Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Mary's and St John's

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 12 th – 14 th March 2002

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SCHOOL

Inspection number: 195513 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Lane Hindon Salisbury Wiltshire

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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 R Harding

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: May 1997 St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 5

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responsibilities

20891 S O’Toole Registered inspector The foundation stage Mathematics Design and technology Science Equal opportunities Art and design Information and communication technology The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught How well is the school led and managed What could the school do to improve further

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responsibilities

S Daintrey Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes and values How well does the school care for its pupils or students How well does the school work in partnership with parents V Bagilhole Team Inspector English Geography History Special educational needs Music Physical education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 26

St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Mary’s and St John’s C.E. (Aided) First School is a much smaller than average sized school. A total of 36 pupils attend the school made up of 19 boys and 17 girls aged from four to nine. About a third of pupils come from the village of Hindon with most from other villages. Almost all pupils are from white ethnic backgrounds and live in an area that is economically above average, although most pupils come from average backgrounds. None is at an early stage of English acquisition. Three pupils are entitled to free school meals, a figure which is below average. Fourteen pupils have special educational needs which is well above average, and none has a statement of special educational need. The number entering the school each year is small and standards on entry, therefore, vary from year to year. Eight children were in the reception year at the time of the inspection and were taught in a mixed reception and Year 1 and 2 class. On

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

admission to the school, most pupils have levels of attainment that are below those expected for their age. About half of the pupils have benefited from pre-school educational experience. A significant proportion of pupils join or leave the school at times other than the beginning of the reception year or Year 4. The number of pupils attending the school has fallen since the last inspection. The school is part of the local authority review of first and middle school provision.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a sound quality of education for its pupils. Standards are average in almost all subjects and pupils in the foundation stage and Years 1 and 2 make good progress. Most of the teaching is good, although there are some areas for development. The school is managed effectively and the headteacher provides good leadership supported appropriately by the governors. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Progress of pupils with special educational needs and the more able. • Provision for and progress of children in the foundation stage and in Years 1 and 2 • Behaviour, attitudes and the enthusiasm of the pupils. • The way the staff care for pupils. • Links with parents, community and other schools.

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What could be improved

• Application of literacy skills in several subjects. • Some aspects of teaching in Years 3 and 4. • Standards in design and technology. • Assessment, marking, target setting and their link to planning 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

St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 8 The school has successfully tackled most of the issues raised in the previous inspection report (May 1997) and has made satisfactory improvement. Overall, standards have at least been maintained. Teaching is better and there is much improved provision for the foundation stage. Leadership and management have improved and there is a more sharply focused development plan. However, some areas for development remain including improving presentation and marking. The school is in a secure position to build upon the improvement made since the previous inspection.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on National Curriculum test results.

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Key

Reading E E* C D well above average above average A B Writing D E D D average below average C D Mathematics E E E E* well below average E

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Key

The number of pupils taking national tests varies each year and is small, making it difficult to compare performance validly with other schools. Inspection evidence shows that standards at the school are average and are sufficiently high given the generally below average attainment on admission. Performance in national tests varies from year to year. Overall, most pupils make good progress and achieve well. Progress is consistently good in reception and Years 1 and 2. Inspection evidence shows that the current Year 2 pupils are likely to attain average standards in English, mathematics and science. By the end of Year 4, pupils are on course to achieve appropriate levels in English, mathematics and science and this represents good achievement in view of the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Pupils read accurately and with expression and have improved their writing, but more remains to be done to

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Key

improve handwriting, presentation and the use of literacy skills in several subjects. Throughout the school, pupils have good speaking skills and listening is satisfactory. They have a secure knowledge of mental arithmetic and explain a variety of strategies for solving problems. Pupils understand basic scientific ideas and use scientific terms effectively. The variation between inspection evidence and test results in 2001 is due to more focused teaching of English, rigorous approach to extending mathematics and better provision for the more able in science. Pupils make appropriate use of their numeracy skills in other subjects. They use computers well to support their work in several subjects and standards in information and communication technology are average. In art and design, music, physical education, history, and geography standards St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 9 are average. Standards in dance and design and technology are generally below those

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Key

Children in the reception year make good progress and, by the start of Year 1, most achieve the expected goals for their age in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical, creative and physical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Progress in Years 1 and 2 is mainly good and this is particularly so in reading and writing. Progress in Years 3 and 4 is variable. It is satisfactory in English and good in science and mathematics. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they have well focused individual education plans and the support given by classroom assistants works very effectively. The school is part of a project to challenge the more able and is largely successful. These pupils make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Children in the reception year make good progress in personal, social and emotional development. Pupils have positive and enthusiastic attitudes. They keenly join in discussions.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils show respect for adults, other children and resources. They are polite and well mannered. There have been no exclusions.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils of different ages work effectively together. Relationships are very good. Pupils enjoy taking responsibility and are keen to do jobs around the school. However, older pupils lack sufficient pride in the presentation of their work and often the good content is spoiled by untidy handwriting.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Attendance is above average. The pupils enjoy coming to school.

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aged 5-7 years aged 7-9 years

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

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aged 5-7 years aged 7-9 years

The quality of teaching is mostly good. Teaching in the foundation stage and Years 1 and 2 is good with some very good features. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good as the support given by classroom assistants is well focused and challenging. The needs of the more able are met well. Teaching has improved St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 10 since the previous inspection. The teaching of English has improved through effective monitoring and target setting and the school’s successful focus on raising standards of writing. However, there is insufficient attention given to promoting pupils’ literacy skills in several subjects. Discussion is used well to promote speaking skills. Reading is taught well with regular practice at home and at school. The school makes good use of the National Numeracy Strategy and has improved mathematics teaching particularly of mental arithmetic. The teaching of mathematics, science and information and

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aged 5-7 years aged 7-9 years

communication technology is good throughout the school. Teachers use computers effectively in several subjects. Teaching in most other subjects is mostly good although dance is not taught well enough. Strengths in the teaching include relationships and the links teachers’ make between subjects. Areas for further development in Years 3 and 4 include increasing the pace of some lessons, using marking to guide pupils on how they might improve and having higher expectations of pupils’ presentation.

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aged 5-7 years aged 7-9 years

Pupils’ learning is variable; it is mainly good in reception and Years 1 and 2. The youngest children in reception are enthusiastic about learning and make good progress in personal, social and emotional development. In Years 1 and 2 pupils are keen and well motivated learners. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 usually settle to work and apply themselves well but some are easily distracted and this slows the pace of learning in some subjects. Pupils throughout the school apply good creative effort in art and writing and also enjoy discussing their work thoroughly. They collaborate well and are particularly keen on using computers.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The needs of pupils in mixed age classes are met well. The reception children follow a good curriculum. Some aspects of design and technology are not covered sufficiently. There is extensive use of visits to enrich the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Support staff are very skilful in using individual education plans to plan work to meet the needs of the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. There is good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development and an effective system to support pupils’ personal, social and health education There are appropriate opportunities for some aspects of cultural development and pupils are prepared satisfactorily for life in a culturally diverse society.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very effectively. The staff are caring and know the pupils well. Assessment is used inconsistently to set targets and plan work The school works very well with parents. The parents provide much financial support and many help in classrooms. St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The staff are an effective team and the headteacher leads them well. Responsibilities are shared between the teachers and all work hard. There is a clear sense of purpose and direction. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactorily. Governors are very supportive of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school is using performance management to set targets. Analysis of test results has been used well to provide more focused teaching. The strategic use of resources Good. Financial control and procedures are good. Spending is linked well to priorities in the development plan. The school makes good use of the funds available and the governors ensure best value by tendering supplies and services. There are sufficient staff and class sizes are small. Support staff make an important contribution to pupils’ learning. The school has good accommodation but there is limited indoor space for physical education. Resources are good.

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improved

• The approachability of staff and their care for the children. • The progress made by all groups of pupils. • Their children like school. • How the school is led. • The quality of teaching. • Homework. • Extra-curricular activities.

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improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive views of the parents and also supports their comments about insufficient homework and extra-curricular activities. St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards at the school vary from year to year due to the very small numbers of pupils in each year group, the very high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in some years and the impact of a significant proportion of pupils joining and leaving the school. Overall standards are similar to those reported at the time of the previous inspection and the percentage of pupils attaining average or better standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science has improved well since the previous inspection. The trend in improvement has been better than the nationally improving picture. Parents expressed confidence that the school provided well for the different ages and abilities of pupils at the school. They expressed satisfaction with the standards achieved throughout the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Attainment on admission to the school varies from year to year but is generally below average. Although there is a wide range of abilities in the school, most year groups are predominantly made up of either more able pupils or those with special educational needs and few pupils are in the average band. Only about half of the children benefit from pre-school educational experience before starting in the reception year. Some children have very advanced skills and personal, social and emotional development whereas others lack confidence and have limited communication skills. The children in the reception year make good progress and most are on target to attain the early learning goals in all of the areas of learning by the time they start in Year 1. A third of the children have already exceeded expectations in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. All are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

working well in creative and physical development. The children are now confident when working with others and most have achieved the goals in personal, social and emotional development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The results of national tests at the end of Year 2 in 2001 showed that standards in reading were in line with the national average but standards were below average in writing and well below average in mathematics. When compared with schools with similar intakes standards were below average in reading and writing and very low in mathematics being amongst the lowest five per cent of schools. These results should be treated cautiously as the number of pupils taking the tests is small. The significant proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than the beginning of the reception year or Year 4 also has an impact on standards. Teacher assessments in science showed that standards were well below the national average. This particular group included almost half of the pupils having special educational needs and their overall attainment on admission to the school was well below average. There are some

