Barnham Broom Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 2 nd – 5 th July 2001

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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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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. Barnham Broom - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Norwich Road Barnham Broom Norfolk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr G. Shingfield

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 18 th – 20 th March 1997 Barnham Broom - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

14814 Dr J Turnock Registered inspector Science Music Foundation Stage Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 9075 Mrs J Baxter Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

20010 Mr J Sangster Team inspector English Art and design Design and technology Physical education How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21899 Mrs H Callaghan Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography History Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Note: Religious Education and the collective act of worship were inspected during the same week under section 23 of the inspection framework.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

WES World-wide Education Service Canada House 272 Field End Road Eastcote Middlesex HA4 9NA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Barnham Broom - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Barnham Broom Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is situated in the village of Barnham Broom, 10 miles west of Norwich, in the county of Norfolk. The school has changed from grant maintained to voluntary aided status since the last inspection. The school has 115 pupils on roll, ranging from four years to eleven years of age. The school is smaller than most other primary schools. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. There are currently no pupils on roll for whom English is an additional language. There are 15 pupils on the school register of special educational need, which is well below the national average. The percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational needs relating to learning difficulties, is broadly in line with national averages. Pupils’ attainment on entry is above the average in personal, social and emotional development, speaking and listening and reading. In all other areas of learning,

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

attainment is broadly in line with national averages. There are four classes including the reception class. Sixteen children in the reception class are under five. Pupils come from the village and outlying hamlets as well as the neighbouring towns. Parents are predominantly white, and are mainly associated with the local farming and agricultural industries, or professional work in Norwich. Religious education was inspected and reported on separately.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. The aims and values of the school are demonstrated in practice by the very good relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning. The quality of teaching is good and often very good, and pupils are learning well. The school provides a good range of curricular opportunities, which meet the individual needs of pupils. It effectively meets the needs of the pupils with special educational needs in the school. There are very good care arrangements and an effective partnership with parents. The school is governed satisfactorily. It knows what it does well, where its weaknesses are and how to improve them. The school is very well led by the headteacher. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve good standards in English, science and art by the age of eleven. • The quality of teaching is good. • The leadership of the headteacher is very good. • Provision for the pupils’ moral and social education is very good. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and as a result they make good progress. • Pupils behave very well.

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What could be improved

• The quality of curriculum planning. • The use of assessment to develop pupils’ learning. • Accommodation for the additional teaching sets in Years 3 to 6. • Opportunities for the youngest children to develop their physical skills. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Barnham Broom - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in March 1997. Since then, improvement has been good. The weaknesses identified at that time have been addressed well. The quality of teaching is better and, generally, standards are improving, although not in mathematics. Additional computer equipment has led to improved curricular opportunities and standards in information and communication technology have risen, with pupils attaining the standards expected, although in some aspects of the work the standards are not quite as high. Some improvements have been made to the accommodation, but lack of space still restricts the way the school can organise its classes to reap the maximum benefit from the teaching. The provision for the children in the reception class is better than at the time of the last inspection, but the provision for the children’s physical development is limited by shortcomings relating to space and equipment for outdoor play. Schemes of work have

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

been developed, but more work needs to be done to ensure that in all subjects they identify how the pupils’ learning is to progress from one year to the next. Weaknesses in the management of the school have been addressed: plans for the school’s development are well documented, setting the strategic direction for the future, and the governors now fulfil their responsibilities for monitoring educational standards.

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STANDARDS

With such a small number of pupils in each year group, the pupils’ performance in the national tests and the standards they achieve are likely to vary significantly from one year to the next. In the tests at the ends of Years 2 and 6, the pupils’ performance has fluctuated, although overall, the trend is a rising one, similar to the picture nationally. In the 2000 tests, the Year 2 pupils’ performance was above the average of most schools in reading, and well above the average in writing and mathematics. The pupils in the current Year 2 are also doing well, and are attaining good standards in speaking and listening, reading, writing, mathematics and science. Pupils make good progress in their speaking and listening, reading, writing and mathematics, with particularly good progress being made in science. The school’s results in the 2000 tests for Year 6 pupils were broadly in line with the national

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STANDARDS

average in mathematics and science, but were below the average in English. The pupils’ performance was also lower than that of pupils in similar schools 1 . The current Year 6 pupils are attaining standards that are typical for their age in mathematics, while in English and science the standards are above those typically found. Pupils who show signs of being gifted or talented make satisfactory and often good progress in lessons. Based on the pupils’ prior attainment the school’s performance was well below average in English, mathematics and science. However, the small number in the year group and the variation in the number of pupils with special educational needs make comparisons unreliable. The school set challenging targets for the pupils’ performance in the 2001 national tests; initial indications are that the school will have exceeded these targets in English, mathematics and science. Challenging targets have been set for future years. In the reception year the pupils make

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STANDARDS

satisfactory progress and all are on course to achieve the early learning goals 2 that are set for children of this age, although in some aspects of their physical development the goals are unlikely to be reached.

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STANDARDS

1 The national benchmarks compare schools’ results with the performance of other similar schools based on the number of pupils on free school meals. The attainment at Barnham Broom School in tests and teachers’ assessments in reading, writing, maths and science is based on similar schools with up to & including 8 per cent of children being eligible for free school meals.

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STANDARDS

2 Early learning goals - these are expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They refer mainly to achievements children make in connection with the following six areas of learning: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical and creative development. There are many goals for each area of learning. Barnham Broom - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are keen to learn.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good, at playtime and when moving around the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships between pupils are very good. They show respect for one another, share equipment and show respect for adults.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. Above the national average.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

In lessons pupils show an interest in their work, they concentrate well and participate fully in the wide range of stimulating activities provided by the teachers. Relationships are very good and pupils have a clear understanding of the consequences of their own actions. Pupils have many good opportunities to show initiative and take responsibility. There have been no exclusions.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is a strong feature of the school and contributes significantly to pupils’ learning. The quality of teaching is good overall and has improved since the last inspection. In 86 per cent of lessons the teaching was good or better, of which 29 was very good. The skills of communication, including literacy and numeracy, are well taught. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in lessons by teachers, classroom assistants and parent helpers and make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. When teaching is very good, teachers build successfully on pupils’ previous knowledge, ask challenging questions and have high expectations for learning and good behaviour. When teaching is satisfactory, the tasks for the higher achieving pupils are not always sufficiently challenging in mathematics lessons and opportunities for warm-up and cooling-down activities in physical education lessons are sometimes missed. Teachers

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

sometimes lack confidence and subject knowledge in the teaching of music. The quality of teaching in English and mathematics across the school is good or better. Teachers plan work that is challenging and interests the pupils. As a result pupils make good, often very good or excellent progress in lessons. Science is very well taught. Barnham Broom - 9

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. All the National Curriculum subjects and religious education are taught. A wide range of good quality, extra-curricular activities enrich the curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The pupils are given challenging targets, which are met in full and regularly reviewed with staff and parents.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good overall. Spiritual development is satisfactory. Moral and social development is very good and a strength of the school. Cultural development is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Child protection procedures are good. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are very good. Arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory but the use of assessment information to guide curriculum planning is unsatisfactory. Procedures for promoting good behaviour and eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has good links with the village playgroup and provides continuity in the teaching and learning when pupils transfer from the playgroup to the reception class. Good liaison has been established with the local high schools, resulting in a smooth transition when pupils leave the school at the age of eleven. French lessons offered by a parent enrich the curriculum of the Year 6 pupils and prepares them well for the teaching of modern foreign languages when they transfer to secondary school. The school’s partnership with parents is good and makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good overall. The leadership of the headteacher is very good. She ensures that there is a clear educational direction for the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Procedures are in place to evaluate the quality of teaching, to monitor pupils’ progress, to set targets and to aid the organisation of performance management.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. Funding is used effectively to raise standards and staff are well deployed.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There are sufficient teachers, all of whom are appropriately qualified. The support staff make a valuable contribution to the caring ethos of the school and promote pupils’ learning. The school roll has increased and accommodation is rather cramped in some classes. This has necessitated the use of a demountable classroom. This classroom is small and very hot in the summer for the number of pupils who are taught in this area. This accommodation has a negative impact on standards and pupils’ learning. The outdoor area for the youngest children allows few opportunities for them to develop their climbing and balancing skills. Resources for learning are satisfactory overall. The school seeks to obtain the best value when purchasing large items of equipment. Barnham Broom - 10

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school • Their children make good progress • The teaching is good • The school is approachable • Behaviour is good • Information about how their children are getting on • School activities outside lessons • Information about the curriculum

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The parents’ meeting was attended by 25 parents, and 74 parents (65 per cent) returned the questionnaire. The findings of the inspection team confirm all the positive views expressed by parents. The inspectors do not agree with a minority of parent’s views that the school should provide better information about how their children are getting on. The written reports to parents are very good and the school has an open door policy with good access to the headteacher and class teachers at most times. There are also five parents’ consultation meetings each year. The inspectors found that the school does provide sufficient activities outside lessons and consider the provision for extra-curricular activities to be good. However, the inspectors agree with parents that they do not have sufficient information about the curriculum in terms of topics the pupils will study. Barnham Broom - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The inspection took place during the week beginning 2 nd July 2001. The number on roll continues to rise, due principally to parents’ views that pupils achieve high standards. With small numbers of pupils in each year group, the pupils’ performance in the national tests and the standards they achieve are likely to vary significantly from one year to the next. Standards of achievement continue to rise in all areas of learning apart from aspects of physical development for the youngest children. All pupils build well on previous learning and higher attaining pupils are provided with extension activities and as a result achieve standards above and often well above average in the core subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Based on the average points for all the core subjects in national tests, the school’s results are broadly in line with the national average by the end of Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1 over the last three years, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics and science was above the national average and both boys and girls exceeded the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Boys did better than girls in reading and mathematics. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ performance was above the national average in English, mathematics and science. Boys’ results exceeded girls’ in English but fell below in mathematics and science. Based on the work seen there is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls. Standards of work indicate above average attainment in English, science, and art and design at the end of both key stages. Standards achieved in mathematics by the majority of pupils are broadly in line with national averages at the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

end of both key stages. Over the previous three years, standards had been above those found nationally, but in 2000 in Year 6 there was a higher than usual proportion of pupils with special educational needs, and there were other circumstances that created learning difficulties. However, there has been a marked improvement in English, mathematics and science since the 2000 tests results. Preliminary results of 2001 tests indicate that the proportion of pupils achieving the higher level 5 or above in English, mathematics and science has risen. This is an improvement on the previous year’s results. However, the numbers of pupils are so small in the year group that comparisons are unreliable. Early indications show that the school is well placed to meet the targets set in 2001. The school has set challenging targets for the future in the core subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The school has made good progress since the last inspection in addressing the key issues relating to standards of achievement in Key Stages 1 and 2. Standards have improved in information and communication technology as a direct result of good teaching and improved provision. However, standards in English fell below average in the 2000 tests due to the number of pupils on the special educational needs register, and the small cohort of pupils in the year groups make comparisons unreliable. Standards in mathematics and science fell in the 2000 tests, but remained broadly in line with national averages. Due to good teaching pupils have made good progress in English and science since the 2000 tests and as a result standards are now above average at the end of both key stages. Standards in mathematics remain broadly in line with national averages at the end of both key stages. Standards in information and communication technology, design and technology, geography,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

history, music and physical education are broadly in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. Standards in art and design are now above national expectations at the end of both key stages. Barnham Broom - 12 Standards achieved by the pupils with special educational needs are good, and are in line with their capability and the targets in their individual education plans. Higher attaining pupils have been identified by the school and are provided with work to meet their particular needs. These pupils make satisfactory and often good progress towards the targets in their group or individual education plans.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage has improved. Classroom support is now in place and has a positive impact on children’s learning. For example, teachers and support staff intervene well during sand play activities and there are better opportunities for developing children’s spatial awareness when using large constructional apparatus. The majority of children enter the reception class with above average skills in personal, social and emotional development, speaking and listening, and reading. This is confirmed by the initial assessments conducted with these young children. Children’s writing and mathematical skills are average on entry to the reception class. By the time the children are ready to start Year 1 almost all will have achieved satisfactory standards in all the six areas of early learning apart from some minor weaknesses in children’s physical development. Moreover,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

approximately one third of the children are already working towards the National Curriculum programmes of study and are achieving standards above what might be expected for children of this age in personal, social and emotional behaviour and communication, language and literacy.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Inspection evidence indicates that by the age of seven, attainment in speaking and listening is good. Pupils talked about their own work; for example in an art lesson; they used appropriate words such as ‘spiral’ and ‘texture’. By the age of eleven pupils were able to speak fluently about a text, which they are reading in a literacy lesson. The majority speak enthusiastically about the books they are reading. Reading is good throughout the school. The majority of pupils in Key Stage 1 are reading at a level above that expected for their age. By the time they are seven they read accurately and fluently and with good expression. The eleven year olds read fluently and show a good understanding of what they read. They are able to locate non-fiction books in the school library, use an index and know how to use the contents and index pages. Standards of writing are good. Pupils in Key Stage 1

