Bosham Primary School

BOSHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15 – 18 October 2001

p.1

BOSHAM 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.

p.1

BOSHAM 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. Bosham Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Walton Lane Bosham Chichester West Sussex

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rosemary Grindle

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 24 June 1997 Bosham Primary School - 4

p.3

Aspect responsibilities

19623 Michael Cahill Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology Music What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9472 John Edmond Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 25340 Robert Franks Team inspector English Art and design Design and technology Religious education How high are standards? b) Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 23009 Anne Hogbin Team inspector Foundation stage Equal opportunities Special educational needs Mathematics Geography History Physical education Bosham Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

p.4

Aspect responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

p.5

Aspect responsibilities

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

p.5

Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

p.5

Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Bosham Primary School - 6

p.5

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

p.6

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This village primary school takes pupils from 4 to 11 years of age. With 163 full time pupils (80 boys and 83 girls) the school is smaller than average (243 pupils). Six boys and seven girls who are under five years of age attend the reception class in the mornings only. Most pupils have had some pre- school experience and attainment on entry is above the national expectation. The socio-economical nature of the area is favourable. Almost all pupils are from white backgrounds and none are learning English as an additional language. Currently there are a few pupils from the traveller community on the school roll. The school has 43 pupils on its register of special educational needs, about the number to be expected in a school of this size, although five pupils have full statements of special educational needs, which is above the expected number.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good and improving school with many very good features. The school is well led and managed; the headteacher and the governing body have correctly identified priorities for improvement and how to achieve them. The quality of teaching is high and as a result pupils achieve well and develop very good attitudes to learning. This effective school provides good value for money.

p.7

What the school does well

• The level of pupils’ achievements in many of the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education exceeds expectations for their age. • The school benefits from the strong and effective leadership of the headteacher who is very well supported by her deputy, the governing body and an able and committed staff. • The quality of teaching is high; pupils want to come to school and have very good attitudes towards their learning. • The school is very successful at promoting good behaviour and personal development and very positive relationships among its pupils. • The school achieves its aim of providing a broad and balanced curriculum that is enriched by a very good programme of visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities. • There are excellent links with parents who make a valuable contribution to their children’s education.

p.7

recognises the need to:

• Build on its good practice in setting targets for pupils by refining its use of assessment information to plan work for those of different abilities in order to help them achieve or surpass their targets. • Develop the role of co-ordinators with respect to monitoring teaching and learning in their subjects. • Improve its provision for preparing its pupils for life in multi-ethnic Britain. • Improve the attendance of a small number of pupils. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in June 1997. Since that time the school has dealt effectively with the issues identified at that time and has also improved the overall quality of teaching. The level of improvement from an already good baseline has been good. Overall standards of attainment across the curriculum have been maintained, with the exception of the national test results in mathematics at eleven. The strong partnership between the governing body, headteacher, staff and parents provides a very good basis for further improvement. Bosham Primary School - 8

p.7

STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11-year-olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

p.8

Key

English A E B C well above average above average A B Mathematics A D E E average below average C D Science A B B C well below average very low E E*

p.8

Key

Schools are described as similar when they fall into the same band for free school meals, in this case less than eight per cent. The current proportion is one per cent. The school’s results for 11-year-olds have not kept pace with national improvements over the last five years, largely due to a drop in achievement in the year 2000. Factors that led to this drop include a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and that a number of pupils joined the class at various times during the junior years. However, around three-quarters of the pupils who were at the school for the whole of their junior years made at least the required improvement of two National curriculum levels. Results for 2001 are greatly improved in English, about the same as for 2000 in science, and down a little in mathematics. Targets set for this year group were exceeded in English but not reached in mathematics.

p.8

Key

Attainment is in line with national expectations for seven-year-olds in music, physical education and information and communication technology. In English, mathematics, science, design and technology, geography, history and religious education, pupils exceed expectations. The attainment of 11-year-olds is in line with national expectations in design and technology, information and communication technology, mathematics, music and physical education. Pupils exceed expectations in English, science, geography, history and religious education. Throughout the school the standard of pupils’ artwork is well above expectations.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy coming to school and have very good attitudes to learning. They are well motivated during lessons and work hard.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils understand and follow established routines and the majority meet the high expectations set for them.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and adults are very good and this enables the school to function as a well-ordered community. Pupils’ personal development is good and they readily take responsibility and show initiative.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Attendance In 2000/2001 attendance slipped by over 2 per cent, though it remains satisfactory. Unauthorised absence is still slightly above the national average.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Relationships are a particular strength of the school. Pupils have very good attitudes towards each other and their work. This is largely due to the good example set by the adults in the school community. Bosham Primary School - 9

p.8

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

Lessons seen overall Satisfactory 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.

p.9

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

The quality of teaching is high. During the inspection, the teaching in more than half of lessons was at least good, including nearly one-third that were very good. This represents a substantial improvement since the last inspection. The teaching of English, including the skills of literacy, was never less than satisfactory and was good or very good in all of the lessons observed in the infant classes, while in the junior classes it varies from very good to satisfactory. In mathematics, including the skills of numeracy, teaching was at least good in more than half of the lessons observed, including a high proportion that were very good.

p.9

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

Features of the better teaching include: • clear identification of what pupils are to learn and sharing this with them; • a clear focus on activities and tasks which directly help pupils to achieve the learning objectives, breaking these down into small steps when necessary; • teachers’ good skills at building on and extending pupils’ answers, with an insistence on full explanations; • good relationships between adults and pupils, with well-established classroom routines; • good teamwork between teachers and learning support assistants; • good questioning at the start of lessons to revise what has already been learned and to check and consolidate at the end; • high expectations of the standard of pupils’ work and behaviour.

p.9

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

Weaknesses in a few lessons observed during the inspection included: • learning objectives that were not defined sharply enough and/or not shared with the pupils; • too little time was allocated to the lesson so that there was insufficient time for checking and consolidating learning; • not enough account was taken of the wide range of ability and existing knowledge in the class; behaviour management routines were not well enough established and so, occasionally, lessons were interrupted and pupils lost concentration and became distracted.

p.9

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

From the time that they enter the reception class children are effectively encouraged to be independent learners. Most pupils respond well to encouragement and work hard, concentrating for long periods when tasks are interesting. Most pupils develop very good attitudes to themselves as learners and become confident in their ability to learn and to communicate with others.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a good range of learning opportunities with a suitable emphasis on the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. There is a very good emphasis on providing opportunities for learning through first hand experience. The curriculum is enhanced through a very good range of educational visits and visitors.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall and particularly good for pupils with the highest levels of need, who are very well supported by experienced and well-trained assistants. The Brain Gym , which teaches concentration, fine and gross motor control, and promotes self-esteem, is an innovative and effective aspect of the provision. Bosham Primary School - 10 Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for social development is very good; the school uses a good range of strategies to promote collaboration among pupils. Provision for moral development is good; pupils have a clear sense of right and wrong. Assemblies support pupils’ spiritual development. There is good provision for developing pupils’ awareness of their own cultural heritage and for learning about world faiths. A weaker aspect, though, is in preparing pupils for life in today’s multi-ethnic Britain.

p.9

Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school is a caring community and pupils benefit from good educational support and guidance. The school has good procedures for keeping track of pupils’ progress. It recognises the need to develop further the use that it makes of the information gained in order to raise standards.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The school has excellent links with parents, who hold very positive views about the school. Many parents are very involved in their children’s learning.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides strong and very effective leadership directed towards raising standards through improving the quality of education provided. She is very well supported by her deputy who has taken responsibility for significant aspects of the school’s development. All members of staff are committed to further improvement and now need opportunities to influence directly the teaching and learning in their subjects.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is knowledgeable and very supportive of the school. Many governors are actively involved in the school and all are committed to its agenda for improvement. Statutory requirements are fully met.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The governing body, headteacher and senior staff keep all aspects of the school’s performance under continuous review. Target setting has been successfully introduced and there is a very good programme of staff development.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school manages its budget well and makes good use of specific grants to target key areas for school improvement. The school actively seeks to obtain the best value for the money available to it.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are satisfactory overall. There are a good number of able and well-motivated learning support assistants. The accommodation is attractively designed but impractical, in that teaching spaces are small and insufficiently partitioned to prevent sound interference between classrooms. Particular strengths of the school’s leadership and management include the clear vision of the headteacher and the strong partnership between her, the staff and the governing body.

p.10

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The views of the 79 parents who returned completed questionnaires and of the 19 who attended the pre-inspection meeting with the registered inspector were taken into account. Bosham Primary School - 11

p.10

improved

• Their children like school and make good progress. • Teaching is good; the school has high expectations of children and sets the right amount of homework. • Behaviour is good and the school helps children to become mature and responsible. • They are comfortable about approaching the school with questions or problems. • The school works closely with them. • Information about their children’s progress. (12 per cent) • The range of activities outside lessons. (16 per cent) • How well the school is managed and led. (12 per cent)

p.11

improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive views expressed by parents. Inspectors judge that parents are kept very well informed about their children’s progress and that the school is well led and managed. The range and quality of extra-curricular activities is very good, particularly for a school of this size. Bosham Primary School - 12

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

1. The attainment of most children on entry to the reception class is above what is expected for their age, particularly in language and social development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Most children have taken advantage of some form of local pre-school experience. They are happy to come to school and achieve satisfactorily during the Foundation Stage. Children’s attainment on entry to Year 1 is above national expectations for nearly all children in all areas of learning. There is no noticeable difference in attainment between girls and boys.

p.12

The school’s results and achievements

2. The school’s year 2000 National Curriculum test and assessment results show that at the age of seven, pupils’ attainment was well above average compared with the national average in reading and mathematics, very high in writing and above average in science. When compared with those of similar schools, these results were also well above average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics and science. Provisional results in 2001 show an overall improvement, particularly in respect of the proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 3.

p.12

The school’s results and achievements

3. The year 2000 national test results for 11-year-olds were well below the national average in English, below average in mathematics and above average in science. When compared with those in schools nationally with pupils from similar circumstances, results in 2000 were very low in English, well below average in mathematics and in line with the average in science. Over the period 1996 to 2000, standards at the school have not risen in line with national improvements. Boys have not performed quite as well as girls in English and mathematics tests but have done better in science over the period 1998 to 2000. National test results in 2001 represent a substantial improvement in English, a slight drop in mathematics and a similar position in science, when compared with the 2000 figures. Targets set for this year group were exceeded in English but not reached in mathematics.

p.12

The school’s results and achievements

4. The school has identified a number of factors that contributed to the relatively poor results for 11-year-olds in 2000. These include the higher than usual proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the year group and the degree of movement into and out of the class during the junior years. There is evidence to support this view in so far as more than 75 per cent of the pupils who were at the school for all of their junior years made at least the required progress of two National Curriculum levels. In the last school year, 33 pupils joined and 33 pupils left the school other than at the start or end of the year; this represents around one-fifth of the school roll. This is a higher than average pupil mobility ratio and presents obvious difficulties for the school.

p.12

The school’s results and achievements

5. Inspection evidence indicates that the attainment of the pupils at the age of seven is above the national expectation in English, mathematics and science. In the other subjects of the National Curriculum, pupils’ attainment is at least in line with national expectations. At eleven, the attainment of most pupils is above the national average in English and science and in line with it in mathematics. In many other subjects of the National Curriculum their attainment is at least in line with national expectations. In art throughout the school, pupils’ attainment is well above what is expected for their age. In religious education pupils’ attainment exceeds the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. [For further details of pupils’ achievements and progress in the Foundation Stage and in the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education, see paragraphs 73 – 168].

p.12

The school’s results and achievements

6. Pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs achieve well in relation to their prior attainment and the targets set for them. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, and pupils throughout the school with the highest level of need, achieve well because teaching is tailored to their needs and they have a high level of extra adult support. Older pupils achieve well in relation to their targets, but not as well as the younger ones as they have less adult help and teachers do not consistently match work to their levels of prior attainment in all lessons. However, older Bosham Primary School - 13 pupils achieve very well in the extra literacy, booster classes and withdrawal sessions. Pupils with emotional and behavioural needs make good progress towards their targets because adults constantly support them.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Pupils’ attitudes and personal development are very good and behaviour is good. These positive factors make a significant contribution to the progress made by pupils in lessons.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils’ attitudes to the school are very good. They have high expectations of themselves and take an active interest in their lessons. They are keen to answer questions and make good contributions to class discussions. Levels of concentration are generally very good. However, on the minority of occasions when teaching is not always appropriately matched to the learning needs of lower attaining pupils, concentration is weak and children drift off task. Both infant and junior pupils are fully involved in a wide range of extra-curricular activities provided by the school, including booster classes held during the year to help Year 6 pupils raise their attainment in their end of school tests.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Overall, behaviour is good throughout the school. The vast majority of pupils know and respect the code of conduct and keep the school rules conscientiously. The school is an orderly community and children move in a sensible and safe manner around the building. Bullying is not a problem and there have been no formal exclusions this year. Pupils are polite and helpful to visitors and are ready to talk about themselves and their work. On a minority of occasions during lessons some teachers’ strategies for dealing with mildly disruptive behaviour, like talking out of turn, were slow in achieving a positive response. For odd moments the pace and continuity of lessons is disturbed by a small number of pupils who are over-excited and ignore the accepted class rules.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Relationships within the school are very good. Children trust the staff and feel secure talking to them about a variety of personal, social and academic issues. Pupils listen to the views of their fellow pupils and show appreciation for the efforts of others. For example, in a Year 6 lesson where pupils were reading their journalistic accounts, children clapped spontaneously after each person had finished reading their text. Children also applauded recorder soloists in school assemblies. Pupils collaborate very effectively in pairs and small groups. They demonstrate care and sensitivity towards their peers. For example, when pupils are upset or unwell their friends sit with them in the entrance corridor for reassurance. They make good use of the playground space and enjoy lively but safe play. The very good relationships are a major contribution to the pleasant atmosphere in school.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ personal development is very good. Younger pupils take the class registers to the office and help tidy up and give out equipment during lessons. Older children undertake supervisory duties like escorting younger children to church and assisting teachers at sports days. They listen to younger children read and organise events for the school fayre. Older pupils make good use of information and communication technology to produce newsletters that inform parents of forthcoming events in school. Pupils in the school are invited to nominate their peers for entry into the school’s Golden Book if they consider one person’s achievements to be very good in a particular area. This makes children think carefully about why children should be nominated. All children develop a wider sense of social responsibility by raising funds for worthwhile local and national charities like St. Wilfred’s Hospice and the Romanian Box

