Shap Endowed CofE Primary School

SHAP ENDOWED C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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SHAP ENDOWED C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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Glossary

Baseline assessment – tests for young children when they join the school or in their first year. Booster classes – extra classes provided for Year 6 pupils, usually in English, mathematics and science, to help pupils to do better in the SATs tests. Co-ordinator – teacher in charge of organising a subject, such as English or physical education. Curriculum – everything the school teaches pupils in and out of class, such as English, science and health education, visits and visitors. Early Learning Goals – Standards of work in the ‘Areas of learning’ listed below typical of children at the end of the reception year. Foundation Stage – (young children up to the age of 5+) The curriculum includes the ‘Areas of Learning’ - language development, mathematical understanding, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative, physical and social development. There are ‘Early Learning Goals’ for children to attain at 5+.

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Glossary

ICT – information and communication technology. Key Stage 1 – pupils aged 6 to 7 years old. Key Stage 2 – pupils aged 7 to 11 years old. National averages – refer to National Curriculum test results and teachers’ assessments in English, mathematics and science where there are national comparisons with all schools and similar schools. National expectations – most pupils are expected to reach Level 2 in all National Curriculum subjects at the age of 7 years and Level 4 at the age of eleven. Scheme of work – courses of lessons in eg. English, for teachers to use when planning lessons. The school uses national guidance provided by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) to help them plan lessons for some subjects. School development plan – set of plans that show how the school will improve over the coming year or longer, what its priorities for action are and how it will spend its money. Tracking – word used to describe a method of recording individual pupils’ progress.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs. J. Wildish

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 June 1997 Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 21073 Roger Fry Registered inspector Equal opportunities English as an additional language Science Information and communication technology Physical education What sort of school is it? How high are standards? 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? 11437 Tony Anderson Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 30834 Ann Lowson Team inspector Special educational needs Mathematics Art Design and technology Music How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21666 Andrew Margerison Team inspector Foundation Stage curriculum English Geography History Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 5 Lincolnshire Inspection Team 37 Park Drive Grimsby DN32 0EG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Shap Primary is a school for boys and girls aged between four and eleven years. The school educates pupils from Shap and the surrounding area and has 97 pupils on roll. Children's attainment on entry to the school is below average. Twenty-five per cent of pupils have special educational needs, which is above average. Some pupils, for example, need extra help with reading, writing and mathematics skills. Seven per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is a low average proportion. No pupils have English as an additional language and all speak English. The Church of England inspected religious education, acts of collective worship and pupils’ spiritual development in the week before this inspection. The Church will issue a separate report.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Shap Primary provides a sound and improving education. The school has gone through a period of staff changes but the newly appointed headteacher provides very good leadership and the school is well managed by the staff. Pupils attain the expected standards at the end of Year 6 in English and science but standards in mathematics are lower. Pupils achieve well in the reception class and in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactorily in Years 3 to 6. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress across the school. The school effectively promotes the inclusion of all pupils in everything that it does. The teaching is good overall. Although the cost of educating pupils is above average, the school provides sound value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The newly appointed headteacher’s leadership of the school is very good. • The teaching of basic skills in English is good. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is a further strength. • Pupils have good attitudes to school and behave well. • Pupils’ social development is very good. • Parents have a high opinion of the school and work closely with it. • Community links are excellent and pupils’ education benefits from them.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in mathematics are below average. • The work higher attaining pupils have to do, for example in mathematics, is not always hard enough. • Teachers do not always plan national strategy for literacy lessons as intended and written comments about pupils’ work vary in quality. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1997. The school has undergone many changes of staff in that time and progress with the key issues identified in 1997 has been satisfactory. The school now has schemes of work for most subjects which teachers follow. However, in physical education and music there is still variation in what some teachers use to guide lesson planning. Assessments of what pupils know and can do are linked better to the work that teachers prepare for pupils. Since the last inspection, governors have begun to make good checks on the school and to evaluate its work. The newly appointed headteacher has been very quick to evaluate what still needed to be done from the previous key issues. She has checked the teaching and learning rigorously and the school’s plan for improvement is good. A child protection policy is in place and safety equipment is visible and accessible. The outdoor play equipment for young children has improved. There have been other

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

improvements. Pupils’ attainment and achievement in reading and writing have improved across the school. Links with the community and parents continue to be excellent. Attendance at the school is not as good as it was and standards in mathematics at both key stages are lower than they were. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 8

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. Shap compared with

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Pupils’ performances have varied considerably in the last three years across the school because, for example, year groups are very small. It is common for results to fluctuate in small schools, so the results in the table need to be treated with some caution. Another significant factor is that the proportion of pupils with special educational needs has risen steadily since the last inspection.

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STANDARDS

The standards of work in Year 6 observed during the inspection matched those expected nationally in English and science but were below average in mathematics. In English and science pupils were found to be achieving well and in mathematics achievement was satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well throughout the school and they attain the targets in their individual education plans. Year 2 pupils’ standards of work observed met national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils made good progress in the lessons observed. In the reception class, children attain standards similar to those of children nationally and achieve well in the ‘Areas of Learning’ they study. Young children become more confident and continue to learn many important skills, such as how to settle to tasks and to read and write.

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STANDARDS

In National Curriculum tests in 2001, Year 6 pupils’ standards of work in English were above average and in mathematics they were well below average compared with all schools nationally. In science, results were below average. In comparison with similar schools, results showed the same pattern. Pupils exceeded the school’s target in literacy but did not reach the target for mathematics. In 2000, mathematics results were in the lowest five percent of schools. Science results were below average and in English they were well below average. Last year’s results (summer 2001) were better than those in 2000. Pupils have achieved better in English than mathematics across the school in the last three years.

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STANDARDS

English results in Year 2 over the last four years have varied between well below average and very high in comparison with all schools nationally. At the end of Year 2 in 2001, pupils’ National Curriculum test results were well above average in reading and writing and well below average in mathematics in comparison with all and similar schools. The results of the good teaching of basic skills in reading and writing are evident in the school’s results. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 9

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils show a very keen interest in school life and enjoy going to school. They enjoy special events and extra-curricular clubs. Most pupils listen attentively to teachers and to each other during lessons. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Most pupils behave very well in lessons and at playtimes. Pupils work well together on shared activities. Movement around the school is also good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. The school’s emphasis on developing pupils’ social skills has been successful. They enjoy the many duties and tasks they have to do. Pupils establish very good relationships with everyone. Attendance Satisfactory.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teacher’s attention to young children’s individual needs in the reception class is good and children continue the good start to their education begun in the independent nursery. Activities are varied and well planned. Teaching takes full account of children’s emotional and social needs and provides, for example, good practical activities in mathematics lessons.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

There is a purposeful atmosphere in classrooms. Teachers question pupils well during the oral parts of lessons and use this method to revise pupils’ knowledge from previous lessons. They cause pupils to think and learn new ideas and teachers check pupils’ understanding. Teachers have a wide spread of knowledge. The basic skills of English, such as punctuation and grammar, are taught well in literacy lessons in all years. Pupils are managed effectively and relationships are very good. Pupils with special educational needs learn well because teachers and support staff meet their needs quickly and effectively, often in small groups. Support staff make an important and positive contribution to the teaching in all situations.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

There are inconsistencies in the teaching, such as in the way some teachers mark pupils’ work and in the way that the National Literacy Strategy is used. Pupils’ capacity to learn is extended in lessons generally but the needs of all pupils are not always met. In mathematics across the school, higher attaining pupils are not always challenged with work that is hard enough for them and they do not learn as much as they could. This is a reason why standards are not as high as they might be. In Years 1 to 4, the teaching is consistently good. In Years 5 and 6 the teaching ranges from very good to unsatisfactory. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 10

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school gives high priority to teaching the basic skills. The school has excellent links with the local community and there is a good range of extra- curricular activities, such as gardening and music groups. There is some variation in the way that teachers use the school’s schemes of work, such as for literacy, physical education and music. Two aspects of the curriculum for information and communication technology in Years 5 and 6 are not taught fully. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The provision is very well managed. Pupils make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Support staff help pupils effectively in lessons and in small group work. Pupils with statements of their special educational needs are well integrated into all lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Pupils’ social development is very good. All pupils have the opportunity to take part in everything that the school does. There are many clubs, teams and residential visits for pupils to join, which they enjoy. The social and moral tone of acts of collective worship is good and pupils learn about the lives of other people. Pupils’ awareness of the cultural diversity in the United Kingdom is satisfactory.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Procedures for improving pupils’ behaviour are unobtrusive and good. The school helps pupils to develop as young people effectively. Governors and staff have carried out the required health and safety checks. There are no agreed procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ knowledge and understanding for some subjects.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Partnership with parents Very good. Parents take a great interest in the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher provides very good leadership. In one term, the headteacher has identified clearly what needs to be done, such as to improve the consistency of provision. Staff with responsibilities have clear plans for action to improve the school. The administration of the school is efficient. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are effective ‘critical friends’ to the school. Many governors take an active role in helping to manage the school. The chair of governors understands its strengths and what still needs to be done. She devotes time daily to the school. Governors have been closely involved in the investigation into mathematics standards and in writing the school’s development plan. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school’s development plan is used effectively to check progress

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

towards targets. The school has used the results of checks on teaching and learning well as a source of targets for the plan. The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The school has made good use of the money available to it and ‘best value’ is found for classroom purchases. Governors have looked into making savings on major contracts. The school has a significant under-spend that it will use to help balance the budget in two years time when the number of pupils in school will be lower.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The accommodation is good and there are sufficient books and equipment for pupils to use in lessons. Teachers are well qualified and there is a good number of support staff, who work effectively. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 11

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Seventy five per cent of questionnaires were returned and 32 parents attended the meeting

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children like going to school and make good progress with their work. • Behaviour is good. • The right amount of homework is set for children of different ages. • The teaching is good and parents are kept well informed of their children’s progress. • The school works closely with parents and they feel comfortable when approaching the school with a question or problem. • The school has high expectations of children and it helps them to mature and be responsible. • The school is very well managed and led. • Some parents feel that there is not a good enough range of extra-curricular activities.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views. At the meeting, some parents felt that the reports at the end of year were not sufficiently personal to their children. The school already has plans to alter the method that they use to write reports. The inspectors’ view of the current reports is that they are satisfactory. The range of extra-curricular activities is good and inspectors disagree with those parents who feel there are not enough.

