Findern Primary School

FINDERN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 21 st – 22 nd May 2002

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FINDERN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short 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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FINDERN 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. Findern Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Buckford Lane Findern Derbyshire Postcode: DE65 6AR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr S Jeffrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 Findern Primary School - 2

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Team members

16413 Mrs D Bell Registered inspector 31713 Mr S Roberts Lay inspector 20782 Ms A Grainger Team inspector

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Team members

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members

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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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Findern Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated approximately one mile outside the village of Findern in rural Derbyshire. It is smaller than most primary schools and its 172 pupils (82 boys and 90 girls) are taught in six classes, two of which have mixed age groups, based on the ages of the pupils. The majority of pupils come from the village, from homes where parents are interested in and support their children’s education. Most children have benefited from nursery or pre-school experience. Although there are differences from year to year, the attainment of the majority of children on entry to the school is above that expected for their age except in reading, where it matches the expectation. There is considerable movement of pupils in and out of the school, as families make career moves and relocate for work, remove their children to the private sector or move to larger houses away from the village. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (8.4 per

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

cent) is below that found in most schools, as is the proportion of pupils on the register for special educational needs (15.7 per cent). The percentage of pupils with statements of special education needs (1.74 per cent) is similar to that found in most schools. There is only a very small proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds. The school has set as its priorities: to continue to improve standards in literacy, numeracy and science, to enhance the staff’s skills to teach information and communication technology, to promote art throughout the school, to enhance early years provision, to implement the new guidelines for special educational needs (SEN) and to complete the reviews of all of its policies and guidelines.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school that celebrates its strengths and is constantly looking for ways to address its weaknesses. Very good leadership and management and good teaching ensure that almost all pupils achieve well, reach the highest standards of which they are capable and become more responsible and mature as they grow older. The school successfully ensures that all pupils are included in all aspects of its work and provides well for their different learning needs. It gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils are given a good start to their education in the Foundation Stage. • Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is good in these two subjects. They achieve particularly well in Year 6. • Very good leadership and management ensure effective teamwork amongst the staff and a high commitment to school improvement. • The pupils behave well. Relationships throughout the school are very good and the school provides well for their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • The parents have very positive views of the school and support it well in helping their children to learn.

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What could be improved

• Although good in English and mathematics, the assessing and recording of pupils’ progress is not yet fully in place in other subjects, although a good start has been made on this. • Marking is not used consistently well throughout the school to help pupils improve their work. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the last inspection, improvement has been good. Standards have been maintained and a higher proportion of teaching is good or better. The school has made effective use of the national guidance for all subjects and this has ensured that pupils’ learning is continuous from year to year. It is developing this further to identify key skills in each subject to make learning even more effective. Planning is now done to a common format. The school has an established overall curriculum plan that takes appropriate account of pupils in mixed year groups, and the different learning needs of different groups of pupils. Pupils’ attainment now meets the national expectation in design and technology and in information and communication technology (ICT) because teachers have had appropriate training to help them to teach these subjects Findern Primary School - 5 better. Training continues for ICT, with national funding, and there is increasingly good use of ICT skills in all

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

subjects. The school has adopted a much improved evaluative approach to all of its work. Teaching and learning are regularly monitored and, through its self-evaluation procedures and initiatives such as performance management, the school sets targets for teachers and pupils to improve standards in all aspects of its work. It correctly sees itself as an inclusive school that aims to involve all of its community in all of its work. It regularly seeks the views of staff, governors, parents, pupils and the business community about how well it is doing and how well it is achieving this aim. The effective teamwork and good ethos in the school show that it is well placed to continue the good improvement seen so far.

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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.

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Key

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

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Key

Almost all of the children currently in the reception class are on course to reach, and a significant minority to exceed, the nationally agreed early learning goals in all six areas of learning. Their achievement is good. For pupils in Year 2, the National Curriculum test results in 2001 were well above the national and similar schools averages in reading and writing. In mathematics, the results matched the national and similar schools averages. For this age group, the trend in the school’s results is above the national trend in reading, writing and mathematics. The teacher assessments for science show that, when compared with all schools, the pupils’ attainment is very high. The work of the majority of pupils currently in Year 2 is as expected nationally for their age. Their overall achievement is sound, but they make better progress in Year 1 than in Year 2, where occasionally the over-use of worksheets prevents them from showing what they really know,