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Appeal. They perform concerts for the elderly and donate food to a local church charity for homeless people.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ attendance at the last inspection was reported to be satisfactory with below average unauthorised absence. Typical attendance was around the national average of 94 per cent. Attendance rose in 1999/2000 to 96 per cent, which was well above the national average, but the unauthorised absence at 0.6 per cent also rose above the national average. In 2000/2001 attendance fell by over two percentage points to 93.8 per cent, with unauthorised absence remaining constant at 0.6 per cent. Most of the fall can be attributed to about 30 pupils, whose attendance registered below 89 per cent. Nearly half of these pupils have now left the school, and this has led to a slight improvement in overall attendance in the first few weeks of this Bosham Primary School - 14 term to 94.5 per cent, though unauthorised absence has also risen to 0.9 per cent. Current attendance is, therefore, satisfactory, but the school is rightly concerned about the increase in

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

unauthorised absence. For attendance to have a positive effect on the attainment and progress of pupils, unauthorised absence needs to be curbed.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Lessons start punctually in the morning and after breaks. Most pupils are on time at the start of the day and display a responsible attitude to punctuality. However, some arrive after 9.10 a.m. and this is counted as unauthorised absence for that session. This makes a contribution to the figure of 0.9 per cent given above.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The overall quality of teaching is good, with a significant proportion of teaching that is very good. Of the lessons observed, 30 per cent were judged to be very good, a further 26 per cent were good, 42 per cent were satisfactory and only two per cent were unsatisfactory. This represents a considerable improvement since the last inspection, when 12.5 per cent of lessons were judged very good and 7 per cent were unsatisfactory. The reasons for the improvement include the school’s successful adoption of the National Strategies in Literacy and Numeracy, changes of teaching staff and increased emphasis on monitoring by the headteacher and deputy headteacher.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage was always at least satisfactory and good or better in 40 per cent of lesson. More than 55 per cent of teaching in both the infant and junior stages was good or better, including 43 per cent that was very good in the junior classes.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The teaching of English, including literacy, was never less than satisfactory and was good or very good in all of the lessons observed in the infant classes. In the junior classes it was very good in half of the lessons and satisfactory in the other half. In mathematics, including the National Numeracy Strategy, teaching was rarely less than satisfactory and was at least good in 57 per cent of the lessons observed, including 43 per cent that were very good.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers, together with the co-ordinator and classroom assistants, make very good individual educational plans for pupils on the register of special educational needs. These are simple and clear to follow and are used effectively to plan suitable levels of work, modify teaching methods and identify appropriate resources. This is done well for pupils with a statement of educational needs and for pupils in Years 1 and 2. These pupils achieve well on a day-to-day basis in relation to their targets.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. There is a tendency for teachers of older pupils to be very aware of the targets in the literacy hour, but not to transfer their tailored approach to other curriculum areas. However, older pupils are very well taught in the withdrawal sessions, booster classes and in extra literacy support groups and make very good progress in these sessions towards their targets. Particularly innovative is the Brain Gym , which teaches concentration, fine and gross motor control, and promotes self-esteem. Teachers and special educational needs staff have good informal liaison procedures and there are examples, such as in Year 1, where there is very good practice enabling the class teacher to know in detail what has been achieved in order to plan future lessons. Pupils with a statement of need receive very good quality support with teachers incorporating advice from outside specialists to provide the best teaching possible.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

However, teachers are not using the resources of information and communications technology sufficiently to help pupils with special educational needs to reach their targets.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Features common to the good or better teaching seen during the inspection included: • clear identification of what pupils were to learn and sharing this with them; • a clear focus on activities and tasks which directly helped pupils to achieve the learning objectives, breaking these down into small steps when necessary; • teachers’ good skills at building on and extending what pupils say, with an insistence on full explanations; • good relationships between adults and pupils, with well-established classroom routines; Bosham Primary School - 15 • good teamwork between teachers and learning support assistants; • good questioning at the start of lessons to revise what had already been learned and to check and consolidate at the end; • high expectations of the standard of pupils’ work and behaviour.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Where teaching was less successful this was often because: • learning objectives were not defined sharply enough and/or not shared with the pupils; • too little time was allocated to the lesson so that there was insufficient time for checking and consolidating learning; • not enough account was taken of the wide range of ability and existing knowledge in the class; • behaviour management routines were not well enough established and lessons were interrupted so that pupils lost concentration and became distracted.

p.15

Learning and progress

21. In 40 per cent of the lessons observed in the Foundation Stage, pupils made good progress. In 60 per cent of lessons in the infant classes and 57 per cent in the juniors, learning was judged to be good or very good. These proportions closely match the proportions of lessons that were judged to be good or better. In 65 per cent of lessons, pupils’ attitudes to their work and their behaviour were judged to be good.

p.15

The quality of marking

22. The quality of teachers’ marking in books is inconsistent, although good examples exist where teachers’ comments explain both how pupils could improve as well as praising what they have done well. At worst, it consists merely of ticks or crosses without any clue as to how these have been earned and without any instruction to correct what was wrong or improve what was not good enough.

p.15

Homework

23. Homework is set regularly and is making an important contribution both to raising standards and to involving parents more fully in their children’s education. There were some good examples during the inspection of teachers setting work to follow up and extend what was done in lessons. Pupils in Year 1, for example, were asked to sing to their parents in order to show what they had learned. The response of pupils was positive. [For further details about the quality of teaching and learning see paragraphs 73 – 168]

p.15

TO PUPILS?

24. The school’s curriculum meets all the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and offers good provision overall. The school places suitable emphasis on English, mathematics and science. The remaining time is allocated to other subjects across the curriculum to ensure that pupils have opportunities to acquire a wide range of knowledge, skills and understanding. The school does well in meeting its aim of offering all pupils an enriched curriculum. Since the last inspection the school has substantially improved the breadth and quality of learning experiences for all pupils in information and communication technology. The co-ordinator for this subject has recently networked the stand-alone systems and there is now the facility for pupils to access the Internet as a research tool.

p.15

TO PUPILS?

25. In the Year 2000, the school conducted a major review of its curriculum and its completed plans are now more closely linked to the identified needs of the school and are referenced to both the National Curriculum and the national guidance for each subject. All teaching staff use agreed formats for planning. These recent changes in practice have improved the curriculum that the school provides for all pupils. In all subjects, apart from English and mathematics, the school teaches its curriculum using a topic-based approach that promotes learning across Bosham Primary School - 16 subject areas. For example, in history pupils develop their observational drawing skills by sketching Tudor houses. They then go on to build on these prior learning experiences in design and technology by designing and making a Tudor house. The literacy and numeracy strategies have been successfully implemented and have contributed to the good improvement

p.15

TO PUPILS?

26. Although all subjects have detailed policies, these have not been consistently up-dated to the new National Curriculum requirements. In particular, not specifying cross-curricular links with literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology in teachers’ planning, means that opportunities for raising standards are missed. Many policies do not state in sufficient detail the current monitoring, evaluation and assessment procedures and refer to review dates that are greater than two years.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

27. The school recognises its responsibility for ensuring equal access and opportunities for all its pupils and makes sure that pupils have good access to all areas of school life. However, on some occasions it is not clear what higher and lower attaining pupils are to learn from the lesson; progress for these groups of pupils is then not as great as it could be. The school has identified a number of able and talented children in a wide range of subjects including English, mathematics, history, science and art. The new co-ordinator for this area recognises the need to establish a whole school policy with identification, intervention and evaluation procedures clearly stated in order to improve the existing provision for them. The school also recognises the need to provide all pupils with a challenging curriculum linked to their identified learning needs. Current arrangements within school include teaching assistants working with individuals

p.16

TO PUPILS?

and small groups in ‘Brain Gym’ activities. In addition, the school is beginning to make good use of recent research that illuminates the importance of developing all pupils’ thinking and learning skills to enable them to learn at a faster rate and evaluate their own learning in greater depth.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

28. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and all statutory requirements are met. Pupils have full access to the curriculum and extra-curricular activities. All systems and procedures connected with special needs are very good, as is the paperwork that underpins them. There is a very well thought out and clearly written policy reflecting the school’s commitment to inclusion. The curriculum is well modified for pupils with special educational needs to enable them to make good progress and take a full part in all the school has to offer. There are well written Individual Education Plans and provision is monitored and reviewed in line with the national Code of Practice. There is a high ratio of adults to younger pupils and support assistants provide effective help for individuals and small groups. Pupils with statements receive all the provision they are entitled to. A very recent development is to

p.16

TO PUPILS?

recognise that some pupils have special needs in mathematics as well as literacy and targets on their Individual Education Plans reflect this. The use of information and communication technology within the curriculum for meeting the targets of special needs pupils has not been fully explored.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

29. The school makes good day-to-day provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education and has firm plans for improving its overall provision in this area. These include staff training on issues connected with citizenship and the use of circle time, ( which is a recognised strategy that focuses on developing skills associated with conflict resolution, sympathy and empathy ). Pupils are encouraged to consider the feelings of others and be kind, considerate, and polite. The headteacher plays an effective part in resolving potential conflict situations.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

30. The school promotes a healthy eating lifestyle. Provision for drug and sex education has been thoroughly reviewed, with the involvement of staff, parents and governors, and is good.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

31. The school’s provision for extending the curriculum outside the school day is very good overall and is effective in broadening pupils’ interests. Current activities include gymnastics, art club, French, karate, swimming, football, netball, cricket, guitar and recorder, and school grounds (gardening) clubs. In addition to the wide range of extra-curricular activities, pupils’ education is greatly enhanced by a very wide range of field and residential trips, cultural visits and cross- curricular trips, any one of which is very well used to stimulate learning in several subjects – for example, the educational visit to the Weald and Downland Museum is used to enhance Bosham Primary School - 17 learning in art, design technology and history. Older pupils in Years 5 and 6 have the opportunity of attending two residential trips that develop their social skills and personal initiative. Visitors, for example, the editor from a local newspaper who talked to pupils about

p.16

TO PUPILS?

how to write journalistic reports, also provide good support.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

32. Overall, the school has developed very good links with the local community, and these contribute to the pupils’ learning. For example, the local hotel has bought the football and netball team kits and local businesses buy advertising space in the school May Fayre brochure. The wide range of planned educational visits continues to improve the school’s links with small and large businesses as well as educational institutions. In addition, the school has established very positive relationships with its partner schools. There are good arrangements in place to ensure that transition activities from primary to secondary are purposeful and meaningful to all.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

33. The provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Provision is good for moral development and satisfactory for spiritual and cultural. Overall, the provision for developing pupils’ social, moral, spiritual, and cultural awareness remains a strength of the school. However, there are missed opportunities during lessons and assemblies for further developing pupils’ spiritual and cultural skills, knowledge and understanding.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

34. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. Acts of collective worship are soundly planned and delivered in a lively manner that sustains interest in the majority of the children. The head teacher, staff, and ministers from the local Christian church take part in interesting assemblies. They offer the children opportunities for prayer but at times there are missed opportunities to give pupils sufficient time to reflect on the central aims of the assembly. For example, when unusual facts linked to natural phenomenon are discussed, like ‘ It takes 40 gallons of tree sap to make one gallon of syrup’, these are not fully explored in terms of the awe and wonder that could be developed. There are good examples of spiritual awareness being developed in lessons, such as Year 5 looking at the symbolism of the human cross that reminds us that Jesus rose from the dead. However, many teachers are unaware of

p.17

TO PUPILS?

how to make the most of the learning opportunities in order to develop this area. Current display work does not provide sufficient scope for pupils to reflect on the natural beauty of the world and the creative talents of their peers and humankind.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

35. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. The school is successful in teaching the children the difference between right and wrong. Through assemblies and in lessons, children are encouraged to think about moral issues and staff have high expectations of behaviour. For example, in one assembly led by the head teacher, children quickly deduced that the moral of the story was ‘ Don’t be greedy.’ Children have the opportunity to nominate each other for inclusion into the Golden Book , and positive behaviour is recognised by the giving out of head teacher stickers and certificates. Good individual and group behaviour is recognised quickly by teachers who use praise effectively during lessons to promote self-esteem and reinforce class rules. Staff use a positive, non-confrontational approach when dealing with challenging behaviour, which is largely successful. Sometimes staff do not fully explore the pupils self-

p.17

TO PUPILS?

management of their own behaviour during lessons, especially for mildly disruptive behaviours like talking out of turn. All staff provide very good role models and they work hard to promote a secure ethos where pupils feel confident and valued. The buildings and resources are treated with respect and there is no graffiti.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

36. The provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Teachers provide good opportunities for collaborative work, which allows pupils to approach new learning tasks in a variety of ways. For example, they can work independently by researching a topic of personal interest, or try to improve each other’s writing by working in pairs, or construct a giant picture made up of each person’s efforts. Materials and apparatus are often clearly labelled and this helps pupils to develop independence. They assist teachers by clearing away after lessons and older pupils help set out equipment for assemblies. Older pupils take responsibility for organising stalls at the school fayre and take lead roles in school productions and help with lighting and props. As part of their curriculum studies, pupils encounter different social situations through educational visits to places of local and national interest. The school has firm plans to set up a school

p.17

TO PUPILS?

Bosham Primary School - 18 council aimed at giving pupils more opportunities to use their initiative and take a leading role in the day-to-day life of the school.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

37. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory overall with good features. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to study their own and other cultures. For example, in religious education lessons pupils learn about the customs and daily practices of different religions like Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. Pupils’ knowledge of other cultures is also extended through assemblies and in lessons when comparing festivals and events from different religions such as Divali and Lent. In assemblies, for example, pupils identify the flags of various nations like France and India and learn which type of bread is most associated with that country, for example baguette and pitta . Pupils study features within their own rural settings and compare these with familiar features of town life. The school library has books on world religions and there are books in classes that celebrate different cultures. For example, in

p.18

TO PUPILS?

