North Frodingham Primary School

NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 5 th July 2000

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

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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NORTH FRODINGHAM 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. North Frodingham Primary School - 1 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior (with nursery)

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

School address: Main Street North Frodingham Driffield East Riding of Yorkshire

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr C M Pickard

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1997 North Frodingham Primary School - 2 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities K Manning Registered inspector English The characteristics and effectiveness of the school Information technology The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Art Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Design and technology Teaching and learning Physical education Leadership and management Under fives Equal opportunities Special educational needs

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

R Hartley Lay inspector Pupils’ welfare, health and safety

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

V Hobson Team inspector Mathematics Quality and range of opportunities for learning Geography Music History Religious education

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Eclipse (Education) Limited 14 Enterprise House Kingsway Team valley Gateshead NE11 0SR Tel: 0191 4872333

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

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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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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NORTH FRODINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE North Frodingham Primary School - 3 REPORT CONTENTS

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4

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? 8

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

North Frodingham is a small primary school with 27 boys and 31 girls in three classes; one for infants and two for juniors. Some days the juniors have to be taught as one class. A further six boys and eight girls attend the nursery, which takes place on three half days a week. Almost all pupils are of white ethnic origin and everyone speaks English. The percentage of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is about the same as most other schools. When children start in the nursery their experiences and knowledge are typical for their age. The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs is below that of most other schools.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school. Good leadership and teaching ensure that pupils reach the standards of which they are capable. Being such a small school the cost of doing this is high and the school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Children get a very good start to their education in the nursery and settle confidently into a class of older pupils when they join reception. • Pupils make good progress in English, mathematics and science and achieve standards that are above expectations for their age by the time they leave the school. • The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social development. As a result they have positive attitudes towards learning and one another and behave very well. • It has effective relationships with parents. • The head teacher and governors provide good leadership for its work.

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What could be improved

• Standards in information technology are not high enough by the end of Key Stage 2. • Pupils’ understanding of how different faiths have similar festivals and beliefs. 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 improved at a steady pace since its last inspection in January of 1997. Most of the key issues identified then have been tackled successfully. The most important issue was to improve the school development plan. Some radical changes to how this was done have ensured that through more focused planning the school is now in a sound position to continue to improve. The number of targets in the plan are realistic and manageable and show what is felt to be the priority for development. How well the school works towards these targets is checked frequently by the head teacher and also by governors. Urgent repairs to the playground were carried out very soon after the previous inspection. Other key issues were to agree strategies for assessing pupils’ attainment and checking their progress. Teachers now do this well enough in English and mathematics. However, the emphasis on literacy and numeracy over the last two

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

years has meant that they have not yet extended this system to other subjects. The final issue was to ensure that teachers’ plans should illustrate how pupils of different ability are given the right level of work. Teachers changed the way they planned and now manage this well, particularly in the infant class.

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STANDARDS

Being a small school, the numbers of pupils in Year 6 is always small. In 1999 there were eleven pupils and this year there are nine. The small number of pupils has a marked effect on percentages when working out the results of national tests and each pupil makes a big difference to the school’s results. Although the North Frodingham Primary School - 5 results of national tests fluctuate depending on the capability of each group of pupils and whether any of them have special educational needs, over the last four years standards have been improving at a faster rate than in most other schools. The standards achieved by 11 year olds in National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science in 1999 were above average. The school exceeded its targets for raising standards in English but failed to meet its target in mathematics because one pupil did not perform as well as expected on the day of the test.

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STANDARDS

By the end of Key Stage 1, standards in information technology are in line with expectations for seven year olds. They are not high enough by the end of Key Stage 2. This is a key area for improvement. In religious education, pupils have a wide enough knowledge of the religions they study but do not recognise how different faiths have similar festivals and beliefs. This is also an area that is in need of improvement.

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STANDARDS

In all other subjects, standards are typical of 11 year olds by the time pupils leave the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning help them make good progress in much of their work. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good. Pupils listen to what teachers’ say and concentrate on their work. Lunchtimes and breaks are happy, social occasions. Personal development and relationships Pupils are mature and sensible. They form very good relationships with other children and adults. Attendance Pupils enjoy going to school and consequently attendance is above average.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Very 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 of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Teaching has improved since the last inspection. Most is now good or better. Thirty eight per cent is good and twenty four per cent is very good. The remaining 38 per cent is satisfactory. Teachers do well to meet the needs of all pupils in mixed-age classes.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Strengths in teaching and learning: teaching of basic skills of literacy and numeracy is good and ensures that standards are above average in English and mathematics. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and the very good relationship they have with them improves pupils’ concentration, interest and effort. Good use of the skills of well-informed parent helpers, non-teaching assistants, governors and a student teacher extends pupils’ learning.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

What could be improved: teachers’ planning does not always ensure that information technology is taught in sufficient depth and as a result standards are below expectations by the time pupils leave the school. Not enough attention is given to comparing religions so that pupils are unsure about the similarities of major world faiths. Systems for recording pupils’ attainment do not provide teachers with enough information to ensure that annual reports to parents have enough detail about what their children know in subjects other than English and mathematics. North Frodingham Primary School - 6

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school extends its satisfactory curriculum with a reasonable range of extra-curricular activities. The curriculum meets statutory requirements but does not cover all aspects of information technology in sufficient depth. Children under five have sufficient access to the nationally approved curriculum. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school’s provision for pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral and cultural development is good. Provision for pupils’ social development is very strong and one of the strengths of the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Teachers work in very close partnership with parents. The way the school checks pupils’ behaviour, personal development and attendance is good. It checks pupils’ academic progress to a satisfactory level. The school provides satisfactory care for pupils’ health and safety and provides them with good support and advice.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff The quality of leadership and management has improved since the previous inspection and is now good. The head teacher works hard to ensure that he is an effective teacher, leader and manager. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil all legal responsibilities. They are closely involved in planning the school’s development and in managing its finances. Governors are conscientious and are very interested in the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has a clear idea of its strengths and weaknesses and everyone connected with it is pulling in the same direction. The strategic use of resources The school manages its resources well. Staff are used creatively to teach classes that sometimes have pupils from four year groups. Most of the resources available to the school are used effectively. Computers are not

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Aspect Comment

used well enough to raise standards in information technology.

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Aspect Comment

The school compares its results in national tests with other schools. Parents are consulted about issues such as homework. The governing body is aware of the need to make the best use of finances. North Frodingham Primary School - 7

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Parents are pleased that their children like school. • They think that most of the teaching is good. • Parents think that pupils behave well in school. • They are glad that their children are expected to work hard and do their best. • Parents feel that the school is well led and managed. • They believe that their children are making good progress in school. • They are pleased that teachers help their children to become mature and responsible. • Some parents would like a more interesting range of activities outside lessons. • Several parents would like more homework for their children. • Some parents would like more information about how their child is getting on in school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection confirms all of the positive views held by parents. Home-school agreements, should resolve parents’ concerns about the amount and regularity of the homework given. Pupils are given homework in reading, spelling and older pupils learn multiplication tables. Parents who want more information about their children’s progress will be pleased to know that they need only to approach teachers for more information at a convenient time. They are right to think that the information in annual reports is not as detailed in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. Parents of pupils with special educational needs get good information about how well their children are doing. Activities outside lessons are satisfactory for a school of this size but are attended mostly by older pupils. Younger children may have to wait their turn eagerly. North Frodingham Primary School - 8

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The school’s results and achievements

1 Eleven pupils were in Year 6 in 1999. Results in the national tests for 11 year olds showed that standards in English, mathematics and science were above the national average. In national tests in English, eight pupils achieved the expected level and two reached the higher level. One pupil with special educational needs related to difficulties in English did not reach the expected level. In mathematics tests, five pupils achieved the expected level and three reached the higher level. While the percentage of pupils who reached the expected level was average the percentage who reached the higher level was above the national average. In science tests, five pupils achieved the expected level and four reached the higher level. As with mathematics, the percentage of pupils who reached the higher level was above average. The school exceeded its targets for raising standards in English but failed to meet its target in mathematics because one

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The school’s results and achievements

pupil did not perform as well as expected on the day of the test.