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Key

understand and can do. For pupils in Year 6 in 2001, the results of the English and mathematics National Curriculum tests were above the national average and were better than the results found in similar schools. The science results matched the national average and those of similar schools. The test results fell slightly in 2001 as a result of the year group having a much higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs than is normally found in the school. Taken across all three subjects, the trend in the school’s results over time is similar to the national trend. The attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 is as expected nationally for their age in English, mathematics and science. Almost all pupils who remain with the school make good progress in Years 3 to 6, and reach good standards relative to their prior attainment. However, the pupils’ work shows that, taken across all subjects, progress is better in Years 3

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Key

and 6 than it is in Years 4 and 5. The school thoroughly analyses all test and assessment results and uses the information effectively to identify gaps in learning and to set challenging targets at whole school, class and individual levels. It sensibly keeps these targets under constant review in the light of the pupils’ rates of progress and the movement in and out of the school. It tracks the progress of individual pupils well and adjusts their learning according to their needs. Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) make good progress because their work is effectively planned to meet the targets in their individual education plans (IEPs). The school has identified a small number of gifted pupils and has made appropriate provision for them so that they reach the higher levels of which they are capable. It has not yet focused on talented pupils but has this in hand for future development. Findern Primary School - 6

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good; most pupils enjoy coming to school. They work hard, present themselves well and are proud of their school. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good; pupils behave well in class and around the school. They are polite and courteous. They take care of and respect the school building and the learning resources made available to them. Personal development and relationships Very good; pupils readily accept responsibility and relate very well to each other and to adults. The school council is particularly effective in helping them to become mature and responsible, by enabling them to play an active part in decisions that affect them. Attendance Well above the national average.

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

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

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

The quality of teaching is good overall. It has improved since the previous inspection and has a positive impact on the pupils’ learning. English and mathematics are well taught and teachers effectively encourage pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills in all of their other work. Throughout the school, teachers are skilled at extending pupils’ vocabulary and in ensuring that all pupils participate equally in lessons. For example, pupils in Year 4 were able to express themselves clearly, showing a good understanding of how to use powerful and emotive words to structure an argument and persuade others to consider their points of view. Pupils learn well in most lessons. They respond with good levels of concentration and high productivity to the effective way in which the teachers explain to them not only what they are expected to learn but also how the intended activities will enable them to meet the objectives for the lesson. In English and

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

mathematics, the teachers involve pupils effectively in their learning and, as a result, pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. For example, pupils in Year 6 explained clearly what levels they were working at and what they needed to do to progress to the next level. The majority of teachers combine their good subject knowledge with what they have learned from assessing the pupils’ previous work, to plan well-structured, effective lessons that take account of pupils’ different learning needs. They brief the support staff well and they in turn contribute effectively to the pupils’ learning. The quality of marking remains inconsistent throughout the school. Pupils’ work is very well marked in the mixed Year 5/6 class and good marking is evident in the literacy work of the Year 4 pupils. In general, however, marking does not give pupils enough guidance as to how they might improve their work and, in many instances, it is

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

confined to ticks only throughout the pupils’ work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory; statutory requirements are met and breadth and balance is maintained across all subjects, while suitably strong emphasis is placed on developing good literacy and numeracy skills. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good, and as a result the pupils make good progress towards their IEP targets. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good; the school caters well for the pupils’ personal development and makes good provision for their spiritual, moral and cultural development. Social development is particularly strong and is fostered very well throughout the school. How well the school cares for its pupils Good; the pupils’ personal development is tracked well. Their academic development is rigorously tracked in English and mathematics and the outcomes are used effectively to help them improve. A good start has been

