting and spelling; (see paragraphs 7, 8, 11, 17, 24, 25, 26, 30, 44, 45, 53, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 82, 83, 84, 85, 90, 95, 114, 137, 138);

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) give pupils greater opportunities to manage and organise their own work; (see paragraphs 7, 27, 77, 82, 95, 100, 105, 114, 139). Moor Nook Primary School - 23

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 52

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 12 242

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 127

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 11 129

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 22

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Attendance

School data 4.5 School data 2.4 Moor Nook Primary School - 24 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Moor Nook Primary School - 25

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 32 14 46

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 15 18 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 7 7 8

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

Percentage of pupils School 48(30) 54(52) 57(67) at NC level 2 or above National 84(83) 86(84) 91(90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 15 18 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 7 11 8

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

Percentage of pupils School 48(48) 63(67) 63(70) at NC level 2 or above National 85(84) 89(88) 89(88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 20 24 44

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 6 11 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 9 9

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

Percentage of pupils School 34(40) 45(36) 41(48) at NC level 4 or above National 75(75) 71(72) 87(85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 9 9 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 12 15

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

Percentage of pupils School 49(31) 50(45) 64(52) at NC level 4 or above National 72(70) 74(72) 82(79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Moor Nook Primary School - 26

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11 Financial year 2000-01

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 684,146

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 14 Total expenditure 679,377

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 270 Expenditure per pupil 2,359

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 73,992

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 78,761

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 12

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 25

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Moor Nook Primary School - 27 FTE means full-time equivalent. Moor Nook Primary School - 28

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 52 44 2 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 46 39 11 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 33 12 4 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 72 16 9 3 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 78 15 5 2 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 73 21 5 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 66 26 8 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 63 31 5 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 61 28 7 1 3

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 48 34 7 6 5 Moor Nook Primary School - 29

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The quality of teaching and provision in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) is good overall and has many very good features. This is a very marked improvement since the previous inspection report when the Nursery was identified as a key area for development. Children in the Nursery attend part-time in the morning or afternoon. All children, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, receive very good provision in every aspect of development whether they attend in the morning or in the afternoon. Reception classes include some lower attaining Year 1 pupils and planning takes good account of this so that the very good learning opportunities provided are very well matched to the children's prior attainment. The Foundation Stage is led and managed very well. The co-ordinator has a very clear understanding of the needs of young children and, very ably supported by both teachers and

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

learning support assistants, ensures that all children are enabled to achieve very well.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes is good overall with a high proportion of very good and excellent lessons. The quality of teaching ranges from satisfactory to excellent. The teachers have a very good understanding of the role of play and child-initiated learning in the development of young children. Together with the learning support assistants, they interact very well with children, for example, by careful questioning and by developing vocabulary to enable all pupils to make rapid progress. Learning is very well planned to meet the national guidelines for children under the age of five. In the Reception classes, whole-class literacy and numeracy sessions are effective with a very good balance of teacher-directed learning and opportunities for children to experiment, imagine and initiate their own learning. For example, one of the role-play experiences is a space station. This area includes a tape-recorder for children to operate, and to

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

listen to music from Holst’s ‘Planet Suite’.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. On entry to the Nursery children come with a wide range of attainment, but assessments and observations show that the overall level of attainment on entry is very low. This is particularly so in language, literacy and communication skills and in social skills. The Nursery begins a profile of children on entry and continues this assessment record with observations of progress and new learning. The Nursery is piloting a baseline scheme as part of the Preston Education Action Zone initiative in conjunction with a university. Speaking and language skills are assessed not only by Nursery staff, but also by qualified speech therapists as part of the 'Surestart' initiative. These valuable assessments guide planning and so make a significant contribution to the children's rapid progress. Assessments are passed on to, and used well by, the Reception teachers. In the Reception classes, a further detailed assessment is made at the beginning and end of the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

year, with very good ongoing daily assessment to ensure that the learning needs of all children are being met. This also guides planning so that provision for the children continues to be very good. Learning is well supported by homework tasks. Children take books home to read or share with adults at home. Nursery children were asked to ‘Tell mummy the shapes you know’. Reception children were asked to count the stairs at home. The Education Action Zone and 'Surestart' initiatives are contributing significantly to the very good progress made by all children, including those with special educational needs and who speak English as an additional language, in the Foundation Stage.

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Personal, social and emotional development

68. This aspect of learning is fostered very well in both the Nursery and Reception classes. In the Nursery children take much responsibility for their own learning. Most interact well with adults and are learning to share and work with others. This is because of the opportunities provided and the very high expectations of the teacher and the learning support assistants. Children take turns to speak in group sessions and organise their own clothes, with help, for physical education or going home. During registration, the teacher selects a child to sit by her and take responsibility for recording attendance in a large book as she completes the official register. In Moor Nook Primary School - 30 the Reception classes children know and understand daily routines and share and take turns appropriately for their age. Provision for independent learning is very good. Children have many opportunities to explore, experiment, imagine and initiate their own learning to enable them to

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Personal, social and emotional development

make very good progress towards the achievement of the expected standards for this aspect. All staff have high expectations of behaviour and this plays an important part in developing pupils’ personal and social skills.

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

69. Communication, language and literacy are promoted very well in the Nursery and permeate all that takes place. Staff interact very well with children, asking questions, widening vocabulary and encouraging talk at all times. Children listen appropriately to class stories such as ‘The Gingerbread Man’, joining in with the refrain ‘Run, run as fast as you can …’. They also enjoy listening to stories on the computer. They use the book area independently to ‘read’ books and are gaining a good interest in books and stories. The writing area is very well used by the children. This develops early writing skills as children attempt mark making at different levels and develop control of writing implements by trying to trace over lines carefully. They are beginning to identify their names on cards. In the Reception classes children take part in a Literacy Hour well adapted to their needs. In an excellent lesson, the direct teaching was of a very high quality.