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OTHER INFORMATION

The governing body is responsible for drawing up an action plan within 40 days of receiving the inspection report, showing how the school will tackle the improvements needed. This action plan will be circulated to all parents at the school. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children begin school with skills in language and literacy, mathematics and personal development that are lower than would be seen in many schools. However, by the time they are ready to start Year 1, most children have attained the Early Learning Goals expected of children of this age nationally and achieve well. This is because, for example, the school has successfully introduced the recent national guidance for children in reception classes. The strong links maintained with the separate nursery have a significantly positive effect on the experiences provided for the children in both classes. Young children become more confident and continue to learn many important skills, such as how to settle to tasks and to read and write.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Pupils’ performances have varied considerably in the last three years across the school because year groups are very small and pupils’ capabilities vary from year to year. It is common for results to fluctuate in small schools, so the school’s results need to be treated with some caution. Another significant factor is that the proportion of pupils with special educational needs has risen steadily over the last four years, which has a negative effect on results.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In National Curriculum tests in 2001, Year 6 pupils’ standards of work in English were above average and in mathematics they were well below average. In science, results were below average. Pupils exceeded the school’s target in literacy but did not reach the target for mathematics. Last year’s results overall (summer 2001) were better than those in 2000. Pupils have achieved better in English and science than mathematics across the school in the last three years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The standards of work in Year 6 observed during the inspection matched those expected nationally in English and science but were below average in mathematics. In English and science pupils were found to be achieving well and in mathematics their achievement was satisfactory. Year 2 pupils’ standards of work observed met national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Since 1999, national tests in English showed that pupils’ standards have exceeded the national averages at age seven in reading and writing. Standards at age eleven were above average in 2001 when compared nationally and with similar schools but have been lower previously. Pupils achieve well now, particularly in writing. The effects of the good teaching of basic skills in reading and writing are evident in the school’s results. Governors also identified standards in English as a concern in the past and the changes made then have had a positive effect.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards of attainment of pupils in Year 2 in mathematics meet the national average. This is an improvement on the standards reached by pupils in the 2001 national tests. Standards of attainment of pupils in the current Year 6 are below average. The improvement on the 2001 national test results is slight and standards were well below average when compared nationally and with similar schools. This pattern is caused by a combination of reasons. Whilst the quality of teaching is satisfactory, there are weaknesses in the way lessons are planned to take account of the needs of higher attaining groups within classes. Higher attainers therefore do not make the progress Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 13 they could. Pupils’ work is not always marked thoroughly, so that pupils do not always know what they need to improve.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils who have been identified as having special educational needs in the Foundation Stage make good progress and achieve well. In the infant and junior sections of the school, pupils with special educational needs make good gains in skills, knowledge and understanding so that by the age of eleven they achieve well in relation to their age and ability in most subjects. In the small group withdrawal sessions for literacy or numeracy support, pupils benefit from working with specialist teachers or trained support staff and this has a positive effect on their learning. Pupils receive effective support in lessons, in the ‘booster’ classes and when working with the special educational needs staff.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards of work in information and communication technology match those expected nationally at the end of Years 2 and 6, and pupils now make good progress and achieve well. The school has made major improvements to the quality of provision for ICT since the last inspection and pupils’ standards of work reflect this. The new computer facilities, including access to the Internet, have made a positive impact on pupils' learning. Pupils now systematically build on their skills year on year. Teachers’ expertise has improved and computers are used in many lessons to support what pupils do.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In science and ICT, pupils’ achievement has been enhanced by the quality of teaching. The teacher and the assistant in Years 3 and 4 are expert in teaching the skills and knowledge of ICT to pupils. In Years 5 and 6, science is very well taught and pupils are able to hypothesise and record findings accurately. Pupils’ standards of work are affected negatively when a teacher’s expertise in a subject, such as physical education, is more limited. There is scope for the school’s teachers to pool their expertise and take responsibility for teaching different classes.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The school has spent a considerable amount of time linking the planning between subjects. Pupils therefore make better progress. Good examples of work in data handling are evident in classrooms and pupils make good progress using and presenting data in a variety of ways. Pupils have written weather reports in geography and poems about creatures seen on a scientific visit. Pupils have written a Shap village history book that contains interesting information about the Abbey and the granite mining in the area. Pupils have composed sets of the information about rainforests, for example, how noisy, hot and wet they are and have given the reasons for and against a river dam project using persuasive writing techniques.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils use numeracy skills to support learning in other subjects. For example, pupils use dates in historical time lines and count in Roman numerals. Pupils write weather reports in geography. In science, distances and temperatures feature in work about the Solar System.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Pupils’ achievement is enhanced because in many lessons the teaching is interesting, practical activities are common and additional adults help pupils to understand new ideas. During the inspection, Years 2 and 6 pupils’ standards of work observed were typical of pupils nationally in art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Shap is an improving school that has identified its weaknesses and has good plans in place to improve further. The school sets challenging targets for itself in the school Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 14 development plan and is on course to meet them. Overall, the school adds value to pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. Their positive attitudes begin in reception where children enjoy coming to school and settle well into the class routines. These positive attitudes continue to be evident as pupils move through the school. They settle quickly to the tasks set for them and show good levels of concentration. They enjoy lessons and take a very active part in all the activities provided by the school, such as the after school sports activities and information and communication technology club.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour have continued since the last inspection. Pupils behave well in lessons. Around the school they demonstrate a clear understanding of what is expected of them in different situations. They are polite and courteous and show respect for adults and their fellow pupils. Incidents of bullying are rare and pupils are confident that any incidents will be dealt with fairly and promptly. There have been no exclusions in the last twelve months.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The school has a positive atmosphere based on the very good relationships between all members of the school community including parents, governors, teachers, support staff and pupils. As they arrive at school, teachers greet pupils. Parents are welcome in school, which helps the school maintain the very good links it has established with parents and helps children in the reception class settle quickly. They have good work habits. In lessons pupils share and take turns with equipment sensibly. Pupils mix and play very well together, and during lessons they listen well to the ideas and suggestions of fellow pupils. The oldest pupils take responsibility for organising themselves and their work, but throughout the school pupils willingly take on responsibility for small jobs around the class, such as looking after the reading books. They carry out their tasks diligently and without constant supervision or direction from an adult. The opportunities

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

for pupils to contribute to the school have increased recently with the establishment of the School Council. Although it is in its infancy, the process of electing representatives from each class and the early discussions has given pupils an opportunity to demonstrate their capacity to respond in a mature and responsible way to new challenges set for them. Pupils’ social development is a strength of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils’ attendance is satisfactory and is in line with the national average. The incidence of unauthorised absence is low and is below the national average. Registers are marked twice daily in line with statutory requirements.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching is good in Years 1 to 4 and satisfactory in Years 5 and 6. The teaching observed ranged from unsatisfactory to very good. In 39 per cent of lessons the teaching was good and it was very good in 10 per cent of them. One lesson (three per cent) in Year 5 and 6 was unsatisfactory. The overall good quality of teaching has a positive effect on the learning that takes place. Throughout the school, there are particular strengths in the teaching of basic skills in literacy and in teachers’ management of pupils. Pupils enjoy school because the teaching is often interesting and pupils feel secure because their emotional needs are met. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 15 19. The teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. The teacher has good subject knowledge, has high expectations of children and plans a very wide range of interesting activities and experiences for children. Children develop their skills, knowledge and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

understanding in all the Areas of Learning effectively. Children with special educational needs are identified and given good support so that, although they do not attain all of the Early Learning Goals, they make good progress. The school has successfully introduced the recent national guidance for children of reception age and very strong links have been maintained with the separate nursery, which have a significantly positive effect on the experiences provided for the children in both classes. In most lessons the teacher manages children well, but on occasions the teacher is not firm enough in reinforcing what she wants, such as children putting up their hands to answer questions. Whole class activities tend to reinforce children’s existing knowledge, but do not extend some children’s understanding sufficiently in language lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of pupils who have special educational needs is good. There are examples of very good teaching, particularly when the special needs co-ordinator works with small groups of pupils for specific skills teaching. A good example of this was seen when a group of six Year 5 pupils with weak listening skills learned to follow instructions in a lively and interesting way. The planning for this lesson was very detailed and linked to the individual learning targets for this group of pupils. The teacher monitored their progress during the lessons, constantly checking that pupils understood the task they were doing and why they were doing it. Instructions were clear and delivered at a brisk pace, the activity was very well organised and monitored and as a result, most completed the task successfully and experienced a sense of achievement. In lessons, learning support assistants forge very good relationships with

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

pupils and these positive relationships ensure that pupils benefit from the good support they are given. The communication between teachers, the special needs co-ordinator and learning support assistants is open and effective and this has a positive effect on both teaching and learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers develop good relationships with their pupils so that pupils have very positive attitudes to subjects. Teachers are keen for pupils to improve and value their contributions. When teachers are concerned about the concentration level of pupils, they work effectively with support staff to provide individual guidance. In science lessons, the practical approaches, good use of adult support and the enthusiasm and expertise of teachers have positive effects on pupils’ interest and motivation to learn. Pupils see things happening in front of them and think about why, for example, tadpoles grow into frogs in particular stages or about the range of variables present in experiments. The use of investigative and experimental approaches in Years 5 and 6 are a strength of the science teaching. Parents are in favour of the type and amount of homework that the school gives pupils in all subjects, and the inspection team agrees

