Taddington and Priestcliffe School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 2 nd – 4 th July 2002

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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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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. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Lane Taddington Buxton Derbyshire Postcode: SK17 9TW

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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 W Gregory

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3 rd March 1997 Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Phil Mann Registered inspector Children under five Mathematics Science Physical education Information and communication technology Design and technology How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? Standards - attainment and progress

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Janet Butler Lay inspector Standards - Attitudes, behaviour, personal development Attendance Spiritual, moral, social and cultural and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Staffing, accommodation and learning resources Agnes Patterson Team Inspector English Music Art Geography History How good are curricular and other opportunities? Special educational needs Equal opportunities

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 5 Lakeside Werrington Peterborough PE4 6QZ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 24

Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Taddington and Priestcliffe CE Primary School has 53 pupils on roll, aged 4 to 11, and the average class size is 18. The school is located in the Derbyshire village of Taddington. Pupils come from the village and other local villages, farms and nearby towns. The circumstances of most families are broadly average and the number of pupils who receive free school meals is below the national average. The school was built in 1847. It is surrounded by a newly refurbished playground and levelled playing field. At the time of the inspection there were no children under five in the infant class. The attainment of children at the start of school is average. Eleven per cent of pupils are on the special educational needs register and this is below the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school that provides a very high level of care and attention to the education and well- being of the pupils in its care. The headteacher shares her very clear vision for the future development of the school with a strong team of competent teachers. This is ensuring that pupils in many subjects are achieving high standards and all have a chance to succeed. The governing body is very supportive of the school and has made a good start in monitoring its work. Costs are very high but given the very high standards being achieved and high quality of teaching and learning, the school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and information and communication technology by the age of 11 because of consistently good teaching in these subjects. Pupils also achieve good standards in most other subjects. • Pupils are very enthusiastic and very keen to learn because teachers provide interesting and exciting learning experiences. • The overall quality of teaching throughout the school is good. • The quality of provision for music is a particular strength of the school. The range of activities outside lessons for junior pupils is very good. • The head teacher provides very effective leadership because of her carefully managed teamwork. Both she and her team strive hard to establish a very positive ethos for learning.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The monitoring of teaching in subjects other than English and mathematics to improve further the overall quality of teaching and learning within the school. • Continue to improve the quality of shared information and communication with parents. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good improvement on the all of the key issues identified in the previous inspection. The capacity for further improvement is very good. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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STANDARDS

The table that shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests has been omitted because less than 10 pupils took the tests in 2001.

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STANDARDS

All pupils are making good progress as they move through the school. Inspection findings judge that standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school at 11 in English, mathematics and information and communication technology. They are above average in all other subjects except in physical education where they meet national expectations. This represents a big improvement on the findings of the previous inspection. Standards are not as high in physical education because the previously inadequate facilities limited the overall quality of learning experiences offered. These facilities are now being substantially improved. These judgements on pupil standards represent good improvement overall on the 2001 national tests where standards at 11 in English were well above average, average in mathematics but well below average in science when all three are compared to schools nationally and

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STANDARDS

against those with similar circumstances. These results are not reported nationally because there are fewer than 10 pupils in each year group. In fact, the number of pupils in each year group is very small and this can vary in size dramatically year on year. Therefore, any comparison and analysis of past results needs to be treated with some degree of caution.

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STANDARDS

Reception children make good progress overall as a result of good teaching and the well organised activities that are matched to the needs of children. These children receive good support from the teacher and teaching assistants. This is particularly so in the development of literacy and numeracy skills and the children’s personal and social development.

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STANDARDS

Pupils achieve well in the infants and juniors because of the high quality teaching and the overall richness of the curriculum. The good monitoring of teaching and learning in literacy and numeracy lessons has helped to raise standards and ensure that these strategies are implemented as effectively as possible. The school has very recently received the ‘Basic Skills Quality Mark’ in recognition of this. The pupils’ standards in information and communication technology are particularly high and teachers use computers well to support learning in other subjects. Many pupils achieve above average standards in music by the time they are aged 11 years. This is because good levels of subject expertise amongst the staff and individual tuition are providing a range of high quality opportunities for many pupils, such as making music in lessons, individual tuition by music specialists and playing in the school band.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils are enthusiastic, show interest in lessons and try very hard to succeed.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Both in lessons and at play, pupils behave very well, are considerate and self-controlled.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Pupils develop in confidence and become well prepared for life at secondary school. The very good relationships that exist between pupils and adults are a strong feature which underpins the learning and which characterises all the school activities.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good. Pupils are keen to attend, punctual and parents explain all absences. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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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 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 AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching across the school is good overall. It is satisfactory or better in all lessons seen, with teaching being very good in literacy and numeracy lessons in all classes. Some excellent teaching was observed. Basic skills are taught very well and teachers make good use of information and communication technology to support learning in several subjects. Planning for what is to be taught is very good and there is a good emphasis on investigative work in mathematics and science. The quality of teachers’ marking is very good. The school addresses the needs of all pupils successfully and monitors pupils’ progress very well across the school. Most lessons move along at a brisk pace, but sometimes too much time is allocated for individual lessons in science and physical education for junior pupils, with the result that learning is not as good as it could be, but it is never unsatisfactory in these lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a rich and varied range of learning opportunities for all its pupils. These opportunities are well balanced. Detailed yearly and termly planning ensures that the context matches the needs of the different age groups in each class. These planned experiences are further enhanced with a very good range of stimulating projects and educational visits that improve the quality of the pupils’ learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs This is good. These pupils are fully included in all activities and staff meet their individual needs effectively. The special educational needs co- ordinator and governor together with staff have clear plans to implement the new national requirements for these pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school provides very well for the all round personal development of its pupils. The strengths are the way it teaches pupils right from wrong and provides a wealth of social opportunities. The school celebrates the local culture well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils This is a very caring school, which provides very well for the welfare, health and safety of its pupils. They receive clear guidance on how well they are doing and how they can improve. The school has very good procedures for assessing pupils’ progress. It uses information very effectively to ensure that all pupils build on their knowledge systematically as they move through the school.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents support the school very well and the school provides many ways for them to become involved. A few parents would like the school to work more closely with them. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher shares her very clear vision for the future development of the school with a strong team of competent teachers. Together, this very effective team is ensuring that the quality of education is further improved through the efficient sharing of expertise.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is very supportive of the school and has made a good start in monitoring its work. All statutory requirements are fulfilled, but some of its documentation for parents does not fully reflect the very high quality education available at the school. Governors know what the school is very good at and what areas of its work might need further improvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school monitors the teaching of basic skills very well and the good plan for school improvement provides a useful means for staff and governors to evaluate their overall effectiveness. The monitoring of teaching and learning in subjects other than English and mathematics is still underdeveloped.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school uses financial resources very efficiently to provide learning opportunities for pupils in a wide range of small teaching groups. The school has begun to address the wider aspects of seeking best value in all it does, but procedures for regular formal consultation and feedback from parents on its work are currently underdeveloped.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are good overall with much improvement being made to the school’s playing field.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Fifteen parents attended a meeting before the inspection and 27 returned a questionnaire.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• That their child like school. • The pupils’ good behaviour. • That teaching is good. • High expectations of what their child can do. • That the school is well managed. • That the school helps their child to become mature and responsible. • The range of activities outside lessons. • The amount of homework set. • The school’s ability to work more closely with its parents. • The management and leadership of the school. • Some parents find it difficult to approach with concerns.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspection findings do not support parental concerns over homework or the links between the parents and school. Management and leadership of the school are very good. However, it is clear that the staff and governors need to establish better procedures for the wider consultation of parents and for listening to parental concerns. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. All pupils are making good progress as they move through the school. Inspection findings judge that standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school at 11 in English, mathematics and information and communication technology. They are above average in all other subjects except in physical education where they meet national expectations. This represents a big improvement on the findings of the previous inspection. Standards are not as high in physical education because the previously inadequate facilities limited the overall quality of learning experiences offered. The school is now substantially improving these facilities. The teaching team is looking forward with much enthusiasm to using all of the new facilities and together they have highlighted this as a subject for further development in the near future.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The table below shows attainment in English, mathematics and science judged by the inspection team and as achieved by last year’s Year 2 and Year 6 in the tests, compared to all schools nationally and measured by what is known as points scores. These scores take into account the performance of all pupils in the year group.

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Writing

Above average Well above average Well above average

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Writing

Mathematics Well above average Above average Well above average Well above average

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assessment

Well below average Above average Well below average Above average

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assessment

3. The following table shows standards in subjects other than English, mathematics and science.

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communication technology

Above that expected Well above that expected

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communication technology

Art and design Above that expected Above that expected Design and technology In line with that expected Above that expected Geography Above that expected Above that expected History Above that expected Above that expected Music Above that expected Above that expected Physical education In line with that expected In line with that expected Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School 4. These judgements on pupil standards represent good improvement overall on the 2001 national tests where standards at 11 in English were well above average, average in mathematics, but well below average in science when all three are compared to schools nationally and against those with similar circumstances. These results are not reported nationally because there are fewer than 10 pupils in each year group. In fact, the number of pupils in each year group is very small and this can vary in size dramatically year on

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communication technology

year. Therefore, any comparison and analysis of past results needs to treated with some degree of caution. Further analysis of these results indicates that there are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls at 7 and 11 years. There have been fluctuations in standards for 11 year olds since the previous inspection, but the trends have overall been positive in nature. Standards for 7 year olds are at least satisfactory in all subjects and above in most except design and technology and physical education. The most recent unpublished results in 2002 for 7 and 11 year olds also confirm the high standards being achieved.

