Oulton Broad Primary School

OULTON BROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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OULTON BROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Christmas Lane Oulton Broad Lowestoft Suffolk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr M Scrivener

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 20-23 May 1997 Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

1624 J Woodcock Registered inspector Science Geography Physical education Religious education What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve? The school’s results and pupils’ standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9619 B Miller Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Provision for spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development Finance, staffing and accommodation 19774 M Docherty Team inspector English Art and design History Foundation Stage Monitoring of pupils’ attainment and progress (assessment)

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

20714 M Carter Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Design and technology Music How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Special educational needs Equal opportunities

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PBM Inspection Services Ltd PO Box 524 Cheadle Staffordshire ST10 4RN

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Oulton Broad is about the same size as most other primary schools in the country with a current roll of the equivalent of 207 full-time pupils aged between 3 and 9 years. The school admits pupils from a very wide range of socio-economic backgrounds in the Oulton Broad ward of Lowestoft. Unemployment in the area continues to be high; this is similar to the last inspection. The school has identified 26 pupils as having special educational needs; this is below the national average. Four pupils have statements of special educational needs; this is broadly in line with the national average but is an increase since to the last inspection report. No pupils have been identified as speaking English as an additional language; this is similar to the last inspection. The proportion receiving free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. The number of pupils joining and leaving the school is

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

low. Pupils’ attainment on entry to school is broadly in line with the expected levels as measured by baseline assessments in reading, writing, and mathematics.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good and effective school. By the end of Year 2, the standards pupils achieve are above average and often well above average in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. The quality of teaching is consistently good; it is often very good. The leadership and management of the headteacher and key members of staff are of high quality. The headteacher, staff, and governors work well together and aspire to even higher standards. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils make very good progress and achieve well above average standards in English, mathematics, and science by the end of Year 4. • Pupils’ attitudes to learning and their personal development are very good. Relationships with each other and with adults are excellent. • The care of pupils is very good. • Teaching is very good or excellent in one in three lessons. • The leadership and management of the headteacher and key members of staff are of high quality. • The high quality planning of the curriculum, particularly in core subjects. • The ability of the staff to work together as an effective team to improve pupils’ achievements.

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What could be improved

• The monitoring of some aspects of teaching and learning and assessment, particularly in non-core subjects. • The coordination of the Foundation Stage of learning. • Communication with parents. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has continued to improve since the last inspection in May 1997 and at a rate that is faster than the national trend. Standards have risen, the quality of teaching has improved, and the effective leadership of the headteacher and key members of staff continues to give the school a strong sense of direction and purpose. The key issues from the last inspection have been addressed well. Statutory requirements for collective worship and appraisal are now met. The teaching of information and communication technology has improved and consequently pupils now achieve average levels of attainment with some achieving even higher standards. Teaching and the methods used in the junior’s have improved since the grouping of pupils by attainment in English and mathematics and specialist teaching in some other subjects, such as science. The work set is now more challenging and standards have improved from being average to well above average in these subjects. Good

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

improvements have been made in developing the role and management skills of subject coordinators. The planning for multicultural education has improved but has not yet been implemented effectively. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 7

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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 A B A A well above average above average A B writing A A A A average below average C D mathematics A C B B well below average E

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Key

By the end of Year 2, test results in 2001 were well above the national average in reading and writing; they are also well above average when compared with schools that have a similar intake. Test results in mathematics were above average when compared with national results and with similar schools. The proportion of pupils achieving high standards was well above average in reading, above average in writing and average in mathematics. Between 1997 and 2001, test results improved at a rate faster than schools nationally. Girls achieve higher standards than boys in reading and writing; they achieve similar standards in mathematics. Overall, girls have maintained high standards over time. However, boys have improved their performance and have achieved some of their best results this year, particularly in reading and mathematics. In the current Year 2, pupils are making good progress and are on course to achieve well above average standards in reading, writing, mathematics, and science.

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Key

In the current Year 4, pupils are making good progress and are on course to achieve well above average standards in English, mathematics, and science. The school is likely to achieve the challenging targets it set for 2002 and 2003. Standards in literacy and numeracy continue to improve with a sound basis for learning being established in the nursery. In the reception class, children’s skills in reading, writing and mathematics are above the expected level and they continue to make good progress towards achieving the early learning goals by the end of the year. In Year 4, pupils’ achievement in geography, information and communication technology, music, and religious education are satisfactory. Achievement in art and design, design and technology, history, and physical education are good. By the end of Year 2 and Year 4, pupils’ achievements in English, mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology, history, information and communication technology and physical education show

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Key

good improvement since the last inspection.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Attitudes to learning are very good. Pupils take a pride in their work, are highly motivated, and have a strong desire to improve. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils are well behaved. No bullying, racist or sexist behaviour was seen and none reported by pupils. The oldest pupils conduct themselves with high levels of self- discipline and set a very good example to others. Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is very good. Relationships with others are excellent. They have respect for the feelings, values, and beliefs of others. Some older pupils are beginning to work more independently. The older pupils take responsibility for helping others, particularly younger pupils at playtimes. Relationship between pupils and adults are excellent. Pupils are keen to be involved in all activities offered by the school. Attendance Good. Unauthorised absence is below the national average.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ attitudes and enthusiasm for learning make a significant contribution to the ethos of the school and to the high standards achieved. Sustained concentration and a productive work rate are regular features of lessons. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 8

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

Overall, teaching is good; it is often very good in Years 3 and 4. This is an improvement since the previous inspection, particularly in the juniors. In almost every year group, there were examples of very good teaching. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Teaching in the nursery is satisfactory; it is good in the reception class and Years 1 and 2.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

The key skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well throughout the school. The teaching of science is very good and pupils make good progress. The teaching of English and mathematics is consistently good. In all other subjects, teaching is at least satisfactory and often good. Throughout the school, lessons are well prepared and planned; they provide interesting and stimulating activities that add to the enjoyment of pupils’ learning. The tasks set meet well the differing needs of the pupils. Teachers have good subject knowledge, except in music and design and technology. They have high expectations, manage pupils very well, and expect pupils to work hard and achieve high standards. Teachers make very good use of class assistants to support learning. The excellent teaching is inspirational in quality and extends all pupils to the limit, particularly in science. The very good teaching is rigorously planned and taught, highly motivating, and stretches all attainment groups. The enthusiasm

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

of staff is obvious in all the tasks they undertake.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

Pupils work creatively, productively, and at a brisk pace. They have good knowledge of their own rates of learning and show an increasing ability to work independently when given the opportunity. Pupils rapidly acquire new skills and knowledge and develop their understanding of the tasks set. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards achieving their learning goals.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and balanced and caters very well for the differing interests and needs of the pupils. Good use is made of discretionary time, particularly for the provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship, which is very good. An appropriate range of extra-curricular activities enhances the statutory curriculum. All pupils have equal access and opportunity to participate fully in all learning experiences. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good provision and support enable pupils to make good progress. A team of well- briefed classroom assistants is used effectively to support learning. Targets set for pupils are realistic and achievable. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. Provision for moral and social development is very good; for spiritual development, it is good. Provision for

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Aspect Comment

cultural development is satisfactory, although, limited opportunities are provided to raise pupils’ awareness of cultural diversity. How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are efficient and effective. Good procedures are in place for monitoring pupils’ achievements and for staff to be aware of pupils’ social and emotional needs.

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Aspect Comment

Overall, the school’s links with parents are good. However, parents’ expectations are for information from the school to be more regular and up-to-date. Annual reports are informative, clearly identifying pupils’ progress and indicating areas for improvement. The school provides a good curriculum that promotes above average levels of achievement in most subjects. Very good emphasis is placed on teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. The care that pupils’ receive continues to be a strength of the school. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The strong lead provided by the headteacher and deputy headteacher sets high expectations for the school community and they are very well supported by other key members of staff. The staff are hard working and operate effectively as a team. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors work effectively through committees to meet their statutory responsibilities. They are well-informed and effective as critical friends, particularly in monitoring the school’s achievements and the budget. The school’s evaluation of its performance Monitoring arrangements are good. Test results are analysed and used well to help determine priorities. Effective action is taken when weaknesses are identified. The strategic use of resources The budget is managed well. The school seeks to gain very good value for money in all its expenditure.

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Aspect Comment

The leadership and management of the headteacher is very good. He is supported well by the deputy headteacher who is an outstanding teacher. Together, they set high expectations and lead by example. The self-evaluation of the school’s performance is good and identifies accurately the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The budget is managed well and the planned use of the current surplus meets the school’s priorities well. The school is staffed well. Resources for learning are good. The accommodation provided is very good.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school and are well behaved. • Their children are taught well and are making good progress. • Teachers are approachable. • Teachers have high expectations of their pupils. • The school is well led and managed. • The school helps their children to become mature and responsible. An analysis of the pre-inspection questionnaires shows that: • 27 per cent of parents responding have concerns about the information they receive about how their child is getting on. • 26 per cent have concerns about the range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team endorses parents’ views about the strengths of the school. Parents believe that Oulton Broad is a good school. Inspection evidence shows that the information provided by the school lacks consistency over a year and is not always up-to-date. However, the school provides an appropriate range of extra-curricular activities for pupils of this age range. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The 2001 National Curriculum test results for pupils at the end of Year 2 were well above the national average in reading and writing; they were also well above average when compared with schools that have a similar intake. Test results for mathematics were above average when compared with national results and with similar schools. The proportion of pupils attaining high standards in 2001 was well above average in reading, above average in writing and average in mathematics. Between 1997 and 2001, test results improved at a faster rate than schools nationally. Girls attained higher standards than boys did in 2001 in reading and writing. Girls attained similar standards in mathematics. Overall, girls have maintained high standards over time. However, boys have improved their performance and have achieved some of their best results at the end of the last school year, particularly in reading and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Nearly all children in the nursery and reception classes are making good progress towards achieving the nationally agreed Early Learning Goals for the Foundation Stage by the end of the reception year. Their personal, social and emotional development is good. Communication, language and literacy skills are developing well. Many children are making good progress in ordering and sequencing numbers and mentally calculating simple number problems. They show good gains in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Children’s physical and creative development is good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in literacy and numeracy continue to improve with a sound basis for learning being established in the nursery. In the reception class, children’s skills in reading, writing and mathematics are above the expected level. By the end of Year 2, pupils continue to make good progress and are on course to achieve well above average standards in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. By the end of Year 4, pupils continue to make good progress and are on course to achieve well above average standards in English, mathematics, and science by the end of the school year. The school is likely to achieve the challenging targets it has set for these subjects in 2002 and 2003. The introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies has had a major impact on standards in the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In the infants, pupils continue to build on their prior attainments and the progress made is good. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ achievements in design and technology, geography, information and communication technology, music, and religious education are satisfactory. Pupils’ achievements in art and design, history and physical education are good. In the juniors, pupils’ rate of progress continues to be good. By the end of Year 4, pupils’ achievement in geography, information and communication technology, music, and religious education are satisfactory. Achievement in art and design, design and technology, history, and physical education are good. By the end of Year 2 and Year 4, pupils’ achievements in English, mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology, history, information and communication technology and physical education show good improvement since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In the past two years, children enter the reception year with average skills in speaking and listening as measured by baseline assessments. This was not the case at the time of the previous inspection, when there was no nursery and speaking and listening skills were significantly lower. The sound start in the nursery is built upon in the reception year where the children make rapid improvements to their speaking and listening skills. In the infants and juniors, speaking and listening skills are good. In Year 2, pupils talk and listen with assurance. They are developing and using a wide range of vocabulary. Higher attaining pupils in Year 4 are very well spoken. They talk and listen confidently. Pupils vary expression and vocabulary to engage the listeners’ attention. All pupils speak well in assemblies. Pupils with special educational needs show a growing confidence and participate fully in these activities.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Children enter the reception year with average reading skills. This is an improvement in standards since the previous inspection, with the increase reflecting the positive effect of the nursery on pupils’ attainment. In the nursery and reception year, pupils make good progress in learning to read. In the infants and juniors, pupils continue to building on their prior attainment and by the end of Year 4 standards are well above average. The substantial majority of pupils are working between one and two terms ahead of expectations. Pupils in Year 2 express ideas about stories, poems and non-fiction and read their own writing with expression. Higher attaining pupils read a range of text independently with increasing fluency and accuracy. Many pupils in Year 4 are independent readers. They respond imaginatively to text, can extract meaning from it, and are able to distinguish between facts and fiction. Silent reading skills are well developed. Lower attaining pupils

