Ashford CofE Primary School

ASHFORD C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 th – 7 th February 2002

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ASHFORD C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Ashford CEP School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Road Ashford Middlesex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body, Ashford CEP School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs R Bradley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Ashford CEP School - 3

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Aspect responsibilities

19227 Paul Missin Registered inspector English, information and communication technology. What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9446 Helen Griffiths 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? 14596 Tony Fiddian- Green Team inspector Design and technology, music. Special educational needs. 19142 Audrey Quinnell Team inspector Art and design. Children in the Foundation Stage. 10808 Alan Britton Team inspector Mathematics, physical education. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 19897 Arthur Evans Team inspector Science, geography, history. Equality of opportunity. 2913 Sue Airey Team inspector English as an additional language.

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Aspect responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Phoenix Educational Consultants, “Thule”, 60 Joy Lane, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 4LT 01227 273449

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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: The Complaints Manager, Inspection Quality Division, The Office for Standards in Education, Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6SE Ashford CEP School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 9

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

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Ashford CEP School - 5 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Ashford CE Aided Primary School educates boys and girls aged from four to 11 years. There are currently 406 pupils on roll, 211 boys and 195 girls. At the time of the inspection nine boys and nine girls attended part-time. This is bigger than most schools of the same type. There are no pupils who speak English as an additional language. This is low. Sixty-three pupils have special educational needs (15.8 per cent). This is well below average. Five pupils have statements of special educational need (1.2 per cent). This is broadly average. In the last school year, three pupils joined the school other than at the usual time of admission and 14 left other than at the usual time of transfer. This is low. Six pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals (1.5 per cent). This is well below average. Since the last inspection the number on roll has dropped by the equivalent of

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one class. There have been significant changes in leadership in the last two years, with the appointment of a new headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs co-ordinator and Key Stage 1 co-ordinator. When they enter the school, most pupils are achieving standards that are average for their age.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS Ashford CE Primary school is an effective school with a strong sense of community where pupils are valued and well cared for. Most pupils make good progress as they move through the school and reach above average standards by the time they leave. Teaching across the school is good. However, its impact is lessened in some important areas. The school is consolidating its work after a period of significant change in senior leadership. The headteacher has made a sound start to his time at the school and he is appropriately supported by senior teachers and the governing body. The school provides satisfactory value for money. At the last inspection, it provided good value for money.

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What the school does well • The good teaching, particularly at Key Stage 2, enables pupils to reach above average standards in English, science, history, geography and art and design by the time they leave the school. • The very good attitudes and behaviour, which are encouraged well by teachers and support assistants, ensure that pupils remain enthusiastic and fully committed to their learning. • A very good range of extracurricular activities enhances the curriculum. • The very good provision for pupils’ moral and social development and the good provision for their spiritual development ensure that the school’s aims are met well. • The school has established a very effective partnership with parents which helps the pupils to achieve good standards. • The quality of the displays around the school provides an attractive environment to interest and challenge all the pupils. What could be improved • The National Numeracy Strategy is not being fully implemented across the school.

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• The effectiveness of teaching is being limited by the uncoordinated withdrawal of pupils from important lessons and by the lack of access to an appropriate range of up-to-date resources in information and communication technology. • There are insufficiently rigorous and systematic procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning by the headteacher, senior staff and curriculum co-ordinators. • The effectiveness of provision in the Foundation Stage is limited by the lack of opportunity for teachers to share good practice and by deficiencies in outdoor activity equipment. 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 Since the school was last inspected in May 1997, it has made satisfactory overall improvement. Sound progress has been made in beginning to address most of the key issues identified, but development is not complete in any area. For example, the school has ensured that teachers’ planning in English successfully meets the needs of the full range of pupils’ abilities in each class, but this is not consistent practice across all subjects. Improvements have been made in the provision of books at Key Stage 2, but the library areas are still not attractive working and learning environments. Progress made in establishing procedures for monitoring the effectiveness of teaching has been unsatisfactory. This aspect for development remains a key issue in the current inspection. Since 1997, above average standards achieved at Key Stage 2 have been maintained but

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standards at Key Stage 1 are now average. This is explained by the lower proportion of very good teaching at Ashford CEP School - 6 this key stage. The present Year 6 group has a much higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs than previous Year 6 groups. It is, therefore, difficult for as many pupils in this year group to reach the standards achieved previously. The headteacher has made a satisfactory beginning to his time at school and, overall, the school has a sound capacity to improve. STANDARDS The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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English B B A C well above average above average A B mathematics A A C D average below average C D science A B B C well below average E

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The table shows that, in 2001, standards were highest in English and science where standards were well above and above average compared with all schools, but average when compared with similar schools. Standards in mathematics were lower. They were below those expected in similar schools. Since 1999, the rate of improvement in English has been faster than the national trend, but slower in science and mathematics. The findings of this inspection are that standards in English, science, history, geography and art and design are above average. Standards in mathematics, information and communication technology, music, physical education and design and technology are average. Standards achieved in musical performance are very good. Pupils make good progress and reach good standards in Years 3 to 6. The school met its published targets for the percentage of pupils teaching Level 4 and above in the 2001 tests in English but not in mathematics. It is on track to meet its

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ambitious targets for 2002 in English but not in mathematics. The current Year 2 pupils are achieving above average standards in their writing and in art and design and average standards in all other subjects. These standards represent satisfactory progress and achievement at Key Stage 1. Children in the Foundation Stage reach standards which are similar to those found in most schools in all areas of learning. Aspects of their creative and physical development are limited by lack of consistent access to appropriate activities and resources. Overall, this represents a satisfactory level of progress and attainment as most children enter the school achieving standards that are average for their age. Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress and reach satisfactory standards relative to their previous level of attainment.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES Aspect Comment

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Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to learning are consistently very good. They are keen to come to school and they are enthusiastic learners.

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Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in lessons, at playtimes and in assemblies is very good. Pupils are open, friendly and very polite to visitors.

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Personal development and relationships Relationships within the school are very good. The headteacher, class teachers and support staff all act as consistently good role models, showing courtesy and fairness. Pupils undertake their several duties conscientiously and reliably.

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Attendance Good. The rate of attendance is above average and there are no unauthorised absences. Ashford CEP School - 7 The very good attitudes, behaviour and relationships within the school add significantly to the quality of the school community and influence positively the standards that pupils achieve.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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Quality of teaching Satisfactory Satisfactory 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. During the inspection, teaching in nearly six out of ten lessons seen was at least good and, in over one in ten, it was at least very good. A very small proportion was unsatisfactory. The strongest teaching is in Years 5 and 6. For example, in Year 5, all the teaching is good and nearly a half is very good or excellent. In Years 1 and 2, and in the Foundation Stage, around 99 per cent was at least satisfactory, but with some good and very good features. Strengths in the quality of teaching which support pupils’ learning are the very positive way in which pupils are managed, and the effective co-operation between teachers and support assistants. These features

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raise the self-esteem of pupils, increase their confidence and commitment to their lessons and promote very good attitudes and behaviour. As a result, pupils are interested, well motivated and keen to do well. The major weaknesses limiting the effectiveness of teaching across the school are the uncoordinated withdrawal of pupils from important lessons and the lack of access to appropriate hardware and software in information and communication technology. The quality of teaching of English, including literacy is good. The overall teaching of mathematics is satisfactory but there are a number of weaknesses in the school’s strategy for teaching numeracy because the National Numeracy Strategy has not been fully implemented. The good practice evident in some classes in the Foundation Stage is not being sufficiently celebrated and shared. The quality of teaching and learning of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory and leads to the sound progress which these

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pupils make. The needs of all pupils at Key Stage 2 are met well and they are met satisfactorily in the Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1.

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The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall, but good at Key Stage 2. The National Literacy Strategy is being implemented well but the National Numeracy Strategy is not being consistently followed. Provision for extracurricular activities and other enhancements is very good. These add significantly to the opportunities provided for all pupils. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage does not allow sufficient opportunity for creative activities or for children to make their own choices about their learning.

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Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory overall. Teachers and support assistants provide good support for individuals and small groups. Pupils’ individual learning plans, which contain appropriate targets and timetables for review, are satisfactorily organised.

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Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good. This leads to the strong sense of community in the school and ensures that several of its aims are met well. However, pupils are not made sufficiently aware of the other cultures that make up our own multicultural society. This limits their cultural awareness.

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How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes good care of its pupils. Provision for first aid is very good. There are good procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and the progress they make in English and science, but these are insufficiently developed in other subjects. The school’s partnership with parents is very good and this positively supports the work of the wider school community and the good standards that pupils achieve. Ashford CEP School - 8 HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED Aspect Comment

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Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher’s leadership is sensitive and caring. He has made a satisfactory beginning to his time at the school. He is supported soundly by the other newly appointed senior teachers. Subject co-ordinators are effective but they have insufficient opportunity to monitor teaching and learning.

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How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors give sound support overall, and have managed the recent leadership changes well. The work of the well organised full meetings and the several committees gives them a good view of the school’s work. Governors’ monitoring and evaluation roles are being further developed. All statutory responsibilities are fully met.

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The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is developing sound procedures for monitoring and evaluating its work. Assessment data are beginning to be used to show the value added as pupils move through the school. The school development plan is not focused sufficiently on raising the standards achieved by all pupils.

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The strategic use of resources School development priorities are carefully costed and budget spending is monitored systematically. Learning resources are used well. Appropriate use is made of funds allocated for pupils with special educational needs and for staff training. The school makes appropriate reference to value for money principles when purchases are made.

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The school’s accommodation and teaching and support staff give sound support to the teaching of the curriculum. However, the school does not ensure that all parts of its accommodation are used most effectively. Learning resources overall are good, but those for information and communication technology are unsatisfactory.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children achieve well. • This is a friendly, caring school. • Children behave very well. • The headteacher and class teachers are accessible to parents. • The parent teacher association supports the school well. • The range of activities provided outside lessons.

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The inspection findings support all the positive comments made by parents. However, the inspection findings do not support their single area of concern as the school provides a very good range of extracurricular activities. Most of the latter are provided for pupils in Years 3 to 6. Ashford CEP School - 9

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Most children enter the Foundation Stage achieving standards that are those that are generally expected for their age. Most make satisfactory progress, and are on course to achieve average levels of attainment by the end of the Foundation Stage in their personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Although overall standards achieved in creative and physical development are average, some aspects are limited due to a lack of large wheeled toys and climbing and balancing equipment for outdoor play and insufficient opportunities to explore freely a wide range of artwork. In the school’s previous inspection, the attainment of children in the Foundation Stage was judged to be mainly as expected for children of this age. 2. In the end of Key Stage 1 tests in 2001 compared with all schools, standards were above average

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in writing and mathematics and average in reading. When compared with similar schools, standards were average in mathematics and writing and below average in reading. The assessments made by teachers in science in 2001 were average. Trends since 1996 show standards above and well above average but with some variation between year groups. Since 1996, the rate of improvement at this key stage has been broadly in line with the national trend. 3. The findings of this inspection are that the overall standards achieved by the present Year 2 group are lower than those of the previous year. Standards achieved in writing and art and design are above average, whilst attainment in reading, mathematics and science is average. Pupils attain average standards in all other subjects. Since the last inspection, the above average standards in art and design have been successfully maintained. However, the present judgements indicate a drop in standards

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

since the last inspection in English, mathematics, music and in science at Key Stage 1 where standards were above average. Average standards have been maintained in other subjects since the last inspection. These differences in standards achieved are explained by different levels of ability in the current Year 2 groups, the lower proportion of very good teaching in the school and the effect of the partial implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory at this key stage. 4. In the end of Key Stage 2 tests in 2001, compared with all schools, standards in English were well above average, above average in science and average in mathematics. When compared with similar schools, standards were average in English and science, but below average in mathematics. Trends since 1996 show that the rate of improvement in English is similar to the national average, but not in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics or science. Girls performed less well than boys in the 2001 tests in mathematics and science, but these variations were not evident during the inspection. The school met its published targets for the percentage of pupils reaching Level 4 and above in the 2001 tests in English but not in mathematics. The school is on track to meet its ambitious targets for 2002 in English but not in mathematics. 5. The findings of this inspection are that the current Year 6 group are attaining standards that are above average in English and science and average in mathematics. Standards in history, geography and art and design are above average, and average in information and communication technology, music, physical education and design and technology. Since the last inspection, standards achieved in science, mathematics and physical education have fallen, and the average and above average standards attained in all other subjects have been maintained.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. There are important differences between the current inspection’s findings and the results of the 2001 tests and the judgements of the last inspection. The main reason why the current Year 6 is achieving lower results is the very high proportion of pupils in that group with special educational needs. Currently, 30 per cent of that year group have special educational needs and several have Ashford CEP School - 10 significant areas of need. This proportion is considerably larger than all other year groups in the school. This limits pupils’ capacity to reach the very high standards achieved previously. Indications are that the higher levels of attainment are reached in Years 4 and 5. Other factors limiting the achievement of higher standards across the school are the partial implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy in mathematics, the lack of access to appropriate hardware and software in information and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

communication technology and the uncoordinated withdrawal of pupils from important lessons. Also, there has been a drop in the proportion of very good teaching since the last inspection. 7. Pupils who have special educational needs generally make satisfactory progress, and they mostly receive good levels of support. Pupils in Year 6 make good progress when they are well supported. Teachers and learning support assistants help in drafting words and sentences, and helping pupils to understand oral work. Pupils’ progress is better in literacy and numeracy, because they mostly receive support matched to their needs. The needs of the pupils who have statements of special educational needs are met well, and annual reviews provide a good focus for further improvement. 8. Across the school, most pupils achieve well and make good progress. More capable pupils make the best progress in literacy where their needs are met well. The average levels of attainment

