Brompton and Sawdon Community Primary School

Brompton and Sawdon Primary School

Reporting inspector: Mr Malcolm Johnstone

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Brompton and Sawdon Primary School

Dates of inspection: 22.01.01 – 24.01.01

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Brompton and Sawdon Primary School

Inspection number: 195346 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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Brompton and Sawdon Primary School

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cayley Lane Brompton by Sawdon Scarborough North Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Jill Stones

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19.05.97 Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21114 Mr M Johnstone Registered inspector Equal opportunities. English. Art. Geography. History. Music. What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements. How well pupils are taught. How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 9039 Mr B Eyre Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 20415 Mr J McHugh Team inspector Mathematics. Science. Information and communication technology. Design and technology. Physical education. Religious education. The Foundation Stage. Special educational needs. How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Bedford Primary Inspections 2 Grange Lane Cople Bedford MK44 3TT

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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: The Complaints Manager (Inspection Quality Division)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London WC2B 6SE Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6-9

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? 10-11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is a very small village school situated near to Scarborough in North Yorkshire. There are 26 pupils on roll with most of these living in the villages of Brompton and Sawdon. There were 29 pupils on roll at the time of the previous inspection. The pupils are taught in two classes. One class contains the infant pupils and five children who were under six at the time of the inspection. The other class contains all the junior age pupils. All the pupils have had pre-school experiences on entry. The socio-economic circumstances of the pupils are above average. The school’s testing arrangements on entry to the school indicate that attainment is broadly average. The percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals (15%) and those with special educational needs (15%) are similar to the national average. There are no pupils who have a Statement of Special Need and no pupils who have English as an additional language. Six pupils joined the school other than at the normal time of entry and

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

one left. This is significant bearing in mind the very small number on roll.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is effective in most aspects of its work. Pupils achieve well whatever their abilities, and standards are high by the ages of seven and eleven. Teaching is mostly good across the school and, in the infants, it has improved markedly since the previous inspection. The overall leadership and management of the school are effective and the school is providing good value for money.

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What the school does well

§ The school is well led in most respects and there has been good improvement in almost all areas since the previous inspection. § Governors have reacted very well to the previous inspection and have become much more involved in the life and work of the school § Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good and have a very beneficial effect on their learning § Pupils attain good standards by seven and eleven in key subjects. § The overall quality of teaching is good and enables all pupils to achieve well § There is a very good partnership with parents

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What could be improved

§ The use of assessment procedures to more effectively plan what pupils in the different year groups will do next. § The effectiveness of monitoring to identify what is working well and what is not in teaching and learning. § Teachers’ expectations of the presentation of pupils’ work and the use of commercially produced worksheets that restrict opportunities for pupils to write at length in all subjects. § Pupils’ achievements in music and design and technology. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

When it was inspected in 1997, the school was deemed to require special measures since it was failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education. The school was then revisited by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools (HMI) in March and May of 1998 to assess its progress. As a result of these further inspections, the school was deemed to be providing an acceptable standard of education and no longer required special measures. Standards and the quality of teaching had improved to a consistently satisfactory level and the potential for further improvement was high. The school has continued to improve. All of the original nine key issues identified in 1997 have been addressed successfully. Three additional issues were identified by HMI. These were centred on the development of curricular planning based on more detailed schemes of work, the assessment and recording of pupils’ progress and training and development of staff and governors. The school

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

has made good progress with these issues. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 8

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STANDARDS

In analysing pupils’ performance in National tests, it must be borne in mind that very small numbers are involved. The effect of one additional pupil on, for example, a school percentage measure can be considerable.

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STANDARDS

Children in the Foundation Stage (the reception children who are under six) achieve well and are on course to attain the early learning goals in all aspects of their work. In the year 2000 National Curriculum tests for seven- year-olds, pupils achieved above the national average in reading and mathematics. In writing, standards were close to the national average. Whilst in reading pupils achieved as well as pupils in similar schools, in writing and mathematics, they did not do as well. (*Similar schools refer to schools with a similar percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals). These results are not as high as in 1997 and 1998 but are higher than in 1999. In science, teacher assessments indicated that attainment was above the national average.

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STANDARDS

In the year 2000 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds, pupils achieved well above the national average in English, mathematics and science. In mathematics and science, the school’s results were in the top five per cent of schools nationally. When compared with similar schools, results in all three subjects were in the top five per cent of schools nationally. The school has maintained these very high standards since 1997. The school’s targets for the next two years would maintain this position. The work seen for pupils who are now in Years 2 and 6 paint a similar picture of attainment in these subjects with standards above the national average. All pupils achieve well in these aspects of their work.

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STANDARDS

By the ages of seven and eleven, attainment in religious education meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards in information and communication technology are similar to the national expectation. In art, history, geography and physical education the work is similar to that normally seen for pupils’ ages. In design and technology by the age of eleven and in music at seven and eleven, however, it is below that expected. In these subjects, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory in all but design and technology and music where they are unsatisfactory.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school The pupils’ attitudes to school are very good. They show great kindness to anyone with problems and work well together. They enjoy learning are well motivated and self confident.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour both in and out of lessons is very good. All pupils are polite and well mannered.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Relationships are very good and there is a strong family atmosphere in the school. Pupils willingly take on responsibility but opportunities that encourage the pupils to work beyond that set by their teachers are less evident.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: aged up to 6 years aged 6-7 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. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 9 Teaching and learning are good overall and meet the needs of all pupils effectively. Teaching and learning have continued to improve since the 1997 inspection. There has been a significant improvement in teaching and learning in the infants. The improvement is largely due to better curriculum planning and organisation. There is no significant difference in the quality of teaching for children in the Foundation Stage, the infants and the juniors, although there is a higher percentage of good lessons in the infants. Of the 22 lessons observed across the school, five per cent were very good, 63 per cent were good and 32 per cent were satisfactory. No

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

At all stages, literacy and numeracy are well taught and result in high attainment by seven and eleven. There is a consistent structure to lessons, good questioning of pupils and high levels of individual support. In all lessons, teachers have very good relationships with the pupils and high expectations of behaviour. This leads to a good working environment in both classes. The management of lessons is very good and a suitable range of teaching methods is used including whole class, group and individual teaching. Teachers’ planning has improved since the 1997 inspection and is satisfactory overall. Lesson objectives (what the pupils will learn in a lesson) for the different year groups in the two classes are not yet specific enough to guarantee that work always meets their particular needs effectively enough. This means that on a few occasions, pupils do not achieve as well as they might, particularly in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. Teachers assess pupils well through

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

good questioning in lessons and record their progress well in English, mathematics and science. However, the day-to-day outcomes of pupil assessment are not built systematically into subsequent lesson planning. This makes it difficult to build effectively on what pupils already know. Teachers’ high expectations of pupils’ behaviour are not always matched by their expectations of the way in which pupils present their work and there remains a heavy reliance on commercially produced worksheets. This restricts opportunities for pupils to use their writing skills across all subjects.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum provides pupils with a satisfactory range of learning experiences. Curriculum planning, particularly for the youngest pupils has improved since the previous inspections and now meets their needs effectively. The curriculum meets statutory requirements, is generally broad and provides good equality of opportunity. There are weaknesses in music and design and technology.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is now good and meets individual needs well. Records are up-to- date and individual education plans are well devised and used.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good in all aspects. The school’s aims are reflected well in day-to-day provision for social and moral education within a close and caring family environment. Spiritual and cultural development is well promoted in assemblies, religious education lessons and the wider curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides a good level of care including welfare and guidance for the pupils. All staff work together well to ensure that the pupils are properly cared for. There are good assessment procedures but these are not used sufficiently to plan what pupils will do next.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

There is a very good partnership with parents. The parents have a high level of confidence in the school and they talk appreciatively about all aspects of school life. They demonstrate an obvious pride in their school and freely offer their support in fund-raising initiatives, outings and by offering their expertise in the classrooms.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

They would like the range of extra- curricular activities to be increased but understand the practical difficulties that this would impose. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage-ment by the headteacher and other key staff The overall leadership and management of the school are good. This is a very small school and the headteacher has many areas of responsibility to attend to as well as a heavy teaching commitment. He has established very good relationships with staff, pupils, parents and governors and worked hard to take the school out of special measures.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors’ understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in the school is very good. In almost all respects, they fulfil their statutory responsibilities well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance This is developing well from a low base. There is now a good general view of the school’s work from analysis of performance in national and school tests. However, this is not yet sharp enough to analyse fully what is working well and what is not in teaching and learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good use is made of the available staffing, accommodation and learning resources to support learning. Good use of best value principles are applied to the purchase of goods and services.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are adequate to meet the needs of the pupils. The school is constantly seeking ways to improve provision in all three areas.