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Aspect Comment

Findern Primary School - 7 made on developing manageable procedures for assessing the pupils’ work in all other subjects but. these are not yet in place. The school works closely with its parents and has a good partnership with them. They, in turn, support the school well and contribute effectively to their children’s learning at home and at school.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good; the headteacher sets a very clear educational direction for the work of the school. She is very well supported by the deputy headteacher and team of staff who are committed to helping the school improve further.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil their responsibilities very well. They have a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and effectively support the headteacher and the staff in the management of it. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good; the school is well placed to continue to improve because it constantly monitors all aspects of its work and takes the steps necessary to address any weaknesses found. The strategic use of resources Very good; funding is very carefully allocated and very closely allied to the school’s stated priorities as shown in its improvement plan. The governors and headteacher have a good understanding of how to gain best value from all spending.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The vast majority of parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They were particularly pleased that: • children behave well and make good progress; • teaching is good and the children get the right amount of homework; • they feel comfortable approaching the school; and • the school is well led and managed and is helping their children to become more mature. • A small proportion of parents who replied to the questionnaire felt the school did not provide an interesting range of activities outside of the normal school day.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ positive views. It found that the school offered a satisfactory range of mainly sporting activities outside of the normal school day at different times of the year. Mainly, but understandably, most activities are offered to the older pupils because the school is rightly concerned for the safety of the younger pupils if they have to walk home on their own at the end of the day. The parents also have the option to pay for their children to receive instrumental tuition and to participate in a French club. A significant minority of parents take up these options. Findern Primary School - 8

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The pupils are given a good start to their education in the Foundation Stage.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. The school has two intakes each year, one in September and one in January. All children achieve well during their time in the reception class. There is a good system in place for tracking and recording the children’s progress from the initial assessments of their ability towards and beyond the early learning goals. The information gained is used well to set individual learning targets that meet the needs of each child. These are shared with parents to give them the opportunity to become effectively involved in their children’s learning. The quality of teaching is good. The staff build effectively on what the children know, understand and can do when they start school, by using the national guidance to plan a good range of learning experiences across all six areas of learning. Within this good planning, strong emphasis is placed on teaching the children to read, write and use number accurately, and on

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

developing good personal, social and emotional skills. The children are prepared well for their work in the National Curriculum.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. The majority of children recognise a good range of commonly used words and are rapidly developing effective ways of working out words that are unfamiliar to them by using letter sounds and combinations of letters. They are taught well how to do this. For example, when exploring words that have the same ending, such as ‘-at’ or ‘-et’, the children clearly understood the concept of rhyming and readily offered different initial letters to make lists of words that rhymed. The teacher used vocabulary such as ‘initial phoneme’ and ‘onset’ with them and their responses to her questions showed that they had a sound understanding of such terms. The children enjoy listening to stories and readily join in shared reading activities with the teacher and with each other. They are also beginning to use pictures to work out what is happening for themselves and are being taught effectively how to read behind the written word to understand what the author is saying. They have a

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

good range of vocabulary and good communication skills. They use these well, for example, when sharing their experiences of spiders and describing what a spider looks like, how many legs it has, its shape and its size. When writing, the majority of children form letters that are legible, accurate and consistent in size. They space words and letters appropriately and higher and average attaining children write sensibly in simple sentences. Lower attainers and some of the younger children make very good attempts at writing, although some still require assistance from the teacher and support staff to do so. These children almost always form the initial letter of a word accurately and try hard to write the whole word. The majority of children are on course to meet, and a sizeable minority to exceed, the early learning goals in this area of learning.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. The majority of children recognise and write numbers properly, although some still occasionally reverse them. Their books show that the younger children count to five accurately and are beginning to apply their learning to solving problems such as ‘more than’ and ‘less than’ as they add or subtract. The higher attainers and some older children count accurately to ten and beyond and produce the correct answers when adding two numbers together, or, in the case of some higher attainers, when adding three numbers. While taking appropriate account of the national guidance for mathematical development, the school uses a set of workbooks from a commercial scheme and ensures that the children work on the tasks most suited to their capability. Their books show that the majority have a sound knowledge of shape, know the days of the week and are beginning to sequence correctly a range of events during a day. Good opportunities are provided for the children to use their

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

mathematical knowledge in other areas of learning. For example, when making a spider during a creative development session, the children showed good awareness of the size relationship between their spiders and a real spider. Most children are on course to meet the early learning goals for mathematics.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. The children enjoy learning and demonstrate good attitudes to school and to their work. They all listen attentively to the teacher and are very keen to answer questions. The majority put their hands up to answer and wait their turn to be asked to speak. However, a few have still to master these skills and occasionally shout out or talk while the teacher is talking. The staff handle this well and promote good personal and social skills by giving gentle reminders about procedures and by awarding points for good effort and behaviour. The children respond well to these measures and quickly pay attention Findern Primary School - 9 again so that their learning may continue apace. The well-organised activities and the good use of the support staff ensure that the children work well together and, when appropriate, help each other with their work, for example, at the computers. When required to do so, they also work independently,