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

achieved by most children when they enter the school are maintained through the Foundation Stage and into Key Stage 1. This is the result of the sound curriculum provided and the satisfactory quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. In Key Stage 2, particularly in Years 5 and 6, the quality of the teaching ensures that the rate of progress increases and, by the end of Year 6, most pupils have made good progress and achieve above average standards. There is particularly good achievement for pupils with special educational needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Throughout the school, attitudes, behaviour and personal development are very good and are a strength of the school. Parents feel very strongly that attitudes and behaviour are good and that the school helps their children to become mature and responsible. These findings are similar to those of the last inspection. 10. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are consistently very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and punctuality is very good. Pupils concentrate very well and are very enthusiastic. For example, in a Year 6 art lesson, pupils were keen to do their best and took pride in their achievements. Pupils listen well and are confident and articulate. Participation in extracurricular activities is very good. 11. Behaviour in lessons, at playtimes and in assemblies is very good. Boys and girls mix well together. They value praise from adults. They are open, friendly and very polite to visitors, for example, always

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

standing aside at doorways for adults. Pupils clearly understand the school rules and appreciate the rewards system. If bullying occurs, parents and pupils are confident that it will be dealt with quickly and effectively. Relationships within the school are very good and teachers act as very good role models of courtesy and fairness. 12. Pupils very willingly undertake responsibility and there are many good opportunities for them to do so. All pupils have tasks to do in class and older pupils have a variety of responsibilities such as helping with assemblies, at play times and lunch times and with play equipment. Election for the officers of the school houses is taken seriously and is seen as a privilege. 13. Children in the Foundation Stage settle into school well and enjoy coming to school. They have positive attitudes to their work and play. Behaviour is very good. They are learning to interact well

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with their teachers, class assistants and other adults in the school. 14. Attendance is above average and there is no unauthorised absence. There were five fixed-term exclusions last year, four of which were of the same pupil. Correct procedures were followed. Registration takes place promptly and ensures a smooth start to sessions. Ashford CEP School - 11

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. Across the school, the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning is good. Teaching was good in nearly half of the lessons seen and, in over one in ten, it was very good or excellent. Although there was no clear overall judgement about the quality of teaching at the last inspection, it was reported that, ‘teaching is sound or better in almost all lessons throughout the school’. This is still the case, although currently, the proportion of teaching which is very good or better is lower than at the last inspection. 16. The main strength in the quality of teaching which influences the quality of pupils’ learning is the positive way in which pupils are managed. Teachers and support assistants work hard to ensure that pupils are treated fairly and consistently, and an impressive feature across the school is the way in which pupils’ work and their opinions are valued. This is shown in the high quality displays around the

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school. This encourages very good behaviour and respect, motivates pupils to want to do their best and improves their learning. Other strengths in teaching are the detailed lesson planning of most teachers and the effective co-operation between teachers and support assistants to reinforce the learning of groups and individual pupils. Literacy skills are taught well across the school. The most important feature limiting the effectiveness of some lessons is the uncoordinated withdrawal of some pupils from lessons and the inconsistent application of the National Numeracy Strategy. Across the school, pupils are withdrawn from lessons for a variety of extra support and activities such as sewing and music tuition. Some of this withdrawal is during important literacy and numeracy times and also during physical education. The school does not have a sufficiently clear view of the pattern of withdrawal or of the procedures being adopted by individual teachers to ensure that pupils catch up with work they

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have missed. The effectiveness of the National Numeracy Strategy is limited because its recommended format has not been adopted consistently across the school. The effectiveness of teaching in information and communication technology is limited by the lack of access for pupils to appropriate hardware and software. 17. The quality of teaching and learning for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. During the inspection, 16 lessons were observed, one was very good, six were good, eight were satisfactory and one was unsatisfactory. Where teaching is good, teachers’ planning is detailed and clear and is carefully matched to the recommended Early Learning Goals. Teachers manage the children very well. Activities are carefully explained and groups are organised quickly, ensuring that little time and momentum are lost. Teachers and their assistants support groups well and ensure that children remain enthusiastic and committed to their learning. They know the children very well as

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

individuals and are skilled at developing warm relationships. These qualities have a positive impact on children’s learning. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, children are over-directed in their group times, and not allowed sufficient opportunity to make decisions about their own learning. Also some of the activities provided are not sufficiently demanding and lack appropriate challenge. These shortcomings reduce children’s capacity for independent work and limit the progress which they make. Daily routines are well organised, which enable the children to become used to the pattern of the day and respond quickly to the high expectations for behaviour, attentiveness and following instructions. All adults in the Foundation Stage classes listen with interest to what the children have to say and, when working with them, demonstrate good skills in helping the children to develop their language for communication. The very good teamwork between the teachers and the support assistants is a

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

strength in the Foundation Stage. A clear progression is planned for later work within the National Curriculum. 18. In Years 1 and 2, the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning is satisfactory, but with several good features. During the inspection, 20 lessons were observed. Two were very good, seven were good and 11 were satisfactory. There were no clear judgements about the quality of teaching at this key stage at the last inspection. Currently, teaching and learning are good in science and art and design, and satisfactory in all other subjects. At the last inspection, teaching was very good in science, good in Ashford CEP School - 12 English, art and design and music and satisfactory in all other subjects. In science, teachers have good subject knowledge and devise interesting and challenging investigations. In art and design, pupils are introduced to a good range of techniques and media. There are no significant variations between the

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quality of teaching and learning in the year groups across the key stage. 19. An art lesson in Year 1 illustrated several features of good and very good teaching and the impact which this has on pupils’ learning. The class was exploring the life and work of the artist Mondrian. Good preparation had been made. The teacher had previously accessed the Internet to find examples of Mondrian’s work, and pupils were aware of his use of patterns and primary colours. A good range of resources had also been prepared. These included different paints, brushes and paper, pastels, chalk, pencils and the computer. The teacher’s introduction was brisk and effective. She quickly brought together facts which different pupils knew about Mondrian’s life and enthused the pupils to want to make their own similar patterns. The teacher and teaching assistant intervened expertly to encourage pupils as they worked to improve their technique. As a result of these features, pupils had a

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great deal of fun and they had a good sense of achievement in the high quality work which they produced. 20. In Years 3 to 6, the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning is good. During the inspection, 46 lessons were observed. One was excellent, five were very good, 26 were good and 14 were satisfactory. Direct comparisons with the previous inspection are difficult to make. Currently, teaching and learning are good in English, science, history, art and design and music, and satisfactory in all other subjects. At the last inspection, teaching was very good in science and physical education, satisfactory in information and communication technology and good in all other subjects. There are important differences in the quality of teaching and learning in the different year groups at this key stage. The strongest teaching is in Years 5 and 6. Teaching in Year 5 is particularly strong. Here, all the teaching

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is at least good and nearly a half is very good or excellent. Some features which limit the effectiveness of teaching are teachers occasional lack of awareness of the needs of higher attaining pupils and discussions where pupils call out inappropriately without being challenged. 21. A science lesson to pupils in Year 5 illustrated several features of good, effective teaching. The focus of the lesson was to devise a fair test to compare the strength and absorbency of different materials. A good, investigative approach was adopted from the beginning. The topic was introduced clearly and pupils’ interest gained quickly. The teacher used appropriate specialist vocabulary and encouraged the pupils well to consider the importance of fair testing and collecting evidence. Both the class teacher and her assistant moved briskly around the groups as they worked encouraging pupils and furthering their understanding. This successful lesson ended with a useful summary which

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reinforced the learning that had taken place and provided further work to be done at home. 22. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. Teachers generally plan well, and most provide work that is appropriate for pupils’ individual learning needs. Support assistants help pupils in their group work, and some take extra tuition groups away from the main classes. This support helps pupils to understand questions and discussions, and as a result, they are integrated well when they are in the classroom. The work of the support assistants is generally good, although some teachers do not deploy them sufficiently well. Individual education plans are satisfactorily organised and targets are clear. These targets focus on both literacy and numeracy, and some plans also include targets for personal and social development. However, in general, these documents contain much more information than simply the targets with suggestions for implementation,

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and are more suitable as records. The co-ordinator intends to improve individual plans, so that they are more readily usable by teachers and assistants.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The quality and range of the curriculum provided by the school are sound and promote the aims of the school well. The curriculum includes all subjects of the National Curriculum together with religious Ashford CEP School - 13 education. It meets all statutory requirements and offers pupils a good range of opportunities, especially in extracurricular activities in Key Stage 2. Appropriate policies and schemes of work are in place for all subjects and each receives an appropriate amount of teaching time. Long term and medium term curriculum planning is detailed and ensures that all elements of the National Curriculum are covered. However, the key issue from the previous inspection concerning, addressing the needs of the full range of pupils’ abilities has only been partly addressed. Good opportunities are provided in English, but appropriate extension tasks for pupils of higher ability are not consistently identified in

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

other subjects. Weekly plans are detailed and focus on key objectives, formulated together by teachers in parallel age group classes. Members of the senior management team monitor the planning of the curriculum but the evaluation of these plans to ensure consistency of standards is still relatively under developed. This issue was also highlighted in the previous OFSTED inspection. The National Literacy Strategy has been successfully implemented and is having a good impact on literacy standards throughout the school. The Numeracy Strategy has only been partially introduced into the school. Its effectiveness as a strategy for teaching numeracy skills is limited due to the over emphasis in some lessons being on commercial schemes. The provision for homework is satisfactory throughout the school and is appropriate to the ages and abilities of all pupils. 24. A clear equal opportunities policy gives useful guidance on ensuring that all pupils are included in

p.13

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

learning. In practice, however, the right of all pupils to equal access to the full curriculum is sometimes compromised by withdrawal from lessons for extra reading, music tuition, sewing and extra literacy tuition. This is unsatisfactory. The same pupils are often withdrawn at the same times each week, which means that they miss regular work being done by their classmates. Some withdrawal from literacy, numeracy and physical education lessons was observed during the inspection. All pupils have equal access to extracurricular activities. The school has analysed pupils’ results in the national end of key stage tests by gender and this has highlighted some underachievement by Key Stage 2 boys in English and mathematics and by girls in science. 25. The quality and range of the learning opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. The curriculum provided takes account of the recommended areas of learning.