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Communication, language and literacy

Children shared a book with large text with the teacher and obviously enjoyed the story. Children are beginning to draw on a list of words they recognise by sight when reading and some are beginning to look at the pictures for clues when they come across a word they do not recognise. Most know the sound associated with letters such as ‘m’, ‘n’, ‘e’, ‘p’, ‘t’, ‘c’ and ‘a’ and are beginning to use this knowledge to build words such as ‘cat’ and ‘and’. Some children can write simple words at an appropriate level for their age and there is careful teaching of letter formation. Outside the Literacy Hour teachers provide many well chosen experiences for children to enhance their skills, particularly in listening and speaking. Despite the emphasis on literacy a significantly high proportion of children use immature language structures. Children make very good progress, although overall attainment is below that expected nationally of children at the end of the

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Mathematical development

70. Mathematical development permeates all aspects of learning in the Nursery. For example, children count the number present, with teacher support, during registration. Half count to a hundred in tens with the support of the teacher. A more able pupil counts objects in a picture accurately to eight without support. They learn appropriate mathematical vocabulary such as ‘zero’, ‘more than’ and ‘less than’, ‘full’ and ‘empty’. Most know what is ‘one more than’ to three, but are less sure about ‘one less than’. They recognise shapes such as triangle, square, rectangle and circle. In the Reception classes well planned structured teaching enables children to develop their counting skills and the understanding of mathematical vocabulary. All can count aloud to 20 and half know ‘one more than’ to 10. Children’s knowledge and understanding are reinforced by games such as the ‘Number Grid’ game. ‘Pelican Pete’, a glove puppet, is used

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Mathematical development

very effectively to capture the interest of the children such as when furthering knowledge and understanding of number bonds, for example, four plus six equals ten. Children’s mathematical knowledge and understanding are fostered in addition through opportunities in role-play. In the ‘space station’ children count backwards from five when the rocket is about to blast off. When playing ‘finding’ games in the sand they reinforce their recognition of the numerals to nine and distinguish between a number and a letter. When playing outside with large equipment, such as the wheeled vehicles, they are encouraged to use everyday words such as ‘under’ and ‘over’ to describe position. About half of the children are in line to meet the Early Learning Goals in mathematical development, but overall attainment is below what is expected for children of this age. Nevertheless, all children make very good progress from the time they enter the Nursery to

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

71. Children learn about the world around them in a variety of ways. They learn about living things Moor Nook Primary School - 31 through the aquarium with its goldfish. A display about the letter ‘B’ includes books about mini- beasts and there is a magnifying viewer for them to observe beetles. The water tray contains shells and models of crabs and starfish and children talk about these when prompted by adults. They experiment in the sand tray to find what happens when, for example, they lift up a sieve they have filled with sand. They learn about the seasons. When learning about autumn they make ‘Autumn baskets’ – painted paper dishes onto which they stick pine cones and leaves. The ‘Winter’ display includes pictures of snow scenes and polar bears. Their understanding of other cultures is promoted through artwork in the style of Native Americans. They develop their ability to control a cursor on a screen by using a large ‘mouse’ to navigate their way through a story.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Two boys demonstrated a high level of concentration when they took turns to add pieces of large construction equipment to build a tower on a castle that one had made. They make biscuits and discuss the differences between the mixture before and after baking, fostering their observation and speaking and listening skills. In the Reception classes, children are beginning to gain an understanding of place by drawing simple maps of the route to school from their houses. They talk about going on holiday and decide what would be suitable clothing for warm or cold places, sorting clothing or dressing dolls to demonstrate their understanding. They are following a topic on light and dark. They know about sources of light and how to make a shadow. They also know some of the creatures associated with night-time. Teachers provide very good information and communication technology experiences both in the classroom and in the computer suite to

p.33

Knowledge and understanding of the world

enhance learning. Children use a tape recorder, use an appropriate program to produce and print a picture of a face or patterns, enter simple text and manipulate a ‘mouse’ to activate a ‘talking book’ by clicking on appropriate icons. In both the Nursery and Reception classes children benefit greatly from direct teaching and from the very good opportunities to explore and initiate their own learning. Most of the children are in line to achieve most of the Early Learning Goals in this aspect of development by the end of the Reception year.

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Physical development

72. Children in the Nursery benefit from the very good secure outdoor play area and the use of the hall. Children demonstrate satisfactory skills for their age when they use the ‘crawly tunnel’, roll on mats, move in different ways of their own choice along a bench and balance on a padded bench. They safely negotiate moving from the bench to the floor backwards. The teacher constantly stresses the importance of being aware of space and of other children so as to avoid accidents. The teacher also makes good use of children to demonstrate for the others how well they can do things such as skipping round the room. This promotes self-esteem for the selected children and reinforces learning for the others. In the classroom many opportunities are provided to develop their co-ordination skills when manipulating small items such as paste brushes, making clay hedgehogs, completing alphabet jig-saws and ‘writing’ in writing area. In the

p.33

Physical development

Reception classes children have carefully supervised access to a special outdoor play area where they play with large, wheeled toys. This experience not only promotes their physical development, but their speaking and listening skills and social skills as they learn to share with others and to take turns. In the hall, children learn the importance of the 'warm-up' following instruction sensibly. They show increasing control over their bodies by creeping or marching round the hall. In the classroom, children gain increasing control over pencils, for example, and demonstrate satisfactory skills when cutting and sticking. Overall most children are in line to meet the Early Learning Goals in this aspect of learning by the end of the Reception year.

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Creative development

73. There are many opportunities in the Nursery for creative development. During the inspection children made models of a rocket and collages on a circle of paper using glue brushes carefully to attach tissue paper, felt, feathers and other items selected from a tray. They use hands and fingers to print patterns and brushes to paint pictures in shades of blue. They use their imagination in the hairdressing corner talking to staff about what they are doing and respond to comments and questions about activities such as using the toy telephone to ask the teacher if she wanted an appointment. Musical opportunities are provided through singing rhymes and exploring sounds made by musical instruments such as shakers and xylophones. In the Reception classes children explore colour, texture and shape when playing in the sand tray or Moor Nook Primary School - 32 when making patterns using the computer. They mix paints to make other colours and produce

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Creative development

‘hot and cold’ patterns. They make collages based on a winter poem. Children are provided with good opportunities to listen to music. They begin to learn about rhythm through action songs such as ‘Can you feel the rhythm?’ They learn how to use their voices in different ways, for example, whispering, and saying their names as directed. During registration children sometimes hear the teacher sing their names and they respond by singing ‘Here, Miss’. Through this range of very good opportunities provided in the Nursery and Reception classes, all children make very good progress in this aspect of their development. They are in line to meet the Early Learning Goals expected of children at the end of the Reception Year.

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ENGLISH

74. Standards in English are below the level expected nationally for seven and eleven year olds. National Curriculum test results in recent years and since the last inspection show that attainment has been rising overall at the end of both Years 2 and 6. An analysis of pupils’ work over time indicates that attainment at the ages of seven and eleven is below the level expected nationally. On the evidence of lessons seen, many pupils are working at a level that is broadly typical of that expected for seven and eleven-year-olds but they find it difficult to reproduce this standard of work under test conditions. Handwriting and spelling are unsatisfactory and pupils find it difficult to interpret questions in test conditions. National Curriculum test results and the school’s assessment of pupils’ work in English show that standards in English are at least keeping pace with a rising national trend. Whilst levels of attainment in English are generally

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ENGLISH

unsatisfactory, good progress is being made by pupils throughout the school. There is improvement in English overall, given the low starting point for many pupils, and there is a capacity and a willingness to improve further.