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

write their own stories and wrote a report of their visit to the church. Pupils’ handwriting is legible and the majority write well-structured sentences. All pupils can write a sequence of sentences using capital letters. The higher attainers use a good range of punctuation, including speech marks. In Key Stage 2, pupils in Year 6 have developed a good handwriting style. Pupils of all abilities use a good range of punctuation, including commas and speech and exclamation marks. They can write in a range of styles, including instructions. Pupils make good use of computers to word process their finished work. There are good opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy across the curriculum in their writing in geography, history and religious education. Pupils in Year 6 learn French and teachers use the pupils’ knowledge of French when analysing the meaning of words.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Attainment in mathematics at the end of both key stages is broadly in line with national averages. Pupils in Key Stage 1 acquire good numeracy skills and by the age of seven they have a good understanding of place value up to 100, and calculate addition and subtraction sums accurately. Knowledge of shape and space is also developed well by the time the pupils are seven. They recognise and name two- dimensional shapes and many regular three-dimensional shapes. At the end of Key Stage 2 the majority of pupils use the four rules of number and add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers; many can use decimals. Pupils recognise the equivalence in fractions, decimals and percentages and use their knowledge to solve probability problems. Barnham Broom - 13 By the age of eleven pupils recognise symmetry and use a formula to find the perimeter, area and volume of regular shapes. Pupils in both key stages make

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

satisfactory progress in developing the skills of data handling. Information and communication technology is used satisfactorily to support data handling by the average pupils at the age of seven and eleven. The minority of higher attainers are working above what might be expected for pupils at the age of seven and eleven.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Attainment in science at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 is above national expectations for pupils of this age. Pupils in Key Stage 1 understand the importance of making observations and measurements about habitats and compare the similarities and differences in their own environment. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 carry out ‘fair tests’, make predictions and test outcomes by investigational work. They use their numeracy skills to make a tally and use the data to draw a bar graph. Pupils in Key Stage 1 use the computer to present questions about snails, as part of their work on information texts. In Key Stage 2 pupils use their observational skills when pond dipping. They understand the process of germination and are able to classify soils according to characteristics. They extend their vocabulary when they classify the different types of rock such as igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Pupils in Key

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Stage 2 undertake a wide range of experimental and investigational science work and as a result they have a good understanding of the importance of prediction and fair testing. In Key Stage 2 pupils use their numeracy skills and produce a line graph to show the variation in water temperature. The pupils in Key Stage 2 use the computer to record data relating to animal habitats and soil samples. 8. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their individual targets. They are provided with good levels of support, which enable many of them to achieve the standards expected for their age. Several pupils in the current Year 2, who had been identified as having below average standards when they were admitted to the school at the age of five, have made very good progress and achieved average standards in both reading and mathematics.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. On entering Barnham Broom School visitors are immediately aware of a busy and positive school community. Pupils are friendly, polite and relaxed when welcoming outsiders to their school. They like to talk about themselves, their families and their interests. They listen well in lessons and assemblies and enjoy playing their individual part in the implementation of the school’s daily procedures and routines. In lessons, pupils’ attitudes are always positive and they set about their written and practical work enthusiastically. Pupils are well motivated and this results in good quality work as, for example, when the youngest children in the reception class produced some well-fashioned mini-beasts and habitats from a variety of modelling materials. Their attention to detail was particularly impressive, leading to some realistic creations. Teachers work hard to produce challenging and stimulating lesson

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

content and this engenders enthusiasm, interest and strong motivation in all the school’s pupils. Pupils’ purposeful and friendly attitudes, as reported at the time of the last inspection, have been maintained. 10. The rate of attendance for the school year before the inspection was good and above the national average for primary schools. It reflects pupils’ enthusiasm for coming to school and, unusually, there is a lower percentage than in most schools of pupils taking holidays during term time. Attendance for this current school year just ending is going to show a drop in the rate due to a serious influenza virus in the early part of the spring term which resulted in over half the school’s pupils being off sick for several days. The rate of unauthorised absence is nil. Punctuality is good; no pupils were observed to arrive late in the mornings during the week of the inspection. Barnham Broom - 14

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Behaviour throughout the school is very good and often excellent. There have been no exclusions in the last school year or in the school’s history. The school’s behaviour policy is implemented consistently and corporately by all adults in the school and this approach makes a significant impact on the way pupils conduct themselves during lessons and around the school. They are stretched and challenged in lessons, resulting in full engagement with their work and tasks and a high standard of behaviour, which has improved since the previous inspection. 12. Pupils’ personal development is very good. The school’s sensible and inclusive action in consulting pupils on some aspects of its day-to-day running, for example, how behaviour in the playground might be improved, is one way in which personal development has been enhanced. The appointment of Year 6 playground monitors has been hugely successful, not just for the monitors themselves but also for the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

other pupils in the school who have written a large file of letters to the monitors expressing their support and thanks for all the monitors do for them. It has encouraged the monitors to take initiative and think for themselves, as illustrated recently when the Year 6 pupils realised that during the week of their residential visit there would be no monitors in the school. They then decided, completely on their own initiative, to train some Year 4 pupils to fill the gap during their absence. Pupils undertake other tasks around the school such as preparing the hall for assembly and taking registers to the office. It was at their suggestion, during the consultation exercise, that the quiet area in the playground was conceived. The school is well placed to consider the development of a school council should it decide to go ahead with this idea. 13. Relationships between pupils and staff and among pupils are very good. Staff care

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

for all of their pupils and there is a sense of trust and mutual respect between them. Pupils work particularly well in groups. They co-operate effectively, share resources and ideas without quarrelling and listen well to what is said to them. They value the contribution of their peers and friends and are particularly supportive of pupils with special educational needs. They know that everyone has different skills and they appreciate, and utilise, this difference to good effect, resulting in high standards of self-discipline and self-control. 14. Pupils at Barnham Broom achieve good standards. A considerable measure of this success is due to their positive and purposeful attitudes, very good behaviour, harmonious and pleasant relationships and high standards of personal development. The overall picture is of a well-behaved, enthusiastic and caring pupil community, an undoubted strength of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils with special educational needs have the same very good attitudes to their work as their peers. They try hard to complete their tasks and work well in groups and in withdrawal sessions with the learning assistants. Other pupils are very supportive, recognising their difficulties and valuing their contributions in discussions and group activities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The school has a strong team of teachers and support assistants who work well together; the quality of teaching is good overall. At the time of the last inspection five per cent of teaching was unsatisfactory and 95 per cent was satisfactory or better. The quality of the teaching has improved since the last inspection. In the 29 lessons observed during this inspection, 21 per cent were satisfactory and 79 per cent good or very good. The good improvement in the quality of teaching has had a positive impact upon pupils’ progress and their subsequent attainment.Teaching and non- teaching staff have high expectations for behaviour and learning and there is a good balance of teacher-directed activities as well as opportunities for independent learning. Barnham Broom - 15 There are procedures for assessing individual children, and provision for those pupils with special educational needs is good. However, the use of assessment to guide

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

curricular planning is unsatisfactory overall because it is not always used to inform future planning. Teachers and classroom assistants are very effective in extending children’s speaking and listening and numeracy skills by very good questioning techniques.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching for children in the Foundation Stage is always good and often very good. All staff, including teachers, classroom assistants and parents, plan together. However, planning does not always take full account of the early learning goals for the children in the Foundation Stage. As a result, planning and assessment techniques are currently underdeveloped and aspects of the children’s physical development in the outdoor area are not planned on a regular basis. Children make satisfactory and sometimes good progress towards the early learning goals in all six areas of learning, particularly in personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy. There is very good support for children with special educational needs and they make good progress. Teachers and classroom assistants are effective in extending children’s speaking and listening and numeracy

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

skills by very good questioning techniques. Adults working with the children in the Foundation Stage are secure in their knowledge of the requirements for those who are already working in the National Curriculum programmes of study. However, their understanding of the early learning goals is limited. The literacy and numeracy lessons in the reception classes are well structured and provide a framework to be continued when the children proceed to the next stage of schooling. Staff provide a very stimulating environment and plan a wide range of activities that promote the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. Teachers and classroom assistants encourage the children to use their imagination during role-play, art, music and movement. The quality, quantity, accessibility and use of learning resources are adequate, apart from equipment to develop balancing and climbing on a regular basis.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is good overall with some very good teaching. When teaching was very good the lesson objectives were clear and well matched to the interests and abilities of the pupils. The pace of the lessons was brisk, which resulted in very good concentration and behaviour. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 ranged from good to very good, with the majority of lessons being good. When teaching was very good, teachers had high expectations for learning and behaviour. The skills of communication, including literacy and numeracy, are well taught in lessons. Information and communication technology is used effectively to support learning. When teaching is satisfactory, the tasks for the higher achieving pupils are not always sufficiently challenging in mathematics lessons and opportunities for warm-up and cooling-down activities in physical education lessons are sometimes missed. Teachers sometimes lack confidence and subject knowledge

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teachers plan work that is challenging and interests the pupils. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in lessons. However, teachers are not always effective in using assessment to inform planning and their short-term plans do not systematically build on pupils’ previous skills and knowledge. There is some good practice in planning, for example, in literacy and numeracy hours. These developments have been successfully incorporated into the teaching of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, where there is a good balance between whole-class teaching and well-targeted group work in these subjects. Barnham Broom - 16 However, this good standard of planning is not found in all classes and there are no whole-school procedures for assessing pupils’ progress throughout the year. The work in pupils’ books provides a record of their progress. However, if teachers leave

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the school or are away through ill health, there is no effective record for other teachers to use and build upon to ensure pupils continue to make effective progress. The lack of effective monitoring of pupils’ developing understanding and skills makes it difficult for teachers to ensure that pupils’ learning builds effectively from year to year. The headteacher is successful in continuing to raise the quality of teaching and learning by careful monitoring. All staff are committed to looking for ways to build upon and improve what they have to do. The hard work and enthusiasm of the teachers are transmitted to the pupils. Clear explanations enable the pupils to understand what they have to do. Lessons proceed at a good pace and are structured well to maintain the pupils’ interest. 20. The teaching of English and mathematics is good overall at both key stages. Teachers prepare their work thoroughly and identify learning targets, which are