p.13

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Appropriate focused teaching, linked to literacy and numeracy, is carefully planned for and is introduced effectively to the children. Many of the good first-hand experiences to develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world are enabling them to achieve the Early Learning Goals for this area of the curriculum. However, insufficient child-planned or initiated activities, limited opportunities for a wide range of free choice artwork and the lack of any large wheeled toys, and climbing and balancing apparatus for outdoor play, limit the provision for the full range of the curriculum and restrict learning opportunities. There are insufficient opportunities for children to move spontaneously between indoor and outdoor environments. 26. Curricular provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. There are generally sound arrangements to support pupils’ learning. In literacy and numeracy, where teaching assistants

p.13

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

are present, they work well with individual pupils or with small groups. However, some pupils are taken out of lessons at the same time each week for extra help, and thereby miss a significant proportion of the work in that subject. The new Code of Practice for special educational needs is not yet in place, but the co-ordinator has listed the implementation of this in the development plans. 27. The school provides a very good range of extracurricular activities. However, most of these are provided only for pupils in Years 3 to 6. These pupils are able to participate in clubs during the lunch hour and after school. The clubs include recorder groups, a choir, a school instrumental group, gardening club and several sporting activities like netball, rounders, soccer, basketball, tennis and athletics. Short tennis and gymnastics are run by outside instructors and coaches. All members of staff are associated with at least one of these activities to provide all pupils with extra interesting and

p.13

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

stimulating experiences. The headteacher and another member of staff have organised a very successful drama club on Saturday mornings and their next project is intended to be associated with a Ashford CEP School - 14 celebration of the Golden Jubilee. Pupils are also able to take part in various sporting activities and the school has met with a great deal of success in recent years. The curriculum is also considerably enhanced by a wide range of visits and visitors. All year groups receive the opportunity to visit places of interest relevant to their curriculum topics. These include visits to Virginia Water, Gunnersbury Park Museum, St. Matthew’s Church and the Weald and Downland Museum. Pupils from Year 6 make a residential visit to the Isle of Wight where they participate in outdoor pursuits like orienteering, canoeing, sailing and archery. They also visit places of interest on the Island which gives them an

p.13

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

extra knowledge and understanding of their history, geography and science studies. Visitors like the local vicar, various music specialists and puppeteers enhance pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their own and other cultures. 28. There are good links with the local community that make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. The school has a close relationship with the local Church and the Vicar regularly visits the school to lead assemblies and participate in festival celebrations. The Bishop of Kensington visited the school as part of the celebrations of the centenary of the Diocese. Pupils from Year 3 performed Maypole dances at the Church Fair and pupils from the school attended the Christmas Tree Festival in December. The school’s links with the local council are also good. Year 6 pupils participated in Junior Citizens training and the school won a School of the Year Civic Pride award. As a result of its

p.14

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

gardening activities, the school entered the ‘Spelthorne in Bloom’ competition and came third in the schools’ category. Local guides and brownies use the school facilities for their meetings and several classes have talked to local people in their geographic and historical local survey work. 29. The school has good links with the local playgroup and nurseries and the co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage visits the groups before children enter the school. Student teachers from a nearby College of Education work in the school and pupils from local secondary schools receive placements as part of their work experience. The school feeds five secondary schools and there is close liaison with all of them before Year 6 pupils leave the school for their Key Stage 3 education. The school is part of the local primary school cluster and regular meetings are held for members of senior management teams and teachers. The school also has close connections with a local special school

p.14

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

which is classified as a partner school. 30. The school effectively promotes the personal, social and health education of its pupils through everyday life and teaching. There is no formal curriculum, although many aspects are covered in assemblies and in science and religious education lessons. Year 6 pupils take part in the Junior Citizenship scheme run by the police and fire services. The school nurse supports the school’s sex and drugs education well. 31. The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Moral and social development is very good, spiritual development is good and cultural development is satisfactory. These findings are similar to those of the last inspection. There is no overall policy. 32. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. The school’s mission statement emphasises its Christian tradition. There is a daily act of worship, which follows planned themes and complies with

p.14

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

statutory requirements. However, there is not always sufficient opportunity for reflection in assemblies or a focus for thought such as a candle. Ethical teaching is strongly linked to Christianity. Good links are maintained with the parish church. The vicar regularly takes assemblies in school and contributes to the pupils’ celebrations of Harvest Festival, Christmas and Easter. Pupils have made books of prayers and in some classes the school prayer is said at the end of the day. Pupils have the opportunity to learn about other major religions in religious education. 33. The school provides very well for pupils’ moral and social development. The behaviour policy and its practice clearly reflect the school’s aims. Teachers have consistently high expectations of the pupils’ behaviour and they respond very well to these expectations. Teachers provide very good role models of courtesy and honesty. Assemblies are used very well to debate such issues as forgiveness.

p.14

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Pupils are encouraged to take on many responsibilities. For example, all pupils have class Ashford CEP School - 15 responsibilities and older pupils help younger ones at lunch and play times, as well as helping with assemblies and play equipment. The House system makes a strong contribution to pupils’ social development. Pupils are encouraged to think of others less fortunate than themselves and raise good sums for charity. The opportunities provided in after school clubs and in sports competitions also promote pupils’ social responsibility well. 34. Provision for the understanding of pupils’ own culture is good. Pupils have good opportunities to perform and listen to music. Musical instruments include some from other cultures. Religious education resources include some from other religions, although there are no other holy books such as the Koran or the Torah. The art displays around the school are of a high quality and help all pupils to appreciate

p.14

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

different artistic media. Good use is made of the local area and archives to study the history of the school and the surrounding area. French lessons for older pupils help to broaden their horizons and make them aware of some other cultural traditions. However, insufficient attention is given to ensuring that pupils have appropriate experience of the lifestyles and cultures of the different ethnic groups that make up our own multicultural society.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The school is a caring community, which has effective procedures to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its pupils. This is the same as the findings of the last report. 36. Local Education Authority guidelines on child protection have been adopted. The headteacher has been recently trained and the newly appointed deputy is to be retrained. All staff are aware of child protection issues and supervisory staff have good input into the system and are aware of the procedures. There are good links with social services. There is good input into pupils’ personal, social and health education programme from the school nurse, police and fire service. Arrangements for dealing with pupils’ medical conditions are good. The provision for first aid cover is very good, as the medical room is permanently staffed by fully trained first aiders. The accident book is properly kept. Although “head bump” notices are not sent home, parents are informed by telephone. The level of

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

supervision at playtimes and lunchtimes is satisfactory. Risk assessments and fire drills are carried out regularly. Health and safety practices in science and physical education are good. 37. There are good procedures for assessing and tracking the progress of the pupils in English and science. The teachers clearly identify opportunities for assessment in their planning for all subjects. This is an improvement on the previous inspection, a key issue of which was to identify more formal assessment procedures linked to planning. A clear assessment policy document outlines the timetable for formal assessments throughout the year in all classes. A start has been made on assessing work in English and science according to National Curriculum levels of attainment. However, there remain no formal, whole school procedures for assessing and recording the pupils’ progress in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. The teachers make sound use of information from national test

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

results and from other assessments to plan subsequent work, to match it to pupils’ varying needs and to set targets for further improvement. The marking of pupils’ work is used as an important assessment tool. Teachers are supported by a clear marking policy which emphasises the need for marking to be helpful for the pupils. Marking is done regularly and positively and rewards achievement appropriately. However, at times, there is insufficient written guidance on how Key Stage 2 pupils might improve their work. 38. The monitoring of pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. It is carried out through teachers’ personal knowledge of pupils and end-of-year reports. However, there is no agreed, whole school procedure for recording progress made. Teachers know their pupils well and reports include good monitoring of personal development. 39. Behaviour management is good. School rules are well understood and each class formulates its

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

own set of rules. The staff’s approach is consistent and a variety of stars and stickers are given for hard work and good behaviour. Achievements are celebrated in special weekly assemblies. The Ashford CEP School - 16 House points system makes a good contribution to behaviour management and encourages good behaviour and effort. When appropriate, behaviour management schemes are drawn up in consultation with pupils and parents and these are very effective. 40. Children in the Foundation Stage are cared for well and are very happy to come to school. They share good relationships with their teachers, class assistants and other adults in the school. Soon after children enter the Reception classes, they are assessed using a procedure designed specifically for this age range. The evidence from this provides a precise insight into the stage of development of each child, which enables the teachers to plan activities to meet their needs.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The care and support of pupils with special educational needs are good. Teachers and learning support assistants know the pupils they work with well. The supportive, caring ethos of the school and its respect for all individuals ensure that pupils with special educational needs have good opportunities to take part in all school activities. There are satisfactory procedures for identifying pupils with special educational needs, and through the school’s good procedures for tracking pupil’s progress, effective arrangements are made for the regular review of their progress. The school has regular liaison with outside agencies, which are involved, as appropriate, in pupils’ termly and annual reviews. 42. Procedures for monitoring attendance are satisfactory. Attendance is good and unauthorised absence is well below national averages, but systematic monitoring of the registers for patterns of lateness and absence takes place only once a term. However, parents are conscientious about

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

informing the school on the first day of absence.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parents at their pre-inspection meeting and in response to the questionnaire were very supportive of the school and all that it does for their children. Responses to the questionnaire and attendance at the meeting were very high. Nearly all felt that their children made good progress, that the teaching was good and that the school had high expectations of children. The findings of the inspection support the parents’ positive views. Some parents felt that the range of activities provided outside lessons was unsatisfactory. However, the inspection found that the range of extracurricular activities was very good, but they were mostly for pupils in Years 3 to 6. 44. The school has effective links with parents. The information provided for them is satisfactory. The prospectus and the governors’ Annual Report to parents are clearly written, attractively presented and comply with statutory requirements. Newsletters are frequent, friendly in tone and give good advanced

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

warning about forthcoming events. Reports are good for English, mathematics and science, but very brief for other subjects. They contain good comments on pupils’ personal development. However, they do not set targets and there is no opportunity for pupils or parents to make comments. Advance information on the curriculum is good for children in the Reception year, but none is given for other pupils to enable parents to help their children’s learning. All parents have signed home/school agreements. Homework is used well. Reading diaries are used well for pupils Years 1 to 6, but there are no diaries for children in the Reception classes until they have learned to read. There is a good range of consultation meetings and parents feel free to talk to teachers at any time. 45. Parents and grandparents help in the school on a regular basis in very good numbers, as well as on trips and visits. Parents feel welcome in the school. Attendance at performances, consultation

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

meetings and at the governors’ annual meeting is very good. The Parent Teacher Association runs a very good range of social and fund-raising events, as well as the school uniform shop, which raise substantial sums for school equipment. Parents strongly support the school’s fund raising. Funds are put to good use in developing the grounds and buying equipment to enhance pupils’ education. 46. Induction procedures for children starting school are satisfactory overall. Towards the end of the summer term, the children are invited to meet their teacher for an afternoon session before starting in the Reception classes. Their parents are invited to come into the school on the same afternoon to hear about what their child will experience and to receive the school’s documentation. Ashford CEP School - 17 47. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs are kept informed satisfactorily. Targets for some pupils’ individual plans are shared with them and they are invited to attend reviews and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

consultations. For those pupils who have statements of individual need, the links with parents are good and there is plenty of contact between home and school. The new co-ordinator has made strengthening the liaison with parents one of her development plans.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The headteacher has made a sound start to his time at the school. Since his appointment in September 2000, he has sensibly taken some time to get to know pupils and staff, and to assess the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Issues such as the recruitment and appointment of a new deputy headteacher and other senior staff, and the long term sickness of the caretaker have taken significant amounts of the headteacher’s time. The changes in senior leadership have been managed well. This is a reflection of the openness of the school community, the sensitivity of the headteacher and the support provided by the governing body and other staff. 49. The headteacher’s leadership of the school is sound overall, but with some important strengths and some areas requiring development. His sensitive, caring approach is appreciated and respected by parents, pupils and staff. He maintains a high profile in and around the school and his respect for pupils

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and their families and the fair but firm way he manages pupils provide a very good role model within the school. This approach positively promotes the school’s aims and ethos. However, there are important elements relating to the improvement of the school which have not been addressed with sufficient rigour. The key issue at the last inspection relating to the monitoring of teaching and learning by senior teachers has not been met. Principles and procedures relating to most aspects of performance management have been agreed and target setting has been carried out with every teacher. However, the decision to allow the full 18 months for the full implementation of Performance Management has meant that the classroom observation element of the procedure has not taken place. A formal and systematic procedure for monitoring teaching and learning across the school has not been adopted. As a result, the headteacher and the newly appointed senior staff do not have a

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

sufficiently clear view of the strengths and weaknesses in the overall effectiveness of teaching. Co- ordinators have also not had sufficient opportunity to monitor teaching and learning in their subjects. This limits their professional development and the effectiveness of the important drive to raise standards across the school. 50. The school development plan is detailed and thorough and the process of devising the plan, which involves teaching and support assistants and governors, is good. The current plan contains appropriate targets which are costed and areas of responsibility and timescales are clearly defined. There are helpful extensions of the plan beyond the current year. The main shortcoming in the school development plan is the lack of specific reference to raising standards and setting overall development targets as aspects of school improvement. This omission makes it harder for the school to target work

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

sufficiently in order to raise the standards that pupils achieve. 51. The governing body provides the school with sound overall leadership, and some of their responsibilities are met well. Governors gain a good view of the life of the school through their main meetings and through the work of the several active committees. A strength in governors’ work is the very clear and thorough way in which their meetings are prepared and minuted. Several individual governors use their own interests and expertise to support governors’ work well. Governors are appropriately involved in devising and monitoring progress made in the school development plan as it is dealt with at each full meeting. Governors also have a clear view of the school’s finances, including budget allocations and current spending. Several of the governors increase their appreciation of the school’s work as they act as classroom helpers. The main shortcoming limiting the effectiveness of the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

governing body is the lack of reference to raising standards and school improvement in the school development plan and thus in their general discussions. The overall monitoring and evaluation roles of Ashford CEP School - 18 governors, through formal, focused visits to the school, are still at an early stage of development. The governing body ensures that all its statutory responsibilities are met. 52. The financial management of the school is good. Through the work of the finance committee and the school’s administrative officer, the governors and headteacher are kept well informed of day-to- day spending patterns. These are well managed and monitored. The budget carry forward is within recommended levels. Priorities identified in the school development plan are appropriately costed. Funds provided as specific grants, especially to support additional literacy work, are used well, as are funds provided for pupils with special educational needs. When planning for building improvements, the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school makes sound reference to value for money. The allocation of funds in the school into upper and lower school sections does not sufficiently encourage the cohesive and progressive development of subjects which extend across both key stages. 53. The management of the provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. The quality of relationships within the Foundation Stage department is very good and together all the adults form a very effective team. A weakness in current provision is that the co-ordinator has had insufficient opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching and the impact on children’s learning. This has made it more difficult for the good practice seen in the inspection to be shared across the whole Foundation Stage. The size of the indoor accommodation is barely adequate for the number of children, especially when the 60 children are accommodated in two classes for the summer term. The Reception classes