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

variations in the performance between boys and girls in national tests but due to the very small number of pupils involved in taking the tests these variations are not significant.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Inspection evidence shows that the current group of Year 2 pupils are likely to attain above average standards in English, and average standards in mathematics and science. The variation in performance is due to the different ability within the cohort, the lower proportion of pupils with special educational needs and the school’s successful approach to challenging the more able. There has been a strong emphasis on improving pupils’ writing and this is beginning to have a beneficial impact on standards. By the end of Year 4, standards are about average in English, mathematics and science St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 13 and this represents good achievement for the school as three-quarters of the pupils in this group have special educational needs. By the end of Years 2 and 4, standards in dance and design and technology are below those expected. In addition the pupils in Years 3 and 4 do not make sufficient use of their skills in literacy to support their work in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

several subjects and this is an area for further development. The pupils make satisfactory use of their numeracy skills to support their work in subjects such as art and design, history and music but not enough use of numeracy in design and technology.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The teaching of reading is an area of success for the school and by the end of Years 2 and 4 pupils are confident readers who enjoy reading from a wide range of texts. They are competent in finding out information from reference books and other sources. The pupils read accurately and by the end of Year 4 most read with expression and appropriate fluency. The pupils express preference for their favourite authors and stories and have secure skills in building words from the sounds that letters make and in finding the meaning of new words by using dictionaries and by showing understanding of the context. Writing skills at the end of Year 2 are above average. The pupils are developing good handwriting including joining letters in a cursive style. They spell correctly and have an appropriate understanding of punctuation and grammar which they use well in writing stories. By the end of Year 4, the standard of story writing

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

is about average and pupils use a sufficiently wide range of vocabulary to express ideas. However, their handwriting is often untidy and poorly formed and detracts form the quality of their work in subjects such as mathematics and science. Pupils do not take sufficient pride in presenting their work. Throughout the school the pupils have good speaking skills; they are able to hold a conversation and sustain the listeners’ interest, listening skills are average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the end of Years 2 and 4, standards in mathematics are average. The pupils are most successful in arithmetic and most have good and accurate recall of number facts. They have a secure understanding of different strategies for solving problems and are able to explain their answers using correct mathematical vocabulary. Pupils make appropriate gains in their understanding of shape, space and measures and also extract information from a variety of graphs and charts. In Years 3 and 4 their work is often spoiled by poor presentation. Standards in science are average at the end of Years 2 and 4 and pupils make good progress in all aspects of their work in this subject. The pupils have a secure knowledge of scientific terms and understand that scientific ideas such as making sure experiments are consistent and fair are important when carrying out investigations. They know about life and living things and also understand the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

properties of materials. They know that gravity is a force and are able to give clear explanations of forces.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in art and design, geography, history, information and communication technology and music are in line with those expected by the end of Years 2 and 4. Pupils have good skills in applying what they have learned in lessons using computers to their work in other subjects. In Years 1 and 2 they make good progress in art and design due to the teacher’s expertise and are able to combine several skills and techniques to make attractive pictures and collages. Throughout the school the pupils sing tunefully and enjoy playing musical instruments. Pupils make good progress in swimming and most achieve the standards expected by 11-year-olds before they leave the school. However, progress in dance is unsatisfactory and the pupils’ skills are insufficiently advanced, as the work set for them is too easy. Although pupils make satisfactory progress in making models in design and technology they have insufficient

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

skills in designing and evaluating their work and progress in these aspects of the subject is unsatisfactory. St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 14 8. Given the pupils low attainment on admission and the standards achieved at the end of Year 4 progress is often good although it could be better in writing in the juniors. Pupils of all abilities make similar progress. Those with special educational needs are given support through having well focused individual education plans which guide the staff on planning lessons which match the pupils’ targets. The support staff contribute much to these pupils’ progress. There is good support for individuals and the English work done with small groups under the direction of a classroom assistant is raising confidence and competence in English. The school successfully challenges the more able pupils and makes special provision for them through its work with other local schools. For

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

example, the more able have opportunities to work with specialist teachers in science and mathematics and this provides much challenge and interest.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils' attitudes, behaviour and personal development have been maintained at the same good levels reported at the last inspection. These qualities continue to make a significant contribution to the good progress which pupils make.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils have positive attitudes to school and to learning. Parents report that their children love coming to school. Children in the reception year respond well to the school's arrangements to help them settle in and they soon become well-motivated learners. Pupils throughout the school are enthusiastic about the lessons and activities which the school provides. They are particularly keen to join in discussions. For example, in an assembly led by a local vicar, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, were eager to contribute their ideas about the attributes they value in a mother. They usually listen carefully to instructions, concentrate on their tasks and work hard. However, older pupils lack sufficient pride in the presentation of their work.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Behaviour is good. Pupils throughout the school are polite, friendly and well mannered with adults and each other. They take care of equipment and resources. They move around the school in a calm orderly way and behave well at breaks and lunchtimes. They understand and follow the rules. There have been no exclusions. Occasionally, older pupils become unsettled and excitable in lessons which slows their progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Relationships are very good and a strength of the school. Pupils of different ages work effectively alongside each other and younger pupils often gain much from watching their older classmates. Pupils respect each other and all the adults in the school. They play well together in the playground. There is very little bullying and parents and pupils are confident that any isolated incidents are dealt with very quickly and firmly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils' personal development is good. Children in the reception year make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development because of the support and example provided by adults and older pupils. All pupils enjoy taking responsibility and are keen to do jobs around the school, help in assembly and clear away equipment after playtimes. However, pupils in Years 3 and 4 sometimes lack confidence in lessons to use their initiative and work independently.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance has improved since the last inspection and is now good and this has a good impact on learning. Attendance rates are above the national average. Most absences are short and due to genuine illness. Children in the reception year are developing good habits of attending regularly. The vast majority of pupils, including those who live outside the village, arrive punctually to school. St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 15

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. Teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is now good overall. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is usually good with some very good features. Teaching in Years 3 and 4 is often good although some aspects of teaching are satisfactory. Children in the reception year benefit from good teaching and the very good support of the classroom assistant has a beneficial impact on their progress. Throughout the school the staff make good provision for pupils with special educational needs and the more able. Teaching meets the needs of pupils in most subjects although there is a need to improve the teaching of dance and design and technology throughout the school. Although the basic skills of literacy are taught well throughout the school there is insufficient emphasis on promoting these skills in several other subjects in Years 3 and 4. In the lessons seen during the inspection teaching was satisfactory or better except

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

in with one lesson in dance where it was unsatisfactory. Three-quarters of teaching was good or better and there were some very good and excellent lessons. Parents expressed confidence in the quality of teaching at the school and spoke highly of the support given to their children regardless of their ability.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. The staff are adept at identifying the individual needs of pupils and write individual education plans which are well focused and include suitably challenging targets for the pupils. There is a good mixture of methods within lessons by providing work which is matched to the needs of the pupils and also in giving the pupils additional support. Sometimes, through withdrawing the pupils from lessons, the classroom assistants are able to work with very small groups or individuals to focus on a particular skill and this works well. The staff make good use of individual education plans when setting work and they ask well- focused questions to check on the pupils’ understanding and then move the pupils on to the next step in learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching of reception children is effective because the teacher takes account of the children’s attainment on admission and plans work which is just at the right level for them. The successful combination of working with older pupils enables the more able to have sufficient challenge and make good progress. The classroom assistant has very good skills which she uses well to stimulate learning. By working with the less confident children she ensures that their needs are met and that sufficient support is available particularly when promoting language development. The teaching of all areas of learning is good. There is a strong emphasis is developing the children’s self-confidence through encouraging them to choose their own apparatus, work in different sizes of groups and to practise and refine a wide variety of skills. Communication, language and literacy are taught well. There is a good balance between teaching the sounds that letters make and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

opportunities for the children to take part in role-play and to learn the basic skills of reading and writing. Similarly there is good teaching of mathematical development as the teacher provides opportunities for the children to use a variety of equipment, record their work using numbers and pictures and to practise learning number sequences. The children thoroughly enjoy singing number rhymes. Knowledge and understanding of the world is also taught effectively and there are good practical opportunities for the children to experiment and play. They quickly latch on to new words and the teacher reinforces the children’s understanding of key words which contributes to the children’s development of scientific and technological understanding. The teacher has good skills in promoting the children’s creative and physical development. In art the children experiment with paint and printing and are taught how to use a variety of techniques to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

good effect. The teaching of music is very good as the children have opportunities to sing and perform using a variety of instruments. Good use is made of resources to St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 16 develop physical skills through indoor and outdoor play. The staff keep good records of the children’s progress and use the information to plan the next step in learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Throughout the school the teachers have a good understanding of the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies and they use the guidance well in planning lessons in English and mathematics. English and mathematics are taught well. Lessons begin with an appropriate introduction during which the teachers explain the objectives so that the pupils have a clear understanding of what they need to do. These introductions often include quick fire questions to gain the pupils’ attention and to get them thinking. This part of the lesson is then linked with the main focus during which pupils work together in small groups according to their ability. This form of organisation helps the teachers to keep track of .the progress of different abilities. The work planned is often matched to the different ages and abilities in the classes and is sufficiently challenging. The pupils usually work hard although in Years 3 and 4 they occasionally lose concentration,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

become unsettled and the pace of learning slips. This is because the teacher does not always take a firm enough grip of discussion and there is too much calling out. Lessons usually end with a useful time of discussion about what has been achieved and the teachers use questions to check on the pupils’ understanding and to plan the next lesson. Homework is used well to promote reading skills and the parents enjoy their involvement in this aspect of their children’s development. However, insufficient use is made of homework to support work in other subjects particularly mathematics.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. During lessons, teachers and support staff are busy about the room providing help and guidance and spurring the pupils on to work hard. Most pupils respond well to this encouragement and work productively. This is particularly the case in Years 1 and 2 where pupils show willingness to improve and refine their work. It is less apparent in some lessons in Years 3 and 4 as pupils often do not present their work well enough and it is untidy and shows lack of care. This is due to insufficiently high expectations in the teaching. The teachers regularly correct the pupils’ work and often add positive and encouraging comments but there are few instances of marking being used to guide the pupils on how they might improve.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of science is good throughout the school; some examples of very good and excellent teaching were seen. The school takes very good account of the more able in the teaching of science and the pupils have opportunities to attend additional lessons at another school taught by specialists. These lessons work excellently as pupils are set demanding tasks which bring science to life through imaginative discussion, the very effective teaching of scientific vocabulary ideas, such as gravity, promote enthusiasm and understanding. Science lessons are well prepared and planned and include a variety of opportunities for the pupils to explore and investigate. This was seen in a very good lesson with Years 3 and 4 in which they experimented with light discovering ideas such as refraction. The ensuing discussion and careful questioning by the teacher ensured that pupils fully grasped the idea.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Most other subjects are taught well as the teachers have secure subject knowledge and understanding of the National Curriculum. Planning is satisfactory and includes specific objectives of what is to be taught. The staff have good expertise in information and communication technology and teach basic skills well. There are sufficient opportunities for the pupils to use their skills in other subjects and this enhances learning. The staff make good use of visits to support the teaching of geography, history and science and these visits help to bring the subjects to life and to enthuse the pupils. The skills required in art and design are taught effectively and this is particularly the case in Years 1 and 2 where the teacher has very good subject knowledge. Although the staff do not St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 17 have expertise in music teaching they plan lessons well and provide good opportunities