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communication technology

5. Reception children make good progress overall as a result of good teaching and the well organised activities that are matched to the needs of the children. These children receive good support from the teacher and teaching assistant. This is particularly so in the development of literacy and numeracy skills and the children’s personal and social development. Inspection evidence clearly indicates that all the reception children currently in the infant class have exceeded the early learning goals related to language and mathematical development by the end of the reception year. Their attainment in all other areas of learning is in line with that normally expected of children a of similar age.

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communication technology

6. Pupils achieve well in the infants and juniors because of the high quality teaching and the overall richness of the curriculum. Learning is supported well by the use of part-time teachers to supplement the full-time complement of staff. This enables the Years 3 and 4 pupils to be taught as a separate group for English, mathematics, science, music, design and technology, information and communication technology and physical education. As a result of this school initiative, all pupils are fully challenged in their learning and planning for the different abilities of the pupils is made much easier. The good monitoring of teaching and learning in literacy and numeracy lessons has helped to raise standards and ensure that these strategies are implemented as effectively as possible. Teaching, as a result, is consistently very good across the school in these aspects of pupils’ learning and basic skills are being taught very well by teachers and support staff in all classes. The

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communication technology

school has very recently received the ‘Basic Skills Quality Mark’ award in recognition of this. The monitoring of other subjects is, however, underdeveloped. As a consequence, the quality of teaching and learning is more variable, but never less than satisfactory, in subjects such as science and physical education. There has been some good monitoring of standards in information and communication technology and teachers use computers well to support learning in other subjects. Many pupils achieve above average standards in music by the time they are aged 11 years. This is because good levels of subject expertise amongst the staff and individual tuition are providing a range of high quality opportunities for many pupils, such as making music in lessons, individual tuition and playing in the school band.

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communication technology

7. All staff care very much for the pupils in their class or group and impressive displays of pupils’ work around the school confirm the high level of teacher expectation and overall high standards of work being achieved. Teachers pay close attention to providing good quality feedback for individual pupils on their achievements and set future targets for improvement in literacy and numeracy. This level of care and attention is well received by pupils and, as a result, pupils have developed very positive attitudes to learning and do very well. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School 8. All pupils are included in the planned activities and those with special educational needs respond very well to targeted support. As a result of this good provision, some pupils with special educational needs no longer need the level of support previously given to them in school and continue to make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. The

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communication technology

school enables higher attaining pupils to work at more challenging levels by grouping them with older and more able pupils for several subjects such as literacy, numeracy and science lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils love coming to school, are keen to learn and enthusiastically join in the wealth of exciting opportunities provided for them in lessons and extracurricular activities. Attitudes to learning are very good and lessons are characterised by careful listening as pupils anticipate their chance to get involved with each activity. They respond very well to questioning and make thoughtful answers which show how well they have understood and how they can evaluate and improve both their contributions and those of their classmates. In a music lesson, infant children concentrated so well that their echo of a series of different rhythms was almost perfect. Pupils with special educational needs respond very well to the high levels of care and attention that staff provide for them. As a result, they try their best and value the level of care and support given to them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Behaviour both in lessons and around the school is good and often very good. This is an area which most pleases parents, who all agree that behaviour is good. Pupils treat one another, all adults and property with care and respect. They understand the need for discipline and respond so quickly that usually only a quiet word is sufficient. Only when the pace of a lesson slows, requiring long periods of inactivity, do pupils become a little fidgety and restless. There have been no exclusions in recent years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The school has recently won an award for its anti-bullying strategy and pupils report that, although there is really very little anti-social or unkind behaviour, they are confident about reporting it and having issues resolved.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Relationships, both between pupils and between adults and pupils, are very good. The school’s mission statement, ‘We care about each other’, is a very real element of school life, which results in a harmonious, relaxed and friendly family atmosphere. Within the mixed age classes and at play, pupils interact well with one another; this helps to nurture social confidence in the youngest children. Pupils reflect on the consequence of their actions on other people and empathise with others in different situations.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. All this leads to very positive personal development in which pupils show tolerance, respect and consideration as well as confidence and high self-esteem. They respond well to the encouragement shown by teachers and support assistants, volunteering to explain or to demonstrate to audiences of peers or parents. In the expressive arts, pupils proudly perform to the best of their ability, whether it be solo music, choral singing or acting. Within the school day they are given a range of responsibilities, which they carry out in a sensible and reliable fashion. In lessons, pupils take responsibility for their learning and conduct research or work independently at individual challenges conscientiously. A film made by current Years 5 and 6 pupils in 2000 is a particularly good example of the way they were all able to work with professionals in compiling and presenting an impressive account of their own locality.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance is very good. The school’s data places it within the top 20 per cent of primary schools nationally. Unauthorised absence is virtually nil and pupils are punctual for school. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching across the school is good overall. Teaching is satisfactory or better in all lessons during the inspection. In three out of every four lessons it is good or better with nearly two thirds of teaching overall being very good or excellent in standard. This is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection. Parents at the meeting commented very positively on the level of good teaching in the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching for reception children is good, providing a good foundation for learning when they start school. Good planning identifies clear learning targets in all areas and the balance between teacher and adult directed activity and opportunities for learning through play is good. This good organisation fosters a purposeful working atmosphere and, as a result, these children work hard and behave very well. They display increasing levels of concentration while listening to their teacher and teaching assistants and in their work. There are good assessment procedures for tracking children’s progress and the staff successfully use information gathered to plan for the next step in children’s learning. Support staff are deployed very effectively in lessons to teach an appropriate curriculum to these children, while older pupils in the same class are taught in literacy and numeracy lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. A very good feature of the teaching within this school is the sharing of subject expertise amongst the staff to provide effective teaching groups and high quality learning experiences for all pupils. Subject knowledge is good in several subjects such as art, design and technology, information and communication technology and music. All teachers display technical competence in the teaching of basic skills and this has resulted in the school winning the ‘Basic Skills Quality Mark’. This high level of competence and the very effective implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies has been a major contributory factor in the raising of pupil standards in English and mathematics. This was clearly demonstrated in all literacy and numeracy lessons across the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Planning is very good overall and learning aims and objectives are clearly identified and shared with the pupils at the beginning of lessons. Teachers are beginning to review these at the end of lessons and this is providing a useful method of assessing the pupils’ level of understanding. All teachers know the ability of the pupils well and this ensures that work is matched carefully to the ability of pupils. The teaching of English, mathematics and several other subjects in small teaching groups is further supporting the matching of work to the ability of the pupils. For example, the teaching of pupils in Year 3 and 4 as a separate group for these subjects is providing the flexibility to ensure that higher attaining pupils in Year 2 and lower ability Year 5 pupils are appropriately challenged in literacy and numeracy lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Overall, teachers have very high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The level of challenge is high in most lessons. It is very high in literacy and numeracy lessons and pupils are clearly motivated to learn and develop new skills. These very high expectations are also demonstrated in other subjects such as art and music where pupils’ standards are also high. These high expectations are not always evident in all lessons such as science and physical education, where often the pace of lessons is too slow and the level of challenge is not high enough.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching methods are effective across the school. A good feature is the use of practical activity to ensure lessons are made interesting to enable effective learning to take place. For instance, in a very good music lesson for pupils in the infants, the teacher provided these pupils with very good opportunities to develop their sense of pulse and rhythm with a range of untuned percussion instruments. Pupils are grouped according to ability in most Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School lessons and this enables all pupils to make good progress. Information and communication technology is used very effectively to support teaching throughout the school. There were several examples of teachers using it to support the pupils’ learning during the inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers manage pupils well in lessons and their expectations of behaviour are high. All staff have established a very positive rapport with the pupils and this results in a pleasant and friendly working atmosphere during lessons. All of the pupils respond positively to this and as a result, behaviour in lessons is very good overall. This caring approach is a major strength of the school and parents commented very favourably about this at the pre- inspection meeting. When the pace of lessons becomes too slow, such as observed in physical education, some pupils become restless and their overall behaviour is not as good, but it is never less than satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers use time effectively in most lessons, but some lessons are too long. This results in teachers being unable to maintain the brisk pace achieved at the start of these lessons. This is most evident in science and physical education for junior pupils. All teachers use resources such as whiteboards, practical equipment and computers appropriately to demonstrate teaching points and to assist pupils in their understanding of new concepts.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The school has put in place very good procedures to help teachers monitor and assess the pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science. The progress of pupils in all other subjects is monitored well and the quality of teachers’ marking is very good. For instance, teachers mark work regularly and provide each pupil with good levels of written and oral feedback on how they are doing. The setting of individual targets for the pupils in literacy and numeracy is contributing very positively to the raising of standards overall.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The needs of pupils with special educational needs are well met. Teachers know the capabilities of these pupils, plan lessons carefully to ensure an appropriate level of challenge and work closely with support teachers to ensure that these pupils make good progress. Teachers use a good range of resources to support pupils with special educational needs to ensure that they are fully included in the work of the class. As a result of this careful attention to their needs, all of these pupils are making good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teachers provide appropriate opportunities for homework and often use it well to support learning in class. Inspectors reviewed the use of homework across the school and judge that homework tasks are appropriate for the ages of pupils and they provide a good link between school, pupils and parents.