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

are bright and well organised. The outdoor area for free play is relatively small and lacks any large wheeled toys, climbing and balancing apparatus. There is a covered area which can be used in inclement weather. Learning resources are satisfactory to support the children’s learning indoors, although resources for information and communication technology are limited. 54. The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is sound. The co-ordinator is new to the post and has made a sound start to this work. She has produced a development plan which includes improvements to individual education plans, the new Code of Practice, and better arrangements for the extra help given to pupils who are taken out of lessons. There is a designated governor, who has undertaken training, and is already becoming more involved in this area of the school’s life. Funds allocated for pupils with special educational needs are used appropriately.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The overall provision of learning resources for teaching the National Curriculum is good. Appropriate attention has been given to increasing the range and quality of library books, especially at Key Stage 2. This has represented a good response to this weakness identified at the last inspection. Learning resources are good in English, mathematics, science, history, music, art and design, physical education and in design and technology and satisfactory in geography. The quality of these resources positively impacts on the good overall standards achieved. Several resources, especially historical artefacts, are prominently displayed around the school and they interest and involve pupils and add significantly to the school’s attractive, challenging environment. Resources in information and communication technology are unsatisfactory. The number of computers to pupils is well below the national average, but the school makes very good use of a number of older machines which are not

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

included in these figures. However, across the school, pupils do not have access to a sufficient number of up-to-date computers and appropriate software to enable them to reach higher standards. 56. Overall, the school’s accommodation is satisfactory. The hall is large enough to accommodate whole-class physical education and drama lessons and to be used for whole school assembly. Classrooms in Years 4 and 5 are spacious, but those in the Reception classes and in Years 1 and 2 are small and cramped. This restricts the range of activities that can be provided. The recently extended staffroom has been imaginatively developed but the school office and administrative areas are located upstairs and are not easily accessible to parents and visitors. The school has a good number of rooms and areas which are mainly used for group work and individual tuition. Two of these areas are used as separate key stage libraries. These are small, especially those for Years 3 to 6, and do not provide a

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

sufficiently attractive area where pupils will want to come and read or to use their library and research Ashford CEP School - 19 skills. The school does not have a sufficiently clear view of the use of the several rooms and areas around the school to ensure their most effective use. Outdoor accommodation consists of a well used grassed area and separate hard-surfaced playgrounds for Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils’ interest in playground activities is enhanced by the construction of two gazebos where they can sit and by a good range of interesting playground markings.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

57. In order to continue to improve the quality of education offered to the pupils the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.19

(1) Raise the standards achieved in mathematics across the school by fully implementing

the National Numeracy Strategy. See Paragraphs 3, 6, 16, 23, 82 - 88

p.19

(2) Ensure that all pupils have access to the full National Curriculum by;

See Paragraphs 6, 16, 24, 26 i) reviewing the timetabled withdrawal of pupils from lessons for music tuition, special educational needs and other activities, and ii) developing procedures for ensuring that pupils catch up with work they have missed.

p.19

(2) Ensure that all pupils have access to the full National Curriculum by;

(3) Develop more rigorous procedures for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness

p.19

of teaching and learning and curriculum development by the headteacher, senior staff

and curriculum co-ordinators. See Paragraphs 49, 80, 88, 95, 100, 104, 108, 112, 117, 122,

p.19

of teaching and learning and curriculum development by the headteacher, senior staff

(4) Improve the effectiveness of the provision in the Foundation Stage and raise its

p.19

profile in the school by ;

See Paragraphs 1, 17, 25, 67, 68 i) improving procedures for monitoring teaching and learning in order to share best practice; ii) providing a clearer balance between teacher directed and free choice activities; iii) improving the facilities for outdoor play provision, especially wheeled toys and clambering apparatus; iv) increasing the opportunity for children’s creative development.

p.19

(5) Raise the standards achieved in information and communication technology by

improving the provision of hardware and appropriate software. See Paragraphs 6, 55, 113 - 117

p.19

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• Ensure that pupils are made more aware of the culture and lifestyle of the ethnic groups that make up our own multicultural society. See Paragraph 34 • Ensure that the school’s special educational needs policy and provision meets the requirements of the new Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs. Ashford CEP School - 20 See Paragraph 26 • Ensure that the agreed assessment and recording practices in English, mathematics and science are extended to include all other subjects. See paragraphs 37, 100, 104, 108, 112, 117, 122 • Ensure that the school development plan makes clearer reference to raising the standards achieved by pupils across the school. See Paragraphs 50, 51 • Undertake a full audit of the use of the rooms, bases and areas within the school to ensure their most effective use. See Paragraph 56

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 397

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 6

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 63

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0 Ashford CEP School - 21 Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 3

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Ashford CEP School - 22

p.21

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 30 32 62

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

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

Boys 26 26 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 32 32 32

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (91) 94 (93) 98 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 26 29 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 32 32 32

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 25 30 55

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 20 20 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 27 23 29

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (86) 78 (91) 96 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 22 22 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 26 23 29

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (86) 82 (89) 98 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.22

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Ashford CEP School - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 17.04 Financial year 2000-2001

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.3

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 732963

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 18 Total expenditure 728475

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 245 Expenditure per pupil 1833

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 18263

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 22751 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.98

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3.88

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Ashford CEP School - 24

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 43 50 6 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 45 49 2 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 26 56 12 4 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 29 58 12 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 31 2 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 49 47 3 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 36 54 8 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 60 35 3 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 43 52 4 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 23 38 16 3 18

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

• Children achieve well. • This is a friendly, caring school. • Children behave very well. • The headteacher and class teachers are accessible to parents. • The parent teacher association supports the school well. Ashford CEP School - 25

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. Currently, there are 60 children in the Foundation Stage and they are taught in three Reception classes. At the time of the inspection, 42 children attended full-time in two Reception classes and 18 children attended part-time in a third class. These will attend full-time from the start of the summer term. Children are admitted to the Reception classes at the start of the autumn term in the year in which they become five years old. Children whose fifth birthday falls during the autumn term attend full time. The other children attend on a part-time basis for morning sessions and start full time in January if their birthday is during the spring term and summer born children start fulltime after the Easter break. Most of the children have attended a playgroup before starting in the Reception classes. They are taught within a warm, caring, supportive environment where they feel safe and secure. The

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

school has maintained the secure, caring, stable environment for children in the Foundation Stage since the previous inspection. 59. Across the Foundation Stage, the quality of teaching and learning in children’s personal, social and emotional development is good and it is satisfactory in all other areas of learning. The satisfactory teaching has a positive impact on the children’s learning. Overall, when children enter the school, their attainment is average for their age. By the end of the Reception year, most children make satisfactory progress from their average starting point, and are likely to meet the Early Learning Goals in all the areas of learning.

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Personal, social and emotional development

60. Standards are average in this area of learning and most children are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals in this area by the time they leave the Reception class. The children are constantly encouraged to feel confident about what they can achieve through praise, smiles and gestures. Their behaviour in and around the school is very good with only a few disagreements. They work and play beside each other well and show a good understanding of classroom procedures. They are aware of the teachers’ high expectations of them and respond well. When given the opportunity to choose activities for themselves, children do so in a sensible way and most sustain concentration well for their age. However, opportunities to do this are limited as they are often directed to an activity, which restricts their independent learning. Most settle well to the more structured activities, such as literacy and numeracy, and show ability to concentrate for an appropriate length of time. The children attend to

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Personal, social and emotional development

their personal hygiene appropriately and most are able to undress and dress themselves independently. 61. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is promoted well. A strength of the teaching is the warm, caring relationships that adults develop with the children, which help them to feel secure and to grow in confidence. The adults provide very good role models for the children, always treating each of them with courtesy and respect to which they respond positively. The children enjoy the many moments of fun and time for reflection, which helps to strengthen the bond between them.

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Communication, language and literacy

62. Most children make satisfactory progress in this area of learning, including those who have special educational needs. All adults make very good attempts to communicate with all children in the Foundation Stage. They talk to the children individually, in groups and as a class to help all children extend their vocabulary and start to use their language and communication skills for a range of purposes. All adults show the children that they value their efforts at communicating. Children are eager to talk about the things that interest them, such as celebrating their birthday or about objects which they bring to school. The children sustain attentive listening and particularly enjoy listening to stories, such as The Good Stranger and Little Red Riding Hood . Most understand the concept that pictures carry meaning. Consistent strategies used by the teachers and teaching assistants enable the Ashford CEP School - 26

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Communication, language and literacy

children to recognise and say the initial sounds of words. Some children are learning that spoken words and print can have the same meaning and that text is read from left to right. Many of the children have weak pencil control, but there is not always sufficient intervention by an adult to correct these mistakes, so children continue to practise incorrect letter formation. Most children make a good attempt at writing their own name. When given the opportunity, they confidently ‘have a go’ at writing. However, there are insufficient opportunities for them to do this leading to an over dependence on adults, which stays with many of them into Key Stage 1. Children are encouraged to take books home to practise their early reading skills. They have good listening skills and listen carefully to instructions. 63. All children are provided with a good range of purposeful activities to develop their use of

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Communication, language and literacy

language for reading, writing, and speaking and listening. They enjoy good role-play areas, such as the ‘café’ and ‘pizza café’. These are used very well, often with an adult involved to extend the children’s vocabulary. Children are provided with paper and pencils for writing ‘orders’, which they enjoy. Many of the children have difficulty with their pencil control, and their fine control is weak. Teaching assistants are used effectively with small groups, when direct teaching is involved. They are well briefed and assist the teachers in focused teaching activities. Classroom displays are rich in language clues intended to reinforce learning and a good emphasis on language development is evident throughout the whole programme of work.

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Mathematical development

64. Most children achieve average standards in their mathematical development. Teachers are helping the children to develop their mathematical understanding by providing a structured programme of practical experiences, which enable them to make satisfactory progress. Most can count numbers to 10 and many can count by rote beyond this. However, many have not yet developed the concept that the number remains the same if a set number of objects, such as ten plastic bears, are spread out or placed closely together. Children recognise and name common shapes such as square, triangle and circle. They enjoy singing nursery rhymes, number jingles and playing sorting and ordering games, which help to reinforce their learning of numbers. Teachers and class assistants provide good support by playing mathematical games with the children, which enable them to experience counting, and early addition and subtraction in a practical way. They experience working with sand and water, filling and

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Mathematical development

emptying differently sized containers. Shortcomings in this area of learning are the inappropriate use of a published scheme which restricts children’s understanding and limits their mathematical development. Also when children spend too long colouring pictures in the published scheme, they are not consolidating or extending their understanding of mathematics. There is insufficient differentiation to promote and challenge the more able children. 65. Teachers ensure that all adults in the Foundation Stage classes use correct mathematical vocabulary and provide many activities, which build upon the children’s current understanding. Questions are used skilfully to encourage children to organise their thoughts and build on their understanding. In a good lesson, the teacher helped the children to gain in their understanding of counting accurately to ten by providing an appropriate practical experience for them. The children

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Mathematical development

worked practically with colourful little bears and the teacher ensured that each child knew that there were ten red and ten yellow bears before asking questions such as, ‘How many red bears are there? How many yellow bears are there? How many now? Are they the same or are there more?’ Then she asked the children to spread the bears into long and short lines. With skilful questioning, she enabled them to develop and reinforce their understanding well that the number remains consistent regardless of the length of the line. However, some children are not yet at the stage of development to realise this and remained convinced that there were more in the longer line. She used the lesson well to assess each child’s understanding so that future work would be appropriate for each child.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

66. On entry to the school, the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world are average for their age. During the Foundation Stage, the teachers effectively build on this knowledge, helping them Ashford CEP School - 27 to learn more about the world around them. Most are on course to meet the expected standard by the end of the Foundation Stage. Many activities are planned and organised well in order that the children can gain in their understanding through practical experiences. The teaching and learning of computer skills are good. Children acquire new learning when the teacher involves them well by practical experience combined with effective questioning and clear explanations of how to create their own data to record the number of boys and girls within their class. The use of correct vocabulary and practical demonstration extends the children’s learning well. Although the department has some programmable

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

toys, these are infrequently used due to the high cost of replacement batteries. Teachers provide a wide range of planned activities, most of which start with what the children already know, and this enables them to extend their understanding and knowledge of the world. The visit of a baby to their classes and comparisons with the baby and themselves, photographs of themselves as toddlers and how they look now, help them to gain in their understanding about past and present events in their lives. Biblical stories help the children to learn about people from beyond living memory. They plant and tend bulbs in the autumn and bedding plants in the summer to help to develop their understanding of how plants grow. Stories, such as Little Red Riding Hood , and The Good Stranger are used well to help the children understand about different forms of journeys. Children enjoyed using trees, a wooden bridge and blue silky material for the river in the sand tray to create the landscape for Little

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Physical development

67. Overall, most children are on course to achieve average attainment in their physical development by the end of the Foundation Stage. Children enjoy their music and movement lessons and using the apparatus in the hall. They are taught well how to lift safely and carry the equipment. They are developing the ability to move with control and co-ordination getting on and off the apparatus. However, an awareness of space, themselves and others in movement is still underdeveloped. Teachers give clear instructions during physical education lessons and allow children to demonstrate good examples of their work. Children are provided with many opportunities to develop their hand control through the use of a range of mark-making tools, and cutting and gluing activities. However, many still have weak pencil control and many have difficulty forming their letters and numbers correctly. They enjoy using construction kits. Most are able to dress and undress themselves, but some

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Physical development

need help with buttons and zips. A shortcoming is that the lack of a good range of outdoor, large apparatus to balance and climb on, and large wheeled play equipment, restricts the children’s physical control, mobility and awareness of space outdoors.