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

clearly conveyed to the pupils in most lessons. The teachers display competency in teaching the sounds of letters. Within the Year 2 class, phonic skills are well taught and the pupils’ good progress is carefully recorded. Teachers set targets for the completion of tasks and pupils sustain the pace of lessons in their independent work. Most teachers provide a very good model in reading aloud and this is reflected in the pupils’ good expression when they read together. 21. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported, which results in their good progress. Teachers know their pupils well and provide activities that are well matched to their learning needs, and that effectively build on their previous work. Learning support assistants are used well to work regularly with individual pupils on activities that have been designed to help them reach the targets identified in the individual educational plans. For example, some pupils work on their recall of letter sounds to

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

help them in their reading and spelling. A pupil in Year 2 worked happily with the classroom assistant developing his understanding of addition and subtraction whilst the others in the class were working on multiples of five so as to consolidate their knowledge of the five times table. Similarly, higher attaining pupils are well monitored and their progress is effectively promoted by the setting of more complex and challenging work that effectively builds on their prior learning. 22. In the majority of lessons, teachers’ positive and high expectations of work and behaviour contribute significantly to the good progress made by the pupils. The teachers’ use of language and skilful questioning extends their pupils’ vocabulary and enables them to voice their ideas more fully. For instance, in a very good science lesson in Key Stage 2, pupils developed their understanding of specialist language through their teacher’s effective questioning that encouraged them to extend their

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

views about habitats and the impact of humans on environments. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in the classrooms and this is reflected in the way pupils settle quickly to work and maintain their concentration even when not directly supervised. The pupils are given good feedback on their work in lessons and how they may improve it. Teachers mark their pupils’ work with comments as to what they have done well and how they might improve. However, they do not always sufficiently point out what pupils have achieved or explain what the pupil needs to do to improve. 23. Homework is often given and parents feel involved in their children’s learning at home. However, the inspection team judged that the setting of homework is uneven across the school and there is a need for a more consistent and rigorous approach to homework on the part of all teachers. Barnham Broom - 17

p.16

PUPILS?

24. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage is appropriate and is planned to cater for the different ages and abilities of the children. However, planning does not always take full account of the early learning goals for the children in the Foundation Stage. As a result, planning and assessment techniques are currently underdeveloped and aspects of the children’s physical development in the outdoor area are not regularly planned.

p.17

PUPILS?

25. The curriculum is broad and effectively balanced for pupils in the rest of the school. It covers all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education, as set out in the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils are also given guidance on sex education and the use and abuse of drugs as part of their personal, social and health education. All subjects meet statutory requirements. 26. The school has effectively implemented the National Literacy Numeracy Strategies, which are taught well through the school. Pupils’ literacy skills are well promoted and developed across the curriculum. In history, in particular, pupils’ writing skills are effectively developed. Their speaking and listening skills are also well developed in many subjects when opportunities are made for pupils to express their ideas and share their work with the class. Pupils’ numeracy skills are well promoted in mathematics lessons, and satisfactorily developed in other subjects, such as science

p.17

PUPILS?

and geography. A particular strength of the curriculum is the way teachers make effective and meaningful links with other subjects. The pupils’ study of mini-beasts in Key Stage 1, for example, was explored in science and also in literacy when the pupils looked at snails, in information and communication technology when they learnt how to program a floor robot as if it were a bee having to collect pollen from different flowers, and in mathematics where pupils used plastic bugs to help them to a greater understanding of division. The provision for information and communication technology has significantly improved since the last inspection and is used well to support and further promote pupils’ learning in other subjects. It is particularly well used in literacy lessons, to promote pupils’ research skills in history, and to present and illustrate pupils’ work in many areas of their learning.

p.17

PUPILS?

27. The curriculum provided is appropriately relevant to the pupils in the school and adapted to meet their learning needs. All pupils are provided with an effective range of learning opportunities that broadens their experience, enhances their learning and ensures that they have similar access to the National Curriculum. The provision for higher attaining pupils is good. Their potential is satisfactorily identified and they are provided with appropriate opportunities to achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science. The learning of talented and gifted pupils is also enhanced by the opportunity to work with similar pupils from other schools, so that they are further challenged and their learning experiences enriched.

p.17

PUPILS?

28. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Staff work closely together sharing information and expertise so that the pupils benefit from a broad and relevant curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs are effectively identified and their difficulties recognised. Individual educational plans are well written and provide accessible targets for pupils’ future learning. Pupils’ progress towards these targets is regularly monitored. Pupils with special educational needs are provided with good support from the special educational needs co-ordinator, the class teachers and the learning support staff, which enables them to work on similar activities to the majority of pupils in the class and achieve good levels of success. Barnham Broom - 18 29. Since the last inspection improvement has been made in developing schemes of work for all subjects, which now satisfactorily underpin teachers’ planning. The

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PUPILS?

schemes of work link the appropriate programmes of study in each subject to the units of work planned over a two-year rolling programme for each class. The plans do not, however, clearly show which aspect of the required skills development is to be taught to each year group in order to ensure a systematic progression in pupils’ learning. There are some good examples of planning that clearly identify the learning that is to take place in each unit of work, as well as the activities that are to be completed, and these objectives for learning form the basis on which pupils’ attainment and progress are assessed. This good standard of planning is, however, not found for all subjects or in all classes.

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PUPILS?

30. Pupils’ learning is well developed through a wide range of visits to places of local interest, such as the local church and the agricultural college, as part of their learning in history, geography and religious education. A good range of visitors come to the school to share their knowledge about such topics as the Second World War to further enrich pupils’ learning experiences. There is a good number and satisfactory range of out-of-school clubs and activities, including a variety of sports, choir and recorders, art and a fortnightly religious education club. The curriculum is further enriched by the teaching of French to pupils in Year 6 by a parent. They enjoy the lessons, which promote their confidence in speaking the language and prepare them well for learning at their secondary schools.

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PUPILS?

31. Pupils’ personal, social and health education is effectively planned and well developed through regular opportunities to consider a comprehensive range of issues that support pupils’ developing personal and social awareness; it helps them to develop effective relationships and tolerance of one another. Pupils in the oldest class, in particular, have opportunities to reflect on their own reactions and decisions in a wide range of circumstances covering conflict, bullying, drugs and danger from strangers. Younger pupils are also encouraged to consider the meaning of names and the effect of calling people names. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 participate in the annual residential trip and gain considerably from the experience that develops their independence, interdependence and maturity, as well as their learning in science, geography and physical education. Most pupils have the opportunity to develop a

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PUPILS?

sense of responsibility to which they respond well. Even the youngest have opportunities to act as class monitors. Teachers use a good range of strategies to promote pupils’ independent learning skills such as frequent opportunities to plan and organise their work as individuals and within pairs or groups. These opportunities build so that by Years 5 and 6 pupils negotiate and collaborate with each other well, for example, when developing a multi-media presentation or setting up science investigations.

p.18

PUPILS?

32. The school effectively uses its links with the local community and with local schools to further enhance pupils’ learning. People, such as the local vicar, artists and coaches from Norwich City football club, and coaches of rugby, cricket and golf, as well as parents, come to school to work with the pupils. Teachers in the local cluster of schools work together on a number of initiatives, such as the festival of multi- cultural experiences. The school has also been part of a successful bid for a government grant, which has provided the opportunity to work with an information and communication technology support teacher. This initiative has supported the school’s good improvement in the provision for teaching information and communication technology through the school. Good links have been established between the school and playgroup on the school site and between the school and the local high schools in the area.

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PUPILS?

Barnham Broom - 19 33. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory but under- developed. Assemblies provide satisfactory opportunities for pupils to consider the importance of the lives of famous people and the beliefs and values of others. They are encouraged to recognise the wonder of the world around them but there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to reflect on their own experiences and develop their own beliefs.

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PUPILS?

34. The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good. The ethos of the school is one of mutual support, care and respect, and pupils are expected to provide these good levels of care as a moral responsibility. The recent innovation of having playground monitors has proved a great success. It has been effective in developing pupils’ social awareness and care for one another. The class discussions in ‘circle time’ promote pupils’ tolerance and understanding of the views of others, and the ability to use strategies to sort out problems and resolve conflicts. They discuss moral dilemmas, such as environmental issues, and consider their response to situations so that they develop their own moral code, recognising what is right and what is wrong.

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PUPILS?

35. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. Pupils’ enjoyment of the arts is effectively promoted. A theatre company visits the school regularly and lessons in literacy, art and music promote pupils’ enjoyment when they are introduced to poetry, the music of great composers and a variety of works of art. The pupils were also lucky enough to explore making their own sculptures with an artist who worked in the school. Visits to local places of interest promote pupils’ awareness of Norfolk culture, and there are now more opportunities for pupils to be aware of the diversity of cultures around the world. The topic on Africa gave the opportunity for pupils to learn about life in a small Kenyan village and to make masks with a visitor from Africa. The pupils in Key Stage 2 enjoyed Greek dancing as part of their study of Ancient Greece, and recently all pupils have taken part in a multi-cultural festival where they

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PUPILS?

enjoyed a wide range of multi-cultural experiences. There was dancing from northern India, and opportunities to use drums to make their music as well as listening to the experts play, and pupils made their own Rangoli patterns. Opportunities to hear stories from around the world in literacy lessons, and to study Islamic art and the culture and festivities of other religions, have also promoted the pupils’ greater awareness of other cultures.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The good standards of pastoral care afforded to pupils reported at the time of the last inspection have been well maintained in the intervening years. Child protection procedures are good. The headteacher is the designated officer for child protection and all staff are fully aware of the school’s procedures and practices for this important aspect of its work, having had in-house training from her.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. All members of the school staff are trained in first aid, and fire drills take place regularly. Governors are vigilant with regard to health and safety and undertake regular risk assessments in the school. The school has recently had a health and safety audit from the local authority and this regular commitment supports the school’s own understanding of the need to provide a safe environment for its pupils. Barnham Broom - 20 38. In a school of this small size all pupils are well known to all staff. This knowledge ensures good monitoring of their personal development and behaviour. Formal recording of this aspect of pupils’ development only happens when there is a considered need, for example, in the event of a problem. Other forms of monitoring come through reward stickers and celebration assemblies. The school’s care for its pupils and its standard of personal support to them undoubtedly have a positive

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

impact on their standards, attainment and good progress. 39. In the Foundation Stage teachers mark children’s work regularly and evaluate their oral responses when involved in learning activities and this helps them improve. However, monitoring children’s attainment and progress in the Foundation Stage is currently unsatisfactory. 40. Since the last inspection the school has made satisfactory advances in the development of its procedures to assess and monitor pupils’ attainment and progress in Key Stages 1 and 2. A satisfactory range of strategies and tests is employed in English and mathematics, but there are no consistent procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress in the other subjects and in consequence it is difficult for teachers to plan the next stages of learning, building on what pupils already know, understand and can do. 41. The school uses National Curriculum tests and other tests to assess pupils’

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Years 3, 4 and 5. This information is used effectively to group the pupils, according to their ability, into sets for the teaching of mathematics and English. The information is also used to track the progress of pupils who are under-achieving and those who are high attainers. Teachers use their own tests for aspects such as spelling, knowledge of key words and tables, and they appropriately monitor pupils’ attainment against the key elements in the National Numeracy Strategy. Teachers exchange information informally, and records of pupils’ standards in English and mathematics are passed on to the next teacher. 42. Teachers tend to plan the work for their class, or their English and mathematics group, individually. There are some good examples of planning that clearly identify the learning that is to take place. However, this good standard of planning is not