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The school’s results and achievements

2 Because of the small numbers in each year group test results vary considerably from one year to the next, depending on the capability of each group of pupils and whether any of them have special educational needs. As a result of fewer pupils reaching the higher levels in English and mathematics; taking the last four years together, standards have been slightly below average in English and mathematics but close to average in science. However, standards are rising faster then in most other schools. In the last two years boys and girls have performed equally as well in English tests; a different picture from what is happening nationally. Teachers consider that this is because boys are encouraged to read more by parents and this is having a marked impact on standards. There are no trends to attainment in mathematics or science. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ performance was above average in English and

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The school’s results and achievements

3 There were seven pupils in Year 2 in 1999. Results in the national tests for seven year olds showed that standards in reading were well above average and those in writing were above average. All pupils achieved the expected level in both subjects but only one reached the higher level in reading and none reached the higher level in writing. Standards in mathematics were average. All pupils achieved the expected level but as with writing no pupils reached the higher level. Teachers took early action to discover why pupils were not reaching the higher level and made a thorough examination of pupils’ performance. As a result, teachers eliminated difficulties pupils meet in tests by teaching joined up writing in Key Stage 1 and using the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to improve the quality of teaching in English and mathematics. Teachers’ assessments in science showed that all pupils reached the expected level but none

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The school’s results and achievements

reached the higher level. When judged overall this meant that although standards are very high there is still room for improvement in getting the brightest pupils to the higher level. The number of pupils who reached the expected level in all subjects represents a significant success for teaching because three of the pupils in this year group have been identified as having special educational needs linked to literacy and numeracy.

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The school’s results and achievements

4 The results of tests fluctuate for the same reasons that they do in Key Stage 2. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ performance was above average in reading, average in writing and below average in mathematics. Taking the last four years together, pupils have generally performed at least a term ahead of those in most other schools in reading, writing and mathematics. What they do not do is reach the higher levels. There are no significant trends in the attainments of boys and girls. As with test results, they vary with each cohort of pupils. North Frodingham Primary School - 9

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Inspection findings

5 Standards in English are above average by the end of both key stages. By the time they leave the school, pupils are confident and articulate speakers who use a wide vocabulary and listen to what others say in discussions. All pupils read at the expected level and about a third read at the higher level. They enjoy reading stories and are particularly fond of poetry. Their handwriting is generally neat and stylish, they write stories, articles and factual accounts and punctuate them properly. Most of the words in their written work are spelled correctly. Since teachers began to use the National Literacy Strategy standards in writing have improved in Key Stage 1 and by the age of seven, more pupils than in previous years are joining their handwriting and working at the higher level. Everyone reads at the expected level and a third of the group are fluent readers who read at a higher level. Pupils are already confident speakers by the end of Key Stage

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Inspection findings

6 In mathematics, standards are also above average for both seven and 11 year olds. By the time they leave the school almost all pupils have a good understanding of number, shape and space. They solve mathematical problems in their head quickly and communicate data as graphs and charts. About half are working at the higher level because they see pattern and relationship in number more quickly than other pupils. Most pupils in Year 2 work at the expected level. They calculate in tens and units and know multiplication tables by heart. One pupil works at a much higher level than others and confidently works out solutions to problems involving adding fractions.

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Inspection findings

7 Standards in science are above average by the end of both key stages. By the time they leave the school, pupils are knowledgeable about life and living processes, materials and their properties and physical processes such as electricity, forces, light and sound. They know how to plan experiments that are fair, gather evidence and make use of the results they get from tests to explain their investigations. In Key Stage 1, greater emphasis is now given to investigational science and to teaching at the higher level and as a result, standards are higher than they were last year.

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Inspection findings

8 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets of their individual education plans. Their progress is particularly good in English and mathematics lessons and when they are given extra help from parents. With support from their teachers they generally progress at the same rate as other pupils in subjects such as art, design and technology and physical education.

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Inspection findings

9 Teachers create many opportunities for reading and writing in other subjects. Pupils improve their spellings and punctuation by using computers to draft their writing. Good use is made of pupils’ skills in reading to research information in art, history and geography. Pupils write clear reports in science. Mathematics is developed to a satisfactory level in other subjects. It is used to record temperatures in geography and to compile charts and timelines in science and history.

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Inspection findings

10 Standards in information technology in Year 6 are below those expected of 11 year olds and lower than at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils have sound basic skills such as saving and retrieving work and use familiar software confidently. There are gaps in their knowledge of using multi-media and they lack the ability to make decisions about how information can be used and how the use of information technology compares with other methods. Standards are high enough by the end of Key Stage 1. Pupils are confident users of the keyboard and mouse and are familiar with the school’s software.

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Inspection findings

11 By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a good knowledge of the religions they study but do not see the similarities between religions. In Year 2, pupils’ attainments meet the requirements of the locally Agreed Syllabus.

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Inspection findings

12 Standards in all other subjects are in line with expectations for 11 year olds. In design and technology, physical education and music, standards have been maintained since the previous inspection. In North Frodingham Primary School - 10 addition, those pupils who have tuition to play instruments reach good standards. In art, history and geography standards are lower than at the time of the previous inspection as a result of greater emphasis and more time being devoted to literacy and numeracy.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 The picture remains similar to that at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils respond very well to what the school provides; none have been excluded and they get to school on time. The attitudes they have towards learning and to one another and the way they behave is one of the strengths of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning help them make good progress in much of their work. From the time they join the nursery class children enjoy their time in school and as a result attendance is above average. The youngest children are happy to wave goodbye to parents and get on with the activities of the day. Their natural inquisitiveness was obvious as they looked for snails in the garden and wondered at the way they crawled along glass. The four-year-olds in the reception class particularly enjoy practical activities, such as measuring volume with water. The oldest pupils were no different when watching a science experiment that showed how air pressure can crush a metal cylinder. Older pupils are keen to get involved in the after-school clubs and sports that are led by teachers, parents and governors.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15 Parents’ views about behaviour are accurate; it is very good. In lessons, pupils listen to what their teachers say and settle down and concentrate on their work. Right from the reception class, pupils are responsible enough to get on quietly by themselves, which means that teachers can either work with a small group or help those who need it. Lunchtimes are pleasant, social occasions with happy chatter between pupils and the ladies who supervise them. During breaks, pupils of all ages mix and play in a friendly way so that one boy who has not been at the school very long said that he has made friends and likes his new school better than his previous one. The relationships that pupils have with teachers and other adults in the school are very good and characterised by respect and liking. Children are keen to say how much they like their teachers and pupils in Year 6 were thoughtful enough to get a card for a student teacher who was

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16 The maturity of pupils is apparent from a first visit to the school. They are helpful to visitors and willing to take on responsibility for some of the day-to-day running of the school, for example, taking registers to the office or ringing the bell. They organise themselves sensibly in lessons, getting the equipment they need to finish a task and tidying away when their work is complete. At lunchtime they are careful when walking up and down the stone steps and at playtimes older pupils are mindful that there are much younger children in the yard and there is no bullying or bad behaviour. Children make the move from nursery to reception class easily and this is a feature of what the school does best. Pupils are confident about moving from one key stage to the next because they mix so often with children of other ages. This was very evident from a conversation with a boy in Year 6 who said he is looking forward to starting