Year 6, pupils have the opportunity to read information about the Sikh world, the Muslim world, and the Buddhist world. However, there are few texts that explore issues such as racism and contain a wide variety of characters from other cultures. Although the school has good links with the local community there are few examples of prominent business or professional people from a variety of culturally diverse backgrounds being used to celebrate personal achievements. Pupils listen to a wide range of music both contemporary and traditional in assemblies and use musical instruments from around the world. There are good links in art activities to the study of artists from our own and different cultures like Constable and Van Gogh. Teachers miss opportunities to develop pupils’ cultural awareness further by not stating and reflecting on the cultural links in their subject planning.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The last inspection report recorded that local child protection procedures had been adopted and staff trained, though no member of staff had been allocated responsibility. Now all appropriate child protection measures are in place, although new staff have not yet had their induction training in this area. The head teacher plans to remedy this matter in the short term. Liaison with a wide range of support agencies is very close. The school’s health and safety policy, which is regularly reviewed by the governors, complies with legal requirements for health and safety and for risk assessment, and governors, the head teacher and the caretaker have received relevant training. The policy is backed up by practical and frequent inspections, which include procedures for staff to take immediate action on any matters needing urgent attention. Provision for medical care and first-aid and for evacuation in the event of fire is very

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

good. Regular tests are carried out on all types of equipment.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. At the last inspection it was noted that the school provided effective support and guidance for pupils, offering a happy, secure and stimulating environment in which they could flourish. Staff gave valuable help to pupils with special educational needs and liased with a number of support agencies. Teachers knew their pupils well and responded sensitively to their needs. Other staff worked hard to provide a high standard of care. Children under-five were valued as individuals and were treated with understanding and respect. This remains true. Class teachers look after their pupils very well and are familiar with their strengths and weaknesses. They keep a close eye on personal progress and pupils know that they can turn to them or other staff for help.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The systems for the support and guidance of pupils and for the provision for their welfare and personal development continue to work well and to make a positive contribution both to educational standards and to helping pupils feel happy and secure. The school’s very positive and cheerful atmosphere, backed up by assemblies and a good personal, health and social education programme, helps pupils to develop a strong moral and social sense and to act responsibly. Though a school council for consultation with pupils is not due to be introduced till the second half of this term, the school already offers all pupils the chance of being involved in their own target setting and in carrying out at least minor classroom duties. Older pupils, particularly those in Years 5 and 6, have the opportunity to take on extra responsibilities, such as helping younger pupils with playtime games and assisting teachers in monitoring wet

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

playtimes. There is also a ‘buddy’ system for older pupils to help younger ones at specified Bosham Primary School - 19 times, such as on sports day. Parents greatly appreciate the school’s highly effective procedures for helping new pupils to look forward with enthusiasm to joining the school. The well co-ordinated arrangements for transfer to main secondary schools ensure that pupils move on with confidence.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The last inspection report noted that the school met statutory requirements for recording attendance and following up unauthorised attendance. The current measures to promote good attendance are very effective and the school works closely with both the local education welfare service and with the Traveller support unit.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. When the school was last inspected the measures used to foster good behaviour were deemed to be effective. The behaviour policy was consistently applied by most staff and rare incidents of harassment and aggressive behaviour were dealt with firmly, though not routinely recorded. Current procedures for monitoring and promoting discipline and good behaviour are extensive and still very effective. Staff have high expectations of good behaviour and promote an orderly and cheerful atmosphere throughout the school. These expectations are realised by the standards of behaviour observed around the school. Pupils sign the code of conduct and know that the school expects them to behave sensibly. They react very positively to their names being entered in the Golden Book and some actively report thoughtful behaviour, so that their fellows’ names will be also be entered. The use of exclusion is not part of the school culture for

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

maintaining good behaviour. The school provides, as necessary, extensive personal and behavioural support to those with special educational needs.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Bullying does occasionally occur, but the school has an effective system for dealing with inappropriate behaviour, which include circle time discussions in class or the Circle of Friends system, which confronts individual bullying incidents. Time spent by the head teacher with pupils who may have difficulty in behaving sensibly and the reporting of bad behaviour to parents usually act as effective deterrents. Proper records of incidents are kept.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. In addition to the allocation of responsibilities to pupils and the personal, social, and health education programme there is a very effective system of pupil interviews with the class teacher to prepare profiles of each one’s personal needs and achievements in many areas, before discussing them with parents.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Assessment formed a key issue in the last inspection. The school has satisfactorily improved its assessment procedures and the way in which assessment is used to inform planning. Procedures are now good and the use of assessment is satisfactory. However, much is relatively new and in a developmental stage. Much still remains to be done in order to use assessment information to raise academic standards further. This is highlighted in the school’s development plan.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school carries out the usual range of standardised and informal tests in English, mathematics, and science and assesses how well pupils have achieved at regular intervals in all other subjects. The new recording procedures are good and enable teachers to discuss with parents and pupils where each pupil’s strengths and weaknesses lie. The new format reports are extremely helpful too in this respect. Data from assessments is satisfactorily used to forecast what levels pupils are expected to reach in the national tests and to provide a basis for setting whole school targets for improvement in conjunction with the local authority. Pupils take part in the national statutory assessments when they are five, seven, and eleven years old. Except for baseline assessment results, the results from these assessments and tests enable the school to compare its attainment against the attainment of schools nationally, within

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

the local education authority area and with schools where pupils come from similar backgrounds. They are used to indicate which pupils may have special educational needs or require additional support. The recent focus on improving writing standards has proved a good model which the school plans to transfer to other subjects for how assessment can be used well as a tool in determining pupils current attainment and identifying what needs to be done to achieve a higher standard and in setting precise individual targets for each pupil. Assessment data is used well to tailor booster class teaching before the national tests for seven and eleven years olds to help them attain the best results possible. Bosham Primary School - 20 47. The school has identified a slight weakness in teachers’ understanding of the level descriptors in the National Curriculum, especially mathematics, and has planned a series of meetings to

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

improve this in the coming weeks. For example, in the 2001 test results for eleven-year-olds in mathematics, pupils performed much worse than teachers expected, because knowledge of exactly what is required at each level was weak.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The main weakness in using assessment data is in using it to improve the curriculum, teaching and standards of attainment by identifying areas where pupils achieve less well. However, a start has been made by some co-ordinators within their subjects by analysing where pupils did not score highly in national tests. Although the data is well used to monitor individual progress it is not used satisfactorily yet to view the performance over time of different groupings within school to ensure pupils of either gender, or pupils with special educational needs or those with higher prior attainment are making the best possible progress nor is it used to set group targets for them to raise standards. This leads to an element of underachievement, especially by the more able pupils in English, mathematics and science, especially in the junior classes. It is a similar picture in the Foundation Stage (see paragraph 86). Management is not yet viewing

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

the assessment data it has in a sufficiently analytical way to raise standards by setting challenging enough targets for all pupils and modifying the curriculum to effect it, although a good start has been made to raise writing standards.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic progress are satisfactory. The school has recently started to put results of assessments on a computer system. Unfortunately those teachers who trained in using this programme effectively have left and until more have trained there is slight bewilderment about accessing and using its stored information. Training is planned for the near future and then the system will be used to track pupils as they move through the school to see whether they are making sufficient progress.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The support given to pupils to make progress academically is satisfactory and it is good in writing which is the current focus for raising attainment. All teachers talk to pupils and their parents about how they are getting on and what areas need improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school cares for its pupils with special educational needs well. Following recent whole school training all individual education plans now have very precise success criteria for teachers to judge achievement and rates of progress as well as to plan future programmes. There is good dialogue between all adults working with pupils on the school’s special educational needs register, as well as the more formal regular monitoring and review procedures. The school has highlighted the need to develop criteria, based on the use of data, to determine at what point pupils need to be put on the register or move up or down a stage. However, as in other areas, the data held on the special educational needs register in not used as a management tool to take an overview of the effectiveness of provision, especially over the longer term.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Relationships and communication with parents are strengths of the school. The last inspection report did not comment on parents’ views about the school, but noted that the school had developed strong and effective links with its parents. They played an active and valuable part in the school and in their children’s learning, with a considerable number giving voluntary help. The Bosham School Association raised substantial funds for the school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Parents have an overwhelmingly positive view of the school. They confirm that their children enjoy coming to school and consider that they make good progress. Respondents to the questionnaire feel that behaviour in the school is good, and those at the parents’ meeting confirmed this view, commenting favourably on how the school promotes a caring attitude. Parents see the teaching as good and consider that pupils get the right amount of homework . They feel comfortable about approaching the school and recognise that it both expects their children to achieve their best and effectively helps them to mature. They regard the school as working closely with them. Bosham Primary School - 21 54. While nearly all respondents to the questionnaire gave positive answers to all questions, a very small minority took a more negative view of the school’s performance in three areas. They feel that the school is not well led and does not keep them well informed. They also tend to

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

disagree that the school provides an interesting range of extra-curricular activities. Those at the parents’ meeting saw very little that needed improvement. The inspection team supported parents’ positive comments about the school, but concluded that the minority concerns were not justified. There is a very good range of activities outside lessons, the school is well led and managed, and parents are kept exceptionally well informed about progress.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. The school’s links with parents are highly effective. Parents want their children to do well and most see that homework is done. They ensure that pupils look well turned-out in their uniform. The school consults parents on its performance, as in the recent survey on annual reports and on encouraging good behaviour, and takes their views into account. It plans to continue the consultation process. It provides them with frequent information evenings on matters of educational interest, such as the presentation of homework and the contents of the curriculum. The school holds three very well supported parents’ consultation meetings on progress each year and actively encourages informal contact by parents. Parents are invited to a wide range of musical and dramatic productions, sporting events, assemblies and other activities. The Bosham School Association of parents and supporters holds social and fund-raising events

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

that raise significant sums for the benefit of their children.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The quality of information provided for parents is excellent. The tone of the school’s documentation is welcoming and the contents are informative. The prospectus and governors’ report to parents are comprehensive and meet statutory requirements. There is a regular monthly newsletter to keep parents informed on specific school events and requirements. It could, perhaps, benefit from the inclusion of pupils’ contributions. New parents are informed of the contents of key school policies, such as those relating to homework, behaviour and special educational needs.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are informed as soon as their child is placed on the school’s register of special educational needs and thereafter kept fully informed about their progress. The co-ordinator has written a very helpful explanatory pamphlet based on the school’s policy, which all parents are given when their child is placed on the register. Parents of pupils with individual education plans or statements of special educational needs are fully involved in the reviews of their children’s progress.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. Annual written reports meet statutory requirements and the quality of their presentation and content is exceptional. They evaluate pupils’ performance clearly, and staff are consistent in setting out what pupils know, can do and understand. Reports incorporate targets agreed with pupils and make provision for parental comments, before they are discussed with parents.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The contribution of parents to children’s learning at school and at home is excellent. Parents have the opportunity to keep themselves informed about their children’s homework and to support day-to-day progress through the homework diaries. Currently there is a large number of dedicated parent volunteers working very effectively to broaden pupils’ experience in school. They help in class, in the library and around the school, and many support sports fixtures, outings and residential visits.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. This is a well-managed and organised school. The headteacher provides strong and purposeful leadership, directed towards raising the level of pupils’ achievements through improving the quality of education that the school provides. Staff respond positively to her leadership and there is a strong sense of teamwork throughout the school. The previous inspection in 1997 reported that the headteacher provided strong leadership and gave clear direction to the work of the school and that the governing body effectively steered and supported that work. This positive view is amply substantiated by the present inspection. Key issues from the last inspection have been dealt with effectively. Bosham Primary School - 22 61. There are clear systems for keeping the work of the school under continuous review. The headteacher and her deputy have undertaken substantial monitoring of the quality of teaching

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and learning through classroom observations. Much of the head teacher’s termly report to governors is focused on improvement issues and this enables governors to contribute substantially to decisions about priorities for development and spending.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The deputy headteacher, to whom the head has delegated substantial responsibilities, including curriculum review, supports the headteacher very well. Over the past two years the head teacher, deputy head teacher and the appropriate subject co-ordinators have monitored the quality of teaching and learning with particular emphasis on raising the standards of literacy, numeracy and science. This approach has been effective and especially noticeable in the recent improvement in English standards at eleven. Through looking at curriculum planning and subject anthologies which illustrate good practice in the infants and the juniors, co-ordinators check that schemes of work are being implemented and reviewed. They also ensure that there are adequate resources for their subjects and provide practical help for colleagues in lesson planning. They have satisfactory action plans to develop provision in their

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

subjects but the impact on pupils’ achievements is reduced because of the lack of opportunities to observe teaching and learning in other classes. The school recognises that the next stage in the development of the role of the co-ordinator is the introduction of a rolling programme of classroom observations by them.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school has a comprehensive and very well constructed school improvement plan, derived from discussion of priorities among governors and staff. The plan identifies targets that include further development of the successful work on individual target setting based on accurate assessment, the development of thinking skills and strategies for learning and challenging more able pupils in mathematics. Appropriate action has been taken on earlier, and continuing, priorities such as improving writing and standards have risen as a result.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school benefits from the support of a knowledgeable and active governing body. The chairperson and other governors are frequent and welcome visitors to the school. Through their involvement, governors make an important contribution to improving the quality of education that the school provides. The governing body is kept fully informed and fulfils its statutory responsibilities well. It works very effectively through its committee structure and governors attend a variety of relevant training courses.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. Staff, governors, pupils and parents are aware of the school’s central aim of providing an enjoyable, enriched educational experience that is relevant and meaningful to every child. There is a clear commitment to equal opportunities and every effort is made to include all pupils in what is provided.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. There is good leadership and management of special educational needs provision. Governors have a firm commitment to the best provision possible, believing in early identification and spending money on a good deal of adult support in Years 1 and 2. However, the special educational needs register or data from standardised tests is not looked at to assess individual or group rates of progress over the longer term in order to determine how effective teaching and support are and whether good value for money is being obtained.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The co-ordinator for special educational needs is very knowledgeable, competent and hard working. She has a clear view of what needs to be done to improve provision further and a strong commitment to doing so. She is very effective in her administration and in leading and advising staff. However, as she is part time and has other areas of responsibility there is insufficient time for her to carry out the role effectively, except by giving a lot of her personal time outside school hours. The learning support assistants are experienced and well trained and are highly committed to meeting the individual needs of pupils. They take a full part in the planning and reviewing process for pupils with special educational needs. Learning support assistants are keen to improve their personal knowledge of how to help pupils and understand their needs, and attend many courses and the national special educational needs conference.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