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

found in all classes and there are no whole-school procedures for assessing pupils’ progress throughout the year. In most classes, the work in pupils’ books provides a record of their progress and if teachers leave the school or are away through ill health, there is no effective record for other teachers to use and build upon to ensure pupils continue to make effective progress. The lack of effective monitoring of pupils’ developing understanding and skills makes it difficult for teachers to ensure that pupils’ learning builds effectively from year to year.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Teachers have a secure knowledge of the National Curriculum levels and set work that is appropriate for pupils’ ages and abilities. They monitor pupils’ day-to-day work satisfactorily to use the information gained from these assessments to set future work. The quality of teachers’ marking is satisfactory. Comments in pupils’ books are always positive, praising for good work and effort. They do not always sufficiently point out what pupils have achieved or explain what the pupil needs to do to improve. 44. Pupils with special educational needs are appropriately identified and their learning needs satisfactorily assessed. Specific targets for future learning are identified in their individual educational plans and are monitored regularly so that progress is effectively maintained. The school has also started to explore the procedure of setting targets for each pupil in English and mathematics, but the practice is not

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

developed consistently through the school. Barnham Broom - 21 45. The school’s administrative officer monitors the attendance registers regularly. Registers are completed correctly by all class teachers and meet requirements. Reasons for absence are the usual childhood illnesses and complaints. Less holiday leave is taken by pupils at Barnham Broom than in a large number of primary schools. 46. Pupils are given very good levels of support and advice. Those pupils who have been recognised as having potential difficulties in certain areas of their learning are given homework that is specifically planned to help them. Pupils who are identified as having special educational needs are provided with clear and manageable targets as part of their individual education plans and the activities are effectively planned to enable them to work steadily towards improvement. Problems and concerns are talked about openly with the older pupils so that they are fully involved in their

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

learning and are therefore able to focus on what they need to do in order to improve. Higher attaining pupils are similarly supported. Teachers have sought advice on the best way to support those with exceptional abilities and so further extend their learning. They are still well integrated into the class but challenging work enables them to continue to make satisfactory and often good progress.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school and its parents enjoy a generally good partnership. This was a strength of the school at the time of the last inspection. Parents’ views of the school from the evidence of the pre-inspection parents’ meeting and the good number of returned questionnaires show a large degree of support for the school and what it does. The findings of the inspection team confirm all the positive views expressed by parents. The inspectors do not agree with a minority of parents’ views that the school should provide better information about how their children are getting on. The written reports to parents are very good and the school has an open door policy with good access to the headteacher and class teachers at most times.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. There is a well-organised and supportive Friends of Barnham Broom School organisation that works very hard to organise a number of social and fund-raising events each school year. The job of the few parents who are at the centre of this work is not made easy when there are a large number of parents who do not have the time to volunteer their services on the organising group. When parents are asked to help, many will do so and school events are well attended. 49. A number of parents come into school every week to lend a helping hand with subjects like swimming and art. Parents are always welcome in the school and its open door policy ensures that they can raise questions with teachers or the headteacher at any time they like. 50. The quality of information provided by the school for parents is good overall. There is a regular newsletter and there are five parents’ consultation meetings each year when parents can visit the school and view their children’s work and progress. If any

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

parent feels the need to talk to staff during or after this visit then they are immediately given a personal appointment to discuss their concerns in more detail. However, there is no formal and consistent procedure whereby parents are given information of forthcoming curriculum studies although some teachers do this individually. This is one of the areas of criticism from parents who would like to have sufficient information in advance in order to support their children’s learning at home more effectively. Barnham Broom - 22 51. A number of parents would like to see more extra-curricular clubs and activities for pupils. The inspection team judges this provision to be very much in line with that in similar schools and feel that, with school trips and outings, residential visits and a number of visitors to the school, the pupils’ curriculum and experiences are already given considerable enrichment. 52. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept well informed and involved.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

They are contacted as soon as concerns about the child’s learning are identified and their comments and suggestions are encouraged as part of the regular reviews of the child’s progress. The parents’ support is enlisted in the activities planned to promote the pupil’s progress. This effective communication with parents and the good partnership ensure that pupils are encouraged both at home and in school, which enhances their learning. 53. Pupils’ annual reports are of unusually high quality. They make it extremely clear what children know, understand and can do and are very detailed and specific to each child. Targets are clearly outlined in the form of future action points and there is space for pupil and parental input on the report forms. 54. In spite of a small number of criticisms, which were made in a positive manner by some parents, the inspection team consider that a good partnership exists between

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

parents and the school. This impacts positively on pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher provides very good leadership for the school. She took over the post at a time of uncertainty, shortly before the last inspection, and has led the school through improvements in important areas, particularly in the quality of teaching and the attitudes and behaviour of pupils. She has overseen the successful change in the school’s status from grant maintained to voluntary aided. She has a clear vision of the school’s development, which is shared by all members of the school’s staff, teaching and non-teaching, as well as by the governing body. Since the last inspection the key issues, relating to information and communication technology, the school development plan, schemes of work, the provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage and the governors management role for monitoring educational standards, have been addressed. However, some aspects of the provision for children in the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Foundation Stage and schemes of work to support teacher’s planning remain unsatisfactory. More support staff have been deployed to work alongside teachers in the classes. Improvements have been made to the teaching, accommodation and library.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school’s aims and values as a Church of England school are clearly reflected in its work. It maintains close links with the church and offers very good opportunities to all its pupils, regardless of gender, ethnic origin or any disability. It provides a broad curriculum and a good learning environment, despite the limitations of some of the accommodation. It is successful in developing its links with parents and the village community.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. In a small school all staff take responsibility for different areas of the curriculum but, apart from in the key ones of literacy and numeracy, subject managers have not yet had the opportunity directly to monitor provision in their subjects, either in the classroom or by a systematic scrutiny of work throughout the school; there is, however, much informal discussion between teachers. The headteacher has a programme of observing teachers and giving them feedback, and the school governors also make regular visits to the classroom, from which they also provide feedback both to teachers and to the rest of the governing body. Barnham Broom - 23 58. The special educational needs co-ordinator manages the provision for pupils with special educational needs very well. She gives good guidance to other staff and ensures that pupils are provided with appropriate support. The requirements of the special educational needs Code of Practice 3 are well met.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The governing body fulfils all its legal responsibilities in the management of the school. It has an effective system of committees, and all governors take an interest in specific areas of the curriculum. The governors have a clear view of the strengths of the school and of the way in which they want it to develop. They are strongly supportive of the headteacher in her work. The school has implemented the requirements for performance management satisfactorily. Objectives have been set for all teachers, including the headteacher. 60. The school’s development plan sets out priorities for development clearly under the headings of staffing, curriculum, premises and parental and community links. It identifies appropriately, for instance, the need to review schemes of work and to develop the tracking of pupils’ progress, as well as to increase the accommodation available for teaching in the school. Progress on the plan is monitored every half

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

term by the governing body. The funding necessary is clearly identified in the plan and appropriate success criteria are included. This is an improvement on the situation at the time of the last inspection, when the development plan did not provide a strategic overview of where the school was heading. It now does, and the school is taking effective action to meet its targets. 61. All the staff share the commitment to improvement. Although staff turnover is low and no newly qualified teachers have been recruited recently, there is effective provision for the induction of any teachers new to the school. The staff handbook provides clear guidance on school routines, and is easy to follow. 62. The school manages its finances well. Planning of the school’s budget is related directly to priorities for development. The school has built up a considerable surplus to help fund the proposed building development, which is clearly linked to educational

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

priorities. Specific grants for pupils with special educational needs are used well in the good provision for these pupils, including those with statements of special educational need. Other grants are also used well, for instance, to develop information and communication technology or finance multi-cultural festivals in the school. The school administrator and headteacher carry out the day-to-day financial administration very efficiently. A recent auditors’ report had only minor recommendations, all of which are being acted upon. 63. The school uses new technology well, both in its administration and in the classroom, although it does not yet make effective use of the Internet and electronic mail. The governing body is aware of the principles of best value and has applied them appropriately, for instance, in determining where classroom support staff can be most effectively used. 64. There is a good match of teaching and support staff to meet the demands of the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

curriculum. Staffing has been stable since the time of the last inspection and only now is there to be a change when the main Year 5/6 teacher, who is also the special educational needs co-ordinator, vacates her post. Her replacement has been appointed to start in September.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

3 Code of Practice – this gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Barnham Broom - 24 65. There is a strong sense of teamwork throughout the school. Staff meet together to talk very regularly and there is close co-operation between them. 66. Staff are enabled to attend courses, which they feel would enhance their professional development. 67. The classroom assistants provide quiet and strong support to teachers and pupils. They are well briefed by teachers and work well with parent volunteers who help in the school on a regular basis. The administrative officer provides a calm and welcoming atmosphere on entry to the school and works very hard to ensure that the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school administration is efficiently undertaken each day. The administrator and ancillary staff ensure that pupils are cared for appropriately in the lunch break and are there to administer first aid for minor ailments and injuries. 68. Although there have been some improvements to the school accommodation in the form of the office and an extension to the library, it is unsatisfactory overall. Some classrooms are tight for space and the school hall can only just take a gathering of all pupils and staff for assemblies. The school has three demountable huts, one of which is let to the village pre-school playgroup for its use. Another demountable hut is used by the before-and after-school club and is of a good size. The third hut is smaller and used for group work for small numbers of pupils. This accommodation is not conducive to learning as it is very hot in summer. 69. At the time of the last inspection the lack of development of an appropriate outside

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

play space for the under fives was a major issue. Considerable improvement has taken place but there is still a need for more space to accommodate all the necessary equipment and for more fencing to ensure that the complete area is segregated from the rest of the school. 70. The caretaker keeps the building clean and tidy. The attractive grounds are well maintained and cared for. The playground has good markings for pupils’ play, and a quiet area for pupils to have space and peace away from the noise and bustle of a normal school playtime has been established. 71. Colourful displays are well mounted around the school and there is an emphasis on the celebration of pupils’ work and achievements. 72. The school has sufficient resources to meet the demands of the curriculum. Resources are good in English, mathematics and physical education. There has been considerable improvement in resources for information and communication

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

technology since the last inspection. Resources are satisfactory in science, history, geography, design and technology, music and art. They are also satisfactory for the Foundation Stage, apart from the lack of equipment to develop climbing skills. Resources for pupils with special educational needs are satisfactory. 73. The school gives good value for money. Barnham Broom - 25

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The headteacher, staff and governing body should address the following issues to further improve the quality of education provided:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the quality of curriculum planning in order that the skills which pupils are expected to acquire are clearly identified for each year group and in each subject in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stages 1 and 2. (see paragraphs 16, 17, 24, 42, 92, 98, 118, 124, 136,137, 141)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the use of assessment in order that teachers can plan the next steps in pupils’ learning by identifying key skills to be developed in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stages 1 and 2. (see paragraphs 16, 17, 19, 24, 82, 92, 125, 137, 141)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Provide more suitable accommodation for the additional teaching sets in Key Stage 2. (see paragraphs 56, 60, 68, 107, 137, 141)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Ensure that there are sufficient opportunities for the children in the Foundation Stage to improve their physical development. (see paragraphs 4,17, 8, 72, 75)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Additionally, in order to address minor weaknesses, the school should include the following in the action plan:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Ensure that there is a more consistent and rigorous approach to the setting of homework across the school. (see paragraph 23) 2. Provide information to parents about the curriculum topics being covered by the pupils. (see pages 11, 31 and paragraph 50)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school has already identified the key issue regarding the provision for more suitable accommodation for the teaching sets in Key Stage 2 in the school development plan. Barnham Broom - 26

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of lessons observed 29 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 17

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 24 55 21 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 115

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 2 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Special educational needs Nursery YR- Y6

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 14

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

% % School data 3.3 School data 0 National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Barnham Broom - 27 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 89 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups 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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers and classes Financial information

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.1 Financial year 2000/2001

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total income 276340 Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 277100

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 2 Expenditure per pupil 2169

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 41 Balance brought forward from previous year

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year 26383 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 & 2 Information regarding pupils attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2 has been omitted from this section of the report as the cohort is ten or below. This small cohort, and the fluctuation in the number of pupils on the special educational needs register make comparisons unreliable. (See paragraphs 1 and summary of the report where test results are discussed) Barnham Broom - 28 Results of the survey of parents and carers

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of responses in each category

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child is making good progress in school. 65 34 0 1 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Behaviour in the school is good. 47 47 5 0 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 50 8 0 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 51 30 18 1 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 61 35 1 1 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 74 16 5 0 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school works closely with parents. 47 42 8 3 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is well led and managed. 64 30 4 0 3

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 51 41 4 0 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 28 45 16 3 8

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Points that arose from the parents’ meeting and in writing:

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

• insufficient information from the school about the curriculum and topics being covered each term. Barnham Broom - 29

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. There have been good improvements in the provision for children in the Foundation Stage since the last inspection. Classroom support is now in place and has a positive impact on children’s learning. For example, children are now challenged during sand play activities and when using large constructional apparatus. Improvements have been made to the availability of large and small apparatus in the indoor and outdoor area to support children’s learning. However, the issue identified in the last report regarding the provision of a secure play space and equipment for outdoor use has only been partially addressed

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. The majority of children enter the reception class with above average skills in personal, social and emotional development, speaking and listening, and reading. This is confirmed by the initial assessments conducted with these young children. Children’s writing and mathematical skills are average on entry to the reception class. By the time the children are ready to start Year 1 the vast majority will have achieved satisfactory standards in all the six areas of the early learning goals apart from some minor weaknesses in children’s physical development. Approximately one third of the children are already working towards the National Curriculum programmes of study and are achieving standards above what might be expected for children of this age in personal social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy.