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

secondary school and is not worried about making the move from a small to a much larger school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17 The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. Most is now good or better. Forty three per cent is good and fourteen per cent is very good. The remaining 43 per cent is satisfactory. The school is at a stage where it has a good idea of strengths and weaknesses in teaching; because of this, it is well placed to keep the improvement going.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18 Teachers have a thorough knowledge of the areas of learning for children under five and of the subjects of the National Curriculum. This is evident in the way that teaching in the nursery continues to be very good with activities that involve children finding things out through observation and having a go. This practical approach to learning is continued for children under five in the reception class. In Key Stage 1 North Frodingham Primary School - 11 and 2 pupils are set tasks that are interesting and challenging, for example, designing and making a cardboard bicycle. Gaps in knowledge of how to teach music have been resolved by using a very capable teacher to teach pupils how to play instruments and coach the school orchestra. This has improved the quality of provision and raised standards considerably.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19 High expectations that pupils will behave well and work hard means that there is little need for firm discipline. However, when pupils do get over excited or do something wrong they are dealt with quietly and fairly. The very good relationships that teachers have with pupils generally ensures that from their first entering school pupils are absorbed into a warm and caring environment where they gain self- confidence, become attentive during lessons and enjoy all activities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20 Teachers do well to meet the needs of all pupils in mixed-age classes. They do this by planning work in topics; an approach that is effective because subjects such as art and history are taught together in topics such as the Victorians. Teachers also try hard to ensure that pupils of all ages and abilities are given work at the right level. For example, in a mental mathematics lesson in the Key Stage 1 class, children in the reception class were asked to count, pupils in Year 1 had to add numbers and those in Year 2 chanted their multiplication tables. What worked best about this method was that younger pupils took an interest in what older ones were doing and started to join in with the multiplication tables. Teachers’ termly and weekly plans are better at identifying what it is pupils will learn than they were at the time of the previous inspection. However, there are still some weaknesses to long-term planning. Firstly, not enough time or

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

emphasis is given to teaching information technology skills within the topic approach or as a subject in its own right and the good support given to pupils in the computer club is not enough to offset this. Consequently standards are below expectations by the time pupils leave the school. Secondly, while teachers ensure that pupils are taught about major world faiths they do not plan opportunities for them to study the similarities shared by some of these.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21 The teaching and support for pupils with special educational needs is good. Their work is planned carefully and they follow individual programmes to help them learn. The targets in these are clear and pitched at the right level. In lessons, pupils with special educational needs are given extra help from teachers and volunteer helpers, which help them make good progress and parents are encouraged to help their children at home. All of this ensures that they often achieve the levels expected for their age in national tests.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22 Teaching of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy are good. Following advice from their local education authority, teachers have recently begun to teach literacy and numeracy as separate lessons. This is working well and ensures that pupils make good progress in most lessons. The literacy hour is adapted well to suit their needs; a short period of sitting followed by activities that involve reading and writing. Activities for older pupils, such as rehearsing and performing a poem help pupils gain confidence in speaking to a large group at the same time as they learn about the techniques employed of creating atmosphere and tension by the use of evocative vocabulary and onomatopoeia. While teachers use the format of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies well enough in most lessons they do not always move from one part of the lesson to the next quickly enough. This leads to pupils not having the time to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

complete their written work and occasionally there is no time for a plenary session.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23 The complex organisation of teachers and classes works well. Only the head teacher is employed on a full-time basis and this means that more than one teacher teaches pupils in each class. The skills of each teacher are used to good effect and in addition the school makes good use of the talents of parents, non-teaching assistants and students; all of whom make a significant contribution to the quality of learning. For example, during the inspection, lunchtime supervisors played rounders with pupils, the school secretary led computer club and the student took on a significant teaching role. Pupils benefit from this because they experience a wider range of teaching styles and approaches. North Frodingham Primary School - 12 24 Teachers’ are currently reviewing the way they plan the curriculum in order to ensure that from September they teach all of the National Curriculum 2000 in sufficient depth. They realise that this means

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

changing the way they plan topics and lessons and have already agreed yearly plans that form a good basis for more detailed planning in the short-term. Planning for literacy and numeracy is detailed and effective. Similarly, teachers have begun to consider how best to plan opportunities for assessing what pupils know. This is particularly evident in information technology where there are no agreed, systematic procedures for assessing or recording what pupils can do. A weakness at present is that lesson aims are not always focused enough in subjects other than English and mathematics and consequently teachers’ recording does not help them when it comes to writing annual reports to parents about what their children know and can do.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25 The introduction of homework in the reception class is helpful in that it establishes the school’s partnership with parents. Reading at home has a marked effect on pupils’ interest in books. Although some parents are concerned about the amount of homework their children receive, with few exceptions, homework is provided at a satisfactory level and is sufficient to extend pupils’ learning in school.

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PUPILS?

26 The school provides a sufficiently broad curriculum to promote pupils’ intellectual, physical and moral development effectively in most subjects. Exceptions to this are limitations to the work planned for information technology and religious education. Both subjects lack balance due to insufficient time spent on information technology and too few opportunities for pupils to compare religions in religious education. Despite this the school does meet statutory requirements to teach all aspects of the National Curriculum. Relevant programmes are provided for health and sex education, and awareness of the misuse of drugs. These aspects are taught effectively through science and an informal programme for personal and social education. All pupils are taught religious education and have the chance for quiet prayer and reflection on their own faith each day.

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PUPILS?

27 Children under five in the nursery and reception class engage in a wide range of lively and interesting practical activities, which are appropriate to their age and capabilities. At frequent times during the day children get together with their teachers to read books and learn about numbers. Each day, weather permitting, children in the nursery have the opportunity for more robust play outside. In all of these activities, additional emphasis is given to the development of language and social skills, which results in children who are confident and articulate and ready for their work in the National Curriculum.

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PUPILS?

28 In Key Stages 1 and 2, the curriculum provides a fair balance of practical tasks, research and investigative work. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are used effectively to plan work in English and mathematics and are already having a good effect on standards in these subjects. Pupils in Key Stage 2 learn to swim and have opportunities to widen their experience of adventure activities, through a residential visit in Year 6. The first-hand experiences that pupils gain from this and other visits promote personal development and help to bring subjects such as history and geography alive. The school is not making such good use of visits and visitors to widen pupils’ understanding of religions.

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PUPILS?

29 Pupils with special educational needs have equal access to the curriculum. The school follows the Code of Practice regarding identifying their needs and providing them with the help they need in order to make good progress.

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PUPILS?

30 The school continues to provide a reasonable range of extra-curricular activities. These include an orchestra, recorder group, camera and computer clubs and after school sports. These activities make useful contributions to music and physical education and contribute to pupils’ social and cultural development. The concerns of some parents that the school does not provide enough activities are unfounded, although most of what is on offer is for pupils in Key Stage 2. North Frodingham Primary School - 13 31 Good links exist between the school and the community. These are extended into village events where the school becomes the focus for occasions such as barbecues and an annual May festival when there is dancing around a maypole and the oldest girl in the school is crowned as a May Queen. Close links exist with the secondary school pupils attend at the end of their primary education. The head teacher arranges

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PUPILS?

visits and exchanges information with this school, which helps prepare pupils well for the next stage of their education. As a result of this pupils move from a small school to a much larger one very confidently.

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PUPILS?

32 Provision for spiritual development is good. In religious education lessons and assemblies pupils gain an understanding and appreciation of some of the beliefs and traditions of Christianity. The quality of assemblies is satisfactory and they meet statutory requirements. In personal and social education and religious education lessons teachers follow up assembly themes with appropriate stories, which help pupils to reflect on what has been learned, and to consider issues beyond their immediate experience. For example, pupils in Year 2 reflected on how the actions of Joseph’s brothers affected others and with some prompting were able to decide that Joseph was not always a good character because he was proud and showed off.

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PUPILS?

33 Provision for moral development continues to be good. Very clear guidelines for acceptable behaviour and caring attitudes emphasise the difference between right and wrong and sound moral principles are shared. A strong feature of pupils’ moral development is that teachers do not rely on rewards or sanctions to gain good behaviour. They simply expect pupils to behave well and live up to the aims of the school. Teachers foster values such as honesty, fairness and respect for property. They also provide good role models for pupils to copy in their politeness and consideration for others. Parents are happy with the values that the school promotes and say they share them wholeheartedly and that they have a positive effect on their children. Teachers encourage pupils to develop and extend their understanding of moral issues across a range of issues, such as bullying and the harshness of Victorians in making young children

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PUPILS?