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

for the pupils to experience a variety of music making activities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. For the most part learning is successful for all groups of pupils. The pupils show a real enthusiasm for school and are keen to join in discussions and to share ideas. The younger children benefit much from working alongside older pupils and this is particularly the case when new skills are being taught as in art and design. Pupils generally work hard and maintain appropriate levels of concentration. When the teaching is made more challenging they respond very well and persevere with demanding tasks. The pupils apply good creative effort when writing stories and when painting. They readily use their skills in finding out information on the computer or in reference books to enhance their work.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The curriculum meets statutory requirements and provides a broad, balanced and relevant experience for all pupils. All subjects of the National Curriculum are covered. The curriculum ensures equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. The school makes satisfactory use of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to support the teaching of English and mathematics. Computers are used well in a variety of subjects. Since the previous inspection the school has made good improvement in the provision of personal, social and health education and there is now an effective programme throughout the school. The school makes good provision for the youngest children in reception and follows the nationally recommended foundation stage curriculum. The school has now completed policies and schemes for all subjects and follows nationally recommended or local authority guidelines in all subjects. However, there is a

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

weakness in the curriculum for design and technology because pupils do not have enough experience at developing ideas, planning and evaluating their products. There are also weaknesses in physical education. There is a lack of a suitable space for gymnastics and the dance curriculum is not of good quality.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The school fully meets the requirements of the Code of Practice for pupils identified with special educational needs. Pupils have the same access to the curriculum as others through a programme of work matched to their needs. All teachers and members of support staff provide a good level of support for pupils with special educational needs. There are effective withdrawal sessions taken by teaching assistants which have a positive impact on the pupils’ learning. Staff know each individual pupil well and work in the classroom is planned to take good account of their ability. There is good liaison with parents and relevant information on the pupils is collected, recorded and updated. Strategies to enable the pupils to make progress are recorded in good individual education plans (IEP) which are reviewed termly. There is good provision for pupils who are more able.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

The school has identified pupils in both classes and provides challenging activities for them, many of which are carried out with the local cluster of schools. Pupils from all year groups attend very good sessions to challenge the more able in science.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. Provision for the pupils’ personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Issues, such as good manners, bullying, friendship and rules, are discussed in good quality PSHCE sessions and in assembly. Particularly effective work is done in small groups with a teaching assistant to develop pupils' personal and social skills. In a very good PSHCE session observed in Years 3 and 4, the pupils reflected on what they like and appreciate about St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 18 each other. The groups are called ‘The Smart Club’. Pupils make up their own rules for the club and design a badge. There are effective policies and a scheme of work which cover appropriate areas including sex education, safety, health education, the use of drugs and their effect on the body, and citizenship. The ‘Life Bus’ teaches health education. Another notable feature of PSHCE is the provision of fruit at break-time to

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The quality of links with the community are good and those with other local schools are very good. These links enhance many aspects of the curriculum and the provision which this very small school is able to offer. The school's strong links with the village and the two parishes make a significant contribution to the warm community atmosphere in the school which is much appreciated by parents and reflects the school's Christian heritage. Pupils benefit from hearing local people talk about their memories of the school and about their jobs, for example in farming. A range of visitors come into school to lead assemblies and listen to pupils read. People in the community often donate equipment, for example, computers. Through its very productive partnership with other schools in the area, the school is able to take advantage of visits and links to places and organisations of local and national interest. These stimulate

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

learning in science, art, music, history and geography. The local schools also share resources and expertise, work on joint projects such as provision for the more able pupils, and ensure the smooth transfer of pupils to the middle schools. However, St Mary's and St John's has no links with communities or schools in the wider world or in the multi-racial areas of Britain. The headteacher has appropriately set up an Internet link with a school in Singapore.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. Provision for activities outside of lessons is unsatisfactory. Parents are unhappy with this aspect of the school’s work and inspection evidence agrees with them. There is one lunchtime club for pupils to learn the recorder and pupils pay for these lessons. Extra-curricular activities are insufficiently used to broaden the pupils’ experience.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The provision for the pupils’ spiritual development is good. The school gives pupils the opportunity to explore values and beliefs and to understand human feelings and emotions. It develops a good climate within which all pupils can grow, respect others and be respected. In assemblies, pupils think about their mothers and what makes them happy or sad. They talk about why it is good to raise money for charity and on hearing of a death they show sorrow and compassion. Pupils are able to explore situations that animate them and show their excitement in learning. This occurred when they made bread at harvest time, kneading it, watching it rise and tasting it. Reference is made to the beauty of the natural environment that surrounds the school. The farmer brings lambs into school in spring and pupils discuss the beauty of

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

flowers in assembly. Music makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. Pupils express why they enjoy listening to music such as ‘The Planets’ in assembly and they sing hymns with enjoyment and gusto. 29. Moral development is promoted well. All staff in the school are good role models. Pupils have clearly been taught the difference between right and wrong and to take responsibility for their actions. They learn to work and play together harmoniously, for example, assembling in class before the start of the school day engaging in various activities such as reading and research on the computer and discussing their work in school. Pupils are polite and sensitive to the needs of others. They enjoy reading to ladies from the village and show them respect. There are very clear polices on behaviour. The pupils decide what is needed to get a merit such as good behaviour or being kind to one another.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 19 30. The provision for pupils’ social development is good. There is a strong sense of community in the school. Pupils co-operate well in the school and the playground showing well-developed social awareness skills. The pupils’ social development is enriched through the extensive use of visits to places of local and national interest to stimulate learning in science, history geography and music. The links with the church are strong and the vicar is well respected for bringing assemblies to life. Pupils visited the Bristol Exploratory Museum to extend their scientific understanding. A visitor talked to the pupils about coming to the village as an evacuee during World War II. Pupils take part in a good variety of local initiatives with the local schools cluster group, which include music, sport and art days. There are also good problem solving activities on the

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. The school provides a good range of worthwhile opportunities to appreciate their own cultural traditions which meet the interest, aptitudes and particular needs of pupils, including those having special educational needs. Pupils take part in some very good activities such as working regularly with the education staff of Salisbury Cathedral and using the cathedral as a base for art and craft activities, or drama days. They attend plays such as ‘The Secret Garden’ at a local theatre. In music they rehearse and give concerts with the local cluster of schools and play with a professional orchestra. There has been good improvement since the last inspection in giving pupils’ sufficient opportunities to learn about the diversities and richness of other cultures in our world. Pupils use books and the Internet well to find out about other cultures of the world. In geography they find out

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

about everyday life in the Gambia and pupils are researching information about the Commonwealth on the Internet. There are a good variety of books in classes about traditions and stories from other parts of the world. The school has celebrated the culture of pupils who come from other parts of the world, such as Russia, but this does not always happen and there are generally insufficient opportunities for pupils to learn about the wide range of cultures in Britain today.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. This is a very caring school. Parents are confident that the staff know them and their children very well and are able to deal with any difficulties that may arise. The warm supportive family atmosphere has been maintained since the last inspection and there have been improvements in the arrangements for health and safety. Fire drills are now recorded and all equipment is tested regularly. Governors carry out their responsibilities for risk assessment effectively and any hazards or defects are dealt with swiftly. Child protection procedures are secure and there is good provision for first aid.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Systems for monitoring and improving attendance are very good. The school's administration officer plays a vigilant role in checking the registers weekly and entering the data onto a computer program. Patterns of non-attendance are quickly detected and followed up. The school is successful in ensuring that parents do not often take their children away for term-time holidays.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Procedures for monitoring and improving behaviour are good. There is an effective behaviour policy which provides clear guidelines on rules, rewards, sanctions and bullying. A notable feature is the way in which pupils are involved, through their 'family groups', in devising their own merit and reward system which is linked to the current topic being studied. A good range of equipment is available at breaks and lunchtime which helps to ensure that pupils play constructively with each other. Good use is made St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 20 of behaviour contracts and outside agencies to meet the needs of pupils and their families with particular problems.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. There are good arrangements for monitoring and supporting pupils' personal development. Parents are very pleased with the procedures for helping their children settle in to the school. These include home visits and a flexible programme of transition to full-time education. Children in the reception year benefit from the support they receive from a teaching assistant in the mornings and from working alongside older pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and those who are more able are supported and guided well to achieve their potential. The personal, social and health education programme is very effective in raising pupils' knowledge and understanding of themselves and each other. It also provides a very good opportunity for teaching assistants to record pupils' progress. However, the personal development of pupils after the reception year is not reported to parents in the annual reports. The school works