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

have made considerable progress since the end of Year 2 because of effective teaching and very good Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 11 support from skilled learning support assistants. The higher attaining pupils are self-motivating and confident readers, capable of tackling more complex text and are beginning to use information books well for research purposes.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The very good improvements in writing since the last inspection reflect the effectiveness of the teaching methods used. Pupils continuously build on their prior attainment and by the end of Year 4 standards are well above average. The substantial majority of pupils are working at between one and two terms ahead of expectations. In Year 2, pupils can write interesting sentences and imaginative stories. Spelling is usually correct and handwriting is developing well. Higher attaining pupils are sequencing sentences well choosing words for variety and interest. Spelling and punctuation is usually accurate. Handwriting is legibly formed and joined. By the end of Year 4, pupils are able to write stories, articles and poems that are organised appropriately to suit their purposes. They are beginning to use grammatically correct sentences with accurate punctuation and spelling. Pupils are developing a good free flowing cursive hand. The books of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

lower attaining pupils show that they have made good progress since the beginning of the school year in writing sequences of sentences using more varied and interesting vocabulary. In most year groups, when opportunities occur in subjects other than English, pupils are encouraged to use and apply their literacy skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in mathematics have varied from year to year but show an overall improvement since the last inspection. By the end of Year 4, standards are on course to be well above average; they are currently above average after one term of the school year. The substantial majority of pupils are working at nearly one term ahead of expectations. In the nursery and reception classes, children enjoy number work, make good progress in recognising numbers and counting on and back. In Year 2, most pupils can recognise multiples of 2s, 5s, and 10s, and some know the differences between odd and even numbers. They know how to add, subtract, multiply and divide using single and two digit numbers and use this knowledge to solve simple problems. Nearly all of the pupils can name and describe the features of two and three-dimensional shapes. By the end of Year 4, higher attaining pupils can multiply and divide whole numbers by 10 or 100. They have

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

a particularly good knowledge of algebra and the rules governing the number system. These pupils are adept at explaining their methods of working. Most pupils are able to calculate the perimeter and area of shapes, and have an improving knowledge of decimals and fractions. They can measure angles accurately and have a developing knowledge of symmetry. In the infants and juniors, pupils have good opportunities to apply their mathematical skills to other subjects, particularly in handling information and drawing graphs. An appropriate and balanced range of mathematical topics is covered, but there is little evidence of information and communication technology skills being used to extend learning in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The very good improvements in science since the last inspection reflect the effectiveness of the high quality planning and specialist teaching that have been used to raise standards, particularly in the juniors. Pupils continuously build on their prior attainment and by the end of Year 4 standards are well above average. The younger children make a good start in the nursery and reception classes. In Year 2, pupils make very good progress in being able to describe how the processes of heating and cooling change materials. The majority of pupils are able to identify habitats for different creatures and can classify living and non-living things. They know that the shape of a boat affects how well it floats or sinks. Pupils can describe the uses of electricity in the home. Higher attaining pupils are developing very good investigative skill. Lower and middle attaining pupils work hard, are challenged by the tasks set, and achieve higher than expected standards. Pupils in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the juniors, continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of science. In Years 3 and 4, pupils make very good progress in sorting and classifying different types of rock. They discuss with confidence their findings using scientific and geographical vocabulary correctly. The scrutiny of previous work shows that the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of living things, electricity, light and sound are at least above average. All pupils have an improving knowledge of what constitutes a fair test. Higher attaining pupils achieve well above average standards when predicting, observing, comparing and interpreting the results of their investigations. However, these pupils are given limited opportunities to work independently designing their own experiments. The development of this work forms part of this year’s science action plan. Pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in science activities; they receive very good support from

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

staff and make good progress. Very good use is made of computer-assisted learning to improve pupils’ investigative skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior achievements, particularly in literacy and numeracy. In most cases, the detail on pupils’ individual education plans means that targets are clear and are understood by the teachers and the learning support assistants. Consequently, the work undertaken is focused and assistants are able to give very good support. There are appropriate, although not always up-to-date, procedures for monitoring progress of the pupils as they move between stages of the special needs register. Some pupils make sufficient progress to overcome their learning difficulties and are removed from the register. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 12

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitudes to their learning continue to be very good; this is similar to the last inspection. They enjoy school and are eager to learn. Pupils in a junior assembly responded sympathetically when learning about an Australian soldier returning from World War 2. Pupils enthusiastically explained reasons for the Poppy as an emblem to commemorate those who died in conflict. In lessons, pupils settle quickly to work, they listen well to each other and to adults and are always willing to answer questions and discuss their ideas. Pupils show very good levels of concentration. For example, reception children were completely engrossed in their work when on a sound walk about the school grounds where they listened for birdsong and the rustling of leaves in the wind. In Years 3 and 4, pupils worked well in pairs when using a computer, sharing information in a mature manner to further their own research. Pupils with special educational needs are developing

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

positive attitudes to learning and are growing in confidence. They enjoy coming to school and feel valued and supported by the teachers, the learning support assistants, and other pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils are well behaved and considerate of the needs of others; 99 per cent of those who responded to the parents’ questionnaire agree. Behaviour in class and around the school is good; high standards are set and pupils respond well. The school continues to have no incidents of exclusions. Pupils play and work well together, sharing equipment and there is no evidence of bullying or inappropriate behaviour. They are polite and friendly to each other, staff, and visitors. There is no damage or litter around the school buildings and pupils’ use learning resources with care.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ personal development, their social and health education, and experience of citizenship are strengths of the school; this is an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils’ personal development is good. New pupils learn quickly to adjust to routines and are soon settled into the life of the school. All pupils are polite and friendly and follow instructions carefully. Playtimes and lunchtimes are pleasant social occasions, where pupils socialise well within their age groups. There was no bullying, racism, sexism, or other oppressive behaviour observed during the inspection. Pupils respond well to the opportunities provided for them to show initiative and many are confident in assuming responsibilities. They all show self-discipline and exercise responsibility when preparing to participate fully in lessons. Pupils perform duties sensibly such as maintaining the sensory garden at lunchtimes, preparing for assemblies and acting as monitors for physical

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

education and playground equipment. Pupils show respect for their own property and that of others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The school’s setting of individual targets has given each pupil the opportunity to seek continuing improvement related to their ability; to take responsibility for their own learning and to share with teachers, parents and carers their success in achieving each target. The maturity and confidence of Year 4 pupils is the result of the many personal development opportunities offered throughout the school, such as the Know your Member of Parliament project. The development of class rules by pupils has enabled them to gain an understanding of the meaning and reason for rules; why rules change as the pupils mature and take responsibility for their own actions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The school makes good use of its own, and external, expertise in the teaching of healthy living. Pupils are aware of health and safety issues, particularly in design and technology, science and physical education lessons. They have good opportunities to discuss issues about healthy living with teachers and visiting health professionals.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Relationships amongst pupils and between staff and pupils are excellent and a strength of the school. This has a very significant impact on standards achieved. In the playground, younger pupils play well with older pupils and are included in all the activities provided. Older pupils take seriously and enjoy the opportunities at break-time to help younger pupils form friendships with others. During discussions, most pupils are happy and confident to put forward an argument and explain their point of view. They are encouraged to reflect on their own values and beliefs. Pupils are respectful of the views and beliefs of others as observed in a religious education lesson. Pupils in Year 1 have used a bible story as a starting point to discuss choices they could make in their own lives and how they might improve their own and the lives of others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance at around 95 per cent is above the national average and is good. Nearly all pupils have good individual attendance records. Family holidays taken during term time accounts for some of the authorised absence. Punctuality is generally very good and lessons usually get off to a prompt start.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Overall, teaching is good. In 70 per cent of lessons, teaching is good or better; it is very good or excellent in Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 13 33 per cent of lessons; none of the lessons seen were unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching is better than most schools and is a significant improvement since the previous inspection, particularly in the juniors. In almost every year group, there were examples of very good or excellent teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching of the children under five is good overall, with 8 per cent of lessons being very good. Overall, teaching is good in the infants. Over 72 per cent of the lessons were good or better and 28 per cent were very good of excellent. In the juniors, teaching is very good. In 83 per cent lessons were judged to be good or better and 52 per cent very good or excellent. The teaching of pupils’ personal, social, health education and citizenship is good. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good; these pupils are helped to overcome their difficulties by the effectiveness of the learning support assistants.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of English is good with a quarter being very good or excellent. The teaching of mathematics is good with 50 per cent being very good or excellent. The teaching of science is very good, including 80 per cent that is very good or excellent. Since the last inspection, teaching has improved significantly in English, mathematics, and science, particularly in the Years 3 and 4 because of the improved planning and effective deployment of staff and the implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. The teaching of other subjects meets the needs of all pupils and none were found to be underachieving or struggling to keep up.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching in physical education is very good. Overall, teaching in art and design, design and technology, history and information and communication technology is good. Since the last inspection, the improvements in teaching in all these subjects has been at least good mainly because of more effective teamwork, better planning, and improvements in teachers’ subject knowledge and methods of working. Teaching in music is at least satisfactory but many teachers lack sufficient subject knowledge to raise standards. The evidence for the direct teaching of geography and religious education is limited; the small amount available indicates that teaching is at least satisfactory. These last three subjects have not improved since the last inspection mainly because changes to the curriculum have not yet been completed.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching and learning improves progressively from the sound basis in the nursery to being very good in Years 3 and 4. These developments are reflected in the improvements in the standards achieved in English, mathematics, and science from being broadly in line with expectations in the nursery to well above average in these subjects by the end of Year 4.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Where teaching is very good or excellent, the lessons are exciting and challenging for the pupils. In a very good science lesson in Years 3 and 4, the teacher’s very good subject knowledge helped all pupils improve their investigations about the properties of rocks. The questioning was perceptive and, together with the effective use of resources, helped generate a spirit of enquiry and a brisk and productive rate of work. In Year 2, very good relationships and the teacher’s high expectations helped create an excellent learning situation in which pupils discussed the use of descriptive nouns and verbs to write about the relationship between two sisters. In a mathematics lesson for lower attaining pupils in Years 3 and 4, the teacher’s good subject knowledge was used to help pupils explain and expand their ideas about how to present information in graphical form. In Year 1, the teacher’s enthusiasm for physical education was infectious. Very good use

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

was made of the sabre dance music to help stimulate pupils to express their thoughts and feeling through dance. In the reception class, the teacher’s effective use of humour helped motivate the children and gave them the confidence to talk about their experiences of the five senses.

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24. Where teaching is good, nearly all pupils increase their knowledge and skills appropriately by the end of the lesson. Basic skills and subject content are clearly explained and there is a good emphasis on correct terminology. In a history lesson in Years 3 and 4, pupils improved their understanding of the Celts and their relationships with the Romans because the tasks set met their differing needs. In art and design in Year 2, teachers’ plan effectively and use resources competently to help pupils improve their observational drawings of fruits. A good feature of design and technology lessons is the emphasis teachers’ place on the importance of pupils using safe techniques when cutting and shaping materials.

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25. Teaching in the reception year is consistently good. Good knowledge of how children learn, high expectations and clear explanations help children work with sustained concentration and enjoyment, for example when reading from big books. The teacher used perceptive questions to assess children’s knowledge and skills and indicate how they could improve. Teaching in the nursery is soundly based. The range of activities provided is good but teaching is not always sufficiently focused to help the children improve their rate of progress. Relationships are good and support staff are used effectively.