34 Provision for social development is as good as it was at the time of the last inspection. It is an important part of the curriculum for children under five, who are encouraged to learn and play together. In lessons, pupils in both key stages are given many opportunities to work in pairs or groups. Sometimes they get the chance to be the leader of a team or to explain the work of a group of pupils to the whole class. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to take responsibility, to show initiative and to develop an understanding of community living. Photographs of school events give pupils and parents a clear sense of belonging. Lunchtime supervisors ensure that lunchtimes are pleasant social occasions when children sit next to friends and have a chance to chat. As a result, the school’s caring atmosphere is almost tangible. Pupils’ social development is also promoted in the after-school clubs led by teachers and in the

p.15

PUPILS?

opportunities that pupils have to engage in sports and adventure activities. From these pupils learn to be competitive and to try hard to achieve the best they can. Older pupils learn to be independent during a residential visit, which is often the first time they have been away from their parents for any length of time.

p.15

PUPILS?

35 The school continues to make good provision for pupils’ cultural development through work in English, geography, history, art, music and religious education, which allows pupils to learn of other cultures and traditions. Provision for pupils to appreciate the cultural richness and diversity of society have not altogether been achieved. For example, while pupils know about the traditions of other cultures they do not understand how they effect the lives of others. This was evident when one child asked if Hindu children would go to a well known fast food outlet. However, studies of past and contemporary societies help pupils to compare other cultures with their own. Visits to art galleries, museums and historic places extend cultural development. Pupils hear music by composers from many different cultures in assemblies. North Frodingham Primary School - 14

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36 Pupils’ welfare remains a high priority and continues to be well promoted within the school. Urgent repairs needed to the playground, identified in the last report, have been carried out. A suitable health and safety policy is in place and the day-to-day working practices adopted by all staff are good. Standards of cleaning and maintenance are good. Pupils are supervised carefully throughout the day and lunchtime routines are managed well. As a result, pupils are confident of being well looked after and are aware of routines for reporting accidents or if feeling unwell. Child protection arrangements reflect local authority guidelines and the head teacher has designated responsibility for liasing with outside agencies.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37 Arrangements for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are mainly informal, but effective. Teachers know their pupils well and work hard to develop their confidence and self-esteem in all areas of school life. Praise and rewards are used to encourage effort, and significant achievements are celebrated whenever they arise. Similarly, while procedures for promoting and maintaining high standards of behaviour are also informal, they too work well. Pupils are praised when they do well and quietly but firmly reminded of the expectations of behaviour. Neither parents nor pupils have any concerns about bullying in the school but there is a policy for dealing with this should the situation arise.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38 Attendance is monitored thoroughly. Registers are completed properly at the start of sessions and any absences that are not explained promptly are investigated. Pupils are encouraged to get to school on time and most do this. The school keeps a close check on pupils who arrive late or who have to leave during the school day.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39 The individual education plans of pupils with special educational needs provide relevant targets and helpful strategies to improve learning and other difficulties. They are reviewed regularly and modified in response to how far targets are achieved. Speech and occupational therapists and the support services work to good effect with pupils at Stage 3 or above on the register. The school uses the results of diagnostic tests successfully to support pupils’ learning difficulties.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40 There are effective procedures for assessing pupils’ learning in English and mathematics. These have not been extended to other subjects and this is one of the reasons why standards are below expectations in information technology. Pupils’ progress from one key stage to another is carefully checked through a variety of school and national tests. Tests are carried out at the age of five and the end of Key Stage 1, at the end of Years 3, 4 and 5, and reading is checked regularly. Teachers generally make full use of the information gained from these tests. Tests for five-year-olds identify pupils who need extra help as well as those capable of reaching high standards. The head teacher and teachers examine the results of national tests to identify weaknesses in pupils’ learning in English, mathematics and science and to address the need for improvements in areas such as writing. Given the amount of information available and efforts to raise

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

teachers’ awareness, the school is in a good position to raise standards through assessment.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41 The school has built on the secure position described in the previous report and has effective relationships with parents. The parents who replied to the pre-inspection questionnaire or attended the meeting show considerable confidence in most aspects of the school’s provision.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42 The school continues to be committed to working in partnership with parents and recognises the benefits from this partnership in raising standards. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s learning through the work they do at home, although some parents would like more homework for their children. They are asked to read with their children and parents are encouraged to help in classes. A number provide valuable support for teachers by doing so. Over half of the parents have some regular involvement in the school, listening to readers, helping with cookery, running the Saturday sports, or the North Frodingham Primary School - 15 Music Club, or, of course as Governors. They work hard to produce additional resources for the school, for example, parents have been involved in building the nature garden, barbecue area and library.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43 The school establishes good relationships with parents through regular consultation meetings where parents get a chance to talk about their children’s progress. Most parents value these and the informal opportunities they have to talk with teachers at the start and end of school. A small number of parents feel that more should be done to provide after-school sports and clubs for their children. Inspection findings are that the school provides a reasonable range of activities for pupils but that these are mostly for pupils in Key Stage 2. Younger pupils will get their turn as they reach Key Stage 2.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44 The information provided to parents by the school is satisfactory. Parents are kept informed about school events through regular newsletters. The school prospectus outlines for parents the curriculum, routines and expectations. Reading diaries are, on the whole, used well to maintain effective communication between teachers and parents. Reports to parents provide satisfactory information regarding pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science. They are not detailed enough about what pupils can do in other subjects. The governors’ annual report to parents includes all of the statutory information required. Meetings held with parents to inform them of major changes to the school curriculum, for example the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy are valued. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are notified of any concerns at an early stage and are kept fully aware of their children’s progress. They are

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

invited to reviews of their child’s achievements and to record their comments on individual education plans and statements.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45 The head teacher works hard as an effective teacher, leader and manager. Following the previous inspection, the need to remedy important weaknesses in leadership and management was prioritised effectively to provide a foundation for other developments to take place. The first aspect of leadership and management to be tackled was the school’s plan for development. This had been too vague and targets set by the school were unrealistic. With help and support from governors and the local education authority the head teacher has done much to improve this and ended up with a plan that is succinct, manageable and relevant. Key areas of focus are identified as being the curriculum, premises and grounds and developing links with parents. These have been given precedence after a thorough review of what the school has achieved in the past year while also taking national initiatives such as the National Literacy Strategy and

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

National Numeracy Strategy into consideration. Planning for improvement is backed by a comprehensive financial plan that pinpoints how money is to be spent and the cost of each initiative. As a result of all this there is now a much sharper overview of the school’s provision and a clear picture of where it is going.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46 The head teacher has built a strong and supportive team under difficult circumstances. The school is so small that any changes in numbers of pupils can have far-reaching effects on budget and levels of staffing. Despite this morale is high and teachers show their support for the head teacher and commitment to the school by taking on a heavy workload of responsibility. A measure of their enthusiasm was evident in the response made by staff to the key issues of this report. Their immediate reaction was a desire to get started straight away.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47 Although governors were loyal to the school at the last inspection, they were not involved in its strategic development, or calling it to account for its provision. This situation has undergone a radical change with the appointment of a well-informed chairman and enthusiastic members to the body. Governors are now involved in managing change and committees formed by governors are responsible for different aspects of the school’s provision. They fulfil all of their statutory responsibilities towards the school including setting targets for raising standards in English and mathematics. They are also prepared to set targets for the work of the head teacher in line with proposed initiatives for appraising the work of teachers. As a result, everyone connected with the school is pulling in the same direction to raise standards. North Frodingham Primary School - 16 48 Governors, head teacher and teachers are more aware of the need to monitor the curriculum and

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

teaching than they were at the time of the previous inspection. The head teacher observes teachers at work on an informal basis but has yet to do this in a structured or systematic way. The head teacher and governors realise that this will be necessary as part of appraising teachers’ performance and are waiting for training in how best to do this. By monitoring the effect of teaching on standards in English and mathematics the co-ordinators are improving teaching. This initial success has led teachers to seek additional information by examining and discussing pupils’ work and reviewing planning. This is beginning to have an effect on pupils’ achievements.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49 Financial planning and control have improved since the last inspection and are now good. The finance committee confidently examines and discusses budget proposals before the full governing body approves and sets the final budget. The committee works with the head teacher to make regular checks on spending. At the same time, the head teacher and school secretary exercise good control of the budget within the limits agreed by governors. Through the conscientious work of the school’s secretary, financial administration is efficient and unobtrusive. Administrative systems are computerised and the secretary demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of both the school’s and local authority’s systems. All points raised for improvement at the last audit have been addressed. Governors ensure that all additional funding is used for its intended purpose. The limited funding for special educational needs is spent