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PUPILS?

26. The school provides a rich, varied and relevant range of learning experiences that are very well matched to all pupils’ particular needs and aptitudes. These are strengths of the school. The experiences that it provides contribute fully to pupils’ very good attitudes and enthusiasm for school. The work that the teachers provide fully meets the needs of the National Curriculum and is an improvement since the last inspection. The curriculum for the children in the Foundation Stage successfully incorporates all the required areas of learning and provides a smooth transition to work within the National Curriculum. Throughout the school, there are good arrangements for pupils’ personal, social and health education, where pupils have opportunities to extend their confidence and self- esteem. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are fully in place and the school places a very strong emphasis on the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills.

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PUPILS?

This is reflected very well in other subjects such as science, history and geography. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School Teachers work hard to ensure that their pupils become more responsible as they grow older. Parents are pleased that the school helps their children to become more mature. The school makes appropriate provision for sex education and issues relating to drug awareness.

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PUPILS?

27. There are clear and helpful policies and nationally approved schemes of work in place for all subjects and these support pupils’ learning well. The school’s need to teach up to four year groups in one class for some subjects has obliged it to reconstruct these schemes of work and it has done this very well. Very detailed and thorough long-term plans now indicate exactly what will be taught in each subject. These are translated into more detailed plans that identify clearly the appropriate skills that groups of pupils are expected to learn during each lesson. This ensures that they all have equality of access and opportunity in their learning, including those pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils. All teachers monitor their planning on a regular basis to ensure that the content of each subject is covered systematically as pupils more through the school to avoid any unnecessary repetition. The school has received the 'Basic Skills

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PUPILS?

Quality Mark' in recognition of its achievement.

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PUPILS?

28. The provision for the very small number of pupils with special educational needs is good. This reflects the judgement in the previous inspection. The school provides appropriate support to meet the various needs of these pupils. Pupils are rarely withdrawn from their class lessons for additional help. This good practice ensures that all pupils have access to the National Curriculum and fully participate in all learning activities alongside their classmates. As a result, they make good progress within the targets set for them. Higher attaining pupils are consistently provided with challenging activities, which ensure that they make the progress that they should. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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PUPILS?

29. The school arranges a very good programme of visits and out-of-school activities. Pupils have opportunities to be involved in a very wide range of regular activities such cooking, sewing, French, tennis, football, rugby and cricket, for which some coaching is provided. These are often combined with other schools, thus enhancing pupils’ personal and social development. Both boys and girls take part. There are regular opportunities for pupils to enjoy developing their musical skills, for example, in brass, strings and recorder tuition. Many pupils play in the school band and their talents are developed well as they practise together in a wide variety of musical compositions. Their skills are further enriched by, for example, a visit to Buxton Opera House where pupils took part in a musical event. They perform for special occasions such as an educational conference and special festivals such as Christmas and Easter. This further enhances the quality of the curriculum. These

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PUPILS?

opportunities give an added dimension to pupils’ personal development and are having a positive impact on their progress. Teachers arrange worthwhile educational visits in the immediate locality and further afield to enrich the curriculum and broaden pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the work outside their own village. For example, work in science, geography and English fully exploits the special advantages of the school’s immediate environment. The well-planned programme of special visits combines study with experiences of contrasting places and ways of life. For example, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils enjoy a three-day residential visit to Lea Green and Years 3 to 6 have visited the Tate Gallery and the Albert Dock in Liverpool. Years 3 and 4 pupils enjoyed a Chatsworth ‘Countryside Day’ as part of their geography topic. The value of these experiences is clearly evident in the colourful displays of the work they have produced in subjects such as

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PUPILS?

geography, art and English. The infant class has visited Crich Tramway museum. These are valuable opportunities for pupils to enhance further their personal, spiritual, social and cultural development. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School 30. The school has very good links with the community and regular links with the church. It has effective links with Flagg nursery and the cluster of Buxton primary and secondary schools. For example, members of the community visit the school regularly, most notably, the music specialists. Other visitors such as musicians from the Hallé Orchestra and the screen play writer the ‘Miracle Maker’ provide a wealth of learning experiences. The school welcomes visitors such as the vicar, school nurse and the local policeman and there are very good links with the fire service, the Peak Park Rangers and the Bakewell Sports Association. Parents provide valuable support as they help in classrooms with

p.15

PUPILS?

activities such as reading, cooking and sewing.

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PUPILS?

31. Since the last inspection there has been a strengthening of the school’s provision for personal development with the result that it is now very good overall. The mission statement, so beautifully carved near the school entrance, underpins all areas of the school’s work. The effect of this is an implicit sense of value shown for the feelings, work and needs of all members of the school family and for the rest of society in the world around them.

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PUPILS?

32. Good provision is made for pupils’ spiritual development by creating a quiet and reflective atmosphere during the daily acts of collective worship, as well as expressions of joy in the singing. In lessons teachers are able to make pupils wonder about the beauty of creation and the mysteries of life. In all areas of school life pupils are inspired to give of their very best.

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PUPILS?

33. Moral and social development remain the strongest areas in this aspect, with a clear teaching of right from wrong and very high expectations by all adults. Pupils benefit from a wide variety of social opportunities ranging from mixed age learning and playing together, to interactions with the local and wider community. The recent Golden Jubilee party involved friends and neighbours from the village and pupils are in e-mail contact with another local school, as well as penfriends with scholars in South Africa. Although there is not yet a school council, the small size of the school allows all pupils to feel they can make significant contributions to its smooth running and the weekly drama lessons based on circle time allow pupils to debate or discuss issues which affect them. Charitable support for events like Red Nose Day show pupils the importance of helping the less fortunate.

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PUPILS?

34. The school celebrates local culture very well by contributing to many musical events, well- dressing traditions, exploring the richness of the Peak District and sharing in inter-school activities. The arts provide a rich diet for pupils, with teachers taking them to public galleries as well as giving them ample opportunity to be creative themselves. While there has been some improvement in the school’s provision for multi-cultural, multi-ethnic awareness, the preparation for life in multi-racial British society is still an area for development.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. This is a very caring school where the well-being of pupils is the chief concern of all adults. Overall, the provision for health and safety is very good, with a vigilant approach to ensuring all procedures are in order. All staff have regular first aid training and child protection procedures follow local area guidelines. Pupils are taught safe practice and the recent introduction of readily accessible drinking water has been well received by pupils and their parents.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school monitors, promotes and supports the personal development of pupils very well. It has good procedures to promote and monitor good attendance. The educational welfare service is involved when attendance problems are identified. The behaviour policy relies Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School on consistent use of praise and the reinforcement of good role models. This is very successful in providing pupils with clear expectations, incentives to improve and an awareness of the needs of others. The anti-bullying interim award demonstrates the school’s focus on procedures designed to highlight and minimise anti-social behaviour. Features like the smiley stamps on good work, special stickers and the leaves on the Esteem Tree, all contribute to the very good promotion of effort both in work and in personal development. Overall, the small size of the school and the organisation into

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

small teaching groups means that pupils know and trust their teachers well and that both teaching and non-teaching staff can give personal guidance based on good knowledge of individual need.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures for assessing pupils’ work are very good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. The school uses skilful assessments of children’s attainment on admission to school to plan future activities. Teachers make very good use of pupils’ results in national and other tests to track progress over time and to set targets for the future. Regular testing and recording of results in, for example, English, mathematics and science, ensure that teachers’ plans are closely linked to the differing abilities of all pupils. In all other subjects, teachers carry out tests at the end of each topic to assess what pupils have learned and amend their planning appropriately to match the needs of their pupils. As a result, the school has made positive strides in improving pupils’ attainment and progress in most subjects. Portfolios of individual pupils’ assessed work contain samples of tasks in each subject and these are accurately matched to the National Curriculum