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26. There are satisfactory or better levels of subject knowledge and expertise among the teachers in most subjects, except music and design and technology. Satisfactory teaching embraces the educational needs Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 14 of the majority of the pupils. All the staff are technically competent in teaching phonics and other basic skills. The teaching methods used in English and mathematics follow those of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies; they have been implemented successfully and standards have been improving rapidly since their introduction. In other subjects, teaching methods are effective, particularly when pupils are grouped together based on their prior attainment or receive specialist teaching such as in science. Teachers have high expectations, manage pupils well, relationships are very good and this helps create a good ethos for leaning. Assessment at a classroom level is good and this is helping teachers’ to improve their planning

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for the next lesson. The teachers and support assistants know the pupils well and encourage them to overcome difficulties. At the end of lessons, teachers check pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding well and give them good opportunities to reflect on what they have learnt and the progress they have made in order to improve further. Homework arrangements are satisfactory and there are appropriate systems for communicating with parents.

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27. In English, mathematics and science, the rate at which pupils learn and make progress is good or better in most year groups. Almost every pupil extends their knowledge or skills by appropriate amounts and their understanding deepens. Work is pitched appropriately to meet the differing needs of pupils. In a very good mathematics lesson in Years 3 and 4, mental work at the beginning of the lesson deepened pupils’ understanding of place value. By the end of the lesson, high attaining pupils were confidently using and applying their knowledge when solving problems associated with these skills. Pupils’ learning and progress in English is good in most lessons; it is often very good in Year 2 and Years 3 and 4.

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28. In science, the pupils made very good progress in a Years 3 and 4 lesson. At the beginning of the lesson, a very good review was made of what pupils know, understand, and can do. This helped the teacher pitch the lesson at a high level. By the end of the session, after the setting of challenging tasks, the application of intellectual effort and hard work, pupils were using and applying their research skills well to deepen their understanding about the properties of materials. Although the number of lessons observed in non-core subjects varied, in most subjects teaching was effective. In the substantial majority of lessons, pupils know what they must do to improve to meet the individual learning targets set by the teachers.

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29. The teaching of personal, social, health education and citizenship is good; it is often very good. Teachers use imaginative ideas for developing pupils’ skills in listening, expressing feelings and reflecting on experiences. In a Year 1 class, good use was made of praise to improve pupils’ self-esteem, particularly less confident ones. Pupils are becoming increasingly aware that there are different rules for pedestrians and other road users when learning about the green cross code. They all understood that irresponsible behaviour might have unfortunate consequences. In Years 3 and 4, good use is made of role-play to explore issues about how to deal positively with anti-social behaviour.

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30. Pupils with special educational needs receive good teaching because it is carefully planned jointly by the teachers and the learning support assistants. Their approach is very professional in the provision they make for these pupils. The pupils are fully integrated into all lessons and are set tasks appropriate for their abilities. They are extremely well supported by the learning support assistants who understand well the learning needs of each pupil. Careful records are kept of pupils’ learning and progress in appropriate withdrawal sessions and these are used appropriately to help plan what they need to learn next. Most individual education plans have clear targets and are used well by the staff to set appropriate challenges. Teaching is focused well upon improving literacy and numeracy skills. The learning support assistants make and use school resources well, which helps create very good conditions for learning. In some lessons in

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non-core subjects, the tasks set are not always amended to meet the differing needs of these pupils. However, they receive adequate support from staff to enable them to make progress.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the interests, aptitudes, and particular needs of pupils including those with special educational needs. An appropriate range of extra-curricular activities enhances the curriculum. All subjects are taught in accordance with the requirements of the National Curriculum, the locally agreed syllabus for religious education and the Early Learning Goals for pupils in the Foundation Stage. The school gives due emphasis to literacy and numeracy and has enthusiastically adopted the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. These have been implemented well, and are helping the school to raise standards. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The programme for pupils’ personal, health and social education is taught well throughout the school.

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32. Nearly all the issues from the last inspection report have been addressed successfully. Collective worship Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 15 now meets statutory requirements. The school has acquired several computers and additional resources for information and communication technology; sufficient time is now given for teaching the subject and standards are improving rapidly. Coordinators are actively involved in planning the curriculum and developing schemes of work, but more work is needed to develop their monitoring and evaluating skills. The school’s now has a multicultural policy that gives good guidance on the practice to be followed, however, it has yet to be implemented effectively.

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33. The school has very good systems for medium and short term planning. Schemes of work, many of them based upon national guidance, are now in place for almost all subjects. Much of this planning is of very good quality. Planning for science and physical education are particularly strong. However, in history, it is weaker because there is only limited emphasis upon the key elements of the subject. In design and technology, and geography there is too little guidance for teachers about what should be taught and when it should be taught. The school is aware that the long term planning still needs to be improved to create a more coherent framework.

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34. The curriculum is organised in units of work with subjects such as art and design, and design and technology alternating termly. Similarly, religious education and personal, social and health education, history and geography follow the same rotating pattern. However, on occasions there is uncertainty about the difference between the key objectives for these paired subjects and pupils are not clear what subject matter they are acquiring. The result is that, although pupils make good progress and achieve above average standards at the end of each unit of work, they do not have sufficient opportunities to practise and consolidate their prior learning in these subjects when they are not the focus of attention. This slows their progress over time and their achievements are not as high as they could be in non-core subjects, particularly in history, geography, and religious education. Monitoring systems have not been sufficiently rigorous to

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identify such inconsistencies or to check that the pupils have sufficient time to learn each subject. Furthermore, the impact of the curriculum cycle on pupils’ achievements in the non-core subjects is not being monitored sufficiently by co-ordinators to identify areas for improvement.

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35. In the Foundation Stage the curriculum is satisfactory but lacks planning that would give the nursery and reception classes continuity and cohesiveness. The curriculum provided in the reception class is good; this helps teaching to be focused well on key themes such as language development that are expressed though all the six areas of learning and as a consequence the children are beginning to make very good progress. However, in the nursery, the curriculum lacks these key themes, teaching is less effective and although children make satisfactory progress they could do better and achieve more.

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36. The overall weekly time provided for learning is less than average, especially for pupils in the juniors. However, time is used very well, lessons start promptly, they are not too long and many are conducted at a brisk pace. The lessons provide well for all pupils. Planning the learning for pupils with special educational needs and those with lower attainment is very good. Pupils are set tasks appropriate to their abilities in core subjects. The class teacher also takes the needs of these pupils into account in their planning, although in non-core subjects, pupils with special educational needs are sometimes not given appropriate work, although they do receive thoughtful and supportive extra adult help. Effective use is made of visiting special educational need specialists to support learning. The school tracks the progress made by groups of pupils with different attainment and is particularly keen to ensure that every pupil has an equal opportunity and is

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fully included in all the school’s work.

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37. In addition to the statutory curriculum, the school provides a sound range of extra-curricular activities for boys and girls. Pupils have appropriate opportunities to participate in competitive sports. Effective use is made of a swimming coach to improve pupils' water survival skills. Other activities encourage pupils to participate in non-sporting clubs such as a recorder, art, and information and technology clubs; this they do with enthusiasm. The school, with support from parent, organises a Saturday morning activities group in which large numbers of pupils actively participate. Parents’ concerns about lack of provision for pupils of the school’s age range are not justified. A number of visits are also made to places of educational interest and occasionally the school has visiting specialists, such as visiting musicians, who enrich the pupils’ experience. The schools own environment is also enriching with its award-winning sensory garden.

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38. The school provides effectively for pupils of all ages, gender, and ethnic diversity. The curriculum provides equality of access and opportunities for all pupils to make good progress in lessons. The school has an appropriate homework policy, which helps create opportunities for pupils to be supported by parents; it conforms with the recently published national guidance. The consistency of setting and marking of homework has been improved and is satisfactory.

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39. Parents are encouraged to help support pupils’ learning in school such as helping with swimming lesson and Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 16 with listening to pupils read. Teachers in training and students on work placement are appropriately accommodated. The school has good links with other local schools and institutions, for example the cluster of schools based on a local secondary school. These links help provide teachers with many ideas and comparisons and are used successfully to promote the professional development of the staff. This has helped, for example improve pupils’ achievements in information and communication technology. There is good liaison with the local middle schools and pupils visit to use their resources. This contributes to the smooth transition of pupils to the next stage of education.

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40. The provision for pupils’ personal, social, health education and citizenship is very good. The programme is flexible, which helps teachers to address topical and specific issues that appropriately interest the pupils. In addition, lessons in swimming are provided in which pupils with disabilities actively participate. The support these pupils receive from other pupils and adult helpers is excellent. The school includes appropriate sex education and follows the governors’ policy for this.

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41. Overall, provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Provision for spiritual development is at least satisfactory. Pupils’ spirituality is promoted appropriately through school assemblies, collective worship, and religious education lessons. Times for quiet reflection are given for pupils to consider personal and spiritual experiences such as in an assembly on the theme of a soldier’s experiences during the First World War. When singing hymns, they are encouraged to think about the deeper meanings of the words and how they relate to themselves. Religious education lessons are used appropriately to help pupils to gain a knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other major world faiths and to reflect on the values they teach such as in a lesson about Hindu and Christian festivals. The curriculum encourages pupils to develop an appreciation of the spiritual

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nature of music, art, and literature. Acts of collective worship now meet statutory requirements and this is an improvement since the last inspection.

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42. Provision for moral development is very good. Stories in assemblies, the use of class rules, and the underlying ethos of the school help to promote values such as fairness and respect. A positive discipline policy is in place, which rewards good conduct and there are clear expectations of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour from all staff, including lunchtime supervisors. Pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong and the school’s rules are discussed frequently and displayed prominently. Pupils are self-assured and will talk to adults during break times to seek their advice before disputes arise. When incidents happen, teachers help pupils through discussion to appreciate the effect their actions have on others. Teachers, and all other adults in the school, have excellent relationships with pupils and they provide good role models to which they can relate.

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43. Provision for social development is very good. All classes encourage their pupils to take responsibilities, for example in putting out and clearing away equipment, and taking registers to the office. Older pupils in Year 4 look after younger pupils during wet break times and others act as reading buddies to pupils in the infant classes, which they enjoy. A significant feature of many lessons is the way in which pupils cooperate and collaborate with each other, sharing ideas and resources in a mature manner. Good teamwork is encouraged in dance and games. Pupils show their concern about less fortunate people in the world by collecting for a number of charities both locally and internationally based. They regularly undertake tasks that promote the smooth running of the school and these encourage them to take responsibility, show initiative and develop an understanding of living in a community. Assemblies play an important part in the

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44. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils have a good introduction to their local heritage and culture through a series of local walks and visits. Music is used to explore the continents of Africa and Asia with drum and sitar recordings. The school library displays books and posters that reflect the diversity of cultures in our society. Through history and geography, pupils are beginning to develop an awareness of their own culture and visits are sometimes made to enrich this, for example to a local castle and further afield to London museums. The school’s multicultural policy gives good guidance on the practice to be followed, however, it has yet to be implemented effectively. It lacks an appropriate and comprehensive range of activities to help teachers raise pupils’ awareness of the richness and diversity of other cultures and has not improved since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. There are very good procedures for ensuring that pupils are safe and looked after well. Child protection arrangements are securely in place. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic progress are good. The school makes good use of its own, and Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 17 external, expertise in the teaching of healthy living.

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46. Pupils are provided with a very caring, happy and supportive learning environment. Parents are pleased with this and say that their children like school. The very good provision for pupils’ welfare and guidance identified in the last inspection report continues to be a strong feature of the school.

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47. Procedures for child protection are very good and well understood by staff. Teachers have undertaken training to ensure they are aware of the issues. Mid-day supervisors are well briefed when there may be concerns about a child. Links with outside agencies, such as school nursing, are very good. Governors are well informed about child protection legislation and supportive guidelines; they implement them effectively.

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48. The procedures for monitoring health and safety are very good. There are regular safety inspections and appropriate action is taken where necessary. The provision for pupil’s personal, social, and health education is very good. Effective first aid arrangements are in place for dealing with accidents and illness and there is a consistently very high standard of pastoral care. A healthy lifestyle is promoted well in lessons. Effective use is made of visiting health professionals to enhance pupils’ learning.