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching of English is satisfactory with good elements. Pupils’ good standards of reading, grammar, handwriting and punctuation reflect teachers’ good subject knowledge. Many lessons are dedicated to teaching handwriting and spelling. This strength in the teaching is also reflected in the good whole-class parts of lessons where teachers focus on these aspects of the subject. The group and independent activities are not as effective. The school has adopted the guidance in the National Literacy Strategy as the basis for planning, but not all the teachers follow it on a weekly basis. Up to Year 4, teachers’ weekly plans clearly follow the national guidance, but this is less the case in Years 5 and 6. This inconsistency limits the class teacher’s and the co-ordinator’s capacity to ensure that all the English curriculum is taught, Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 16 particularly with mixed age classes. Although some planning identifies what pupils in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

different year groups will do, it does not consistently identify what pupils of different abilities will learn . The lack of clarity about what pupils will learn in the group tasks limits teachers’ capacity to mark pupils’ work accurately and show how they can improve. This inconsistency in approach is also seen in records of pupils’ reading.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The quality of mathematics teaching is satisfactory. A strength of the teaching is in the very good relationships that teachers have with pupils. They know the pupils well and pupils of all ages respond well to this by showing positive attitudes to the tasks given to them. All teachers have good pupil management skills and because of this, behaviour in lessons is good. There is a purposeful atmosphere in classrooms, which supports learning. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher uses learning resources effectively and pupils learn to recognise coins and understand the use of money. A weakness in the teaching is in the planning of tasks for pupils of different abilities. The tasks lacked challenge for the more able pupils in Year 1 and Year 2, with higher attaining pupils in Year 2 completing the same task as the rest of the group. Therefore, pupils’ progress was sound rather than good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers use questions well in mathematics to assess what pupils know, understand and can do and in the oral part of the lesson, this technique is used well to ensure a lively pace to the lesson. Errors made during mental calculations are quickly corrected and teachers make effective use of common errors to make teaching points to the whole class. This results in good learning by pupils of a variety of ways to tackle problems. Teachers encourage pupils to listen carefully to tasks and then explain how they have tackled a problem.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. A weakness in mathematics teaching is in planning tasks and activities to support and extend the learning of all ability groups. For example, the more able pupils in Year 4 completed the same task as the one given to pupils of average ability in one lesson. Similarly in Years 5 and 6, apart from different work for pupils with special educational needs, all other pupils from both years completed the same task. This meant that the work was too challenging for some and not hard enough for others. The quality of marking is inconsistent and it does not help pupils to organise and present work correctly or let them know what they do well and what they need to do to improve. Some good examples of marking are in evidence, for example in Years 3 and 4, pupils have individual targets to help them improve. Throughout the school, the presentation of work is often not corrected, with many untidy examples of work not commented

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

upon. Consequently, over time some pupils do little to improve the way they set out work, or to develop the ability to use a ruler appropriately when drawing graphs or calculating area.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching in one ICT lesson was very good in Years 3 and 4. Very good links were made between pupils’ knowledge of angles and the commands needed to make the program perform as pupils wanted. All pupils were very well challenged by the activities and they showed that they could turn paper commands into the correct shape on screen. Pupils were very productive and learned fast.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. An important strength of their teaching is that key ideas are repeated many times, so that all pupils have a good chance to remember what they have heard. Adults who provide support in lessons are well briefed and they make a good contribution to lessons and to pupils’ learning. The school is sufficiently well staffed to allow more than one adult to be present in many lessons. When pupils work in groups with an adult they often make good progress. Although teachers have a wide spread of expertise, there is scope for teachers to share their expertise more by teaching each Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 17 other’s classes. The unsatisfactory physical education lesson, where pupils were given inappropriate tasks, shows that teachers’ expertise is not inexhaustible.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The quality and range of learning opportunities provided by the school are good. The school provides a good curriculum for all pupils that includes virtually all the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. The opportunities to teach control and monitoring skills in ICT in Years 5 and 6 are currently limited, but the school has clearly identified this as an area for future development. All pupils have equal access to an appropriate curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs are fully integrated into all classrooms and after school activities.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. A big strength of the curriculum is the excellent links with the community that the school has forged. This supports the school curriculum by extending the learning opportunities and experiences for pupils of all ages. For example, a recent community initiative was to build an adventure trail in the school grounds to support adventurous activities in physical education and this is now used enthusiastically by all pupils. The school makes very effective use of the locality to extend learning, for example the local swimming pool is used extensively in the summer months and this ensures that nearly all pupils are able to reach national expectations in swimming by the end of Year 6. These aspects of the curriculum have improved since the previous inspection and the school’s rich and productive links with the community have a positive effect on learning and are embedded in the day to day life of the school. Pupils have benefited greatly

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The issue raised during the previous inspection, about developing schemes of work and setting out clear assessment opportunities, has been partially successful. The school now mostly plans the teaching of literacy and numeracy following the national strategies. Other subjects of the curriculum are planned following recent national guidance. However, there is a lack of consistency in the way staff follow the guidance to plan lessons, particularly in physical education. This sometimes results in lessons, particularly in the upper junior class, that do not build upon previously learned skills effectively and therefore pupils do not make satisfactory progress. A scheme of work has still to be developed in music, to provide a consistent approach to the teaching of knowledge, skills and understanding. The lack of a consistent approach to planning mathematics from the National Numeracy Strategy has only recently been tackled, but

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

a clear improvement can now be seen and this is helping the school to raise standards. Planning lessons to identify clearly what pupils of different abilities will learn and setting harder tasks for the more able pupils, is an area for the school to develop.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The special educational needs co-ordinator manages this aspect of the programme very efficiently. Detailed documentation, regular reviews of individual education plans and support for pupils with statements ensure that these pupils make good progress. Individual education plans are very detailed. They are informative and supportive for the particular pupil and are helpful for all those adults responsible for providing care and support in lessons.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The strategies to teach literacy through all subjects are satisfactory. The school integrates literacy skills into several subjects to support pupils’ writing skills. Strategies to teach numeracy skills are developing, with some planned opportunities to integrate Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 18 numeracy into other subjects. This is sometimes done very well, as it was for example in a Years 3 and 4 ICT lesson. In this lesson, pupils made good progress in their knowledge and understanding of data handling.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities that extends pupils’ learning beyond the school day and this judgement counters the current feeling by some parents that the school does not do enough to support learning in this way. All staff are involved and a large percentage of pupils take part in activities which include music, sport, gardening, art and computer studies. These activities run over the course of a year at different times. The school has maintained the good provision for extra-curricular activities, which were found in the previous inspection.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The school makes good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. Teachers ensure that aspects of health education are planned effectively through many subjects and good examples of this are evident in the pupils’ work in science, design technology and art and design. Sex education is taught through the science curriculum at appropriate times and drugs education is supported through pupils’ art work as they design posters to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, alcohol and drugs. The school encourages pupils to develop an awareness of living in a community and how they may act as good citizens within that community. There is a culture of strong community involvement in the school, with supportive links with churches, youth clubs and other village activities and this has a positive and supportive effect on the development of citizenship.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. Relationships with partner schools are satisfactory. The links with local secondary schools eases the transition of older pupils as they move on to the next stage of learning. All Year 6 pupils have visited a local secondary school to complete a four- week science project, which they found stimulating and enjoyable. The links with the nursery based in the school are strong. Accommodation and learning resources are shared with the reception class and where possible, nursery children are involved in many school activities. These positive links improve the quality of education for children in the Foundation Stage.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The provision for pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good and makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ good attitudes to learning, their enthusiasm for school and to their good behaviour. The school has maintained standards since the previous inspection.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Provision for pupils’ spiritual education is good. Acts of collective worship make a positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. Teachers give sound opportunities for pupils to reflect on relevant issues within the wider world. For example, an assembly raised pupils’ awareness about the poverty in places such as Uganda and Afghanistan. The school tackles major world problems such as wars, famines and human rights issues in a mature and sensitive way. The richness and diversity of human and animal life is one that surrounds the school, even to the extent that pupils see new born lambs from their classroom windows. Teachers plan opportunities for spiritual development in a wider sense, for example, eggs have been carefully nurtured and the newly hatched chicks are a source of excitement and wonder. Pupils look after frogspawn, carefully observing and being delighted by the changes taking place day by day.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. Most pupils are very polite in their response to all adults in the school and their helpful attitude to visitors is commendable. All staff set good examples for pupils and make the most of incidental opportunities that Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 19 arise in everyday school life to reinforce moral teaching. Teachers have good behaviour management strategies that are consistently applied and consequently, the behaviour of most pupils in classrooms is good. Pupils have a good understanding of the difference between right and wrong and of the impact of their actions on others. Assemblies have a positive effect on the moral development of pupils. For example, pupils are encouraged to consider the moral aspects of poverty in the Third World and what the rights of developing countries are in helping to ease this situation. Throughout the school, pupils have responded positively to this by raising funds to send seeds to

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Africa to enable some impoverished communities to grow their own food.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. Provision for social development is very good and a strength of teaching throughout the school is the way in which opportunities for pupils to work together in pairs or small groups are thoughtfully planned. In many lessons, pupils have the positive experience of working with others, either to solve a problem or to share resources and equipment. Therefore, relationships in the school are very good and pupils are generally very helpful and supportive to others. This is particularly evident when groups of pupils share work with pupils who have special educational needs. They are helpful with tasks and activities and supportive of those pupils whose physical needs require a sensitive approach. A recently formed school council values the ideas and suggestions from all pupils. Teachers encourage pupils to think about world-wide social issues, particularly as they affect other children in the world. This was evident in

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

a Year 5 and Year 6 class, as they discussed the social issues surrounding the human rights issues in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils are taught about the wide diversity of other cultures in the context of the wider world. Effective displays of the work of various charities that work to support children in Africa and Afghanistan have a positive effect on raising awareness of other cultures. What is less evident is how aware pupils are of the multicultural nature of their own society in Britain. There are missed opportunities to explore the richness and diversity of society in the larger cities in Britain. Pupils do not visit churches or places of worship of other faith communities and seem largely unaware that some of the issues they discuss about Afghanistan may also be seen in Britain. The school does have plans to make e-mail links with pupils in inner-city schools, so this area can be developed further.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The procedures for child protection and pupils’ welfare are good. The monitoring of personal development and for pupils’ educational support and guidance are satisfactory.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Child protection procedures are in place and effective. The teaching staff, classroom assistants and a number of parents know pupils well and they provide a positive level of welfare support and guidance. During the inspection, there were a few examples of pupils receiving minor bumps in the schoolyard and the lunchtime supervisors and administrative staff were quick to offer an appropriate level of care. Although records are maintained of accidents, the recording system for informing parents about pupils’ accidents is inconsistent. The school conducts regular health and safety checks of the site and there are regular evacuation drills. Risk assessments are carried out in advance of school trips. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 20 43. The present system of monitoring pupil absence is unsatisfactory and insufficient use is made yet of a recently installed computerised method of additional control. The