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

levels of study. These provide valuable information to compare pupils’ attainment and progress. Pupils who need extra support to reach the expected level for their age are given additional, well-planned support. All pupils in Years 3 to 6 have individual targets, for example in English, to identify areas for improvement so that they may make better progress and this is being particularly effective. The quality of teachers’ marking is very good and is consistently applied throughout the school. Teachers’ comments clearly indicate what they do well and what they need to do next to improve their work. This is having a strong impact on pupils’ presentation of their work, which is of a high standard.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Procedures for assessing the progress of pupils with special educational needs are good and are fully in line with the recommendations of the revised Code of Practice. The very experienced special educational needs co-ordinator knows each pupil very well in this small school and precise targets are set so that an effective assessment of their progress can take place.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. Overall, parents are happy with the school and support it very well. Parents’ good opinion of the school is demonstrated by the number who travel some distance to bring their children here. However, a few parents have some concerns about the quality of the partnership. These relate to the homework set and a feeling that the school does not work as closely with them as they would like. The inspection found, having spoken to parents both at the pre-inspection meeting and at the start and end of the school day, that the school does in fact provide ample opportunity for involvement by those parents who wish it. The dissent by a few parents means that the effectiveness of the partnership is at present only satisfactory and there is room for improvement in the way the school surveys parental opinions to get to the root of their concerns.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The school deeply values its partnership and has a very welcoming approach to liaising with parents. This includes class teachers making themselves available to parents each day, as well as a very grateful, positive response to parents who offer to help in any way. Since the last inspection there have been improvements in the quality of information Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School provided for parents. The governors’ annual report is now compliant in all legal details. The pupils’ annual progress reports are good, with detail about the skills acquired in all areas of the curriculum, as well as areas for improvement. However, the school could do more to celebrate its work through its written information. Pupils’ progress reports do not make reference to what would normally be expected from a child of that particular age. The school prospectus has a rather old-fashioned format, which does little to celebrate the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

contributions which pupils make to the life and work of the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The school invites parents to a range of formal and informal events. These include opportunities to see and to discuss pupils’ work, either individually or as part of class productions like displays, assemblies and concerts. The calendar for social events is co- ordinated by the parents’ and friends’ association, which is extremely successful in fund- raising to enrich the resources and learning experiences for the pupils. Through their generosity the school has been able to enhance its equipment for music and information and communication technology, amongst others.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Overall, the impact of parents on the work of the school continues to be a real strength. Many parents volunteer to help, either in class or by running after-school clubs. Parents make a good contribution in support of their children’s learning at home by hearing them read and helping them learn spellings and tables. The pupils benefit from the consistent messages they receive about the value of education both at school and at home.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The quality of leadership and management by the headteacher is very good. She has developed a very clear vision for the school and this is effectively shared with governors and staff alike. The headteacher, together with a dedicated team of teachers, share a common purpose to provide the best for the pupils in their care. School improvement and raising standards further are management priorities and there is a very considerable shared commitment to school improvement amongst the staff. The headteacher places a very high priority on the inspiration and motivation of staff and, as a result, the staff function extremely well as a team. The quality of this leadership is a reflection of the published aims and values of the school, which state, ‘ We care about each other ’.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. Responsibilities are clearly delegated to individual staff who support each other to manage the overall curriculum on a needs basis. For instance, the implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been high priorities together with the development of information and communication technology. Responsibilities have been delegated accordingly with very positive results. The development of other subjects, such as physical education, has already been recognised by the staff team and aspects of its development will be shared accordingly in the near future.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The development of good teaching is monitored and evaluated well in literacy and numeracy, but not as effectively in other subjects. As a consequence, the quality of teaching is more inconsistent in subjects such as physical education and science. Teachers are well deployed, however, to influence and improve the overall quality of teaching and learning in the school through the sharing of expertise. Training in information and communication technology has been particularly effective with the result that pupils’ standards have risen. The school's procedures for appraisal and performance management are good and all of the teaching staff have clear performance targets. The steps taken to meet the school's targets for improvement are very effective and the priorities for development are clearly matched to the needs of staff and pupils. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School 46. A feature of the school is the very strong commitment to teamwork by all the staff. This

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

shared approach benefits the pupils by affording the subdivision into smaller teaching groups, for example, when Years 3 and 4 are taught separately from Years 5 and 6. It means that, although this is a small school, pupils experience a variety of teachers throughout their time in the infants and the juniors. It also allows specialist teaching in areas like music and personal and social education. Because of the excellent team spirit between teachers and support staff, there is a strong commitment to improvement and a positive capacity to succeed.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The governing body is effective in discharging its duties and governors maintain frequent contact with the school to support it in its work. As a result, most governors fully understand the strengths and areas for improvement within the school. They are fully involved in making important, strategic decisions which affect its future direction. The governing body places an appropriate emphasis on monitoring school improvement and it plays a positive role in setting targets for school development. It ensures that it fulfils its statutory duties and it has successfully addressed the issues raised about the annual report to parents in the previous inspection. The headteacher works extremely closely with the governors to improve the quality of accommodation and quality of learning experiences available for the pupils at this school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The school makes good use of resources; grants and other funding and educational priorities are well supported by the school's financial planning. The efficiency and effectiveness of the financial administration systems are good and the headteacher and governing body are kept well informed about the position of the school’s finances. The school's use of new technology is very effective. This is exemplified in the very high standards being achieved in information and communication technology by 11 year olds. The principles of best value are applied satisfactorily in this school to further the opportunities open to the pupils. Governors regularly monitor the effectiveness of the school’s spending to ensure the budget is used wisely. They ensure specific grants are used effectively to further support the pupils' learning. Formal methods of consulting with parents about areas of development and further improvement are, however,

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

underdeveloped. The school relies too much on informal discussions and contact.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Overall, there is a good match of staff to the requirements of the curriculum. The impact of performance management targets has been to improve the teaching of information and communication technology and to win for the school the ‘Basic Skills Quality Mark’ and an interim anti-bullying award. The teaching staff are ably supported by a team of classroom assistants including a computer technician, all of whom make valuable contributions to pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Since the last inspection there have been vast improvements to the accommodation, which is now satisfactory with some very good features. A new building now provides a light and airy hall for dining and physical education, as well as school assemblies and concerts. Indoor toilets and a useful conservatory area were included and the site clearance resulted in a level, newly surfaced junior playground. The current project involves the levelling of the playing field, which will provide a flat, grassed area for games and athletics.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Learning resources are good overall, with particular strengths in English, information and communication technology and physical education. There is a high ratio of books to pupils, with a wide range of fiction available to the older readers in the junior class. The new foyer area adjacent to the hall provides a pleasant library area in which pupils may browse books in addition to those available in their classrooms. Each classroom has a Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School networked computer and older equipment like the concept keyboard is used very effectively to support learning.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

52. To develop further the effectiveness of the school and continue to raise standards, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• further improve the quality of teaching and learning in the school by: • monitoring teaching in lessons other that English and mathematics; • reviewing how time is allocated to teach science and physical education; • ensuring teaching is consistently good across the school especially in science and physical education; (paragraphs 6, 19, 22, 45, 84, 86 and 117)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the quality of shared information with parents by: • improving the quality of the school prospectus; • devising more formal methods for seeking the views of all parents and carers of pupils at the school. (paragraphs 39 and 40) Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 11

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 13 47 13 27 0 0 0 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) 53

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 7 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 6

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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 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 0

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School NB The results for both Key Stage 1 and 2 are not reported as the number of pupils in the year groups totalled less than 10 in the 2001 national tests and assessments.

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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 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) 3.1 Financial year 2001-2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 160,157

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 164,097

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 25 Expenditure per pupil 3,218

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 24,005

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 20,065 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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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 1

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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

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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 Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 44 56 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 78 22 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 26 30 7 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 45 7 4 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 67 18 4 11 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 63 30 7 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 56 22 22 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 52 26 15 0 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 63 37 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 59 26 4 0 11 Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. Children of reception age join the infant class either in September if their birthday falls before the end of the following April or in January of that academic year for birthdays in the rest of the school year. The planned curriculum for the reception children satisfactorily follows the areas of learning for children under five and the school makes every attempt to base it on the national early learning goals. There were no children under the age of five at the time of the inspection.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. All children, including those with special educational needs, make a good start in all aspects of school life. Assessments made on each child when they start school confirms that most children have knowledge, skills and understanding in all areas of learning that is in line with that normally expected for children of a similar age. Inspection evidence clearly indicates that all the reception children currently in the infant class have exceeded the early learning goals related to language and mathematical development by the end of the reception year. Their attainment in all other areas of learning is in line with that normally expected of children of a similar age. This overall good progress is because of the good standard of teaching and learning in this class and a strong focus on preparing these children for work on the National Curriculum.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. The quality of teaching and learning is good. The headteacher and teaching assistant manage the needs of these children well within the organisation of the class for infant pupils. Planning is detailed and firmly based on the children's interests and needs. It is imaginative and ensures focused activities in literacy and mathematical development promote specific learning through both adult-directed and child-initiated activities of good quality. For example, a well taught numeracy session in the school hall used a large analogue clock. This developed the children's knowledge of numbers up to 10 and their understanding of important times of the day. The quality of adult and teacher interaction with the children is very good. Activities are effectively organised according to the children's abilities and specific needs alongside those for older pupils in Years 1 and 2 in the same class. Both the headteacher and teaching assistant use questions well to

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

challenge children in their thinking and assess their understanding of new concepts. The teaching assistant makes a valuable contribution to the teaching of these children by working carefully with them as a group or moving around the activities and providing support as required. Good teamwork and effective planning are ensuring that basic skills are taught well and all children of all abilities within the class make good progress.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. High levels of care and support are provided by the staff and, as a result, these children happily work either alongside or with older pupils in the same class. Staff also provide a stimulating classroom environment and resources are used effectively to motivate the children. Induction arrangements are effective and there are good links with a local nursery in a nearby village. The children have several opportunities to visit the reception class during their induction period before and at the start of their schooling and appropriate meetings are held with parents.