They make an essential contribution to the quality of pupils’ learning and to raising standards. The school makes good use of advice from outside agencies and the very supportive local authority advisers. Bosham Primary School - 23 68. The school continues to provide good value for money. The headteacher and the governing body, through its finance committee, manage the budget very well. Spending is very closely linked to the priorities identified in the school improvement plan. The school makes very good use of specific grants, for example the standards fund, to achieve improvement. The bursar ensures that there is very good day-to-day financial control and that the headteacher and the governing body have the information that they need. The office staff provide good support to the headteacher and are an important link with parents. The school uses new technology well to support its administrative and financial procedures and actively seeks to obtain best value

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for the money allocated to it. The governing body has been prudent in maintaining a contingency fund large enough to enable it to carry out building improvements and to maintain a good level of staffing. This fund will reduce during this year from around £29,000 to around £15,000; this is an appropriate sized carry forward figure, given the overall budget.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The school is well staffed and there are good procedures for professional development and performance management. The induction and support of teachers new to the staff, including those who are newly qualified, is good. As well as the personal support that established colleagues offer, the recently revised handbook provides a very good reference point.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. The school provides a very clean, bright, pleasant environment, with adequate accommodation for the teaching of the National Curriculum. There is enough teaching space overall, but the pairs of open-plan classrooms in the main block are rather cramped, even though each pair is enhanced by a substantial shared area. This can at times lead to the disruption of lessons through legitimate activities in the neighbouring room or in the shared area. Pupils in the reception class are accommodated in a temporary mobile classroom, which is just about adequate. The school hall and cloakrooms are rather small for the numbers of pupils, but the accommodation is used as effectively as possible, for example, the hall doubles as a gym. Although the school has no field of its own, the recreation ground adjacent to the school is used for sports and school activities. The on-site outside play area is restricted to two small

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

hard-surfaced playgrounds. The school has firm plans to install a fenced play area for pupils under five following the resolution of problems with the recent playground re-surfacing. However, all pupils benefit from a fine, extensively used indoor swimming pool and from an environmental teaching area containing a little pond. The previous inspection report came to broadly similar conclusions, though it noted that there was insufficient teaching space for children under five.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. At the time of the last inspection resources were judged to be satisfactory with a good range of historical and cultural artefacts and an adequate supply of books, though there was not enough quality fiction. Some of the two computers per class were old and unreliable. The resources for learning remain at least satisfactory in all areas, but there have been some improvements. The resources for history are now very good and those for English, science, geography and art are good. There are enough books of good quality in the library and they are easily accessible and well used. The school’s stock of computers is still only adequate, but they are now up-to- date, and are well located for easy access. The school enhances its teaching and learning environment with a range of artefacts and with displays both of pupils’ work and of instructional material. These are attractive, imaginative and well designed.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

72. In accordance with the existing agenda for school development, the headteacher, with the governing body and staff, should:

p.23

of assessment information to help them achieve or surpass these targets by:

• Developing the role of the subject co-ordinators in this respect (see below); • Making sure that assessments of pupils’ progress relate directly to what they were intended to learn; • Planning work for pupils of different abilities that is sharply focused on their targets. Bosham Primary School - 24 (paragraphs 20, 27, 48,84, 86, 109, 111, 112)

p.23

in their subjects by:

• Enabling them to observe the teaching of their subjects; • Making sure that plans are checked for evidence of planning that is sharply focused on helping pupils to achieve their learning goals within the subject; • Regularly sampling pupils’ work. (paragraphs 62, 113, 140, 146) Bosham Primary School - 25

p.24

to improve:

• The provision for preparing pupils for life in multi-ethnic Britain. (paragraph 37) • The attendance of a small number of pupils. (paragraph 12) • Those aspects of the accommodation that hinder the maintenance of a quiet and purposeful working atmosphere. (paragraph 70) Bosham Primary School - 26

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 47

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 30 26 42 2 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 170

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 2

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 43

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 33

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 33

p.26

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Bosham Primary School - 27

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 10 18 28

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 9 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 17 16

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (96) 93 (96) 89 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 9 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 16 17

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (96) 89 (96) 93 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 10 17 27

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 9 6 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 11 16

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 85 (59) 63 (72) 96 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 7 8 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 13 14

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 70 (52) 78 (79) 89 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Bosham Primary School - 28

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 4 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.1 Financial year 2000/2001

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.7

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 407,209

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 2,120

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 162 Balance brought forward from previous year 9,430

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 28,971 Bosham Primary School - 29

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 51 39 9 0 1

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 31 60 8 0 1

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 43 47 9 0 1

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 47 40 9 3 1

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 46 1 0 0

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 46 51 3 0 1

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 35 61 4 0 0

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 37 48 11 1 3

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 47 47 0 0 5

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 43 41 13 3 1

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

Some rows do not add to 100 because of rounding.

p.29

Other issues raised by parents

Parents commented that the accommodation is not ideal but that the school does its best with what it has. While they enjoyed the big productions side of music, a few parents felt that there could be more emphasis on class music. Bosham Primary School - 30

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. Provision for the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Evidence, however, is limited, as it was not possible to see work from last year’s reception class, except as a photographic record. The inspection took place early in the first half term of the academic year when all children were new to the school. As there was no Foundation stage at the time of the previous report, it is impossible to make exact comparisons although indications are that provision is similar to that at the time of the previous inspection. Children are admitted to the reception class on a part time basis when they are four years old and start full time in the term of their fifth birthday. All have previously attended playgroups or nurseries. The attainment of most children on entry to the reception class is above what is expected for their age. Children are happy to come to school and achieve satisfactorily. By the end of the Foundation Stage the majority of children

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

are on course to exceed the six Early Learning Goals 1 . There is no noticeable difference in attainment between girls and boys. At present, no reception children are identified as having special educational needs.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

74. The personal, social and emotional development of children exceeds the defined learning goals by the end of the reception year. Children’s good attitudes and behaviour enable them to be ready to make the most of the next stage of their schooling. Children behave well even when not directly supervised, for example, when they enact a story about a house on fire to consolidate the information they had learnt on a class visit to Bosham Fire Station. Children conform well to school routines. They dress and undress themselves with minimum help for playtime and physical education lessons. Children are friendly, tidy away their things when asked and listen carefully to instructions. They are keen to learn, confident to try new activities and have trusting relationships with their teacher and other adults who work with them.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

75. Teaching is satisfactory and underpins all other learning. This enables children to achieve soundly and face the challenge of new learning. The reception teacher provides good opportunities for collaborative play and for developing social skills in the different practical areas such as the Post Office and sand tray. Children are encouraged to share, take turns, and work together. Adults manage children very well in a caring and supportive environment. They praise children’s efforts and make them feel valued and special. They speak kindly and politely and expect children to do the same. Consequently, the relationships within the class are very good. Teaching develops children’s concentration skills satisfactorily. For example, by ensuring that children concentrate sufficiently during whole class demonstrations to enable them to transfer what they have watched to independent learning, such as when being shown

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

that heavier objects made one side of the balances go lower.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

76. Communication, language and literacy skills are above average at the end of the Foundation Stage. The reception class follows the National Literacy Strategy at the appropriate level. The teaching of reading is good. The teacher has very good knowledge of how to teach the basic skills, leading to fluent reading and an enjoyment of books. There are many notices around the class for children to read and a good selection of books. The class teacher has a good graded programme that links pre-reading skills with learning and blending the letter sounds and recognising the most frequently used whole words. Children are encouraged to take library books home each week to share with parents and to start on the school reading scheme when

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

Early learning goals - these are expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They refer mainly to achievements children make in connection with the following six areas of learning: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; and personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical and creative development. There are many goals for each area of learning, for example, in communication, language and literacy pupils should be able to write their own name and other things such as labels and begin to write simple sentences. Bosham Primary School - 31 they are ready. Children also read frequently and individually to adults in school and have stories read to them and assessments of their progress are continually noted. This effective home school partnership and good teaching results in high levels of interest and achievement

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

by children with all levels of prior attainment.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

77. The teaching of communication skills is satisfactory. There are plenty of opportunities for children to listen and ask questions to acquire knowledge from different adults, such as when the local policeman comes to visit, and to work in groups. There are also many opportunities to use imaginative language and develop specific vocabulary through role-play such as in the class vets surgery. However, most of this is incidental learning rather than a specific programme for building communication skills. Teaching objectives are not defined, nor specific assessments made about this area of learning throughout the year. Most children have good levels of communication when they arrive, and these are consolidated during the year.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

78. The teaching of writing is satisfactory, linking meaningfully with the teaching of letter sounds in reading and the usual range of opportunities are provided for children to develop their writing skills. There are informal opportunities connected with role-play such as making pretend shopping lists as well as the usual development of copying over and under teachers’ script. The teacher helps children to form their letters correctly and understand the sounds letters make. Children achieve satisfactorily and by the end of the year most of them can write a short sentence independently with correctly shaped and formed letters. The children with the highest prior attainment use their knowledge of sounds and words gained in their reading programme to write at greater length.

p.31

Mathematical development

79. Attainment in mathematics at the end of the Foundation Stage is above average. Teaching is satisfactory and the majority of children achieve as expected, but those with the highest prior attainment do not. This is because their prior attainment is not identified soon enough nor work planned to enable them to progress at their maximum possible rate. The school has not agreed how children completing the Foundation Stage curriculum before the end of the year could work within the next level. The school has identified this as an area for development. The good point in teaching is that it is all based on practical activities to underpin abstract concepts and there is good attention to developing precise mathematical vocabulary. For example, a post office is set up for children to buy stamps and post letters to understand money problems and children are taught to identify parcels as heavier or lighter.

p.31

Mathematical development

80. Information and communication technology is used well to support mathematical learning. During the inspection, one child confidently used an on-screen balance and pictures of different groceries to consolidate ideas about weight. In the course of the year, each area within the mathematics curriculum is covered and children have a good grounding in mathematical ideas with which to start their learning in Year 1. Children understand the language of measurement, mainly based on their work in the bears’ topic and linked to the story of the Three Bears. They add and subtract with different objects and begin to write their workings down as conventional sums. They know the names and some of the properties of the basic shapes. However, planning is insufficiently rigorous or purposeful. It is more focused on the activities that children will take part in rather than what they are intended to learn by doing

p.31

Mathematical development

them. Consequently, many children are just playing rather than learning through purposeful practical activities and at the end of each session the teacher has insufficient evidence of what each child has learnt in order to tailor future teaching as an extension to what is already known.

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

81. No direct teaching was seen in this area. Talking to children, evidence from planning and photographs indicate that both when children start school, and at the end of the reception year, children’s standards are above average and their achievement is similar to that usually found. The class teacher uses good methods, such as the use of visits and visitors and first-hand experiences linked with project work to provide many opportunities for children to extend their knowledge. For example, children visit the fire station and invite a lollypop lady and the local policemen to come to school to find out how they help the community. Children bring in their Bosham Primary School - 32 families’ teddy bears during the bear project and compare their ages and find out about toys in earlier times from the museum outreach worker. A photograph shows children enjoying trying out whips and tops in the playground. Children know why things sink or float through using the

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

water tray and talk about the weather at different times of the year. They use the computer to support mathematics learning, confidently dragging and dropping on screen pictures using the mouse. Most children know their address and draw simple routes such as how they got to the fire station. They cook cakes in a hot oven and know that heating causes mixtures to change from ‘sloppy’ to ‘hard’. The weakness in this area is that there is no planned teaching about other faiths or cultures although children have a good grounding in the Christian faith and stories from the Bible. They follow the locally agreed religious education scheme.

p.32

Physical development

82. Most children are on course to exceed this early learning goal at the end of the Foundation Stage. Only one formal gym lesson was seen and in this the teaching was very good and children achieved very highly. This was because it was well planned and based on what pupils had learnt in the previous lesson. Each child had a very great deal of personal support and encouragement. The teacher knew exactly what she wanted to achieve, as did the children. They made very good use of the hall space to move in a variety of ways and speeds. The children safely got out and put away apparatus in small groups with minimal assistance. They behaved in exemplary fashion and concentrated so well that their performance was of exceptionally good quality. Reception children also benefit from a weekly swimming lesson in the school pool from April to October. Outside the classroom pupils have ample space in the playground to use wheeled toys and to play adventurous activities. However, the lack of a

p.32

Physical development

secure gated area attached to the room makes it unsafe for children to use the facilities unless an adult is constantly supervising and there is no covered area to use in inclement weather or climbing apparatus. Improving this is a priority within the school development plan. Inside the classroom there are many activities to develop smaller muscles such as painting, cutting and using construction sets.

p.32

Creative Development

83. No lessons were seen during the inspection. However, the teacher provides a wealth of good opportunities for development in this area. During the inspection children were seen busily engaged in role-play, developing their imaginations well. This was based on a visit to the Bosham Fire station and children were dressed as firemen, using scooters and tricycles as fire engines and using a garden hose to put out a fire. Pupils have free access to a variety of paper, fasteners and scissors and enjoy making different things such as envelopes to put pretend letters in during role-play in the post office. There is the usual range of resources for creative development from small world toys to construction sets and art and craft materials. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and consequently pupils’ learning is sound.

p.32

Teaching overall

84. All teaching is at least satisfactory. This is similar to the previous inspection findings. The teacher’s understanding of how to teach the basic skills and her knowledge of children’s pattern of development is satisfactory. These are at their best in reading, but less secure in mathematics. Planning is detailed, but concentrates too much on what children will do rather than what they will learn. As lesson objectives lack precision, so too does the assessment at the end of sessions. Consequently lessons are insufficiently based on what pupils already know and can do and what they need to learn next, except in reading. This limits children’s achievement, most noticeably the achievement of those children with the highest prior attainment. This is further compounded by a lack of linking between the Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum Programme of study for those who are ready to start it within their

p.32

Teaching overall

reception year. The school has identified both these issues within its school development plan.