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

occasional administration of medicine to pupils is effectively undertaken by trained staff, as is the provision of a limited number of vegetarian meals. The school has no significant strategies for monitoring pupils’ behaviour because behaviour is not an issue. The impact of this low key approach can be seen in the very good attitudes of pupils and good behaviour both in the classroom and across the whole school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school acknowledges pupils’ individual achievements through the praise given to them in the classroom. Pupils receive rewards more formally during merit and reward assemblies in which pupils’ successes are shared with the whole school and parents. Pupils’ responsibilities for various tasks around the school are numerous. Tasks include setting out chairs for assembly, helping to switch the music on and off and to work the overhead projector.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Pupils who have statements of special educational need are well supported in school. Their statements and reviews are regularly reviewed and the school implements the provision outlined in the statements. The effect of support staff upon pupils who have special educational needs in the classroom is positive. They use the very good relationships they have with pupils to encourage, guide and support their academic and personal development. Training has provided support staff with the ability to provide effective support in classrooms. They have good awareness of the personal as well as the academic needs of their pupils, thereby helping to create a secure and safe environment for them. External agencies provide sound support for pupils with special difficulties. They conduct assessments and provide resources, advice and support. The assessment procedures follow current school guidance, but more detailed

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

assessment takes place linked to the specific targets on individual education plans. These assessments are conducted after meeting with all special needs staff and are effective in ensuring pupils receive a clear programme of learning linked to what they know, understand and can do.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school has satisfactory procedures in place to check on pupils’ attainment and progress. There are formal tests at the end of each academic year in addition to statutory tests at the end of Years 2 and 6. They contribute to a good record of pupils’ achievements. The information is used satisfactorily to identify pupils who may need additional support through special programmes such as the additional literacy strategy or help from the special educational needs co-ordinator. However, the procedures in other subjects for monitoring pupils’ progress are limited. Most teachers use the assessments at the end of lessons to identify what groups of pupils need to learn next. This approach contributes to the good quality of teaching in lessons and target-setting books have been introduced recently in to some classes. In some subjects, however, teachers do not make enough checks on individual pupils’ progress, so that they can

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

be set targets to improve the standard of their work

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Parents’ views of the school are very positive, as are the school’s links with parents. The impact of parental involvement with the school is very good and the information that is provided for parents about pupils’ progress is good. The parents’ meeting was very well attended and the proportion of parental questionnaires returned was very high. Parents feel that their children like school and that they are making good progress. The range of extra-curricular activities is good and inspectors disagree with those parents who feel there are not enough. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 21 48. Some parents felt that the reports at the end of the year were not sufficiently personal to their children. The inspectors’ view of the current reports is that they are satisfactory. School academic reports provide a good level of information to parents in terms of general details of what their children have been studying over the past year

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

and of the progress they have made. The 'word bank' system of writing reports is however somewhat narrow and the depth of information about future targets for improvement is a little limited in some cases. The school already has plans to alter the method that they use to write reports. The school also sends out regular newsletters to keep parents informed and these provide a good level of detail covering curricular topics and other relevant domestic issues. The governors’ report to parents is of a good standard and provides parents with detail of the school’s progress and activities over the past 12 months.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. A significant number of parents are regular visitors and provide classroom support by listening to pupils read and assisting with extra curricular activities. Homework is provided to supplement pupils’ work and this includes a variety of reading books and other curricular related topics. The school operates an ‘open door’ policy and parents are always welcome to discuss any particular areas of concern in relation to the progress of their children. There is also a wide range of external visitors to the school who provide academic, medical, and pastoral support to both pupils and parents. The school’s parental and teacher support association is a very effective body which provides significant fundraising, academic and social input to the school. The day to day partnership with parents is a significant feature in the life of this school and it has a very positive impact on pupils’ personal development and academic progress.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The involvement of parents with pupils with special educational needs is good. They are invited to review meetings, which take place regularly on a rolling programme. Parents are kept fully informed of what is being done in school to help their child and, on occasions, have particular roles to play in the individual education plans, for example to assist with a homework activity.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. When the school was last inspected, Shap provided satisfactory value for money. There have been many changes of staff since 1997, which has slowed progress with the issues identified then. However, the school continues to give sound value for money.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The governing body makes a good contribution to the smooth and effective running of the school and it fulfils its statutory responsibilities. The chair of governors has a clear view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and of the many influences on the school. She knows about pupils’ standards of work and how much progress pupils make. She provides good support and direction for the school and knows it well. Governors have, for example, investigated literacy standards with the help of the local education authority. The report that followed allowed the school to make good progress with improving pupils’ literacy standards. The headteacher receives good support from the committees in all areas of the school’s work, such as in making financial decisions and development planning. Governors know about the standards that pupils’ attain and they have helped to prepare the main priorities in the school development plan, which

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

are intended to raise standards further. The contents of the school’s prospectus and annual report to parents meet statutory requirements. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 22 53. During the period when the school did not have a headteacher, a senior teacher took over the role and ensured that the school continued to move forward. She worked effectively to improve relationships amongst staff. In the last four months, the school has been very well led by a newly appointed headteacher and her influence is an important source of the school’s plans for improvement. The headteacher has provided a clear sense of direction for dealing with the remaining key issues from the last inspection and the issue of standards in mathematics. She promotes a supportive working atmosphere. Improvement is based on good relationships between adults in school, close teamwork amongst staff and clear expectations of what needs to be

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

done, for example, in the areas of developing better consistency in the teaching and curriculum. The school is keen to improve further and the staff shares the vision for the school. The school’s aims are evident in practice. The school’s development plan is good. There are priorities for the coming years with criteria for success, so that the school knows when it has achieved a target. Many aspects of the school’s work have targets and the main priorities for improving teaching and raising standards are well conceived.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The headteacher is responsible for many checking activities, such as of teachers’ lesson planning. Teachers receive helpful comments and points for development. Strengths and weaknesses in the school's results and in teachers’ assessments are carefully evaluated in, for example, English and mathematics. These analyses continue to guide teachers’ plans effectively. Co-ordinators have some opportunities to develop teachers’ quality of work and this is an area that the school intends to develop further. Each co-ordinator has an action plan for each subject and they know what needs to be done next to improve how subjects are taught and to improve consistency. Co-ordinators provide useful ideas for their colleagues to use in their planning.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The special needs co-ordinator gives very good leadership and management of special needs provision in the school. She is very experienced and has put together an effective team to support pupils with special educational needs. The co-ordinator ensures that learning support staff are properly trained to support pupils in classrooms and is currently providing expertise to support all staff in the school as the new Code of Practice procedures are being implemented. The current policy is in the process of revision, but the co-ordinator has ensured that all staff have good guidelines to work from in the interim period. There is a very clear action plan for the future development of special needs provision over the next three terms and a very clear evaluation of the progress so far. Governors are fully involved in the school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and have so far ensured that the co-ordinator is given the

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

necessary support and time to fulfil this role effectively. Accommodation for the teaching of special educational needs pupils is good and resources are satisfactory.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. Governors keep a good check on the budget. The school has a significant financial surplus that will be used to offset the effects of a drop in pupil numbers in two years time. The headteacher allocates funds to ensure that the school maintains the provision. The use of resources, including funds for teachers’ courses, is effective. The school follows the principles of ‘best value’ adequately and has begun to explore how much money competitive tendering for large contracts can save. However, the school is efficiently administrated and staff, for example, check the value for money of small purchases. Adequate use is made of new technology to save time.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The accommodation is good and it is well looked after by the cleaning staff. The school has built a new room suitable for small groups of pupils, where pupils with special educational needs are taught. The school has a good sized hall, sufficient classrooms Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 23 and the library is easily accessible. Books and equipment for use in lessons are good. There are sufficient well qualified teachers and support staff to meet the demands of the National Curriculum. All these features have a positive effect on pupils’ work.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

58. Governors, headteacher and staff need to;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• raise standards in mathematics by developing teachers’ lesson planning to meet the needs of the highest attainers, (paragraphs 3,4,6,23,88,89,91,93) • improve lesson planning so that it is always clear what groups and individual pupils will learn in lessons, including higher attainers, (paragraphs 22,30,83,90,102,117) • improve the planning for literacy by ensuring that the National Literacy Strategy is used as intended by all teachers, (paragraphs 22,83) • improve the marking of pupils’ work by ensuring that pupils know what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. (paragraphs 6,25,83,95,102,118)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governors, headteacher and staff should include the following lesser issues in their action plan. • monitor attendance more closely by making more regular checks on absence and contacting parents, (paragraph 43) Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 24 • develop a system for recording pupils’ attainment and progress for all subjects. (paragraphs 46,73,104,108,112,113,131,136)

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 22

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than three percentage points. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 25

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 97

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 7

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR– Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 24

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 0

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.25

Attendance

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

p.25

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 3 5 8

p.25

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

Where a year group has less than 10 pupils, their results are not reported

p.25

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 8 8 16

p.25

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.25

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

Boys 7 5 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 4 7

p.25

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

Total 15 9 14 Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 26 Percentage of pupils School 94 (44) 56 (50) 88 (75) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.25

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

Boys 5 6 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 7 5 7

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 75 (63) 69 (50) 88 (50) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.26

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

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

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.26

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.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.8 Financial year 2000 - 2001

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 217146

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 212998

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 61 Expenditure per pupil 2109

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 22631

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0 Balance carried forward to next year 26779 Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 27 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2.0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.4

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.5

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 28

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 33 34 7 0 6

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 32 65 3 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 24 63 10 0 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 29 56 13 1 2

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 51 40 6 1 2

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 43 54 1 0 2

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 36 56 6 1 2

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 47 43 1 1 8

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 40 56 1 1 2

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 26 42 15 1 16

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

At the meeting, some parents felt that the end of year reports were not sufficiently personal to their children. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 29

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. At the previous inspection, provision for children in the Foundation Stage was judged to be good. Teaching was good. Children made good progress in all Areas of Learning and attained satisfactory standards by the end of their reception year. Since that inspection, standards in teaching and learning have been maintained and improvements have been made in the provision, such as the resources available for outside play activities. However, there have been some staff changes and the designation, management and funding of the Nursery have changed so that the school’s provision for children in the Foundation Stage now only includes those children in the reception class.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. Children are tested when they enter the reception class. The tests show that although their attainment varies, many children begin school with skills in language and literacy, mathematics and personal development that are lower than would be seen in most schools. However, by the time they are ready to start Year 1, most children have attained the Early Learning Goals expected of children of this age nationally. This is because the school has successfully introduced the recent national guidance for children in reception classes. Strong links have been maintained with the nursery, which have a significantly positive effect on the experiences provided for the children in both classes.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Overall, teaching is good. The teacher has good subject knowledge, has high expectations of children and plans a very wide range of interesting activities and experiences that enables children to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in all the Areas of Learning. Children with special educational needs are identified quickly and are given good support so that, although they do not attain all of the Early Learning Goals, they make good progress.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Personal, social and emotional development .