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Personal, social and emotional development

76. Personal, social and emotional development of the children is very good. No evaluation can be made of improvements since the last inspection as no judgement was made about this area of learning in the last report. However, significant minorities of the children are already achieving standards above what might be expected for children of this age. Staff give high priority to this area of learning and they are very effective in the way in which they develop children’s self-esteem and confidence. The quality of teaching is good and often very good. Staff are aware of the children with special educational needs and provide good support during planned activities. Children who show signs of being gifted or talented are given extension activities and often make good progress in lessons. As a result they make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Children take turns

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Personal, social and emotional development

and they respond well to the teacher and learning support staff. The staff are very effective in providing a wide range of stimulating activities and the children are enthusiastic in their response to staff who provide excellent role models. The adults promote children’s personal development effectively by ensuring that resources and equipment are accessible to help them become independent. Children respond very well to one another and are gaining confidence during imaginary role-play in the ‘Pirates ship’ and ‘Vets surgery’. They are beginning to form good relationships with adults and other children. For example, they work as part of a group, when counting the animals into sets and they take turns when playing a card game about the sequencing of time and collaborate well when setting the hands to the correct time on the clock faces in a numeracy lesson. They understand that there is a need for

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Personal, social and emotional development

appropriate behaviour in order for groups to work together harmoniously. Barnham Broom - 30 The teachers and learning support staff have very high expectations for good behaviour. Staff explain clearly the difference between right and wrong and as a result behaviour is very good. Children are beginning to understand the consequences of their words and actions. They are developing personal independence when selecting resources for themselves. For example, they collected a clipboard, pencil and a bug box when undertaking a science investigation in the school grounds. The children in the reception class have the opportunity to join the whole-school collective acts of worship and are encouraged to join in with the hymns and prayers. They are beginning to understand that people have different needs, views, cultures and beliefs that need to be treated with respect. For example, the children experience aspects of the major world religions when looking at ‘Special

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Personal, social and emotional development

Books’, such as the Bible and the Jewish Torah. Children showed joy and amazement when looking at slugs and the movement of a woodlouse in the bug box. Assemblies and planned opportunities in lessons have a positive impact on the children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children demonstrate initiative and independence when they help tidy away after activities.

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Communication, language and literacy

77. The planned activities for communication, language and literacy are good. Approximately one third of the children are already working towards the National Curriculum programmes of study and are achieving standards above what might be expected for children of this age in communication, language and literacy. By the time the children reach the end of the Foundation Stage the majority will have achieved the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is good and often very good. The skills of communication, including literacy, are well taught . Children have made good progress in communication, language and literacy skills. Speaking and listening skills are very well promoted. For example, children dress up as pirates and travel in a large sailing boat to find hidden treasure and talk about finding gold trinkets and the different people they might meet on the island. Standards of reading are good and children can use their alphabet skills to locate information books in the

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Communication, language and literacy

library. The most able readers demonstrate good fluency, comprehension and expression in their reading. Children listen well to stories and show enthusiasm when answering the teacher’s questions. They are keen to talk about their experiences such as holidays and visits to the shops, both in small and large groups. For example, children explained clearly how they had made a model of ‘A perfect place for a picnic’, on a beach or in a woodland area. Children are beginning to use an increasing vocabulary to express their thoughts and convey meaning. For example, they talked about the title, author and illustrator when looking at ‘Big Books’ during a literacy lesson and were beginning to understand the purpose and use of full stops, capital letters and associated letter sounds. Children used their literacy skills in a poster about how to care for sick animals in the ‘Vets surgery’ and gained confidence in speaking when using nursery rhyme finger puppets. They write about

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Communication, language and literacy

the mini-beasts they have observed in the school grounds. The majority of children write their own names and familiar words accurately and legibly. Those children whose work is above average extend their vocabulary when describing the features of different creatures such as the antennae of the slug, and segments of the worm and woodlouse, and they can name the aphid and write about the features of a snail’s habitat. Barnham Broom - 31

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Mathematics

78. This area of learning is well taught and the majority of children will achieve the early leaning goals by the time reach the end of the Foundation Stage and a significant minority will achieve standards above what might be expected for children of this age. The quality of teaching is good and often very good. Staff prepare the activities and equipment before the children begin the work on clocks. Lessons are well structured to take account of the next stage of learning; for example, the framework for numeracy strategy is used effectively and prepares the children well for the next stage of their learning. Staff ask challenging questions and as a result children recognise and use numbers up to ten and many of them can count to 20 and beyond. Staff extend children’s use of mathematical vocabulary. Children use a wide range of mathematical language such as ‘bigger than’ and ‘heavier than’, with confidence and

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Mathematics

they are beginning to understand the properties and names of different shapes such as circles, triangles and rectangles. They use counting apparatus to subtract one from ten. Children have good opportunities for developing their mathematical understanding of volume, capacity and weight for example, when measuring with different-sized containers in the sand and water trays. During imaginative play they handle coins, talk about their different values and give change. The majority can write numbers correctly and in the correct sequence, and are beginning to understand the principles of addition and subtraction. Children are developing an understanding of symmetrical patterns, for example, by folding the paper while the paint is still wet. In a numeracy lesson they were extending their mathematical vocabulary and were beginning to understand the concept of telling the time using clock faces. For example, they talked about ‘past’ the hour and about midday, halves

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Mathematics

and quarters, when moving the hour and minute hands on clock faces. They use interlocking shapes to make repeat patterns and make ladybirds with different numbers of spots. They can sequence the days of the week and are familiar with number rhymes, songs and counting games. They can count the number of legs of the spider in the bug box and draw the correct number of legs on the ladybird and spider. During imaginary play they can sequence objects into sets from the biggest to the smallest and have good one-to-one correspondence. They press different numbers on the telephone in the ‘Vets surgery’ and ask searching questions about clocks when working in small groups such as, “If I start at 12 o’clock and move 3 hours, what is the time now?”

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

79. The majority of children enter the reception class with average levels of general knowledge. The quality of teaching is good and often very good. Through effective teaching, children build on this knowledge and acquire an understanding of the place in which they live, events in their lives and how the environment changes with the passing of time. Staff are particularly effective in providing investigative science work based on animal habitats. They encourage the children to undertake close observational work around the school grounds when looking for mini-beasts. By the time they reach the end of the Foundation Stage the majority will have achieved the early leaning goals in all aspects of knowledge and understanding of the world. For example, they write about their own locality and what it is like to live in Barnham Broom. There are good quality displays, including photographs of special occasions

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

to stimulate the children’s curiosity and spirit of enquiry. The children talk about the seasons and changing weather patterns, and explore the features of natural and man-made objects. They ask questions about why things happen and how things work, such as the mini-beasts they collect in the bug boxes when looking at different habitats in the school grounds. Barnham Broom - 32 They make models of mini-beasts using split pins to demonstrate moving parts of the body and talk about how they would travel to different countries during imaginative role-play in the ‘Pirates ship’. Visitors to the school enhance the opportunities for children to talk about the world outside. The children are encouraged to select materials and equipment for cutting, joining and folding and building three- dimensional models. For example, an artist in residence helped the children make a three-dimensional crocodile and snake out of recycled materials and children made a

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

rocket to go to the moon. They used scissors to cut materials to create a model of a picnic area based on a story in a literacy lesson entitled ‘Picnic on the moon’. Children are confident in the use of the computer mouse to drag and drop objects and they respond well to interactive programmes.

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Creative development

80. By the time they reach the end of the Foundation Stage the majority will have achieved the early learning goals in all aspects of creative development. The quality of teaching is good and often very good. Staff are very effective in providing an exciting and stimulating range of activities for the children. For example, they use large posters and cutouts of mini-beasts to remind the children about different animal habitats. As a result children are encouraged to use a variety of objects, such as forks, shells and fir cones to make a mini-beast habitat out of clay. Classroom assistants are used effectively to support the different ability groups. Staff have high expectations for learning and behaviour and the pace of lessons is appropriate for these young children. Staff provide a secure and happy environment, which promotes children’s learning, and they interact well during imaginative role-play

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Creative development

activities in the ‘Pirates ship’. Children create interesting collages using a wide range of resources, including recycled materials. They mix paints and paint pictures of gardens inspired by famous artists such as Van Gogh. They used clay to make a candlestick and made large three-dimensional models of animals using junk materials. They listen to music by famous composers such as Beethoven’s 5 th Symphony, and talk about the different moods in the music. They use untuned percussion instruments to accompany the rhythm of the mini-beasts and can keep a regular pulse to match the syllables in ‘Ladybird’ and ‘Slug’. They know the name of the musical instruments such as claves, maracas and woodblock. They enjoy imaginative role-play with other children in the ‘Pirates ship’ and move spontaneously and appropriately to the rhythm in music.

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Physical development

81. In this area of learning, by the time children reach the end of the Foundation Stage the majority will have achieved the early learning goals apart from one minor weakness: there are few opportunities for the children to develop their balancing and climbing skills on a regular basis in the outdoor area. The quality of teaching is good and often very good. Staff interact well with the children during outdoor activities, challenging them to improve their skills of throwing and catching. The children start with average levels of skills on entry to the reception class. Children move with confidence and imagination and with increasing control and co-ordination during physical activities. The children enjoy using hoops, balls and tricycles and are developing their confidence with increasing skill and spatial awareness. They enjoy dancing to music and acting out stories. Children make good progress in this area

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Physical development

due to the skilled intervention of the staff. The children have the use of the school hall for dance and gymnastics. Children use paintbrushes, scissors, pencils and the computer mouse with increasing control and dexterity. They manipulate malleable materials such as plasticine, and assemble interlocking puzzles and construction kits. Barnham Broom - 33

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ENGLISH

82. The standards achieved by both seven and eleven year olds are above those expected for their ages. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

83. In the National Curriculum tests in 2000 the school had too few pupils at the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2 for comparisons with national averages or results in similar schools to be meaningful.

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ENGLISH

84. Standards of speaking and listening are good throughout the school. In Years 1 and 2 pupils listen well to the teacher and to each other, for instance, when they are reading in a shared reading session. They also ask sensible questions, for example asking why people of some nationalities eat snails, when they are reading about them. They talk about their own work, for instance, in art, using appropriate words such as ‘spiral’ and ‘texture’. Eleven year old pupils are able to speak fluently about a text which they are reading in a literacy lesson. The majority also talk enthusiastically about the books they are reading.