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

very well with the local clusters of schools to ensure a smooth transfer to middle school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school’s procedures for assessment have changed since the previous inspection and staff are currently experimenting with a variety of approaches. There has been some improvement in assessing pupils’ work in English and mathematics since the previous inspection. Procedures for assessment are inconsistent and are better in reception and Years 1 and 2 than in Years 3 and 4 and this is an area for further improvement. The school complies with requirements to test pupils at the end of Year 2 and also completes assessments of children shortly after they have been admitted to the reception year. Good use is made of the initial assessments to ensure that the children receive work which is matched to their ability and experience and this results in good progress by the different ability groups in the reception year. The school analyses the results of tests at the end of Year 2 and has used the information to improve the

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are tested regularly using the optional national tests and other assessments and the headteacher uses the information to illustrate the pupils’ progress. Teachers keep records of pupils’ progress and these are more detailed and effective in Years 1 and 2. The school encourages the pupils to assess themselves in some subjects and then checks up on the accuracy of these assessments; this is working well in information and communication technology. However, the school does not make consistent use of assessment to plan work and to build upon pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding sufficiently.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. Parents are strongly supportive of the school and express very positive views about most aspects of its provision. There was a good response to the pre-inspection questionnaire and meeting with the Registered Inspector. Parents are extremely pleased with the approachability of staff and their care for the children, the school's expectations and the way in which pupils are encouraged to develop mature attitudes and values. They are also very pleased with the quality of teaching, the school's partnership with them and the leadership and management of the school. The only area where they have some concern is with the amount of homework. The inspection team agrees that this could be used more effectively to support pupils' progress.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The school continues to maintain effective links with parents. This is a significant achievement in view of the high rate of families moving in and out of the area. The quality of information provided for parents is good. There are regular letters which keep St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 21 them up to date with news and developments. For example, they are being consulted on the national proposal to introduce a six-term school year. Information is displayed well in the foyer of the school. The prospectus and governors' annual report contain relevant detail. The school responded well to parents' request for a curriculum session on information and communication technology. There is often 100% attendance at parents' evenings. The annual reports give good information about pupils' progress in the Foundation Stage and in the subjects of the National Curriculum. However, they could be clearer about what the pupils need to do to improve and how parents can help at

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

home. Parents make a good contribution to the development of their children's reading skills. This is assisted by good use of the 'PACT' link books which record communication between home and school. The school has not sufficiently secured parents' help in raising standards through homework in spelling, handwriting, mathematics and independent research.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Parents have a very good involvement in the work of the school. They very much appreciate the home visits which take place before their child joins the school. They support the school very well in its procedures for ensuring good standards of attendance and behaviour. They provide significant help when pupils go outside the school on trips or for swimming. They play an important role on the governing body, including on the curriculum committee. The Friends of Hindon School, which comprises supporters from the local area as well as current parents, is very active in organising social events and raising substantial funds for the school. These are used well to improve resources.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The school has made satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection and tackled most of the issues raised although more remains to be done in some aspects of teaching. There have been several changes since the previous inspection including changes of staff and a fall in the number of pupils. The headteacher and governors have coped well with these changes and generally standards have improved over time. The headteacher leads the school well and management is good. The governors make a satisfactory contribution to school leadership. The school has a clear vision statement and the enthusiastic staff are an effective and hard-working team well able to move the school forward in meeting its objectives.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The headteacher balances a heavy class teaching commitment with managing the school and is supported well in this by the other teachers and the effective and efficient administrative staff. Because the administration is well organised this frees time for the headteacher to be involved in teaching and monitoring. The office staff make good use of information and communication technology to support the organisation of finance, pupils’ records and information to parents. Finances are managed well and used to good effect to raise standards. There are robust systems in place to keep a check on spending and regular reviews of the budget help to ensure that funds are spent wisely. The additional funds provided for staff training, supporting the more able and projects involving other schools have had a beneficial impact on improving the rate of pupils’ progress. The school also benefits from funds raised by parents and governors and

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

these have been used to provide additional resources for outdoor play and to extend the accommodation for children in the reception year. All of these measures have been carefully costed and their usefulness measured against improved standards. In this way as well as in tendering for supplies and services the headteacher and governors ensure best value. St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 22 43. The governors are supportive of the school and many help at different times with the work in the classrooms, for example in reading and art and design. They have a realistic view of how well the school is doing and are keen to see it improve further. Governors discuss with staff any new developments and are aware of the school’s performance in national tests. They fulfil their statutory responsibilities effectively. Governors have also been involved in developing the school’s system of performance management and this

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

is beginning to be used appropriately to set targets and raise standards. The school has begun to evaluate its performance and in conjunction with the local authority sets realistic and achievable targets.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The school’s development plan is a useful document which includes costs, measures of success and suitable timescales for development. Priorities are discussed regularly at governors’ meetings and the school is called to account for its action. The school identified writing as a weakness and has been successful in tackling this issue and raising standards. Good progress has been made in extending the provision for information and communication technology and in using computers to support the schools’ work in several subjects as well as in administration.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The school has an enthusiastic staff who make an effective team and who are committed to providing a good quality of education for all pupils. The provision for special educational needs and the more able is managed well and ensures that the needs of the pupils are met effectively. Despite the small number of teachers, they work well in managing the curriculum to ensure that all subjects are taught. The headteacher has monitored the teachers and has been monitored by her colleagues. The information has been used appropriately to identify areas for improvement and they have been acted upon. Staff are suitable qualified and experienced and bring a range of expertise necessary in a small school. The support staff also contribute much to the pupils’ progress. They work very well with children in the reception year and with those having special educational needs. All staff willingly take part in training to enhance their skills

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The school has good accommodation although there is limited opportunity and space for physical education indoors and this affects standards in dance. The outdoor area is interesting and stimulating and there are good opportunities fro reception children to play with large toys and wheeled vehicles. The parents’ contribution through the provision of large climbing apparatus and other features has contributed much to the pleasant environment. The school has a suitable range of good quality resources and there are no shortages in the subjects. There is a good range of books and pupils have access to a good number of computers.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The school’s allocation of funds for pupils is well above average. Pupils start school with low attainment and make good progress in most subjects. By the end of Year 4 they achieve well and attain average standards in most subjects. Their socio-economic backgrounds are varied. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

48. In order to accelerate pupils’ progress in Years 3 and 4 and raise standards further the headteacher, staff and governors should: St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 23 1. *Extend opportunities for pupils to use their literacy skills more precisely and effectively by; • Expecting more of the pupils; • Setting higher standards of presentation; • Encouraging the more effective use of style and layout. (Paragraphs 3,5,36,39,44,60, 61, 66, 85, 87)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Improve some aspects of teaching by; • Using marking to guide pupils more effectively on how they might improve; • Increasing the pace of some lessons to ensure pupils’ full attention; • Making more effective use of homework. (Paragraphs 18, 19, 38, 39, 61, 68, 74, 75, 79, 109)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Raise standards in design and technology by : • Providing more opportunities for the pupils to design, evaluate and refine their models. (Paragraphs 4, 87 – 89)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4. *Improve assessment by: • Ensuring that all staff use similar systems to record and monitor pupils’ progress: • Using assessment to clearly identify the pupils’ achievement to plan sufficiently challenging work. (Paragraphs 36, 37, 61, 69, 81, 86, 89, 110)

p.23

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

§ Raise standards in dance. (Paragraphs 4, 7, 15, 46, 106 – 109) § Provide more opportunities for pupils to learn about a wider range of cultures. (Paragraphs 31, 95) § Extend opportunities for pupils to rake part in extra-curricular activities. (Paragraph 27)

p.23

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

* The school has identified these issues in its development plan. St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y4

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 36

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 3

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y4

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 14

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.24

Attendance

School data 4.6 School data 0.5 St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 25 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.25

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 4 7 11

p.25

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

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

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 8 7 8

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (75) 64 (75) 73 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.25

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

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

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 7 8 8

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 64 (50) 73 (75) 73 (75) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.25

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

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups

p.25

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.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

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

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Average class size 19 £ St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 26 Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total income 146,866

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Total expenditure 151,684

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 25 Expenditure per pupil 3,889

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 22,612

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 17,794

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0.4

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0.4

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 59 41 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 36 64 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 50 18 14 5 14

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 82 18 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 95 5 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 77 23 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 77 18 0 0 5 St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 27 The school is well led and managed. 86 5 0 0 9

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 77 18 0 0 5

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 32 45 9 0 14

p.27

Other issues raised by parents

Parents were very positive about the school. They would like to see more consistency regarding homework. They feel that the school prepares their children well for the next school.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

49. At the time of the inspection eight children were in their reception year. The children start school with a wide range of abilities and skills and generally their attainment on admission is below average. About half of the children have benefited from pre-school educational experience. The school has successfully tackled the issues regarding accommodation, resources and opportunities for role-play raised in the previous inspection report. The provision for the foundation stage is now good. The curriculum, teaching and management of the provision are good and contribute to the children’s progress and attainment effectively. The children are taught alongside pupils in Years 1 and 2 but, during the morning sessions, benefit much from the very good support of the classroom assistant. The staff achieve a successful balance between providing opportunities for the children to work together on practical and play activities and also to

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

work with older pupils as appropriate. This approach ensures that the needs of all children are met. The more able and confident children often work alongside Year1 pupils and those who have less advanced skills, knowledge and understanding are supported in small groups by an adult. This means that the more able rise to the challenges set and those with special educational needs or less confidence are supported well. All groups of children make good progress in all of the areas of learning.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. The teaching is good. The staff are very caring and aware of the needs of each individual. They plan work which is well matched to ability and the children’s level of experience. Lessons are prepared thoroughly and support staff are briefed well on the tasks. The work with reception children is successful because of the good balance achieved between adult directed activities and opportunities for the children to choose. There are good links made with parents and the children benefit from taking books home to read and this helps their progress as well as involving parents. Sometimes the reception children are part of lessons with Years 1 and 2 and this works well because the teacher structures her questions effectively to take account of the different ages in the class. There is plenty of encouragement through positive comments and rewards which help to motivate the children. They are keen to please their teacher and respond