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

taking some responsibility for their own learning. This was observed in a literacy session where higher attainers identified rhyming words correctly and then went on to build their own rhyming strings with the minimum of supervision.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. The teacher’s planning and the children’s topic books show that all areas of learning are covered well in the course of the year. Good attention is paid to developing ICT skills by making this work an integral part of lessons. In the literacy session observed, for example, related work on the computers enhanced the children’s understanding of rhyme by, for example, requiring them to ‘drag and drop’ words to complete a rhyme, or to undertake the timed identification of rhyming words. These activities sharpened their literacy skills alongside their ICT skills. In a creative development session, the good use of a relevant computer program brought about a greater understanding of mini beasts, part of a science topic to which the creative activity was related. Here, two children created a garden with pots and a pond and added mini beasts such as ladybirds and spiders. The children used the computer

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

competently in the literacy session but in the creative development session, they required some assistance from the teacher to point the mouse accurately. They helped the teacher to help them by using their communication skills well to identify and describe the creatures and objects they wanted to move.

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

good in these two subjects. They achieve particularly well in Year 6.

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

6. In 2001, the results of the English and mathematics National Curriculum tests were above the national average and the average for similar schools. Factors outside the school’s control mean that a sizeable minority of pupils join or leave the school between Year 3 and Year 6. The school’s records show that this often involves higher attaining pupils leaving to pursue their education in the private sector before they reach Year 6. In addition, the proportion of pupils with SEN in Year 6 has risen in the past two years. Despite these factors, the school’s National Curriculum test results have continued to keep pace with the national trend over the last three years. Almost all of the pupils who remain with the school achieve well and reach good standards relative to their prior attainment. A major factor in the good achievement is that the school tracks the pupils’ progress very well in English and mathematics.

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

The teachers assess the pupils’ work effectively, keep good records and use the information to plan further work that successfully addresses weaknesses in learning. In Year 6, the marking of pupils’ work is very good. The good use of praise and the many constructive comments show pupils how to improve their work. The work is also levelled to show pupils where they are in terms of the expectations of the National Curriculum. Discussions with the pupils showed they were very clear about the level or stage in a level that they had reached and what they needed to do to progress to the next stage or level. They were very clear about their learning targets and, using their books, readily demonstrated how well they had progressed from the beginning of the year. The quality of teaching has a very strong impact on the pupils’ learning in this year group and a strong impact on pupils’ learning in other years.

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

7. The good emphasis placed on teaching the pupils how to read ensures that they enjoy books and read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts with good understanding by the time they are in Year 6. Pupils in Year 2 demonstrated good comprehension skills as they explained what the author meant by saying that a bird was ‘putting itself to rights with its beak’. In the same lesson, carefully selected sections of the shared text were given to different groups. Following the teacher’s good modelling and responding well to her high expectations, each group in succession read their own part expressively and fluently, paying attention to the punctuation and joining the parts together effectively to complete the text. The high levels of concentration and good timing required in this activity ensured that the pupils worked very productively and greatly enhanced their reading skills. Handwriting skills are taught

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

well in Year 1, where the pupils were observed joining letters accurately and writing legibly with good spacing between lines and words. This work is carried on effectively throughout the school and results in the good standards of presentation seen in most of the pupils’ books. By Year 4, the pupils begin to use persuasive language effectively. For example, through the teacher’s effective questioning and secure subject knowledge, the pupils changed phrases such as ‘I know’ and ‘I think that’ to ‘I strongly believe’ and ‘I am certain that’, showing that they were using their thinking skills well to get their points across to their audience. By Year 6, the pupils use their reading and writing skills well as they Findern Primary School - 10 make well-founded predictions about what might happen next, how they can deduce from the text whether the characters are good or evil and how the author creates tension in the story. They are

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

taught very well how to read a text as the writer and how to describe and evaluate the author’s style. In the lesson observed, the teacher’s very good matching of the work to the pupils’ different levels of ability ensured that all pupils learned very well. Similar good match of work was seen in the pupils’ books in this class and contributes in great measure to the pupils’ good achievement. Throughout the school pupils are successfully encouraged to use their speaking and listening, reading and writing skills well in other subjects. The increasingly good use of ICT in all subjects further enhances the pupils’ reading and writing skills. Throughout the school, virtually all pupils are confident speakers who explain themselves clearly and join in discussions, showing a good range of vocabulary. They also listen attentively to what other pupils and adults have to say and think carefully before they respond.