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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 and are making good progress. • Teaching is good and the school is well led and managed. • Behaviour is good and the school is helping their children become mature • The school works closely with parents, they are well informed about how their children are doing and would feel comfortable approaching the school with any problem. • The range of activities outside lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The parents who responded to the questionnaire and who attended the parents’ meeting prior to the inspection were very supportive of the school in almost all areas of its work. The inspectors consider the range of extra- curricular activities to be satisfactory and similar to that provided in many schools of this size. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Children enter the mixed reception and Year 1 and 2 class with broadly average attainment in their personal and social development, language and mathematical development. With good teaching they achieve well in all aspects of their learning and are on course to attain the early learning goals in personal and social development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative and physical development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 Only four seven-year-olds took the National Curriculum tests and four eleven-year-olds. All the eleven-year-olds were boys. These small numbers make it difficult to draw firm conclusions about pupils’ performance. On the basis of the year 2000 National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds, however, pupils achieved above the national average in reading and mathematics. In writing, standards were close to the national average. Whilst in reading pupils achieved as well as pupils in similar schools, in writing and mathematics, they did not do as well. These results are not as high as in 1997 and 1998 but are markedly higher than in 1999 when they were well below the national average in reading and below in writing and mathematics. Good teaching, particularly in the infants, is bringing about marked improvement. Standards for pupils who are now in Year 2 are above the national average in reading, writing, mathematics and science. All pupils whatever their ability, achieve well in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

all these aspects of their work. The work of other year groups in the infants shows good achievement across the ability range.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 In the year 2000 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds, pupils achieved well above the national average in English, mathematics and science. In mathematics and science, the school’s results were in the top five per cent of schools nationally. When compared with similar schools, results in all three subjects were in the top five per cent of schools nationally. The school has maintained these very high standards since 1997. The trend in the school’s average National Curriculum points for all subjects was above the national trend. The school’s targets for the next two years would maintain this position. For the pupils who are now in Year 6, standards remain above the national average in English, mathematics and science and all pupils, whatever their ability achieve well. In other groups, pupils achieve well but differences in the particular year groups such as the number of pupils with special needs, means that attainment varies from average to above average in the three

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

subjects. This is the case in Year 5, for example, where standards are not as high as in Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 In English, good teaching and a high level of individual support due to the small numbers of pupils, builds effectively on children’s skills on entry and enables all pupils, whatever their ability, to achieve well. All pupils speak clearly and confidently and listen well to what others have to say. In reading, infant pupils develop a good knowledge of the sounds of letters and combinations of letters and this helps them read most unfamiliar words successfully. This is built on effectively so that by the age of eleven average and above average pupils read quite complex fiction and non-fiction texts accurately. The below average pupils and those who have special needs have a good grasp of letter sounds and combinations and this helps them to read at an appropriate level for their stage of development. The infant pupils develop writing skills well so that by the age of seven their work is organised and imaginative. Writing in English continues to develop well in the juniors and by the age of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

eleven, standards are above average and pupils advance well. Handwriting is usually fluent, joined and legible and pupils have a good grasp of spelling, grammar and punctuation. There are, however, too Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 12 few opportunities for pupils to write at length in all subjects. Teachers rely too heavily on commercially produced worksheets and these restrict the need for pupils to write extended pieces of work in a variety of styles. This aspect of the school’s work has not been addressed successfully since the 1997 inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 In mathematics, all pupils, whatever their ability or gender achieve very well. Both infant and junior pupils are particularly strong in using number facts and in responding quickly and accurately to mental arithmetic questions. They have good problem solving skills and knowledge of shape and space, measures and data handling. In science, pupils at all stages, have a good scientific vocabulary and knowledge of life processes and living things, materials and their properties and physical processes. An appropriate emphasis on investigative science has helped raise standards since the inspection in 1997.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6 Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) meet national expectations overall, although there are some weaknesses in the juniors. Whilst most pupils have sound word processing skills, older pupils are sometimes insufficiently challenged by the demands of the task set and this limits their achievements. Pupils' experience of control technology in Key Stage 2 is also under-developed. They have limited skills in creating, testing and refining sequences of instructions to make things happen and to monitor events and respond to them. Computers are used satisfactorily to support work in other subjects. In religious education, standards meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7 In art and design, history, geography and physical education standards are similar to those expected for pupils’ age and they make satisfactory progress. The achievements of all pupils in the infants in history, geography and physical education has improved since the 1997 inspection when it was unsatisfactory. In art and design, standards have improved in both the infants and juniors and achievement is satisfactory. In design and technology in the juniors, and music at all stages, standards are not high enough and pupils do not achieve as well as they should. In design and technology, junior pupils do not have the skills to produce realistic plans and labelled sketches of their own prior to the 'making' stage and do not identify what went well and what could be improved. In music, pupils sing in tune with a satisfactory sense of rhythm. Discussion with pupils and scrutiny of planning indicates

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

that pupils do not experience a satisfactory breadth of musical styles or have sufficient opportunities to play musical instruments and develop composing skills beyond a basic level.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8 The pupils’ attitudes to school and their behaviour are very good. All pupils are helpful and well mannered; this is a strength that has been maintained since the last inspection and it is an aspect that is highly regarded by the parents.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9 On entry into the reception class, the pupils settle quickly into the classroom routines. Their pre-school experiences have prepared them well and during lessons it was difficult to identify the youngest pupils because they were as fully engaged in the lessons as their older colleagues. Their teacher works skilfully and effectively to develop the children’s confidence so that they accept others around them and they collaborate fully when engaged in small group activities. From this good start, pupils’ confidence levels progress well, consequently, a happy self-confident “family” atmosphere pervades throughout the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10 The teachers’ interest in the pupils’ welfare and the strong links they have with their families is reflected in the very good standards of behaviour observed. Although there are a number of Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 13 initiatives in place to encourage the pupils to be self managing in their work, opportunities for the older ones to work beyond that set by their teachers are less evident. Discussions with the governors confirmed that they are formulating plans, in collaboration with the teachers, to widen these opportunities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11 Movement around the school and during playtimes is orderly, pupils let off steam in an energetic manner when at play, but they remain alert to their less lively colleagues. They show concern when accidents occur and when a pupil lost her balance and fell in the wet playground another quickly went to the office to find a replacement jumper. The incident was put to rights quickly with smiles and soothing words.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12 Attendance is close to the national average and the reasons for absences are recorded accurately. A small number of unauthorised absences reported in the last school year related to an extended holiday being taken. A study of the attendance figures for the autumn term confirms that there are no unauthorised absences. The pupils arrive promptly for their lessons and settle quickly and quietly into the day’s routines. This has a marked impact on their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13 Teaching has continued to improve since the 1997 inspection. There has been a significant improvement in teaching in the infants. The improvement is largely due to better curriculum planning and organisation. At the time of the inspection, a supply teacher was providing long term cover for the infant teacher who was on maternity leave. Teaching is now good overall and has a beneficial effect on pupils’ learning. Teaching meets the needs of all the pupils well. There is no significant difference in the quality of teaching for children in the Foundation stage (children who are under six) the infants and the juniors, although there is a higher percentage of good lessons in the infants. Of the 22 lessons observed across the school, five per cent were very good, 63 per cent were good and 32 per cent were satisfactory. No unsatisfactory lessons were observed.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14 The teaching of English and mathematics is mostly good in both the infant and junior classes. Both teachers have developed the literacy and numeracy hours effectively and planning closely follows the national guidelines. This gives a consistent structure to lessons and a sound development of skills from year to year. This is helping all pupils, whatever their ability to achieve well and make good progress in these subjects. In both literacy and numeracy lessons, the closing discussion session is used well to praise and share success, however, there is insufficient emphasis on how work might be improved.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15 In the literacy lessons, speaking and listening skills are well taught and as a result pupils develop confidence when speaking in front of others and are able to listen carefully to what others have to say. In most reading activities, pupils are taught the sounds and combinations of sounds of letters and this is successful in helping them to read unfamiliar words. Grammar, punctuation and spelling are well taught and this results in pupils’ good progress in these aspects of their learning. The above average and average pupils in Year 2, for example, use speech marks correctly in their writing. The above average and average junior pupils in Year 6 usually spell words with complex regular patterns correctly and use a good range of punctuation successfully in their writing. In numeracy lessons in both classes, the good subject knowledge of the teachers is applied well to their preparation of lessons that include effective use of resources, careful match of work to the needs of all pupils,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