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Personal, social and emotional development

57. Relationships between the staff and the children are very good and this positive approach results in the emotional needs of the children being met very well. Children, and especially those with special educational needs, feel secure and this has a positive effect on their progress. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School 58. Children's attitudes to learning as a result are very good. They raise their hands to answer the headteacher's questions and try hard to do their best when working with the teaching assistant. All children work well together in pairs and in their small group. They share equipment well and they are developing a sense of responsibility, for instance, when putting construction equipment away at the end of the lesson.

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Communication, language and literacy

59. All of the children make good progress in all aspects of communication, language and literacy because sessions are effectively planned and taught well. Staff provide a good range of opportunities for children to use and apply their speaking and listening and early literacy skills. These good opportunities for speaking and listening ensure that all children make good progress in communication skills. The children display an obvious enthusiasm for the books in the reading scheme and enjoy the success when each book is completed. They talk enthusiastically about the stories and turn the pages carefully. All children recognise their name and most are beginning to pick out letters and words in books based on the beginning sound and picture clues. The most able read simple words and short sentences accurately. All of the children hold their pencils correctly and independently write their first name. Letters are well formed and the basic skills of handwriting are being

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Communication, language and literacy

taught effectively. Their efforts are valued in displays, which demonstrate their first attempts at writing.

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Mathematical development

60. The headteacher and teacher assistant plan a wide variety of mathematical tasks for children to experience. As a result, all children make good progress in this area of learning. Spontaneous opportunities to develop children's numeracy skills at the start of the day are also used to further their mathematical development. For example, they count the number of children having a lunch. Specific time is allocated to these children in the school hall with the teaching assistant for the development of mathematical skills through directed play. As a result of these interesting activities, all children count to 10 and higher attaining children count to 20 or even beyond this. They all identify and name simple two- dimensional shapes and are beginning to read the hours on a clock. They are effectively starting to add one more than to a given digit up to nine and the most able are developing their skills of addition further.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

61. The scrutiny of the children’s work confirms that all of them are making satisfactory progress in this area of learning. Displays within the classroom and planning demonstrate that these children are starting to explore the environment through a range of interesting activities such as growing plants from seeds to using the computer mouse to activate simple animations on the computer screen in response to program prompts.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

62. These children develop design and technology skills effectively and they use simple tools effectively to cut and stick card together to make a Jubilee Crown. Local walks and class topics help them to develop a broad range of skills in geography and history.

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Physical development

63. Children develop manipulative skills when taking part in art and craft activities. They use these skills when dressing and undressing themselves for physical education. The children play outside at playtime and have good opportunities for physical activity during timetabled lessons in the playground or the hall. They demonstrate an appropriate range of skills in physical education lessons in the school hall with the older infant pupils. For instance, they are provided with good opportunities to develop their co-ordination and physical skills through taking part in games lessons inside the school hall to develop their ability to kick and pass a small ball. Opportunities for physical play outdoors are Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School satisfactory within the confines of the school playground. The school is currently improving its play areas. The headteacher intends to invest in a range of large toys and

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Physical development

other outdoor equipment for children in order to develop their skills further and provide them with better opportunities for physical play every day.

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Creative development

64. Staff provide a broad range of activities that are well planned to ensure that all the children develop their creative skills effectively. The children are making satisfactory progress in their art skills and drawings and pictures are colourful and painted with care. All children sing familiar songs well and they sing action songs enthusiastically with the teacher.

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ENGLISH

65. Standards at the ages of 7 and 11 were both judged to be in line with national expectations at the time of the last inspection. Standards have risen considerably since then and are now well above that expected for 11 year olds and above average for those at 7 years. Effective monitoring of teaching and learning, the teaching of pupils in ability groupings, combined with the very effective implementation of the National Literacy Strategy, have all contributed significantly to this increase in standards.

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ENGLISH

66. Results in the 2001 national tests and assessments were well above the national average at 11. They were average at 7 in reading and well above average in writing. In comparison with schools of a similar context, the school’s results were well above average at 11 and, for 7 year olds, average in reading and well above average in writing. The overall trend, however, has been one of overall improvement since the previous inspection. There are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls and pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior attainment.

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ENGLISH

67. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is above the level expected for their age. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is well above the level expected for their age. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. This is due to the significant improvement in the quality of teaching, which is now very good in all classes, and the effectiveness of the National Literacy Strategy, both of which are having a significant impact on pupils’ progress.

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ENGLISH

68. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in developing their speaking and listening skills is above the level for their age. They listen carefully so they understand what they have to do. They listen carefully across a range of different contexts from individual discussions about what they are reading to the more formal context of the assemblies held in the new hall. They are keen to contribute to discussions because they receive considerable encouragement and praise from the teacher. Parents and other adults regularly provide valuable additional support for developing speaking and listening skills. The match of whole-class reading texts to pupils’ interests ensures that they have the confidence to offer personal responses and to discuss key features from the texts. For example, when the teacher asked what poetry was, one pupil responded, ‘It’s when words rhyme at the end of lines, usually at the end of the second and the fourth’. As a result, all pupils, including

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ENGLISH

those with special educational needs, make good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills.

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ENGLISH

69. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, continue to make good progress as they move through the school. In the Years 3 and 4 class, for example, in their lesson on different forms of poetry, pupils were eager and confident to respond to their teacher’s skilful questioning about words, which illustrated alliteration. One offered, as an example Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School for the class poem, ‘artistic actor’ and ‘dynamic dancer danced dramatically’. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a high level of confidence when they are speaking and use considerable detail when they are explaining ideas or expressing opinions. Their attainment is well above the level expected for their age. The quality of whole-class or groups discussion is very good in the junior class, both in English lessons and in other subjects, because the teacher praises their efforts. The teacher has high expectations of

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ENGLISH

all her pupils and expects pupils to use sophisticated language in lessons. For example, in the lesson observed, pupils confidently used words such as ‘gesticulating’, ‘haranguing’, ‘diminutive’ and ‘agitated’ to demonstrate their appreciation of the different characteristics of two characters in extracts from two contrasting books.

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ENGLISH

70. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in reading is above the level expected for their age and they make good progress. This is because the teacher provides appropriate texts to match their reading ability and they are interested in what they read. For example, in one Year 1 and Year 2 lesson, the teacher and the class read well together, focusing clearly on the text and reading individual parts with clarity and pride. This makes a positive impact on their learning. The teacher encouraged them to find other poems by the author, Edward Lear, so fostering a love of reading. Regular homework is established to support this. By the end of Year 2, pupils are very keen to talk about the plot and the characters in clear, accurate sentences. They read fluently and expressively, the higher attaining pupils taking in their strides words such as ‘thought’ and ‘scissors’. They know the role of an

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ENGLISH

author and illustrator and predict very thoughtfully what may happen next as they discuss the favourite part of their stories. They know how to locate a non-fiction book in the class library and that the Internet is a valuable source of information. Pupils who are less confident readers get help from the support assistant.

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ENGLISH

71. In Years 3 and 4, pupils sustain this good progress. They recall the story very thoroughly and have reading targets, which they understand, such as ‘to use a range of strategies for unknown words’. They are very good at predicting what will happen next. One Year 4 pupil explains that he is inspired to read by looking at the cover and clearly identifies types of speech as ‘old-fashioned’. Year 5 pupils read with growing confidence and assurance and are keen and proud to read to adults. They refer to the text when answering questions about the plot. They name their favourite including Harry Potter and authors such as Dick King-Smith. By the end of Year 6, they are very expressive readers and skim and scan confidently through the pages as they recall particular incidents and refer to certain important points. For example, one pupil clearly infers, ‘ If she is alone, without her parents and she is shy, she may be feeling a little homesick’. They enjoy reading books

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ENGLISH

such as ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Triffids’. Although they know that books are arranged in alphabetical order, they are uncertain about how to locate books using the Dewey system. Higher attaining pupils fulfil their potential because their teacher challenges them to reach higher standards and ensures that their personal reading is well matched to their needs.

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ENGLISH

72. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in writing is above the level expected for their age and they make good progress because they receive a well-balanced range of opportunities, not only in English but in other subjects. Their handwriting is neatly joined and well presented because they practise their writing skills regularly. In Year 1, pupils write in simple sentences. Their teacher provides several different styles of writing so pupils develop their independent skills. Poems are used very effectively to produce a structure for pupils to learn about descriptive and rhyming words. For example, when they had read ‘The Owl and the Pussy-cat’ and talked about words that rhyme, Year 1 pupils described colours, matching adjectives to nouns. A particularly good example of this was ‘leaf-green, sky-blue’, while Year 2 pupils wrote phrases to describe the boat in the story as ‘splendidly orange’ and there was very good use of imaginative phrases such as, ‘ Well I

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ENGLISH

Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School never!’ By the end of Year 2, most pupils write in clearly constructed paragraphs. Their writing is joined and clearly legible and they make accurate use of full stops and capital letters because their teacher has high expectations for all to do their best. Higher attaining pupils are beginning to introduce speech, question and exclamation marks into their writing. They form opinions clearly, for example, ‘I would like to be a king for some reasons. I would like to be me for others. I would like to go on tractors whenever I can – if they’re working, that is!’