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

8. The majority of pupils in Year 2 have a good understanding of number facts. They respond well, with enthusiasm and enjoyment, to the imaginative activities prepared from them, for example, as they ‘back train carriages into a tunnel’ to change place value and divide by ten. Pupils successfully extend their knowledge and understanding of simple multiplication and division as they accurately solve practical everyday problems such as dividing 15 apples into 3 bags. Much more challenging work on place value continues in Year 5 where the pupils use their knowledge of decimals and fractions to solve everyday problems related to checking shopping lists and working out the cost of different quantities of items bought. The teacher’s secure subject knowledge, combined with greater teaching input for lower attainers and carefully constructed worksheets with progressively more difficult problems to solve, resulted in all pupils’ learning needs being effectively met. In the Year 5 lesson

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

observed, the whole class session at the end of the lesson was used very well to correct errors, explore further different ways of solving problems and to help the pupils realise that some methods are quicker than others; For example, multiplication is quicker than repeated addition, although the answers are the same in the end. By Year 6, the majority of pupils confidently count on and back in intervals of 25 and 50 and further increase their understanding of place value by multiplying, for example, two two-digit numbers using multiplication tables and a multiplication grid. In the lesson observed, the teacher’s effective questioning successfully drew out the pupils’ previous learning work on doubling and halving, as well as drawing their attention to estimating, calculating and checking their answers. The pupils’ work shows that since the beginning of the year, achievement is good in all aspects of mathematics. The pupils are successfully encouraged to use their mathematical skills in

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

other subjects, for example, in science and in design and technology as they measure accurately, and in geography, when they apply their knowledge of co-ordinates to find grid references on maps.

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

9. Very good teaching was also observed in a Year 6 geography lesson where the teacher’s very good use of aerial photographs and Ordnance Survey maps greatly extended the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of river courses and the vocabulary associated with them. Similarly, effective use of resources was observed in a good geography lesson with pupils in Year 3. Here, following a well-led discussion on things that enhance or spoil the environment, the pupils recorded for themselves, with the use of symbols, the improvements they would like to see to their school environment, focusing on the playground. Good teaching and good achievement was also observed in music. In Year 1, the teacher’s effective planning made good links between music and design and technology. Led by effective questioning from the teacher, the pupils built on their prior learning very well as they considered carefully the sounds they wished to produce, explored which instruments would make the

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

sounds, then made their own versions of the instruments. This work was very effectively extended in a Year 3 music lesson where the pupils were very successfully led through different ways of playing instruments or combinations of instruments to vary dynamics and tempo, by using their prior knowledge of the kinds of sounds that the instruments made.

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

10. In almost all lessons observed, the teachers made good use of support assistants, who were well briefed for the work they had to do. This helps lower attaining pupils and those with SEN to make good progress towards the targets set in their IEPs. Good attention is also paid to higher attaining pupils in English and mathematics. Suitable extension work is prepared for them as part of a lesson, or they are taught alongside older pupils who are at the same stage of learning. This ensures that they too make good progress. In all lessons, the teaching effectively promoted the pupils’ personal development through the well-planned range of activities that required the pupils to work in groups or on their own. Although the pupils become excited by what they are learning and at times noise levels rise, they quickly respond to their teachers’ call to order, follow the instructions given and show respect for each other and for the materials with which they work. As a result, relationships

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The pupils achieve well in English and mathematics because the quality of teaching is

Findern Primary School - 11 throughout the school are very good and contribute in great measure to a very effective learning environment in which all pupils are highly valued and given the opportunity to succeed.

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Very good leadership and management ensure effective teamwork amongst the staff

and a high commitment to school improvement.

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Very good leadership and management ensure effective teamwork amongst the staff

11. The headteacher has moved the school forward considerably since the last inspection. She continues to set a very clear educational direction for the school’s work that is shared by staff and parents and has a direct positive influence on the standards the school reaches. The deputy headteacher, the senior management team and the governors support her very well. Through effective monitoring and good guidance, they have established successful teamwork amongst the staff, which is firmly based on a strong commitment to high standards in all aspects of the school’s work. All subjects have a clear timetable for monitoring and evaluation over a two-year cycle. This includes evaluating teaching and learning in the classroom, teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. Literacy and numeracy are included in both years, and the other subjects, including personal, social health and citizenship education, are visited in turn over that period.