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. Many children enter the reception class with immature social skills. However, by the end of their reception year, most children meet the Early Learning Goals in this area. They are very well prepared for their next year. The good progress children make as they move through the reception class reflects the close links with the Nursery. Children are well prepared for school and the very positive role models teachers and support staff provide for children, mean children treat each other and adults with respect. Consequently, children quickly learn the school’s routines and how to work with others. 63. Most children develop positive attitudes to their work. They are interested and enthusiastic in lessons and show well developed levels of concentration and attention. Most behave well in the classroom and outside, but a few children are very excitable and easily distracted. Generally, the teacher manages these children well, but on

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

occasions she is not firm enough in reinforcing what she wants, such as children putting up their hands to answer questions. The support staff are used well in whole class sessions to prompt children, but the teacher does not always use them as effectively as part of a specific strategy to help manage the behaviour of a few children. However, the emphasis placed on this Area of Learning sets the foundation for the very positive attitudes, good standards of behaviour and very good relationships seen throughout the whole school during the inspection. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 30

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Communication, language and literacy

64. By the time children end the reception year, children’s attainment is below that expected for their age in some aspects of this Area of Learning. Children’s speaking and listening skills develop well and they are well taught. Children have many opportunities to discuss their ideas with adults and to explain what they have been doing at the end of sessions. Children achieve well because the adults ensure that all children listen carefully to a story or instructions and ensure children join in with all activities in school, such as assemblies. Adults make sure that all children join in discussions by targeting questions to specific children. The teacher has a very good understanding of the importance of providing different learning experiences for children, and provides aural, visual and practical activities aimed at developing and reinforcing the same skill or understanding. Role-play activities effectively develop children’s

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Communication, language and literacy

speech and extend their vocabulary. Children play in role play areas pretending to be particular characters, such as a farmer, when they have dressed up in overalls.

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Communication, language and literacy

65. Children are taught early reading skills satisfactorily, but this is the area where children’s attainment is below that expected for their age. Children have many opportunities to look at books, take them home each day and to listen to stories, so they quickly learn the correct way to hold a book and turn the pages. They enjoy looking at books and are eager to share stories with others. Most children know the sounds of letters and match the names. They recognise the initial letters of words when they are spoken, but they are not as good at recognising the last letter in a word or simple combinations of letters in words. Most children can read some simple words and higher attaining children learn to read books. In lessons, the teacher uses resources such as ‘flash cards’ well, and asks specific children questions. Not enough attention is given to asking children of differing abilities different levels of questions.

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Communication, language and literacy

Consequently, whole class activities tend to reinforce children’s existing knowledge, but do not extend some children’s understanding sufficiently.

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Communication, language and literacy

66. Support staff are used very well to work with groups of children, prompt children in lessons and to listen to individual children read. The good support the school gets from many parents at home makes an important contribution to children’s learning. When reading independently, the older, higher attaining children are fluent, competent readers. They read the title of the book, know that an author writes books and that an illustrator draws the pictures. Average attaining children read simple texts and talk enthusiastically about the book they have read or are reading. Below average attaining children are developing good attitudes to their reading. They enjoy talking about their favourite stories and rhymes and are eager to take books home to share with their families. They know a more limited range of words, but use the ones they know and the pictures to help ‘read’ the story.

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Communication, language and literacy

67. The teaching of writing is good. Teachers provide children with many opportunities to write for a range of purposes. Children learn the shapes of individual letters and to write letters and invitations at a writing table, resulting in all children using pencils correctly and forming clear, recognisable letters. A good variety of interesting resources are made available, so that all children can write their own names. The older and higher attaining children are competent writers. They write simple sentences, sometimes using capital letters and full stops in a neat, legible style, but some writing activities do not always give these pupils enough opportunities to use and develop these skills.

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Mathematical development

Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 31 68. This Area of Learning is taught well and most children attain the Early Learning Goals by the end of their reception year. The teacher concentrates on developing correct understanding of ideas and, in particular, developing correct mathematical vocabulary. Children are taught lessons based on the National Numeracy Strategy, ensuring they are well placed to begin their National Curriculum work in Year 1. The teacher ensures children have good opportunities to use mathematical skills and knowledge in many activities, so that progress over time is good and children achieve well. The priority is to teach mathematics in a practical way. Activities are very well planned. Most children count forwards and backwards to 10 and higher attaining children know numbers to 20 securely. Most children sort objects into sets and match similar shapes or objects. Higher attaining children create repeating patterns using different shapes, whilst

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Mathematical development

average attaining children sort objects into sets depending on colour, shape or size. The teacher uses resources very well to provide children with interesting and enjoyable activities. Consequently, very good attitudes to learning are well established. Other adults are used effectively to give good support to small groups, ensuring that the children are kept busy and make good progress.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

69. Children enter the Foundation Stage with a basic general knowledge, but make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of their local area and of themselves. Due to the good teaching, most children attain the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year . The very good links with the Nursery make a significant contribution to this Area of Learning. The two teachers share planning and follow common topic themes, and children use the resources in both classrooms at certain times of each day. Consequently, the experiences provided for children are broad and enriched by many practical and interesting activities. For example, during the inspection two eggs that had been incubated in Class 3 hatched out and the children in the Foundation Stage were thrilled and fascinated as the newly hatched chicks began to move around and literally ‘find their feet.’

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

70. The topic featuring ‘Barnaby Bear’ teaches children about different places around the world and they have good opportunities to play with water and sand, investigating and experimenting with different containers. Children now have regular opportunities to work on computers. This is beginning to have a positive effect upon the pace at which children learn computer skills and gives them confidence. They use the mouse to move the cursor on the screen so they can use a good range of programs designed to develop children’s knowledge and understanding in language, mathematical and drawing skills. Children understand how computers can be used to control movement and direction. For example, children have produced pictures for the current topic, farming, on computers. In many cases, these were recognisable as, for example, a tractor with appropriate shapes and colours selected to create the picture. The

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

children also typed their names on to their pictures. A strength of the teaching is the constant use of correct vocabulary. Teachers and support staff encourage children to speak about their experiences and explain to others what they have found out.

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Physical development

71. Teaching in this area is sound and most children attain the Early Learning Goals in this area by the end of reception. The teacher has good subject knowledge and plans lessons that develop all aspects of the children’s physical abilities, such as movement, balance and the skills of rolling and receiving a ball. All children have a well-developed sense of space. In physical education lessons, the teacher plans lessons well and Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 32 gives clear and explicit instructions so children respond well to new challenges, are aware of their own safety and that of others and most behave well. However, a few children do not always listen to instructions and find it difficult to concentrate on activities for long. Support staff take an active part in these lessons and help to manage children and to direct them when they are working in pairs. However, the teacher does not always make the best use of their skills to work with groups when

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Physical development

organising the lesson, which has an effect upon the effectiveness of some aspects of lessons. The outside play area is spacious and has improved significantly since the last inspection. In addition, the range of outside play equipment available for children has improved so they now have a good range of large wheeled toys and some large play equipment, such as a slide. Children enjoy these sessions and play well with each other. In other activities, children use scissors and other simple tools carefully to cut paper and materials.

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Creative development

72. The teaching of creative development is good. Activities are well planned, resources used effectively and support staff work with children in small groups, so that children’s knowledge and skills are developed thoroughly. Consequently, all children make good progress and most attain the Early Learning Goals in this area by the end of their reception year. Children have an interesting curriculum and, in particular, experience a good variety of materials, tools and equipment. Basic skills are taught very well. For example, nearly all children mix paint independently to make shades and tones of other colours. Language skills are constantly being developed alongside these activities because children are encouraged to describe what the materials feel like, or to explain what they are doing. In music, the teacher uses songs well, such as during opening and closing sessions of lessons or to reinforce number or language skills.

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Creative development

Consequently, children sing familiar songs with enthusiasm and securely develop early skills in rhythm and beat.

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Creative development

73. Relationships between staff and pupils are very good and make a significant contribution to the positive and supportive atmosphere in the class. Although the support staff are not formally involved in writing lesson plans they contribute to the general planning and consequently have a clear understanding of their role in lessons. Overall, planning is good and the class teacher has established an effective way of checking what children do so that they experience activities in each Area of Learning regularly. Procedures for monitoring the progress children make in these activities are not so effective. This means that the teacher is not fully aware of what children attain particularly when they are working in the Nursery areas.

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Creative development

74. The school has made suitable arrangements for the reception class teacher, who is newly qualified, to have the required time out of lessons. During this time, an experienced teacher takes the class with the special needs co-ordinator supporting her. The planning is provided by the reception teacher, and it is well interpreted by the two staff so children are taught well. Pupils are managed very well with the support teacher constantly reinforcing the teacher’s expectations of behaviour and concentration. Consequently all the children behave and concentrate well and the lessons are a positive learning experience for the class.

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ENGLISH

75. Standards since the last inspection have improved. In the 2001 national tests, pupils’ standards were well above both the national average and the average for similar Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 33 schools at the age of seven in reading and writing. Standards at the age of eleven were above average when compared nationally and with similar schools. Pupils achieve well as they move through the school so that a good proportion attain or exceed the national average. Care has to be taken when comparing different year groups because of the small number of pupils involved and the varying abilities of different year groups. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in relation to their prior attainment because of the effective support they get in lessons and the extra tuition they receive in the ‘booster’ classes and when working with the special educational needs staff. There are

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ENGLISH

no significant differences between the attainments of boys and girls.

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ENGLISH

76. Most pupils in Year 2 and by the end of Year 6 attain average standards in speaking and listening. Most of the oldest pupils are very good listeners who follow their teachers’ explanations closely, responding eagerly to questions with full and thoughtful answers. They readily engage in conversation about their work with each other and adults. Higher attaining pupils express their opinions and ideas very confidently.