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ENGLISH

73. In Years 3 and 4, pupils further develop their writing skills in a variety of forms in a lively and thoughtful manner. They take great pride in their work. For example, following their visit to Chatsworth, one pupil wrote, ‘ We had to be quiet because the piglet’s mum was unsettled. Some nibbled at my shoes ’. By the end of Year 6, pupils are confident and imaginative writers of poetry and other types of descriptive and factual writing because they have established very good relationships with their teacher and they benefit from her excellent subject knowledge. They choose words with strong images – ‘ darkness smothers black shapes ’ – and in a very good example of persuasive writing, one pupil has concluded, ‘I hope that some of your readers consider some of my points’. They produce work of a high standard because they have individual, realistic writing targets, which they are expected to attain in a given time. As a result, all pupils, including those with special

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ENGLISH

educational needs, make good progress because they are given individual support to develop their skills systematically.

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ENGLISH

74. The quality of teaching is very good. This is a marked improvement since the last inspection. This is because the National Literacy Strategy is very well embedded in the school. Teachers have worked hard to improve standards in writing and in this they have been successful. Their accurate and regular use of assessment to plan more carefully for the differing abilities of their pupils also has had a significant impact on raising standards. The particular strengths in teaching are:

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ENGLISH

• very detailed planning for all abilities of pupils, including those with special educational needs, so that they make the progress that they should; • interesting and lively lessons that hold pupils’ interest so that they want to do their best; • very good relationships and high expectations so that pupils have very positive attitudes to work and make the best use of time; • very high standards of marking that help pupils to know how they are progressing. Teachers create a personal dialogue with each pupil by writing a response to each piece of work which motivates them to do better still; • very good questioning so that they assess pupils’ understanding of tasks and provide further challenging experiences.

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ENGLISH

75. Pupils use their literacy skills effectively in other subjects such as history, geography and information and communication technology. For example, they use word processing regularly and use the Internet to communicate with other classes. Assessment procedures and the use of assessment are very good and this is an improvement since the last inspection. The school monitors pupils’ progress very carefully and maintains records from entry to the end of Year 6. Each pupil has a portfolio of assessed work, which is accurately matched to National Curriculum levels. Visits within the local environment and beyond to places such as Chatsworth, Liverpool and the Opera House provide pupils with very rich experiences and stimuli to encourage them to develop their writing skills further. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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MATHEMATICS

76. Standards in mathematics and numeracy at the ages of 7 and 11 were both judged to be in line with national expectations at the time of the last inspection. Standards have risen considerably since then and are now well above that expected for 11 year olds and above average for those at 7 years. Effective monitoring of teaching and learning, the teaching of pupils in ability groupings and the very effective implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy have all contributed significantly to this increase in standards.

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MATHEMATICS

77. Results in the 2001 national tests and assessments were above the national average at 11 and well above average at 7 and similar to those of the previous year. In comparison with schools of a similar context, the school’s results were well above average at 7 and average at 11 years.

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MATHEMATICS

78. By the age of 11, the attainment of many pupils is well above the national expectations for pupils of this age. Many pupils are competent with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and the most able are able to solve problems using simple algebraic formulae. The pupils’ knowledge of the types of triangles and their properties is good and they can plot co-ordinates in the fourth quadrant. A good feature of the planned experiences is the provision for investigation and practical activity in lessons and this is carried through into other subjects. In a science topic, for instance, these Year 6 pupils effectively used a data-handling package on the computer to interrogate and present the results of their investigation to test the most effective glue for joining wood. Effective planning by teachers in the juniors is ensuring that all pupils are suitably challenged irrespective of their ability.

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MATHEMATICS

79. By the age of 7, all pupils are developing a good understanding of place value with two digit numbers. Most effectively order three-digit numbers and add two-digit numbers correctly. They calculate simple multiples of 2 and 5 and accurately identify the common two and three-dimensional shapes. Most solve problems using money that involve simple calculations with pounds and pence. They are beginning to understand the concept of fractions and are exploring the properties of a quarter and a half. The most talented use conventional written methods to undertake additions and subtractions involving three digit numbers and have developed a good understanding of the three and four times tables.

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MATHEMATICS

80. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently very good across the school. Planning is very detailed and consistent with the National Numeracy Strategy. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and use questions well to challenge pupils and especially the more able. All teachers use subject specific vocabulary with confidence and often make good links with other subjects such as information and communication technology. They use resources well to make lessons interesting and motivate pupils. They organise lessons well so that no time is wasted and activities move on with pace in all lessons. They have a good knowledge of their pupils and skilfully target their questioning and work- setting to meet their different levels of ability. All lessons are very well managed and teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement. As a result of this, pupils respond very well to numeracy lessons and they work hard on the tasks set for

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MATHEMATICS

them. Teachers make appropriate use of homework in all classes to support the learning undertaken in class. They make good use of information and communication technology to support the teaching of mathematics as demonstrated in a lesson for the infants. In this lesson the teacher provided good experiences for the pupils to practise the addition of money with the aid of an interactive tablet with pictures of coins for the pupils to press in order to generate a response from the computer. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School 81. The curriculum is well planned and the National Numeracy Strategy has been very effectively implemented. A good feature is the strong emphasis on practical activity and investigative work in other subjects such as science. Leadership of the subject is good and the curriculum co-ordinator has monitored teaching effectively across the school. She has a clear view of what needs to be developed next and provides good support to staff.

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SCIENCE

82. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 are above average. This is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection. A strong emphasis on developing pupils’ subject knowledge and use of investigative activity has ensured that these improvements have taken place. This, combined with the organisation of smaller teaching groups, has resulted in a steady improvement in the pupils’ achievements overall.

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SCIENCE

83. However, results in 2001 tests for 11 year olds were well below average and a below average number of pupils attained the higher Level 5. Standards overall for 11 year olds were below average when compared with schools of similar prior attainment. Teacher assessment at the end of Year 2 in the national assessments in 2001 indicated that all pupils attained the expected Level 2, but only an average number achieved the higher level 3. There have been fluctuations in overall improvement in both infants and juniors over the last three years, but inspection findings confirm that overall standards are improving. The very good unpublished results achieved by pupils aged 7 and 11 at the end of 2002 confirms that this improvement in standards continues.

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SCIENCE

84. Only two lessons were fully observed during the inspection. No overall judgement can be made on the overall quality of teaching, but in these lessons it varied between satisfactory and excellent. Teachers plan work appropriately but sometimes the length of lessons is too long, as seen in a lesson for the oldest pupils. As a consequence, the pace of these lessons becomes too slow. All teachers ensure that learning intentions are made clear to pupils and these are shared with pupils on the board at the start of lessons. Pupils learn the basic skills of investigation in a developmental way as they progress through the school. However, opportunities are missed to extend fully the oldest pupils in their investigations by involving them in independently planning their investigations. They could make their own predictions as to the likely outcomes rather than have the investigation directed by the teacher. The quality of work seen in both the infant and junior books

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SCIENCE

during the inspection supports the inspection judgements that standards are above average. All aspects of science are covered to a good level with the oldest junior pupils, for instance, looking at parallel and series circuits in their study of electricity. Their investigations about how worms behave in a wormery also exemplifies the good range of investigative work undertaken over the year. Infant pupils demonstrate a good level understanding about common materials with a good investigation about floating and sinking objects. A strength of teaching in both the infant and junior classes is the good use of information and communication technology to record and interrogate data.

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SCIENCE

85. The pupils’ attitudes to science are very good. They work effectively together in pairs and small groups, sharing equipment with each other sensibly. All pupils enjoy investigative work and this is especially beneficial to pupils with special educational needs, who receive good quality support from teachers, classroom assistants and other pupils in the class. Analysis of junior pupils’ work from the past year demonstrates that many pupils display a sense of care in the recording of their work in science.

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SCIENCE

86. The curriculum is satisfactorily planned to ensure that topics are not repeated in the following year. The teaching of Years 3 and 4 pupils as a separate group is assisting with Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School this planning. The allocation of time for lessons, however, is sometimes too long and, consequently, the pace of learning is too slow. Provision for practical investigations in all classes throughout the school is a strong feature of lessons. For example, very good displays of pupils’ work in the junior class portray their study of the effect of different glues on wood. Activities such as this ensure that all pupils get good opportunities to show initiative and a sense of responsibility in science lessons. There has been very little monitoring of teaching and learning in the past and as a consequence the overall quality of teaching varies considerably. The quality and range of resources are good for such a

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SCIENCE

small school and they are stored effectively in a central area. Teachers in all classes make very good use of the local environment to enrich the range of learning experiences available to the pupils. These range from planting and managing trees in the school’s own wild area to undertaking a very detailed study of their village as part of a National Park activity and making visits to Chatsworth Park.

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ART AND DESIGN

87. Only one lesson was observed during the inspection but sufficient evidence was available by looking at pupils’ previous work and teachers’ plans to allow judgements to be made. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, attainment is above the expected levels and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. This is because their teachers have very good subject knowledge. They provide a wide range of stimulating experiences so that their pupils enjoy their tasks and are encouraged to do their best.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. Scrutiny of their work over a period of time indicates that in Years 1 and 2, pupils have regular opportunities to experiment with a variety of materials, such as paint, crayon and pencil. For example, they have created sensitive pictures of buildings and trams that they have seen on their visit to the Tram Museum. They have made very good use of mixed colours in their paintings of houses and their confident use of bold colours illustrates their ability to apply their skills with assurance. By the end of Year 2, in their topic on the seaside, they have produced good three-dimensional models of the contour of the seaside, using a variety of materials to illustrate the seashore, the sand and waves around the beach. They are beginning include perspective in their work because their teacher provides appropriate activities to encourage them to practise this skill.