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49. Procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance and punctuality are good. Unexplained absences are followed up successfully, class attendance figures are closely monitored on a weekly basis and there is effective liaison with the education welfare service. Registers are kept well and meet statutory requirements. Very good arrangements for promoting high standards of behaviour, including measures to prevent bullying, have been developed after consultation with parents, staff, and the pupils. There are simple rules for the pupils, rewards for good behaviour and appropriate sanctions for dealing with misbehaviour. All staff throughout the school consistently apply these rules. Teachers and other adults in the school act as good role models for the pupils and this ensures that the expectation of good behaviour remains high. The active involvement of mid-day supervisors in the lunchtime supervision arrangements is an improvement since the

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50. The school has good procedures for tracking pupils’ personal and social development and is effective in the manner in which it sets targets for improvement. This has a positive impact on pupil’s learning and in actively involving the pupils in their own personal and social development. The personal support and guidance for pupils with special educational needs are dealt with sensitively and supportively. There are high levels of awareness among teachers and learning support assistants of the differing needs of these pupils. Other pupils give them constructive and appropriate support to help them feel valued members of the community. The arrangements for monitoring and promoting the progress of pupils towards the targets on their individual education plans are very good.

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51. Procedures for monitoring and assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good in the Foundation Stage of learning and in the infants and juniors for English, mathematics, and science. This is an improvement since the last inspection report. However, they are less well developed in other subjects.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The school has effective arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in the Foundation Stage, which includes the nursery and reception class. In the nursery, a profile of attainment on entry is completed quickly and pupils with special educational needs are identified and supported well from the earliest moment. All other pupils’ progress is tracked and developments recorded so that staff can give targeted support if necessary. In the reception class, a baseline assessment of attainment before statutory education begins is made; this provides good information for planning learning and for determining when children are ready to start the National Curriculum programmes of study.

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53. The school makes good provision for assessments in English, mathematics and science in the infants and juniors. Twice yearly assessment data is used well to measure pupils’ progress for their baseline assessments and to judge whether they need additional support. The results of the National Curriculum tests are analysed carefully and the information is used well to group pupils by their prior attainment, particularly in mathematics in Years 3 and 4. The additional support provided for pupils who need to catch up in English and mathematics before they go to their middle school is effective.

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54. Pupils who are identified as having special needs or with lower attainment are provided with additional support from appropriately trained classroom assistants. Class teachers and learning support assistants plan an effective programme of literacy support and weekly assessments help them evaluate the impact of the work on pupils’ progress. This is successfully improving these pupils’ self-esteem and confidence. They are making good progress, particularly in improving their literacy and numeracy skills. Provision for higher attaining pupils is also planned through a similar process, this is helping improve setting arrangements and has contributed significantly to improving the proportion of pupils achieving higher levels of performance in Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 18 English and mathematics since the last inspection report.

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55. The system for target setting is well established. The pupils know what their individual subject targets are, this helps them assess their own progress and what they need to do to improve and achieve them. Targets are changed regularly when pupils and staff judge that they have been achieved. The information that is gathered by teachers from monitoring pupils‘ progress is used well to inform the planning of the next stage of learning.

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56. Teachers’ meet regularly together to assess the outcomes of learning and the standards achieved by a scrutiny of pupils’ English, mathematics and science books. This process also helps them to identify unexpected gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding; medium-term planning is then adjusted well to take account of these judgements. This very positive picture for assessment in core subjects is not replicated for other subjects where assessment is generally of work covered rather than of learning outcomes.

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57. Procedures for monitoring and assessing pupils’ progress in other subjects is not as firmly established. The school is aware of the need to develop this aspect of its provision to meet the requirements of Curriculum 2000. In some subjects, for example in art and design, history and geography, work in books covers more than one year but there was no evidence of this information being collected and analysed to check progress over time. While the work produced by pupils offers good evidence of progress for annual reports to parents, curriculum planning is not informed by this process and assessment of the range and quality of particular subjects are not undertaken. For example, inspection evidence shows that pupils’ good literacy skills are not always being used for writing in history and in other subjects. This is therefore a lost opportunity. Insufficient attention has been given to developing an appropriate assessment system for the two-year cycle

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of work in Years 3 and 4 to avoid gaps in coverage or repetition of work for particular groups of pupils and to raise standards in the non-core subjects.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. Parents believe Oulton Broad is a good school. Overall, the majority of parents are very happy with what the school provides and achieves. They feel that their children progress, reach acceptable standards, and behave well. Since the last inspection, parents’ expectations have changed and a growing minority of parents are now insistent that information about pupils’ progress and the curriculum should be regular and up-to-date; the school, currently, does not always meet this demand. Many wish to have more advanced notice about events. Homework, according to a minority of parents, is not consistently given in accordance with the school’s policy; this concern has yet to be addressed by the school. The inspection findings, however, do not confirm parents’ perceptions that extra-curricular activities offered by the school are insufficient.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The school is continually seeking more ways of actively involving parents in the education of their children. The amount of curriculum information now provided by the school for parents is an improvement since the last inspection, but parents request even more information, particularly about their children’s progress. The vast majority of parents attend consultation evenings and a dedicated group of them help in school by listening to pupils and participating in educational visits. A small group of parents provide very good support for pupils learning to swim. Many parents support their children’s learning at home and value the use of homework diaries to communicate with the teacher when they have concerns. There is a very active parent teacher association that has increased its range of activities since the last inspection. It now raises significant amounts of money each year that is spent appropriately on learning resources and the funding of

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school trips, when necessary. This is making a significant impact on pupils’ education.

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60. Overall, the quality and quantity of information for parents is satisfactory. Annual reports are well presented, giving parents good information about their child’s attainment and progress and identifying targets for the next year. Parents value highly the opportunity to discuss the report with the class teacher before the end of the summer term. Curriculum evenings and the availability of staff at the beginning and end of the day to discuss any problems provide parents with very good opportunities to discuss any concerns they have. In addition, newsletters, a detailed prospectus, and a very useful information pack for parents of children starting school are helping to improve communications with parents.

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61. Parents of pupils who are experiencing learning difficulties are informed at an early stage and are provided regularly with information about the progress of their child. Parents are always fully involved in any of the review procedures and are provided with information on how they can help their child. Ninety three per cent of the parents, who returned their questionnaire, said they find the staff approachable. Parents are confident Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 19 that any concerns that they have will be listened to and acted upon. The induction procedures when pupils start school are good.

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62. Overall, the school does not monitor the effectiveness of its communications with parents. There are no systems for checking that the information distributed arrives at home. These shortcomings are reflected in the perception of significant minority of parents that communication with them is not always effective.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher are very good. He is supported well by the deputy headteacher who is an outstanding teacher. Together they set high standards and lead by example. Their evaluation of the school’s performance identifies accurately its strengths and weakness. The headteacher has a very clear view of how he wants the school to develop. This is conveyed to staff and they share his commitment to providing top quality education for pupils. The school’s aims are met very well. The headteacher has high expectations of staff and provides them with positive and constructive advice on their performance. Very good teamwork, effective planning, and clarity of purpose are exemplified in the high expectation that staff have of pupils and in the stimulating environment that supports learning. Coordinators are working hard to develop their subjects. They recognise the strengths and weaknesses in their areas of

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responsibility and give effective advice, support, and guidance to their colleagues such as in English, mathematics, and science.

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64. The governing body shares and affirms the headteacher’s plans for the future educational direction of the school, is fully aware of its strengths and weaknesses and takes effective action to bring about improvements. The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities and all relevant requirements are met. They work effectively through appropriate committees. Governors are well informed, interested and enthusiastic about the school. They fulfil their role as critical friend effectively, particularly when monitoring the school’s performance. Governors with specific responsibilities for the curriculum, numeracy, literacy and special educational needs visit the school regularly and have very good working relationships with the teachers and pupils. Parent governors are particularly effective and gain valuable insight into the working of the school while supporting pupils’ learning. This has helped governors acquire better knowledge about the

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problems the school experiences, for example the need to improve provision for information and communication technology and storage space.

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65. All staff and governors are involved in the process of identifying priority areas for improvement, based on a careful analysis of the current situation. The school development plan is constructed well and clearly identifies costs, training needs, and success criteria to bring about continuous improvement over the next two years. A system for target setting is well established. It involves all staff in analysing pupils’ strengths and weaknesses and in identifying what pupils need to work on to make further improvements. The headteacher and key members of staff have developed good analysis of test results and a detailed system of tracking the attainment of individual pupils. This has enabled the school to identify pupils’ writing and the performance of boys in reading as areas for improvement. Challenging targets have been set for cohorts of pupils and many teachers set class and individual targets, particularly in core subjects. Teachers are

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constantly striving to raise pupils’ levels of achievement. In addition, the analysis provides a secure framework upon which the school can plan effectively and judge value for money.

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66. The headteacher and key staff regularly and rigorously monitor the quality of teaching and learning by direct classroom observation. This very good level of quality control is effective in planning for improvement and in helping to maintain the overall ethos of the school. Subject coordinators are beginning to sample pupils’ work across the school in order to gain a better understanding of pupils’ levels of attainment and what needs to be improved. Together with the headteacher, they have set realistic and challenging targets for improvement for their areas of responsibility. However, subject coordinators have insufficient opportunities to develop their monitoring skill and to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning.

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67. There are very good procedures in place for introducing new staff to the policies and routines of the school. A newly qualified teacher receives strong and appropriate professional support from an experienced teacher colleague in addition to the training provided by the local education authority. Very good systems are in place for appraisal and performance management; this is an improvement since the last inspection. The professional development of staff is very good. National funds for this purpose are used well. Teachers and non-teaching staff are regularly included in training aimed at improving school performance. The training in literacy and numeracy, for example, has had and continues to have a significant impact of raising standards.

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68. The leadership and management of special educational needs are good and the school is well prepared for Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 20 changes soon to take place nationally. The school also provides a suitable education for occasional pupils with specific learning needs because of the open and inclusive attitudes that are prevalent. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and the funds available are used effectively; including money made available from the school’s main budget. The headteacher acts as the special educational needs coordinator but recognising the restriction on his time to undertake this work, he has prudently engaged the services of a specialist teacher to carry out some of the functions of this role. The appropriate code of practice is met fully. A minority of the targets set in pupils’ individual education plans are often too general and do not give sufficient guidance to teachers on what has to be achieved. The visiting specialist teacher provides a regular

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and helpful service for parents wishing to discuss the provision for their children and the progress made as part of the annual review. The involvement of all staff in planning together for these pupils is a very good feature of provision as is the early identification of individual needs. Several of the support staff have had specific training to help these pupils and this has been effective in improving the pupils’ self esteem and their achievements, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Overall, provision has improved since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. Teachers are well qualified and sufficient in number to provide a good education for the pupils. Currently, there is limited expertise among staff to teach music and design and technology to match the demands of these subjects. In the nursery, there is an imbalance in provision of teachers and nursery nurses to meet the full range of leaning experiences, particularly in afternoon sessions. The learning support staff are experienced and knowledgeable; they have a very good level of expertise and give the pupils in their care effective support and guidance. Provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship is very good, it is coordinated well and is rapidly becoming a strength of the school. The accommodation is very good. The school building is welcoming, spacious and provides a pleasant environment in which to work. The building is well maintained and kept in a very clean condition. Outside the grounds are very pleasant and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

attractive with a good number of designated play-areas for the children, as well as places for quiet reflection and relaxation such as the sensory garden. The school has a good range of learning resources. The computer area is developing well, is used effectively and pupils’ achievements are improving rapidly. The number and variety of library books to support the curriculum have been increased and this is an improvement since the previous inspection.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Financial control and administration are very good. A recent audit carried out by the local education authority found the financial systems sound with some excellent features. The minor recommendations made have all been implemented. The school has effective and efficient working practices to plan, manage, and monitor its finances. The budget is firmly linked to the school development plan and reflects well the educational needs of the pupils. Records of financial decisions are accurate and clear. Specific grants received by the school are used for the purposes for which they are intended and there is a detailed record of how the money has been spent. The school successfully applies the principles of best value well. It analyses its performance using national and local data to evaluate the standards that pupils are achieving and to identify areas for improvement. The school makes good use of information and communication technology to improve its