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

enthusiastically to new opportunities to learn.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

51. The school’s successful approach to personal, social and emotional development has improved since the previous inspection and ensures that the children are prepared well for work in Year 1. The children make good progress in personal, social and emotional development and are on course to attain the early learning goals in this area of learning. The more able exceed expectations for their age and are confident and well motivated St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 28 learners. The teaching is good as it focuses on providing opportunities for independent learning and also includes opportunities for the children to co-operate and work together in different sizes of groups. The staff are skilful in asking questions at just the right time to move learning on and to encourage the children to have a go. The children play happily together and are good at sharing equipment and toys. They enjoy playing games

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

either on their own or with the support of adults and know the rules and keep them. The children develop goods social skills as they learn quickly from the older pupils in the class so that they become very sociable. The children know how to behave well and they show respect for their teacher and other adults as well as their friends in the class. In lessons, they listen well and follow instructions showing they have understood the adults’ directions. They listen attentively and follow instructions willingly. The children are confident when talking about their work with visitors and love to show what they are doing, for example, when experimenting in the water tray with different ice shapes.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

52. The children make good progress in communication, language and literacy; they have good opportunities to take part in role-play and to discuss their work with adults and their friends and this helps to promote effective skills in speaking and listening. This aspect of the children’s development has improved since the previous inspection. Most children are on course to attain the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy by the end of the reception year and about half have already exceeded these goals. This is because of good teaching which provides a wide range of opportunities to learn the sounds of letters, listen to stories and learn rhymes and poems. The children show a keen interest in books and enjoy retelling their favourite stories. They recognise that print and pictures convey meaning and are beginning to read common words and recognise names of characters in reading books. They benefit much from opportunities to read

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

with adults in school and to practise at home with their parents.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

53. The children regularly practise writing and move on well from making marks using a variety of crayons and pencils. The teacher and support assistant are skilful in encouraging writing and offer many helpful comments which guide the children on how they might improve. The children move on from scribbling to forming letters correctly and most successfully write their own names with good accuracy. The more able are beginning to write short phrases and sentences and some sequence events correctly. The most able recognise the importance of capital letters and full stops.

p.28

Mathematical development

54. The children enjoy mathematics and make good progress. They benefit from good teaching which draws on guidance for the foundation stage and the National Numeracy Strategy. By the end of the reception year, the children are on course to attain the early learning goals in mathematical development and about half of them have already achieved the goals. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection. The children enjoy the varied activities provided by the adults and particularly take pleasure in using apparatus to help them to count in the correct sequence. They count to 20 and beyond and the more able add on one to a given number and recognise simple patterns. The children know and enjoy reciting several number rhymes and also learn effectively through playing the good assortment of number games available in the classroom.

p.28

Mathematical development

55. The adults provide the children with good opportunities to play and, through this approach, the children learn about shape, space and measures. They have a good understanding of different words when describing size and most know, recognise and St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 29 correctly name triangles, circles and squares. The children particularly enjoyed a game when they took out shapes from a bag and guessed its name. The support assistant worked well with the children during this activity and as a result the children’s confidence and competence in describing the properties of shapes grew. The more able children have a good understanding of the differences between more than and less than, and big, bigger and biggest. They also know several mathematical signs and symbols and are beginning to add numbers together and record their findings.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

56. The children are fascinated by the world around them and take a keen interest in learning about science, design and technology, information and communication technology, history and geography. By the end of the reception year, they have achieved the early learning goals in knowledge and understanding of the world and the more able have exceeded expectations for their age. This aspect of the school’s work has improved since the previous inspection. The children thoroughly enjoy science and because the good teaching focuses on experiments and investigations, this aspect of the work also enhances the children’s skills in communication, language and literacy. They discuss how ice melts and as they spin large ice balls around a water tray they talk excitedly about melting. They notice how the ice runs smoothly over a smooth surface and comment excitedly about the speed of the ice ball. The children are good at

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

observing the world around them and often draw pictures which include good detail of the shape and texture of a variety of materials.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

57. They enjoy making things and improve their skills in design and technology by using a wide variety of construction toys. They make recognisable models and when using mouldable materials to make a fridge magnet they learn about the effect of colour on their badge design and also link this with their understanding of how magnets work. The children have a suitable knowledge of the world around them and comment about their journey to school. They know the difference between towns and villages and talk competently about a variety of methods of transport. In history the children have learned how things change over time. They are able to sequence correctly the days of the week and organise a timetable for the school day. They know that they have changed since they were babies and that they will continue to grow as they eat healthily and take exercise. The school contributes well to the children’s health by providing fruit each day.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

The children also enjoy using computers and are making good progress in controlling a mouse, using a variety of programs to learn how to cut and paste and drag pictures into position.

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Physical development

58. The school has much improved opportunities for the children to learn through outdoor play and to use a variety of equipment to challenge and extend their physical skills. The children are good at controlling wheeled vehicles and have a good understanding of space. They move around sensibly and avoid collisions when playing together. By the end of the reception year they are on course to attain the early learning goals in physical development. The provision for physical development has improved much since the previous inspection and the good intervention by the classroom assistant ensures that the children have and respond to sufficiently challenging activities. However, the teaching of dance is less successful as the activities are not challenging enough and too much time is spent in sitting rather than doing. The children make good progress in other physical aspects. They hold pencils correctly and competently use simple tools

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Physical development

such as scissors and brushes. St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 30

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Creative development

59. The children benefit from the skilful teaching of this area of learning and make good progress. They become proficient in using a wide variety of tools and equipment and gain much from experimenting with a range of media, skills and techniques. By the end of the reception year, most children attain the early learning goals in this aspect of their development. The children enjoy painting and gain much in knowledge of mixing paints by working alongside older children. They paint and draw recognisable self-portraits and these show good improvement with added detail as the year progresses. The children willingly experiment when printing. In making pictures in an Aboriginal style, they began by printing using a variety of objects and then added detail using their fingers. They results were very pleasing and the children learned much about texture, tone and form. The children enjoy singing very much and are able to hold a tune and keep together as

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Creative development

they sing and play instruments. They know a good number of songs and rhymes and often sing then spontaneously. The children also enjoy working with older children on large projects such as making collages of buildings in the area. These collages are particularly effective and help the children to understand about the textures of different materials. This aspect of the school’s work has improved since the previous inspection.

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ENGLISH

60. In the national tests for seven year-olds in 2001, the pupils’ attainment in reading was average and their attainment in writing was below average. In comparison with similar schools results in reading and writing were below average. The picture given by these results is misleading because of the low cohort size and the high number of pupils with special educational needs. When looking at the test results more closely and the proportion of pupils attaining the higher level, the school’s performance in reading was above the national average and well above average in writing. There is little significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. Overall there has been improvement in English since the previous inspection.

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ENGLISH

61. Inspection evidence finds that this year at the end of Year 2, the pupils are making good progress especially considering their low attainment on entry. Standards in writing are above average and those in speaking, reading and listening are average. By the end of Year 4, pupils continue to do well in speaking and reading and standards are above average. Pupils’ progress in writing and listening is not as good and standards are average. This is because teachers’ expectations of the standards the pupils can achieve are not high enough and assessment and marking are not used sufficiently well to identify how the pupils can do better. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who are more able, make good progress in reading and speaking. Progress in Years 1 and 2 is good in writing and listening but it is satisfactory in Years 3 and 4. Teachers have adopted the National Literacy Strategy successfully and basic

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ENGLISH

62. By the end of Years 2 and 4, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are average. The pupils are attentive listeners and interact well with their teacher and other pupils in the class. They enjoy answering questions and are keen to give a contribution. The most able organise themselves in a small group and express ideas on how they will present their work to the other pupils. A good example of this was in music when two pupils planned and discussed how to create sounds resembling water with untuned instruments. In Years 3 and 4, pupils express ideas confidently and have a good command of spoken English. They talk very effectively as members of a class and make contributions relevant to the topic. They are keen to talk about their knowledge of indexes and glossaries in English and they talk about their work in other subjects well. They use St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 31 vocabulary that enables them to communicate more complex meanings and the more

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ENGLISH

able naturally back up all their statements with clear reasons. In a lesson on instructional text in English they clearly describe in every detail each step that is needed to blow up a balloon. They are good at reaching agreement in groups on how they will plan their work. However, in many lessons they are not so good at taking turns in class discussions by responding to others appropriately, and taking into account what they say. They often speak out of turn interrupting the teacher and other pupils. This is because the teachers do not convey clear expectations for them to do so.

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ENGLISH

63. By the end of Year 2, standards are average in reading and pupils are making good progress considering their attainment on entry to the school. The pupils soon develop a love of books and know what they like to read. The average pupils read stories and poems accurately and fluently although only the more able use a good level of expression. All pupils make good progress in their understanding of sounds and names of the letters of the alphabet and they are good at building words using those sounds. Most know the names of the five vowels. They read a good range of books and poems, including stories from other cultures, such as ‘ Jamil’s Clever Cat’ from India and ‘ The Sun and the Moon are in the Sky’ from Africa. They respond imaginatively to poems that they read such as the ‘ Ning, Nang, Nong’ and then make a good attempt to learn them by heart.

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ENGLISH

64. By the end of Year 4, pupils continue to make good progress and standards are above average in reading. Pupils enjoy a good range of books and find poetry and non-fiction just as interesting. A particular strength is in reading for information. Pupils scan text to find the information they want. They are good at retrieving information from books, CD- ROM’s and the Internet and use the search and find facilities to skim and scan effectively. They use dictionaries, indexes, contents pages and glossaries effectively. They explain their preferences well and read quickly and confidently with a good level of accuracy. They have a good selection of books to choose from in the classroom and the library. They read regularly at school and at home.