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ENGLISH

75. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are unsatisfactory at the end of Year 2. They are given many opportunities to speak in a variety of ways but do not have a linguistic base that they can use to show what they know and understand. For example, in one class, pupils in Year 1 tried hard to say what they liked best about a snowman story. They needed close support from the teacher to articulate their responses. In another Year 1 class, pupils responded well when asked to explain why colours were reflecting differently. By Year 6, pupils speak with greater confidence but are still supported by teachers in their efforts to express their views. They pay close attention when reading shared texts, discuss the story and question details they do not understand. A shared story about the first moon mission and details of what spacemen wear provoked the question from one pupil about ‘why a spaceman needed water-cooled underpants?’ Everybody briefly but

p.34

ENGLISH

seriously considered the question and the teacher kept close control of a situation that had the potential for a loss of concentration.

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ENGLISH

76. Standards in reading show that pupils are not achieving in line with national expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, and that attainment in reading is generally unsatisfactory. In Year 2 pupils read hesitantly and use little expression but are confident when reading texts that they are familiar with. They try hard to use letter sounds and picture clues to help them to read. More able pupils in Year 2 are able to predict what will happen next in a story. One pupil discussed the story she was reading about a farm and was able to describe the process of how milk from the milking shed reaches us at home. Pupils have to be prompted to use phonic clues when they tried to read more difficult words. They are taught strategies like whole-word recognition, letter sounds and rhymes to support their reading but they do not always relate these skills to the task of reading. Pupils from all classes take books home to read and many say that parents or older

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ENGLISH

brothers or sisters listen to them read. All pupils are taken to the local library but few of them said that they went there regularly to exchange books. One pupil said she used the library or the exchange shop to find new books to read. The school has a satisfactory and growing collection of fiction and non-fiction books that pupils use regularly as they learn how to research information. Older pupils in Key Stage 2 were able to use index and contents pages to help them retrieve information but younger pupils in Key Stage 1 were unsure about these.

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ENGLISH

77. Standards in writing are generally unsatisfactory but most pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, are making good Moor Nook Primary School - 33 progress in improving their writing skills. Pupils write for a variety of purposes and work produced for displays is of a good standard. Pupils write imaginative stories and, in Year 4, work on learning how to write instructions. They can see from comparing different types of instructions to make pikelets that clear and accurate information is needed before the recipe can be followed. They do not have sufficient opportunities to produce extended writing. Some classes have creative writing books where extended writing is done but many classes do not have separate books for writing of this kind. This inconsistency has been recognised by the school and all teachers will shortly be discussing the way ahead for raising standards in guided and extended writing. The ‘milestones’

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ENGLISH

for reading and writing that have been produced by a visiting consultant will assist them to raise attainment further. These 'milestones' outline the targets the school should be aiming to achieve each term and were produced after an audit of English by the school with the consultant in June of this year. Standards in handwriting are inconsistent throughout the school and a policy for handwriting is due to be discussed by staff next term. Many pupils do not use a joined style of handwriting and this is having a negative impact on standards of writing in all classes.

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ENGLISH

78. Teaching throughout the school is mostly good and it is this good teaching that enables learning to take place. Behaviour management was an important issue in most of the lessons seen and many incidents of challenging behaviour slow pupils’ progress. Teachers throughout the school are consistently good in their handling of difficult or challenging behaviour. They work hard to minimise the disruptive impact of this behaviour and this helps to maintain a reasonably smooth flow to lessons. Teachers encourage a quiet, purposeful environment for learning. Their planning is consistently good and includes opportunities for homework and graded work where needed. All teachers use the national model for planning and teaching the Literacy Hour and follow it closely. Pupils with special education needs and pupils with English as an additional language all make good progress in relation to their previous levels of attainment. Resources for teaching English are

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ENGLISH

good and teachers try hard to provide visual stimulation with pictures or use of audio-visual aids. In one Year 1 class, a pupil used a computer briefly to use a program that helped with word recognition, but overall computers are not used sufficiently to support work in English. Pupils have some opportunities to practise writing in other subjects, but more opportunities could be taken to practise writing in subjects such as geography, history and religious education. Furthermore, teachers give pupils few opportunities to take initiative in managing and organising their own work.

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ENGLISH

79. Written work is marked regularly but there are too few comments to help pupils to improve their performance through suggestions for better work. The school has a marking policy but this is not consistently applied. Teachers make satisfactory use of assessment data including National Curriculum tests as well as results from optional standardised tests to track the progress of individual pupils and to guide future planning.

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ENGLISH

80. The management of English is good. Good progress is being made in identifying problem areas and priorities such as writing and the use of poetry across the curriculum, and staff are involved in consultations and discussions to address these. Planning is monitored every half term and the co-ordinator has monitored teaching by every member of staff. Book sampling is done twice yearly. The co-ordinator and staff are aware of the current levels of attainment, are committed to raising standards and are aware of the limits to the speed with which their pupils can learn because of the very low levels of skills in language that they have when they join the school. The school is well placed to improve standards in English further.

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MATHEMATICS

81. The standards of attainment for seven-year-olds are below the national expectation. However, there has been an improvement from the standards being achieved at the time of the school's first inspection. Pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests for the educational year 2000- 2001 was very low in comparison with the national average, and well below the average for schools with a similar intake. However, pupils’ performance has gradually improved over the past four years. Moreover, lessons and a scrutiny of work reflect good progress by pupils in developing their current knowledge, skills and understanding. Moor Nook Primary School - 34 82. The attainment for eleven-year-olds is also well below the standard expected nationally. There is, however, again a good improvement on the levels being achieved at the time of the last inspection. Pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests for the educational year 2000-2001 was very

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MATHEMATICS

low in comparison with the national average and in comparison with schools with a similar intake. However, this follows five years of continuous improvement from the position where very few pupils attained the national average or above, to almost half of them doing so. Lessons observed during the inspection, as well as a scrutiny of work, confirm that pupils are making good progress from very low levels of attainment when they join the school. The school recognises that standards need to improve still further.

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MATHEMATICS

83. By the age of seven, pupils are confident in handling calculations with numbers to 20 and understand place value to 200. They arrange numbers in sequences, using intervals other than one, and use various coins to make up amounts to 75p. Less able pupils are almost as confident with these numbers and understand how to multiply tens and units by 10. More able pupils successfully add three amounts up to £2.00 and identify simple properties of shapes such as squares and triangles. They also know how to use diagrams to portray mathematical facts. Most pupils are achieving well and making good progress, but there is too little difference between what the most and the least able pupils attain. This is evidence that some pupils could raise their standards further. A significant number of pupils show that they are on course to attain above average standards in number. However, reasoning skills are not developed sufficiently well and

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MATHEMATICS

pupils do not have enough opportunities to apply their knowledge and understanding to solve problems and to carry out investigations.