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

administration, appropriate records are computerised and are kept well. The school continues to seek good value for money when purchasing resources and services.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. At the time of the last inspection, the school was giving sound value for money. Pupils’ achievements are now well above average and their attitudes, values and personal development are very good. The quality of education provided, particularly teaching is good and often very good. The leadership and management of the school are very good. Pupils’ personal circumstances and their prior attainment are broadly in line with national expectations, but unit costs are above average for a school of this size. Overall, the school is very effective and gives good value for money. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 21

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

72. The school is pursuing the correct priorities in order to raise standards. Within the context of high standards and good teaching, particularly in English, mathematics and science, the school should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q improve pupils’ achievement in the non-core subjects and the Foundation Stage of learning to raise standards further by: • developing coordinators’ monitoring skills and providing them with more opportunities to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and the standards achieved in their subjects and to share with staff the insights gained; • improving the assessment of pupils’ achievement and use this information to identify more clearly the learning objectives for the next stage of teaching; • improving the tracking of children’s learning experiences in the Foundation Stage of learning and take action when imbalances are identified; • identifying more clearly the opportunities provided for pupils to develop independent learning skills and to evaluate the progress made; • monitoring the use of information and communication technology to support learning and take appropriate action when shortcomings are identified;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Discussed in paragraphs 3, 32, 33, 34, 51, 56, 57, 66, 86, 88, 92, 93, 100, 105, 111, 121, and 123)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q improve the coordination of the curriculum for the foundation stage of learning and deploy teaching and learning support staff more effectively; (Discussed in paragraphs 25 and 35)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q improve the effectiveness of communication with parents by: • developing a regular timetable for disseminating information, with appropriate checks; • increasing the frequency of information about the curriculum to be followed by their children, with appropriate checks; • improving the timing of communications so that parents are given more advanced notice about events. (Discussed in paragraphs 58, 60, and 62)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q In addition, the governing body should consider the following area for inclusion in their action plan: • provide more regular opportunities for pupils to practise and consolidate their knowledge in non-core subjects, particularly in history, geography and religious education; (Discussed in paragraphs 33, 34, 57, 115 to 117 and 121) • complete the implementation of the multicultural policy and improve the planning of appropriate learning experiences; (Discussed in paragraphs 32, 44, 77 and 120) • provide training in the teaching of music where required. (Discussed in paragraphs 21, 79 and 124 to 127) Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 22

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 50

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 19 188

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 31

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR– Y4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 26

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 20

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 23

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 27 10 37

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 26 26 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 9

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (87) 95 (86) 95 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 84(83) 94(84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 25 26 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 9

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (96) 95 (98) 95 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 94 (88)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 24

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.0 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.9

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total income 454975

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 452644

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 149 Expenditure per pupil (based on 224 pupils) 2020

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 3619

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 5950

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 12.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 25

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 52 45 2 0 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 47 0 0 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 42 10 2 8

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 39 35 22 4 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 23 2 2 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 66 31 1 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 35 48 14 1 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 53 37 1 0 9

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 51 40 0 0 9

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 44 24 16 10 5

p.25

Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

All significant issues raised by parents are included in the parents’ summary in the report. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. The Foundation Stage consists of the nursery, offering part-time places for 39 places, and a reception class, which at this time of the academic year has 12 pupils; this will increase with a second intake in the new year. The provision has been improved since the previous inspection by the addition of a part-time nursery. The part-time nursery provision is divided between morning and afternoon sessions. Current staffing constraints mean that there is an unequal distribution of pupils between the two sessions. This has serious implications on the curriculum opportunities for outdoor play, particularly for the children attending in the afternoon.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. Baseline assessment made six weeks into the reception year indicates that pupils enter the class with typical levels of attainment. Inspection evidence indicated that children make at least satisfactory progress in the nursery and that attainment is likely to be below the expected level when they first join the nursery class. Overall, children make at least good progress in the Foundation Stage, particularly in the reception class, where children are encouraged to explore and investigate their environment. These children are making rapid progress toward achieving the Early Learning Goals in all the six areas of learning by the end of the year.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. Overall, provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. The opportunities that are provided offer a secure foundation for future learning in the infants. The emphasis on early play experiences helps bridge the gap between home and school and planned activities take due regard of the stepping stones guidance as children progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching in the nursery is at least satisfactory and children make sound progress. Teaching in the reception is good and this has a very positive effect on children’s learning. Therefore, most children achieve well and by the time that they move into the infants they have made significant gains in their learning.

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Personal, social and emotional development

76. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority. By the time they reach the end of the reception year, most children attain the early learning goals and a small number of them are attaining above this level. Children enjoy coming to school and respond well to the rules and routines of nursery and school life. They are eager to learn new skills and good opportunities for role-play allow them to explore new ideas and social interaction in a safe environment. Boys and girls, for example, demonstrate an understanding of domestic routines in home corner play and a developing awareness of social conventions. In outdoor play in the nursery, children share decisions about the layout of the play environment, for example when arranging the traffic lights and zebra crossings to present challenges for those riding tricycles. Children are also learning about social responsibilities in relationships and the importance of friendship. Teachers’

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Personal, social and emotional development

place good emphasis on helping children to develop an understanding of appropriate behaviour and what is right and wrong. They sensitively explain to children the consequences of their actions, encouraging them to consider the feelings of others and to say sorry when necessary.

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Personal, social and emotional development

77. Occasionally in the nursery, it was clear that while activities were planned well to engage the children’s interest there was not enough discussion with adults. The children are not always given sufficient opportunity to talk about their impressions, the overall impact of the experience is not always fully explored, and opportunities are lost to develop language skills. Children are learning to share, take turns, and work together in a variety of situations such as when exploring the reaction of water under pressure in the wet area. Staff act as good role-models, working well together and respecting each other; pupils respond well and emulate these interactions in their own social behaviour. Children are beginning to make connections between different parts of their life experiences and through talk are often able to share them with each other. However, there was little evidence of children being given opportunities to explore the diverse cultural

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Personal, social and emotional development

and linguistic experiences in their immediate community.

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Communication, language and literacy

78. The provision for communication, language, and literacy is good. Children have very good opportunities to talk, raise questions, follow an interest, and make connections between different aspects of their learning. Activities to improve speaking and listening skills are planned well, for example when children were decorating biscuits or cooking potatoes for a firework party, they discussed what they were doing and speculated about finished products. Children are keen to describe or represent meaning through drawings Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 27 and paintings such as when they explored a topic on travel. Children enjoy story-time and are able to predict what might happen. The use of a story box with visual props helps them recall the detail of the story Whatever Next? In the reception class, cut-out figures and models are used well to help pupils retell a story. Displays of children’s’ work are labelled and the children are keen to read the ones they recognise. They are

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

aware of their own names and are beginning to write them. Children are learning to recognise the names and sounds of particular letters. The teaching of language and literacy is good. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of how to improve children’s literacy skills. However, during the inspection, children were not often observed choosing a book to read to themselves or with adults. There are few opportunities for them to curl up with a book or look through a non-fiction text for information. The book areas in both classrooms are used more for the storage of books rather than a genuine invitation to read. The majority of children are well on course to attain the early learning goals or better by the end of the reception year.

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Mathematical development

79. Children make good progress in mathematics. In the nursery, children are beginning to acquire a sound knowledge of numbers and of measuring such as when they weigh out ingredients to make biscuits or create repeating patterns in art. By the time they reach the end of the reception year, most children attain the early learning goals and a small number of them are attaining above this level. Children, particularly in the reception class, are becoming competent in using and talking about numbers. They demonstrate very good early skills in number recognition and using number facts, in counting on and back and ordering numbers. Children are become increasingly skilled in adding one more, taking one away and recognising numbers from the layout of dots on a dice or a game board. The number activities planned are enjoyable and are linked to other areas of experience; this gives additional opportunities for the children to develop number

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Mathematical development

skills. They show curiosity about numbers and are beginning to use mathematical vocabulary appropriately, for example in the reception class when they moved up and down a carpet ladder, following instructions of less than and more than their current position. Children are also using the language of comparison in their play such as when making a tower taller than the one that is already completed. Overall, the quality of teaching and provision is good.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

80. Children make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world and have attained the expected early learning goals by the end of the reception year. Teachers plan and provide a wide range of experiences for the children, many of which link with their special occasions, for example bonfire night and investigation of their local environment. In the nursery, through play activities, they learn about the properties of sand, water and play-dough and how to use appropriate vocabulary to describe them. In the reception class, children enjoyed investigating the sounds in the environment. They noted the noise of the train as it passed over the level crossing. Children noticed the sound of the wind as it blew through the autumn trees, which still had their leaves in place and compared them with those that had lost their leaves. In the reception class, children compared the noises made by splashing puddles and rubbing the nylon sleeves of their

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

anoraks together. The teacher interacted well with the children to develop their vocabulary, raised questions to help move their thinking forward and to encourage the use of their imagination. The children enjoy the early introduction to using information and communication technology for painting pictures and matching activities as part of their mathematical development.

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Physical development

81. The development of children’s physical skills, including the manipulative skills of painting, cutting and gluing is good. By the end of the reception year, children’s attainment is in line with early learning goals with some attaining higher levels of performance. The nursery has a good outdoor play area with scope for children to climb, jump and balance. In physical education lessons, they develop their sense of balance; controlling their movements effectively and using surrounding space with due regard for others. Children are encouraged to ride tricycles and other wheeled toys with increasing demands on control. They manoeuvre well around planned obstacles and obey road signs most of the time. Children are developing their skills in handling tools, construction toys and malleable materials. They are beginning to use information and technology equipment, including taped stories with junction box and earphones. Children are becoming increasingly

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Physical development

skilled in using a computer mouse to move and draw objects on the screen. They are able to use the equipment in the imaginative play areas with appropriate actions demonstrating dexterity and good understanding of purpose and function. Children demonstrate excellent control in constructing a tower of blocks, understanding the need for greater levels of care as the tower got higher. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 28

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Creative development

82. Children are offered a good range of creative activities, expressing themselves through art, imaginative play, stories and songs. They are able to draw showing good detail because of good observational skills. Children enjoy paintings such as when printing wheels on their train with cotton reels. Children are able to use a wide range of techniques and materials and are able to use tools well, for example glue-spreaders and printing blocks. A highlight for many children is the shared activities of making and cooking together. The children behave responsibly and reliably when undertaking such tasks. The outdoor environment is used well to develop children’s learning, particularly to develop their literacy, numeracy and scientific skills.

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ENGLISH

83. The standards attained are well above average by the end of Year 4. Overall, teaching is good, often very good, and pupils make good progress; this is an improvement since the last inspection. The results of the National Curriculum tests 2001 for pupils at the end of Year 2 showed that standards were well above the national average in reading and writing; they were also well above average when compared with schools that have a similar intake. The proportion of pupils achieving high standards was well above average in reading and above average in writing. Between 1997 and 2001, test results improved at a rate faster than schools nationally. Girls achieved higher standards than boys in reading and writing. Overall, girls have maintained high standards over time. However, boys have improved their performance and achieved some of their best results in the 2001 tests, particularly in reading. When judged against baseline assessment of pupils’

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ENGLISH

performance before they reach statutory school age, progress is very good. This improvement is the result of the quality of teaching that pupils experience, including high teacher expectations, careful assessment and target-setting procedures The literacy action plan has been very effective in raising standards; it includes an intervention strategy to assist pupils with special educational need. Work in classrooms is supported well by classroom assistants trained to provide additional literacy support. They plan work with teachers and share a common commitment to raising standards, which has a very positive impact on pupils’ achievements. Overall, this is a significant improvement since the last Inspection when standards were in line with the national average. Inspection evidence indicates that currently attainments in Year 2 are good and pupils are likely to attain well above average standards in 2002.