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ENGLISH

65. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress in writing and very good progress in handwriting. Pupils soon become confident writers because of the good teaching methods. By the end of Year 2 most pupils write in a neat, fluent joined style and work is well presented. Year 1 pupils practice joining letters on their white boards. They write good letters to the three bears saying sorry for breaking their chairs. They write and say tongue twisters. Pupils in Year 2 use their writing skills well to layout their work. They write a story about a crocodile and use pictures and speech bubbles well for effect with neat well presented writing. They write film reviews and do instructional texts on what to do after waking in the morning and also procedures for lunchtime. They improve their sentences using a richer range of vocabulary. After reading the book ‘ Jamil’s Clever Cat’, they think of good questions to ask Jamil at his wedding. They change sentences

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ENGLISH

from the present tense to the past tense.

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ENGLISH

66. Progress in writing is not as good in Years 3 and 4. Pupils do continue to make good progress in broadening their vocabulary and using it in inventive ways. Year 4 pupils make good use of punctuation and different styles of text for effect such as ‘BUZZ’ and ‘No!!’. They think carefully about the beginning of a story and setting the scene. One pupil writes ‘It was a hot day on the day of the big launch’. They write detailed instructions for making a sandwich, thinking carefully about each small step that should be taken. They use the word-processor well to record their work. Pupils with special educational needs achieve success in their writing, which gives them a good sense of achievement. The more able pupils confidently write stories of sizeable length but do not use paragraphs even though they know what they are. In addition they do not use St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 32 features of layout, presentation and organisation as effectively as they could or revise,

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ENGLISH

change and improve their writing. This is because the teachers do not expect them to do it. There was no evidence that pupils discuss and evaluate their own and others' writing. Pupils throughout the school do regular spelling practice and receive good tips from teachers on how to spell better either at the front of their books or by using recognised methods such as ‘Look, cover, write, check’. There are some good links with geography and history. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 design and write their own passport to take them to Australia or the North Pole. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 write good accounts of Anglo Saxon and Viking life. However, literacy skills are not used as well as they could be in subjects such as design and technology, science and art and design and presentation of work could be better in all subjects.

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ENGLISH

67. Teaching and learning are good but there are some areas for improvement. Teachers prepare for lessons well. There are very good relationships which enable lessons to start in a very positive and friendly way. Teachers and pupils enjoy discussing what is to be learnt during the lesson and pupils are interested and well motivated. In Years 1 and 2 the teacher plans and organises very good activities for the pupils and there is rigorous attention to ensuring that all ages and abilities have suitably challenging work. She manages the classroom well and this enables the pupils to concentrate quickly and work purposefully. She teaches handwriting very well to Year 1. The pupils listen carefully to what she says and clearly enjoy what they are doing. They then improve their joined writing by practising on their white boards. They make good progress in small groups finding three letter words on their ‘letter flips’ and writing them. The teacher

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ENGLISH

gives them targets to do within a short time span, which they achieve. While this is happening, Year 2 pupils concentrate hard on writing a story, paying good attention to the presentation and layout of their work. They make good progress because the teacher has made it clear what she expects. Relationships are also very good in Years 3 and 4. The pupils enjoy talking about aspects of literacy such as finding information in non-fiction books.

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ENGLISH

68. In some lessons, the management of the pupils’ behaviour is good, but, in others, the pupils often call out of turn or talk above others because the management of these sessions is not firm enough. The pupils settle to work quickly and work well independently and in small groups. They are well supported and praised during activities. Teaching assistants provide good support for pupils with special educational needs. However, in lessons and in the marking of work, teachers’ expectations of the finished standards of work are not high enough. Pupils do not know that they can and should improve features of layout and presentation by reviewing and changing their writing. Although planning follows the guidelines of the literacy hour, it does not always clearly identify what all ages and abilities in the class need to do. There are some very good sessions with teaching assistants where pupils with special educational needs in

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ENGLISH

Years 3 and 4 are withdrawn for a short period and make good progress in reading and in their knowledge of letter sounds.

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ENGLISH

69. Subject leadership is satisfactory and an action plan has been drawn up identifying areas of improvement, such as assessment, over the next year. Assessment is an area that needs improving in Years 3 and 4 but it is good in Years 1 and 2. There is an attractive library with sufficient books and good use is made of computers.

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MATHEMATICS

70. Overall, there has been improvement in the teaching of mathematics since the previous inspection. The successful introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy has helped to improve the pupils’ skills in mental arithmetic and to gain in confidence in using and St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 33 applying mathematical knowledge to solving problems. Standards are at a similar level as previously reported but the rate of pupils’ progress has improved. Boys and girls make equally good progress. The teachers make sure that pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs and the more able are suitably challenged. Standards are average by the end of Years 2 and 4. This represents good improvement on the results of national tests in 2001 and is due to variation in the ability of pupils, an increased focus on mental arithmetic, developing strategies for problem solving and good teaching.

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MATHEMATICS

71. There is good coverage of the mathematics curriculum and the balance is maintained through careful planning, linked to the National Numeracy Strategy and regular reviews of what has been achieved. The subject is led effectively and all staff share a commitment to improve standards further. There are good resources to support the teaching and staff use the resources well to promote understanding this practical approach to teaching mathematics works well as it helps the pupils to learn by doing. For example, in a Year 3 and 4 lesson on mass, the pupils weighed groceries and the teacher skilfully introduced them to reading a variety of scales.

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MATHEMATICS

72. By the end of Year 2, pupils have secure knowledge of all aspects of mathematics and are particularly good at mental arithmetic because they have daily practice in counting, sequencing and calculating. The pupils are confident in addition and subtraction of numbers to 100 and the more able go beyond this. They are beginning to understand that multiplication is a pattern of numbers and that the answer can also be found by repeated addition. However, pupils have limited experience of division. Pupils have a secure knowledge of shape, space and measures and are beginning to use standard measures such as centimetres and metres accurately. They recognise and name a good range of shapes and understand the relationship between sides and corners. In their work on data they recognise a variety of graphs and are able to extract simple information from them. However, this work should be extended further to include a wider

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MATHEMATICS

use of computers. The pupils present their work reasonably well but as most work is completed on worksheets it is difficult to track the pupils’ progress and to show them how they have improved over time.

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MATHEMATICS

73. By the end of Year 4, standards are about average and this represents good achievement as three-quarters of the pupils have special educational needs. The most able make good progress and benefit from opportunities to take part in extension activities which challenge them and move learning on at a good rate. The pupils have a secure knowledge of number and calculate using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division at an appropriate level. They know a range of mathematical signs and symbols and also have a secure grasp of mathematical vocabulary which helps them when solving problems involving more than one operation. The pupils estimate and weigh accurately and have an appropriate understanding of metric measures. They understand that computers can be useful in presenting mathematical information in graphical form and are able to read information from charts and graphs showing secure understanding. However, the pupils’ work is often unclear because their presentation is

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MATHEMATICS

untidy as the teacher does not always insist on good presentation. This hampers the pupils’ understanding of place value as numbers are not always in columns and this leads to inaccuracy.

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MATHEMATICS

74. Teaching and learning are good overall although expectations of presentation are not enough in some lessons in Years 3 and 4. Lessons are planned well and follow the structure of the National Numeracy Strategy which helps the teachers to maintain a good pace. The teachers have secure mathematical knowledge. During the introductions, there are quick fire questions which get the pupils thinking mathematically St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 34 and promote understanding of mathematical vocabulary and processes well. The teachers ask the pupils to explain how they found the answer and the pupils respond well to this suggesting logical and mathematically correct solutions. The teachers cope well with mixed aged classes and use this question and answer session effectively by focussing their questions on the different ages and abilities in the classes. This approach ensures that no one is left out and the teachers are able to assess everyone’s

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MATHEMATICS

understanding. The pupils enjoy mathematics and work hard. They are keen to learn multiplication and number facts and are beginning to use this knowledge well when tackling problems. However, the teachers rarely capitalise on this enthusiasm by providing homework.

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MATHEMATICS

75. During the main part of the lesson, the support staff usually work alongside a group and they provide much encouragement through guiding the pupils through effective questions and the use of apparatus. Teachers give clear guidance to the classroom assistants and involve them well in the lessons. Most pupils settle quickly to work and maintain good levels of concentration, generally persevering with problems. Occasionally, in Years 3 and 4, the pupils are slower to settle and the momentum is lost as there is too much talking and discussion. Teachers move around the groups during lessons and mark the pupils’ work offering advice and encouragement. However, marking rarely identifies targets for further improvement. At the end of lessons, there is a time to review what has been learned and these sessions are largely successful and used by the staff to assess what has been achieved and to plan the next step in

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MATHEMATICS

learning. The school makes use of information from national tests to identify weaknesses in the mathematics curriculum. In Years 1 and 2, there is a good system to record pupils’ progress, but this is not as thorough in Years 3 and 4.

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SCIENCE

76. Standards in science have improved overall since the previous inspection and are now average at the end of Years 2 and 4. Improvements recently have been due to a change of approach in the teaching. The rate of pupils’ progress has also improved as the teachers have got to grips with national and local guidelines for the subject, which combine opportunities for pupils to learn scientific facts and to explore ideas through investigation and experiment. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and the more able, make good gains in their learning. However, the rate of progress could be even better if there were sufficient opportunities for pupils’ to use their literacy skills to good effect in presenting their work. In addition, procedures for assessing pupils’ progress and attainment are rather haphazard and lack precision.