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MATHEMATICS

84. By the age of 11, pupils handle addition and subtraction of decimals to hundredths with number, money and measures. They also understand the equivalence of fractions to hundredths, and of decimals, fractions and percentages. They add and subtract fractions and work them out in relation to money. Pupils locate co-ordinates successfully in four quadrants and this enables them to develop some understanding of negative numbers. They approximate numbers to tens, hundreds or thousands. More able pupils multiply hundreds, tens and units and know the importance of where brackets are placed in calculations. They extend equivalence to involve ratio, and handle numbers to 10,000. All pupils measure angles to the nearest degree. By this age, the difference in pupils’ attainments reflects their varying abilities better. However, here too, reasoning skills are not developed sufficiently, and pupils do not often apply their knowledge and

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MATHEMATICS

understanding to solve problems and carry out investigations.

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MATHEMATICS

85. The quality of teaching is consistently good in classes for five to seven-year-olds. Teaching is good overall in classes for seven to eleven-year-olds. It is good in three in four lessons and a good proportion of these is very good or excellent. Teachers use their subject knowledge well throughout the school. This is particularly helpful to pupils where, for example, they learn to apply their understanding of money to plan purchases from a catalogue. Teachers' planning is good for the older pupils. Consequently, pupils, including those with special needs, achieve well. In a lesson for Year 3 where pupils used computers to solve puzzles, the teacher carefully prepared tasks that were well matched to pupils’ abilities. This enabled them to succeed well. Teaching methods are effective throughout the school in relation to the curriculum being covered. However, teachers do not provide many opportunities for pupils to apply their learning, so that they do not

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MATHEMATICS

develop sufficient independence in interpreting questions and solving problems. Teachers use effective questioning techniques and focus pupils’ attention on what they are learning by involving them in demonstrations. This helped pupils to understand a new strategy for adding hundreds, tens and units, for example, in a lesson for Year 2.

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MATHEMATICS

86. Teachers almost always manage pupils very well, except when they are not adequately prepared. They are firm even with minor inattention, but also join with classroom assistants in being fair and supportive to pupils who experience behavioural difficulties. Consequently, classrooms are calm and busy. However, in classes for seven to eleven-year-olds, expectations for handwriting and presentation are not high enough. While comments give praise where it is due, they do not always point pupils towards ways to improve. Moreover, teachers are inconsistent in expecting pupils to correct inaccuracies, so that they do not always move forward in their learning. Moor Nook Primary School - 35 87. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are mostly good. This is partly the result of teachers’ strong management techniques, but also of good relationships. This particularly showed itself in a quick-fire oral mental session in a Year 5-6 class, for example, where pupils arranged whole

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MATHEMATICS

numbers or decimals in sequence. In securing pupils’ attention, the teacher was humorous, even about herself, and this motivated pupils effectively. In another lesson for pupils in Year 2, it was clear that a pupil’s self-esteem was raised by appropriate and well-meant praise. Pupils are almost always interested in what they do and most concentrate well.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language is good. They are fully included in the school’s programmes to support everyone in developing their mathematics. However, while the school is giving close attention to the needs of small groups of pupils, the benefits of withdrawing them are sometimes outweighed by the disadvantages of missing important parts of class lessons. The large number of well-qualified classroom assistants works closely with teachers to provide support where it is needed. The main area for development is a more frequent use of a wider variety of resources, including structural apparatus, games, and, most importantly, computer programs to stimulate those pupils to want to learn and to make new ideas clearer.

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MATHEMATICS

89. The co-ordinator provides very good leadership. She has established meticulous systems for tracking and developing pupils’ progress. These include individual plans for those with special educational needs which provide numeracy targets to be achieved and reviewed. There is also a full analysis of the school’s overall strengths and points for development, so that the current low performance in National Curriculum tests and general standards of attainment are raised further. There is a policy for developing pupils’ learning through homework, and this is particularly supportive where parents become involved. Teachers give pupils some opportunities for using mathematics in other subjects, but this is insufficiently developed. Good examples include measuring pulse rates in science, spreadsheets in managing the tuck-shop, and graphs of sunrise and sunset in geography. The school works hard to provide an extra boost both to pupils

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MATHEMATICS

needing support in trying to understand their mathematics and to those who are capable of raising their attainment further. There has been good progress since the school's first inspection, and the school has the capacity to improve further.

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SCIENCE

90. Standards of attainment of pupils in Years 2 and 6 are below those expected nationally for pupils of these ages. However, only 10 per cent of pupils achieved the standards of attainment expected in the National Curriculum tests at the time of the previous inspection. This percentage has increased to a high of 47 per cent in 2000, and 41 per cent in 2001. The drop in 2001 reflects the very high percentage of pupils with special educational needs, particularly at the higher stages 3- 5, and of pupils entitled to free school meals in that year group.

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SCIENCE

91. The overall trend is that standards are rising at a faster rate to those nationally. There is no significant difference in attainment between boys and girls. The difference between the inspection findings and the very low level of attainment when compared with schools nationally and with similar schools may be accounted for by pupils finding it difficult to perform well in the National Curriculum tests because of their limited language skills, particularly in writing. The increasing proportions of pupils in Year 2 attaining the nationally expected level 2 or above, 70 per cent in 2000 and 74 per cent in 2001, confirms rising standards.

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SCIENCE

92. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils make good progress during their time in the school. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress because of the good support they are given by the teachers and by the learning support assistants. For example in a challenging Year 3 class investigating how light is made up of several colours, the support provided during the practical activity enabled all pupils to make good progress in both their knowledge and understanding and in their ability to predict. As a result, during the review of learning at the end of the lesson, pupils were able to make good suggestions as to how the investigation might be improved to make it a better test. One pupil suggested using more powerful torches whilst another suggested covering the lens of the torches Moor Nook Primary School - 36 with two different colours of cellophane. These ideas will be tested in a subsequent lesson.

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SCIENCE

93. By the end of Year 2, pupils have made good progress in their knowledge and understanding and in their investigation skills. They are beginning to use appropriate scientific vocabulary such as opaque, translucent and transparent. They know the different parts of the body and identify these by drawing labelled diagrams. Through their study of healthy foods they know that milk contains calcium and that vitamins are important for the body. They learn about the senses, relating sounds to hearing when they go on an investigative ‘sound walk’. When learning about light, they identify sources of light inside and outside the home. They sort materials successfully according to whether they let light through or not.

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SCIENCE

94. By the end of Year 6, pupils know more about the human body. They know the names and location of bones such as the tibia and ulna, and label a drawing of the human skeleton appropriately. They know the functions of the main organs such as the lungs. They develop their knowledge and understanding of a 'fair scientific test' by investigating, for example, pulse rates before and after exercise and recording their findings on a graph. Through a study of electricity they learn about and construct simple circuits. They begin to understand the different properties of solids, liquids and gases. When they revisit a topic they extend their knowledge and understanding well. For example, they extended their understanding from healthy foods to healthy living by learning about the use and misuse of drugs and the effects of alcohol on the body. Written work reinforces learning in other subjects satisfactorily. The use of graphs supports

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SCIENCE

learning in mathematics well, but pupils do not always understand the importance of labelling axes. Literacy is supported by recording using bullet points, in writing about a balanced diet, labelled drawings and in charts, after researching information about the planets. The school is beginning to use information and communication technology to support learning in science. For example, in an information and communication technology lesson pupils were using a search engine well to find out about the sun.