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ENGLISH

85. Reading is good throughout the school. The majority of younger pupils are reading at a level above that expected for their age. By the time they are seven they read accurately and fluently and with good expression. They read regularly at home and at school. Eleven year olds read a range of authors, mostly independently although sometimes to an adult. All read fluently and show a good understanding of what they read. They enjoy reading. They are able to locate non-fiction books in the school library using the index system and know how to find information in a book, using the contents and index pages.

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ENGLISH

86. Standards of writing are also good. Pupils in Year 2 write in a good range of different forms, for instance, composing their own stories about Elmer the elephant, writing a report of their visit to the church, writing a Barnham Broom Diary or a dictionary of the school, which includes their descriptions of different teachers! They have also written ‘Playground Poems’ and a book of riddles about musical instruments. Pupils’ handwriting is legible and the majority write sentences which have a good structure. All pupils can write a sequence of sentences using capital letters. Lower attaining pupils do not always remember to use full stops, but the higher attainers use a good range of punctuation, including speech marks, well. All pupils write extensively, for instance when writing on their topic of Africa. They also use their writing skills when composing playground rules or when writing letters of appreciation to older pupils for

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ENGLISH

looking after them in the playground. Pupils in Year 6 have all developed a good handwriting style. Pupils of all abilities use a good range of punctuation, including commas and speech and exclamation marks. They write in a range of styles, including instructions on how to make a cup of tea as well as more extensively in stories such as ‘My last adventure’. They also make good use of computers to word process their finished work or a selection of their favourite poems.

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ENGLISH

87. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy across the curriculum, for instance, in their writing for geography, history and religious education. Teachers also take the opportunity to develop pupils’ vocabulary in other subjects, such as science, where they are introduced to words such as ‘igneous’ and ‘sedimentary’ . Pupils’ awareness of language and its structures is also promoted by their learning French in Year 6, and teachers capitalise on this in their work on the derivation of words. Barnham Broom - 34 88. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in lessons. The targets set in their individual education plans are challenging. These pupils are provided with good support in lessons and the work set by teachers is in line with pupils’ capabilities. Those pupils identified as being gifted are set challenging extension tasks and make satisfactory and often good progress in lessons.

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ENGLISH

89. The quality of teaching is good. The teacher matched tasks well to the learning needs of the youngest pupils in Year 1, when pupils were compiling their lists of what they would take on a picnic. In Key Stage 1 the teacher reinforced pupils’ basic skills well in learning the spelling of carefully chosen groups of words, or using capital letters and question marks correctly in their chapter headings for their ‘snail books’. In Years 3 and 4 the teacher managed a wide range of activities well, ensuring that all pupils had opportunities to use the computer and providing immediate feedback to them on their writing. Lessons for pupils in Years 5 and 6 are planned well, and those who teach these groups share their ideas so that there is no unnecessary repetition of work. Lessons have clear objectives and teachers prepare resources, such as worksheets, well. They provide a good model for pupils both in reading and

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ENGLISH

writing. They have high expectations of what pupils will do but also give them good support in evaluating their own work and in consequence the pupils make good progress in lessons.

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ENGLISH

90. Pupils have good attitudes to the subject and learn well. Younger pupils are positive and enthusiastic. They share resources well and work well together. In Year 2, pupils engage actively in their tasks, for instance, when writing questions as headings for their book on snails. Higher attaining pupils are able to work independently. In Years 3 and 4 the majority of pupils work on their own on a range of tasks, which are organised well by the teacher. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 behave very well. They maintain their concentration well, even when they have to work in the demountable classroom outside, where conditions are not always conducive to good learning. They have a positive approach to writing, which is encouraged by the interesting tasks they are set, for instance, writing an account of their recent visit to a residential centre.

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ENGLISH

91. Teachers have a good understanding of the subject and are implementing the National Literacy Strategy well, whilst also providing good opportunities for pupils to write more extensively. The school uses the national statutory or voluntary tests at the end of each year to measure pupils’ progress and also, in Key Stage 2, to place them in appropriate teaching groups. The school has a well-stocked library, which is used well by pupils. The curriculum co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and the headteacher has observed teaching, providing written and oral feedback to teachers. Governors have also been involved in monitoring provision in the classroom, providing constructive feedback on what they have seen. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection and the quality of teaching has improved. The school’s targets for 2001 appear to have been exceeded.

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MATHEMATICS

92. Since the last inspection a scheme of work has been introduced to support teachers’ planning. However, assessment to inform planning is still inconsistent across the school. Pupils usually make good progress in their learning and the minority often achieve standards that are above those expected. Standards at the end of both key stages are broadly in line with national averages. This is lower than reported in the last inspection. However, because there are few pupils in the year group, the results are likely to fluctuate quite widely from year to year and therefore any changes from one year to the next should be interpreted with caution. Barnham Broom - 35 In the 2000 National Curriculum tests seven year old pupils attained standards that were well above the national average. The school’s high overall point score was due to the fact that all pupils achieved the expected standard, and over half achieved the

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MATHEMATICS

higher standard of level 3, which put them in the top five per cent of schools. In comparison to similar schools, standards were also well above average. Over the last four years standards at Key Stage 1 have been above the national average.

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MATHEMATICS

93. At Key Stage 2 in the 2000 National Curriculum tests, pupils aged eleven achieved standards that were broadly in line with those found nationally. However, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher than expected standard was well below that found nationally. Pupils attained below average standards in comparison to those achieved by similar schools. Pupils’ achievement in this year group was judged as well below average compared to the standards they attained when they were seven due to some pupil mobility and the number of pupils identified with special educational needs. Over the previous three years, standards had been above those found nationally, but in 2000 there was a higher proportion of pupils who had special educational needs that created learning difficulties.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Current standards in Year 2 are not as high as in the 2000 Key Stage 1 tests; they are broadly average. Most pupils are working confidently within level 2, which is the expected standard, but there is a small proportion of pupils not yet achieving this level. This year there is a smaller proportion of pupils who are working at the higher than expected standard of level 3. At Key Stage 2, standards remain broadly average and many pupils in Year 6 are working successfully at level 4, which is the expected standard, and a good proportion of pupils are achieving the higher standard of level 5, but there is also a large proportion of pupils not yet achieving this level. Early indications of the results of the most recent National Curriculum tests taken this year confirm these standards.

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MATHEMATICS

95. Most pupils at both key stages make mostly good progress in acquiring the appropriate range of knowledge and skills. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, especially at Key Stage 1, where a good proportion achieve the standard expected for their age. The grouping of pupils into ability sets for teaching of mathematics at Key Stage 2 is having a positive impact and enables teachers to focus more closely on specific needs, so pupils often make good gains in their learning in lessons and over time. Higher attaining pupils are also well supported. The teachers have looked to the local secondary school for ideas on how to challenge a particularly gifted pupil, so that learning continues to be effectively extended.

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MATHEMATICS

96. The school provides a well-balanced curriculum in mathematics. Pupils acquire good numeracy skills and so by the age of seven pupils have a good understanding of place value up to 100 and calculate addition and subtraction sums accurately within 20 and often more. They are already manipulating multiples of 2, 5 and 10 in their heads and are beginning to recognise how to find half and a quarter of numbers and shapes. At the age of eleven most pupils confidently use the four rules of number and add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers, and many can also use decimals. They have satisfactory ability to manipulate numbers mentally using a variety of strategies to help them achieve the correct answers. Pupils recognise the equivalence in fractions, decimals and percentages and use the knowledge to solve probability problems. Barnham Broom - 36 97. Pupils’ knowledge of shape and space also develops well, so that at the age of seven

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MATHEMATICS

pupils recognise and name most two-dimensional shapes and many regular three- dimensional shapes. They measure with increasing accuracy using centimetres. At the age of eleven pupils recognise line symmetry and use a simple formula to find the perimeter, area and volume of regular shapes. Pupils through the school make satisfactory progress in developing the skills of data handling, exploring a variety of ways to present their data and to interrogate the information. Information and communication technology is used satisfactorily to support this aspect of learning but is not evident in other areas of mathematics. Teachers through the school are effective in promoting pupils’ ability to use and apply their knowledge and skills to solve problems and to investigate patterns in number and shape. Pupils in Year 2 explored how many ways a fish could be patterned using three colours and the more able pupils in Years 5 and 6 were developing strategies to help them solve word

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MATHEMATICS

98. The quality of teaching is good through the school. Teachers are effective in making mathematics interesting and building pupils’ belief in themselves; in consequence they are keen to 'have a go'. Teachers’ own subject knowledge is secure which enables them to give clear explanations, as was observed in a Year 6 and Year 5 lesson when pupils were being introduced to the translation of shapes on a grid. Teachers provide work that is well matched to pupils’ learning needs and that effectively builds on their prior knowledge. In one lesson the teacher provided five different levels of activities for the top ability set, enabling all to work well at their own specific levels. Teachers effectively monitor the work of pupils in their class and have a good knowledge of their progress. At Key Stage 2, however, the teachers plan the work individually, appropriately using the National Numeracy Strategy, but there is

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MATHEMATICS

insufficient matching across the three groups to ensure that all pupils of the same age are being enabled to work at the correct level. Similarly, pupils in Year 1 are working in two different classes and the work in their books often shows a different standard and different focus on the same type of activity. These differences are often appropriate but more formal opportunities to match work across the age range would ensure that good progress is always made.

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MATHEMATICS

99. There are satisfactory procedures for assessing pupils’ work, and tests results are used to monitor pupils’ progress through the school. Some teachers have started to set targets for pupils’ learning that they share with the pupils to involve them in what they need to do in order to improve. This good practice is being piloted by a few teachers and will be evaluated. There are two co-ordinators for mathematics who have an overview of each key stage. This shares the responsibility of managing the new initiative, and the National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented effectively through the school. Good support has been obtained from the local education authority and the school has accumulated a good range of resources, which are effectively used to support the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning.

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SCIENCE

100. In the 2000 National Curriculum teacher assessments, the proportion of seven-year- old pupils achieving level 2 was below the national average. However, those achieving the higher level 3 or above was well above average. In comparison to similar schools, the percentage of pupils reaching level 2 was below the national average and that of those reaching the higher level 3 was well above average. Barnham Broom - 37 101. At the end of Key Stage 2 in the same year, teacher assessments indicated that the proportion of pupils achieving level 4 or above was very high compared with the national average. However, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher level 5 or above was below average. Compared with similar schools and based on prior attainment, the proportion reaching the higher level 5 or above was well below the national average. However, because there are few pupils in the year group, the

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SCIENCE

results are likely to fluctuate quite widely from year to year and therefore any changes from one year to the next should be interpreted with caution.

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SCIENCE

102. Since the last inspection standards have risen in both key stages and are now above national expectations for pupils of this age. This is due to very good teaching and the good opportunities planned for pupils to undertake experimental and investigational science work. Teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

103. A limited number of science lessons were timetabled during the inspection week. However, judgements have been based on the scrutiny of pupils work, discussions with teachers and pupils, as well as on the quality of teaching.

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SCIENCE

104. In Key Stage 1, pupils in Year 2 understand the importance of making observations and measurements about how animals, including humans, feed, grow, use their senses and reproduce. Pupils examined and handled snails using a magnifying glass and described how they felt and moved on their hands and made observations about the trail they made when placed on black sugar paper. They noted the similarities and differences between the garden snails and the giant African land snails and gave explanations about their environment. They knew that snails need moist conditions, like plants to eat and move using a ‘foot’. Pupils took care of the snails and returned them to their habitat. They used their literacy skills to record what snails need to survive and wrote a report about dragonflies. Pupils carried out ‘fair tests’ to establish what is needed to light a bulb, and labelled a simple electrical circuit. They used their numeracy skills to make a tally of the different mini-beasts

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SCIENCE

and used the data to draw a bar graph. Pupils used their knowledge of drawing maps to locate the habitats around the school environment using a key. In a Year 2 literacy lesson, the teacher effectively used the computer to demonstrate how pupils could present their questions about snails, as part of their work on information texts.