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ENGLISH

84. Achievements in speaking and listening are good. Pupils are encouraged to talk and discuss using their own experience and previous learning to bring understanding to the texts they are studying, for example, in “A Noise in the Night”. They are able to speculate about how the story might develop from their experience of similar texts. In Year 2, pupils discussed feelings about being left out, about rivalry between sisters and action taken to resolve the problem. They are alert to other possibilities and listen attentively to other pupils’ contributions to the discussion. They reflect on issues raised in their reading, using appropriate vocabulary such as author, narrator, punctuation, and synopsis. The teachers’ good questioning enables them to discuss meanings beyond the literal, for example, why a very tall clown on stilts could hear but not see a child shouting up at him. In a Years 3 and 4 lesson, pupils demonstrate good speaking and listening skills

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ENGLISH

when contributing to discussions about what they have learnt at the end of lessons. They are also able to plan constructive comments, rehearsing what they will say and how they will express the collective view. This offers support for less experienced and confident pupils, giving them a chance to be fully involved in the lesson. For example, pupils discuss different poetic styles and formats in the animal poetry they are studying. By working together, they are able to draw on each other’s ideas and have more opportunity to talk within the group before sharing their comments with the rest of the class. In a Remembrance Day assembly, pupils’ listened well and were spellbound at a wartime story about a pet grieving for its owner who was lost, presumed dead, in battle. In another assembly, they were alert to the teachers’ deliberate “forgetfulness” and departure from usual routines and enjoyed this humorous preamble to an important theme about keeping

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ENGLISH

85. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading are well above average. A high percentage of pupils read fluently and accurately, using punctuation to bring expression to their reading. They are able to extract meaning, for example from the use of exclamation and question marks, and in their reading bring appropriate expression to dialogue and linking narrative. Pupils are developing good awareness of the sounds of letters and use this knowledge well when reading. They use self-correcting strategies when the text does not make sense and can bring good expression to a repeated refrain to add drama to the story. Pupils understand that an exclamation can be whispered as well as shouted to bring subtle meaning to texts. They are alert to features of texts, which help them with meaning such as the capital letters of Venus Flytrap that indicate to one pupil that this is the plant’s name. Following a lesson on compound words, Year 2 pupils are alert to

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ENGLISH

any they find in their reading book. One pupil was particularly proud of finding three words in “highwaymen”, while another considers “families” and rejects it against the criteria for analysing compound words. In Years Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 29 3 and 4, pupils are keen to predict likely outcome in story extracts and recognise different text types from their style and layout. They recognise the language used for first person narration and literary language such as my heart stopped beating, to bring drama to a text. Older pupils are able successfully to identify poetic arrangements, for example verses, rhyming patterns and dramatic repetition in the poetry they read.

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ENGLISH

86. Standards in writing are well above average. Pupils are aware of conventions in texts, for example how to lay out a dialogue in a play script without speech punctuation, contrasting this with direct speech in their English language work and stories. They are able to bring additional levels of meaning to texts with appropriate use of tenses and are learning rules for changing endings to express different times. Pupils are developing a good free-flowing cursive hand, which allows them to concentrate on ideas and the development of a story rather than on letter construction. The scrutiny of pupils’ books shows they take pride in their work, adopting the conventional use of headings, sub-headings and layout for specific texts, for example when writing a letter. They use punctuation well to identify dialogue and can set out ideas within a paragraph. However, the scrutiny of workbooks also indicates that pupils do not have opportunities to use

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ENGLISH

writing to reflect on their own experiences or to argue a case from a personal viewpoint; this limits their ability to develop independent learning skills and is unsatisfactory. In Years 3 and 4, pupils’ writing is lively and thoughtful and they make good progress in building on their prior attainments. They are beginning to choose words more adventurously, spelling is usually accurate, and handwriting and the presentation of their work are of good quality. Many pupils are on course to achieve well above average standards by the end of the year.

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ENGLISH

87. The quality of teaching and learning is good; it is often very good or excellent. Teachers have a very good working knowledge of the National Literacy Strategy. Teachers identify appropriately challenging learning objectives from the scheme of work, progressively building up pupils’ knowledge, and understanding and basic skills of literacy. Teachers’ have high expectations, which they share with the pupils, identifying clearly what they expect them to achieve by the end of the lesson. This is often highly motivating, encouraging pupils to work hard to achieve this target. Teachers use effective methods to teach reading and writing such as shared and guided reading and writing. The teaching of spelling is good, with pupils building up a good personal vocabulary through appropriate homework tasks and word lists. Teachers record carefully pupils’ progress in reading and use the information well so that when pupils regularly change their

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ENGLISH

books they do so at the correct level of difficulty. Teachers’ assessment of writing through marking is inconsistent and often over-generalised. Although it is positive it does not give pupils enough information on how to improve their work or what in their current work is good. Assessment information is used well to inform planning and to group pupils by their prior attainment for teaching in Years 3 and 4; these arrangements have had a positive impact on the standards achieved. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in language activities. They receive very good support from teachers and learning support assistants. There is generally a good match between the work set for these pupils and their prior attainment, which enables them to make good progress in most lessons.

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ENGLISH

88. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The coordinator and senior management team, analyse pupils’ assessment regularly in order to set individual and class targets and to inform medium-term planning. In this way, the school is able to intervene to help pupils make better than expected progress, for example by implementing a flexible setting arrangement and by deploying support staff more effectively. The implementation of the literacy action plan for 2002 has already had a significant impact on standards. Its provision for catch-up support has been successfully linked to class teachers’ medium and short term planning. In this way, the school’s overall target for helping every pupil reach the expected level in reading and writing is likely to be achieved. Teachers have good opportunities to discuss with the senior management team the progress being made towards achieving the targets. In addition, these discussions

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ENGLISH

have helped to develop a consistent approach to planning and assessment in all classes. Resources for learning, particularly books, are or good quality and are used well. The library is attractively organised and offering pupils a real invitation to read. Some books reflect the diverse community of modern Britain. However, library facilities do not yet offer pupils opportunities to develop personal study skills using information and communication technology or for reference work. Pupils’ literacy skills are used well to improve learning in other subjects, particularly when recording accurately the results of investigations in science.

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MATHEMATICS

89. The standards attained are well above average by the end of Year 4, teaching is good and pupils make good progress. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. Standards, progress, the quality of teaching, and the use of assessment have improved since the last inspection. The 2001 National Curriculum test results for pupils at the end of Year 2 were above the Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 30 national average; they are also above average when compared with schools that have a similar intake. The proportion of pupils achieving high standards is average. Between 1997 and 2001, test results have been improving at a rate faster than schools nationally. Although the girls have improved performance more than the boys have, the difference in the performance of the genders is negligible.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The Year 4 pupils use an appropriate range of methods for calculating numbers and they know several of the multiplication tables. They can double and halve numbers well. Throughout the school, pupils have a particularly good understanding of algebra and the rules that govern the number system. High attaining pupils of Year 4 used algebraic notation to explain their answers and the processes they had used. They have a developing knowledge about the perimeter and area of simple shapes. Most pupils have a sound knowledge of place value and have an understanding of measuring length and capacity and the use of money. In a lesson for pupils of Year 2, the higher attaining pupils were adept at explaining, for example, why 502 is larger than 493. Most pupils can recognise multiples of 2s, 5s, and 10s, and some know the differences between odd and even numbers. They can name and recognise some two and three-dimensional

p.30

MATHEMATICS

shapes such as squares, rectangles, triangles, cubes and cones. Pupils understand phrases such as half, double, more and less than, and are beginning to estimate with reasonable accuracy. They apply themselves well to the tasks set and respond enthusiastically to questions. Pupils are confident and work constructively together; they are keen to share their answers to problems. An appropriate and balanced range of mathematical topics is covered, but there is little evidence of information and communication technology skills being used to extend mathematical skills.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Pupils have very good attitudes toward the subject. They show this by their willingness to answer questions and to display their calculations on small individual boards in mental numeracy sessions. Many pupils say it is their favourite subject and have a quiet confidence about showing others their work. The numeracy lessons are successful in creating positive attitudes to the subject and making it interesting. This helps the pupils to persevere and concentrate well. These attitudes are shared by all pupils, including those with low attainment or special educational needs. In lessons, the pupils’ behaviour is usually good and this enables them to listen to instructions and gain from each other’s views. Work in a majority of the pupils’ books is neat and usually well presented. In some year groups, there has been some interesting homework given which has been completed appropriately.

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MATHEMATICS

92. Teaching and learning are good and pupils make good progress. In a good proportion of the lessons, teaching is enthusiastic and explanations are based on a sound knowledge of the subject and of pupils’ common errors and misconceptions. Planning is good and follows the guidance of the National Numeracy Strategy and this helps most lessons to be of good pace and interesting. The work set meets the differing needs of the pupils. Work for pupils of different attainment is usually planned appropriately and the objectives of the lessons are shared with the pupils. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in numeracy activities. They receive very good support from teachers and learning support assistants. There is generally a good match between the work set for these pupils and their prior attainment, which enables them to make good progress in most lessons. In Years 3 and 4, groups of pupils

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MATHEMATICS

of similar attainment are formed for teaching; this organisation has helped raise standards and higher attaining pupils are challenged well. Sometimes teachers do not question pupils sufficiently to check their understanding of mathematical ideas but their questions in whole class sessions often require pupils to reflect before answering. There is some inconsistency in marking with few comments that offer pupils advice about how they can improve. Some pupils receive additional support in withdrawn groups by well-trained class assistants These arrangements has been effective in raising achievement although the methods used sometimes lack interest. Regular assessments are made of the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. In a minority of lessons, the teachers do not match the work well to the pupils’ real understanding.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Overall, the curriculum is well planned and takes good account of the key objectives outlined in the National Numeracy Framework. The co-ordinator has successfully led many initiatives to improve the subject since the last inspection. Test results are analysed well and used by the coordinator to develop an overview of the standards achieved in the subject. The action plan for developing the subject is good and shows a clear knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject. It has helped with the further training of teachers in formal meetings and through informal advice. The school is aware that the next stage of development is to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and to integrate information technology into the curriculum. Pupils’ numeracy skills are used well to improve learning in other subjects, particularly in handling data collected to investigations in science. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 31

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SCIENCE

94. The standards achieved are well above average by the end of Year 4, teaching is often very good and pupils make good progress. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. Standards, progress, the quality of teaching, and the use of assessment have improved since the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

95. Teacher assessments for 2001 showed the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level by the end of Year 2 was close to the national average with above average numbers of pupils achieving the higher levels. Current inspection evidence indicates that this rising trend in attainment has been maintained, and that by the end of the infants, the majority of pupils will be above average with many achieving even higher levels of performance. This is an overall improvement since the last inspection. The school has made changes to the teaching and learning in the subject with better planning, more specialist teaching, and greater emphasis being given to experimental and investigative science. These are already beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ achievements. Teacher assessments for Years 3 and 4 show that standards are likely to be well above average, with experimental and investigative science being a particular strength. The findings of the

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SCIENCE

96. The good start that pupils make in the reception classes is built upon in Year 1, where pupils study materials successfully. They are able to sort a range of materials according to a variety of properties such as smooth or rough, soft or hard and strong or weak. In Year 2, pupils make very good progress in being able to describe how the processes of heating and cooling change materials. Higher attaining pupils are developing an understanding about which reactions are reversible and those that are not, for example heating wood under controlled conditions, and chocolate, and then cooling them down. Lower and middle attaining pupils work hard, are challenged by the tasks that are set, and achieve higher than expected standards. By the end of the Year 2, the majority of pupils are able to identify the habitats for different creatures and classify living and non-living things. They know about floating or sinking, and can describe the use of

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SCIENCE

97. Pupils in the juniors continue to develop their knowledge and understanding. In Years 3 and 4, pupils make very good progress in sorting and classifying different types of rock. They discuss with confidence their findings correctly using scientific and geographical vocabulary such as permeable and semi-permeable, sedimentary and igneous rock. All pupils show increasing skill in using hand lenses and a computer- assisted microscope to identify the different structures of granite, limestone, slate, sandstone and marble. Higher attaining pupils achieve well above average standards when predicting, observing, comparing and interpreting the results of their investigations such as when studying the effect of acid on samples different rocks. Scrutiny of previous work shows that their knowledge and understanding of living things, electricity, light, and sound are above average. All pupils have an improving knowledge of what constitutes a fair test,

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SCIENCE

particularly higher attaining pupils who were encouraged to think and behave like scientists.

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SCIENCE

98. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in science activities. They receive very good support from teachers and learning support assistants as well as their fellow pupils. There is generally a good match between the work set for these pupils and their prior attainment, which enables them to make good progress in most lessons.