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SCIENCE

95. Teaching is sound overall in both key stages and some teaching is good. All teaching is based on the sound knowledge and understanding of the teachers and derives from a scheme of work, based on the latest national guidance and guidance from the Lancashire Education Authority. This scheme ensures continuity and progression in learning and is an improvement since the previous inspection. It leads to good planning that clearly identifies what it is that pupils should know or be able to do by the end of the lesson. For example, one lesson objective was ‘To know that substances like tobacco, alcohol and other drugs affect the way the body functions and can be harmful.’ In the best lessons teachers make clear the aims of the lessons to pupils. They use time towards the end of the lesson to assess learning and to ensure that pupils know what they have learned, for example, in a Year 3 lesson where pupils were investigating how light is made

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SCIENCE

up of different colours. Lessons are well organised and very well managed and learning support assistants are used well to support the learning of all pupils, but particularly those with special educational needs. Teaching methods, including effective questioning that draws on pupils’ previous learning and extends their thinking, ensure that learning is also sound and sometimes good. In a Year 5-6 lesson the good questioning was followed by challenging and motivating written tasks, to be completed in a short space of time, such as ‘Write a list of anything you think is a drug. Bet you can’t think of more than ten.’ Teachers also motivate pupils well by using real- life contexts. In a Year 2 lesson, in which pupils were investigating which materials light could pass through, the teacher captured the immediate attention of all pupils by reading out a letter from a man who wanted curtain material that would prevent light from a street lamp shining

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SCIENCE

through a bedroom window. The enthusiasm with which pupils worked co-operatively in their groups in response to the challenge reflected a keen interest in the subject. Overall, the attitudes and behaviour of pupils are satisfactory. Many pupils are enthusiastic and behave well, notably in Years 1-2, but the behaviour of a significant minority of pupils, in spite of the skilful management of behaviour by the teachers, restricts the pace of learning within some lessons.

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SCIENCE

96. Learning is reinforced by displays and investigative experiences, for example, in one classroom, a ‘Light Museum’ – a blacked out area containing a variety of items such as torches, a fibre optic lamp, colour paddles and pin-hole box. This encourages pupils to have a positive attitude towards science. Homework is also used well to reinforce learning. Pupils in Year 3 were asked to find Moor Nook Primary School - 37 out what are the seven colours that make up white light. Pupils in Year 2 were asked to examine the curtains at home to see which kept out light and which did not. All work is marked, often with encouraging comments. However, these comments usually refer to presentation and do not refer to learning in science or set targets for subsequent learning that will help to raise attainment. Pupils are given few opportunities to show initiative in the study of science.

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SCIENCE

97. The subject is led and managed well by the co-ordinator, who has a clear view of the aims and priorities for science in the school. National Curriculum test results and teachers’ own assessments of attainment are carefully analysed to identify any weaknesses in pupils’ learning and subsequent planning takes account of this. For example, in-service training for teachers is leading to better teaching and learning in relation to scientific enquiry. This has also been supported by two booklets on investigative science, one for infants and one for juniors, put together by the co-ordinator. There is also a Science Club for Years 3-6 to promote pupils’ interest and skills in investigative science. The Gardening Club, mainly for pupils with special educational needs, also enhances pupils' knowledge and understanding in this subject. Procedures to monitor pupils’ learning are very good and enable the progress of pupils to be

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SCIENCE

tracked. This information is beginning to be used to set targets for groups of pupils in Years 5 and 6. The co-ordinator monitors planning and provision is being made for her to observe teaching and learning. Resources, strengthened since the previous inspection when they were described as just adequate, are satisfactory for teaching the National Curriculum. The school is able to make good use of the grounds and educational visits, for example to the seaside, to support learning, and this helps to promote interest and raise attainment. The school is in a good position to raise attainment further.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. Only two lessons were observed during the inspection, one for pupils aged seven and one for those aged eleven. However, standards of attainment are also judged from an analysis of pupils’ work, photographic evidence and a discussion with pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. By the age of seven, pupils’ standards of attainment are in line with national expectations. They are above average where teachers have good expertise but also high expectations that pupils should base their work on careful observation and use of good quality media. This was especially shown in a lesson developing pupils’ awareness of the subtleties of the textures of surfaces. In most classes, pupils match textures to those in natural and man-made objects, but are not yet using their knowledge of colour to create different effects. They are developing a sound vocabulary for describing the visual features of objects and are beginning to translate that awareness to their work. This was shown in their detailed clay figures and well-proportioned drawings. Pupils are also beginning to select media for themselves, including different hardnesses of lead in pencils. However, pupils regress too often into using stereotypical drawings of such things as houses or

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ART AND DESIGN

trees, and do not use their eyes and minds to develop their art. An exception to this was shaded drawings of three-dimensional objects.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. By the age of eleven, pupils’ standards of attainment are in line with national expectations. Again, where it is based on direct or previous observation, pupils’ work is above average. This was shown in a picture of a musician. Pupils have a good sense of pattern which they use in crayon work and by creative use of the computer. Particularly successful pieces of work were well drawn, shaded bowls of fruit placed on tables against contrasting floor patterns. Again, pupils are not consistent and fall back on stereotypical drawings or become careless in their application of paint. Pupils have not developed a sense of design. They have not learned to use the lines, textures, colours and forms of objects and materials to stimulate their designs. They often apply decoration with little sensitivity or organisation. Pupils with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language achieve satisfactorily by being included in all activities

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ART AND DESIGN

and being encouraged to talk about their work.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. It is not possible to judge the quality of teaching. In a lesson in Year 2, where the teacher not only had high expectations of perseverance and care, but also employed a wide range of resources, it was very good. She enabled pupils to learn at an early age to focus their observations and to Moor Nook Primary School - 38 translate what they saw into very good representations of natural objects. Pupils’ work suggests that there are variations in teachers’ knowledge, understanding and expertise in art, which results in wide variations in its quality. Nevertheless, there are examples of very considerable improvements, since the first inspection, in raising pupils’ awareness of the processes they need to go through in order to plan, carry out and evaluate their creative work. This is a sound basis for developing the independence that pupils need to produce consistently satisfying work. This was

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ART AND DESIGN

shown in some very good work with sea and landscapes which revealed a high degree of individuality and originality.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. Coverage of the expected curriculum is satisfactory, except that pupils have few opportunities to work in three dimensions. Where they have produced curved designs in card, for example, the results are above average. The school monitors pupils' work well and has adequate procedures for assessing it, including maintaining a portfolio. The teacher who co-ordinates the subject provides good leadership and her work is leading to improvements. A visiting artist adds his expertise to the school’s provision and has helped to raise standards. The school makes satisfactory use of the computer in teaching art and design, but there is room for further development. All pupils, including those with special needs and those for whom English is an additional language, have access to the full curriculum and the accommodation and resources are good for the development of skills and techniques. Overall, standards have been sustained since