p.32

Teaching overall

85. There is a good mixture of whole class and small group teaching. Children are managed very well, providing a secure and happy environment in which they feel valued and stimulated. The teacher promotes very good relationships within the classroom and works effectively as a team with her assistant. Although the class teacher constantly assesses what children know and can Bosham Primary School - 33 do and undertakes a very full baseline assessment to meet statutory obligations when pupils join the school, this data is not used well enough to raise standards or evaluate children’s progress in detail. For example, children’s attainment on entry is not evaluated against standards in other schools within the area; assessment made during the year is not quantified by progression through the Foundation Stage stepping stones towards the National Curriculum. There is no overview of how the year group as a whole is performing in order to ascertain the

p.32

Teaching overall

value that is being added to children’s knowledge and understanding in the Foundation Stage in order to modify the curriculum. Whilst there is a friendly relationship with the pre-school playgroup, the school does not receive any records of children’s attainment and so is not able to provide continuity of learning. Consequently there is a pause at the start of the reception year while this is ascertained and this is clearly detrimental to progress especially for the higher attaining pupils.

p.33

ENGLISH

86. Since the last inspection test results indicate that seven-year-old children continue to achieve well above average results in reading and writing. In 2001, results show that 92 per cent of pupils attained Level 2 or above in reading and half of these attained a Level 3, which is one grade higher than their expected level of attainment. Fourteen per cent of higher attaining pupils in this class attained a Level 4 in reading, which was an excellent achievement. In writing, 93 per cent of pupils attained Level 2 or above in writing. Again, almost half of these achieved a Level 3.

p.33

ENGLISH

87. Pupil’s results in 2000 were below the national expectation for eleven year olds. However, this year’s provisional results showed a significant improvement in pupils’ overall attainment in English at eleven. In 2001, 85 per cent of pupils attained the expected Level 4 or above, and this was an increase of 27 per cent on the previous year’s test results. In addition, 37 per cent of children achieved a Level 5, which was 13 per cent better than in the year 2000. Inspection findings indicate that pupils with special educational needs made good progress throughout the school

p.33

ENGLISH

88. It was noted during the inspection that there are a significant number of pupils with special educational needs in several classes and in addition, there is a relatively high level of pupil mobility amongst the school population. For example, in the present Year 6 class almost one third of the class did not start school in the infants and one-fifth of the group have identified special educational needs, including two pupils with full statements. These factors have a bearing on the unevenness that is indicated in the school’s national test results for eleven-year- olds over the last five years.

p.33

ENGLISH

89. Although the majority of children enter school at the age of four with above average language skills, the school has identified and targeted children’s speaking and listening and writing skills as two key areas for improvement. The school has an accurate picture of current attainment in all year groups and has established a secure target setting system, which includes pupils from Year 1 being involved in setting their own writing targets. In addition, it has challenging performance targets based on prior attainment for all year groups. Good assessment and target setting systems enable teachers to focus on improving areas of weakness and in turn this is steadily raising the achievements of all pupils. This is beginning to have an impact on raising standards in literacy across the school.

p.33

ENGLISH

90. The overall improvements in learning have been achieved because of good quality teaching and the successful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy. The good quality specialist and teaching assistant support makes an important contribution to all pupils’ progress. The work of the teaching assistant responsible for the implementation of the Additional Literacy Strategy is very good and this is having a significant impact in raising the attainment of lower attaining pupils in areas like speaking and listening, reading and spelling. Writing and reading across the curriculum is good in several subject areas, especially history. For example, in a Year 4 history lesson the teacher clearly explained the difference in meaning between the words ‘alms and arms’ which sounded the same when read aloud. Bosham Primary School - 34 91. The majority of pupils make at least good progress in developing their speaking and listening

p.33

ENGLISH

skills. Many children begin school with good prior learning experiences such as listening to a range of stories both real and imagined. In Years 1 and 2 many pupils speak in extended sentences and listen attentively and enthusiastically to the teacher and one another. Many pupils use descriptive words in discussions and confidently answer teachers’ open and closed questions. Shared reading sessions provide good opportunities for pupils to extend their reading and vocabulary skills. For example, in a Year 1 lesson that was based on the poem Snore by Michael Rosen, pupils volunteered words like sneeze and sniffle when asked to identify words beginning with ‘sn.’ By the end of Year 2, pupils maintain their eagerness to participate in group discussions and often volunteer useful additional information. Teachers constantly check on understanding of vocabulary especially when unusual or technical words

p.34

ENGLISH

are introduced. This ensures that all pupils have good access to the lesson and make good progress. For example, in a Year 3 lesson the teacher clearly explained the difference between the terms dialogue and speech and went on to reinforce pupils’ understanding of when to use speech marks in an enjoyable role-play situation.

p.34

ENGLISH

92. Year 6 pupils listen for extended periods of time to newspaper reports written by their peers. The majority of pupils are articulate and confident when they read journalistic accounts with good intonation. They have a good knowledge and understanding of audience. However, a small number of pupils have underdeveloped presentation skills and speak too quietly when reading their work to the class.

p.34

ENGLISH

93. Pupils’ standards in reading are above national expectations and well above for many pupils throughout the school. A large number of the older infants read accurately and fluently with good understanding. Some read simpler texts and combine the sounds of individual letters to read unfamiliar words. Pupils who have special educational needs develop a bank of basic words they recognise by sight and a good knowledge of individual letter sounds. They use this knowledge to read new words in a variety of fiction and non-fiction books. Most pupils at the age of eleven use indexes, contents and glossaries of books confidently. All know how to find information using heading, diagrams and text. However, some older pupils lack confidence in using the school’s numerical Dewey classification system, which reduces their ability to find specific information quickly.

p.34

ENGLISH

94. In all classes the majority of pupils read together and independently with expression and enthusiasm. When they come across unfamiliar words they use their previous knowledge of the structure of words or sound out the letter blends. Many use the clues provided in the meaning of the story or from their knowledge of grammar. A large number of pupils enjoy reading a variety of reading material at home and parents support and encourage their children very well to understand the value of books. The school has a good reading policy and all teachers have high expectations of pupil attainment. For example, in Year 6 pupils are encouraged to self-check the range of texts they read including poetry and historical fiction.

p.34

ENGLISH

95. Pupils enjoy reading and can quote their favourite author. They talk knowledgeably about the books they like and comment enthusiastically about popular authors like Jacqueline Wilson and characters like Harry Potter. Many pupils find out more about their favourite authors by reading their autobiographies. All pupils experience a wide range of texts in their literacy lessons, including poetry, stories and non-fiction material. Older pupils are developing very good comprehension skills and are becoming proficient in using inference and deduction to glean understanding from challenging fictional material like Norton Juster’s ‘Phantom Tollbooth.’

p.34

ENGLISH

96. Attainment in writing is often at least above the national average for a significant number of infant pupils. In the juniors, overall results are below national expectations. However, the proportion of infant and junior pupils attaining above average levels has increased over the last two years. The school has appropriately identified writing as an on-going priority area for development and there have been major improvements in pupils’ writing skills since the last inspection. Pupils make good progress through Years 1 and 2 in spite of several pupils having identified difficulties with their knowledge of written vocabulary in Year 1. By the time pupils are seven, many space and position words satisfactorily and use guide lines to develop good presentation skills. Above average pupils demarcate sentences with capital letters and full Bosham Primary School - 35 stops accurately and spell a large number of common words correctly. Difficulties arise from

p.34

ENGLISH

spellings that include a combination of vowels that produce different sounds like ‘toes.’ Pupils increase their knowledge of word endings like ‘ed’, by categorising verbs such as played and looked by their distinctive end sounds like ‘d’ and ‘t.’ Higher attaining pupils use their knowledge of sounds and spelling patterns to write words with similar sounds like pie, fly and night, correctly. They write common word endings accurately like ‘ing’ in shouting and make plausible attempts at spelling complex words like ‘tricked’ and ‘breakfast.’

p.35

ENGLISH

97. There is good evidence of pupils writing for a range of purposes and styles. For example, in Year 2 pupils write clear instructions about how to make a jelly and write informal letters to friends that demonstrate a good understanding of formal writing conventions, including writing a postal address. Higher attaining pupils write descriptive character profiles and gain confidence and accuracy in story writing tasks that show a growing awareness of key elements like settings and dialogue. Higher attaining pupils at the age of eleven use adjectives and adverbs correctly to write interesting journalistic accounts. They know that using simple connectives like ‘and’ and ‘but’ demonstrates a lower level of writing skills than using more sophisticated and interesting words like ‘until’ and ‘despite’ and phrases like ‘ as well as.’ Older pupils are presented with challenging tasks such as re-writing familiar tales like ‘How the Turtle

p.35

ENGLISH

Got His Shell’ into a more modern style. They develop their biographical skills by writing informative diary accounts and write descriptive texts of friends in imaginary situations, like being involved in big stage shows like ‘Bugsy Malone.’ Older pupils write war poems that critically address spiritual issues with questions such as ‘Dear God, what is the meaning of bloodshed?’ In junior classes, pupils use a wider range of spelling strategies to write complex words correctly. They use syllabification to split words into manageable chunks, use the root word and add a prefix or suffix to spell correctly. They use dictionaries and thesaurus to help them identify mis-spelt words and extend their written vocabulary. Pupils are assisted in improving their writing by having personal targets that are linked to the National Curriculum programmes of study. The quality of handwriting improves as children move through the

p.35

ENGLISH

school. Although a good proportion of the older pupils produce fluent, joined and legible script there are examples of higher attaining pupils still not writing in a cursive style.

p.35

ENGLISH

98. Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. In the infants, three lessons were observed; two were judged to be good and the other to be very good. In the juniors, two of four lessons were satisfactory and the others were very good. Overall, over 70 per cent of the teaching observed was good or better. Although these results are similar to the findings of the last inspection, there has been a significant improvement in teachers’ subject knowledge and National Curriculum assessment skills, especially in the juniors. Teachers’ planning is thorough and class objectives are shared and clearly understood by the majority of pupils. Guided reading and writing in small groups provide intensive teaching with very good support that leads to many pupils making good progress during lessons. All teachers have a good knowledge of literacy and often use a range of strategies and materials to stimulate learning by

p.35

ENGLISH

sustaining pupils’ interest. Expectations of individual and group attainment are high and pupils’ respond well to teachers’ sensitive questioning techniques, which take into account the learning needs of the majority of pupils. There is evidence of good marking, especially in the infants, which celebrates individual achievement and informs the pupils about what they need to do next to improve. Reports to parents are of a very high standard and illuminate what children have learned with clearly stated target areas for improvement.

p.35

ENGLISH

99. On a minority of occasions where teaching is less successful, strategies do not always cater for the specific needs of lower attaining pupils. For example, in the concluding part of a Year 2 lesson that involved children in categorising words by their end sounds, some pupils with special needs struggled to participate fully and lost concentration. In another lesson, in Year 4, pupils worked in pairs trying to make better sense of each other’s writing in terms of using punctuation like commas and full stops more accurately. This was a very challenging activity for all pupils especially those with short concentration spans who found aspects of the task difficult. These pupils might have benefited from an additional simplified task with clearer learning outcomes.

p.35

ENGLISH

100. The two co-ordinators responsible for developing the subject are committed, hard working and provide good and effective leadership. There has been a structured approach to the monitoring Bosham Primary School - 36 of English teaching and this has been more rigorous in the junior years. In addition, there is good evidence of monitoring the subject and recent developments include a more active involvement by pupils in knowing and establishing their own National Curriculum targets. The co-ordinators have made a thorough review of curriculum provision and established an agreed system for improving writing attainment by using individual targets that are linked to realistic and challenging performance targets. Both co-ordinators have a good knowledge of priority areas for development and this is illuminated in the subject’s long-term action plan.

p.35

ENGLISH

101. Target setting is informed through good individual assessment practices but as yet there is not a simple cohesive system for tracking individual National Curriculum attainment across each year group. Although the analysis and use of test data is good overall, it could be even further developed by test results being analysed in greater detail for gender and individual group differences, such as the performance of lower and higher attaining pupils. There is under-use of graded National Curriculum assessment procedures to track the progress of lower attaining pupils. The school has a thorough and detailed policy, which the co-ordinators recognise needs to be up-dated to meet new National Curriculum requirements. They also recognise that it should contain the school’s current assessment practices and methods for monitoring and evaluation to maintain consistency in implementation. The last inspection report commented

p.36

ENGLISH

on incomplete schemes of work and these are now finished with additional supplementary guidance for staff. However, there is limited written guidance to support teachers in developing spelling and handwriting for pupils who have achieved above National Curriculum Level 3. Overall, resources for the subject are good and the library provision has been significantly improved since the last inspection.

p.36

ENGLISH

102. Good use has been made of new technology and all staff and pupils have been trained in using a computer as a resource to find books quickly. There are two designated library areas and these contain a satisfactory range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Children also have good access to a variety of reading materials and resources in classrooms and resource areas like the staff room. Both libraries are well organised and children read and borrow books regularly. The main library for the juniors is well organised and offers a wide range of material for information or pleasure. However, there are a limited amount of texts available to develop children’s multi-cultural awareness. A notable feature of the main library is the use of the Dewey classification system to familiarise pupils with how a public library works and this facilitates pupils using their independent research skills during lessons. Older pupils have

p.36

ENGLISH

access to the Internet and some make good use of this as a research tool to find out information related to their class topics and personal interest.

p.36

ENGLISH

103. The school has worked hard to promote parental partnership in reading. Workshops run by the school for parents teach the skills of shared reading and provide active support to help them promote positive attitudes in their children from an early age. All pupils are encouraged to listen to and read a range of literature including Folk and Fairy tales, modern fiction, classical poetry and world literature. The school make good use of homework and there is an effective reading record booklet that generates a good dialogue between parents and staff regarding children’s reading competences and habits.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

104. Inspection evidence shows that standards in mathematics are above average by the end of Year 2. As there is no kept work from last year’s Year 6 and the inspection is very close to the start of the new school year, it is not possible to quantify current standards at the end of year 6. However the work seen at the start of Year 6 is above average. This is similar to standards at the time of the previous report.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