including those with special educational needs, and a wide variety of activities. The lively and well- paced oral sessions develop pupils’ mental mathematics skills well and develop their understanding of the different strategies that can be used to solve problems. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 14 16 No direct teaching in science was observed during the inspection. A teacher with good knowledge of the subject teaches the subject towards the end of the week. Evidence from teachers’ planning, scrutiny of work and discussions with pupils, indicates that teaching and learning are good with an increased emphasis on investigative and experimental science.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17 In both the infants and juniors, teaching in the lessons seen in information and communication technology, religious education, art, design and technology, history, geography, physical education, music and personal and social education was never less than satisfactory and just over a half was good. Indications from planning, scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with co-ordinators, however, indicate that there are some shortcomings in design and technology and music. There is a lack of teachers’ knowledge and confidence in these subjects and whilst more specialist expertise is now being utilised in music and more regular experiences are now provided, skills have not been developed progressively from year to year. These factors have led to underachievement by pupils in these two subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18 Across all subjects, both teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and very good relationships with the pupils. These factors lead to good levels of motivation and effective use of humour. In most subjects, teachers’ subject knowledge is good and this helps them develop the correct technical vocabulary. Good questioning extends pupils’ learning well. In an infant geography lesson the teacher asks ‘ How do we know it is winter by looking at the picture?’ and in a mathematics lesson she asks ‘Tell us how you got that answer?’‘ In a junior geography lesson the teacher asks ‘How do you think the mill was powered?’ and in a literacy lesson he asks ‘What effect do you think the commas have in this sentence?’ Praise is used well to motivate the pupils and develop their self-esteem. The management of lessons is very good and a suitable range of teaching methods is used including whole class, group and individual teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19 Planning has improved since the 1997 inspection and is satisfactory overall. Lesson plans indicate briefly what all pupils will do during the lesson, but clear objectives for the different year groups in the two classes are not yet specific enough to guarantee that work always meets their particular needs effectively enough. This means that, on a few occasions, pupils do not achieve as well as they might, particularly in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. Teachers assess pupils well through good questioning in lessons and record their progress well in English, mathematics and science. However, the day-to-day outcomes of pupil assessment are not built systematically into subsequent lesson planning. This makes it difficult to build effectively on what pupils already know. In all subjects, teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and include supportive comments, however, marking rarely includes comments on how work might be improved.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20 In most subjects, there is still an over-reliance on commercially produced worksheets and this restricts opportunities for pupils to write at length in all subjects. This was identified in the 1997 inspection and has not been successfully addressed. Teachers’ high expectations of pupils’ behaviour are not matched by their expectations of the way in which pupils present their work. A significant proportion of the pupils’ work in the work scrutiny was untidily presented. Homework is used satisfactorily to support learning in reading, writing spelling, mathematics and in topic work.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

21 The curriculum provides pupils with a satisfactory range of learning experiences. No overall judgement was made at the time of the 1997 inspection but weaknesses were highlighted in curriculum Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 15 planning for the reception and infant pupils. These issues have been resolved and the curriculum for all pupils now provides an effective range of learning experiences based on sound planning. It meets statutory requirements, is generally broad and provides good equality of opportunity. There is a strong emphasis on English and mathematics and this results in good attainment and progress. There are good strategies for teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy across the school. These have a beneficial effect on pupils’ attainment and progress.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22 The curriculum is generally balanced except for the provision of design and technology and music where experiences do not develop pupils’ skills effectively from year to year. The range of learning opportunities includes satisfactory provision for personal and health education, sex education and drugs awareness teaching. Much of this is done through science topics and separate personal and social education sessions. The provision for extra-curricular activities is satisfactory for a school of this size with only two full-time members of staff. There is a computer club for the juniors and various sporting activities organised with other surrounding small schools.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23 Curriculum planning has improved since the inspection in 1997. It is based securely on sound schemes of work in subjects other than design and technology and music. These provide a strong base from which to develop pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding from year to year. An annual plan gives a clear outline of curriculum coverage in other subjects and this is expanded satisfactorily for English, mathematics and science in the planning for each term. Weekly and daily plans are effective in English, mathematics and science but in other subjects they are too brief to indicate what the different groups of pupils are intended to learn.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24 The school has worked well to tap into the resources available within its locality and beyond. The school is at the hub of the community. Good links are established with other local small schools and the secondary school to which most pupils transfer. These involve valuable curriculum meetings as well as sporting contacts. Parents and other village residents give valuable support to the school both by helping in school and sharing their experiences. Visits are made to museums and theatres and students from the local college work in the school.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25 The curriculum for pupils with SEN has improved since the previous inspections. There is now an effective policy and a sound set of improved procedures. These procedures have been 'tightened up' since the previous inspection, particularly with regards to pupil reviews that now take place on a termly basis. These reviews help to keep things moving, whereas, prior to the current system the impetus for effective change was sometimes lost. The base of reference for pupils with special needs has been widened so that health and developmental aspects are also now included. Other priorities identified following the previous inspections have also been achieved. All relevant information has been centralised for easier access. All SEN pupils have Individual Education Plans that are matched to their needs. The head teacher ensures that appropriate provision is made and ensures that intervention happens at a much earlier stage.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26 The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is good. The school has built successfully on improvements noted in the 1998 HMI inspection. The school’s aims are reflected well in day-to-day provision for social and moral education within a close and caring family environment. The daily assemblies have religious content and concern for others are dominant themes. There are opportunities for reflection as music greets pupils’ arrival and quiet times when pupils can reflect on the content of closing prayers. Religious education lessons also foster pupils’ spiritual development well. There are good opportunities for pupils to develop a sense of awe and wonder in other lessons. This was exemplified clearly in an infant mathematics lesson when a pupil showed delight and wanted to share with everyone her discovery that the opposite sides of a dice always added to seven. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 16

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27 The moral and social development of the pupils is good. Pupils have a clear sense of what is right and wrong and respond very well to the school’s expectation of behaviour. They are proud of their school and respect the buildings and resources. Pupils are polite and friendly and relate well to their peers and to all adults. All staff are very caring and provide good role models. Praise and encouragement are used effectively to motivate the pupils and raise their self-esteem.