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ART AND DESIGN

the last inspection. However, pupils are inconsistent in applying their skills even though their knowledge and understanding have improved.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. No lessons were available for observation during the inspection and classroom displays included little design and technology. Evidence is mainly based on photographs of recent work and an interview with Year 6 pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. By the age of seven, pupils’ attainment is generally below expectations. Where they are taught the processes of designing and making, the results are better. Research on levers, for example, has led to pupils drawing plans and making their own final products. They have then proceeded to decorate them individually. However, pupils do not always follow these processes and expectations of what they can achieve are too low. This results, for example, in undeveloped stitching and simple moving models that have been spoilt rather than enhanced by decoration.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. By the age of eleven, pupils’ attainment is generally below expectations. Where they use the knowledge that they have gained in science, for example, their work is better. This was evident in individually designed working lamps. However, teachers’ expectations continue to be low, resulting in pupils not developing enough skills to make satisfying products. Pupils know how to use pneumatics but are unsure how to put them into a completed model. Their other mechanisms are unsophisticated and many products lack quality in the way that they are put together and decorated. Pupils know that they need to plan, to make preliminary designs and to evaluate their work before improving it if necessary. They have also learnt to use a variety of tools and materials.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. It is not possible to judge the quality of teaching. However, the evidence of pupils’ work reflects some lack of knowledge and understanding of what pupils could achieve. It also suggests that teachers are not equipping pupils with sufficient basic skills to become increasingly independent learners. Consequently, they are not showing in their work that they can apply knowledge and understanding of design to make a satisfying product. Pupils do not use computers to communicate about their design and technology. The evidence suggests that they rarely use mathematics to measure or their literacy skills to communicate. There is insufficient evidence to judge whether pupils have equality of access, but all experience what is expected by the National Curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Design and technology is not taught continuously throughout the year, but offered in blocks. As a result, pupils find it difficult to build up knowledge, skills and understanding systematically. Current methods of assessment are not having a positive impact on pupils’ work. Moor Nook Primary School - 39

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GEOGRAPHY

108. By the end of Years 2 and Year 6, pupils’ standards of attainment are broadly typical of those found in most schools. The satisfactory standards found in the last inspection have been maintained. Pupils make sound progress in their learning and pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress because of the careful way in which their work is planned. Not enough geography lessons were seen to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching. However, evidence from a scrutiny of pupils’ work, displays and teachers’ planning suggests that teaching is at least satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

109. In a Year 1-2 class, pupils have soundly produced workbooks and a display showing a study of their local area. Their work shows an early introduction to the use of a map on which pupils had traced their route to school. They looked at landmarks in the area and also learned about Ribbleton Hall, a local landmark until it was demolished. This showed an effective link with local history. Their study included an awareness of street names and different types of homes.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. In the one lesson seen in a Year 5-6 class the teaching was satisfactory. The failure of the video machine led to a very rapid re-arrangement of resources so that the lesson plan could continue. A good series of pictures was discussed and matched to statements read by various pupils. Pupils’ knowledge about landscape, vegetation and the tea crop being grown was extended well by the details in the pictures that related to the growing of tea. The current comparative study of a poorer country with England is based on the village of Chembakolli in India. Pupils went on to draw tables of graphs of climate of the Nilgiri Hills. The work was graded so that the more able pupils drew line graphs whilst other pupils drew bar graphs. All pupils were enthusiastic about the topic and expressed interest in the next lesson when they planned to compare the rainfall and temperatures between India and London. Elsewhere in Years 5 and 6, displays show an effective

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GEOGRAPHY

study of the solar system with pupils’ graph work on sunrise and sunset times. There is also a clear link with art in the Indian textile displays where good work had been done to decorate fabric with sequins and animals after the Indian style.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. The school plans trips so that pupils can visit places that relate to their area of study. For example, Years 1 and 2 walk around their locality and visit the fishing port of Fleetwood as part of a comparative study. Years 3 and 4 normally investigate a local river, but that visit was recently cancelled because of the foot and mouth epidemic. In Years 5 and 6 pupils visit the education centre at Ainsdale to support their work on coasts. Discussions with pupils indicate that many of them do not travel widely so that field trips are particularly important to further their knowledge and understanding of the work that is taught.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. The management of geography is satisfactory. Teachers’ planning is monitored every half term. The school has recently adopted a new Scheme of Work based on local guidelines. The first year of a two-year rolling cycle is currently under way and there are plans to hold in-service training for teachers at the end of the first year to evaluate the effectiveness of the new scheme of work. Resources are satisfactory and used in such a way that all pupils are fully included in teaching and learning.

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HISTORY

113. Standards of attainment are good at the end of both Years 2 and 6. This is an improvement since the last inspection where attainment at the ages of seven and eleven was said to be in line with national expectations. Not enough history lessons were seen to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching in history. However, evidence from a scrutiny of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and detailed discussion with the co-ordinator indicate that teaching is at least satisfactory. There is much enthusiasm for history and this shows in the good attitudes of the pupils towards the subject and the quality of thought and work seen during the inspection.

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HISTORY

114. In Years 1 and 2, pupils have investigated a topic about old and new toys. A tape was made of children discussing and describing the toys their parents had played with and the toys that they Moor Nook Primary School - 40 play with now. A sense of time was clear from pupils’ understanding of “a long time ago” and “before you were born”. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have also covered a topic “Looking at washing long ago”. Workbooks show various stages in the development of techniques to do washing. Pupils have also begun to understand chronological scale by working on a topic about changes in their lives to show themselves as a baby, now, as an adult and as old people. They learn about famous people from the past and have written simply about Guy Fawkes. They show an enthusiasm for history and are challenged to consider why people did things, why events happened and what happened as a result.

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HISTORY

115. No history was being taught in Years 5 and 6 because of the block system in the two-year rolling programme. There is, however, clear planning in place for the work they will be expected to cover next term. The topic of Egypt had been chosen for Years 3 and 4. In the lesson seen in Year 3, pupils were working with Egyptian artefacts. They were taught to observe very closely and to attempt to sketch what they saw as accurately as possible. Many of the pupils made good progress in learning how to explore every detail of the artefact they had to work with, using a magnifying glass where necessary. All pupils showed clear enjoyment at being able to handle artefacts. Their responses to questions showed interest and enthusiasm but little background knowledge. For many of them, what they learn in class is clearly all they know about the subject and they are eager to participate and discuss their work. The historical method of minute

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HISTORY

investigation of an object and attempting to draw it accurately was effectively taught and all pupils, including those with special educational needs and who speak English as an additional language, made satisfactory progress in learning and applying it. Pupils were also seen using the Internet to research more information on Egypt. This information was shared with other pupils. There was little evidence of written work and class displays, whilst visually stimulating, showed few examples of children’s work. The work that was displayed was of a good quality, but there is little evidence that pupils are developing the skills of organising and managing their own work. The design of many classrooms means that displays have to be high up and this makes them less accessible to pupils.