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ART AND DESIGN

89. This good progress is sustained throughout the junior class as pupils further develop their skills in concepts, for example, in line colour, texture and tone. Following a visit to Chatsworth, pupils use this first hand experience to make very good attempts at sketching and shading and make noticeable contrasts between them. This is evident in one pupil’s very realistic painting of a trout rising from the water, ‘The Cascade’. By the end of Year 6, pupils further develop their skills in the use of perspective. This is clearly illustrated in their close observation of the style of David Hockney’s ‘A Bigger Splash’. Their colourful display linked to their educational visit to theTate Gallery reveals that they have developed their skills in working with fine detail well. Pupils explore ideas and visual information on the work of famous artists such as Ghisha Koenig and Ron Mueck. They clearly emulate

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ART AND DESIGN

the various styles and further develop their skills in their understanding of hue and shade. Pupils were observed concentrating thoughtfully and reflectively. They confidently developed their observational skills by representing their three-dimensional sculptures of natural, countryside materials in two dimensions. Analysis of pupils’ work and colourful displays around the school clearly reflect the breadth of experiences that the school offers its pupils. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School 90. Pupils achieve well because: • teachers have very good subject knowledge which helps pupils to develop their skills and make the progress that they should; • teachers have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special needs; • teachers make very good use of the local environment and places of interest which are further afield so that pupils enjoy a rich and varied curriculum;

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ART AND DESIGN

• pupils have very positive attitudes and enjoy their work. As a result, they take great pride in what they do and this has a positive effect on their learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

91. There are very good links with other subjects such as English, design and technology, history and information and communication technology. There is a plethora of educational visits to places of interests such as art galleries and historical buildings. These provide an added dimension to pupils’ progress and to their personal, spiritual, social and cultural development.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. Teachers co-ordinate the subject as a team. They work very closely to ensure that pupils have appropriate opportunities to develop their artistic skills in the correct sequence as they move through the school. However, they have not yet had the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. Parents are pleased with the progress that their children make.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

93. No teaching was observed during the week of the inspection. Judgements are based on the analysis of pupils' work, scrutiny of teachers' plans and observations made of pupils’ work undertaken throughout the year. The school’s portfolio of work provides very good monitoring of pupils’ standards. These are in line with national expectations for 7 year- olds, but above that expected for pupils aged 11 years. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making good progress in a wide range of technology skills. This represents good improvement on the findings of the previous inspection that found standards at 11 to be unsatisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. Analysis of work completed by junior pupils during the academic year clearly indicates that they completed several exciting and worthwhile projects, such as the design and investigation of model paddleboats. Other projects have included focused tasks such as designing and making moving toys and felt slippers. Activities undertaken in the infant class have included the making of a tiger face, rhubarb crumble and a moving toy that enables ‘Incey, Wincey spider’ to climb up a pipe! Teachers place a good emphasis on the development of the pupils’ design and make skills through a range of media, including food technology. Pupils in both the infants and juniors are encouraged to evaluate their work with a ‘critical eye’ in order that improvements might be made to their projects.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. The small and enthusiastic team of teachers, with the support of the headteacher, have effectively developed this subject to be an exciting aspect of the pupils’ learning. The portfolio of pupils’ work is a very good example of the standards that are being achieved and testament to all the hard work that the school has undertaken since the previous inspection. Resources are satisfactory overall, with plenty of tools available for pupils to make models and structures with. The small kitchen area provides good opportunities for food technology. The after school cooking club provides further opportunities for pupils to develop skills learnt in lessons in a fun and sociable context. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School

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GEOGRAPHY

96. No lessons were observed during the inspection, but sufficient evidence was gained by looking at pupils’ previous work and teachers’ planning. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ attainment is above the levels expected for their age. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress because teachers plan very well for all their pupils. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Parents are happy with the progress that their children make. Pupils’ learning gained from work in school is complemented well by visits out of school. They have an increasing awareness of their own locality by considering reasons why people would want to live in Taddington. In this way, pupils contrast their understanding of different localities with their knowledge of local geography because their teacher provides interesting tasks that are based on their own experiences. They develop their mapping skills well because they get good opportunities

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GEOGRAPHY

to identify places they have visited on holiday. They develop these skills further as they learn to identify different areas of the United Kingdom. They use a world map to identify different countries such as South Africa, Kenya and New Zealand, where different types of exotic fruits are grown, such as kiwi and pineapple.

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GEOGRAPHY

97. Pupils sustain this good progress well as they move through the school because teachers make very good use of maps, books and videos to capture their interest. There are very good links with other subjects and rich opportunities for pupils to explore their village in a most stimulating way. For example, in Years 3 and 4, pupils learn about the characteristics of farming through their visit to Chatsworth. Pupils used their literacy, art and information and communication technology skills well to research their environment. In their film, ‘A Shot in the Park’, there is clear evidence of their sustained interest, involvement and determination to do their best as they work together to make their film on the local grounds and their village. ‘Making a film is not all fun because we have to find information about history and geography.’ There is clear evidence of close observation and appreciation of their own environment. For example, they produce fine watercolours

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GEOGRAPHY

of a variety of wild flowers. They write exciting accounts of, for example, Taddington Wood, where ‘ bluebells sensitively move in the breeze ’. By the end of Year 6, they further develop their mapping skills and the appropriate use of geographical language such as altitude and latitude as they investigate the local weather, consult weather readings and so draw comparisons with other areas of the country. In their link with a school in Dihlaberg they learn, through exchange of letters, of the poverty of the area and the similarities and differences in school life.

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GEOGRAPHY

98. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement about the quality of teaching across the school. However, the strengths revealed in teachers’ planning were: • very good subject knowledge that is well shared with pupils, including those with special educational needs; • high expectations, evident in the detailed and systematic planning that includes opportunities for assessment at the end of each topic so that pupils make the progress that they should; • activities that cater well for the full range of ages and attainment in mixed age classes; • good use of resources for pupils to develop their research skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. Teachers work as a team to ensure that the curriculum is planned very carefully. The school has appropriately adapted the nationally approved scheme of work to suit the needs of individual year groups in the mixed age classes so that they develop their geographical skills in a systematic way as they move through the school. However, there have been no opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching and learning of geography within the school. A very good range of educational visits is planned to places such as the Albert Docks, Crich Tramway Museum and Chatsworth. All these experiences further Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School enrich the curriculum and have a positive impact on pupils’ personal, social and cultural development.

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HISTORY

100. Only one lesson was observed during the inspection, but sufficient evidence was obtained from teachers’ planning, pupils’ work and discussions with teachers and pupils. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ attainment is above national expectations. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress because the quality of provision is good and teachers have high expectations for their pupils to succeed. Parents are pleased with the progress that their children make.

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HISTORY

101. In Years 1 and 2, pupils have a simple understanding of chronology because they investigate pictures and objects from the past to the present day. For example, in their topic on ‘Seaside Holidays in the Past’ they were observed comparing summer holiday photographs over a lengthy period of time. They were keenly involved and well behaved because the teacher gave them opportunities to share and discuss their pictures. They learn at first hand about changes over time. For example, the informative display in the school’s conservatory clearly offered ?glimpses of the past? between old and recent household equipment such as brass kettles, old irons and a stone hot water bottle. By the end of Year 2, pupils develop a good understanding of events beyond living memory because the teacher provides a good range of resources. They know about famous people such as Guy Fawkes, Florence Nightingale who ‘made lots of changes in hospitals’

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HISTORY

and William Shakespeare. They realise that Queen Victoria was a very special person because she reigned for many years and is buried in a ‘special place for queens’. There is clear evidence that pupils have enjoyed their lessons and made good gains in their knowledge because, for example, one pupil has written about the Golden Jubilee, ‘ I bet it would be a bit boring sitting on a throne!’

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HISTORY

102. This good progress extends into the junior class because teachers plan effectively to ensure that they develop pupils’ skills in each year group within each class so that all aspects of the history curriculum are covered thoroughly. No judgement can be made about the quality of teaching because no lessons were observed. However, scrutiny of pupils’ work over time indicates that they have covered historical periods in depth and confidently transfer their understanding of particular events into their writing. For example, in their study of the Romans, they understand how their culture changed the lives and customs of the Britons at that time and has a direct influence on the present. They use examples of Greek and Spartan culture to explore and compare different forms of architecture and explain the original meaning of democracy as a legacy left by the ancient Greeks. They understand that nowadays, ‘in our democratic country, people vote for what

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HISTORY

they want’. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because of the inclusive nature of teachers’ planning; for example, tasks are carried out in mixed age groupings and, therefore, all pupils have equal opportunities to succeed. Higher attaining pupils write about the subject in an interesting and knowledgeable way with a very good standard of literacy. This is because their teachers have very good knowledge and understanding of the subject and have provided a variety of resources for pupils to use as they research the subject for themselves. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Parents agree that the school expects their children to work hard and achieve their best.