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Creative development

68. Overall, the children make satisfactory progress in developing their creative skills. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. However, an overall weakness is that opportunities for creative development are not sufficiently emphasised in some classes and there is not an appropriate balance between formal and creative activities. Role-play activities are carefully planned and enable the children to play out imaginary situations well. They enjoy using appropriate resources and dressing up in the café, which extends their imaginative play. They enjoy making music and tunefully sing ‘Balls are Bouncing’, ‘Hot Potato’, and ‘Three blind mice’. Most know the names of some percussion instruments, such as bells, tambourine, castanets and their learning is extended by the teacher explaining the names of new instruments, such as guiro and maracas. They can follow a simple rhythm set by the teacher by clapping their hands or tapping out a rhythm on wood sticks or a tambourine.

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Creative development

Children enjoy their artwork, but often this is over prescriptive with pre-cut out shapes for children to paint or make into collages, such as the rainbow fish and Elmer the elephant shapes. When they are given the opportunity to use freely art materials, they produce artwork, which is imaginative with recognisable figures and animals.

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ENGLISH

Ashford CEP School - 28 69. Over the past four years, standards in English at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 have been consistently above and well above average when compared with all schools. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ results in the national tests in 2001 were below average in reading and average in writing at the age of seven and average in English at age 11. The findings of this inspection are that pupils achieve average results in reading at the age of seven and above average results for writing and above average results for reading and writing at the age of 11. However these findings represent a drop in standards at Key Stage 1 since the last inspection when standards were above average at both key stages. The school met its targets for the percentage of pupils expected to reach average standards in both key stages in 2001 and has set further challenging targets for 2002. The school has

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ENGLISH

agreed appropriate targets for improvement, which have included a review of writing and the teaching of sounds, spellings and the meaning and use of words throughout the school. 70. Pupils in Key Stage 1 achieve satisfactorily while those at Key Stage 2 achieve well. This is closely related to the difference in the overall quality of teaching between the two stages. Higher attaining pupils achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress compared with their previous attainment. When pupils receive well-planned and effective support in class, additional support for their learning needs and their progress is regularly reviewed, they make good progress. The Additional Literacy programme in Years 3 and 4 supports pupils’ development well. Overall, more capable pupils make satisfactory progress and again, when the planned work is challenging and enriches their learning, they make good progress. No significant differences between

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ENGLISH

the achievement of boys and girls were observed during the inspection. 71. At both key stages, standards in speaking and listening are good, with some instances of very good listening both to the teacher and to each other. This was also the judgement of the previous inspection. Pupils enter the school with variable levels of ability and spoken language. They quickly develop confidence and enjoy listening to, and talking about, stories, rhymes and poems. This was evident when Year 1 pupils talked about the story of ‘Billy Duck’ and made simple changes to the story. In Year 2, pupils explored the format of the “Dear Daddy” story and they listened very attentively to their teacher and to each other’s contributions. Most pupils spoke confidently and clearly, needing little support and encouragement to help them develop their responses. 72. In Years 3 to 6, pupils continue to listen attentively and productively. In lessons, they respond

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ENGLISH

thoughtfully and show respect for the opinions of others. More able pupils are able to express their ideas and opinions confidently and fluently, often developing the detail and depth in their answers. This was evident in a Year 5 class when pupils were re-telling the story of Perseus and Medusa. The pupils read their stories with expression and, in some cases, dramatically. In the same lesson, most pupils responded enthusiastically to questions, but some needed help to use appropriate terms and language to express their opinions and ideas clearly. Pupils used an appropriate range of largely informal vocabulary in their answers and responded precisely to questions. However, few of them used more complex structures and vocabulary. In a Year 3 poetry session, all pupils contributed well when asked to read their favourite rhymes or limericks and those pupils with learning difficulties made good contributions. As pupils move through the school there are appropriately planned opportunities for them

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ENGLISH

to speak in more formal contexts. However, these are not always extended further in order to have more impact on the range of vocabulary used by the majority of pupils and to extend more able pupils. 73. Standards in reading are average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. This is similar to the judgement at the last inspection, except that in 1997, standards at Key Stage 1 were also above average. In Year 2, many pupils handle books confidently and take them home regularly. More able pupils read confidently, some with good expression, and are able to talk about the books they like and dislike. Most pupils read simple texts accurately and understand appropriate strategies to read unfamiliar words but a few do not always do this automatically. In Year 6, pupils read fluently and with accuracy. Most are able to talk about the books they read and comment on characters with varying degrees of detail, but few read a wide selection of challenging texts. Less able pupils read

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ENGLISH

Ashford CEP School - 29 appropriate books effectively but sometimes still struggle to read unfamiliar words. The school has invested in many more reading books and big books, both within classrooms and within the school library areas. Research and referencing skills are appropriately developed as pupils move through the school and most pupils are familiar with the Dewey system of classification. 74. Standards in writing are good in Year 2 and Year 6, with evidence of pupils achieving higher standards. This has maintained strengths identified at the last inspection. This has been achieved because the school has clearly focused on improving writing and writing skills. There has been a concentration on structure, and teachers are also using other subject areas such as history and geography to support longer pieces of writing. Most pupils in Year 2 have a secure understanding of how to write a story of an appropriate length for their ages as seen in the books made for the library.

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ENGLISH

More able pupils select a wider range of vocabulary and are beginning to use words to create interesting effects. 75. In Years 3 to 6, pupils are able to use their ideas to create an atmosphere within their writing. This was seen in a piece of Year 4 writing when pupils were writing stories about a Victorian Lamplighter. Less able pupils, while generally writing coherently, have a variable understanding of how to form simple sentences accurately, although almost all pupils can use capital letters, full stops and correct punctuation by Year 6. In Year 6, pupils write in a generally appropriate range of forms, including newspaper reports, biography, stories, instructional writing and writing about their reading. However, writing which uses a more formal range of structures and tone is not sufficiently represented in their work. In the best writing, there is a good range of vocabulary and a lively use of language to create

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ENGLISH

deliberate effects. This was seen in the pupils' writing about The Storm, where they produced their own sketches based on a painting by J.M. Turner and then created feelings of the might of the sea with such phrases as ‘crashing’ and ‘thundering’ waves. Pupils are generally using paragraphs appropriately and consistently in their writing and developing their ideas in sufficient depth and detail. Evidence of this was seen in pupils’ writing ‘Lost in Hampton Court’. There is evidence of some editing, particularly in the word-processed work, and of systematic planning, drafting and refining of work. Average and lower attaining pupils use mainly familiar vocabulary and do not sufficiently draw upon the wider range of vocabulary they encounter in their reading. 76. The school had identified the need to improve standards in writing and pupils’ understanding of phonics and spelling patterns. An analysis of pupils’ work indicates that the school has addressed

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ENGLISH

these issues effectively. There are clear indications that the quality of writing and handwriting has improved and some indications that standards of spelling are beginning to be improved through an increased focus on the use of phonics, “key word” lists and spelling patterns. However, this has still to have a consistent effect on all pupils’ reading and writing skills. 77. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. In the lessons observed, teaching was mostly satisfactory, but with some good and very good elements. Teachers plan their lessons well, and lessons follow the recommended format. Tasks are explained clearly ensuring that pupils understand what is required of them. Further strengths were well illustrated in a very good literacy lesson in Year 1, in which the class read from a shared text to help them use a known text to write their own story. The teacher’s lively presentation engaged the pupils’ interest, sustained their

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ENGLISH

concentration and helped them to develop useful reading strategies. Through effective questioning, the teacher reinforced pupils’ understanding of how to write an alternative story using a “brainstorm” activity to help pupils to think of suggestions. There was a very good transition into group work, which was well planned and organised. There was also very good co-operation between the teacher and the learning support assistant, who was productively involved throughout the lesson. Very good relationships and high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, personal responsibility and standards of work ensured that pupils made very good gains in their learning. Shortcomings in otherwise satisfactory lessons include where the pace of lessons drop, pupils call out inappropriately and too much time is Ashford CEP School - 30 spent on teachers’ introductions leaving insufficient opportunities for group activities. This limits the

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ENGLISH

quality of pupils’ learning. 78. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 is good. This is consistent with the previous inspection. There are very good relationships between pupils and adults in the classroom. These relationships create a positive atmosphere for learning and give pupils confidence to develop their skills and their understanding, under the guidance of teachers and support staff who know their pupils well. Most lessons have a brisk, purposeful pace because they are well planned and pupils have a clear understanding of what they are expected to learn. Homework is set which is planned to allow pupils to extend their understanding and learning. Further qualities of good teaching and learning were seen in a lesson in Year 5 exploring the difference between myths and legends. The teacher’s planning was full, and the learning intended in the lesson was shared with the pupils. Pupils were challenged to use their

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ENGLISH

knowledge of Greek stories to distinguish between myths and legends and, throughout the lesson, the teacher continually encouraged the pupils to be more adventurous and expressive in their choice of vocabulary. The effect of this good teaching was that pupils were clear about what they had to do and made good progress in their understanding and development of skills. 79. Throughout the school, standards in literacy and the development of literacy skills across the curriculum are good. Effective links are provided, for example, in history to develop pupils’ individual research skills and using inference and deduction to show understanding of text. Pupils use the Internet to discover the works of various authors such as Robert Louis Stevenson, and teachers use subjects such as science to support pupils in retrieving and organising information. Older pupils are also developing the skills of skimming and scanning in their reading, which is useful across the curriculum.

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ENGLISH

There is a good focus on oral and listening skills throughout the school, and teachers use questions effectively to encourage all pupils to participate, and to extend and develop their responses. Although reading is given attention in the joint reading sessions which teachers in most classes provide, and for pupils with special educational needs, insufficient emphasis is placed on encouraging more reluctant readers to extend their range and experience of books and language. 80. Across the school, the National Literacy Strategy has been implemented well and is having a positive impact on pupils' learning. The literacy policy supports teaching and learning well. Some pupils have individual targets in literacy, which helps them to take responsibility for their own learning. The co-ordinators are both experienced and committed members of staff who work well together to manage the subject. They have supported teachers in improving their planning for literacy and have

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ENGLISH

worked closely with the staff team and the Local Education Authority’s advisory service to help to raise standards in writing and spelling. They have plans to develop the subject further. There has been insufficient non-contact time made available to allow them to monitor and evaluate the impact of the developments or to observe and support teachers to ensure consistency of practice. There is good on going assessment in most classes, and teachers and learning support assistants keep a good range of recorded evidence of pupils’ achievements. This is an improvement since the last inspection when there were shortcomings in the assessment procedures. Marking supports assessment satisfactorily. In the best practice, pupils are given good recognition for their achievements combined with constructive and clear indications of how they can improve their work. However, this good practice is not consistently used in all classes.

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ENGLISH

81. Resources for literacy are good, with some recent relevant purchases to resource the literacy hour. Information and communication technology supports the subject well. There is an appropriate range and number of books in the classrooms and the infant and junior libraries. This has satisfactorily addressed a weakness identified at the last inspection. However, particularly in the junior library, space is too small for groups or classes to use it in developing their research skills. The subject is enhanced by school visits and from theatre groups and the school’s own productions provide memorable experiences for all pupils, either as participants or as part of the audience. Book Fairs are held Ashford CEP School - 31 occasionally and the whole school has celebrated ‘World Book Day’ to encourage pupils to become enthusiastic readers.