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ENGLISH

77. Pupils attain the national averages in reading. By the time pupils are seven they read a broad range of texts, both fiction and non-fiction, with good understanding and developing fluency. Most take reading books home regularly and are well supported by parents. Pupils have good opportunities in lessons at various times throughout the week to look at different sorts of books. This approach makes a positive contribution to the development of their reading. Higher attaining pupils are fluent and confident readers. They use punctuation well to give expression to their reading, talk about the plot in the story and say what they think will happen next. Average attaining pupils use a range of skills to understand what is happening in a story and to work out what unfamiliar words are. Pupils are familiar with the use of non-fiction books. Most pupils use the ‘contents’ page and the ‘index’ confidently as well as dictionaries to find out

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ENGLISH

78. At the age of eleven, most pupils attain the national average. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress with reading due to good teaching. The teacher in the Year 5 and 6 class places a great emphasis on developing pupils’ basic skills so there are, for example, many opportunities in lessons where pupils are expected to read out loud and to use dictionaries. Consequently, the oldest pupils have well developed research skills and can use the Internet, encyclopaedias, dictionaries and other sources of information effectively. Most pupils read fluently and with good expression. Higher attaining pupils are beginning to develop the more complex skills of inference and deduction.

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ENGLISH

79. Pupils’ attainment in writing at age seven is above average and pupils achieve well in this aspect of the subject. Pupils write in logical sentences and apply their knowledge of letter sounds when spelling words. Most pupils spell accurately and any errors are justifiable. Higher attaining pupils in Year 1 write confidently in sentences using full stops and capital letters. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ presentation of work is good because the teacher has high expectations of presentation and makes sure in most of their work that pupils use headings and dates. In some activities, pupils are expected to use a pen, which helps them develop their own style of handwriting. They write in a range of styles. Higher attaining pupils use interesting verbs and adjectives well, which adds excitement to some of the creative and imaginative writing.

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ENGLISH

80. The writing of average attainers is less colourful, but they are beginning to understand and to use description in their writing to describe characters and settings. Pupils with special educational needs write legibly and on occasions use simple punctuation appropriately to organise their work. The support they have in lessons and when they Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 34 are withdrawn for specific work means that overall they achieve well. The emphasis placed on developing writing style, presentation and basic skills of spelling and grammar in Years 1 and 2 is built on effectively as pupils move through the school.

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ENGLISH

81. Standards are above average at the age of eleven. Pupils’ writing is neat and legible and many pupils have developed their own style. Pupils use a broad range of punctuation, spell accurately and clearly understand how sentences fit together. In addition, most pupils develop ideas carefully, organising them into paragraphs. These strengths in their writing reflect the strong emphasis the teacher in Years 5 and 6 gives to developing pupils’ basic skills. Higher attaining pupils have a secure understanding of how to vary the style and organisation of written work depending on its purpose. They write entertaining and imaginative stories using a broad range of vocabulary that captures the reader’s attention.

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ENGLISH

82. The teaching of English is satisfactory with good elements. Pupils’ standards of reading, grammar, handwriting and punctuation reflect teachers’ secure subject knowledge. Many lessons are dedicated to teaching handwriting and spelling. This strength in the teaching is also reflected in the good whole-class parts of lessons where teachers focus on these aspects of the subject. The purpose of the lesson is usually shared with pupils so they know what they will be learning and questions are used well to involve pupils in the lesson and to check they understand what is being taught. Teachers manage pupils very well so they behave, concentrate and generally respond positively to the tasks set for them.

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ENGLISH

83. However, the group and independent activities are not as effective. Since the last inspection, the school has adopted the guidance in the National Literacy Strategy as the basis for planning, but not all the teachers follow it on a weekly basis. Up to Year 4, teachers’ weekly plans clearly follow the national guidance, but this is less the case in Years 5 and 6. This inconsistency limits the class teacher’s and the co-ordinator’s capacity to ensure that all the English curriculum is taught, particularly with mixed age classes. In addition, although some planning identifies what pupils in different year groups will do, it does not consistently identify what pupils of different abilities will learn . Teachers’ verbal responses to pupils in lessons are very good, particularly in the Year 1 and 2 class. There is positive encouragement mixed appropriately with guidance and support. However, the lack of clarity about what pupils will learn in the group tasks

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ENGLISH

limits teachers’ capacity to mark pupils’ accurately and show how they can improve. This inconsistency in approach is also seen in records of pupils’ reading.

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ENGLISH

84. In some classes pupils have a reading record that they take home each day with their reading book and parents record when they have heard their child read. However, this is not the case in all classes. There are missed opportunities to develop links with parents, to monitor what pupils are reading and to encourage pupils to reflect on the book they are reading.

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ENGLISH

85. A considerable amount of time has been given to planning the development of literacy skills in other subjects, which is often presented using ICT. Pupils have written weather reports in geography and poems about creatures seen on a scientific visit. Pupils have written a Shap village history book that contains interesting information about the Abbey and the granite mining in the area. Pupils have composed sets of the information about rainforests, for example, how noisy, hot and wet they are and have given the reasons for and against a river dam project using persuasive writing techniques. Teachers and support staff have made effective use of publishing programs to combine pupils’ skills of word processing with pictures and other interesting information. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 35 86. Overall, the teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. The special needs co-ordinator’s teaching is very good. Individual plans are used carefully to

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ENGLISH

provide work for pupils so they make good progress. In lessons, support staff give sensitive and effective support to these pupils, which contributes well to the progress they make in learning and reinforcing their knowledge. Specialist programmes such as ‘additional literacy support’ are taught well by support staff.

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ENGLISH

87. The subject co-ordinator has recently taken over the role and has not had the opportunity to gain a secure grasp of standards of teaching. However, she has conducted an audit of resources that highlighted some shortcomings and has ordered equipment and books to fill the gaps. In addition, she has drawn up an action plan that identifies appropriate areas for investigation and outlines how these will be achieved against a time scale. Since the last inspection, the school has developed a broader range of ways to assess pupils’ attainment and has begun following pupils’ progress using computer spreadsheet records. In addition, target booklets have recently been introduced in some classes. They give pupils a very clear understanding of what they need to concentrate on, but are not in place in all classes.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Standards of attainment of pupils currently in Year 2 meet the national average. This is an improvement on the standards reached by pupils in the 2001 national tests, although direct comparisons are unreliable because of the small number of pupils in each year group and the varying abilities of successive year groups. Standards have been maintained since the previous inspection. Standards of attainment of pupils in the current Year 6 are below average and are not as good as those found during the previous inspection. The improvement on the 2001 national test results is slight, and the standards reached were well below average when compared nationally and with similar schools. Again, because of the small number of pupils, direct comparisons are unreliable. There are no significant differences between the attainments of boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Over four years, pupils achieved better standards in English and science but did not do so well in mathematics. This is due to a combination of factors, but mainly because whilst the quality of teaching is satisfactory, there are weaknesses in the way lessons are planned to take into account the needs of all ability groups within the class. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress against their individual learning targets, but more able pupils are not always sufficiently well challenged. This occurs throughout the school and consequently, pupils who are more able are not achieving the higher levels in the national tests.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The school has rigorously analysed test results over time and has clearly identified what the school does well and what needs to be done to raise standards. The school recognises that all pupils achieve satisfactorily from the time when they first enter school. The school’s tests show clear evidence of this progress. To raise standards in mathematics the school has identified the need to ensure that teachers plan lessons in a more consistent way. For example, the school is not consistent in identifying what pupils of different abilities will learn or in setting harder group and individual work for pupils who are more able. There are examples of planning that show good progress towards meeting this aim, but again, the practice is not consistent. The co-ordinator is a recent appointment and is already providing good guidance for developing a more consistent approach to teaching mathematics through rigorous monitoring of both

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MATHEMATICS

Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 36 teaching and planning. The school is now well placed to make good progress in meeting its priority to raise standards in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

91. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. This is a similar picture to that found in the previous inspection. A strength of the teaching is in the very good relationships that teachers have with pupils. They know the pupils well and pupils of all ages respond well to this by showing positive attitudes to the tasks given to them. All teachers have secure pupil management skills and because of this, behaviour in lessons is good. There is a purposeful atmosphere in classrooms, which supports learning. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher uses learning resources effectively to teach the recognition of coins, and probes pupils’ knowledge and understanding of money by asking good questions. This approach develops pupils’ speaking and listening in an appropriate way, but also indicates that many pupils are not adept when calculating mentally. However, a weakness in teaching is in the planning of tasks for pupils of different abilities. The

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MATHEMATICS

tasks lacked challenge for the more able pupils in Year 1 and Year 2, with higher attaining pupils in Year 2 completing the same task as the rest of the group. Therefore, whilst the progress pupils made during the lesson was sound, the progress of the more able pupils was limited because they were not challenged with harder work.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The teaching of older pupils showed similar strengths and weaknesses. Teachers use questioning well to assess what pupils know, understand and can do and in the oral part of the lesson. Good questioning ensures a lively pace to the lesson. Errors made during mental calculations are quickly corrected and teachers make effective use of common errors to make teaching points to the whole class. This results in good learning of a variety of ways to tackle problems. Teachers encourage pupils to listen carefully to tasks and then explain how they have tackled a problem. The support given to pupils with special educational needs is good, both within classrooms from the teacher and learning support assistants, or in small groups in which pupils are withdrawn to provide specialist teaching. The support is effective and these pupils make good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

93. The weakness of teaching is in planning tasks and activities to support and extend the learning of all ability groups. For example, more able pupils in Year 4 completed the same task as those given to pupils of average ability. Similarly in Years 5 and 6, apart from different work for pupils with special educational needs, all other pupils from both year groups completed the same task. This meant that the work was too challenging for some and not hard enough for others. The teacher in Years 5 and 6 did give an appropriate extension task to those pupils who were more able to calculate quickly during the oral part of the lesson and this kept the pace of their learning appropriate and as such was a sound strategy to use. The analysis of pupils’ work in books shows the lack of a clear planning strategy to provide different tasks for pupils of different abilities. For example, in each year group, there is evidence that pupils have often completed the

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MATHEMATICS

94. Teachers use information and communication technology well to support learning in mathematics. Good examples of work in data handling are evident in classrooms and pupils make good progress using and presenting data in a variety of ways. Teachers make satisfactory use of literacy skills to support learning in mathematics, particularly when pupils are expected to explain to others how they have solved problems. The use of numeracy skills to support learning in other subjects is present. There are examples in other subjects to show that pupils use some numeracy skills. Pupils use dates in historical time lines and count in Roman numerals. Pupils write weather reports in geography. In science, distances and temperatures feature in work about the Solar System. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 37 95. The quality of marking is inconsistent and it does not help pupils to organise and present work correctly or let them know what they do well and what they need to do to

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MATHEMATICS

improve. Some good examples of marking are in evidence, for example in Years 3 and 4, pupils have individual targets to help them improve. Throughout the school, the presentation of work is often not corrected, with many untidy examples of work not commented upon. Consequently, over time some pupils do little to improve the way they set out work, or to develop the ability to use a ruler appropriately when drawing graphs or calculating area.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Leadership and management of the subject are good now. The co-ordinator is a recent appointment but has quickly identified the weaknesses in mathematics and has put into place a plan for action. Her monitoring of teaching is rigorous and clear feedback to staff is helping teachers know what they do well and what could be improved. All staff are working from a similar planning format and are now all working from the National Numeracy Strategy. There are still inconsistencies, but these have been recognised and where necessary further staff training has been undertaken and the outcome of this is being monitored. Governors are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject and the numeracy governor is fully involved in helping the school to raise standards. Resources for the subject are satisfactory.