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SCIENCE

99. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is very good. This is a major improvement since the last inspection, particularly in the juniors. The great majority of pupils respond well to this good teaching. They listen well when teachers are giving information and instructions, and are eager to show their knowledge by answering questions. Lessons are very well planned with clear learning objectives, which are shared well with the pupils at the start of the lesson. This helps them work productively and at a brisk pace such as in investigative work in a Year 2 lesson about materials and their properties. In Years 3 and 4, the teacher demonstrated very good subject knowledge when helping pupils to improve their investigations about the properties of rocks. This very good knowledge is used particularly well to target questions carefully so that all groups of pupils are able to answer and take an active part in the lesson. Excellent use is made of

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SCIENCE

resources to interest and enthuse the pupils, particularly when using the computer-assisted microscope. The use of the scientific expertise of a learning support assistant to challenge and extend the thinking of higher attaining pupils is excellent. The teacher actively encouraged all pupils to use scientific language correctly and apply their literacy and numeracy skill when recording results and writing conclusions.

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SCIENCE

100. The leadership and management of the subject are very good. The coordinator and other members of staff have very good subject knowledge, are enthusiastic and therefore standards are rising rapidly. Short and medium planning are very good; this has helped raise the quality of teaching and in particular gives newly qualified and supply teachers considerable support so their pupils achieve well. Science is taught well in Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 32 blocks of time, however, the lack of regular revision lessons means that pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise and consolidate their previously acquired knowledge, skills and understanding. For example, aspects of electricity in Year 3 are not built upon when pupils are in Year 4. Resources for learning are used effectively and well-targeted staff training has increased teachers’ confidence, especially when teaching investigative science. However, more opportunities need to be given to help pupils develop the own

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SCIENCE

experiments. The use of information and communication technology, literacy and numeracy skills to support scientific learning is very good.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Overall, pupils make good progress and achieve better than expected standards by the end of Years 2 and 4, this is an improvement since the last inspection. In the infants, pupils gain a broad experience of art, including drawing, painting, printing, three-dimensional modelling, textile and collage work. They look critically at the work of artists and craftspeople, for example the sculptor’s work in the entrance hall and Paul Klee’s paintings. Pupils use these examples as starting points for their own experimentation such as when weaving with natural materials, and painting with texture and muted tones.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. By the end of Year 2, pupils achieve above average standards and make better than expected progress. Work on display shows good standards of achievement in painting, weaving, closely observed drawing and printing. They achieve good results in their work modelled on Paul Klee’s paintings. Pupils show good control of the medium, with appropriate attention to colour tone and experimentation with texture. They use printing techniques to achieve multi-level design and show very good observation skills when drawing from still life. Pupils use a camera technique to focus on the texture of skin and employ a range of colour mixing techniques to achieve subtlety of colour. The close observation that pupils made of the cross-section of fruit helped them achieve high standards in their finished drawings. They enjoy the process of evaluating their work and show good judgement when indicating areas for improvement. In Year 4, pupils are encouraged to

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ART AND DESIGN

use a sketchbook for preparation work, for example when planning a design in their printing work. They built up to the finished work, drawing on the three designs planned in the sketch-book, changing initial ideas from their own evaluation of the work as it progresses.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. Pupils enjoy the subject. They work with great enthusiasm and concentration for long periods of time. Pupils make sure that they complete tasks successfully and evaluate their own work. They are keen to talk about what they are trying to achieve and refer confidently to visual elements to describe their work, such as tone, colour and texture.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. Overall, teaching and learning are good, with examples of very good teaching observed during the Inspection. An important strength of teaching is the good preparation and the careful selection of resources. Pupils are trained to use and develop artistic skills progressively and to stage their work to allow for modification and evaluation such as when printing a multi-layered design. The teachers help the pupils to understand that there are many stages in the process in order to achieve a high quality finished product, which may take several weeks to complete. Teachers’ good subject knowledge is used well to plan challenging tasks and to organise the resources so that pupils can work productively without distractions. Work on display around the school, particularly of printing, textile dyeing and sculpting with natural materials is of a very high standard. Pupils work is displayed carefully, showing great respect for pupils’ achievements and pride in their work

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ART AND DESIGN

such as sculptures pupils produced from the flotsam and jetsam gathered from the shoreline of Oulton Broad. The sensory garden, designed by pupils with financial and expert support from the Prince’s Trust, is an excellent example of work achieved in art and design. It includes fired mosaics, mobile sculptures completed after experimentation with colour and with rigid and flexible materials. This work is recorded on the school’s web-site and is offered as a model of good practice for other schools to emulate. Other exemplary work includes the bags made for storing calculators designed by Years 3 and 4 last term. The teacher encouraged the pupils to use a range of techniques to produce a finished product, including hot and cold water dyeing of fabrics, embroidery and “fit for purpose” evaluation.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. The co-ordinator provides good leadership in the subject and is building up resources in all areas of experience. Currently, there are good resources for textile work, printing and drawing and the school has access to a kiln in the local middle school for clay-modelling. The co-ordinator has recently begun work on detailed guidance under each activity identified in the overall teaching plan. This offers teachers more support for identifying learning objectives, the range of possible activities and expected outcome. Design work using computer graphic program is planned with opportunities for pupils to develop their skills progressively. The use of assessment is currently under-developed and pupils’ progress in developing skills, knowledge and understanding is not recorded systematically and therefore does not inform planning. Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 33

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Standards are satisfactory in the infants and good in the juniors. This is an improvement since the last inspection in the juniors but standards have not improved in the infants. There is strong promotion of a skills and planning approach in the juniors, where the pupils gain good knowledge, skills, and an understanding of the designing and making process to meet a specified need. The well-trained classroom support staff, who often teach small groups very specific skills or give planned support to individual pupils, considerably help pupils’ learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. In a very good lesson, the pupils of Years 3 and 4 were preparing to make a frame for a photograph. The lesson was well planned for a long duration with various elements, including training in safely cutting the frame template and the use of a number of decoration techniques. The teacher had good subject knowledge, which helped to bring clarity to the purpose of the lesson and pupils made very good gains in improving their techniques when planning and making the frame. The pupils were well aware of safety issues when cutting, knew a range of joining techniques, and knew the basic properties of a number of materials that they could experiment with.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. In contrast, a lesson for infant pupils had little emphasis placed on the key elements of the subject and, although a useful lesson, showed confusion about key objectives for the subject compared with those of other subjects, particularly art and design. For example, pupils learnt about some less common fruits and vegetables. Teaching enabled the pupils to look carefully and produce good observational drawings from an artistic point of view. The pupils were able to categorise the fruits and vegetables and knew something of the need for healthy eating and foods that are healthier from a science perspective. However, they did not develop their design and technology skills such as adhering to safe procedures for food safety and hygiene when handling and cutting and tasting the objects.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. The pupils show good interest and enthusiasm for design and technology work. They behave well and use materials and resources sensibly. They have a sound understanding of safety issues and many pupils are confident to try new techniques and experiences. Most pupils are co-operative and willing to share materials well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. Throughout the school, there are examples of good quality products that the pupils have made and these show a number of planning and making skills. An exhibition of pupil-made bags and purses indicates clear planning and the use of a number of joining techniques such as sewing. There are also examples of pupil- made cushions and a number of interesting forms of weaving. The pupils’ ingenuity in joining techniques is seen in the driftwood sculptures that some made as part of a competition. Most of these good examples are from pupils in Years 3 and 4. The opportunities for pupils in the infants are much more limited in range and scope, but displays indicate some sound work in using paper in different ways. Leaf collages and designs for heraldic shields indicate the use of planning, joining, and other skills, which are of satisfactory quality.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. There is no long-term scheme of work and consequently there is little guidance for teachers about progression in the skills and understanding of the subject; this is unsatisfactory. The subject has not been a priority for some time and consequently the knowledge and understanding that teachers have is varied. In occasional lessons in the infants, teachers muddle the learning objectives for this subject with those for art and design. In others, the teaching is very good with a clear focus on the key objectives. Throughout the school, the pupils are well managed. The teachers are keen for the pupils to have a wide range of experiences and in the juniors the number and quality of enrichment activities has significantly improved standards and raised awareness of the subject. Monitoring of planning and teaching has not identified the lack of clarity about the subject’s key objectives.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. Pupils’ attainments are in line with those expected nationally by the end of Year 2; this is similar to the last inspection. No lessons were seen during the inspection and it is therefore not possible to make a secure judgement on teaching. From a scrutiny of previous work and planning, discussions with the coordinator and other staff, and talking to pupils, standards are satisfactory by the end of year 2 and Year 4.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. By the end of Year 2, pupils can name the countries of the British Isles and locate them on a map. They have an appropriate understanding of the purpose of maps and know the main compass points. Pupils enjoy studying their local area and are able to describe the main features of the area, such as the town limits, coastline, broads, and port facilities of Lowestoft. Higher attaining pupils are beginning to develop a sense of Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 34 place and to identify the similarities and differences between some countries when discussing the origin of letters they have received from abroad. In Year 1, pupils enjoy the imaginary activity of sending Harrison Bear on a holiday journey. By the end of Year 4, pupils enthusiastically locate information on a map of the world, for example countries, capitals, and main rivers but have limited knowledge of scales and the use of grid references to locate places. They use geographical terms correctly such as equator, tropics, and

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GEOGRAPHY

compass directions in talking about their work. Pupils are developing an understanding about land usage and talk clearly about the differences between the Norfolk Broads and farming in Suffolk. They also show an increasing awareness of man’s negative impact on their locality, when they say they like the area, but they do not like the people who pollute the Broads.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. Overall, teaching and learning is satisfactory. Lessons are planned well and appropriate resources are identified to support learning. Teachers provide a balanced curriculum for each year group. However, the teaching of geographical skills lacks progression over time. Pupils’ work is marked regularly with some supportive comments to help them improve. Overall, inspection evidence indicates that teaching is satisfactory and that pupils make appropriate progress by the end of Years 2 and 4. Pupils have good attitudes toward the subject and understand what they are doing.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The school is in the process of revising its programme of learning, particularly in the infants where class organisation has changed from mixed age groups to year group classes. Geography is taught in units of work, mainly in the summer term. This does not give sufficient opportunity for pupils to regularly practice and consolidate their geographical skills. The coordinator has good subject knowledge, but has limited opportunities to share effective practice with colleagues or monitor the quality of teaching and learning. The assessment of pupils’ achievements is appropriately recorded. Samples of work are beginning to be collected to build a better view of the progress made and the standards achieved as pupils move through the school. Resources for learning are appropriate, accessible and are used well to promote learning. The local environment is used well to help

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GEOGRAPHY

pupils develop their geographical knowledge and understanding.

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HISTORY

116. The standard of current work is good in the main; this is an improvement since the last inspection. However, samples of pupils’ previous work indicates that they are not yet developing historical enquiry skills which, given their obvious interest in history lessons, is a weakness.

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HISTORY

117. In Year 1, pupils write about life in a historical setting, comparing domestic routines in Framlingham Castle and Oulton Broad homes. They create their own coat of arms, drawing on what they learned from their field study visit to the castle. Pupils considered important elements of their own lives and represented this experience on the shield, emulating the Norman lords. In Year 2, pupils learn how things have changed since the 1970s, a time that lies within their families’ living memory. They use artefacts and newspaper accounts as well as first-hand experience of their parents and members of staff to compare parties then and now. They also compared national celebration, for example, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee with the more modest birthday and anniversary parties of their own experience. Pupils understand how life has changed since those times and are able to set out major differences between that era and the present. In most classes,

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HISTORY

pupils are building up a timeline to set a context for their historical investigations. This was particularly effective in Year 2 where children have constructed a timeline to indicate key events of their own lives, for example their birth, birthdays and starting school. They also included special events such as the birth of brothers and sisters and family weddings. In this way, they are building up a sense of chronology within living memory that helps them understand more distant and earlier historical events.