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Very good leadership and management ensure effective teamwork amongst the staff

12. The headteacher’s personal knowledge of how well individual pupils are doing and how circumstances outside of school may have affected their learning is very impressive. It demonstrates the keen interest she takes in ensuring that all pupils do as well as they can by the time they leave the school. The school’s managers have a very clear understanding of what the school does well and the areas in which it could do better. The work that the deputy headteacher has already done with the staff on assessing and recording pupils’ learning in all subjects, even though it still has some way to go, demonstrates this well. The headteacher has established good links with another primary school. The two schools are working together to raise the standard of boys’ writing and to improve the arts curriculum, issues found to be common to both schools. She also has a very clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of individual teachers and takes effective measures to improve the quality

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Very good leadership and management ensure effective teamwork amongst the staff

of teaching where it is found to be less successful. The inspection team found no major weaknesses in the school.

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Very good leadership and management ensure effective teamwork amongst the staff

13. The governing body brings to the school a good range of knowledge and expertise and works very closely with the headteacher and the staff. Governors take their responsibilities seriously. They are very effectively involved in policy review and development and successfully ensure that any recommended policies, for example, from the Local Education Authority, are suitably adapted to the needs of the school. The curriculum committee receives reports from teachers summarising what is expected in the subjects for which they are responsible. All committees have a direct input into the school improvement plan, based on the information gained during the year from their own visits to classrooms and from the headteacher’s reports. They regularly check how effectively the agreed priorities are being met and whether the school is obtaining best value from its spending. All spending is closely monitored. Prudent management has resulted in the school carrying a substantial surplus

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Very good leadership and management ensure effective teamwork amongst the staff

in its budget, to enable it to pay for costly repairs to and the early replacement of the old central heating boiler, and to continue to maintain its own sewage tank. Governors evaluate very well the money spent on the curriculum by observing teaching and learning at first hand, checking with the co- ordinators the effect spending is having on standards and reporting back to governing body meetings. Governors also set their own priorities for evaluation. For example, they are currently focusing on checking out the pupils’ perceptions of school and are liaising with the student teachers as to how well it supports them through its mentoring systems. The student in the school during the inspection praised the school highly for the support and guidance she had received.

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Very good leadership and management ensure effective teamwork amongst the staff

14. Performance management is well established. It has brought together and built successfully on the school’s previous evaluation, review and appraisal systems. The objectives are directly related to the school’s stated priorities and the whole school focus is currently on writing and ICT. In addition, individual teachers have targets related to subjects they and the team leader have identified as areas for further improvement. Good procedures are in place for checking the teachers’ progress towards their objectives during as well as at the end of the cycle. The special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) has improved the provision for SEN. She monitors well the progress that pupils with SEN make towards the targets in their individual education plans (IEPs) and ensures that those targets identify clearly the small steps in learning that the pupils need to take in order to make good progress. An ICT program is used for this, but the suggestions it makes are effectively adapted to

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Very good leadership and management ensure effective teamwork amongst the staff

meet the pupils’ individual learning needs. The governor with responsibility for SEN works in the Findern Primary School - 12 school and meets regularly with the SENCO to monitor provision overall. The SENCO also has responsibility for inclusion and checks teaching and learning styles to ensure that all pupils are effectively included in all activities and are given equal opportunity to succeed. The school management pays good attention to equality of opportunity and ensures that it is given due consideration in all of the school’s policies and practices. Findern Primary School - 13

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The pupils behave well. Relationships throughout the school are very good and the

school provides well for their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The pupils behave well. Relationships throughout the school are very good and the

15. The pupils’ good attitudes, values and behaviour have been maintained since the last inspection. They contribute to the good learning atmosphere achieved in the school because the pupils work and play in a happy and secure environment that is free from oppressive behaviour and harassment. The pupils know and understand the system of rewards and sanctions and readily respond to their teachers’ exhortations to work hard by concentrating well on what they have to do and helping each other with their work. Pupils behave well in lessons. Lunchtimes and playtimes are happy social occasions during which pupils chat happily to each other and to the staff, including the midday assistants, and play games that ensure they are well occupied and learn to mix easily with each other. Relationships throughout the school are very good. The staff are effective role models for the pupils. They talk to them in a calm and reassuring way, promoting their self-esteem and giving them increasing