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

appropriately on resources. The success of improvements to financial planning is measurable.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50 Governors and the head teacher are rapidly coming to terms with the principles of best value and are well aware of the need to make the best use of finances. They use information from analysing the results of National Curriculum tests and comparisons with other schools to guide financial decisions. Spending is beginning to be targeted to where it will have the best impact on standards. Parents are consulted on matters such as homework and the school has a good idea of its strengths and weaknesses.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51 This is a small school and it is difficult to match the qualifications of staff with the need to teach all of the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. There are sufficient teachers to ensure that standards in important curriculum areas of English, mathematics and science are maintained. The provision of educational support staff is limited by the budget. Good procedures are in place to ensure that student teachers gain experience of teaching without disrupting pupils’ learning. This is done by offering considerable support from all staff, which helps students settle quickly and make the best of their teaching practice. Staff training has been maintained over the last two years to make sure that teachers are competent to teach the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. The school has been unable to appraise teachers in a systematic or rigorous way. However, it is anticipated that this will change in the next year as

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52 The school’s accommodation is unsatisfactory overall. Pupils benefit from the attractive grounds and a good nature garden that is used for work in science. However, the restrictions that were identified at the time of the last inspection still apply. The school has great difficulty in teaching the physical education curriculum without a hall and the shortage of classrooms presents organisational problems. An upstairs room that is used for lunches and occasional activities with small groups, for example, cooking and baking, is not used for most of the time. Improvements since the last inspection include restocking the small but attractive library area with good quality reference and story books.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53 The school has sufficient resources to teach all subjects and uses them to good effect on pupils’ learning. It makes good use of visits to places of educational interest in the local area to increase pupils’ understanding of subjects such as geography and history. Teachers do not make such broad use of visits and visitors to widen pupils understanding of other cultures and religions. By planning more carefully, teachers could make better use of computers to raise standards in information technology.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

North Frodingham Primary School - 17 54 Governors, head teacher and staff should:

p.19

(1) raise standards in information technology at Key Stage 2 by

• ensuring that the curriculum for information technology is covered in full by planning for it to be taught as a separate subject as well as in topics; • ensuring that sufficient time is devoted to teaching information technology; • continuing to improve the expertise of teachers through additional training in using software and computers; • giving all pupils regular opportunities to practise and improve their skills; • improving the system of recording what pupils can do so that it is possible to see whether they make fast enough progress. (paragraphs 97 - 104 of the main report)

p.19

(2) increase pupils’ understanding of religions by

• planning opportunities for pupils to compare aspects of the religions they study; • making greater use of visits and visitors to give pupils first-hand experiences. (paragraphs 113 - 117 of the main report) North Frodingham Primary School - 18

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 9

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 7 58

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 8

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 0

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 7

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 1

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.20

Attendance

National comparative data 5.7 National comparative data 0.5

p.20

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. North Frodingham Primary School - 19

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 3 4 7

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 3 3 3 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 4 4 4

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100% (100%) 100% (100%) 100% (100%) at NC level 2 or above National 82% (80%) 83% (81%) 87% (84%)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 3 3 3 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 4 4 4

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100% (100%) 100% (100%) 100% (100%) at NC level 2 or above National 82% (81%) 86% (85%) 87% (86%)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 7 4 11

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 6 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 4 2 3

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 91% (50%) 73% (75%) 82% (87%) at NC level 4 or above National 70% (65%) 69% (59%) 78% (69%)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 6 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 3 3 4

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 82% (75%) 82% (100%) 91% (100%) at NC level 4 or above National 68% (65%) 69% (65%) 75% (71%)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. North Frodingham Primary School - 20

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.7 Financial year 1999 - 2000

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.5

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 126,219

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0 Expenditure per pupil 2,337

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 0 Balance brought forward from previous year 14,162

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 19,670

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0.3

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 14

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 12

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. North Frodingham Primary School - 21

p.22

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

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 50 41 0 0 9

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 43 0 0 9

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 26 32 32 0 11

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 22 43 26 9 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 70 22 9 0 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 23 77 0 0 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 43 43 4 9 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 36 55 0 0 9

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 30 0 0 13

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 30 30 25 0 15

p.23

Other issues raised by parents

• Parents feel that the school helps their children to have high levels of self-esteem and confidence. They settle easily into the large secondary school when they move into the next stage of their education. • Parents praised the school for encouraging parents to take part in sports. North Frodingham Primary School - 22

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55 During the inspection, 14 children under five were in the nursery class and one four-year-old was in a class of pupils in their reception year and in Years 1 and 2. The nursery is run for three half days a week. The school’s provision for children under-five continues to be good.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56 The quality of teaching has been maintained since the previous inspection and continues to be very good. It helps prepare children well for the move to Key Stage 1 and their work in the National Curriculum. When they start nursery, children’s experiences and attainments are typical for their age. They make good progress during the limited time they have in nursery and continue to make good progress in developing personal and social skills, language and literacy, mathematical understanding and knowledge and understanding of the world in the reception class. Consequently, by the time they are five their attainments in these areas are above expectations for their age. The creative and physical development of children is typical for their age.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57 A good feature of teaching lies in developing children’s personal and social skills. Children are encouraged to be independent and quickly acquire the social skills required to become successful learners. With gentle prompting from adults, children in the nursery choose which activities they want to take part in and are encouraged to work and play together. The very good relationships between staff and children are echoed in the way that children behave towards one another. They are helpful to others and share toys and games good-naturedly. Children gain confidence during their time in nursery and are able to settle easily into the reception class, where there are children two years older than themselves. As a result of all this children are confident and outgoing by the time they are five years old.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58 The good control teachers have over children’s behaviour is seamless but evident in the calm environment they create for learning. This was evident in the way nursery children behaved sensibly when going outside to collect snails and made sure that they walked along the line on the ground on the way back into school. Children show how safe they feel in school when they approach unfamiliar adults with invitations to look at their work and ask visitors “ how are you?”.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59 Teachers in the nursery and reception class ensure that there are plenty of opportunities for children to read and write each day. In the nursery, a volunteer helper comes in to share books with children and does this in a systematic way, checking that each child gets a turn during the week. Children also listen to stories and read books with their teacher. They rapidly learn to read their names from cards and recognise letters and familiar words. Alongside reading activities, children are encouraged to write and copy their names. Assessments of children’s attainments shortly after joining the reception class showed that their writing skills were above those expected of four-year-olds. In order that this early start is not lost, the teacher in the reception class gives children frequent chances to write independently and to copy the writing of adults.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60 A strength of the teaching is the way that teachers promote the development of language in everything children do. Staff and volunteers constantly engage children in conversations and discussions about themselves and their work. For example, when drawing plants children in the nursery were encouraged to use the words leaves and mathematical vocabulary such as tall and medium sized . In the reception class, children’s vocabulary widens considerably as a result of listening to the teacher use words such as folly and ghastly when reading stories.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61 The teacher in reception class has adapted the literacy and numeracy hours successfully for children under five. In literacy lessons they spend a short time reading a book or text with the whole class North Frodingham Primary School - 23 then are quickly set off to do reading and writing activities that are suitable for their age. In numeracy lessons children take part in the mental mathematics session and are again given more practical tasks that help them develop their understanding of number.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62 Carefully planned activities and daily opportunities to count and use mathematical language help children make good progress in understanding number. In the nursery, children are encouraged to engage in activities involving sorting objects and copying patterns and quickly learn to identify colours and common shapes, such as circle and square. Through being taught number rhymes they know how to add and take away. In the reception class, children are given plenty of opportunities to use their number skills both mentally and in real life situations. As a result they achieve good standards and can add numbers to ten in their heads.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63 Teachers place great emphasis on widening children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. In the nursery, children were fascinated when watching snails crawl across a piece of glass. Through this first-hand experience they learned a lot about how they move and what they eat. Similarly, children thrilled to see a mother swallow feeding young birds in a nest in the school guttering. Teachers ensure that children get to use computers regularly and that they know how to use cassette recorders when they want to listen to a story. Children quickly learn to do this easily and settle down to listen to stories or play computer games. Teachers also emphasise the importance of asking questions, such as what makes the flowers grow, and of looking carefully. As a result, children are very keen to explore the world and find things out. This was evident during the inspection, when children talked excitedly about magnets and how they attract metal