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HISTORY

118. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 understand why the events of 61 AD occurred, that the Celts were unhappy about Roman rule and rose up to challenge their authority, led by Queen Boudicca. They speak confidently of her valiant efforts and early successes in battle. History was brought alive by the teacher’s very good subject knowledge and enthusiasm, bringing drama to his retelling of the story. The teachers added further excitement to the lesson by the effective use of video resources and a large-scale map to chart the events as they unfolded. Learning was enhanced when one group of pupils had to write an excuse for the Roman General Paulinus, explaining his loss of legions to the Roman Emperor. Pupils demonstrated their understanding of his use of flattery to appease Nero. They used not only their letter-writing experiences but also their knowledge of the language of flattery discussed in an earlier literacy lesson with reference to the

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HISTORY

poem “The Spider and the Fly”. Another group read contemporary accounts of Boudicca to draw a sketch of her; learning how important primary sources are in historical investigations.

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HISTORY

119. Teaching and learning is at least good; it is sometimes excellent. Teachers use effective questioning to help Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 35 pupils understand historical events and to check developing hypotheses about historical figures. Good use is made of artefacts and primary sources to illustrate particular eras, for example records and newspapers to describe 1970s music and dress. Overall, teachers are more demanding in discussion than in the quality of work produced in the pupils’ books. Poorer handwriting and spelling skills are demonstrated than are found in their literacy books. From scrutiny of work in books, key vocabulary for writing up historical accounts was not always provided. This means that pupils are having difficulty writing up unfamiliar vocabulary, which distracts them from the object of the exercise. Pupils’ attitude to learning is good. They rise to the challenge

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HISTORY

when required to imagine historical events in the era they are studying, for example in understanding the Roman general’s dilemma in explaining away the loss of 20.000 soldiers.

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HISTORY

120. There was no evidence in pupils’ workbooks or in lessons that children are building up an awareness of the contribution that non-European communities have made to the history of the world, nor of the broader perspective required, to explain modern British multicultural society. This is particularly important as the school has a small number of pupils whose cultural heritage and history is not represented in the planning, for example, the contribution to nursing by Jamaican nurse Mary Seacole who worked alongside Florence Nightingale in the Crimea or by the inclusion of people of achievement who are not European, white or male.

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HISTORY

121. The co-ordinator is in the process of reviewing the policy to take account of the reorganisation of the infants into single-age classes. She is also aware that the mixed-age classes in the juniors brings complexity to planning to ensure that the curriculum achieves continuity and progression in provision over the two years in Years 3 and 4 classes. The assessment of history is under-developed, the school currently assesses curriculum coverage rather than pupils’ achievements. There are inadequate systems for charting the development of pupils’ key skills and little evidence in books of pupils’ personal studies. The literacy skills observed in English are not always transferred into history work. This is a lost opportunity for pupils to develop their skills in writing historical accounts.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. Few class lessons were observed during the inspection, but through observations of pupils’ using computers in classrooms and the computer suite, as well as discussions with pupils, sufficient evidence of their capability was gathered. Overall, standards are satisfactory by the end of the infants; they are satisfactory or better in the juniors. Standards have improved since the last inspection and the provision made of the subject is much wider offering pupils a good range of experiences. Teaching is at least satisfactory; it is often good or better. The new computer area is sufficiently spacious to teach large groups of pupils; it is already being used effectively by teachers and learning support assistants.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. All aspects of the subject are appropriately planned into the scheme of work. The use pupils make of computers is recorded. The provision of hardware and software is good but does not yet include appropriate material to extend the knowledge, skill and understanding of higher attaining pupils. The school is keen to use pupils’ computing capability to enhance their learning in most other subjects of the curriculum. This development is being planned for later this year and once teachers and learning support assistants have completed their nationally provided training. The training they have already received has improved their knowledge and skills but it is too early to assess the impact that it is having on raising standards. Most staff are gaining expertise and confidence in their teaching. Such improvements have had little time to impact on the pupils’ standards, but learning in most lessons is good.

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MUSIC

124. Overall, standards are satisfactory in the infants and juniors; this is similar to the last inspection. A limited number of lessons and associated activities were observed. Teaching and learning are at least satisfactory and pupils enjoy musical experiences. Classes meet together in the hall for making music. Pupils sing pleasantly, in time and with reasonable intonation. They showed reasonable ability to follow the direction of the conductor of the lesson. However, throughout the school there is a higher than average proportion of pupils who find it difficult to pitch their voices correctly.

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MUSIC

125. In a Years 3 and 4 lesson, the pupils were provided with a good number and selection of pitched percussion instruments. They were sensible in handling these but showed limited knowledge of their use, for example in choosing and holding beaters and knowing where to hit the notes and removing the bars to change scales and chords. However, after clear instructions from the teacher, pupils quickly formed four combinations of the five notes provided from a pentatonic scale. They were able to record these as letter names and a few tried to record note duration. Some carried out a similar task on computers in the suite with adult help, using Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 36 a good program.

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MUSIC

126. The pupils have satisfactory attitudes toward the subject. Due to a lack of confidence by some staff in teaching the subject, the pupils do not gain a strong sense of enthusiasm. However, in some lessons, when they are asked to play instruments, perform actions, or lead singing, they become very interested and enjoy joining in. In large singing groups, a minority of pupils lack motivation and appear bored. Nevertheless, many are confident enough to play and even sing alone in front of large groups. A satisfactory number of pupils take part in instrumental tuition provided for recorder players. These pupils help provide additional skills and interest. Pupils with special educational needs are made to feel fully involved in all lessons and are accepted well by others.

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MUSIC

127. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory. Several teachers lack musical expertise but by using the planning and guidance that has been offered, teach the subject adequately. However, there is generally insufficient expertise in the school and consequently it has been difficult to make significant improvements in provision. The teachers have improved the provision for composition, which now is taught frequently as part of more regular lessons. However, there is a lack of clarity about how to provide progression, for example, in the skills of singing and the recording of compositions, despite the guidance of the scheme of work. This scheme is less helpful in providing guidance about the development of listening and appraising skills. Many teachers lack knowledge about practical issues such as how to store the good quantity of instruments provided. Improved guidance on how to plan a lesson has been developed as part to the implementation of

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MUSIC

the subjects action plan from last year and planning is now of good quality. In other respects, the action plan has been less successful, for example, in raising staff confidence and increasing opportunities for pupils to enjoy a wide range of musical experiences. This is largely because developments have not got to the root of the school’s difficulties, which are the lack of musical expertise of the staff.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. Pupils’ achievements are above those expected nationally by the end of Years 2 and 4. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Standards are good in games and gymnastics. The school has access to good facilities for teaching swimming and standards are above average. On entry to school, pupils have appropriate physical skills and their achievements are above those expected nationally by the end of Year 2. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. All pupils follow a balanced curriculum over a year in units of work, which for the week of the inspection included dance, games, gymnastics, and swimming. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are very good. They respond immediately to teacher’s instructions and participate enthusiastically in all activities. Pupils co-operate well with others and thoroughly enjoy their lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. By the end of Year 4, pupils are able to plan, perform, and evaluate their movements successfully. They know and understand the importance of warm up and cooling down activities to protect the body from injury. Pupils are very aware of safety issues. Pupils have good opportunities during the year to achieve the target of swimming 25 metres by visiting a local full-size pool. In Years 3 and 4, pupils show increasing control when catching and passing a ball. They discuss in a mature manner how to improve their technique when performing a chest pass. Higher attaining pupils are particularly skilful and show a good understanding of the tactics of small team games. Lower attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs make good progress in improving their throwing skills; they receive very good support from learning support assistants. Pupils show improving skills in balancing on and jumping and landing from an appropriate range of

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

apparatus. Higher attaining pupils show a good understanding of using changes in direction, speed and levels to improve their performance. Lower attaining pupils produce good work when rolling, twisting, and stretching. In swimming, higher attaining pupils practise and consolidate their front crawl and back-stoke skills and achieve high standards. Middle attaining pupils swim with increasing confidence using floats to improve their breathing skills. Less confident pupils and those with special educational needs are beginning to use floatation aids less frequently and are making good progress in learning to swim.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. By the end of Year 2, pupils are improving their running, jumping and rolling. They can reproduce simple sequences with control and coordination. Higher attaining pupils are beginning to use and apply their individual skills to produce more imaginative and complex sequences. Year 1 pupils responded well to firework music and moved freely to the strong rhythmic beat of the dance. They captured the mood and feeling of the music and achieved good levels of performance. All pupils are able to talk about the importance of warming up and cooling down when taking part in exercise.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. The quality of teaching and learning is good; it is often very good. Teachers have good knowledge of teaching dance, gymnastics, games, and swimming; this helps them observe and analyse movements and give good Oulton Broad Primary School – Page 37 advice to pupils on how to improve. Lessons have a clear focus and the skills to be learned are demonstrated well. Teachers give clear instructions and check carefully whether pupils understand the tasks set and the pupils respond with enthusiasm. Work proceeds at a good pace and pupils are expected to improve such as in a Years 3 and 4 swimming lesson in which progress was very good. Pupils listen carefully and follow the teachers’ guidance about working safely. Excellent support is provided by classroom assistants and parent helpers to help less confident pupils and those with special educational needs to improve, particularly by swimming with them and using a range of floatation aids to boost their confidence.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Pupils encourage each other and show respect for each other’s achievements. Teachers give sufficient time for pupils to practice and consolidate their skills, for example when throwing and catching balls or moving on apparatus. Very good teaching is rigorously planned, highly motivating and stretches all attainment groups, for example in swimming in Years 3 and 4 and dance lessons in Year 1.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The coordinator has good subject knowledge and uses time well to monitor the planning of teaching, which is very good. However, the coordinator does not have sufficient opportunities to assess the quality of pupils’ learning and to share effective practice with colleagues. The school’s policy and scheme of work gives good guidance for teachers’ planning and the development of knowledge and skills; it is being revised to meet new developments in the subject. The physical education programme is well balanced over a year. Good use is made of sports coaching staff to support these activities. The development of assessment procedures forms part of the subject’s action plan for the coming year. Pupils have appropriate opportunities to participate in competitive sport and extra- curricular clubs. Resources for learning are good and are used well to promote learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. Throughout the school, standards are satisfactory; this is similar to the last inspection. Statutory requirements for collective worship are now met fully. No lessons were seen in juniors and it is not therefore possible to make a secure judgement on teaching. From a scrutiny of previous work and planning, discussions with the coordinator and other staff, and talking to pupils, standards are at least satisfactory in the infants.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. By the end of Year 2, the pupils know about stories from the Bible and are beginning to understand the ceremonies and symbols of some religions such as Judaism. They talk about themselves as babies and their baptism. Pupils respond sensitively to the experiences of others but have limited insight into other faiths. Year 1 pupils know about the two house builders and the Sermon on the Mount. By the end of Year 4, appropriate opportunities are provided for pupils to achieve standards, which are broadly in line with expectations related to the local Agreed Syllabus and they make satisfactory progress. Pupils are developing a sound knowledge and understanding of Christianity and aspects of other major world religions such as Islam. Higher attaining pupils know about some of the similarities and differences between the symbols used during worship by other faith groups and their own. Pupils can talk about their own

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

experiences and can compare their own ideas with the rules and customs of others. Some pupils are beginning to link the values and commitments of their own religion with their personal attitudes and values.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. In the limited number of lessons seen, the quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory; it often good. When teachers have good subject knowledge and share the aims of the lesson with the pupils, teaching is good. Pupils respond well to stories told about Jesus. Teachers use good questioning skills to challenge pupils’ thinking. When teaching is satisfactory, lessons are appropriately planned and met the differing needs of pupils. Overall, teachers manage pupils well and relationships are very good. All pupils are encouraged to actively participate in the lessons, particularly pupils with special educational needs and those from ethnic backgrounds.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. Overall, the leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The headteacher is currently monitoring provision during the absence of the coordinator. The scheme of work and support material are used well to help teachers’ plan lessons and are of very good quality. Staff training, additional resources and artefacts are being improved. However, the subject alternates in blocks of time with the school’s personal, social and health education and citizenship programme and as a result pupils are not always able to distinguish between the two areas of learning. The lack of a regular religious education lesson means that pupils have few opportunities to practise and consolidate their knowledge, skills and understanding.

p.37