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The pupils behave well. Relationships throughout the school are very good and the

responsibility as they grow older. For example, older pupils look after younger pupils and have the opportunity to serve on the school council and be involved in the day-to-day decision making in the school. The school councillors take representing their fellow pupils seriously. They consider their roles to be rewarding. They talk about their school with pride and welcome the fact that they are allowed to work on their own vision for the school. Each councillor has responsibility for different areas of the council’s work. They carry out their roles well, managing their own budget and keeping their own balance sheets. They have clear criteria for awarding the ‘gold cards’ for acts of kindness and good behaviour. This work very effectively fosters in the pupils a good understanding of their roles in society and very effectively supports their moral and social development. They become increasingly aware of

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The pupils behave well. Relationships throughout the school are very good and the

their rights and also of their responsibilities and turn into very mature young people by the time they are in Year 6, with a good understanding of their place in society. Many good opportunities are afforded to pupils to develop their social skills in lessons. They readily help each other, engage in effective group work and collaborate well when required to do so. Pupils with special educational needs are fully integrated into all activities and participate equally well in group work in all classes.

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The pupils behave well. Relationships throughout the school are very good and the

16. A wide range of well documented participation in different religious celebrations contributes to the pupils’ good spiritual development. Well planned acts of collective worship provide good opportunities for the pupils to reflect on moral and social issues and to think about their place in the world. Opportunities are readily taken during lessons to promote this area further. Through creative development, children in the reception class extend their knowledge and understanding of the world as they explore the world of mini beasts and talk about how they respond to them, using their own experiences of, for example, spiders and ladybirds. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 reflect on their environment, the effects that man has had on it and how they might improve it. In Year 6, the pupils extend this understanding as they explore the effect that nature itself has on the environment as rivers erode land and force people to make decisions as to where best to settle.

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The pupils behave well. Relationships throughout the school are very good and the

17. The pupils are given good opportunities to explore the richness and diversity of British culture. They study different places in the world in geography and, through history, they gain a sound understanding of how historical events in the past have made Britain what it is today. In religious education, they explore the major world faiths, demonstrate a sound understanding of their different customs and celebrations and learn about the effect they have on the lives of the people who follow them. The pupils also learn how other cultures used art and design and design and technology to tell the stories of their people as they study, for example, Aboriginal dreamtime work and the designs on kites made by the peoples of Guatemala. Photographic records of their work show that the pupils make good attempts at using similar techniques in their own work. Visitors from, for example, Africa further enhance the pupils’ understanding of other cultures through the opportunities they have to participate

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The pupils behave well. Relationships throughout the school are very good and the

in African dance and story-telling workshops.

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The parents have very positive views of the school and support it well in helping their

18. The parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting held for them and those spoken to during the inspection confirmed the overwhelmingly positive responses to the questionnaires (given in the summary). A good number of parents help out in school with activities such are reading, craftwork, painting and ICT and make a positive contribution to the pupils’ learning in these areas. The chair of the parent-teacher association is a school governor and is heavily involved in school as a special needs support assistant, effectively supporting the pupils’ academic and personal development. This Findern Primary School - 14 provides a very good link between the governors and the school. The parents report that all parents rally round for the parent-teacher association events that are organised to raise funds or to enable teachers and parents to meet socially on an informal basis. The parents willingly raise funds for

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The parents have very positive views of the school and support it well in helping their

specific resources, such as play equipment for younger pupils and physical education equipment for the school as a whole. They are currently working hard to help improve the school’s ICT resources. 19. The parents are pleased with the information they receive from the school. They report that meetings and newsletters keep them well informed about what is going on and about their children’s progress and include good information on the curriculum that helps them to help their children with their work. The inspection team supports these views. Almost all parents help their children with reading and other homework, as is evident from the reading and homework diaries to which parents, teachers and pupils contribute. The parents are secure in the knowledge that, should their children have any problems, the school would pick them up quickly and deal with them effectively. They very much welcome the fact that the school reaches out to them, encourages them to be involved in all aspects

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The parents have very positive views of the school and support it well in helping their

of its life, and that all teachers, including the headteacher, make time available to speak to them about their children.