105. The statistics published in this report, show that results of national tests for eleven-year-olds in 2000 were below average. There has been another year group completing these tests since then and their test results further declined. Published data shows that the school expected these pupils to perform far better, indicating teachers’ insecurity about what is required by the National Curriculum level descriptors. Analysis of the results indicates that insufficient pupils are reaching the higher National Curriculum levels [Levels 5 and 6]. Further analysis by the Bosham Primary School - 37 new co-ordinator shows that in answering the test questions, pupils had a gap in their mathematical knowledge of concepts they should have absorbed earlier in their school life. The school firmly believes the poor results of the last two years are partly a consequence of teachers’ insecurity in moving from following a published scheme to the wider requirements of

p.36

MATHEMATICS

the National Numeracy strategy and the broadening of the mathematics curriculum. Pupils’ mental strategies were weak; in general they followed the rules and often obtained correct answers on paper but were not able to reason, explain their ideas, transfer them to new situations or think sufficiently mathematically, combining different concepts to arrive at a conclusion. The school is now addressing all these issues through staff training and has appointed an experienced co-ordinator and several new staff versed in teaching the Numeracy Strategy. It has identified in its school development plan the need to raise further the standards of pupils with the highest prior attainment.

p.37

MATHEMATICS

106. Standards at the end of Year 2 show a different pattern. There has been an upward trend over the last four years. The exceptionally high standard attained in 2000 was slightly lowered overall last year, although the number of pupils attaining a higher National Curriculum level, Level 3, increased. There is no gender difference in attainment in the infants.

p.37

MATHEMATICS

107. The variation in the pattern of attainment between the infants and the juniors is partly explained by school data showing several of the higher attaining pupils in Year 2 leave the school for private education. They are often replaced by pupils with less mathematical knowledge and also by pupils with special educational needs from outside the immediate catchment area. The school welcomes these new pupils unreservedly, but is aware that the Year 6 class is quite different from that scoring so highly in Year 2.

p.37

MATHEMATICS

108. At the end of Year 2, pupils undertake a good range of investigations and use numbers to 1000. They have a good grasp of place value. They develop their own ways of arriving at solutions and explain their thinking clearly. They use and apply their knowledge well in playing games and solving problems and have a satisfactory understanding of time, measuring, weighing, shape and pattern. Most pupils recognize the value of coins and higher attaining pupils use these confidently to calculate sums to five pounds. Pupils collect class data based on choosing their favourite story, which they present as a block graph. All pupils add numbers in their heads and understand the concept of doubles. Higher attaining pupils use this knowledge to add numbers that are almost double. At the end of the juniors most pupils translate decimals to fractions and understand rotational symmetry. They explain the

p.37

MATHEMATICS

differences between different types of angles and estimate their size in degrees. Pupils work confidently within the four rules of number.

p.37

MATHEMATICS

109. Inspection evidence shows that pupils’ achievement is good in lessons and across the whole mathematics’ curriculum, reflecting the good teaching that they receive. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour in mathematics lessons is good, but as with achievement, they are best in lessons with the best teaching because pupils are absorbed in their learning and find it fascinating. Pupils make satisfactory improvement, year on year. However, it is noticeable that pupils with the highest prior attainment are not consistently reaching definably higher levels than the average, nor increasing their knowledge more rapidly. Secondly, junior pupils with lower prior attainment are often not set appropriate levels of work, based on what they already know and need to know next. As a consequence, much recorded work in books is similar, with the highest attainers filling up more pages, and the lower attainers doing considerably less, much

p.37

MATHEMATICS

of which is incorrect. This indicates that lessons are not sufficiently tailored to the needs of the different groups within the class, a point recognised by the school in its development plan. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well, because classroom assistants work closely with them to ensure they understand the lesson. A very recent development is to recognise that some pupils have special needs in regards to mathematics as well as literacy and targets on their individual education plans reflect this.

p.37

MATHEMATICS

110. During the inspection, teaching throughout the school was good overall although one unsatisfactory lesson was seen in a junior class, where only the pupils with the highest prior attainment learned enough because the lesson took insufficient account of most pupils’ prior learning. The lesson was, in fact, a very good model of teaching more able mathematicians. However, the mental warm up activity of finding two consecutive numbers that added to a third Bosham Primary School - 38 number was too difficult for the less able and they became bored and made no effort. Pupils were then asked to construct a ‘magic addition square’ from nine number cards, where straight lines in every direction, including the diagonals, equalled 15 when added. This was relished by about a third of the class who enjoyed the challenge, sat persevering, thinking hard, trying and retrying different combinations of numbers to the limit of their ability, but it was beyond the

p.37

MATHEMATICS

comprehension of the majority who switched off and behaved badly and consequently achieved very little. Of the seven lessons seen, teaching in Years 1, 3 and 6 was very good and consequently pupils achieved very well, as they were engrossed in new learning, paid attention, worked hard and learned a lot. Teachers displayed a very good knowledge of mathematics and were excited and enthusiastic about helping pupils to understand, and this kept a brisk pace in the lesson. Teachers were very clear about what they wanted pupils to learn and communicated this well to pupils who understood the purpose of what they were doing. Teachers encouraged pupils to reflect on how well they had achieved at the end of the session. Teachers were also aware of the difficulties pupils might encounter. Each lesson was strongly based on first-hand experiences for younger pupils with an emphasis on understanding mathematical concepts through practical applications in Year 6. Teachers gave

p.38

MATHEMATICS

pupils time to answer and respected what they had to say. Relationships are consequently very good. In Year 1, the very good use of the playground outside the classroom, the high number of adult helpers, including a mum and grandma, the variety, quality and quantity of resources available to learn about capacity were most effectively used to achieve very good learning by the whole class working in different groups. The very good teaching in the juniors was in lessons about measurement, in one case, and the similarity and difference between ratio and proportion in the other. It was characterised by teachers having very good subject knowledge. This enabled them to constantly challenge pupils, through very good questioning, to think and explain using precise mathematical vocabulary. Teachers used pupils’ answers very well as an instant assessment showing which pupils needed greater challenge or further

p.38

MATHEMATICS

consolidation. These teachers kept all pupils fully occupied in interesting practical group-work, supporting and extending their knowledge through good interventions following very good whole class teaching.

p.38

MATHEMATICS

111. The school’s strategies for teaching numeracy are satisfactory. It has introduced the Numeracy Strategy framework effectively, although not all teachers are completely confident with the lesson format or arranging the group work. Pupils use their numeracy skills satisfactorily in other curriculum areas. However, this has not been carefully planned so as to make sure that pupils practise their mathematics at an appropriate level. For example, older juniors make block graphs on the computer about their favourite activity, but the mathematics involved is too simple to enhance their mathematical skills. However, there are examples where this is very good such as when Year 4 pupils design and make a healthy snack. They take a recipe and using their knowledge of multiplication and division facts work out the unit cost. In the infant classes there are good strategies for teaching numeracy across the

p.38

MATHEMATICS

curriculum. For example, pupils make a tick chart and block graph about the types of home they live in during geography and use a computer program for designing animals and farm machinery from the 2-dimensional shapes.

p.38

MATHEMATICS

112. The assessment of mathematical knowledge is good. Teachers administer a range of formal and informal tests, including those required by law. However, the recording of this information and the use of it to raise standards are new and developing. There are now very good reports and individual profiles, which give a very clear outline of pupils’ attainment and their strengths and weaknesses, which are discussed both with pupils and their parents. It is intended that these will be used to set formal targets for development with individual pupils in the future to raise standards. Until very recently, as shown in the last paragraph of this section, assessment information has not been fully used as a management tool in raising standards by monitoring the progress of different groups of pupils as they move through the school in order to improve provision. However, the new co-ordinator for the juniors has this firmly within his grasp and a

p.38

MATHEMATICS

good deal of analysis has been done since his recent appointment that forms the basis of the mathematical action plan.

p.38

MATHEMATICS

113. The leadership and management of mathematics are very good. The new and highly experienced co-ordinator for the junior years has quickly made an analysis of the strengths and areas to develop. He has a very clear view of what needs to be done and is determined to Bosham Primary School - 39 raise standards. His previous experience is invaluable in knowing how to make the best use of available assessment data in order to improve teaching and strengthen the curriculum. Already he has highlighted the need for every teacher to have greater knowledge of the requirements of the different National Curriculum levels of attainment and in the next few weeks will be leading whole school staff training to do so. He has a good relationship with the co-ordinator for the infant classes. The school had already realised the need to identify pupils with higher prior attainment as early as possible and ensure they make the best possible

p.38

MATHEMATICS

progress. It also is aware that within lessons teachers need further guidance on how to plan for the different levels of prior attainment during group work so each can make the maximum progress. The two co-ordinators are looking at the best way of doing this in mathematics. Whilst all teachers at school in the last year were observed teaching by the senior management, neither subject co-ordinator has been allotted time to do so and this is an area of development they both seek. They are aware that whilst information and communication technology is used within mathematics and teachers use mathematics to support other curriculum areas, this has not been fully thought through in the way Curriculum 2000 intends.

p.39

SCIENCE

114. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 attain standards that are above those expected for their ages in all areas of the science curriculum, including scientific investigation. In 2000, teachers identified standards of seven-year-olds as above the national average in those areas that were assessed. The results for 2001 show a substantial increase in the proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 3. Standards in the national tests for eleven-year-olds fluctuated between 1996 and 2000; in 2000 they were above the national average and in line with the average for similar schools. The results for 2001 are similar to those achieved in 2000. Standards throughout the school are similar to those reported at the time of the last inspection.

p.39

SCIENCE

115. Examination of the work of pupils in Years 1 and 2 shows that pupils build well on the knowledge and understanding gained in the reception class. Pupils in Year 1, for example, developed good knowledge of how dairy products are made, following their visit to a farm. Their teacher skilfully promoted greater understanding of the scientific method, alongside the development of scientific knowledge. For example, she encouraged pupils to predict how many shakes of the jar of milk would be needed in order to make some butter and organised the practical ‘finding out’. In this class, pupils, some of whom have only recently passed their fifth birthday, have already been given a good level of responsibility for making their own records, in words and pictures, of what they have found out. This is good practice.

p.39

SCIENCE

116. Prior to the inspection, pupils in Year 2 had been learning about forces and investigating which surface a car would roll furthest on. Through their work they had already developed a good understanding of what will make a test fair. They showed this in a very interesting lesson during the inspection when they were exploring how forces can change the shape of materials. The teacher promoted very good discussion, using correct scientific vocabulary, about what would happen to a pile of cotton reels or a lump of modelling material when a toy car ran down a ramp into it. Pupils made thoughtful suggestions and predictions, wondering what would happen if interlocking construction materials were used instead of the cotton reels. One pupil suggested using the modelling material as mortar to hold the cotton reels together. The teacher enabled this suggestion to be investigated and did well to link what was observed to

p.39

SCIENCE

crash barriers, thereby connecting what pupils were learning to a very practical situation. One pupil offered a good description of how a dummy in a car carries on moving after the car has crashed and this led to further good discussion about seat belts – all well within the topic of forces that was being studied. As a result of good teaching, pupils are developing a good body of scientific knowledge and a secure understanding of the scientific method by the age of seven.

p.39

SCIENCE

117. Pupils continue to make good progress in the junior years, as is indicated by their performance in national tests. However, the development of experimental and investigational skills has not been as good as it could be. More able pupils, for example, have not been given enough opportunities for posing their own questions, such as ‘what would happen if?’ and for designing and carrying out their own experiments in an attempt to find out. The new coordinator for the Bosham Primary School - 40 subject is well aware of this and plans to continue to improve this aspect of provision. During the inspection, pupils in Year 4 worked in a purposeful atmosphere of scientific investigation when they were finding out about the absorbency of different materials. Pupils understood the concept of a fair test and seriously discussed how best to measure or calculate the amount of water that was absorbed by different substances. The teacher was successfully promoting

p.39

SCIENCE

118. Pupils in Year 5 benefited from a very good lesson in which they improved their skills at planning experiments in the context of investigating what factors make a difference to the rate at which a spinner falls. Very good features of this lesson included the teacher’s use of his own very good subject knowledge in well-focused interventions designed to extend and challenge the pupils’ understanding. Pupils responded well to the high expectations that the teacher made clear to them and were absorbed in what they were doing. Some spontaneously repeated observations and then took the mean. The teacher skilfully took advantage of this to extend the understanding of the whole class with respect to replication. As a result of very good planning and teaching, pupils achieved well, both in terms of the content and the investigative process.

p.40

SCIENCE

119. Pupils in Year 6 showed a good level of knowledge and understanding of solubility, evaporation, condensation, sieving and filtration when seeking to work out how to separate salt from pepper. The teacher used questions very well to revise and extend pupils’ learning and insisted on pupils giving full explanations. Because of this and the very good planning and pace of the lesson, pupils’ interest and involvement were maintained and the quality of their learning was good. Pupils said at the end of the lesson that they had learned how to recover soluble and insoluble solids from a liquid and developed their scientific vocabulary. Enabling pupils to have this degree of knowledge about their own learning is very good practice.

p.40

SCIENCE

120. The quality of science teaching is good throughout the school. It is securely based on teachers’ good subject knowledge and enthusiasm and follows national guidelines well. Learning intentions for lessons are usually precise and teachers set interesting tasks and activities so that pupils can learn. Questions are used well to confirm and extend learning. Pupils are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for recording their findings in their own words. The resources offered by information and communication technology for supporting and extending learning in science are not used enough. The newly appointed co-ordinator is aware of this and of the need to provide greater challenge for more able pupils. He rightly sees these two aspects as the key to raising standards in the subject even further.

p.40

ART AND DESIGN

121. Pupils’ attainment in art continues to be well above national expectations throughout the school. During the inspection three lessons were observed in the junior part of the school. In addition to the lessons seen, work previously completed in the subject’s anthology, discussion with pupils, teachers’ planning and work on display provide a secure basis for judging standards across the school. In the lessons seen the quality of learning was generally good. Children with special educational needs take a full part in art and are well supported in practical activities resulting in them making good progress. Children achieve particularly well in their observational drawing sessions and older pupils use a range of materials, including pastels and paint, skilfully to create atmospheric compositions such as seascapes in the style of Van Gogh.