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SCIENCE

77. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a secure knowledge of all aspects of the science curriculum. They understand and correctly use a good range of scientific vocabulary being familiar with words to describe materials and their properties and also ideas such as gravity. The pupils present their work well using charts and diagrams and follow a good structure in recording their work and this helps them to understand the need for care when doing experiments to ensure that they are fair. Pupils make appropriate use of computers to support their work in science. The pupils have a good understanding of physical forces and in an excellent lesson the more able carried out a test to find out the effect of gravity and developed a very good understanding of how forces work. All pupils have a secure knowledge of different ways of pushing and pulling. They carry out long- term investigations such as growing plants and keenly observe and record their findings

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SCIENCE

78. By the end of Year 4, the pupils’ attainment is average and they show a keen interest in scientific enquiry. They are keen to find out additional information about their topics St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 35 through using the Internet. Pupils also understand a wide range of scientific terms and use them correctly when recording their work. The pupils work hard during lessons and show much interest in investigating cause and effect. They were fascinated by a very good lesson about light when they looked at refraction and reflection. The teacher extended their knowledge well through well-focused questions and learning proceeded at a good pace. Pupils also have an appropriate knowledge of life and living processes and know about life cycles. They understand that materials vary in their usefulness and have distinct properties, for example that some liquids and solids may be irreversibly

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SCIENCE

changed by heating whilst others may return to their original composition.

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SCIENCE

79. The teaching is good and promotes effective learning. The pupils make good progress in science because there is good variety in the teaching which effectively promotes interest and enthusiasm for the subject. The opportunities for the more able to visit another schools for extra lessons by an expert contribute much to this groups progress and enable them to achieve well. The teachers have a good understanding of science and plan lessons very well to include a balance between direct teaching and opportunities for the pupils to experiment and find out for themselves. At different points in the lessons, the teachers review what has been learned and check the pupils’ understanding. They also insist on the correct use of scientific vocabulary and approaches. They use their knowledge well to provide stimulating and well-planned lessons which achieve a good balance between introducing new vocabulary and ideas

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SCIENCE

and opportunities for the pupils to investigate and experiment. This very practical approach ensures that learning is good and that pupils come to a clear understanding of all aspects of science. Much thought is given to illustrating scientific principles through practical experiments and the teachers are imaginative in this. The teachers give the pupils opportunities to predict what might happen in an experiment and then encourage them to use fair tests to carry out the investigations. Good use is made of support staff and adult volunteers to work alongside the pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and this ensures that the pupils make good gains in their learning. However, marking lacks incisiveness in guiding pupils on how they might improve.

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SCIENCE

80. The pupils are very interested in science and they work hard during lessons, keenly investigating and following up ideas. There are good resources, including books to support learning and pupils refer to them to clarify their own ideas. The teachers manage behaviour well and the pupils are attentive and thoughtful listeners Pupils throughout the school work well together and listen to each other’s ideas. They are keen to discuss their ideas and share what they have found out. Most pupils present their work well, although presentation is not as good as it could be in Years 3 and 4.

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SCIENCE

81. The subject is covered in sufficient depth and the staff keep a careful watch on planning to ensure that skills, knowledge and understanding are developed consistently. There has been some monitoring of the pupils’ work and teaching. There is a helpful scheme of work linked to national and local guidance. Assessment is more focused in Years 1 and 2 than Years 3 and 4.

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ART AND DESIGN

82. The school has maintained standards in art and design since the previous inspection. Progress is at least satisfactory and is good in Years 1 and 2 for all pupils, including those with special educational needs. The more able make good progress. Boys and girls achieve equally well. By the end of Years 2 and 4, standards are in line with those expected. Teaching and learning are good. St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 36 83. Pupils are enthusiastic about art and design and enjoy the good range of opportunities to experiment with a variety of media and to develop a suitable range of skills and techniques. They work hard and apply good creative effort, thinking through their ideas and planning their work carefully. Teachers encourage this positive approach well by making suggestions about different techniques and styles of art and by intervening during lessons to guide the pupils on how they might improve. Teaching and learning

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ART AND DESIGN

are good. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher has good subject knowledge and much enthusiasm for the subject which she shares with the pupils. In a good lesson about Aboriginal art the pupils were fascinated by the range of “earth” colours used and the different and stunning effects achieved by the artists. They went to create their own designs using a variety of printing techniques. This linked well with their work in mathematics about repeated patterns. The skilful teacher moved learning along encouraging the pupils to experiment with several techniques to produce effective paintings.

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ART AND DESIGN

84. Throughout the school, art and design is used as a means of promoting collaboration and co-operation. In the very good collages of buildings in the village the pupils used several natural and man-made objects to create three-dimensional pictures set in tile cement. The effect was stunning and helped pupils to gain a good understanding of texture and form and also to come to a good understanding of how artists can represent objects aesthetically. Good links are made with music to generate creative ideas. The pupils listened to music and created pictures sequencing the path of a storm. They used paint imaginatively and by skilfully changing colours, using blends and tints, created large-scale paintings which include movement and a sense of the power of nature.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. Pupils are taught basic skills and techniques well. They have a secure knowledge of how to mix paint and to blend colours to produce shades and tints. In their sketchbooks they experiment with a variety of techniques, practising and refining their skills. In Years 3 and 4, the pupils designed and made an imaginary planet using mouldable materials and then added aliens. They took care in decorating their scenes to make them realistic. Pupils also have an appropriate knowledge of a variety of printing techniques and this links well with work in mathematics on pattern. However, there are insufficient opportunities for the pupils to use their literacy skills in art and design for example in writing about famous artists and their work. The pupils make satisfactory use of computers to support their artwork, for example, using drawing programs to create symmetrical patterns.

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ART AND DESIGN

86. The school has a good range of resources to support the teaching of the subject. There is a suitable policy and scheme of work and the subject leader keeps a check on planning and the pupils’ work to make sure that skills, knowledge and understanding are developed consistently. Art successfully contributes to pupils’ social, cultural and spiritual development. There is no consistent system of assessment.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. Standards in design and technology are not as good as reported at the time of the previous inspection. Although pupils, including those with special educational needs and the more able, make satisfactory progress in making models their progress in designing and evaluating what they have made is unsatisfactory. The teaching of skills and techniques is satisfactory but teaching is weak in promoting pupils’ understanding of the design process and in encouraging pupils’ to evaluate and modify their work. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 4 are generally below those expected. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. Little use is made of information St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 37 and communication technology to support the teaching of design and technology. Pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy are not used sufficiently to support the subject by,

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

for example, planning work using labelled diagrams and taking accurate measurements.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. Pupils enjoy making models and work hard. They behave well in lessons and concentrate for extended periods. They follow instructions carefully and persevere with tasks. For example, in Years 1 and 2, the pupils have refined their skills in using fabrics and learned several stitches when making finger puppets. They understand that different fabrics can be joined in a variety of ways and the need to be careful to ensure that no material is wasted. In a good lesson the pupils designed of glove puppets and started to list the materials they would use and add some simple instructions and labels, however, this is not the norm. Pupils discuss their work and are keen to show what they have achieved. They show much enjoyment in the success of others. They made good greetings cards for Mothers’ Day combining weaving skills with coloured paper to create an attractive design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. The school has a suitable range of equipment and tools to support the teaching of design and technology. Parents recently have provided a set of technology tools and pupils in Years 3 and 4 have used them to make model houses. They made good progress in using simple tools and equipment and also discovered different ways of joining wood to build a solid structure. The school follows national guidelines for the subject but has not a sufficiently rigorous system in place to ensure that all aspects of the subject are developed to an appropriate depth and are assessed appropriately.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

90. By the end of Years 2 and 4, standards in history and geography are in line with those expected nationally. Standards are at the same level as those found in the previous inspection. Good use is made of ICT in both subjects but particularly in geography.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

91. In history, by the end of Year 2, pupils use common words and phrases relating to the passing of time such as ‘next week and last month’. They make good progress in their understanding and knowledge of people and changes in the past. They listen to a grandad and identify differences between ways of life in the first half of the last century and how it is today. They recognise differences and developments in transport, homes and electrical appliances. They use their literacy skills well and write a play about Guy Fawkes hiding barrels of gunpowder under a table. By the end of Year 4, pupils are beginning to place events, people and changes into correct periods of time. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 do a good timeline of the exploration of space from the first sputnik, man landing on the moon and the space shuttles. They ask and answer questions about the Romans by examining artefacts such as Roman coins, pottery and mosaics. Pupils

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

recall facts about the lives of men, women and children during the Second World War. They use their literacy skills to record information about Anglo Saxon and Viking lives and make good links with geography by finding on a map of Europe where the Vikings came from. They use ICT well to research information on the Internet about topics they are studying.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

92. In geography, by the end of Year 2, pupils make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of maps. They draw the three bears’ house and houses of straw and brick to show the three pigs’ houses on a map of ‘Storyville’. They draw a simple map of their village and a plan of their classroom. This work is well linked to geographical enquiry about different types of houses. Very good use is made of ICT when they design a house by dragging and dropping pictures and choosing the position of rooms. They make good progress in learning about the wider world. They study a map of the world St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 38 and discuss different countries they would like to visit. Teaching makes lessons relevant to all pupils, which enables them to make good progress in lessons by asking and answering geographical questions. Pupils know they need a passport to travel and make their own. These contain a good level of detail on personal information and where

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

they would like to visit. The also decide the best method of transport to travel to their chosen country. The pupils use their ICT skills well by placing weather symbols on a map of the United Kingdom.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

93. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 continue to make good progress. They make good use of ICT to help in geographical investigations. They collect and record evidence about the village and the immediate locality using appropriate fieldwork techniques such as digital camera to photograph different houses so that they can compare them back in class. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 visit a farm in the locality that teaches them understanding of the crops grown and milk production. Pupils use their ICT skills as well to find out about the Commonwealth on the Internet and concentrate on finding specific information on life in Gambia, a locality in a country that is less economically developed. Pupils also do well in their understanding of world geography placing many countries reasonably accurately on a map of the world.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

94. No lessons were observed in history during the inspection. Teaching in geography is good. Teachers plan good opportunities for the pupils to make progress and have a good knowledge of the subject. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher used a number of creative strategies to plan and design a fight ticket which they would need on their journeys to various countries. Teachers in Years 3 and 4 plan good opportunities for fieldwork in the locality of the village and ensure that the pupils use their ICT skills well to support learning in the subject is assessed. Pupils’ understanding at the end of each unit of work. Interesting tasks are planned so that pupils can use their literacy skills but improvement is needed in the final presentation of work.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