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HISTORY

116. The management of history is good. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and knowledgeable and her enthusiasm is shared by many of the staff. She regularly monitors planning and keeps resources under review. These are kept in topic boxes to which staff have free access. There are adequate resources available. Priorities for the future include more use of information and communication technology and extending resource banks. The school is in a good position to improve its provision for history further.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. The previous report identified standards of attainment as being just below the standards expected nationally at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 because the range of hardware and software was limited. Attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is still below the standards expected nationally, but the demands of the curriculum for information and communication technology have increased. The quality and quantity of resources now available and the increased competence and confidence of the teachers are enabling all pupils to make rapid progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. By the end of Year 2 pupils log on to the computer network and access their own workspace. They create interesting pictures using various tools. They control the screen well by using the mouse to move the cursor to the correct point to select and drag objects to another part of the screen. They enter simple text into documents and, with support where necessary, print out their finished work. They know that different kinds of equipment, such as a fax machine and a telephone, carry information electronically.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. Pupils in Year 6 with different levels of attainment are being provided with a broad background of experience. They load programs, enter text, select or change the font, and font size successfully, and underline, as appropriate. Pupils also enter and edit text, correcting spelling and punctuation. They know how to access the Internet and understand the need to search carefully to get the information they require before copying and pasting selected text and pictures into a document or printing the selected page. They design surveys, collect data and enter it into Moor Nook Primary School - 41 a database and produce graphs, for example, when deciding on the requirements of the Breakfast Club. In connection with the Tuck Shop they designed a useful spreadsheet, entering pupils’ preferences for different flavours of crisps and then doing a costing exercise. They use cameras, including digital cameras, well, to take pictures. Through a visit to a local airport in conjunction

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

with a local radio station, they participated in recording for radio. As yet they have not had the opportunity to use sensors, but this is planned. Few pupils have experience of using computers outside school. Some pupils require little support for these activities, but others, particularly those with special educational needs at stages 3 to 5, the higher levels of need, require more support.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. Pupils have good attitudes to the subject. They enjoy working on computers and apply themselves well. This was particularly noticeable in a Year 3-4 class where all pupils had special educational needs. They listened attentively to instructions and applied themselves well to the task. Behaviour was good throughout the lesson. Pupils willingly discuss what they have learned. When pupils need to work together, they share a computer without problems arising.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. No lessons were seen in Years 1-2, but evidence of what pupils at this stage of Year 3 were able to do indicates that previous teaching was at least satisfactory. Teaching in Years 3-6 is good overall and never less than satisfactory. Teachers have a secure subject knowledge and understanding. National guidelines are used sensibly to form a basis for the good planning. This enables pupils of all abilities to develop information and communication technology skills that will support learning in other subjects. In a good Year 3-4 lesson the teacher made good use of the resources in the computer suite and of support assistants to provide three different, but challenging, activities for the three groups. The focus group with the teacher learned how to make a stamp and use this to make repeating patterns. Another group were consolidating previous learning, with the help of a support assistant, in relation to opening a file, entering a short piece of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

text and then saving to disk. The third group, also with a support assistant, were working in pairs to create a fantasy background in readiness for learning how to add text, including speech bubbles, to create a story. As a result good progress was made in the lesson by the pupils, all of whom have special educational needs. In another good lesson, a Year 4 class were taught how to use a search engine to find information and then to copy and paste this into a document. The teacher chose to focus the lesson on searching for information that would support the history topic of ancient Egypt. This helped to motivate pupils and again all made good progress in their learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. The school recognises that more opportunities need to be provided to use information and communication technology to support learning in other subjects. This is beginning to happen. For example, in a very good mathematics lesson in the computer suite the very good pace of the lesson and use of resources created a good level of interest and helped to ensure that pupils achieved well. In a satisfactory lesson, although most pupils made steady progress in learning new skills because of the support provided, for some pupils the task was too challenging and needed a tighter structure to enable progress to be good. Overall, the very good management of the significant minority of pupils with behavioural problems by teachers enables all pupils to achieve well. Assessment, based on the units of work followed, is used well to record pupils’ achievements. However, now that the school is well equipped with printers, there is the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

opportunity to support this assessment by individual folders with samples of pupils’ work. This will guide subsequent planning better and so match tasks more successfully to the prior attainment of pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. Funds have been used well to improve provision. The access to technical support through the Preston Education Action Zone is very beneficial. The subject co-ordinator is very well informed because of her experience prior to entering teaching. She has a clear understanding of standards because of monitoring planning and the work produced by pupils as well as by lesson observations and discussions with teachers. This has had a significant effect on learning and on school policy with regard to information and communication technology. Very good systems are in place to ensure data security and to protect pupils using the Internet. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, have equal opportunity to develop their skills and to achieve well. The school is in a good position Moor Nook Primary School - 42 to continue to raise standards in the subject.

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MUSIC

124. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, make sound progress in their learning and standards of attainment are at the expected level by the end of Years 2 and 6. The sound standards found when the school was first inspected have been maintained. All individuals and groups of pupils have full access to teaching and learning in music.

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MUSIC

125. Whole school singing is good. All pupils join in singing in assemblies and sing largely in tune and with good attention to rhythm and dynamics. Singing is enthusiastic and attention is paid to the meaning of what is being sung. Pupils are given a very good lead by adults in their singing and encouraged to sing thoughtfully and with good attention to words and meaning.

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MUSIC

126. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a good understanding of tempo, pitch and dynamics. Work on enjoyable songs such as 'Boom-chicka-boom' reinforces understanding of rhythm well. Pupils are aware of different types of instruments and know, for example, that the violin is a stringed instrument. They sing songs that they know confidently and have a good memory for words. Some find it difficult to distinguish between low and high notes played on chime bars. By the end of Year 6, pupils have had experience of 'composing'. They evaluate music from their western heritage satisfactorily and have some experience of music representing different cultures. For example, a Year 5-6 class sang 'Nanuma' quietly and tunefully and with a good sense of rhythm. Pupils understand the difference between pulse and rhythm and, when clapping rhythms, cope competently with rests and silent bars.

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MUSIC

127. Most pupils have a good attitude to music and this enhances learning. A few pupils, particularly in Years 3 to 6, lose concentration quickly, and tend to chatter when opportunities arise. This slows the pace of the lesson and adversely affects learning. Overall, pupils respond to music well and participate eagerly or, at least, good-naturedly.

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MUSIC

128. Learning is enhanced by opportunities for performance. A choir is formed to enable the school to take part in the Preston School Music Festival and pupils have opportunities for performance in Christmas and Easter festivities and in class assemblies. Pupils in the junior section of the school can learn the recorder, but there is no other learning of instruments. Pupils do not have opportunities to listen to live music by visiting groups or by visits to performances out of school.