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SCIENCE

97. Pupils' attainment in Year 2 matches national expectations and in Year 6 pupils’ attainment is close to the standards expected for their ages. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Pupils’ achievement is good and there are no significant differences between the attainments of boys and girls. Pupils’ standards over the last four years in Year 6 have varied between above and below average. This pattern is the result of the varying abilities present in each year and the very low numbers in each year group. In Year 2 last year, pupils achieved very well in teacher based assessments.

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SCIENCE

98. In Year 2, pupils carry out some interesting investigations and have a satisfactory understanding for their age of the importance of fair testing. Pupils know what plants need to grow, name 20 parts of the human body and understand what an electrical circuit is. The classroom is particularly interesting. There are tadpoles in a tank and seeds growing, which motivate pupils to watch nature at work many times each day.

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SCIENCE

99. Up to Year 4, pupils rarely use headings for their written work to help guide their thinking, such as, ‘What I want to know,’ ‘What I predict will happen,’ ‘What I did,’ and ‘What I found out.’ Teachers do not make enough use of such writing frameworks to ensure pupils investigate and record findings scientifically. There is scope also for more work to be recorded in order for pupils to reflect further on what they have done.

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SCIENCE

100. In Year 6, the curriculum is very strongly based on investigative and experimental work, which is taught very well. Higher and average attaining pupils show that they can predict what might happen in their investigations, such as whether different sorts of paper are waterproof. They record their experiments very clearly and understand and use hypotheses. All pupils show they can conclude sensibly about what they have seen or measured.

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SCIENCE

101. The teaching is interesting, practical activities are common and these ways of working help pupils understand new ideas better. Pupils discuss their findings, reach sensible Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 38 conclusions, and have chances to think about their work. Pupils respond well and show interest. Pupils work hard largely because they relate well to teachers. Lessons are well managed and they proceed at a brisk pace. Pupils gain a range of knowledge and understanding, building on their experience of the world. They learn about forces when pushing or pulling toys, they know which foods are good for us, they expand their understanding of how electrical appliances work by constructing simple electrical circuits, and learn about properties of materials when choosing them for different purposes.

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SCIENCE

102. Pupils with special educational needs receive a good level of support from teachers and support assistants. Adults help them in a variety of ways to overcome their difficulties and pupils make steady progress in lessons. Higher attaining pupils have work that challenges them in some lessons, but there is room to develop a better match of work to pupils’ capabilities to improve their progress further. Teachers do not set tasks at different levels of difficulty often enough. Teachers mark pupils work with care, but do not often leave pupils with a thought-provoking question about their discoveries or a target for improvement.

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SCIENCE

103. Teachers are well aware of equality of opportunity and make sure that girls and boys, including those with special educational needs, have equal amounts of time and appropriate support to help them make progress during lessons. The yearly planning enables pupils' knowledge and understanding of living things, materials and physical processes to develop systematically throughout the school.

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SCIENCE

104. The co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator’s action plan includes improvement to the system for assessment and recording so that pupils progress can be checked more easily and thoroughly. There are some important differences in the way that science is taught and at present this matter is not being addressed, such as in the recording of work. The co-ordinator sets a very good example in his teaching of science. The site is an excellent resource for teaching science.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. At the end of Years 2 and 6, the standards reached by pupils meet national expectations. Pupils make sound progress in their knowledge, skills and understanding as they move through the school. Standards in art and design have been maintained since the previous inspection. The way the school uses the evidence of pupils’ work to assess what they know, understand and can do is not as good as during the previous inspection, when teachers used a good portfolio of assessed work to enhance their understanding of the standards achieved. The school uses the wider community very effectively to increase pupils’ first-hand learning. For example, the Memorial Hall in the village is used to provide enrichment in the creative arts. Visits and local artists are involved in the school and support learning in art, for example plans are in place for a mosaic project which will involve pupils of all ages.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and is similar to that found in the previous inspection. A strength of teaching is the good emphasis on teaching basic skills in drawing and ensuring that pupils experience and explore a wide range of techniques and media. An example of this was seen in Years 1 and 2 as the teacher used the correct technical vocabulary of “perspective” to teach how to sketch a selection of fruit and vegetables in the style of Cézanne. This was a good lesson because the teacher gave an effective demonstration of how to sketch. Effective use was also made of the previous work of a pupil in the class to show how he had used perspective in his Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 39 drawing of pews inside the local church. The pupils were able to appreciate this example and learn from it. The work of Cézanne was then evaluated, with the teacher again placing emphasis on how the artist explored perspective in his work. The

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ART AND DESIGN

resulting work produced by pupils showed good observational skills. The teacher monitored pupils’ work as they drew, bringing forward good teaching points and ensuring that pupils felt confident to explore and experiment with their work. Consequently, pupils observational drawing skills progressed well in the lesson.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. In Years 3 to 6, teachers place appropriate emphasis on the personal and social development of pupils. For example, work is planned to enable pupils to explore new techniques whilst working in small groups. This is effective and pupils share resources, co-operate well with each other and show respect for each other’s work. Older pupils extended their drawing skills when they visited an historic vehicle museum. They sketched vehicles from first-hand observation and explored further the use of scale and perspective. In a lesson, pupils worked with a partner to sketch portraits, with the teacher giving a sound demonstration of the common errors made when drawing faces, such as positioning the nose incorrectly, or making the shape of the eyes too round. Pupils responded well to this, worked hard in the lesson and tried to improve the quality of their work. A weakness of teaching of older pupils is in the lack

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ART AND DESIGN

of emphasis teachers place on extending the design skills of pupils. For example, pupils do not use a sketchbook to explore and develop ideas during the initial design stage. This means that the opportunity is missed for pupils to have a clear record of their work in progress and how they have developed their skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. The subject co-ordinator is a recent appointment and provides satisfactory leadership. She has not yet had the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching, but has a clear plan for action to develop the subject and has already identified the need to introduce a sketchbook for pupils in Years 3 to 6. There are no formal assessment procedures in place, but the co-ordinator has very recently started a collection of pupils’ work. Resources for the subject are satisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Standards in design technology have been maintained since the previous inspection. The attainment of pupils currently in Year 2 and Year 6 meet national expectations. Pupils make sound progress in their knowledge, skills and understanding as they move through the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. In the lesson seen in Years 1 and 2, the teaching was good. A strength of this lesson was the thorough planning of activities to extend the pupils’ skills of designing, making, recording and evaluating as they made a fruit and vegetable salad. Basic skills were taught well, particularly in the teaching of health education points linked to eating a well-balanced diet and in the safety of handling knives when making the fruit salad. The teacher ensured that all pupils understood the importance of good personal hygiene before the preparation of food. Effective recording skills were taught, as pupils recorded the method of their working and then wrote a recipe. As a result, pupils made good progress with planning, designing and recording their work. They used tools and equipment safely and improved their knowledge and understanding of a healthy, balanced diet. The teacher

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

had planned the lesson to encourage pupils to work together in mixed-gender pairs or in small groups and this resulted in good social development as the pupils worked well together. The pupils’ behaviour was good during the lesson because the teacher managed both the pupils and learning activities well. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 40 111. Although teachers make good use of a digital camera to record what pupils do during lessons, there is very little evidence in some years to show that pupils are taught to design a product linked to specific criteria, which they later evaluate. Pupils’ designs, labelled drawings and their evaluation of what they have made are not recorded well enough, so there is a missed opportunity for the pupils to build upon these skills that have been developed in Years 1 and 2. Consequently, whilst older pupils make sound progress in the use of a range of tools and equipment to make a wheeled toy, their

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

progress in the designing and evaluation process is weaker. The progress older pupils make is therefore not as good as that found in the previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in class when they use tools and equipment, ensuring that they develop safe working practices. Teachers make sound use of literacy skills, for example pupils in Years 1 and 2 are taught to record their work in a variety of ways.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. The subject co-ordinator is a recent appointment and provides satisfactory leadership. She has not yet had the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching throughout the school. There are no formal assessment procedures in place and consequently teachers do not have a secure view of what pupils already know and can do. The co- ordinator does not yet have a clear grasp of the strengths and weaknesses in the design, make and evaluate process. The resources for the subject are satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

113. Pupils’ standards of attainment in geography and history at the age of seven and eleven are close to national expectations and they achieve satisfactorily as they move through the school. The schemes of work, introduced since the last inspection, are based on the recent national guidance, but the school has not developed systematic procedures for assessing how well pupils are progressing. However, pupils make sound progress in learning the skills, knowledge and understanding in both subjects.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

114. At the age of seven, pupils have a secure understanding of time for their age. They use words such as ‘today’ and ‘yesterday’, ‘old’ and ‘new’ correctly. They know that places change over time and that people’s lives change too. They compare people and things from different periods, such as a modern kitchen and a Victorian scullery. Pupils know about some important historical figures, such as Florence Nightingale and Grace Darling. Higher attaining pupils write detailed biographies of these characters linked to specific dates and events in the person’s life. They have a secure understanding of the contribution these people made on modern life through their work. Average attaining pupils’ biographies are less detailed and do not refer to dates as well and do not clearly show they understand the effect these people had on, for example, nursing. However, their lives are accurately described and important points in their careers identified.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