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The parents have very positive views of the school and support it well in helping their

20. The parents are well informed about the school and its work. Those who had children at school at the time of the previous inspection report that they are aware of good improvement since that time. They noted the improvements made to the buildings as a result of the school having successfully pressed the Local Education Authority for grants to improve the learning environment and that the building is vastly more secure than it used to be. They were pleased that the school has worked very hard with the National Curriculum requirements and has managed not to lose other subjects during a period of intense concentration on literacy and numeracy. They cited ICT, science and design and technology as areas in which they could see particularly good improvement. They also feel that the school has higher expectations of their children than at the previous inspection. Again, the inspection team agrees with the parents’ views and found that the parents make a good contribution to their children’s

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progress is not yet fully in place in other subjects, although a good start has been made

21. A draft assessment policy is with governors for approval and shows that the school has a good understanding of what is involved in assessment. It stresses the importance of assessment of learning and for learning, thereby underpinning the use of assessment information when planning further work. The teachers of pupils in the reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes meet together to discuss the pupils’ progress and pass on records at the end of the year, as do the teachers in Years 3 to 6. In addition, the Year 2 and Year 3 teachers meet to ensure that the Year 3 teacher has good information about the Year 2 pupils on which to base her planning for her year group. The school declared an ‘assessment amnesty’ in the foundation subjects to give it time to evaluate the different systems that teachers were using and to streamline assessment procedures and make them more manageable. This sensible course of action has resulted in the school using national guidelines for each subject to

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progress is not yet fully in place in other subjects, although a good start has been made

identify the key skills required for the pupils to make continuous progress in their learning.

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progress is not yet fully in place in other subjects, although a good start has been made

22. At present, the recording of learning outcomes is not securely in place for subjects other than English and mathematics, and it is not clear, even when some learning is recorded, how the information is used to inform further planning. There is a lack of clarity about the distinctions between lesson objectives and learning outcomes. A ‘criteria for assessment’ box is included in the planning sheets that all teachers use. However, while good assessment criteria are identified in the Year 5/6 plans, elsewhere in the school the criteria are not always sufficiently well focused on what the pupils will have learned if the lesson objectives have been met. Work is well under way to address these issues. The deputy headteacher is leading the staff very effectively in drawing up systems and procedures for recording the pupils’ progress in each subject. The staff now have a good understanding of what is

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progress is not yet fully in place in other subjects, although a good start has been made

needed to ensure that this is done in a manageable way that will inform planning and provide reliable information for inclusion in the pupils’ annual reports. Currently the reports are too inconsistent about how well they report progress in the different subjects. Findern Primary School - 15

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Marking is not used consistently well throughout the school to help pupils improve their

23. There are examples of very good marking in the work of the pupils in the mixed Year 5/6 class. They are given in paragraph six of this report in relation to English but apply to the pupils’ work in all other subjects in this class. There are also examples of good marking in Year 4 in the pupils’ recent literacy work with the part time teacher. Elsewhere in the school, marking is mainly restricted to ticks and a few supportive comments. The school’s marking policy states clearly why the pupils’ work should be marked well and the importance of providing constructive guidance to help the pupils improve their work. The headteacher reports that the consistent implementation of the marking policy has not been a focus for monitoring for some time.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

24. In order to continue to improve pupils’ achievement and raise their attainment, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Complete the current work on drawing up manageable assessment and recording procedures in all of the foundation subjects; check that the information gained from doing so is being used when further work is planned, and evaluate the effect of all of this work on pupils’ attainment and achievement.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Take action to improve the consistency of marking throughout the school.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The first key issue is already in the school improvement plan. Findern Primary School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 13

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 172

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 14

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 25

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 24

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 15

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Findern Primary School - 17 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Findern Primary School - 18

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 10 17 27

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls - - -

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (85) 96 (81) 100 (93) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls - - -

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

Percentage of pupils School 96 (85) 100 (89) 100 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Where numbers of boys or girls are 10 or less, totals only are given.

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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 14 8 22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls - - -

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (97) 86 (97) 95 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls - - -

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (97) 73 (97) 86 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Where numbers of boys or girls are 10 or less, totals only are given. Findern Primary School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.5 Financial year 2001/2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.9

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 352168

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 350239

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 88 Expenditure per pupil 2013

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 27245

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Findern Primary School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 58 39 1 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 51 46 1 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 55 1 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 36 10 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 27 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 67 33 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 49 40 9 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 58 39 1 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 37 4 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 37 19 3 9

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