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SCIENCE

105. In Key Stage 2, pupils in Years 3 and 4 used their observational skills when pond dipping during a visit to a nature reserve and a visit to a butterfly farm. In Year 3 pupils can classify mammals as carnivores, herbivores and those that are nocturnal. In Year 4, pupils understand the life cycle of the butterfly and the frog and how plants adapt to their environment. In Year 5 pupils understand the process of germination and they can label the parts of a flower, for example, naming the style, stamen, ovary and petal. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have visited an ecology centre and are able to classify soils according to characteristics and describe the different soil samples by feel, smell, colour, parts of plants and animals observed when using a magnifying glass. They extended their vocabulary when they classified the different types of rock as igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Pupils undertake a wide range of

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SCIENCE

experimental and investigational science work and as a result they have a good understanding of the importance of prediction and fair testing. For example, they test materials for their insulation properties, and test magnetic and non-magnetic materials; they know that some solids dissolve and others do not, and that mixing can cause change in materials. Pupils have a good understanding of life processes, electricity, forces and the earth and beyond. Pupils use their literacy skills to describe the stages of change in life cycles of a butterfly such as metamorphosis and chrysalis and to write about animal habitats. Barnham Broom - 38 They used their numeracy skills to produce a line graph to show the variation in water temperature in degrees centigrade when experimenting with ice. In Years 3 and 4, pupils use the computer to explore the impact of changing the proportion of the number of prey compared to the predator as part of their science work.

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SCIENCE

106. The quality of teaching in both key stages is very good. Teachers have high expectations for learning and behaviour. Resources are well organised before the lesson in order for all the pupils to be fully engaged in the set tasks and experiments. For example, in Key Stage 1 support staff were well deployed to help different groups to observe the features of garden snails. Pupils have very good opportunities to classify and identify the differences in samples of soil such as clay topsoil, topsoil from the ecology centre and a peat sample. As a result pupils concentrate well and make very good progress in lessons, including those pupils with special educational needs. Pupils are well supported in lessons and work is carefully planned to meet their individual needs. Pupils enjoy working together when engaged in experimental work. Behaviour in science lessons is very good: they respond with enthusiasm to

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SCIENCE

the teacher’s questions and they take care of equipment. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 participated in the annual residential trip and gained considerably from an experience that develops their independence, interdependence and maturity, as well as their learning in science. These opportunities increase as the pupils progress through the school so that by Years 5 and 6 pupils negotiate and collaborate with each other well when setting up science investigations. Teachers reminded pupils of health and safety issues when handling garden snails and the potential dangers of using glass jars to separate different soil samples. However, protective gloves were not used when handling snails and soil samples. The pace of lessons is brisk and no time is wasted: for example, teachers remind pupils how much time is left to complete tasks. Marking of work is good and helps pupils improve their work. The plenary sessions at

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SCIENCE

the end of lessons help the teachers clear up any scientific misconceptions and assess how much progress the pupils have made in lessons. This information is used to inform future planning.

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SCIENCE

107. Resources in science are satisfactory overall and are made readily available for investigative work. Teachers are resourceful in providing additional equipment for ‘fair testing’. However, accommodation in some classrooms is restricted for scientific and experimental work. The curriculum is broad and balanced and covers all the prescribed aspects. Pupils are given guidance on sex education as part of the science curriculum in Year 6. The provision for higher attaining pupils is good. Their potential is satisfactorily identified and they are provided with appropriate opportunities to achieve high standards in science. The learning of gifted pupils is enhanced by extension activities provided in Year 6. Since the last inspection improvement has been made in developing schemes of work, which now satisfactorily underpin teachers’ planning. The schemes of work link the appropriate programmes of study in each subject to the units of work planned over a two-year

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SCIENCE

rolling programme for each class. The plans do not, however, clearly show which aspect of the required skills development is to be taught to each year group in order to ensure a systematic progression of pupils’ learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. The standards achieved by pupils aged seven and eleven are above those expected for their ages. This is similar to the judgement reached at the time of the last inspection. High standards have been maintained. Barnham Broom - 39 109. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 work in a good range of media. In Year 1 they work well using mouldable materials, including clay, to produce mini-beasts in their habitats, linked to their work in science. They use a variety of implements well to introduce texture to their work. Pupils in Year 2 produce close observational work on snails, using crayons and coloured pencils. Work on display shows good prints of mini- beasts made by using string, as well as paintings of gardens in the style of artists such as Van Gogh or Monet. There is also photographic evidence of earlier work in the style of Mondrian and observational drawing of brass instruments. The range and quality of the work produced in Key Stage 1 are good.

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ART AND DESIGN

110. Pupils continue to work in a wide range of media in Key Stage 2. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have produced effective paintings in the Pointillist style of Seurat. They have worked in the style of Picasso. They have done good observational work on items from the beach. They have also produced pottery in the style of the Ancient Greeks, linking to their history topic. They have used computer graphics well to produce ‘summer pictures’ and made a paper collage of the life cycle of a butterfly. They have used a wax-resist technique successfully to produce ‘fantasy fish’. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 show a good appreciation of non-western cultures in their work on Mendhi and Rangoli patterns. They have used Islamic calligraphy in their designs for tiles, understanding the reasons why their art is not representational. They have produced good observational drawings of everyday objects, such as baked bean tins

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ART AND DESIGN

or bottles. They have planned carefully their portraits using a digital camera, and evaluated their own work, asking such questions as which was best and what they needed to do to improve.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers have a good understanding of the subject and prepare resources well for the task in hand. They use the knowledgeable support staff well to work with small groups. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 benefit from being taught by the teacher, who is an art specialist. In the lesson observed, she provided a very clear demonstration of how to make a screen print, illustrating it well with her own work. This enabled pupils to get on quickly with the task on their own, making a template that was suitable for the purpose, while the classroom assistant gave good support in making the frame for the screen. Because tasks are matched well to pupils’ abilities and interests, they settle to work well. They work well together and help each other to learn by evaluating each other’s work. Pupils with special educational need make good progress in lessons.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. Teachers make good links with other subjects, such as science, history and English, which enhance pupils’ learning, and good use is also made of information and communication technology. During the spring term pupils in Years 5 and 6 have the opportunity to take part in an art club, and all pupils benefited from the visit of an artist-in-residence, who worked with them on animal sculptures. The outstanding results of this work were still on display in the school grounds at the time of the inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. Because of the way the school organises its timetable, there were few opportunities to observe design and technology being taught during the inspection. One lesson was seen in a Years 3 and 4 class, examples of pupils’ work and photographic evidence were examined and discussions held with pupils about their work. The standards achieved by pupils aged seven and eleven are as expected for their ages. Barnham Broom - 40 114. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have designed and made musical instruments, using a range of materials and tools, to be played in a variety of ways, including scraping, shaking, hitting and plucking. They have used construction kits to make models of the school, working in groups of two or three. With a partner, they have chosen suitable fruit and made a fruit salad. Linked to their topic on ‘Colour and Light’, they have designed and made models, which incorporate lights, such as a robot with eyes that light up.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

They have used computers to write about their designs. Pupils show appropriate skills in designing, making and evaluating what they do.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. Pupils in Year 6 are able to talk with understanding about the work they have done. They describe how they designed a car to use wind power. They drew the chassis to scale, including side and overhead views. They used a good range of tools to make the model, which they then tested using balloons. As a result of testing, they modified their designs. They have also designed toys using cams, as well as a car powered by an elastic band, for a competition in which they were judged both on the distance travelled by the car and the artistic flair shown in the design. Previous work has included the design of bridges, with the emphasis on their stability, as well as making structures with art straws that would support a marble.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. In the lesson observed, pupils from Years 3 and 4 were making a mobile, which linked to their work in science on food chains. The teacher used appropriate terminology well and gave pupils the opportunity to choose the shape of their mobile. Pupils worked well together in groups, sharing their ideas in planning and deciding how to fix the mobile. They made good progress, through the processes of discussion and trial and error, in realising the importance of balance. While this work was going on, individual pupils had a good opportunity to develop their sewing skills with a parent helper.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. The quality of teaching in the one lesson observed was satisfactory. No lessons were observed in Key Stage 1. Evidence of the work seen indicates that generally teaching is at least satisfactory. Activities are planned well, good links are made with other areas of the curriculum, and teachers make good use of the available resources. From discussion with pupils, they are enthusiastic about their work and learning is good. Pupils work well together on tasks and take a pride in the finished product. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in lessons.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. The co-ordinator does not at present have the opportunity to monitor teaching and learning in the classroom, and there is no clear system in place for checking on the development of pupils’ skills, which would assist teachers in planning the next stage of pupils’ work. Overall, standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

119. History and geography are usually planned and taught separately, but there are elements of both subjects included within other topics, particularly in the infant classes. During the inspection it was not possible to observe any whole lessons and so evidence has been collected from pupils’ past work, general observations, teachers’ planning and discussions with pupils about their work. On the basis of this evidence, pupils make steady progress in their learning through the school to achieve standards that are broadly in line with those expected at the ages of seven and eleven, in both history and geography. These standards are similar to those at the time of the last inspection. Barnham Broom - 41 120. At Key Stage 1, pupils are developing an appropriate understanding of the passing of time in their study of themselves and how they have changed since they were babies. Their understanding of how things have changed and how they are similar

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

was further developed in their topic ‘All About School’, when they found out from their parents what they liked to do when they were at school. This early awareness of chronology and change is effectively developed in Key Stage 2 in the use of time lines and pupils’ recognition of how the things we use have changed as new styles are introduced and new materials and inventions are made. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have chosen to study a number of vehicles to show the changes that have occurred over the last century. They use time lines to help them understand about the progression of time over the centuries, and most know that the Ancient Greeks lived before the Romans and so can give a good estimation of about how long ago that was. Pupils enjoy finding out about how people lived in the past and are often intrigued by the changes in costume, transportation and customs. By Years 5 and 6, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the impact of events on peoples’ lives

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

and can explain how the events of the Second World War influenced peoples’ views on who should be elected after it was all over. They have a satisfactory understanding of how people’s views of each other have changed. They explained that in Victorian times the rich and the poor led completely different lives, and in their work explored the differences that existed during the Second World War for those who were rich and those who were poor. 121. In their topic of ‘All About School’, pupils in the youngest class thought about the jobs people do in their school, as well as how inventions have changed how they do them. Aspects of learning in geography also included historical ideas. Pupils enjoyed experimenting with old-fashioned pens that had to be dipped into ink and used computers to record some of their own work. In Years 1 and 2, pupils’ awareness of the world beyond their village is being well developed. For example, their record of

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

‘Cat’s Travels’ contained postcards, which the Cat and his human friends had sent from around the world. Their study of Africa, in particular of a small village in Kenya, appropriately extended this awareness and developed an understanding of the similarities and differences of children’s lives in Barnham Broom and the village of Baricho. The study of the River Severn by pupils in Years 5 and 6 was linked effectively to current affairs and they learnt how the action of the river and heavy rain led to the tremendous flooding that was occurring at the time. Pupils use maps in their work and their mapping skills are satisfactorily developed through the school, so that by the age of eleven they recognise symbols used on maps and have a satisfactory knowledge of the physical features of countries, rivers and mountains and of their climates. 122. In both history and geography pupils are developing the skills of using a range of