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MATHEMATICS

82. Pupils in Year 2 attain average standards in numeracy and in all other areas of the mathematics curriculum. This judgement is below that of the previous OFSTED inspection when standards were found to be above national expectations. The results of the national end of key stage tests in 2001 show that, compared with all schools, pupils attained above average standards. In comparison with similar schools, their standards were average. The school’s target for the 2002 national tests is the same as the inspection’s findings. The lower achievement of the current Year 2 is explained by differences in this group and the impact of the partial introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. All pupils, including those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress at this key stage and reach appropriate standards. 83. Pupils in Year 6 also achieve average standards. This judgement is similar to the results in the

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MATHEMATICS

national tests in 2001. This inspection’s finding of average standards is also below that of the previous OFSTED inspection, when standards were found to be well above national expectations. However, this inspection’s judgement is realistic as the present Year 6 classes have a third of their pupils identified as special educational needs. There was good evidence during the inspection of above average standards being reached by a majority of pupils in Years 4 and 5. There has been a slight under achievement by girls in the subject but this difference is not significant and was not evident during the inspection. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in line with their mainstream classmates and this is due in part to the good support provided by the school in mathematics lessons. 84. The strengths of pupils’ achievement in Years 1 and 2 include their sound knowledge of doubling

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MATHEMATICS

to calculate mentally simple problems and their developing ability to explain their methods of working. This ability is well linked to their speaking skills in literacy. Most pupils can count on and back in tens from any two-digit number and are beginning to understand the concept of sharing as division. They are able to discuss their mathematics work using appropriate mathematical vocabulary and are beginning to use symbols and simple diagrams to present their work. Some pupils have sound recall of their two, three, four, five and ten times tables but their ability to use this knowledge to work out division facts is underdeveloped. Most pupils still have to use simple apparatus to calculate division. In their work on symmetry, they are able to recognise simple shapes that are symmetrical. However, all pupils’ use and application of their mathematical knowledge and understanding in investigation and

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MATHEMATICS

problem solving are underdeveloped. 85. The strengths of pupils’ achievement in Years 3 to 6 include their ability to use their understanding of place value to multiply and divide whole numbers by ten and 100. They also use this understanding to order four digit numbers and can also add and subtract decimals to two decimal places. Most pupils have a sound knowledge of their multiplication tables up to 12 and some can use this knowledge in their mental numeracy work. They have worked in simple algebra using brackets and are able to solve simple equations. In their data handling work, they are able to collect and collate data and can then transfer this data to block graphs and understand the need for graphs for simple interpretation. They are beginning to develop an awareness of range, mode, median and average in their data collection work. In their work on shape and space, most pupils are able to classify various quadrilateral shapes

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MATHEMATICS

using their properties. When constructing quadrilaterals, they are able to measure sides accurately but most find difficulty in measuring angles using a protractor. Pupils’ weaknesses generally, in this age group, include the limited ability to develop their own strategies for problem solving and the ability to try out their own ideas to seek mathematical solutions. 86. In Years 1 and 2, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, overall, with examples of good teaching in both year groups. This judgement is reached from lesson observations and a scrutiny of pupils’ work in all classes. This is the same as the findings of the previous OFSTED inspection. Ashford CEP School - 32 Strengths in teaching which influence positively on pupils’ learning are where lessons are taught at a brisk pace and where appropriate resources are readily available. The introductions of some lessons catch pupils’ interest well. For example, in a Year 1 lesson, the session was introduced by the class

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MATHEMATICS

singing number songs and rhymes to sharpen up their counting ability. Teaching assistants are also used well, especially with pupils with special educational needs, to ensure that all pupils remain on task and understand their activities. Some lessons follow the format recommended in the National Numeracy Strategy well. For example, a Year 2 lesson began with counting forwards and backwards in twos, fives and tens to 100 using a large number square, and group activities were organised to introduce the concept of division or ‘sharing’ to pupils. The lesson ended with a useful summing up session when pupils were encouraged to talk about and display their work to the rest of the class linking their literacy speaking skills well. The most significant shortcoming at this key stage is that the full impact of the National Numeracy format is being weakened in some lessons by an over reliance on ensuring pupils’ individual progress through a commercial mathematics scheme. A further weakness is

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MATHEMATICS

that some more capable pupils complete tasks very quickly and then colour in activity pictures rather than extend their mathematical understanding. 87. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 is also satisfactory overall, with examples of very good teaching in Year 5 and good teaching in Year 6. This judgement is below that of the previous OFSTED inspection when the standard of teaching was judged to have been good. Teachers introduce their lessons satisfactorily and devise appropriate activities to interest and challenge pupils in the class. Teaching in a Year 5 lesson demonstrated several qualities of good and very good teaching and their impact on pupils’ learning. The learning intended was written on the board and shared with pupils at the beginning of the lesson. Setting targets of extension work particularly to pupils of higher attainment set a very good challenge to the pupils. The teacher organised a decimal bingo game to

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MATHEMATICS

encourage pupils’ knowledge and understanding of conversion from fractions to decimals. The teacher then constructed a ‘washing line’ and used pupils to peg up various decimals from 0.1 to 0.9 also introducing 0.25 in order along the line. Pupils were encouraged to discuss their answers with a partner thus enhancing their independent learning. They also showed a good ability to be able to explain their methods of working to the rest of the class. Pupils were interested, well motivated and challenged and, as a result, their learning was improved. Shortcomings in the quality of teaching and learning at this key stage mainly concern the fact that not all teachers are teaching to the format of the Numeracy Strategy. There is not always a good pace and challenge to lessons and in particular the mental numeracy sessions. The objectives of each lesson are not always shared with pupils and teachers are not always sufficiently clear about what each group of pupils is likely to achieve by the

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MATHEMATICS

end of each lesson. A further relative weakness in some classes is in the using and applying aspects of mathematics. 88. The subject is managed satisfactorily by two co-ordinators, one from each key stage. Both are very experienced and one is a member of the senior management team. However, findings from the present inspection and recent national test results indicate that the school has made unsatisfactory improvement in mathematics since its previous OFSTED inspection. This is partly due to the fact that not all teachers are working to the National Numeracy Strategy format and an over reliance on commercial schemes in curriculum planning. There is no agreed system for monitoring the teaching of numeracy to help identify shortcomings and work for improvement. An appropriate subject policy is in place containing a useful section on resources and progression. Planning is detailed and full and medium term plans contain key learning objectives for each year group including the Reception classes

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MATHEMATICS

and support for the teaching of pupils with special educational needs. Information and communication technology skills support work done in the subject satisfactorily. Individual pupils’ progress in the subject is also tracked from the initial baseline assessment, but the use of this tracking has not always been used appropriately to identify pupils’ lack of progress, or to forecast appropriate targets. Learning resources are good, are well used and are appropriately situated in the classrooms to ensure satisfactory achievement for most pupils over time. Classroom support is also used well, to support Ashford CEP School - 33 pupils with special educational needs, both in and out of the classroom. However, some pupils’ right to access to the whole curriculum is sometimes compromised by withdrawal from numeracy lessons.

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SCIENCE

89. Pupils achieve standards that are average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. This reflects teachers’ assessments of Year 2 pupils’ attainment in 2001 and Year 6 pupils’ results in the 2001 national tests. In the previous inspection, standards were well above average in both these year groups, but since then, the school has focussed more on raising attainment in English and mathematics. Standards in Year 6 have risen steadily over the past four years, with the result that, in 2001, they were above the national average, although only average compared with similar schools. Boys outperformed girls in 2001, although the current inspection’s findings indicate no significant difference in attainment by gender in either key stage. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 achieve well, and those in Years 1 and 2 achieve satisfactorily. All the pupils enjoy their science lessons, especially practical work. They behave

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well and are keen to learn. 90. By the age of seven, pupils are making sound progress in developing their scientific skills of research and careful observation. They use reference books to find out about animal habitats and look for tadpoles in the school pond. Pupils have a sound understanding of seasonal weather. They carry out practical investigations into topics such as floating and sinking and the transparency of different materials. Pupils use their mathematical skills to record some of their findings in tables and Venn diagrams. They know the senses of human beings and they use their literacy skills to write effective ‘senses‘ poems. They have a clear understanding of how they have changed since being babies. 91. By the age of eleven, the pupils have a good understanding of the scientific ideas of fair testing and prediction in carrying out experiments. They investigate a good range of activities, such as the

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acid, alkaline or neutral characteristics of liquids, the solubility or insolubility of substances and separating mixtures. In investigating how light travels in straight lines, the pupils use their mathematical skills to measure shadows at hourly intervals and to record their findings by means of accurate line graphs. They use their literacy skills well to record findings in writing, too. They make effective use of their skills in information and communication technology and in design and technology in developing an effective light sensitive movement detector at their classroom door. The pupils have a good understanding of the structure of the human eye. They know that microbes can be both harmful and beneficial. During a residential visit, the pupils investigate the animal and bird life of the coastline of the Isle of Wight. 92. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good in both key stages, which is similar to the

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SCIENCE

findings of the previous inspection. Across the school, teachers have secure subject knowledge and they transmit a sense of enthusiasm for science to the pupils. They ensure that all the pupils are fully included in learning. Much teaching is based on developing the pupils’ skills of scientific enquiry and research. They plan their lessons well and share the learning objectives with the pupils. There is evidence that the teachers in Key Stage 2 occasionally set research tasks for homework, for example, a project on space in Year 5. 93. Several features of good teaching at Key Stage 1 were seen in a lesson to pupils in Year 1 on the topic of sound. The teacher used a listening quiz well to make learning effective and fun. The pupils developed their speaking and listening skills confidently as, in teams, they listened to various sounds on a cassette recorder and guessed what they were and where they would be heard. In a useful plenary,

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SCIENCE

the teacher asked “What have we learned today? “ This gave the pupils the opportunity to talk about sounds and their sources and successfully reinforced what they had learned. 94. In Years 3 to 6, teachers enthuse the pupils by cleverly introducing topics that interest them. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, the teacher based learning on the fact that “Harry Potter is tired of getting wet” and this motivated the pupils to investigate the waterproof qualities of various clothing Ashford CEP School - 34 materials. Teachers ensure that resources are well chosen and prepared and that specific terminology is introduced and used correctly. Good links are made with other subjects as, for example, Year 6 pupils design and make pinhole cameras to investigate how light travels and the nature of projected images. A lesson to pupils in Year 5 where they were investigating the absorbency of different paper towels illustrated several further features of good teaching and effective learning. The teacher used

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SCIENCE

questioning well in order to make the pupils think carefully and pupils were encouraged to work independently in groups finding things out for themselves. The teacher had prepared lots of resources, including pipettes, clamp stands and microscopes and she had identified useful extension activities for those pupils who finished early. In an effective plenary, the teacher gave the pupils the opportunity to talk about problems they had encountered in their investigation. She made useful links with mathematics, encouraging the pupils to change their results into decimal form. 95. Teachers are supported well by a clear policy and guidelines statement. The co-ordinators provide good leadership, offering colleagues advice and help as necessary. A clear action plan aims to further improve provision for science, including a whole school ‘science day ‘ next term. There has, however, been no opportunity for the monitoring of teaching and learning, with a view to sharing good

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SCIENCE

practice. There are good procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress, which reflects the findings of the previous inspection, and this information is used well to plan future learning. Planning is soundly based on a school-based scheme of work. There is a good range of resources to support teaching and learning and the teachers organise worthwhile visits to many places, including the Discovery Centre, the River Ash, the Weald and Downland Museum, Virginia Water, Kew Gardens and Birdworld. There is a small school pond, which is used to support work done on life processes and pupils in Year 3 participate in a regular gardening club. The subject makes a good contribution to the pupils’ personal development. Key Stage 1 pupils discuss caring for pets, whilst Key Stage 2 pupils learn about environmental pollution and the need for conservation. They have carried out a ‘dirty air’ investigation in school and they have visited the local recycling centre. All the pupils participated in the

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SCIENCE

nationwide ‘Giant Jump’, which marked the start of last year’s ‘science year’.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. Pupils achieve above average standards in Year 2 and Year 6. This was also the judgement of the previous OFSTED inspection. The school has successfully maintained these high standards because of the carefully taught curriculum and enthusiasm of the staff. Pupils with special educational needs achieve similar standards to other pupils in their year group, especially when they receive appropriate support. There are no differences in the attainment of boys and girls. 97. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 is good with some very good elements. Pupils in Year 1 create good pointillism style paintings after studying Seurat’s The Bathers . They used natural materials well, such as leaves and seeds glued on to a black background for their owl collages, and materials and paint for their totem pole, after their visit to Virginia Water. Year 2 pupils’ satisfactory paintings of people having Fun in the Snow are displayed well in a large collage. Paintings