115. In geography, pupils’ mapping skills are particularly well developed. Most pupils show where Shap is on a map of the United Kingdom and know the different countries of the United Kingdom. Most pupils draw detailed maps of, for example, their route to school and plans of their classroom. At the start of the current year, pupils’ maps were mainly pictorial but detailed, with important places shown. However, by the end of the year most pupils are beginning to understand that maps are a ‘birdseye view’ of the landscape. They include a key to help identify specific places or features. Pupils understand that countries around the world have different climates, and climate affects what people wear, what food they eat and how they live. Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 41 116. At the age of eleven, pupils know the difference between countries and continents. Most pupils name the continents and different climatic zones around the world. They

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

have a secure understanding of how climate affects the lives of people. The emphasis placed by the teacher in Years 5 and 6 on physical aspects of geography shows in pupils’ very secure understanding of physical features of the landscape, such as rivers. They know how rivers are formed and how they shape the landscape. However, their appreciation of how human activity affects these features and the environment around them is not so well developed. In history, pupils have a secure understanding about some civilisations from the past, such as Ancient Egypt and the Romans and particular periods in British history such as the Tudor period. They understand how life for people changes over time as conditions and facilities for people develop. For example, they know the effect that the invention of steam trains had upon the capacity of people to travel quickly from place to place.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

117. Teaching in both subjects is satisfactory. Teachers’ planning indicates that the schemes of work are taught and that pupils are provided with an adequate range of experiences in lessons. However, little attention is given to varying the work for pupils of different abilities, particularly for the oldest pupils. Therefore, higher attaining pupils are not given enough opportunity to develop their understanding beyond the majority of their peers.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

118. Visits and visitors are carefully planned so they make a good contribution to reinforcing pupils’ understanding and to enrich the curriculum. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 went to a local river with a representative of the Rivers Agency and were able to see the features they had been studying in the classroom. The quality of marking of pupils’ work is variable. Overall, not enough attention is given to informing pupils what they do well and how they can improve their work. Some links are made with other subjects including art and design and ICT, but these are limited. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher plans opportunities for pupils to write in their own words and to practise their literacy skills, but in Years 5 and 6 this is not so effectively planned. There is an over reliance on worksheets in geography lessons for the oldest pupils which negatively affects the pace of pupils’ learning and the development of their literacy skills. The quality of

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

presentation of work is good which indicates they have positive attitudes to both subjects. In the one lesson seen, pupils were interested and enthusiastic. They asked pertinent questions, concentrated on the video and the written task well and behaved well.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

119. The co-ordinator for geography leads the subject well and the recent review of planning has ensured the curriculum is more balanced and gives teachers better opportunities to fully explore the subjects. Although the co-ordinator has not monitored pupils’ work or teaching she has clear idea of what needs to be done and has been provided with the time by the headteacher to fulfil her role in the future.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. Standards of work match those expected nationally in Years 2 and 6 and pupils make satisfactory and improving progress. The school has made very good improvements to the quality of provision since the last inspection now that the computer facilities are in place. The computer facilities, with access to the Internet, have made a positive impact on pupils' learning. Pupils now systematically build on their skills as they move through the school. Teachers’ arrangements for assessing pupils' work and recording what they have learned up to Year 4 are clear and informative. Teachers’ planning Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 42 indicates that pupils receive a good curriculum that covers virtually all aspects of ICT during their time at the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. Two elements of the curriculum for Years 5 and 6, concerned with using computers and equipment to log data (such as weather records) and to control events and devices, are not yet provided in the depth required by the National Curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. Pupils enjoy the subject very much and are keen to learn. Virtually all pupils know how to use the basic functions of a word processor, how to save information and to print their finished work. Older pupils have learnt to ask questions about and around a topic so that their Internet searches are successful.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. During the inspection, all lessons seen involved Years 3 and 4. In this class, pupils know how to command a program to create a set of steps and they have word- processed good pieces of work about their trip to Morecambe. Pupils have drawn snowman pictures and coloured sections of them using different features of the program. Pupils have learned to use a program to create shapes on screen, such as hexagons. Over a number of lessons, pupils have applied their growing knowledge successfully.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. The teaching is good. Teachers and support staff provide good clear explanations and the right amount of support to help pupils learn at a steady pace. Four teaching assistants have gained recognised ICT qualifications previously on a course in the Community Development Centre.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Pupils benefit considerably from the ICT suite in the Community Development Centre located in the school. Many pupils attend the ICT club. Pupils up to the age of seven have linked images and text together, found information from the Internet, made an Easter card and reviewed aspects of web sites. One particular strengths is the way that the club has taught older pupils about the functions of different pieces of equipment and given pupils brief details about how they work. Older pupils have used a publishing program to create a brochure, used formulas on spreadsheets to calculate totals and pupils have learned an impressive range of technical terms. An ex-pupil has created an exciting and colourful web-site for the school. The school uses the web-site to post newsletters for parents to read and to give information about the school to prospective parents. There is also a range of games for pupils to play. The school hosts the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

‘Sports Connexion’ website for local schools. All sports fixtures, match details and results are posted on the site.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. The school successfully uses ICT to support work in other subjects. For example, pupils have sent e-mails to another school and used a spelling program to help pupils spell better. Pupils have word-processed paragraphs about how people are affected by the weather. In mathematics, pupils have instant access to how successful they have been in tests, they have drawn block graphs to show the range of jobs in the Shap area, drawn line graphs and created a database about pupils’ ages, height, shoe size and favourite foods.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Sufficient time is allowed for ICT in lessons and pupils improve their skills. The co- ordinator, headteacher and all staff have very effectively raised the profile of ICT. The computers in classes have a good range of basic programs for teachers to use that include painting, word-processing and spreadsheets.

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MUSIC

Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 43 128. Standards in music have been maintained since the previous inspection. The attainments of pupils currently in Year 2 and Year 6 meet national expectations. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their knowledge, skills and understanding of music. As in the previous inspection, pupils with special educational needs have full access to the curriculum and most reach standards similar to other pupils. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular opportunities for pupils to widen their musical knowledge and to play a variety of instruments.

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MUSIC

129. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers have satisfactory subject knowledge. They ensure pupils make adequate progress when playing instruments, that pupils sing and perform a range of songs and listen to and appraise music. The quality of singing is satisfactory, although sometimes younger pupils have to be reminded not to shout when they join in enthusiastically when singing familiar songs. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher made effective use of this enthusiasm to encourage pupils to sing quietly and then loudly. Assemblies provide opportunities for pupils to extend their singing skills. A strength of the teaching throughout the school is in the way teachers provide good opportunities for social development. For example, in Years 1 and 2, pupils worked together in small groups to practise singing a song linked to the science topic of seeds and growing.

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MUSIC

130. In Years 5 and Year 6, pupils have the opportunity to work together as they compose sounds. This has a good effect on pupils’ personal and social skills and in most lessons they respond well to this and work well together. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of a variety of famous composers and can appreciate the style of their music. Correct musical vocabulary is taught and teachers ensure that pupils understand, by example and demonstration, what the words mean. For example, in Years 5 and 6, pupils used untuned percussion to extend their knowledge and understanding of rhythm, vibration and resonance. The teacher used his subject knowledge to further extend this knowledge by introducing the term “texture” at the appropriate time in the lesson, so pupils could practise combining the vibration and resonance of a variety of instruments. This effectively increased the pupils’ knowledge and understanding during the lesson. Pupils with special educational needs made

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MUSIC

adequate progress in this lesson, as they worked with a learning support assistant to explore a range of sounds using clicks, stamps and claps. All pupils were able to follow the teacher’s lead in a short performance to show their understanding of rhythm and tempo.

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MUSIC

131. The leadership and management of the subject are both satisfactory. The subject co- ordinator has only recently taken responsibility for the subject and so has not yet had the opportunity to monitor either the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. A clear action plan identifies priorities for development. These include the introduction of a scheme of work to provide a common approach to teaching music throughout the school. There are currently no formal assessment procedures in place to enable teachers to have a clear picture of what pupils know, understand and can do. Resources for music are satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. Pupils' standards of work match those expected nationally at the end of Year 6. Pupils of all levels of ability, including those with special educational needs, achieve appropriately. Pupils’ swimming standard at the end of Year 6 is good. Virtually all pupils swim 25 metres by the time they leave the school. Too little physical education Shap Endowed C.E. Primary School - 44 was inspected to allow an overall judgement to be made about standards and achievement in Year 2. Standards since the last inspection have been maintained. There are no significant differences between the attainments of boys and girls.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. Year 3 and 4 pupils dribbled around cones successfully using a tennis ball and hockey stick. The teacher ensured that there was a very good pupil to ball ratio. At all times pupils were active and engaged in the activities, so that they learned better ball control quickly. Higher attainers kept the ball on the end of their sticks whilst jogging.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The Year 3 and 4 teacher has a good range of techniques to challenge and motivate pupils. The teacher encourages pupils to evaluate their own and each other's work. Pupils enjoy physical education and they worked well in the hockey lesson. The teacher made clear teaching points as groups worked and gave all pupils opportunities to show what they could do. Pupils learned to stop and pass a hockey ball with increasing effectiveness.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. The lesson provided for Years 5 and 6 was unsatisfactory. The weather that afternoon was cool and pupils made satisfactory attempts to play rounders. However, one large game provided for most pupils did not involve them in enough activity to keep them warm. Pupils were not divided into a number of small games so that they could gain satisfaction from playing the game better as the lesson progressed. The small group working with the teacher on athletics activities made some progress in the speed of their running.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. The co-ordinator is new to the job. Nevertheless, she has a range of good ideas that she wishes to explore to improve physical education throughout the school. In her plan for action, she intends to check the consistency with which teachers use the scheme of work. There is scope for the co-ordinator to share her expertise in physical education by teaching lessons in other classes. The co-ordinator has also identified the development of an assessment record as a further priority for action. The school has already improved the range and quality of small equipment for use in lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. The school offers pupils a wide range of physical education, such as tag-rugby, netball and outdoor and adventurous activities, including residential visits that offer walking, climbing, orienteering, sailing and kayaking.

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