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HISTORY

103. Teachers have a clear overview of the curriculum that they offer to their pupils because they share the co-ordinator role and regularly discuss and review pupils’ attainment and progress. They assess their pupils’ work regularly at the end of each topic so that their Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School future planning builds systematically on pupils’ skills as they move through the school. However, they have not yet had the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. Teachers use visits in the local area and further afield very effectively to extend pupils’ understanding and to give them personal experiences for developing historical skills. There are adequate resources to meet the demands of the curriculum. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Throughout the school, the subject makes a very effective contribution to pupils’ personal, social and cultural

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

104. Standards of work are well above average for 11 year olds and above average for those aged 7 years. Judgements are based on the observation of some teaching, the analysis of pupils' work, scrutiny of teachers' plans and observations made of pupils’ work undertaken throughout the year. The school’s portfolio of assessed work provides very good exemplification and monitoring of pupils’ standards. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making good progress in a wide range of information and communication technology skills. This represents good improvement on the findings of the previous inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

105. Teachers plan a wide range of interesting and relevant learning opportunities throughout the year for pupils in both the infant and junior classes. These activities range from typing text into a word processor, using a graphics package to complete repeating patterns, entering data into a data handling package and the representation of this data using various graphs and pictograms to the completion of a binary logic diagram. Good provision is made for oldest pupils to gain experience in developing their control technology skills through the use of input and output switches to turn the lights of a model on and off in a specific sequence and the control of a screen ‘turtle’. This wide range of learning opportunities was exemplified during the inspection through the effective use of a data-handling program by higher attaining pupils in Year 6 to record the totals of heartbeats measured during a science investigation about fitness. Infant pupils are taught

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

skills at an early age in Year 1 and by the time they are ready to move into the junior class they have developed a good range of appropriate skills in using the computer keyboard and other associated equipment. The scrutiny of work completed by these pupils and observations made of their work through samples contained in the school’s portfolio of teacher assessed work includes word processed letters to Father Christmas, colourful pictures of houses created with a simple graphics package, the recording of data about the colour of their classmates’ hair and eyes and the use of a digital camera to take portraits of other pupils in their class.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

106. Some teaching of high quality was observed during the inspection. A very good feature is that teachers use information and communication technology very regularly to support learning and teach new skills. For example, in a literacy lesson for the infants, the teacher used a remote keyboard to enable a small group of Year 1 pupils to develop their writing skills by encouraging each pupil in turn to add extra words to the group effort. These pupils were then able to print this work out unaided. This high quality teaching is supported further by good use of the Internet to ‘browse’ a secure website specifically designed for children during the lunchtime computer club. The effective support of a local company employee in this lunchtime club provides good opportunities for older pupils to work very constructively with members of the local business community. The school employs a computer technician for one day a week to support learning and provide

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

technical support for the school’s administration system. This very effective use of limited financial resources is having a very positive impact on standards within the school. It Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School ensures that all computers are used to their capacity and that vital maintenance and repairs are carried out quickly, with minimum disruption to the use of the computers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. All pupils within the school respond very well to this very good level of provision and work very well, either individually or in pairs, at the computer. Older pupils have even more opportunity to excel by being involved in exciting projects such as the ‘Taddington Project’ when they had the opportunity to create a high quality five-minute video of their own village. Some teachers also use video material to enable infant pupils to review their work in gymnastics. This very good use of information and communication technology provided very good opportunities for these pupils also to evaluate their own performance during a follow up lesson to improve their work further.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. The subject is being very effectively developed by the teacher with specific responsibility. She is effectively supported by her colleagues. As a result, pupils’ standards are improving continually. Procedures for assessing the attainment and progress of all pupils are very good and the portfolio of what the pupils have achieved is an excellent record of these high standards for all to see. Resources are good and all workstations are effectively linked into the school’s own network.

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MUSIC

109. Only one lesson was observed during the inspection, but sufficient evidence was obtained by looking at pupils’ books and teachers’ plans and talking to pupils and teachers to allow judgements to be made.

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MUSIC

110. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ attainment is above what is expected for their age. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress because they have the opportunity to develop their skills in a wide variety of musical experiences. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 know how to make simple sounds with percussion instruments and memorise simple rhythmic patterns. They were observed learning about different lengths of beat and holding their own parts in two-part rounds of different lengths of beat. They sing tunefully together with good pitch and sense of timing and have a good repertoire of types of songs. They further develop their singing skills by practising singing games to develop their diction. They enjoy their music and have positive attitudes because their teacher has very good subject knowledge and plans very well to develop their musical skills.

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MUSIC

111. As they move through the school, pupils further develop their skills and learn about musical terms such as ‘tempo’, ‘dynamics’, ‘rhythm’, ‘pitch’ and ‘pianissimo’. The teacher’s planning provides clear evidence of the rich variety of experiences offered to all pupils in the junior class. For example, they listen to and appreciate a variety of works of famous composers such as Paul Dukas’ ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ and Mozart’s ‘Wind Serenade’. Their recorded impressions of these works contain perceptive notes such as ‘light movement – maybe a flute – with a dramatic end’. They interpret the story clearly by listening to different types of instruments. They understand how composing and performing their own pieces can combine musical sounds. They know how to introduce changes in tempo and dynamics, for example, as they use recorders, glockenspiels, violins and keyboard. As a result, they develop a critical awareness of their own

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MUSIC

compositions and those of various composers. They enjoy listening to music and they sing tunefully, clearly and in harmony in assemblies. These experiences make a positive impact on their learning. Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School 112. No overall judgement can be made on the quality of teaching. However, strong features are: • careful planning so that all pupils have appropriate opportunities to enjoy and take part in a wide variety of musical activities; • very good subject knowledge which ensures that pupils are given valuable opportunities to develop appropriate musical skills; • high expectations of all pupils so that they want to be involved and do their best.

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MUSIC

113. Music is well taught by visiting specialists. There are regular opportunities for pupils to learn to play, for example, the violin, recorder and brass instruments and so they are confident musicians who enjoy their lessons. The music co-ordinator is very experienced and very good use is made of her expertise throughout the school. She teaches the school band which practises regularly. Pupils work very well together, intent on improving their work and were observed carefully following her conducting so that their performance was of high quality and sensitively interpreted. They listened carefully to each other, holding their own part with rhythmical accuracy. Visits to places of educational interest such as Buxton Opera House and visitors to the school such as the trumpeter from the Hallé Orchestra provide an added dimension to pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. Standards are in line with national expectations in both the infants and the juniors. All pupils have good opportunities to swim at a local pool in each school year during their time in the juniors. By the time they are 11, nearly all pupils are able to swim 25 metres confidently.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

115. The school is making considerable improvements to the physical provision for gymnastics and games. These include the building of a new school hall, the purchasing of high quality teaching resources, the refurbishment of the playground and levelling and relaying of the playing field adjacent to the school. This is a significant improvement on the findings of the previous inspection, when poor facilities were severely restricting the quality of teaching and learning.

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116. The quality of teaching and learning observed during this inspection ranged from satisfactory overall to good. Key strengths are: • effective periods of warming up before the main teaching activities; • good use of resources; • good teaching of gymnastic skills; • the unbounded enthusiasm from pupils.

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Areas for improvement include: • overly long lessons; • insufficient development of skills in games lessons; • limited subject expertise amongst the staff.

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117. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Three lessons were observed during the inspection covering the entire age range within the school. In a gymnastics lesson for pupils in Years 3 and 4 the teacher made good reference to work from the previous lesson that had been recorded on video for the pupils to evaluate their performance. This very good use of information and communication technology enabled the teacher and pupils to gain a better understanding of their own performance. This information enabled all pupils to develop their skills further in being able to perform a simple sequence of gymnastics movements during their lesson. The teacher's good planning and secure subject knowledge ensured Taddington & Priestcliffe CE (Aided) Primary School that pupils developed their skills at an appropriate level and all had opportunities to improve their own performance. This clear development of skill was not seen in a games

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lesson for pupils in the infants or an athletics lesson for the oldest junior pupils. In this lesson the teacher provided good opportunities for vigorous activity, but missed opportunities for the development of skills related to powerful sprinting. Consequently, these pupils made little improvement in their own performance in readiness for the district sports. In some lessons, time is not always effectively matched to the aspect being developed and, consequently, the pace of lessons becomes too slow. This was seen in both the gymnastics lesson for pupils in Years 3 and 4 and in the athletics lesson for pupils in Years 5 and 6. The allocation of too much time for some elements of physical education such as gymnastics and games means that pupils are making slow progress in these lessons. Consequently, the quality of learning is not as good as other aspects of the curriculum, such as English and mathematics, where good monitoring of these subjects

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has ensured that the pace of lessons is brisk.

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118. The headteacher and teaching team have already recognised the need to review the quality of teaching and learning in this subject. They are very keen to improve standards in order that all pupils have equal opportunity to excel in this important aspect of learning. The staff endeavour to provide a wide range of activities outside of lessons. These include after school clubs for netball and athletics, walks in the local countryside with a park ranger and a residential trip to an outdoor activities centre for the oldest pupils in the juniors.

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