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ART AND DESIGN

of people, animals and objects are linked well to their science work on the five senses. Information and communication technology was used well to help Year 1 pupils’ appreciation of the life and work of Mondrian before using paint, pastels, chalks and the computer to create their own Mondrian style artwork. They were engrossed in their artwork and sustained concentration very well. They enjoyed using only primary colours and some gave titles to their own pictures, such as ‘ Primary’ , ‘ Yellow’, ‘Red and Blue’ and ‘ Boogie Woogie’ similar to Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie . They confidently used the computer to create and print their own Cubism style pictures. 98. In Years 3 to 6, the quality of teaching and learning is good and promotes good progress. All teaching and learning is at least satisfactory and includes good and some excellent features. Teachers are confident in their knowledge of the subject and this ensures that pupils learn the basic skills of

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ART AND DESIGN

drawing, designing and painting well and are able to progress on to more advanced techniques with a good range of media. Teachers' high expectations mean that pupils move on quickly from basic art Ashford CEP School - 35 techniques. Pupils are given good opportunity to explore and choose their own materials and this enables them to make good progress. They develop their skills well in observational drawing and many produce high quality sketches with suitable attention to line, detail, proportion and expression. They use sketchbooks well to record observations and to develop their ideas. They refine their skills well as they progress through the school and show increasing confidence in using various media and techniques. For example, pupils in Year 3 produce good quality cut paper pictures based on work of Henri Matisse; Year 5 pupils use black felt pens on a soft orange background to draw figures and patterns

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ART AND DESIGN

for their Ancient Greek vases and pupils in Year 6 use pastels very effectively for their drawings based on the work of J.M. W. Turner’s The Storm . Across the key stage, pupils have a good understanding of the styles of famous artists, for example, Picasso, Giacometti, Van Gogh and Seurat, which helps to improve their own work. 99. A Year 5 lesson illustrates well the strengths of the teaching and learning in the school. The teacher used her very good subject knowledge to inspire pupils to create high quality landscape paintings. The teacher’s effective questions encouraged pupils to look closely at a Monet landscape and to discuss perspective, helping them to realise the relationship of the size of the trees to the house and the clouds. This enabled them to create a feeling of depth to their paintings. Her very good teaching of different painting techniques enabled pupils to create an impressionist style. They

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ART AND DESIGN

responded well to the teacher's clear explanation of the quality of Monet's work and their positive attitudes made them very receptive to this very good learning experience. The teacher's very good subject knowledge and lively teaching engaged pupils' interest at all times and enabled them to extend their learning well and to achieve a high level of attainment in their artwork. 100. The subject has a co-ordinator for Key Stage 1 and one for Key Stage 2. They are enthusiastic, have a fresh and imaginative approach to the subject and are an effective team. The Key Stage 2 co-ordinator has written the good subject guidelines, which ensure progression of skills across the school and are used as the scheme of work. The co-ordinators give informal advice to colleagues and monitor displays. However, they have not been able to monitor the teaching of art. Assessment is planned for within the scheme of work, but is undertaken mainly by informal evaluation of pupils’ work

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ART AND DESIGN

displayed around the school. Good links are made with other subjects, for example, animal masks and paintings in Year 4 for their work on conservation and in Year 5 for their history work on the Ancient Greeks. Resources are good, including a kiln for clay work, which enhances the finished clay models. Pupils use information and communication technology well to extend their understanding of art. Throughout the school, colourful displays are used effectively to enliven classrooms and enhance communal areas. Visits to the National Gallery, Hampton Court, Weybridge for canal artwork, and the Marianne North Gallery at Kew for botany paintings extend and enhance pupils’ understanding of different styles of artwork from different periods of time. An exhibition of pupils’ artwork is celebrated and enjoyed by parents and visitors at the annual Mince Pie evening. Future plans for art include inviting a sculptor or an artist to come into the school to work with pupils to extend their range of art

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Because of the way in which the timetable was organised, it was only possible to see one lesson during the inspection time. Judgements are, therefore, based on observation of this lesson, analysis of teachers’ planning, a scrutiny of articles on display, and discussions with staff and pupils. The findings are that pupils achieve average standards in Year 2 and Year 6. This is similar to the judgements of the previous inspection. The rate of progress for pupils, including for those pupils who have special educational needs, is satisfactory across the school. 102. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Pupils in Year 1 have designed and made some good musical instruments. They produce simple planning sheets which have lines such as, "I want to make....," "I want it to look like....." Learning is helped when they are encouraged to think about the materials they will need for a project. For example, they listed some of

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Ashford CEP School - 36 the materials they needed for the instruments such as elastic bands, cereal boxes, cardboard tubes and kitchen foil. When they made the range of instruments to blow, pluck and shake, they painted and finished them well. In Year 2, pupils designed soft toys and used appropriate fabrics such as orange felt for a giraffe. They pad them out, sew them together and use appropriate vocabulary in their planning, such as 'thread,' and 'stitch' and thereby add to their understanding of more technical terms. 103. The quality of teaching and learning at Key Stage 2 is also satisfactory. Teachers introduce pupils to a sound range of tools and techniques. For example, pupils in Year 3 have made photo frames from card and finished them in gilt paint, using pasta shapes to decorate them. Last term, they focused on Christmas, with such projects as a Victorian pudding, and a topic on mince pies. In the Year 3

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

lesson seen, pupils had designed a representation of a meal. They drew this first, and the teacher gave them time to evaluate their work, and make any changes they wished. Then they chose fabrics from a large selection of off-cuts and remnants to cut out and stick onto a paper plate to represent the meal. Some good, imaginative work was the result. For example, brown felt shapes were used for sausages, wool became very effective spaghetti, and there were even some kidney beans made from cut out purple material. Pupils are sometimes given the opportunity to investigate before they design or make. For example, they compared costs and packaging of other, shop-bought pies, and then made their own. Teachers develop pupils’ cutting skills appropriately as, for example, pupils in Year 4 who used saws, sandpaper and mitred corners when they made wooden frames for a 'view' in art. A good initiative by

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Year 5 teachers was asking pupils to produce instructions for someone else to follow when they made presentation boxes of marzipan 'fruits'. Year 6 have done some weaving using card looms when they made a place mat, and they have made a rigid, soundproof box for a clock, as a presentation gift. 104. The overall curriculum and teachers’ planning are satisfactory. Teachers plan for pupils to have at least one design focus in each term. Sometimes, teachers take a topic and spend a whole block of time until it is finished. However, work linked to other subjects is not sufficiently developed in order to help with the allocation of time for this subject or to apply skills more widely. For example, opportunities in religious education to make candlesticks for the work on Hanukkah, or in geography to design and make a vehicle for a specific purpose, such as carrying animals or bulk materials for a factory, are not sufficiently developed. The co-ordinators manage the subject satisfactorily but they do

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

not have time allocated to monitor lessons or work, and formal systems for assessment are not in place. The planning about what pupils design and make is secure, and covers all that is necessary, but not all of the pupils are learning to evaluate and make improvements to their work. Some pupils are learning to research, and find out how things work or are assembled, but this is not consistent across all the school. The use of information and communication technology to support work done in this subject is underdeveloped.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Pupils achieve average standards in Year 2 and above average standards in Year 6. This reflects the findings of the previous inspection. In both key stages, boys and girls attain equally. Pupils achieve well in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. The pupils have positive attitudes to work and behave well in lessons. 106. The quality of teaching and pupils’ learning in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Teachers ensure that pupils have opportunity of developing a sound range of skills. By the age of seven, pupils find out about some of the features of the locality from first hand experience. They observe buildings, street furniture and car parks. And know what items are sold in different kinds of shops. Pupils can use appropriate terms to describe daily weather. They compare and contrast Ashford with a rural area in

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GEOGRAPHY

Cumbria and they have a sound understanding of the importance of hill farming in the Lake District. In a Year 1 lesson, the teacher made useful links with science in helping the pupils to learn about sounds in the environment. Shortcomings in teaching are where the pace of the lesson drops with the result that many pupils are sometimes restless and too noisy. Ashford CEP School - 37 107. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 is also satisfactory. Older pupils use their research skills effectively to find out about aspects of the geography of the Caribbean island of St Lucia. They have a good understanding of the importance of tourism and the banana trade to the island and they use their knowledge to plan a holiday in St Lucia and what they would see. Younger pupils conduct traffic and shop surveys along School Road and record their findings graphically. They conducted a useful local litter survey. Teachers use information and communication technology skills

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GEOGRAPHY

well in their work. For example, younger pupils accessed an Internet site to find and print maps of their local area showing the school and where they lived. Older pupils used an Internet site to find out more about the attractions of Aviemore. This improves the quality of pupils’ learning. The presentation of much work at this key stage is good. 108. Teachers are supported by a clear policy and guidelines statement. Planning is soundly based on national guidelines, adapted to meet the needs of the school. The co-ordinators provide good leadership and they offer help and advice to colleagues as necessary. However, they have not had the opportunity to monitor teaching, with a view to sharing ideas. There are no formal, whole-school procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment or the progress they make and this reflects the findings of the previous inspection. Nevertheless, day-to-day assessments are satisfactory. There are adequate

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GEOGRAPHY

resources to support teaching and learning and these are enhanced by sound use of local fieldwork and by visits to Virginia Water, the River Ash and the Isle of Wight. Work associated with this visit indicated that pupils learn about types of rocks, the formation of fossils, and physical features of the local coastline. The subject is making a good contribution to the pupils’ social and cultural development, in making them aware of environmental pollution and the need for the conservation of resources. Year 4 pupils have participated in a conservation project and have visited the local recycling centre. Year 2 pupils have benefited from information sent by E-mail from a friend of the school who has worked in India, Bangladesh and Zambia.

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HISTORY

109. Pupils achieve average standards in Year 2 and above average standards in Year 6. This is similar to the findings of the previous OFSTED inspection. In both key stages, boys and girls attain equally. Pupils achieve well in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2. Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress. Most of the pupils enjoy history and are keen to learn. Many find extra information at home. 110. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Teachers ensure that by the age of seven, pupils are beginning to have a clear understanding of how things change over time. They investigate how buildings, transport, farming and clothing have evolved over the years. They know about famous events in British history, such as The Black Death, and about famous personalities of the past, such as Guy Fawkes. They use their literacy skills soundly to write letters to their

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HISTORY

grandparents, asking for information about the times when they were young. In a Year 2 lesson, the teacher used questioning well, in order to help the pupils recall what they had learnt from watching a video about The Great Fire of London. She made useful references to fire hazards in modern homes and this made learning more real for the pupils. She also made useful links with art. The pupils used tissue and gummed paper to make effective group pictures to illustrate the story and individually they used chalk to draw sound pictures. 111. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 is good and this reflects the findings of the previous inspection. A significant strength is the way in which teachers maintain a good balance between giving information and allowing the pupils to research facts for themselves. They emphasise the need to find evidence about the past. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, the teacher made good use

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HISTORY

of evidence from art and this helped the pupils to make careful observations about a picture which illustrated the life of Sir Henry Unton. Teachers’ clever use of questions encourages pupils to think carefully. A Year 6 teacher asked the pupils, “Why do you think people were obsessed with death in Tudor times?“ Teachers engender a sense of fun and challenge in their lessons. For example, in a Ashford CEP School - 38 Year 5 lesson about Ancient Greece, the teacher made effective use of a‘ ‘Name That God‘ quiz and this made learning fun and helped the pupils to develop their understanding of the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece. Literacy skills are used well as pupils join in interesting class discussions and share their views confidently. Year 5 pupils developed their library skills well as they used contents and indexes to search for information for their Ancient Greece topic. Younger pupils use their literacy

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HISTORY

skills well to write extensively about Princess Victoria. Other pupils make good use of the data held on CD-ROM’s. The effect of the good teaching and learning is that pupils gain a good understanding and appreciation of the period under study, such as life in Tudor and Victorian times. 112. Planning is soundly based on national guidelines, which have been adapted to meet the needs of the school. Teachers are supported by a clear policy statement. The co-ordinators provide good leadership. They offer colleagues help and advice as necessary and have built up a good range of resources to support teaching and learning. However, they have had no opportunity to monitor teaching, with a view to sharing good practice. Stimulating historical displays are a strong feature of the school and do much to foster pupils’ interest in the subject. There are no formal, whole-school procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress, although day-to-day assessments are sound.