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

objects. All of these activities provide a good foundation for historical, geographical, scientific and technological learning and help children achieve a knowledge and understanding of the world that is above average for their age.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64 Teachers plan a wide range of interesting creative activities where children can explore colour, texture shape and music. As a result, children’s pictures are colourful and accurate in detail and the creative development of four-year-olds is typical for their age. The teacher made learning fun when demonstrating actions for four-year-olds to follow in response to music. Most of the children in the reception class found it easy to tap out rhythms on their knees although some found it very hard to follow a beat. Children are motivated and make steady progress in their singing and making of music because teachers make the best possible use of resources such as percussion instruments.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65 Teachers are hampered in their ability to teach physical development without a hall. They do their best to ensure that in good weather children in the nursery get some time outdoors when they can play on wheeled toys and climb on large apparatus. Despite these limitations, children’s physical development is typical for their age and they have reasonable control and co-ordination. This was evident when children in the nursery sped around the yard on tricycles without bumping into one another. In the classroom, children make steady progress in using tools, techniques and materials with increasing confidence. Their control of a mouse to operate a computer program is as good as can be expected for their age and their explanations that you press this and you can dress the teddy showed their familiarity with a computer modelling program.

p.25

ENGLISH

66 In both key stages, standards in English are higher than at the time of the previous inspection. This is a result of most of the teaching being good or very good, effective use of the National Literacy Strategy to plan work and close monitoring of test results to identify gaps in teaching and learning. Pupils with special educational needs linked to difficulties in reading and writing make good progress and achieve standards that match their capabilities.

p.25

ENGLISH

67 Good teaching is based on teachers’ strong knowledge and understanding of the subject. This is particularly marked in the Key Stage 1 and the Year 3 and 4 classes, although a student teacher also showed North Frodingham Primary School - 24 a sound grasp of how to teach the basic skills of literacy. Direct teaching in the literacy hour has a good effect on reading in both key stages. While teachers use the format of the National Literacy Strategy well enough in most lessons they do not always move from one part of the lesson to the next quickly enough. This leads to pupils not having the time to complete their written work and occasionally there is no time for a plenary session.

p.25

ENGLISH

68 A strength of teaching, which underlies good learning, comes from well-planned opportunities for speaking and listening. As a result, all pupils reach high standards. Very positive relationships between teachers and pupils give pupils the confidence to join in discussions and to get the maximum benefit from activities. By the end of Key Stage 1, all of the eight pupils talk about their work and use an appropriate vocabulary. For example, one girl used the words author and illustrator when she talked about the book she was reading. As they get older, pupils use a more adventurous vocabulary and learn to listen carefully to the way words are used to persuade the reader or create effect. The enthusiasm of a teacher in the Year 3 and 4 class helped pupils give a good dramatic performance of a poem. By the time they are in Year 6, all pupils listen attentively and talk very confidently in a range of situations. This was evident when a pupil

p.26

ENGLISH

asked pertinent questions about what an inspection team looked for in a school as he ate lunch with an inspector.

p.26

ENGLISH

69 Using the National Literacy Strategy as a framework for planning brings a very clear focus to the teaching of strategies, which help pupils to make sense of new texts. Six of the eight pupils in Year 2 read at the expected level. They express opinions about the stories and characters in the books they read and say they enjoy reading. Two pupils read at the higher level and are fluent readers who are being challenged by some of the vocabulary in the books they read. For example, although a pupil could read words such as distraught and talisman she did not understand what they meant. The frequent opportunities that pupils have to read a wide range of texts ensures that by the time they are in Year 6, four of the nine pupils read at the higher level and their tastes extend to books and newspapers intended for adults. They scan and skim through text to select key points and to find information. The remaining five read at the expected level.

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ENGLISH

They talk confidently about books by familiar writers such as Roald Dahl and Dick King Smith. All pupils know how to collect information from CD-ROMs 1 .

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ENGLISH

70 The enthusiasm of teachers for poetry and drama ensures that pupils enjoy this form of literature. In addition, pupils’ work is displayed attractively around the school, which gives it further prominence. Consequently, pupils like reading and writing poetry. One girl in Year 6 chose to read the poem If by Rudyard Kipling because it is her favourite. She did this well, and then gave her opinion of the part she thought inappropriate and justified her reasons by reference to values of right and wrong behaviour.

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ENGLISH

71 Informative introductions clarify what a lesson is about and save time, as pupils know what they have to do. Teachers use questioning effectively to revise previous work before extending pupils’ learning. Effective questioning also encourages pupils to look for deeper meanings in texts and led to pupils in Year 6 debating whether the character in a poem was male or female. From this pupils gained a sound understanding of how writers appeal directly to audiences.

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ENGLISH

72 A close analysis of the results of national tests in writing highlighted gaps in teaching and learning, which teachers have now rectified. Greater emphasis is given to handwriting in Key Stage 1 so that by the time they are in Year 2, higher attaining pupils write in a good joined style. During Key Stage 2, pupils write in many subjects and produce stories, accounts of events, letters and factual reports. A number create posters for the school using computers. By the time they are in Year 6 three of the nine pupils are working at the higher level. Words are chosen imaginatively and used with precision; for example, one pupil described black shadowy trees in a story. Pupils spell most words correctly and punctuations their writing properly in order to clarify meaning. The remaining six pupils are working within the expected level, which means that teachers have been successful in filling gaps in pupils’ learning.

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ENGLISH

1 CD-ROM is a compact disk with read only memory. North Frodingham Primary School - 25

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MATHEMATICS

73 Since the previous inspection, standards in mathematics have been maintained in Key Stage 1 and have risen in Key Stage 2. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainments remain above expectations for seven year olds. Standards are above expectations for 11 year olds by the end of Key Stage 2. This is an improvement on the last inspection, when they were judged to be satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs linked to difficulties in mathematics make good progress and achieve standards that match their capabilities.

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MATHEMATICS

74 The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is very good. Lessons are planned well and the National Numeracy Strategy is adapted successfully to meet the needs of children under five in the reception year. A particular strength of the teaching in this key stage is the way that pupils in each age group are given work that is a good match to their age and capability. For example, pupils in Year 2 were given the task of working out the number of bottles necessary for a week’s supply of milk. Faster learners in the group were asked to extend the activity to calculating how much would have been used in fourteen weeks. Because they all wanted to have a go at the more difficult challenge they had to work furiously to finish the easier task. As a result of very good teaching, by the time they are seven years old pupils work confidently with numbers to 100, recognise patterns in number, identify common two and three-dimensional shapes and

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MATHEMATICS

75 Most of the teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and the remainder is satisfactory. Teachers have a thorough knowledge of how to teach mathematics and in particular the basic skills of number. This is evident in the way they use an appropriate mathematical vocabulary. Their choice of words to explain concepts ensures that pupils try to use the same language when explaining their thinking. It means that pupils use phrases such as prime number and those in Year 5 and 6 explain decimals as tenths of a whole number.

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MATHEMATICS

76 Teachers in both key stages have successfully introduced the National Numeracy Strategy, which is already having a positive effect on raising standards and pupils’ attitudes to their work. Teachers use the framework provided by the National Numeracy Strategy to plan lessons. This has resulted in activities that are interesting for pupils. They particularly enjoy the mental mathematics sessions and are keen to answer questions.

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MATHEMATICS

77 Teachers’ day-to-day assessment of what pupils know is accurate. All teachers assess pupils’ work regularly during lessons and have a satisfactory understanding of what pupils know, can do and need to learn next. Carefully targeted questions enable higher attaining pupils to work at their own levels but also give opportunities for younger pupils to try to answer.