p.16

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28 There is good emphasis on cultural understanding and experience. Pupils study other cultures and religions in religious education, history and geography lessons. Displays around the school celebrate religious and cultural diversity. In the infants, there was a display of pictures, symbols and artefacts of Judaism and in the juniors a similar display from the Muslim faith. In history, pupils study the life of people in the ancient Aztec and Greek civilisations. In geography, they study life in a contrasting locality in India and, in art, draw inspiration from the work of many famous artists from different countries.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29 The school provides a good level of care including welfare and guidance for the pupils. All staff work together well to ensure that the pupils are properly cared for.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30 Procedures for monitoring and promoting high standards of behaviour are good. All pupils understand that their behaviour affects others and they act in a sensible manner throughout the school day. Teachers are alert to the needs of the few pupils who find it difficult to concentrate throughout the lesson and they use appropriate strategies and guidance. Parents’ comments confirm that they are pleased with the standards of behaviour the school promotes.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31 Child protection procedures are good. The technical deficiency reported when the last inspection took place has been put right. All adults in the school understand what they have to do to ensure the well being of the pupils. A governor provides appropriate support to the school and the external educational and welfare services are used when needed. First Aid arrangements are secure, fire drills are conducted and logged and the school has good arrangements in place to ensure that all other statutory safety matters are managed effectively.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32 Procedures for monitoring an improving attendance are satisfactory. Parents understand that they should inform the school when their children are unable to attend and they do this promptly. The school’s attendance policy is clearly set out in the information the school provides for parents and attendance figures are published in the governors’ and the pupils’ annual reports. Registers are marked and analysed accurately, the school has no need to make use of the educational welfare service.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33 Overall, the school provides good support and advice for all the pupils. The teachers know the pupils well and are sensitive to their individual needs. There are good arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment and for identifying those pupils who may need further help to learn effectively. There are good well targeted individual education plans for those pupils who need them and teachers plan work which helps develop these effectively in general classroom work. This is successful in helping these pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34 Pupils' abilities are assessed when they start school as the foundation for charting pupils' progress through the school. Good assessment is made a few weeks after entry using local education authority tests. This gives the teacher valuable information on early strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning. Detailed assessment booklets track the pupils’ progress, and are discussed with them. The teacher keeps carefully annotated samples of children's work that contain analytical comments Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 17 highlighting strengths, weaknesses and areas for development. She makes careful notes of achievements across the areas of learning. These are used effectively to plan what will be done next.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35 A wide range of assessment systems has been developed in English, mathematics and science for the infant and junior classes. These include good individual portfolios of pupils’ work in English and mathematics. This work is allocated National Curriculum levels in order to reflect pupils’ attainment in each year group against national standards. Useful individual achievement folders include examples of pupils’ writing and there is a useful general folder that records pupils’ progress in reading, spelling, mathematics and personal achievements from their entry into school. The assessment and recording of pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science has developed well since the 1997 report.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36 The school is beginning to focus on setting individual literacy and numeracy targets for pupils. Optional National Curriculum tests in English and mathematics are used in Years 3, 4 and 5 as well as the statutory tests at seven and eleven. The results from these are used to track individual progress and analyse trends in pupils’ performance over time. This gives valuable information on the progress pupils are making in these subjects. Overall, however, these systems are relatively new and the information they provide is not yet used effectively enough in curriculum planning. This is recognised by the school and features in its priorities for development. Assessment in subjects other than English, mathematics and science is underdeveloped and this makes it difficult to track and develop effectively what pupils already know, understand and can do.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37 The parents have a high level of confidence in the school and they talk appreciatively about all aspects of school life. Inspection evidence confirms that the relationship between the parents and the school is very good. Parents talk enthusiastically about the progress the school has made since the last inspection. The weaknesses identified in the 1997 report stimulated the parents and governors to work together with the teachers to bring about improvements and they have done this very effectively.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38 The parents demonstrate an obvious pride in their school and freely offer their support in fund- raising initiatives, outings and by offering their expertise in the classrooms. Almost all parents attended the meeting with the registered inspector and completed questionnaires, these confirm that there is strong approval and support for almost everything the school does. They would like the range of extra- curricular activities to be increased but understand the practical difficulties that this would impose. Inspectors consider the range of extra-curricular activities to be satisfactory.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39 Day-to-day communication with the school is very good. Parents find it easy to enter into informal dialogue with the teachers who are helpful and supportive. The school recognises the importance of its reputation in the community and intends to continue to work in close collaboration with the church and other groups to enhance the work it does in the local villages. It works with others in the local cluster of schools to organise joint activities of a sporting nature. The pupils, accompanied by a musically gifted parent provided entertainment at the Christmas Fair, this was deemed to have been a highlight of the occasion.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40 The annual reports parents receive about their children’s progress are satisfactory. They contain some specific information regarding the work that has been covered during the year. However, there is insufficient information to inform parents if the work has met the teacher’s expectations or what the next targets for learning are. There is a good flow of informative newsletters and both the school brochure and governors’ annual report are well presented and informative. The school has devised a useful home-school agreement that sets out expectations for a fruitful Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 18 partnership. Comments made by the parents at the meeting prior to the inspection confirm that the steady stream of good quality information the school provides keeps them fully informed. Inspection evidence confirms this view.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41 The Parents and Friends Association is a well run and successful organisation. The work it has done recently with fund-raising and social activities has provided funds to enhance both the internal fabric of the school and the range of materials used in the literacy and numeracy lessons.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42 The school arranges a range of outings and visits to extend the pupils understanding of the community and to complement the work they are doing in lessons. It also invites the police, fire service, road safety officers and the school nurse give talks to the pupils about their role in society. Where it is possible these are arranged in conjunction with other local schools. Transfer arrangements into secondary education work well. There are opportunities for pupils to visit the secondary school and to meet the teachers who will be looking after them. Comments made by parents confirm that they feel that their children are well prepared for their secondary education.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43 The overall leadership and management of the school are good. This is a very small school and the headteacher has many areas of responsibility to attend to as well as a heavy teaching commitment. He has established very good relationships with staff, pupils, parents and governors. A very good rapport has been established. The governing body and parents are strongly supportive of the headteacher's democratic management style and the way in which he gets results. He is perceived as someone who is very effective at motivating people in a way that is appropriate to the school's ethos. The school’s appropriate aims are reflected effectively in the pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and achievements and in the equality of opportunity afforded to all pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44 The headteacher and governing body have used the areas for development identified in the 1997 inspection report as the foundation for their wide ranging and comprehensive school development plan, and this has directed their actions over the last three years. Priorities are clearly identified and what action needs to be taken to achieve these targets. The plan records who is responsible for achieving each target and sets challenging completion dates. The governing body is aware that a minority of their objectives lack completion dates and accept that this omission may have slowed development in subject areas such as music and design technology.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45 Since the 1997 inspection, the governing body and headteacher have concentrated on improving the assessment and recording of pupils' attainment and progress. Planning procedures have been tightened, staff morale rebuilt, and the governing body has taken on its role in holding the school accountable for the quality of education it provides. The governing body and headteacher have been successful in addressing many of the identified issues within the school development plan. They have begun to analyse the school’s performance through analysis of National and school test results and are beginning to monitor the effectiveness of teaching and learning. This is at an early stage of development and is not yet rigorous enough to guide plans for improvements in teaching and learning. This is important in order to take the mostly good teaching and learning to the next stage by refining planning and assessment and ensuring a consistently good match between the work given to individual

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46 Financial decisions are firmly linked to the educational priorities within the school development plan, with specific grants targeted appropriately. For example, the governing body has allocated most of its Standards Fund on an extensive programme of staff training covering aspects of need identified in the school action plan following the previous inspection. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 19 47 The governors’ understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in the school is very good. This represents a substantial improvement since the previous inspection. They fulfil their statutory responsibilities, apart from minor omissions in the prospectus and annual report to parents. The governing body has members who have experiences and professional skills that enable them to offer practical support to the headteacher through a range of increasingly effective sub-committees. For example, the finance sub-committee monitors the impact of major expenditure on achievement of

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48 The number, qualifications and experience of teachers and support staff match the demands of the curriculum, and the school is on target to comply with the new requirements for performance management. The staff are keen to develop their professional skills and attend courses regularly. The school has begun to collaborate with other schools in the local area on a number of initiatives, and these activities have helped to raise standards and the quality of provision. The blend of experience works effectively and the school is an effective provider of placements for initial teacher training. Support staff have a clear understanding of their role and provide good support for children special educational needs.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49 The accommodation is satisfactory. The whole interior area presents a welcoming atmosphere with good decoration and displays. Since the 1997 inspection, the surface of the playground has been repaired so that it is in good condition. The pupils now have internal toilets. The lack of a suitable internal space for physical education poses some limitations on pupils’ gymnastic skills development but the school makes best use of what it has to provide appropriate activities. Accommodation for children in the Foundation Stage, although limited, is used to maximum benefit. There is one class teacher who only receives occasional additional support. The small classroom is well organised, with appropriate areas for learning focusing on language, number, creative, construction and role-play. Provision is made for sand and water play, to support pupils' learning, although the lack of space means there is little room to work. At all stages, learning resources are

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

satisfactory across all subjects. Books and artefacts from local education services supplement school supplies effectively. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 20

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

50 In order to continue to improve standards and the quality of education, the headteacher, staff and governors should :

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1 Make more effective use of assessment by; a) setting specific learning targets for the different year groups to ensure that work is more carefully matched to pupils’ individual needs, b) including in the marking of pupils’ work more comments on how it might be improved and c) developing assessment systems in subjects other than English, mathematics and science in order to build on what pupils already know. (These issues are discussed in paragraphs 19, 35, 36, 65, 66, 81, 85, 89, 93, 96, 100 and 105)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2 Develop a systematic programme to more rigorously monitor and evaluate what is working well and what is not in teaching and learning; (This issue is discussed in paragraph 45)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3 Improve teachers’ expectations of the presentation of pupils’ work and review the use of commercial worksheets to ensure that they do not restrict opportunities for pupils to write at length in all subjects; (These issues are discussed in paragraphs 4, 20, 65, 77, 89 and 104)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4 Improve pupils’ achievements in music and design and technology by providing a broader range of learning experiences that build pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding from year to year. In addition, improve the confidence and expertise of the teachers. (These issues are discussed in paragraphs 7. 17, 22, 84, 94 and 95)

p.20

considered for inclusion in the action plan:

Attend to the minor omissions in the annual report to parents and the school prospectus. (Paragraph 47)

p.20

considered for inclusion in the action plan:

Ensure that junior pupils are sufficiently challenged by the demands of the task set in ICT and extend experiences in control technology. (Paragraphs 6, 92 and 93)

p.20

considered for inclusion in the action plan:

Increase the opportunities for pupils to take more initiative for their own learning. (Paragraph 10)

p.20

considered for inclusion in the action plan:

Improve the written annual reports to parents to include more information on whether work has met the teacher’s expectations and what the next targets for learning are. (Paragraph 40)

p.20

* It is recognised that the school is aware of these issues and has already begun to take

relevant action. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 20

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/a 26

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/a 4

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/a 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/a 4

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 22 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 23 Please note that all test and examination data has been omitted at both key stages, as the size of pupils in the year groups is less than ten.