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MUSIC

129. The quality of teaching is good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory from Years 3 to 6. Teachers use resources well to capture pupils' interest. For example, in a lesson for the Year 1-2 class, chime bars were used to explore high and low sounds and, in a Year 2 lesson, a keyboard was used effectively to help pupils to concentrate. Teachers have good subject expertise and lessons are effectively organised to build on previous learning. Teaching is more secure than at the last inspection because teachers are now using nationally agreed guidance to plan teaching and learning. This ensures that all elements of the National Curriculum are covered.

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MUSIC

130. The subject is effectively managed by the co-ordinator who has organised workshops for staff to help to develop their confidence in teaching the subject. Resources are being built up and are satisfactory and readily available to support teaching and learning. There is satisfactory use of technology to support learning, for example, sound centres, compact disc players, tape recorders and electronic keyboards. Plans are in place to expand the use of computer programs to support teaching and learning in music.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. Standards of attainment match national expectations at the end of Years 2 and 6. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, make sound progress in their learning. The satisfactory standards found when the Moor Nook Primary School - 43 school was first inspected have been maintained. Attainment in swimming is below average in most years with not all pupils able to swim the expected 25 metres by the time they leave the school. Many pupils have no experience of swimming apart from their experience in school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a good understanding of the need to warm up before physical exercise and to cool down afterwards. All pupils catch a small ball competently with two hands, but some are less successful when catching with one hand. A few, mostly boys, show a high level of skill. When throwing the ball for partners to catch, most throw accurately but a few find this difficult. In a very good lesson for pupils with special educational needs in Year 1, attainment was impressive. All pupils were capable of jerky movements in response to a tape as they were imitating 'alien robots'. They combined their movements into a sequence both as individuals and as a group and made very good progress. When asked to discuss how their movements could be improved, they offered some good suggestions and willingly demonstrated what they meant.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. By the end of Year 6, pupils warm up sensibly and most worked co-operatively in groups to devise movements based on the Hindu festival of Divali, providing a good link with religious education. Some pupils developed imaginative movements to illustrate the development of the story, but a few were less co-operative and some refused to participate. As a result, learning and attainment were only satisfactory overall, although there were examples of above average attainment. A similar situation existed in a Year 3-4 lesson where pupils were developing high movements and contrasting them with 'wobbly' movements. In this lesson most pupils responded sensibly and made sound progress, but a few were less mature, behaved inappropriately and made little progress. In a successful lesson for Year 4, pupils developed hockey skills well and made good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. Most pupils have good attitudes to physical education and so make sound and often good progress. Pupils have a good awareness of the need for safety in physical activities and a mature awareness of the need for others to have their own space. However, a minority, particularly in Years 3 to 6, have immature attitudes and this adversely affects attainment and progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. Learning is enhanced effectively by a good range of sports clubs including rugby, football, 'kwik’ cricket, dance and netball. These clubs are open to boys and girls. There are also opportunities for competitive sport, for example, in soccer, netball, rugby and rounders. A country-dance team has taken part in festivals. Outside coaches support learning in rugby, soccer and athletics.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. The quality of teaching is good overall in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding and a very good awareness of the need for safety in physical education. Most dress suitably for physical education lessons. There are examples of very good teaching resulting in above average attainment and very good learning. For example, in a Year 1 dance lesson for pupils with special educational needs, the teacher's charismatic approach captured the imagination and interest of the pupils. As a result, they worked with a high level of effort and enjoyment and showed some good initiative in demonstrating their ideas for possible new movements. In other lessons, the time needed to manage the behaviour of a minority of pupils slows the pace of the lessons and adversely affects attainment and progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. The subject is well managed by an enthusiastic co-ordinator. A new scheme of work has been introduced since the school was first inspected and this ensures that all aspects of the National Curriculum are covered. In-service training for teachers is being organised to improve the teaching of gymnastics. The subject is well resourced so that the school is able to teach the programmes of study of the National Curriculum well. Teaching and learning benefit from good accommodation including a very good and spacious hall, good hard play areas and a playing field which has recently been brought back into use. The co-ordinator has a good awareness of teaching and learning throughout the school and has appropriate plans to develop the subject further.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Moor Nook Primary School - 44 139. Standards of attainment for pupils at the ages of seven and eleven are in line with those expected for pupils following the Lancashire agreed syllabus for religious education. The sound standards identified in the school's first inspection have been maintained. Teachers' planning is based on this syllabus and follows a two-year rolling programme. The co-ordinator has worked closely with the local advisor for religious education to develop a good curriculum for the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Pupils understand that their religious traditions are mainly Christian. The focus during the inspection was Christianity but pupils have a growing awareness of other principal religions such as Judaism and Islam. By the time they are seven, pupils have a good knowledge of the topic being studied and work in religious education is used well to support their personal development. For example, they can discuss Christmas as a Christian celebration and know many of the symbols connected with it. Pupils are willing to articulate their thoughts and feelings but are hampered in their efforts by poor linguistic skills. They try hard to reflect on issues of shared human experience and personal meaning and there is a consistent focus on these issues throughout the school. Many children show a thoughtful response to their community and the wider world.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. Very little work is done in writing by any classes and there was no evidence of reflective writing. By the age of eleven, pupils know many of the Christian stories such as the Sermon on the Mount. They have explored signs and symbols such as candles in Year 4 and their place in worship and times of happiness and sorrow. This lesson also extended to considering the personal meaning of light and dark. Some good opportunities for reflection were seen but pupils were not encouraged to convey what they felt or thought on paper as well as orally. In another lesson in Year 3, pupils learned about the symbolism of a Christingle. This lesson led pupils, through good questioning, to understand what the different components of the Christingle meant. In Years 5 and 6, pupils considered the preparations for Christmas in the light of making preparations for a newcomer. They were challenged to think effectively about what kind of person

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

they want to become and what gifts they would give. Good use was made of Rosetti’s poem "In the bleak midwinter" to establish a sense of invisible gifts.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. Overall, pupils’ learning and progress is satisfactory as a result of the sound teaching that they receive. Pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress because of the good provision made for them. They, and other groups, are fully included in teaching and learning. Behaviour management issues occasionally break the flow of lessons, but pupils are generally receptive and interested and mostly enjoy activity-based learning and being challenged to think. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and understanding and are effective in helping pupils to address fundamental issues. However, pupils have few opportunities to take initiative in managing their own work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. The co-ordinator manages the subject well and regularly monitors lesson plans and some teaching. Regular meeting time is available to discuss issues in religious education. Staff have identified, for example, that the handling of artefacts is something they feel they need to know more about and this will shortly be addressed by all teachers. There are adequate resources available throughout the school. Moor Nook Primary School - 45

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