p.40

ART AND DESIGN

122. By the end of Year 2, children are very accomplished at sewing and produce illuminated letters that are colourfully decorated with flowers and demonstrate a good and imaginative use of working with fabric. Pupils learned about different types of stitch such as satin, running and couching. They further developed their creative skills by using a variety of tactile materials like cloth, paper, and card to make real life jungle animals and imaginary puppets. This also developed pupils’ understanding of texture, colour and shape. Pupils are provided with very good artistic experiences that enable them to explore different media to produce a finished product. They are encouraged to evaluate what materials work best and why. Children make Bosham Primary School - 41 choices about how to present their individual artwork as a class picture and use straw and bricks to create a large giant as part of a whole class project.

p.40

ART AND DESIGN

123. Pupils use viewfinders to develop their direct observational skills by looking closely at their immediate local environment. They draw pictures of different places around the school as though they are looking through the lens of a camera. These drawings show very good attention to detail and good use of line and tone as well as knowledge of proportion. Pupils use appropriate computer software to draw and paint their puppet designs. This enables class discussion to focus on assessing what are the strengths and weaknesses of different media. Key vocabulary like portrait, landscape, tone and form are introduced and reinforced during lessons. Throughout the school, pupils have very good planned opportunities to develop their three-dimensional, painting, drawing and printing skills and study the work of artists like Gainsborough and Andy Warhol.

p.41

ART AND DESIGN

124. Year 6 pupils produce accomplished seascape pictures that demonstrate very good use of difficult media like pastels and they critically evaluate what they like best about their pictures and those of their peers and why. They develop very good observational drawing skills by using a variety of sources like books, posters and sketchbooks as stimuli for watercolour paintings that focus on producing an interesting landscape. Pupils use and understand technical terms like foreground, middleground and background when involved in class discussion that illuminates that landscapes often have a focal point that draws the eye to a particular place in the composition. They know that the choice of colour plays a big part in getting the feeling of distance and perspective in their pictures. Pupils recognise the importance of starting their compositions in light tones and in landscape painting this would normally comprise greys and blues. They know foregrounds often have darker, bolder and

p.41

ART AND DESIGN

brighter colours. Pupils also recognise the importance of drafting out the form of an object lightly before making their final marks. They use sketchbooks to record detailed studies of objects linked to a given theme or topic.

p.41

ART AND DESIGN

125. Pupils study artists’ work from non-European cultures and also paint compositions based on the work of renaissance artists like Raphael and Titian. They make African masks and musical instruments from a variety of materials. Pupils develop their skills in sculpture by being given the opportunity to make a three-dimensional maquette figure out of wood, wire and clay. They further develop their use of new technology by using a digital camera to produce an image that can be loaded into a graphics programme. This image is broken up into a variety of shapes that is then reassembled as a montage in a similar style to David Hockney’s ‘Mother’ composition. They look critically at the work of other artists such as Picasso, with reference to critical lines and Mondrian in terms of use of colour within grid-like abstract compositions. Throughout the junior years pupils’ art skills are built upon and extended using a variety of

p.41

ART AND DESIGN

media including clay, printing materials and paint. They develop their knowledge and understanding of specialised vocabulary like perspective, hue, pigment, and impasto .

p.41

ART AND DESIGN

126. The quality of teaching and learning in the three art lessons observed was good overall with very good features. This enabled the majority of the children to make good progress. The best features of teaching were where teachers’ planning was clear and outlined specifically the artistic skills and knowledge to be learned. Good classroom organisation and management skills enabled children to work collaboratively in small groups and independently. Teachers’ very good subject knowledge and enthusiasm allowed them to provide structured learning opportunities for pupils that built on and extended their prior knowledge and sustained their interest throughout lessons. Teachers demonstrated artistic techniques well, like rolling clay out properly. This enabled pupils to succeed well in achieving the key objectives in the lesson. When teaching was good, praise was used well to celebrate individual achievement and

p.41

ART AND DESIGN

promote good group behaviour. The weaker aspects of lessons were characterised by planning that did not state clearly the specific creative skills that pupils of different ability levels were going to learn in the lesson. During lessons, the majority of pupils had a good attitude to learning, which was directly linked with the high standard of teaching and the interesting activities they were presented with. The subject makes a very good contribution to children’s cultural development. Bosham Primary School - 42 127. Children’s’ work is attractively displayed around the school. There is a broad range of work on display, from the bold mark making and printing activities of younger children to the more detailed drawings and paintings of older children. Corridors and classrooms display work of good quality that is well mounted and covers a range of subjects, techniques and materials. There are good examples of sewing, painting, clay work and some sculpture including a large

p.41

ART AND DESIGN

wire-framed snail and spider. The school makes good use of local artists to improve features of the outside environment. For example, there are plans for a willow tree to be planted and used as a living sculpture. Although display work is good, overall, there are limited interactive displays around the school. There are also missed opportunities to present the viewer with higher order questions that develop even greater spiritual and cultural awareness.

p.42

ART AND DESIGN

128. The subject has been developed well since the last inspection. The co-ordinator has produced an excellent plan for art throughout the school with very useful guidance for teachers, which ensures standards are consistently high. There is now a display policy that offers equally good guidance to staff. The co-ordinator recognises the need to update the subject policy to meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum. Procedures for monitoring, evaluation and assessment are not clearly stated and the co-ordinator recognises this as a key area for development. Resources are good, overall, and have been very effectively deployed. The subject’s scheme identifies good links with new technology and staff make good use of appropriate computer software and peripheral aids like a digital camera.

p.42

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

129. Due to timetabling arrangements, only two lessons were observed and there was insufficient evidence from the work scrutiny to make a secure judgement on teaching and learning. However, evidence gained from looking at pupils’ work, discussion with staff and pupils, and a review of teachers’ planning, indicate that current standards in design and technology are above national expectations at the age of seven. Pupils in the junior classes demonstrate good techniques for making finished products and their skills in designing and evaluating appear to be in line with national expectations for pupils aged eleven. This is not significantly different from the judgements made in the last inspection report when standards were judged to be above average throughout the school. Because of the time of year of the inspection, there was very little evidence of finished products by pupils.

p.42

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

130. Two lessons were observed, one in Year 2, the other in Year 5. Year 2 pupils followed a full design process to make three-dimensional puppets that worked from either a simple push-and- pull movement or from attaching string to various parts of the puppet’s body. Pupils worked carefully from their original drawings to decorate their puppet heads in the style of their chosen characters. Pupils sculpted realistic heads out of modelling material and took turns translating their designs into line drawing using a graphics program on the computer. Pupils explained clearly how their model would move when questioned and they were encouraged to think about what they would do better next time. During the lesson pupils were keen to participate and handled a variety of mouldable materials well. Many pupils demonstrated good co-operative skills during the lesson.

p.42

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

131. Teachers’ planning and work scrutiny indicates that In Years 1 and 2 pupils explore a variety of mechanisms to make things move and light up such as windup toys and lighthouses. They develop their skills in making strong structures using a variety of joining techniques through individual and group projects. For example, they construct boats and make complex pyramid structures in teams. Children use a range of flexible and stiff materials including, wood, card, plastic, and fabric.

p.42

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

132. Pupils in Year 5 were given a challenging project that involved them in designing a ‘force’ game. They were aware through their science investigations of different types of force such as magnetic, electrostatic and gravitational. Pupils translated these into different types of movement like pushing, pulling, stretching and turning when making their games. They discussed different types of mechanisms for making things move like a compression spring to make an object move in a pin ball game. They paid close attention to safety rules when measuring and cutting wood that will become part of their game structure. Pupils Bosham Primary School - 43 experimented with different materials like card, paper and wood to see which one was best suited to meet their needs. Although children’s designs give an impression of how their games will work, they are insufficiently clear in terms of documenting the full design process they went

p.42

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

through before deciding on their final product. Many of the games employed simple but effective mechanisms to make things move like magnets and springs. All of the pupils enjoyed making their games and they collaborated very well during the lesson, sharing tools and equipment like glue guns. Pupils used their own initiative and chose their own group leaders who delegated tasks responsibly.

p.43

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

133. The work scrutiny and teachers’ planning indicate that pupils in Year 6 design buggies that move using pneumatic and belt driven principles. Their elevation designs show pump mechanisms and elastic bands that act as belts to drive vehicles. Pupils explore a challenging brief that asks them to look closely at the design and function of a moving toy. Pupils’ drawings are of a good quality but again lack clarity in terms of fully explaining the design, making and evaluating process clearly. Pupils in Year 4 make very good structures of Tudor houses using wood and card skilfully. Their design is based on first hand experience of visiting a local historical place of interest. In junior classes, pupils have good planned opportunities to participate in food technology, control technology and using textiles to construct models. There was limited evidence in terms of finished products of electrical and mechanical components or

p.43

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

134. The quality of teaching and learning in the two lessons observed was good. The best features of these lessons included good preparation and clear learning objectives that were shared with the class. Teachers gave pupils the opportunity to use different construction methods and to test out ideas at all stages of the making process. They gave clear instructions and facilitated good class discussion related to the joining and decorating techniques that could be used. Teachers had a good knowledge of the subject and used technical vocabulary appropriately well. Expectations of pupil attainment were high and good attention was paid to safety when working with woodworking tools. Teaching could have been even more effective if more emphasis would have been placed on recording the design and making process in more detail to facilitate more accurate assessment of each person’s contribution in the group project.

p.43

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

135. Overall, the leadership of the subject is good. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and committed to developing even more effective provision. He has worked hard to complete plans for the subject that take into account the school’s philosophy of using first-hand learning experiences, like educational visits, to motivate and sustain interest. He is aware of the need to purchase additional control devices to ensure that all aspects of the subject can be taught in full. The school’s policy requires up dating to the requirements of the new National Curriculum and there are no detailed monitoring and evaluation procedures contained within it. Although there are planned assessment opportunities within the programme of work, the subject lacks a detailed profile of what pupils should learn in each unit of study they follow. There is a satisfactory long- term action plan to improve provision. Resources for the subject are satisfactory overall but

p.43

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

are limited with respect to items like small tools, motors, gears and cams to do with developing movement using a variety of mechanisms. The small budget allocation this year has restricted the purchase of additional equipment and this has limited the development of the subject.

p.43

GEOGRAPHY

136. Evidence is based on talking to pupils, examining the Geography anthologies, looking at teachers’ planning documents and talking to the co-ordinator. It was not possible to observe teaching during the inspection or to look at any geography books. Pupils’ standards are judged to be above average and pupils achieve well. They have a good depth to their knowledge and understanding. Pupils in Year 6 have positive attitudes to the subject and they enjoy geography lessons. Pupils with special educational needs achieve satisfactorily overall, but well when they are supported by a classroom assistant specially designated to help them.

p.43

GEOGRAPHY

137. Pupils in Year 6 have a good knowledge of Europe and accurately identify constituent countries, capital cities and the main rivers. Their skills in map work are particularly good. They use six figure reference numbers correctly and this supports their numeracy development Bosham Primary School - 44 well. They have a thorough knowledge of map symbols and were keen to interpret an Ordnance Survey map of Bosham and the surrounding area. They have good geographical vocabulary. For example, in describing the local river they talk about its tributaries, confluence and mouth . They are well aware of the environmental issues surrounding the destruction of the Amazon rain forests and held animated discussions about the pros and cons of whether the meadow in the village should be built on. Pupils realise that life is different in other countries, like those in Africa or South America and spend considerable time finding information from

p.43

GEOGRAPHY

books, the Internet and computer programs in order to compare and contrast facts about the weather, climate, housing, economy, transport and employment. They use their geographical skills well in other subjects. For example, they explain how the ancient Egyptians were dependent on a good annual flood of the River Nile for their farming and to prevent a famine. 138. Infant pupils draw simple maps well. For example, they illustrate the route of the story called Rosie’s Walk and the way they took to Fishbourne Roman Palace and they use a computer program to invent maps of imaginary places. Pupils know that plans are different from maps and show this by drawing a plan of the layout of the local supermarket following a visit. Pupils are aware of far away locations through looking at postcards sent back from holiday destinations and discuss how cities are different from their own environment. They know how

p.44

GEOGRAPHY

land is used in the locality, visit the local farm and identify their own houses on a large-scale map.

p.44

GEOGRAPHY

139. There is a good curriculum, based on practical experiences and good secondary sources including the Internet and video material. It is designed to build pupils’ geographical skills as well as their knowledge base. It supports pupils’ literacy development well by providing many opportunities to write in different styles and develops their skills of reading for information by looking at non-fiction books and on screen information. The curriculum is enhanced for older pupils by study related to their residential visits. It is well related to other subjects, particularly history where, for example, pupils use maps to discuss where invasions took place or why Poland was strategically important in World War 2.

p.44

GEOGRAPHY

140. The co-ordinator has been in post for five weeks and so is still coming to grips with the role and is planning a thorough audit. All lesson planning is of a very good quality. Assessment procedures and resources are satisfactory. The role of the co-ordinator has not yet developed to include the monitoring of teaching of standards in geography, and this needs to be addressed. The curriculum is well resourced within school and good use is made of the local environment.

p.44

HISTORY

141. Judgements are based on the one lesson given by Chichester Museum’s outreach teacher and one timetabled lesson in Year 4, talking to pupils, examining photographs and exemplars of work in the anthology, discussion with the co-ordinator, looking at teachers’ planning documents and classroom displays. Last year’s books were not available and as yet there is little written in pupils’ books in the current academic year. The evidence indicates that standards are above average and that pupils achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs achieve satisfactorily, but well when they are supported by a classroom assistant specially designated to help them. Pupils have a good depth to their knowledge because of the many first hand experiences they have and because other subjects support historical knowledge well. Their attitudes are very positive and they are enthusiastic about the subject. This reflects the findings in the previous report.

p.44

HISTORY

142. Pupils in Year 6 have a good knowledge of the Tudors, Vikings, Greeks and Romans. They remember, from theme days connected with each era, the clothes people wore, the food they ate, how they communicated and the games children played. Pupils understand how important the navy was to Henry VIII, following a trip to the Mary Rose. They explain how life was different for rich and poor people and talk knowledgeably about Tudor farming practices following a visit to the Weald and Downland museum. Pupils from Year 6 explain how and why Henry Vlll dissolved the monasteries and started the Church of England. They know that Shakespeare wrote plays at this time and have watched a video of Midsummer Night’s Dream. Pupils know a great deal about the causes and progress of World War 2 and about the history Bosham Primary School - 45 of Bosham. They learn in detail about the most important dates, personages and changes in

p.44

HISTORY

each era. However, their recall of these a year later is less than for social history where their knowledge is enhanced by visits, visits and theme days. They are less certain of how the different ages inter-connect and find difficulty in drawing similarities and differences between them. Pupils use computer technology well to support their learning, using CD ROMs and Encarta for gathering information during independent study. They develop their historical communication skills well through word processing their knowledge such as when writing an account of the battle of Bosworth for a historical newspaper.