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6]

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.4 Financial year 1999/2000

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 10.8

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 98261

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Expenditure per pupil 4273

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 10 Balance brought forward from previous year 10001

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 2323

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/a

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/a

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/a

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/a

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 24 Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 25

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 77 23 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 77 23 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 62 38 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 85 15 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 100 0 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 100 0 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 85 15 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 100 0 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 92 8 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 0 54 31 8 7 Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51 The school admits children to reception in the September following their fourth birthday. They rarely have experience of nursery provision because there is little local education authority or private sector nursery provision in the area. However, most children have attended the local playgroup prior to entering school. During the inspection, three children were in the Foundation Stage and two under the age of five. They are part of the infant class that has a total of ten pupils. By the time they enter Year 1, all children are well on course to achieve the early learning goals in all areas of learning. Provision for children in the new Foundation Stage is now satisfactory, in contrast to the previous inspection when the provision for children under five was judged to be unsatisfactory. Teaching and children's learning are now good. This represents a marked improvement since the 1997 inspection

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

when both were judged to be unsatisfactory.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

52 The children experience a wide range of opportunities to extend their learning in this area. Teaching is good. The teacher encourages and establishes classroom procedures well. A quiet working atmosphere is established and children are encouraged to develop their levels of concentration and independence successfully. They develop a sense of responsibility through tasks such as completing the daily weather record. The teacher conscientiously ensures that all children experience these tasks and records identify participation in these activities. Relationships between the children and the teacher are very good. Children share resources and are actively encouraged to look after their own and other people's property. They are caring and supportive of each other. They work well together, are very well behaved and keen to learn.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

53 The children learn effectively and achieve well because teaching is good. Lessons are well planned and organised and cover a wide range of skills. There is good use of role-play to extend the children’s imagination. Sessions at the end of lessons are well used to reinforce skills and this develops their speaking and listening well. All children are encouraged to communicate their thoughts and ideas and this develops their confidence successfully. Effective and sensitive questioning by the teacher encourages all children to join in discussion. The teacher helps extend children’s vocabulary well by singing rhymes and songs. In the attractive role-play area, set up as an office, they select appropriate clothing from a 'dressing up' box and engage in conversation as though in a real office. Good opportunities to develop an understanding of language through looking at, for example, signs describing Jewish religious artefacts, are evident in all the learning areas. The children know that

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

books contain words and convey meaning and they exhibit positive attitudes towards books. All locate the front of the book and the first page and know that print starts on the left-hand side. They are encouraged to handle books carefully and they respond to these expectations appropriately. All children treat books with care and concentrate for extended periods when looking at books. They remember the main characters and the key events in the story of 'Burglar Bill', and talk about what might happen next. An attractive reading area encourages children to investigate books. The school encourages parents to support their children in reading and looking at books. All children write their own names and a number of frequently used words and letters accurately. They talk about an imaginary character from a story, suggest events that might happen in the story, copy write sentences Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 27

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

they have constructed and then read them back to an adult. They write with confidence and enjoyment.

p.27

Mathematical development

54 The children experience a wide range of opportunities to extend their mathematical learning. Teaching and learning are good. The teacher encourages children to explore number patterns and relationships and this helps them develop good understanding in these areas. Many of the children are able to discover simple number patterns for themselves. They count to ten and beyond in familiar contexts, improving their skills through the use of a wide variety of practical activities and games. Most children count accurately and identify most numbers to 20. They write the numbers from 1 to 9 correctly. They solve practical problems by using their developing mathematical skills, such as counting the number of items in a group and calculating how many they would have if they were given another or they gave one away. The teacher extends their mathematical vocabulary effectively as they participate in number games. All children understand the words 'more' and 'less' and use them

p.27

Mathematical development

appropriately when comparing their answers with the original number. They sort items by shape, size and colour and recognise simple two-dimensional shapes.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

55 The quality of teaching and learning are good. Children identify items that are magnetic and non-magnetic, natural or man-made. They make good progress in their ability to predict outcomes of investigations, as they are encouraged to guess and test their ideas. Children select appropriate clothing to wear on a day when the weather is wet, sunny, cloudy, windy or cold. They keep a daily weather chart recording the day, how they are feeling, and a suitable description of the weather with an illustration. The teacher is well organised and uses questions well to extend children's awareness and knowledge by encouraging them to talk about what they had found out when discussing the weather, and to revise the key facts and ideas. All children are encouraged to use the computer and they know that the mouse can be used to make movements on the screen. With adult support, they enter simple facts into a database about the weather. They design a moving toy and describe how it

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

works, producing a drawing of their design.

p.27

Physical development

56 Teaching is good and the children make good progress in their learning. There is provision for limited outdoor play to develop children's running, jumping and climbing skills as part of their learning. However, given the small number of children within the Foundation Stage and the budgetary limitations, to date the school has been unable to identify a cost-effective solution for the provision of a dedicated outside play area. Inside, the teacher provides access to gymnasium equipment once a week and this develops children’s confidence and skills effectively. In dance, they are taught to match their movements to music to represent, for example, a 'gentle wind’. They are encouraged to work together and demonstrate routines of their own invention to the rest of the class. The children throw and catch well. They dress teddy in his winter clothes fastening and unfastening clothes. The teacher

p.27

Physical development

uses resources such as pencils, crayons, scissors and paintbrushes effectively to encourage the development of appropriate skills. Hand-eye co-ordination is well developed through matching and positioning shapes, decorating and sticking.

p.27

Creative development

Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 28 57 The children make good progress in their learning and teaching is good. The children experience a good range of techniques in art. They draw a 'winter' picture and write a sentence that describes it. They make headbands to represent one of the four seasons. Children have good opportunities to develop their interest in music, matching their movements to it and experimenting with instruments to vary the sound. They participate enthusiastically in a class assembly, performing a circle dance and poetry recitation on the theme of 'the world is turning'. They produce colourful portraits of a snowman in pencil drawings and paints. They use tools, paints and paper creatively and 'build' artefacts from construction kits. The teacher encourages the development of a wide range of skills well, including printing and simple collage work.

p.28

ENGLISH

58 Standards in English have improved since the inspection in 1997. Improvement is mainly the result of better teaching in the infants and more effective overall planning. Results in the year 2000 National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds showed that pupils achieved above the national average in reading. In writing standards were close to the national average. Whilst in reading, pupils achieved as well as pupils in similar schools, in writing they did not do as well. These results are not quite as high as in 1997 and 1998 but are higher than in 1999. Inspection evidence shows standards for the pupils who are now in Year 2 to be above average in reading and writing.

p.28

ENGLISH

59 In the year 2000 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds, pupils achieved well above the national average. When compared with similar schools, results were in the top five per cent of schools nationally. The school has maintained these very high standards since 1997. The school’s targets for the next two years are set to maintain these high standards in the tests. Inspection evidence supports this expectation, particularly for the pupils who are now in Year 6. Inspection findings are in broad accord with these results. There is no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls, although the small numbers of pupils make conclusions difficult. Standards for pupils who are now in Year 2 are above average in speaking and listening, reading and writing. Standards in writing are better due to differences in the abilities of the small numbers of pupils involved and good teaching. For pupils who are now in Year 6, standards remain above average.

p.28

ENGLISH

60 When pupils enter the school, speaking and listening, reading and writing skills are broadly average. Good teaching and a high level of individual support due to the small numbers of pupils builds effectively on these initial skills and enables all pupils, whatever their ability to achieve well. Good opportunities for discussion in all lessons develop pupils’ listening and speaking skills well. They speak clearly and confidently and their answers show that they have listened carefully to questions. In a Literacy hour, when discussing a story they had read together, the older pupils made references to the text in order to explain their answers. Pupils continue to make good progress in the juniors and use interesting vocabulary and expression when speaking in discussion sessions. They listen attentively in activities involving the whole class and show respect for what others have to say.

p.28

ENGLISH

61 Standards in reading are above average by the ages of seven and eleven and all pupils achieve well. The infant pupils develop a good knowledge of the sounds of letters and combinations of letters and this helps them read most unfamiliar words successfully. They enjoy reading and are delighted when asked to read to someone. By the age of eleven, the reading skills of the average and above average pupils are sufficiently well developed to enable them to read quite complex fiction and non- fiction texts. They use good expression in their reading, for example pupils recognised speech marks, exclamation marks and question marks in the text and varied their voice accordingly. They read biographies and autobiographies, for example, and talk knowledgeably about the work of a wide range of authors. The below average pupils have a good grasp of letter sounds and combinations and this helps them to read at an appropriate level for their stage of development.