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HISTORY

The teachers enrich learning through organising worthwhile visits to Hampton Court, the National Gallery, Brooklands Museum, Gunnersbury Park Museum and the Weald and Downland Museum. Year 6 pupils visit Carisbrooke Castle during a residential visit to the Isle of Wight. In this way, the subject is making a positive contribution to the pupils’ cultural development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. In Years 2 and 6, pupils achieve average standards. This was also the judgement made at the last OFSTED inspection. The satisfactory standards currently being attained are being achieved with a ratio of computers to pupils that is well below the national average. Pupils achieve well in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2. Pupils with special educational needs attain standards that are in line with their mainstream colleagues. 114. The quality of teaching and learning at Key Stage 1 is satisfactory. Teachers ensure that pupils are taught an appropriate range of concepts and skills. For example, pupils in Year 1 are aware that computers, videos and cassette recorders all store different types of information and know how to access them. Pupils in Year 2 use their word processing skills satisfactorily as they write and print items of news entitled ‘What I did on Saturday’, using appropriate capital letter and full stop functions.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Other pupils write, print and illustrate with clip-art pictures, items that may have been included in ‘Cinderella’s Diary’. Pupils across the key stage are introduced well to e-mail and Internet features. This work has been linked well with other aspects of the curriculum. For example, pupils in Year 2 are in regular e-mail contact with a friend of the school who has travelled in India and Bangladesh and has sent back interesting facts and photographs about life there. During the inspection, pupils in Year 1 were accessing the Internet to discover facts about the artist Mondrian in preparation for an art lesson based on his work. Across the key stage, teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and work hard to ensure the development of pupils’ information and communication skills whenever possible. 115. The quality of teaching and learning at Key Stage 2 is also satisfactory. Concepts and skills

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

taught at Key Stage 1 are progressively developed and extended. Teachers ensure that information and communication technology skills are used well to support work done in other curriculum areas. Across the key stage, pupils use word processing skills to complete and present their written work. For example, pupils in Year 6 write, print and illustrate their own description of storms based on Turner’s picture ‘The Storm’. Pupils in Year 4 write newspaper style articles encouraging tourists to visit their local area, and Year 3 pupils design and decorate book covers for their stories and poems. Year 5 pupils use data handling skills as they plot the result of scientific experiments recording the changes in temperature that occur as ice melts, and Year 3 pupils compile a database showing the range of breakfasts enjoyed by the class over a week. Year 5 pupils confidently load and access a CD-ROM to find out aspects of life in Ancient Greece and details about their gods and goddesses. Pupils in Year 6

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Ashford CEP School - 39 have a good understanding of control mechanisms. Projects have been devised to interest, challenge and excite the pupils. They demonstrate with great pleasure and sense of achievement how they are able to devise procedures for altering the pattern of lights on a large set of traffic lights, change the sequence of bulbs lighting and buzzers sounding in a circuit and how to use a light sensor to detect visitors entering their classroom. Other pupils developed control procedures for lighting up windows in their Tudor house display and providing interesting ‘fire’ effects inside the Tudor bonfire. 116. The main feature limiting higher attainment across the school is the level of resourcing. The ratio of computers to pupils is well below the national average. However, teachers make very good use of the resources which they have, including several older machines which lack up-to-date facilities.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

The knowledge, expertise and commitment shown by teachers enable the current average standards to be achieved despite unsatisfactory resources. Current average standards achieved are because of the knowledge, expertise and commitment to the subject shown by the teachers. However, a lesson to pupils in Year 2, where pupils were being introduced to e-mail facilities, illustrated clearly how the deficiency in resourcing limits the effectiveness of teaching. The class collected in front of a single computer and the teacher explained confidently and clearly the process of sending and receiving e- mails, using appropriate specialist vocabulary. However, for most pupils, this was a listening activity as only a few had the opportunity to consolidate their learning through practical application during the lesson. Because of the lack of computers, too much time would have to pass before they could all try

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

their new skills. This is inefficient and ineffective. Unsatisfactory resources were a weakness which was also identified at the last inspection. 117. The leadership, which is shared by co-ordinators in both key stages, is satisfactory overall. However, the separation of roles and responsibilities makes it harder for the subject to be developed progressively across the school. Planning is sound. Termly plans are detailed, and there is a curriculum plan showing coverage across both key stages. The two co-ordinators support other colleagues well, but there have been insufficient opportunities for them to monitor the quality of teaching and learning across the school. Teachers make their own assessments of pupils’ achievements at the end of the year, but there is insufficient use of interim assessments to check on progress being made. Interest in the subject is enhanced by the way that work is attractively displayed around the school. This adds

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

significantly to pupils’ interest and sense of achievement in this subject. Also pupils in Year 5 have the opportunity of attending a lunch time computer club. The subject meets National Curriculum requirements and there has been useful progress made in the development of teaching skills and curriculum planning. However, the school has made insufficient improvement in resourcing the subject since the last inspection.

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MUSIC

118. Standards in music are average for pupils at seven and 11 years old. At the previous inspection standards were average at Key Stage 2 and above average at Key Stage 1. Evidence for this inspection has been based on classroom observations, a scrutiny of teachers’ planning, assemblies and singing sessions, as well as some extra music in small groups or as individual tuition. Pupils enjoy music and respond very well. Progress across the school is sound, including for pupils who have special educational needs who take a full part in all activities. 119. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory for pupils in Years 1 and 2. Lessons are planned so that pupils enjoy a range of singing, and use appropriate percussion instruments. In the Year 1 assembly seen, pupils sang in time and they knew the actions to the words and joined in well. In a satisfactory Year 2 lesson, pupils accompanied their singing with the use of bells of different sorts,

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MUSIC

to be performed in assembly. Their performance was good and they listened well. However, there was no opportunity for them to evaluate each other’s performance with a view to improvement. The teacher used her good subject knowledge cleverly to get across to the pupils how they should perform the music. She said that it was as if they were moving up stairs one at a time, and then jumping down all in one go. In this way, they were able to perform the sequences and phrases of the song. They Ashford CEP School - 40 kept a steady pulse throughout the piece, and stood up as the music rose and sat down when it lowered. They knew some of the percussion instruments by name, and the quality of learning was enhanced because pupils behaved very well and showed much interest in music. 120. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils in Years 3 to 6 is good. Pupils have a sound understanding of rhythm and basic musical structure. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, one pupil kept

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MUSIC

the beat going on a tambour while others introduced other notes on bells and wood blocks. A good feature of the same lesson was when a group walked round, keeping time with their strides and adding clapping with double beats to one stride. In this way, they learnt more about the pattern of notes and timing. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils worked on voice patterns and ostinato using tapes of African music. Each group took a different animal sound and held it against other beats while the teacher accompanied them on a guiro. They learned about African shakers and scrapers used in the tape, and saw pictures of them in their books. Year 6 investigated regular beats and included simple and some compound time. They sang well to the tape, and followed the story about a supposed film studio that was under threat of closure. They learned a syncopated rhythm and sang this with increasing confidence. The teacher did not leave all to the tape but planned and organised well so that pupils did

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MUSIC

extended work that she had devised. For example, the class was divided into four groups who went off to practise on their own for a while introducing their own beats and rhythms. They then assembled together to perform their work and evaluate each other’s performance. 121. Interest and achievement in the subject are encouraged very well by a very good range of additional individual and group tuition. There is a small orchestra and a large choir and over 70 pupils have individual instrumental tuition. The orchestra is in its early stages but the school is fortunate to have a parent volunteer who writes appropriate music and teaches pupils with great patience and expertise. So far, there is a double bass, violin, flute, clarinet and a trumpet, and they perform very well. A number of peripatetic music teachers come to the school to give instrumental lessons. Their pupils are entered for appropriate grade examinations when they are ready. The Key Stage 2 choir

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MUSIC

performs at various times each year such as for Christmas and the County Music Festival, and there is a hymn practice each week in assembly, which ensures that all pupils have a chance to sing and perform. They also listen to taped music as they enter and leave the hall. All pupils sing during their Harvest and Christmas celebrations and the Foundation Stage and Year 1 and 2 pupils also perform for their Mother’s Day service. Some pupils have recorder lessons and some form an advanced recorder group which has specialist lessons before school starts or at lunchtime. They perform well and benefit from the high level of expertise that their teacher offers. Some pupils play their recorders in assemblies. 122. There are two co-ordinators for music and the subject is soundly led. There are no opportunities for them to monitor lessons or pupils’ work, although occasionally one class is invited to hear another class perform something special. Assessment is not developed so that pupils’ levels of

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MUSIC

progress are not monitored and recorded. The curriculum is good, and helps to give pupils a good range of musical activities. Those parts that are provided for teachers on tapes are generally used well, and they customise them to the needs of their own classes.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 achieve average standards. This is similar to the judgement made at the previous inspection at Key Stage 1 but is lower than the previous inspection’s judgement at Key Stage 2. In Year 6, while standards are average in dance and gymnastics, the excellent extracurricular provision in sporting aspects of the subject leads to above average standards in games and swimming for nearly all pupils. The achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is satisfactory, overall, but better in games and swimming where 90 per cent of pupils are able to swim for at least 25 metres. There is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls in physical education due to a good policy of equal access and opportunity to all aspects of curriculum and extracurricular activities. Ashford CEP School - 41 124. The strengths of the pupils’ achievement at Key Stage 1 are that most pupils are able to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

perform simple rolling, jumping and landing skills using their previous knowledge of body positions and are developing a good ability to link these actions. Nearly all have a good awareness of safety in their lessons, especially when setting out and returning larger apparatus. They show a sound understanding of the effect of exercise on their bodies by understanding the necessity for ‘warm up’ and ‘cool down’ sessions at the beginning and end of lessons. They are willing and able to demonstrate their exercises to the rest of the class and can observe their classmates’ performance in order to improve their own. However, their ability to comment on and discuss their own and other performances in order to improve their own skills is relatively under-developed. Nearly all show a very good awareness of using space in the confined area of the hall. 125. The strengths in pupils’ achievement at Key Stage 2 are that pupils in Year 6 show a sound

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

ability to practise and improve their performance in gymnastics. They are nearly all able to find imaginative solutions in developing their own sequences of asymmetrical movement both on and off the apparatus. They link symmetrical and asymmetrical movement and balance and understand why one movement is easier than the other. All show a sound awareness of safety aspects and they are aware of the limitations of space when moving around the hall. They perform safely while working in small or larger groups and when putting out and replacing larger apparatus. They observe others’ actions in order to improve their own performance, but their ability to evaluate this performance is more limited. They understand the effect of exercise on their bodies and can link this knowledge and understanding to their scientific work. 126. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in both key stages with examples of good

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

teaching throughout the school. Teachers use praise and encouragement well to give all pupils confidence to improve their performance. Teachers also encourage and motivate their pupils well by imaginative use of resources. For example, in a dance lesson at Key Stage 2, a musical accompaniment was used well to create the right atmosphere for pupils to use their imaginations in their dance routines. Teachers ensure that lessons are organised well to provide opportunity for pupils to develop and rehearse new skills. For example, in a Year 5 gymnastics lesson, pupils were taught to improve the quality and control of their gymnastics movements to create and perform fluent sequences both on the floor and on small apparatus. The lesson was very well planned. Tasks were well matched to pupils’ abilities and activities were provided which ensured a good progression of skills for all pupils. Pupils were encouraged to perform their balances on floor mats and then on benches. The

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

teacher moved around the hall actively encouraging the best performance from all the pupils. Across the school, teachers demonstrate a sound awareness of health and safety issues as equipment is moved and pupils warm-up and cool down. Pupils’ demonstration is used well. This successfully identifies good practice and positively promotes pupils’ confidence and personal development and aids their learning. Shortcomings in teaching are when teachers do not give sufficient opportunity for pupils to evaluate their work and that of others. 127. The subject is well managed by the two co-ordinators, one for each key stage. Both are keen and enthusiastic and have produced a comprehensive scheme of work to give class teachers guidance and ensure a good progression of skills across the key stages and age groups. A useful subject policy is in place and has recently been reviewed and revised. There are sound procedures for assessing

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils’ attainment and progress but the use of this assessment information to guide curricular planning is still relatively under developed. Neither co-ordinator has had the opportunity to monitor class teaching in the subject, although teachers’ planning is regularly monitored. The subject is well resourced by a plentiful and wide range of equipment and apparatus covering all the aspects of the subject. Opportunities are considerably enhanced by very good extracurricular provision in Key Stage 2. Pupils have the opportunity to participate in after school sports clubs covering netball, rounders, soccer, basketball, tennis, athletics, cross-country running and cricket. The clubs are organised by various members of staff and a former parent, and the curriculum is further enhanced by qualified coaches in gymnastics and short tennis. The residential week for Year 6 pupils in the summer term Ashford CEP School - 42

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covers the outdoor pursuits aspect of the subject well. The school has participated in inter-school matches in netball, soccer, rounders, gymnastics, athletics and cross country running with a great deal of success for both boys and girls. These opportunities add significantly to pupils’ social and personal development. Pupils from both Year 4 classes take part in swimming tuition during the autumn and spring terms to ensure that good standards are reached by nearly all pupils by the time they move to their secondary schools.

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