95. Subject leadership is satisfactory and there is an appropriate policy in both subjects. The school schemes follow national guidance and are subject to regular review. The school makes good use of the museum service to lend artefacts and members of the service take lessons with the children. There is a good range of visits to historical houses, museums and farms. Visitors also add to the quality of the curriculum. A lady who was an evacuee to the village in the war tells the pupils about her experiences. Both subjects make a good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, but more could be done in geography to widen pupils’ understanding of the range of cultures in Britain today by focusing studies on a city or establishing e-mail links with a city school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

96. The school has improved standards in information and communication technology since the previous inspection, which are now in line with those expected by the end of Years 2 and 4. Pupils throughout the school, including those with special educational needs and the more able, make good progress. The school is making successful inroads into using computers to support the pupils’ work in several subjects. The more able respond well to the opportunities to use computers and make good progress. Boys and girls make similar gains in their skills in using computers. The school has made good improvements to resources for the subject since the previous inspection. They are used much more widely in other subjects and the teachers have grown in confidence in teaching basic skills as they have had good training. The subject leader has a good understanding of how to improve standards further and provides sufficient guidance for

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

her colleagues. The school makes appropriate use of national guidelines for information St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 39 and communication technology and has satisfactory systems of recording and checking on pupils’ progress. Computers are uses well to support the teaching of literacy and satisfactorily in most other subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

97. The pupils enjoy using computers are work independently and enthusiastically. Some pupils also use their home computers to extend their knowledge further and to research topics they have begun in school. Pupils work hard and maintain concentration and interest levels well. They co-operate very effectively and the more able often guide their less confident friends. The school has benefited much from having a good number of computers and successful training of staff. The subject leader has provided much guidance and support for her colleagues and keeps a good check on the quality of learning and the development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

98. By the end of Year 2, pupils have appropriate skills in word processing. They change fonts, colour and size of text and show good control of the mouse. The pupils understand that computers and other technological devices have a wide use in society and that tasks performed by machines are often more effective than manual methods. They make good pictures using a drawing program and this links well with their work in mathematical patterns. Pupils also are adept at putting information into a computer and converting it into simple graphs and charts.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

99. By the end of Year 4, the pupils know that the computer is a useful tool for word processing and they also support their work in literacy by regularly using a program to help them spell correctly. The pupils enjoy using adventure games and programs which require them to input instructions to find the solution to a problem. They work hard at these tasks and show considerable skill in collecting and using information to help them to complete the puzzle. The pupils have good skills in accessing the Internet and make use of a variety of websites to extract information.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

100. Teaching and learning are good and staff confidence has grown appreciably through guidance from training and support from the subject leader. Computers are used widely in lessons in other subjects. Lessons are planned well and good account is taken of the pupils’ different ages and skills so that all can make progress at the right pace. Good use is made of a variety of equipment such as digital cameras to record events in the life of the school and to stimulate the pupils’ interest in information and communication technology and other subjects. Behaviour in lessons is good because the teachers capture the pupils’ attention and ask well-focused questions which keep the pupils thinking about what they are doing. There is good intervention with pupils who find the work difficult and much support and encouragement. Lessons start with well-paced introductions and clear instructions. And at the end of lessons, teachers review what

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MUSIC

101. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 4 are about average and pupils are achieving as well as expected. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Overall, the pupils, including those with special educational needs and the more able, make satisfactory progress. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress in performing and understanding how sounds can be made in different ways.

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MUSIC

102. By the end of Year 2, pupils sing in tune with expression. They remember a good number of songs, such as ‘Six Little Ducks’. They “wibble-wobble” to and fro in time to the rhythm. They have a satisfactory understanding of building up layers of sound and they rub their hands together, following one at a time getting louder then softer. They St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 40 practise making sounds of a river and lake by blowing bubbles through a straw, shaking bottles of water and packets of rice. They use untuned instruments and a xylophone effectively. They perform their composition satisfactorily and then try to improve their performance.

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MUSIC

103. By the end of Year 4, pupils sing songs and play instruments with increasing confidence, skill and expression. They prepare for a concert in a nearby school where they play and sing with a professional orchestra. They sing with enjoyment and enthusiasm. They become actively involved in creating music. They clap to rhythms and sing ‘whispering’ showing a sound knowledge of dynamics. They stand up and sing, clap and stamp ‘The Rain Dance’. They improved their performance with practice. Two pupils accompanied the singing by beating on the drum, one playing a steady beat and the other playing a fast beat. However, there is little evidence of pupils using information and communication technology to support their work in music. Pupils make good links with art. They paint a scene showing the countryside before and after a storm. They use tambourines, drums, recorders and chime bars to compose music to describe their

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MUSIC

104. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and satisfactory in developing pupils’ skills in listening and appraising music. Teachers have a good understanding of the programme of study and plan a range of different activities for the pupils to make progress in performing, composing and appraising music. There was a very good lesson in Years 1 and 2 when the teacher provided a range of different materials with which to make music. She planned the lesson very well so that all pupils could participate in performing a composition. The pupils responded well and listened carefully to her. She added extra challenge by conducting the class to begin and stop and get louder and softer. Teaching in Years 3 and 4 is satisfactory. Lessons are conducted at a good pace and the teacher shares the enjoyment of making music with the pupils. The pupils are keen and interested and apply themselves well to doing their best. Pupils

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MUSIC

take their love of music home and one pupil has his own ‘pop’ band.

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MUSIC

105. Pupils attend classes for the recorder during lunchtimes but there are few opportunities to learn a range of instruments. The quality of singing in assemblies and the lessons observed was good. Pupils have good opportunities to perform in the annual Christmas production and in events shared with other schools. Pupils explore their thoughts and feelings by listening to music from different times and cultures; for example, the assembly music during the inspection was the Planets and this linked well with work in science and art and design. Subject leadership is satisfactory. Resources are good and contain a selection of instruments from other countries.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

106. By the end of Year 2, standards are broadly in line with those expected nationally. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. Lessons were observed in dance and outdoor games. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on Years 3-4 but lessons were observed in dance and swimming records were scrutinised. Pupils are doing well in swimming. However, standards in dance have fallen throughout the school since the last inspection and inspectors did not find the good levels reported before. The pupils have gymnastics lessons, which they say they enjoy but these take place in the older pupils’ classroom and the quality of the accommodation and learning resources in this very small school are unsatisfactory for this purpose. The school has extensive outside grounds, a playground and a good field, which it makes good use of for outdoor games and athletics. St Mary’s and St John’s CE First School - 41

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107. By the end of Year 2, standards in outdoor games are typical for those expected nationally. Pupils make satisfactory progress in travelling with, sending and receiving a ball and other equipment. They develop these skills for simple striking, fielding and invasion-type games. They roll a large ball round a target and practice improving their aim and control. They balance and climb on the adventure playground and benches, creating and performing short sequences that have contrasts in direction and speed. Pupils enjoy stretching from side to side and being ‘runner beans, string beans and jumping beans’. They have a good awareness of the effects of exercise on their bodies and warm up before activity. They concentrate well when trying to become better at skipping and the hula-hoop. Year 2 pupils make good progress in swimming, becoming confident in the water. Standards in dance are below average. Pupils in Years 1 and 2

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

spend long periods in their dance lesson listening to the radio and there is hardly any movement at all. They do not use movement imaginatively to express and communicate ideas and feelings, responding to different stimuli, such as music to express and communicate ideas and feelings. The pupils do try to improve their performance in the lesson and at the end can hold an ‘angry’ poise, but are inactive for too much of the lesson. Pupils’ progress in this aspect is not good enough.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

108. By the end of Year 4, the pupils have made very good progress in swimming. They are assessed in water confidence and safety and can swim unaided for a sustained period of time over a distance of at least 25 metres using a range of recognised strokes and personal survival skills. Pupils play team games such as rounders, hockey, netball and football and join in sports with the local cluster of schools. A professional football coach teaches them for six weeks each term, which enables them to make good progress in ball skills and team activities. Standards in dance are unsatisfactory and standards remain below average. Tables and chairs have to be cleared before lessons and this causes unrest in the pupils who do not start the lesson with positive attitudes. Pupils lack concentration, don’t listen and are not aware of space. Although the unsatisfactory accommodation is much to do with the poor performance, a lack of subject knowledge

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

by the teachers is also a large contributory factor. Pupils do not create and perform dances using a range of movement patterns or improve their performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

109. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in outdoor activities but unsatisfactory when they attempt to use the space in school. In a games lesson in Years 1 and 2, the teacher had a good knowledge of the subject. She ensured that the pupils understood how important exercise is and how we need it to stay healthy. She conducted the lesson at a good pace and gave the pupils the opportunity to evaluate and improve their performance. The pupils listened well and responded by attempting a better performance. The teacher encouraged the pupils to apply skills, tactics and compositional ideas, such as choosing better methods to travel over a bench. She gave the pupils clear targets to work towards and the pupils met her expectations. They concentrated and persevered well in improving their skipping skills. Not all pupils dress appropriately or have the correct footwear for physical education. Teaching and learning

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

in dance throughout the school are unsatisfactory. This is mainly due to a lack of understanding of the programme of study and a lack of pace in lessons and low expectations from the teachers for the pupils to apply themselves to create movements and move in imaginative ways. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 behave well but the attitudes and behaviour of pupils in Years 3 and 4 is unsatisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

110. Subject leadership is satisfactory. The school sees physical activity as important and ensures that pupils do receive the full range of activities. The school does well in swimming and outdoor activities but has not been able to provide satisfactory provision inside. Records in swimming are kept well up to date, but there was no evidence of assessment being used in other areas.

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