p.28

ENGLISH

Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 29 62 By the age of seven, pupils attain good standards in writing. Their work is organised and imaginative with a good sequence of sentences that extend their ideas clearly. Most common words are spelt correctly, handwriting is joined and legible and the use of full stops and capital letters is accurate. All these features were evident in pupils’ writing about the ‘Magic winter snowflake’ and ‘The winter house’. Writing in literacy lessons continues to develop well in the juniors and by the age of eleven, standards are above average and pupils advance well. The handwriting of the average and above average pupils is fluent, joined and legible. In a literacy lesson on myths and legends, pupils were able to construct complex sentences to build up interesting paragraphs and plan their writing to be continued independently later. They were able to edit their work in order to check spelling,

p.29

ENGLISH

sentence structure and use of adjectives. This aspect of the pupils’ work has improved markedly since the 1997 inspection. Pupils develop a good knowledge of spelling patterns, grammar and punctuation. Pupils’ speaking, listening and reading skills offer good support to their work in all subjects. Across the school, however, pupils have too few opportunities to use their writing skills to support work in other subjects such as history and religious education. Teachers rely too heavily on commercially produced worksheets in all subjects and these often restrict the need for pupils to write extended pieces of work in a variety of styles. This aspect of teaching and learning has not been effectively remedied since the 1997 report.

p.29

ENGLISH

63 The quality of teaching and learning in the lessons seen is now better than at the time of the 1997 report. Teaching and learning are consistently good in the infants and mostly good in the juniors. Across the school no unsatisfactory lessons were seen. The teachers have a good knowledge of the subject and follow the structure of the National Literacy hour successfully. This has a good effect on learning since it concentrates attention on learning of key reading and writing skills consistently across the school. Relationships are very good and this leads to the development of confidence in learning. Good questioning is particularly effective in developing pupils’ vocabulary, knowledge of punctuation and ability to think more carefully about stories they read and write. In a literacy lesson in the juniors, for example, the teacher initiates good discussion of the use of the phrase ‘lurking in the bracken fen’

p.29

ENGLISH

in an Anglo Saxon myth. In the same activity, the development of pupils’ punctuation skills is successfully achieved in a discussion of the use of commas and a dash in particular paragraph.

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ENGLISH

64 Resources are used well in literacy lessons. In the infants, for example, flip charts, big books, word cards to construct sentences and word lists are all used effectively to develop learning. In the juniors, text extracts, the blackboard and non-fiction books are used successfully. In both the infant and junior lessons, the ends of the literacy sessions are used well to encourage pupils to talk about their work and to celebrate success. At these times, however, not enough opportunities are taken to help pupils see how their work might have been improved. Pupils who have special needs are supported well and are given a high degree of individual help with their work. Action points in their individual education plans are developed well in literacy lessons.

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ENGLISH

65 Teachers’ planning has improved and follows a common format. Teachers now plan together much more effectively. Learning objectives, however, are not always clear in terms of what the different year groups will learn in a particular lesson. This makes it more difficult to ensure a close match of the work to the needs of individual pupils and particularly for the above average pupils, means that they do not always achieve as well as they might. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and involvement in activities but their expectations of how work is presented in books is not so high. This results in work that is often untidy. There is an over-reliance on commercially produced worksheets in both the infant and juniors and this sometimes restricts opportunities for the pupils to write at length. Marking is regular and contains some supportive comments but comments on how work might be improved are rare. Homework is used satisfactorily to support pupils’ reading and

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ENGLISH

spelling. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 30 66 Management of the subject is good, bearing in mind the many different subject areas that are covered by one teacher. Pupils’ performance in national and optional tests is analysed and weaknesses are addressed in planning. Specific literacy goals are being developed for individual pupils and good assessment procedures have been developed since the previous inspections. The use of all the information from these assessments to plan the next stages of learning is at an early stage of development and is not yet having sufficient impact on pupils’ learning.

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MATHEMATICS

67 In the Year 2000 National Tests for seven-year-olds, standards were well above the national average and well above those found in similar schools. In the Year 2000 tests for eleven-year-olds, standards were well above the national average. When compared with similar schools, standards were also well above average. All the eleven-year-olds attained the higher level 5 in the tests. Since the 1997 inspection, the rate of improvement has been higher than the national trend. In the Year 2000 tests, there was no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls, although the numbers involved were very small.

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MATHEMATICS

68 Inspection evidence paints a similar picture for pupils who are now in Years 2 and 6. Boys and girls make consistently good gains in their mathematical skills and understanding and there is no difference in their overall performance. Pupils, including those who have special needs, achieve very well throughout the school. The above average pupils are given good opportunities to extend their learning through challenging activities such as problem solving. Since the previous inspection, standards have risen significantly and the school is on course to maintain this high level of performance.

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MATHEMATICS

69 By the end of the infants, pupils count back in ones from 20 correctly and quickly say which number comes before or after a given number. Pupils are particularly strong in using number facts and in responding quickly and accurately to mental arithmetic questions, for example, they add and subtract two numbers to 20 and beyond accurately. Their understanding of mathematical investigations is much better than that expected for pupils of this age. For example, they discovered that the total possible combinations of pairs of numbers that make a given total are always one more than the given total. They then showed their understanding of this general statement by finding examples that matched it. The pupils have a good understanding and knowledge of shape and space, and are beginning to measure using centimetres. They make simple bar charts and present their work well.

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MATHEMATICS

70 By the end of the juniors, mathematical skills are well developed. Pupils solve complex problems using several operations and explain the different strategies they have used clearly and succinctly. They calculate mentally three fifths of 15 and add, subtract and multiply to two decimal places. They have a detailed knowledge of two and three-dimensional shapes and understand their properties. This work is not presented well since they do not use rulers to draw straight lines when constructing two-dimensional shapes. Pupils read graphs, collect and collate information and use it to solve problems effectively. Numeracy skills are used satisfactorily in other areas of the curriculum, for example, older junior pupils record their experimental findings in a line graph in science. Pupils with special educational needs attain average levels and this represents good achievement.

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MATHEMATICS

71 The quality of teaching and learning is better than reported in the 1997 inspection, particularly in the infants, and is now good overall. Both teachers have a good knowledge of the subject and the National Numeracy Strategy. They apply this knowledge well to their preparation of lessons that Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 31 include effective use of resources, careful match of work to the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, and a wide variety of activities. Successful teaching throughout the school is marked by lively and well-paced oral sessions that impact positively on learning. As a result, pupils remain on task, work hard and produce a good quantity of work in each lesson. Lively lessons inject a sense of humour and lead to pupils enjoying their mathematics. Teachers make good use of the objectives in the numeracy strategy and use the school's published scheme effectively. Planning is

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MATHEMATICS

satisfactory but does not include clear identification of the learning objectives specific to each year group within classes. The session at the end of the numeracy hour is used well to reinforce what has been learned, and to identify and share effective strategies. However, in the juniors particularly, there is insufficient emphasis on showing pupils how work might be improved at these times.

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MATHEMATICS

72 All lessons are introduced with a time for reviewing previous learning and to test the pupils' mental agility. Introductions are clear, well paced and effective. Good questioning of pupils enables the teachers to test their understanding and are an important part of the assessment process. In an infant lesson, for example, the teacher asks ‘what happens when you add the numbers on the opposite sides of a dice?’ Pupils often work in ability groups and the tasks set are matched effectively to their needs. Teachers move around the room giving good support, checking on any difficulties and providing additional guidance. The teachers have very good relationships with the pupils and exercise discipline in a friendly and firm way. This helps pupils develop their learning in a supportive and orderly atmosphere. Teachers make limited use of computers in the subject and this restricts pupils' progress

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MATHEMATICS

in this aspect of their mathematical development.

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MATHEMATICS

73 Management of the subject is good, given that the subject leader has a number of other subjects to manage. He has set challenging targets to further raise the standard of pupils' attainment, based on a detailed analysis of the performance of individual pupils. He has recognised the need to monitor and improve the impact of the closing discussion period at the end of lessons.

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SCIENCE

74 In the year 2000 National Curriculum teacher assessments at the end of the infants, attainment in science was well above the national average. When results are compared to similar schools attainment in science is also well above the average. The results of national tests at the end of the juniors in the year 2000 show that pupils attain standards which are well above the average when compared with schools nationally, and those in similar schools. Teacher assessment and national tests over the last three years have shown a consistent improvement in pupils' level of attainment. Inspection evidence confirms that standards are above the national average by the end of both the infants and juniors. Pupils, whatever their ability, achieve well. There is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls. During the inspection, no lessons were observed in science since lessons take place towards the end of the week. Scrutiny of planning and pupils' work, together

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SCIENCE

with discussion with pupils and teachers, enabled judgements to be made.