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

sources to help them find information. The good use of visits to local areas of interest, such as the agricultural college and the ecology centre, their own village and the church, enhance pupils’ learning about times in the past, historical buildings and changes in land use over time. They use books, pictures and information and communication technology to help them gather evidence and to research their ideas. 123. Although no direct teaching was observed, from the quality of work seen and the levels of pupils’ understanding and knowledge gained, teaching appears satisfactory overall, in both history and geography. Teachers are effective in developing pupils’ good attitudes to their work and encourage pupils to good levels of effort in the completion of their activities. Many pupils in Years 5 and 6 produced a good range of information about the Second World War, which they researched as a homework

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

project. Pupils effectively work together in pairs and in groups. Barnham Broom - 42 For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 researched for information on Ancient Greece using a CD-ROM, and in the youngest class pupils worked in pairs to design and make their perfect place for a picnic. They shared ideas and co-operated well so that their task was completed successfully. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and this results in pupils’ good understanding. They develop pupils’ enjoyment of learning, especially in history. 124. The curriculum for history and geography is satisfactorily broad and balanced and the effective links made between the two subjects, especially for the youngest pupils, enhance their knowledge and understanding. There are also good links with other subjects, such as science in the study of habitats and land use, and with art, for example, in the making of pots in the styles used by the Ancient Greece and masks

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

of the characters in the Greek myths and legends. There are, however, some elements that are not as effectively taught. There are few opportunities for pupils in Key Stage 2 to work on field trips to extend their knowledge in geography, and there is insufficient focus on the interpretation of history. The teaching of history and geography as a part of a much larger area of study has many strengths, but the staff need to ensure that their long-term planning covers all the required elements of study. Pupils’ reading and writing are well developed in history, but less so in geography.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

125. The subjects have not been a recent area of development and, although there is a co-ordinator for history and geography, the role is mostly a watching brief. Staff generally discuss what they are doing and then plan their work individually. The schemes of work have been developed since the last inspection, but they do not clearly indicate how the key skills are to be taught, and in geography, how to ensure that there is effective breadth and balance of both knowledge and skills. There are no whole-school procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in order to ensure that they are making sufficient progress through the school. Resources are satisfactory overall, but sometimes the photocopies of photographs are poor and do not provide pupils with a good source of evidence from which to deduce information.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Significant improvements have taken place in the teaching of information and communication technology since the last inspection; this has resulted in pupils’ high levels of confidence and good gains in learning, especially at Key Stage 2. Pupils at the ages of seven and eleven are achieving standards that are broadly in line with those expected. The provision for information and communication technology has greatly improved because the number and range of resources are better and staff’s own subject knowledge has improved following in-service training. The result has been greater achievement by pupils across most elements of the required curriculum. Not all aspects, however, have yet been covered to the same level, and pupils in Year 6 have not experienced the appropriate range of knowledge and skills in the use of spreadsheets or in some elements control. In these areas, standards are still

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils are confidently using a variety of programs to communicate their ideas. They present their work satisfactorily using a word- processing package and illustrate it with pictures and patterns produced using an art package on the computer. Pupils know how to program a floor robot to follow a desired route. This good progress in learning is started effectively in the youngest class where pupils used computer-generated graphs when presenting their data about themselves. Barnham Broom - 43 They used an art package to paint their own mini-beast, showing good levels of control and skills of colouring their pictures. They have learnt about the different uses of information and communication technology equipment, such as the digital camera, which was used to take pictures of the musical instruments they had made.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. The digital camera is also used effectively in Key Stage 2. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 used it to photograph their models, which they transferred to the computer and then printed for themselves after adding an explanatory text. Pupils understand how to change the style and size of the text to suit the purpose and audience of their work, and two boys were observed exploring different colours and styles in their presentation. When making a mobile, showing how creatures are linked together in a food chain, groups of pupils chose to use the computer for their labels and independently organised the task. The oldest pupils have developed a wide range of word-processing skills and use desktop publishing programs appropriately. During the inspection, pupils were in the process of working in groups to develop their own multi-media presentations, using animated graphics and sounds.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory, and in Key Stage 2 it is often good. Teachers are now far more confident in teaching the development of skills. They are well supported by the visits of the information and communication technology support teacher who has helped them develop an initial scheme of work, and provides guidance for them and additional expertise when teaching the pupils. Pupils are confident in their own skills. They are well prepared and work individually, or in pairs, sometimes in groups, without adult supervision to successfully complete an activity. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in lessons. Although only two lessons were observed during the inspection, there were many occasions when information and communication technology was observed being used to support pupils’ learning. In a Year 2 literacy lesson, the teacher effectively used the computer

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

to demonstrate how pupils could present their questions about snails, as part of their work on information texts. A program was also used to promote pupils’ better spelling. In Years 3 and 4, pupils used the computer to research for information about Ancient Greece using a CD-ROM, and in science they used the computer to explore the impact of changing the proportion of the number of prey compared to the predator as part of their science work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. The curriculum for information and communication technology is mostly appropriately broad and balanced. The scheme of work shows that all elements have been planned, but there has not been sufficient time since its implementation to teach all elements. The key skills to be learnt are clearly planned but there is no whole- school system of assessing pupils’ progress in achieving the skills and knowledge to ensure that pupils make good progress. The co-ordinator for information and communication technology has a watching brief for its development, but generally staff work closely together to introduce new ideas and ways of working. The school has been well supported by the additional opportunities provided by their inclusion in the successful bid made by the local cluster of schools. This has enabled the schools to employ the information and communication technology support teacher to work with their staff,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

and Barnham Broom also has the benefit of weekly visits by a computer technician.

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MUSIC

131. Since the last inspection attainment in music has remained broadly in line with national expectation for pupils aged seven and eleven. A minority of pupils receiving tuition from the local authority peripatetic music services achieve standards above average by the end of Key Stage 2. Barnham Broom - 44 132. A limited number of lessons were timetabled during the inspection week. Pupils in Year 1 played instruments, and made their own instruments and composed sound patterns based on ‘Bear in the Night’. The pupils in Year 2 follow a recorded series of lessons, ‘All in a day’s dream’. Pupils used their voices to build up a ‘sea picture’. They talked about dreams and dreaming and put actions to the song. However, pupils sat on the carpet for this session and were therefore restricted in the movement and action they could make in response to the song. Pupils are beginning to use musical terms such as ‘pitch’, ‘rhythm’, ‘melody’, and ‘dynamics’. They used

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MUSIC

their numeracy skills when they rolled a dice to make up a sequence of sounds and build up a tune using a set of chime bars. Some pupils were able to sing back the tune when played on the chime bars. However, pupils are unsure of the starting note and when to begin singing as there was no guidance to help them start to sing or secure the pitch. Pupils listen to Gustav Holst’s ‘Planets Suite’ and Dukas’ ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in lessons.

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MUSIC

133. No class music lessons were observed in Key Stage 2. However, judgements are based upon the examination of pupils’ work, photographic evidence, video and compositions recorded on cassette tape, and discussions held with teachers and pupils. On the basis of this evidence the quality of teaching at both key stages is satisfactory overall.

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MUSIC

134. In Year 3 and 4, pupils learn the recorder and use percussion instruments to interpret mood in music. They make their own instruments out of recycled materials and categorise them into ‘bangers’ and ‘shakers’. They demonstrate high and low sounds when plucking elastic bands of different lengths. They have learnt about the different uses of information and communication technology equipment, such as the digital camera, which is used to take pictures of the musical instruments they have made. However, pupils’ capability in the use of information and communication technology is currently underdeveloped in composition. In Year 4 pupils draw their favourite orchestral instrument and name the parts of brass instruments. They listen and appraise music from different cultures such as Saint-Saëns’ ‘Carnival of the Animals’ and Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’. In Years 5 and 6 pupils perform to

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MUSIC

their class, record compositions on cassette tape and compose advertising jingles. However, there is little evidence of picture or graphic scores to represent pupils’ compositions. Pupils study the life of famous composers such as Mendelssohn, Chopin and Strauss. They have made a video of a demonstration of ‘Rock and Roll’, based on a history topic, ‘Britain since the 1930s’.

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MUSIC

135. Pupils have good opportunities to play their instruments in assembly and at events in the community, including the parish church. For example, the brass ensemble plays at community events and the recorder groups accompanied the hymn in the assembly, ‘All the Nations of the earth’. Pupils sang the hymn ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ in parts with enthusiasm and confidence. The contribution made by music to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. The pupils in Key Stage 2 enjoy Greek dancing as part of their study of Ancient Greece. They recently took part in a multi-cultural festival where they enjoyed a wide range of experiences, including opportunities to use drums to make their own music as well as listening to musicians playing the Indian drums.

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MUSIC

136. The curriculum is broad and balanced and there is a two-year rolling programme to ensure coverage of aspects of performing, composing, listening to and appraising music. However, short-term planning lacks detail of the skills pupils are to learn. The headteacher monitors planning and the quality of teaching. Barnham Broom - 45 Assessment is unsatisfactory across the key stages. Resources are satisfactory overall and have improved since the last inspection. However, the school has identified the need to review the policy and schemes of work to ensure that there is a systematic development of skills and that assessment procedures are in place. Accommodation in some classrooms is restricted for the development of composing and performing music and the school hall is limited in space for musical events.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. The school’s planning covers all the areas of the National Curriculum, using a commercial scheme as its basis. A teacher at Wymondham College, whose facilities the school uses, teaches swimming, and pupils in Years 5 and 6 have good opportunities for outdoor and adventurous activities on a residential visit to Hautbois House field centre. However, it was possible to observe only games and athletics during the inspection. The standards achieved by pupils aged seven and eleven in the activities seen were as expected for their age.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are able to throw a ball accurately and make up their own bouncing and catching games. Some of these games are quite inventive, involving throwing the ball from different angles, with a scoring system for accuracy. Pupils in Year 6 learn how to throw the ball over-arm at a greater distance, and made good progress in the lesson in which they were observed. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 also took part in a variety of activities to develop running and other skills in preparation for the school’s sports day. They showed a good sense of competition and also understood the importance of working as a team, for instance, in relay races. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 improved their own performance in a range of jumping activities by comparing themselves with others. The teacher used other pupils well as a model, for instance of the triple jump.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. The overall quality of teaching is good. Teachers plan lessons to take account of the prevailing weather conditions outside, giving pupils opportunities to remain in the shade when the sun is strong. Teachers and pupils dress appropriately for the activity and teachers usually provide suitable warm-up and cool-down activities for pupils, although sometimes these are omitted. They make good use of the resources, which the school has available, including a good range of balls and bats. Pupils’ attitudes are good, which helps them to learn well. Younger pupils change quickly and work well together. Older pupils take part enthusiastically and encourage each other. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in lessons and make good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. The school has a good outside grassed area for games, which was used well during the inspection, although its use is more limited during bad weather. Although there was no opportunity to observe gymnastics or dance, the indoor hall is too small for a whole class, particularly of older pupils. The school has addressed this problem in part by timetabling some lessons in Key Stage 2 for half a class, while the other half does another subject in the classroom. However, the limitations of the school’s accommodation restrict the progress pupils make in physical education, despite the good teaching they receive. There is also no systematic assessment of pupils’ progress, to help teachers in planning the next stage of their work Barnham Broom - 46 141. There is a good number and satisfactory range of out-of-school clubs and activities, including a variety of sports. The school makes good use of visiting coaches for

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

football, cricket, golf and rugby, and pupils have the opportunity to take part in an inter-school swimming gala, but opportunities for inter-school competition in other sports have declined. The co-ordinator’s action plan includes reviewing the scheme of work, particularly for swimming, and the provision for games in Years 5 and 6. Overall, the standards seen are similar to those at the time of the last inspection.

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