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MATHEMATICS

78 Lessons are planned to meet the needs of all pupils. Appropriately levelled work is provided for different groups of pupils and mental work, individual work and plenary session are firmly linked to reinforce pupils’ learning. Teachers’ planning is satisfactory and highlights appropriate learning objectives and demonstrate their high expectations of pupils. The good relationships between teachers and pupils make a purposeful learning environment where pupils respond well to questions and work with concentration and effort.

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MATHEMATICS

79 Teachers ensure that pupils have many opportunities to use their mathematics in other subjects. Pupils used their mathematical skills to design the wildlife garden and check the level of water in the pond. In Key Stage 2 classes they investigate the changes taking place in their bodies during exercise and record the data having measured temperatures and counted pulse rates. In geography, older pupils use grids to work on maps and in history they record events on time lines. Teachers do not use information technology to support pupils’ learning in mathematics. North Frodingham Primary School - 26 80 Leadership in mathematics is satisfactory. The co-ordinator supported teachers effectively as they prepared to implement the National Numeracy Strategy, and ensured that mathematics was fully resourced.

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SCIENCE

81 Standards are higher than they were at the time of the previous inspection. The results of National Curriculum tests for seven year olds in 1999 show that the number of pupils who achieved the expected level was very high but that no pupils achieved the higher level. Tests of pupils in Year 6 show that the number of pupils in Key Stage 2 who achieved the expected level was above the national average.

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SCIENCE

82 Although only one science lesson was observed at Key Stage 1 and none at Key Stage 2 evidence has been taken from a scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have experimented with magnets and can talk about objects and the materials used in them. They have a secure knowledge about living things through growing plants from seeds and tubers and study different animals. A strong link is made with literacy in their work on owls and they know about their foods and their lives in depth. At Key Stage 2 pupils investigate forces and motion when making paper aeroplanes. They record their experiments using proformas and tables from which they draw their conclusions. Older pupils learn about their bodies, how they function and the purpose of different organs in the body. They investigate the changes made when exercising and measure heart rates, temperature and respiration rate.

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SCIENCE

Data is reported in tables and graphs. They also learn about micro-organisms and investigate the conditions required for growing moulds. Literacy and numeracy skills are used well to record observations.

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SCIENCE

83 The quality of teaching in science is good. At Key Stage 1, the activity with magnets is appropriate to the ages of the pupils and helps to develop their social skills in the sharing of equipment and helping each other with their experiment. At Key Stage 2, there is a good focus on the development of scientific language and use of the correct vocabulary in their colour and light experiments of chromatography. The use of information technology is underused to support the subject.

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SCIENCE

84 While the curriculum covers all the attainment targets throughout the pupils school life the topic approach to planning and the format used means teachers are unable to assess the overall coverage of the science curriculum. Science is incorporated into topics such as history when reviewing inventions and discoveries of the Victorian times but there is limited evidence of specific planning for the subject. Assessment is therefore difficult, as learning objectives are too broad covering the needs of the topic rather than the subject.

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ART and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85 Seven and 11 year olds achieve standards that are typical for their age. Pupils with special educational needs in reading, writing or mathematics do as well as others. Standards in art are not as high as at the time of the previous inspection, because more time has been devoted to literacy and numeracy in recent years. Standards in design and technology have been maintained. Pupils have a sound knowledge of art and famous artists and are familiar with the process of designing, making and evaluating models. Through the topics they study pupils learn to use a widening range of techniques and materials to make pictures and three-dimensional models and crafts.

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ART and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86 Teaching is satisfactory in general and during the inspection some good art lessons were seen. Teachers have a thorough understanding of how to teach both art and design and technology. This is evident in the clear demonstrations and explanations they give of techniques. For example, in a good lesson in Year 5 and 6, the teacher explained how to position letters on squared paper so that they were central on a design for a sampler. Once he had done this pupils were able to plot the letters more accurately and improve their designs. Similarly, because the teacher in Year 3 and 4 showed pupils how to use their thumbs to create a clay pot they were all able to produce bowls of reasonable quality. North Frodingham Primary School - 27 87 A particular strength in the attainment of pupils is the good quality two-dimensional work produced in both key stages. This is a result of the way that teachers use art to support learning in all other

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ART and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

subjects. For example, the paintings of owls produced by pupils in the Key Stage 1 class give substantial details of feathers and features and illustrate how closely they observe the animals they are studying. Similarly, pupils in Year 5 and 6 produce accurate pencil drawings of Victorian objects that show substantial details and reflect the period.

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ART and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88 Teachers, enthusiasm for art and design and technology is evident in some of the more unusual activities they plan for pupils. For example, as part of their literacy work pupils in the Year 3 and 4 class painted pictures of the garden that belonged to The Selfish Giant in a desolate state without the birds and children and in a happier state when the children played in the garden. Not only did this illustrate the story very well, it also showed their understanding of the power of colour to depict mood in paintings.

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ART and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89 Despite having limited space, teachers ensure that pupils have the opportunity to work on a large scale. The bicycle they built from card is a good example of this. It also shows pupils ability to measure, cut and join a range of materials in order to make a moving model.

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ART and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90 Teachers’ very good relationships with pupils encourage them to explore and use their ideas with confidence. Good use is made of the skills of parent helpers in both key stages to guide and improve the work of pupils who carry out complex tasks. Pupils enjoy their work in both subjects and try hard to do their best. Because they take pride in their work models such as the papier-maché jack in the boxes are finished with careful attention to detail. Pupils in Year 3 and 4 were particularly pleased with the silk paintings they produced as part of their work on Hinduism and were keen to talk about their designs and work. Teachers encourage pupils to be proud of their work by entering some of it into a local show.

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ART and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91 Not enough emphasis is given to using computers to generate art or in design work. Pupils know how to use clip art but have not had the experiences of combining moving images in their work or of using computer programs and digital cameras to help them design products.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

92 There were no opportunities to see lessons during the inspection. Judgements are based on a scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

93 The standards achieved overall in both subjects are satisfactory although pupils achieve higher standards in some of their more in depth studies such as the Victorians at Key Stage 2 and map work at Key Stage 1.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

94 The quality of teaching is good. Teachers have a thorough knowledge of the topics they teach and topics are planned well to support the development of literacy skills. As a consequence pupils use a wide range of writing styles in their studies, and research using books and some information technology. Planning for these subjects is satisfactory for individual lessons. However, the topic approach makes it difficult to track the development of each individual subject and to assess pupils in their skills development. Record keeping is limited. The school has begun to review procedures for assessment and the steps already taken put it in a good position to improve the way that pupils’ attainments and progress are assessed and recorded.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

95 The curriculum is wide enough and mainly based on European studies in geography and history. Pupils research European countries to find out about their resources and currencies, however, links with a Kenyan school have been insufficiently developed to develop the pupils understanding of the wider world and different cultures. In history pupils experience a Viking day, dress in Viking clothes and carry out North Frodingham Primary School - 28 every day tasks. Geography and history make strong cross curricular links with art as pupils make models of islands to learn geographical features and vocabulary at Key Stage 1 and in history at Key Stage 2 dye fabric using onion skins and leaves and weave for their Viking topic. A strong contribution to their social development is made through their consideration of the priorities of the rich and the poor in Victorian times. They reflect on aspects of Victorian life that would have been important to each group and show a high

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

degree of sensitivity to the situations of others.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

96 The school makes very good use of the museum loan service that provides good resources to support the subject. Pupils are able to touch and make observational drawings of a range of Victorian artefacts giving them first hand experiences. They use ideas gained from looking at laundry equipment to create a wash day game. The library contains a satisfactory range of books to support topics and these too are supplemented by the schools’ library service. The staff are an enthusiastic team who work diligently to make topics lively and interesting and enable pupils to gain good knowledge of the topics covered.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

97 Standards in information technology are below expectations for 11 year olds. They are lower than at the time of the previous inspection when standards were judged to be satisfactory. The school recognises this as a key area for development. Standards have been maintained in Key Stage 1 and the attainments of seven year olds are typical for their age. There are weaknesses in planning, assessment and record keeping that make teaching unsatisfactory overall.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