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SCIENCE

75 On the evidence available, the quality of teaching is good. Since the previous inspections, the school has made good improvement in the pupils' attainment and in teaching and learning. This is because teachers have worked hard to improve their teaching and the quality of pupils' learning. Investigative and experimental science have been developed well and the pupils have made good progress in this aspect. The curriculum is now more closely matched to the pupils' ages and levels of ability. Assessment of pupils' work is carried out during lessons, carefully recorded, and individual differences are noted for use in planning. A scrutiny of pupils' work from the previous year reveals that all areas of study have been completed and there is evidence of investigative work in all areas. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 32 76 By the end of the infants, pupils sort items into man-made and natural ones, describing their

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SCIENCE

observations and recording them on simple diagrams. They identify magnetic and non-magnetic items and explain what these properties might be useful for. They recognise the differences between living and non-living things, and provide simple explanations for the importance of exercise for human beings.

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SCIENCE

77 By the end of the juniors, pupils know the properties of solids, liquids and gases. They accurately use the term 'evaporation', and the more able can explain clearly how it takes place. They select suitable equipment and measure accurately in order to carry out a fair test in an investigation about what affects the rate at which sugar in dissolves in water. They use their mathematical skills to record their results on a line graph and demonstrate the relationship between the time taken for sugar to dissolve and the volume of water. They identify the main parts of a plant. Pupils' recording skills are satisfactory throughout the school, although the over-reliance on commercially produced worksheets does not give pupils sufficient opportunities to engage in developing their writing. The ways in which these worksheets are presented and stored does not always match the quality evident in other aspects of their work.

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SCIENCE

78 The subject is well managed. The co-ordinator has been effective in ensuring improvement in the provision of the science curriculum and the quality of teaching and learning. The action plan for science identifies clear targets for development and this has played a significant part in improvements since the previous inspections. She has developed a portfolio of attainment in science containing moderated, annotated and levelled examples of pupils' work, and it is an excellent example of best practice.

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ART AND DESIGN

79 Standards in art and design are similar to those expected for pupils’ age at seven and eleven. This is an improvement since the 1997 inspection, when both standards and teaching were judged unsatisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

80 In the infants, pupils make satisfactory progress in investigating and using a variety of materials and processes to communicate their ideas and designs to make images and artefacts. They work with paint, pencil, textiles and crayon and effectively develop a satisfactory range of techniques such as potato printing, painting, drawing and collage. They use sound pencil drawing techniques, for example, to make story boards to link in with literacy topics. Pupils design their own sculptures before making animals from a range of natural materials. In the juniors, pupils develop collage techniques well to produce a tapestry depicting Sir George Caley’s early aircraft. They work co-operatively to produce a large painting in the style of Lowry. Pupils use the work of artists such as Seurat, Picasso, Rousseau and Munch to develop their own painting techniques satisfactorily. In an art activity session

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ART AND DESIGN

linked to work in history, the pupils produced soundly observed and sculptured mock stone carvings in clay in the style of the Aztecs. This work contributes effectively to pupils’ cultural awareness

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ART AND DESIGN

81 On the basis of the two lessons seen, pupils’ past and present work and teachers’ planning, the quality of teaching and learning are satisfactory overall and pupils’ achievements are sound. Pupils who have special educational needs are supported well in lessons and this ensures they achieve as well as all other pupils. Teachers have sound subject knowledge and use demonstration effectively to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of specific techniques and skills. In a good infant lesson the teacher encouraged pupils to look carefully in order to appreciate the nature of the different natural materials they were working with and encouraged good discussion on the suitability of, for example, straw, twigs and leaves when sculpting a particular animal they had chosen. Resources are well prepared and used effectively to support learning at all stages. Parent helpers gave good individual

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ART AND DESIGN

support to junior pupils who were working on a variety of activities associated with Aztec art. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 33 Management of the subject is satisfactory. A scheme of work has been introduced since the 1997 inspection report and has been recently reviewed and combined with a nationally recommended scheme. This is leading to a more consistent development of key art skills from year to year. No whole school assessment systems to record pupils’ progress and experiences have been developed and this makes it difficult for teachers to build effectively on what pupils already know.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

82 Only one design technology lesson was observed in the juniors involving two group activities. The teaching and pupils’ attainment were satisfactory. Discussions with pupils and the scrutiny of work indicate that standards are in line with expectations for seven-year-olds but below those expected for eleven-year-olds. However, this represents an improvement since the 1997 report when overall standards were low.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

83 Progress up to the age of seven is satisfactory overall with aspects of both designing and making being included in projects such as the construction of hand puppets, using all stages of the process. Pupils plan and record their ideas on a design sheet, with labelled diagrams, before making their designs. Subsequently, they discuss their work and record their opinions on an evaluation sheet. This includes suitable comments on what they found hard, what they enjoyed, what they had changed and the reason for it.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

84 Junior pupils enjoy following a recipe for Aztec fried corn bread and participate enthusiastically in the making process. They know and follow safe procedures, such as washing their hands before they begin, although none were equipped with protective aprons. They take great pride in the quality of their cooked pancakes, decorating them with salad vegetables and sharing them enthusiastically with others. However, progress up to the age of eleven is inconsistent and unsatisfactory because there are insufficient opportunity for pupils to develop their designing skills and use a range of materials and tools. Pupils in the juniors work with a limited range of tools and techniques, for example, to make jewellery in an Aztec style. However, they have no opportunity to design their own objects, generate ideas in a advance by collecting and using information, and selecting from a wide range of materials. Rather, they all copy either of the two examples presented to them,

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

using the narrow range of materials provided. They have insufficient experiences of producing realistic plans and labelled sketches of their own prior to the 'making' stage, with opportunities afterwards to identify what went well and what could be improved next time.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85 The co-ordination of the subject is underdeveloped. There has been only limited improvement since the 1997 inspection. The positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning will be accelerated if their implementation is monitored more closely to ensure that they are happening. There are no whole school assessment systems to accurately record what pupils already know.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

86 In the previous inspection in 1997, the work seen in both subjects was judged to be satisfactory by the end of the infants and juniors. Unsatisfactory teaching in the infants, however, meant that pupils’ progress was unsatisfactory. Teaching in both subjects has improved, particularly in the infants and all pupils’ achievements are now satisfactory. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils’ work in both subjects is similar to that expected for pupils aged seven and eleven. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 34 87 In history, by the age of seven, pupils develop a sound understanding of aspects of the past beyond living memory and some of the main events and people they have studied. For example, they know about Florence Nightingale and her work with the sick and injured. They are able to draw and comment on their own simple family tree. In a topic on toys, they begin to develop a sound understanding of similarities and differences between the past and now when playing with old toys

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

dating back to the Victorian era. In the juniors, pupils develop a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of aspects of the history of Britain and the wider world. In their studies of the Aztecs and Ancient Greeks, they learn of the various characteristics of an ancient civilisation. Pupils use their good research skills to find information from non-fiction sources, for example how Aztec warriors were trained. Pupils’ skills of historical enquiry and interpretation such as the way in which the past can be interpreted in different ways, are not as strong as their knowledge of events, people and changes in the past.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

88 In geography, by the age of seven, pupils have a sound knowledge and understanding of seasonal change and above average pupils are able to read a thermometer. All pupils recognise and use simple weather symbols to record daily changes on a weather chart. They develop early mapping skills well. For example, after walking round the village, they record the position of road signs on large scale picture maps of the area. In the juniors, pupils develop mapping skills satisfactorily when locating buildings and features of particular significance in their village. They examine aerial photographs and link them successfully to maps and pictures of the locality. Aspects of world geography are explored effectively in a study of a village in India. At all stages pupils. including those who have SEN make satisfactory progress in using field work, maps, photographs, books and pictures to support their work

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

and use an appropriate geographical vocabulary to communicate their findings. Pupils are not so good at expressing their own views about people, places and environments.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

89 On the evidence of two lessons in geography and one in history, together with a scrutiny of pupils’ work and current planning, teaching and learning in both subjects is at least satisfactory. In the one history lesson, teaching and learning were good and in the two geography lessons they were good in one and satisfactory in the other. Teachers have a secure knowledge of both subjects and this ensures that pupils’ are helped to develop the correct technical vocabulary. Resources are used well in both subjects and add stimulation and interest to learning. A collection of Aztec artefacts in history and aerial photographs of the locality in geography, for example, were used effectively to motivate the pupils. There are some shortcomings in the teaching in both subjects. Assessment procedures are underdeveloped and the use of information gained from observation and questioning of pupils’ understanding during lessons is not built effectively into subsequent lesson planning. This is tied in with

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

lesson planning that does not clearly indicate what the different year groups will learn. The scrutiny of work indicates that teachers rely too heavily on commercially produced worksheets that restrict opportunities for pupils to write and record their evidence independently.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

90 Management of the subjects is satisfactory. Sound schemes of work have been developed and recently revised to form a good base for planning. There has been good improvement in this aspect since the previous inspections. The analysis of pupils’ work and teaching in order to see what is working well and what is not is underdeveloped.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

91 Overall standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are in line with those expected for pupils at the end of both key stages. No whole-class lessons were observed during the inspection. Scrutiny of planning and pupils' work, discussions with pupils and teachers, together with Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 35 pupils' demonstrations of what they can do, enabled judgements to be made. Most pupils, including those with special education needs, achieve satisfactorily.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

92 Since the 1997 inspection there has been a significant improvement in pupils' learning in the infants, while in the juniors, the standards have been maintained. By the age of seven, pupils use a word processor successfully to record facts about the weather, organising and classifying their information. They describe what they are doing, and why. By the age of eleven, they load, edit, print and save work, using an art package to create illustrations. They combine writing and pictures satisfactorily for work in other areas of the curriculum, enter information in a database and use it to answer questions effectively. All pupils, including those with special needs, are keen to explore programs and extend their skills. They are able to access the programs well and are conversant with choosing from given options to select and alter functions. However, there is some evidence that older pupils are sometimes insufficiently challenged by the demands of the task set and this limits their

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

achievements. Pupils' experience of control technology in Key Stage 2 is also under-developed. They have limited opportunities to create, test, improve and refine sequences of instructions to make things happen and to monitor events and respond to them.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

93 Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Two teachers in a school with only two classes share the role of subject leader. There has been improvement in the use of ICT throughout the school. However, the monitoring of pupils' progress in ICT remains underdeveloped, so that teachers sometimes underestimate pupils' levels of skills, knowledge and understanding. This results in a mismatch between the task set and what the pupil can already do. The school has plans to improve the provision for the subject. For example, significant investment has been made in new equipment and software, and resources are good. However, the effects of these improved resources have yet to have their full impact on the quality of teaching and learning

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MUSIC

94 On the evidence of the limited amount of work seen in music, there has been insufficient progress since the 1997 inspection. Standards remain lower than is normally seen for pupils’ ages. Other than in singing, pupils have few consistent experiences of the subject throughout the school and this restricts their learning and achievements. This is mainly due to a lack of expertise on the part of teachers. The school has made attempts to improve the provision by using the skills of a retired teacher. This is relatively recent but indications are that this provision is giving pupils more structured basic experiences from what is a very low base.

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MUSIC

95 Throughout the school, pupils sing in tune with a satisfactory sense of rhythm. They show enjoyment and a determination to improve. Commercially produced tapes act as accompaniment in assemblies and support class singing activities satisfactorily in the juniors. Good teaching in a music lesson in the infants enabled pupils to learn the importance of taking breaths at the right time when singing and introduced a new skill of singing in the round successfully. Most pupils were able to maintain a simple beat by clapping. They make good progress in learning how sounds can be combined and used expressively. In the older juniors, pupils use their voice, clapping, stamping and playing a variety of percussion instruments to represent the repetitive sound of a stem powered machine. Pupils are able to improve their performance with practice and collaborate well in the activity. There is little evidence that pupils experience a satisfactory breadth of musical styles or have

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MUSIC

sufficient opportunities to play musical instruments or develop composing skills beyond a basic level. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 36 96 Management of the subject is underdeveloped. There is no scheme of work or practical guidance on how to use the materials or assess pupils’ progress. These issues were raised in the 1997 inspection and continue to impede pupils’ learning and achievements in the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

97 Overall standards in physical education are in line with expectations for pupils aged seven and eleven. They are higher than those reported at the time of the previous inspection for pupils aged seven, and standards have been maintained for pupils aged eleven. During the inspection, lessons were observed in games and dance. No lessons were observed in gymnastics. A close scrutiny of planning, discussion with teachers and pupils revealed that this activity receives an appropriate emphasis. The school covers all areas of the physical educational curriculum at different times during the year. The statutory requirements for swimming instruction are met. Provision is made through a whole-school extra-curricular activity in which all participate, using the private pool of a local resident. The local education authority supports this arrangement and has carried out appropriate health and safety checks.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

98 By the age of seven, pupils move well to evocative music representing weather phenomena and its associated effects such as wind, blowing leaves, flying, thunder, lightning and raindrops. They travel, jump and turn well in response to the music. Pupils develop different moves over several lessons and remember and repeat these movements. They show control and co-ordination. Pupils explain why the warm-up activity at the beginning of lessons is important and why it is good to exercise. The junior pupils participate enthusiastically in circuit training activities such as shuttle run, hockey dribble and beanbag catching. They work well in mixed groups. By the age of eleven, all pupils describe the effects of exercise on their bodies after a warm-up and why it is good for them. They throw, catch, run and dribble accurately and participate as effective team members.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

99 In the two lessons observed, teaching was good and pupils enjoyed the physical activities. Lessons began with a suitable warm-up that is sufficiently rigorous. Pupils are given a range of opportunities to develop their skills, and lessons have a good balance of activities that involve individual and small group work. The teachers set good examples by their appropriate behaviour and dress. They promote positive attitudes very well and the pupils show appreciation for one another's achievements. In an infant dance lesson, the teacher uses pupils to demonstrate good skills and encourages the pupils to comment on how they could improve. In a junior lesson, the teacher shows commendable adaptability at short notice, moving all the classroom furniture out of the way and devising a challenging and enjoyable games lesson when rain prevented the outdoor lesson at the last minute. The pace of lessons is good, with teachers' explanations kept to the point and a clear

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

emphasis on pupils' activity. Teachers provide appropriate constructive comments to help pupils improve their performance, such as 'reduce your speed to improve your accuracy', when a child is negotiating a slalom course with a hockey stick and ball. Good discipline is maintained throughout lessons. Pupils respond immediately to the requests of teachers. They take physical activity seriously, concentrating hard and paying due care and attention to safety.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

100 The co-ordinator has a clear view of standards and manages the subject satisfactorily. There are adequate resources for the subject, although the lack of a school hall means that classroom furniture has to be moved before and after lessons to create space. This is currently possible in the infants with only ten pupils. However, it will pose a significant managerial difficulty if pupil numbers increase. There are no whole school assessment systems to track the pupils’ progress. Brompton and Sawdon Primary School - 37

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

101 Overall standards of attainment in religious education meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus at seven and eleven and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

102 Since the 1997 inspection good improvement has been achieved in the teaching and content of the curriculum for religious education. It is now carefully planned and has been well linked to the locally agreed syllabus. The main improvements have been in the quality of teaching in both key stages. Teachers have considered the style of their teaching, particularly in the planning and delivery of lessons. The curriculum is more carefully matched to the abilities of pupils who find it much more interesting because of the variety and the increased challenge.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

103 By the age of seven, pupils discuss the characteristics of an artefact, select the ones that they think are most important and give reasons for their choices. By the age of eleven, pupils recognise important Christian symbols and understand their importance for Christians. They know the significance of Allah, Muhammad, the messenger Gabriel and the Five Pillars of Islam for Muslims. They listen to a Buddhist story in Assembly, understand its underlying moral about the importance of telling the truth, suggest alternative endings to the story, and discuss the consequences of not telling the truth in their own lives.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

104 In the two lessons seen, teaching was good and teachers used questioning well to check pupils' understanding. Teachers give clear explanations and a strong emphasis on language contributes to pupils' knowledge and awareness. For example, in the infants, the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary relating to Judaism is carefully explained so that pupils have a simple understanding of the practices associated with kosher food. Their knowledge and awareness is further developed by the very effective use of artefacts. In the juniors, a Passover plate is used effectively to stimulate interest and discussion when telling the story of Moses and the Exodus. A copy of the Koran on its stand, together with a ritual hand washing bowl and towel, form the centrepiece of a lesson that interests and motivates pupils to learn more about the topic. Cross-curricular elements are also effectively exploited. For example, an attractive geography display entitled 'Where in the world is Pakistan?'

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

contains a prayer mat and posters about a mosque, hajj, Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr, together with a book display about Muslims and Islam. Pupils' attitudes to the subject are very good because teachers have high expectations and establish clear guidelines. In the juniors, particularly follow-up activities are dominated by filling in worksheets. Overemphasis on this method of recording significantly restricts pupils' opportunities to engage in extended pieces of writing.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

105 The subject is managed satisfactorily. The co-ordinator has initiated effective actions that have improved the quality of teaching and learning in most areas of the subject. There are no assessment procedures to track pupils’ progress in the subject.

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