98 The major reason for low standards in Key Stage 2 is because teachers do not give enough time or emphasis to teaching the skills of information technology and most of the work that pupils do is planned as part of topics. Consequently, pupils are not able to extend the early computer skills they gain in Key Stage 1. By the age of eleven, pupils have sound basic skills such as typing with two hands, using the keyboard, mouse and menu. They know how to save and print work and how to start and end programs. When word processing, pupils change the size, style and colour of text and can cut and paste. When using familiar software, such as paint programs and clip art, pupils operate using a menu and icon confidently. However, there are gaps to their learning, they are unsure how to use modern technology such as digital cameras and although they can access the Internet and send electronic mail they do not know how to check whether their

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

99 Teachers in Key Stage 2 do not make sufficient use of computers in literacy or numeracy lessons. While they are occasionally used to draft or publish work of pupils not enough use is made of computers to generate graphs and charts or of software such as spreadsheets and databases. Because of this pupils often know what a spreadsheet or database does but not why they would choose to use them to communicate information.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

100 The skills of a parent governor are used to good effect to work with pupils in a computer club. The efforts made here have a significant effect on standards. Pupils produce lively posters to advertise school events combining text and pictures. What they cannot do is bring together other media such as moving graphics and sound.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

101 Teachers expect pupils to work sensibly on computers and pupils respond to this positively. Pupils show considerable enthusiasm for work at computers and persevere for long periods, frequently showing their confidence and ability to work unaided and unsupervised. They co-operate well with partners and provide mutual support when this is necessary. They are very keen to talk about computers and show off their skills. Pupils handle equipment with care and respect. North Frodingham Primary School - 29 102 Good teaching in Key Stage 1 ensures that pupils are familiar with a wide range of programs. They quickly gain confidence in using mouse and keyboard and know how to load a floppy disk and access a favourite game from a menu.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

103 A weakness to the teaching in both key stages, is that there are no systematic procedures for assessing and recording what pupils can do on computer. Without these it is impossible for teachers to keep a track of whether pupils are making fast enough progress or need to be moved on to learn new skills. This is one of the reasons why progress in Key Stage 2 has not been fast enough. When combined with the lack of a programme of study this has resulted in pupils coasting along and not moving forward at a fast enough pace. In addition, teaching has not kept pace with advances in technology and for a large part of the time pupils work continues to be focused on word processing and using familiar technology such as CD-ROMs. Teachers recognise the need for further training in order to keep up-to-date with constant changes and improvements in this subject.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

104 There are good quality, up-to-date computers in each classroom, which puts the school in a good position to be able to increase the amount of time that pupils spend on information technology. In addition, the computer in the nursery class is not used for most of the week, which means other pupils can use it. The school recognises the need to make changes if they are to teach the National Curriculum, as it will be from September.

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MUSIC

105 There was only one opportunity to see music taught at Key Stage 1 and none at Key Stage 2. Judgements are based on displays, teachers’ planning, listening to pupils and the extra curricular activity provided in this subject.

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MUSIC

106 The quality of teaching is satisfactory and pupils in both key stages achieve standards in music that are typical for their age. Those who attend orchestra and are taught to play musical instruments reach good standards. Pupils enjoy singing and can sing in tune at both key stages. They begin to learn two-part songs at the end of Key Stage 1 and follow a leader accurately copying their notes. They have opportunities at both key stages to listen to a range of different music and make appropriate comments about the style, thoughts it provokes and their feelings about it. At Key Stage 1 pupils move appropriately to the music and demonstrate an awareness of the rhythm. They can copy a rhythm accurately clapping the pattern. At Key Stage 2 pupils develop their knowledge of the orchestra through work on Prokofiev and learn about different parts of musical performance such as the overtures.

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MUSIC

107 Pupils have opportunities through concerts and performances to rehearse and develop their musical skills. The extracurricular band activity and the recorder group provide an excellent opportunity for pupils at Key Stage 2 to develop their musical skills. They play a wide range of instruments, reading notation, playing synchronised pieces and harmonies, with a high degree of accomplishment for their ages. This group is very ably supported through the volunteer work of parents who share their own musical accomplishments.

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MUSIC

108 There are adequate resources to meet the curriculum but there are limited resources to support the development of pupil’s knowledge of wider cultures through the music they hear and the instruments they play.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

109 By the end of Key Stage 2, standards in games, sports, athletics and swimming are in line with expectations and have been maintained since the time of the previous inspection. The school does well to maintain standards in these areas and does so under the difficult circumstances of not having a hall for North Frodingham Primary School - 30 gymnastics, dance or indoor sports. Pupils in Year 6, show considerable control and accuracy when running, dodging, changing direction, catching and throwing balls. Their knowledge of the rules of a variety of ball games is secure. Most of them manage to maintain good levels of teamwork, to keep to the rules of different games, such as rounders, and to sustain vigorous exercise throughout a lesson or an after-school practise. Almost every pupil can swim the recommended distance by the time they are eleven.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

110 The quality of teaching in physical education is satisfactory. A strength of most pupils’ physical development lies in the co-ordination, control and balance they gain through systematic practice and close attention to clear instructions from their teachers. In a good lesson in Year 3 and 4, the teacher explained and then gave a good demonstration of how to hit tennis balls. As a result, pupils quickly grasped the idea and showed a marked improvement in swing and aim by the end of the lesson. In a lesson for pupils in Year 5 and 6, the teacher acted as umpire in a rounders match and because pupils were not given the same level of instruction their progress was not as marked.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111 Teachers encourage pupils to consider their own and others performance. They are appreciative of the efforts of other pupils and try hard to improve. For example, in a rounders lesson they tried to run faster and hit harder urged on by the calls of other pupils. Teachers generally, encourage pupils to improve their own personal best. In discussions about physical education pupils talk enthusiastically about swimming further and gaining more certificates.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112 Lessons in physical education make a strong contribution to pupils’ social development. Teachers and helpers give a lot of time and effort to after-school sports and clubs. Pupils enjoy the activities and gain a sense of fair play and competitive spirit. They also help maintain standards and pupils who attend them make good progress in sports. In all lessons, pupils and teachers dress suitably for physical education. In this way teachers create good opportunities to act as role models for pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

113 Standards have been maintained since the time of the previous inspection. Pupils’ attainment is in line with the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. However, while pupils have a wide enough knowledge of the religions they study they are less sure about the way these religions have similar festivals and shared beliefs. Pupils with special educational needs do as well as others in relation to the knowledge they gain but sometimes write in less detail or length.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

114 Teachers have a sound knowledge of religious education, which has a positive effect on pupils’ motivation and attainment. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have a basic knowledge of Christianity. They understand some of the stories that Jesus told. For example, they know that Joseph was very proud and with prompting were able to suggest that he may not have been a good character, though they all agreed that the brothers were wrong to rob him of his coat. Interesting activities, often linked to other subjects such as design and technology, help them gain knowledge about the Jewish and Hindu faiths.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

115 In Key Stage 2, pupils’ progress is slowed because, although teachers are knowledgeable about the subject they are not always successful in bringing the subject to life for pupils. This results in a significant number of pupils being unsure about how faiths other than Christianity have a place in society. For example, they can talk about Diwali and other festivals but asked whether Hindu children might eat in fast food restaurants.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

116 Although teachers follow the locally Agreed Syllabus and provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to learn about religious festivals and symbols, the lack of first-hand experiences prevents pupils from understanding as well as they should. This means that although they are eager to learn and talk about some aspects of the faiths they study, many pupils are unable to make comparisons between religions or say how festivals are similar. Pupils regard other faiths as separate from their lives and the lack of first hand North Frodingham Primary School - 31 experiences of visitors of different faiths and cultures prevents them from seeing themselves as part of a multifaith society.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

117 Religious education makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It interests pupils in serious issues, such as helping others and being charitable, develops their thinking and encourages them to express their views. Pupils demonstrate a growing spiritual awareness in the prayers they write and knowledge of what is right and wrong. They are very interested in finding out about other religions. This was evident when a pupil from Year 6 asked very searching questions about mosques and temples.

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