p.45

HISTORY

143. Year 2 pupils understand the work of archaeologists, especially following a visit to Fishbourne Roman Palace where they handle real mosaic tiles. They know about everyday life in Roman times, what it was like to be a Roman soldier, and stories belonging to the period such as Romulus and Remus and Androcles and the lion. They have a good knowledge of Nelson’s life and conditions on HMS Victory. They formulate good questions to ask ‘Captain Kim’, the museum’s visiting teacher, thereby showing good historical enquiry skills.

p.45

HISTORY

144. It is not possible to grade teaching overall. However all teachers plan their lessons well and use visits and visitors to secure pupils knowledge and interest. Teachers are enthusiastic about the subject. In the one lesson observed, teaching was satisfactory. This was a short, preparatory session for future independent work connected with how the laws in Henry V111’s reign affected poor people. The teacher showed very good historical knowledge and answered pupils’ questions fully, which extended their knowledge well. However, the needs of all the pupils were not sufficiently met as the discussion was based on information contained on a work sheet and pupils with lower reading ability were unable to fully participate because they could not easily skim or scan the writing or read the longer words. In the theme day for Year 3 about World War 2, led by the outreach museum worker, teaching was very good and all pupils

p.45

HISTORY

learnt a great deal, ranging from knowledge about the strategic importance of Poland, to what it felt like to be in repeated air raids. The teaching was very effective in engaging pupils’ attention, involving everyone in experiencing the life of the time through role-play, displayed excellent subject knowledge, very good pace and use of pupils’ questions to develop their knowledge even further than planned. The very good teaching and preparation by the class teacher that had preceded this day was evident through the informed questions pupils asked.

p.45

HISTORY

145. The history curriculum is very good. It places high emphasis on first hand experiences, which makes it a very meaningful and enjoyable subject for pupils and takes full advantage of living in an area with a wealth of history and historical places of interest. The very strong links with Chichester Museum are extremely beneficial for pupils. The curriculum promotes pupils’ cultural development well. They know a good deal about the history of their own country in different periods and their local history. For example, in the local history section of the programme, pupils walk round Bosham meeting adults in historical costume of different periods who tell them what Bosham was like in their day. It is planned well to build up pupils’ historical enquiry and communication skills and makes a very good contribution to literacy. For example, pupils write letters, reports and accounts. They read Greek and Roman myths

p.45

HISTORY

and legends. They find information from books and computers and through asking questions. They take part in role-play and drama and perform in assembly to share their knowledge with the whole school. The history curriculum is well linked to other subject areas. For example, pupils design and make Tudor houses in design and technology lessons, and make fine observational drawings of Tudor houses in art.

p.45

HISTORY

146. The knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator has worked hard to ensure that the school curriculum is relevant, meaningful and complies with Curriculum 2000. All planning is of very good quality. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has a satisfactory overview of what is being taught through talking informally with colleagues and seeing their planning although as yet she has not been able to observe and improve teaching or standards. The curriculum is well resourced within school and considerably enhanced by artefacts from the museum loan service and the use of visits and visitors, most noticeably the outreach workers from Chichester museum.

p.45

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Bosham Primary School - 46 147. At the time of the last inspection it was judged that pupils’ attainment in information technology at seven was above average and that it was similar to the national expectation at eleven. Since then, national expectations of pupils’ attainment across the new information and communication technology curriculum have been raised. Few lessons were timetabled during the period of the inspection but judging from those observed, conversations with pupils and teachers and examination of work carried out earlier, pupils’ levels of attainment at seven and eleven are in line with the revised national expectations. There are, however, examples of pupils’ work that indicate an above average level of attainment.

p.46

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

148. The co-ordinator has worked hard and effectively to improve the resources and the teaching of the subject. The programme of work that he has written provides a very good framework within which teachers can plan their lessons. This, coupled with the training opportunities that he has provided for colleagues, is making an essential contribution towards raising standards of attainment in this subject. The design of the school building works against the provision of a computer room. However, pairs of classes throughout the school have good access to modern computers in the shared areas. The co-ordinator recognises the need to expand the use of these and other resources to promote learning in other subject areas. The other, correctly identified, priority for further development is to make sure that pupils build progressively on their skills in each aspect of the subject.

p.46

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

149. Pupils in Year 1 were helped to build on their earlier learning about bar charts when they were introduced to pictograms. The lesson was an effective introduction and also consolidated knowledge of the parts of a computer. Individual children showed that they could use a mouse correctly to select, click and drag. Because of shortage of time, not all pupils were able to take a turn at entering data and this lessened the impact of the lesson for them, particularly for any who do not have access to a computer at home. Work completed earlier shows that pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop sound skills in using a simple word processing package, typing their poems in the format of their choice. Most can successfully navigate through menus. Mouse skills develop well and most pupils become confident computer users by the age of seven.

p.46

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

150. Pupils continue to make sound progress during their junior years. Pupils in Year 4 build on their earlier work and edit their newspaper articles on the Battle of Bosworth. They are helped in this by their teacher’s accurate marking which pinpoints the errors that need correction. Pupils show that they can successfully add, move and delete text, adjust the size and style of a font and add pictures to text. As a result of good preparation and planning on the part of the teacher, pupils work well independently.

p.46

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

151. Older pupils use a word processing package confidently and successfully import pictures, taken by them on a digital camera, into their newsletters. Pupils from Year 5, for example, enjoyed showing an inspector how to create columns on a page and create a box for a photograph, when they were designing reports on their recent residential experience. Other pupils from Year 5 worked successfully through the process of entering data and choosing an appropriate graphical representation of fellow pupils’ favourite activities during the visit.

p.46

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

152. Although the use of information and communication technology skills to improve learning in other subjects has been rightly identified as a key area for development, teachers’ planning shows good examples of its use in literacy, art, geography and history. In addition the library has been computerised and pupils recall using information from electronic as well as print sources in their research-based work.

p.46

MUSIC

153. Music plays an important role in the life of the school, especially in assemblies, concerts and special services. All teachers timetable a weekly lesson based on the very supportive programme of work that the co-ordinator has created. Only three lessons, in Years 1, 2 and 6 could be observed during the inspection. Judgements are based on these, on examination of teachers’ planning, observations in assemblies and a small amount of recorded work. Overall, pupils achieve in line with what is expected for their age. However, some instrumental work is Bosham Primary School - 47 of a higher standard and anecdotal evidence suggests that performances such as Bugsy Malone are of high quality. These findings are broadly similar to those at the last inspection. Pupils who are learning to play instruments, including brass, woodwind, cello and guitar, regularly play in assemblies and their performance is appreciated by all.

p.46

MUSIC

154. It is evident from talking to pupils and looking at the written work in the music anthology that all strands of the music curriculum are given appropriate attention over time. Pupils in the infant classes have composed playground songs with actions and have devised their own notation for indicating long and short sounds. Written descriptions of responses to listening to music include ‘fast, weaving, darting, twinkly sounds’ for Saint Saens’ Aquarium.

p.47

MUSIC

155. During the inspection, pupils in Year 1 benefited from a very short but tightly focused lesson in which they developed their skills of singing and responding to one of their number as conductor. Pupils showed a good understanding of the language of music, including beat, tempo, rhythm, and volume. Those chosen to conduct showed a good awareness of the impact of their actions, such as changing speed or volume, on others. Pupils’ singing was tuneful and they responded well to the teacher’s suggestion that they could test out their singing louder or quicker on their parents for homework.

p.47

MUSIC

156. Pupils in Year 2 explored the sounds that could be made with various untuned percussion instruments and decided which would be best for making long and short sounds. The teacher made a good point of showing how vibration could be stopped and explored this well with the class. The task of playing a pattern of long and short sounds for a partner to play back was well chosen. Unfortunately too little time was allocated to the lesson and this meant that few pairs were able to perform. This lessened the overall impact of the lesson in terms of learning and progress.

p.47

MUSIC

157. A longer lesson with pupils from Year 6 led to good learning and promoted positive attitudes towards the subject. Pupils built well on their earlier work on composing a piece of rhythmic music using body parts by incorporating dustbins and tin drums into their pieces. They worked very well together and were constructively critical of each other’s work. The lesson was very successful because of very good planning and very good support and interventions by the teacher and learning support assistant. As a result there was a lot of animated and mostly focused collaborative activity leading, in one case, to a very dance-oriented performance with good rhythm and tempo variations. The teacher struck a very good balance between giving direction and leaving pupils with ownership of their compositions.

p.47

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

158. Judgements are based on two gymnastics and one swimming lesson in the infants, talking to pupils, an examination of photographs showing pupils’ expertise in different strands of the curriculum, discussion with the co-ordinator and looking at teachers’ planning documents. These indicate that standards are average except for swimming where they are above average throughout the school, because pupils have the advantage of a heated pool in the grounds and specialist instruction. This is an improvement for the infants since the previous inspection when progress and attainment were unsatisfactory. Pupils develop an appropriate range of skills in games, athletics and dance. The oldest pupils acquire skills in outdoor and adventurous activities, including abseiling, canoeing and caving, during their residential visit. The Year 6 pupils interviewed have good attitudes to physical education. They enjoy games,

p.47

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

especially when they are taught by visiting professionals as in hockey and athletics, but find gym in the hall boring because it lacks variety, does not develop their skills rapidly enough and they have very little chance to use the large apparatus, such as wall bars.

p.47

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

159. In the lessons for Years 1 and 2, pupils’ achievement was satisfactory and pupils built their skills steadily. For example, at the start of the Year 2 lesson, pupils were making single movements on the floor and by the end they could link different movements into a sequence and perform these over the floor and using the apparatus. Pupils are aware of safety and bend their knees when lifting apparatus and when landing on the mats. They use the space in the hall well and move in a variety of ways and speeds. Year 2 pupils are confident in the Bosham Primary School - 48 swimming pool. All work hard, responding well to the clear instructions from the swimming teacher. They quite happily put their faces under water and blow bubbles. They swim across the pool without letting their feet touch the bottom. A few higher attaining pupils manage a recognisable front crawl stroke by the start of Year 2. Pupils with special educational needs

p.47

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

achieve well, especially when a classroom assistant designated to do so supports them.

p.48

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

160. There is insufficient evidence to judge the overall quality of teaching, but as there has been a good deal of recent staff training, teachers have at least satisfactory knowledge and understanding to teach the subject effectively and their planning is good. In both infant lessons, teaching was satisfactory. This is an improvement from the previous inspection when teaching was largely unsatisfactory. Teachers plan lessons well and have good knowledge and understanding of how to teach the basic skills. They use pupils well as models of good practice to exhort others to try harder and promote pupils’ personal development well by teaching them to work in groups of four getting out and putting away the apparatus. Teachers give clear instructions and emphasise safety. However pupils’ restless behaviour after lunch meant that in both gymnastics lessons teachers had frequently to stop teaching to re-establish

p.48

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

control. Consequently the pace, enjoyment and rate of progress that should have been there were missing. Teaching in the swimming lesson was good and pupils were able to swim with more recognisable style by the end. They achieved well because they listened to instructions and worked hard.

p.48

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

161. Provision for physical education is good. The school has worked closely with local authority advisers to improve the curriculum; it is now broad and well planned with assessment opportunities provided within it. Swimming lessons for every pupil, a sports week in the summer, outdoors and adventurous activities for the oldest pupils and the many after school sports clubs and sports teams enhances it further. The curriculum is also strengthened by the expertise of professional coaches for games sessions for older pupils. Physical education promotes pupils’ social development well. For example, there are many opportunities to work as a team and for older pupils to take part in inter-school challenges. It promotes pupils’ cultural development well, especially through dance, including both traditional British dances and those from Africa within the programme of work.

p.48

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

162. At the age of 7 and 11 years, pupils attain standards that are above the recommendations of the locally agreed syllabus. This judgement is similar to that made at the previous inspection and is based on a scrutiny of the subject’s anthology, looking at childrens’ work, discussion with pupils, lessons observations and the scrutiny of teachers' recent planning. Due to timetabling arrangements, only three lessons in junior classes were observed during the inspection and these were in Years 3, 4, and 5. Overall, the subject makes a good contribution to pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.48

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

163. The school develops pupils' knowledge and understanding of specific faiths, predominantly Christianity, but additionally, the celebration of Judaism, Hinduism and the Muslim faiths. In parallel with their learning about different religions, pupils are encouraged to ask questions that examine their own feelings, beliefs, and values through their own personal experiences.

p.48

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

164. In Year 2, pupils visit the local Christian church in Bosham and draw plans and pictures of what they see. Children correctly identify key features like the crypt, chancel, font and aisle. They explore why a place of worship is different from other places. Pupils discuss modern day family life and compare this with the life of a Hebrew family in the time of Jesus, like Abraham. They know that Isaac, Rebecca, Eshan, Jacob and Sarah were all members of Abraham’s family. Pupils study other religions, including Judaism, and know that the Jewish people celebrate the Festival of Lights or Hanukkah to celebrate their freedom after years of fighting. They know that this festival goes on for eight days and involves lighting the Hanukkah candles which are on an eight branched candlestick that represents the Menorah, the sacred light reminding Jew’s of God’s presence. In Year 1, pupils draw pictures about the creation, and

p.48

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

know that Christians believe that God created earth in seven days. They have the Bosham Primary School - 49 opportunities to learn about the Hindu festival of Divali and explore what miracles are. They find out more about Christianity by learning who Jesus’ disciples were and who Joseph was.

p.48

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

165. At the end of the junior years, pupils discuss and find out more about major events in the Christian calendar like Easter and the resurrection. They know that the Eucharist is a very important service for Christians, and celebrations involve people taking Holy Communion, which is associated with Jesus and the last supper. Pupils identify the key features of this act of worship such as the wine being symbolic of the blood of Jesus and the bread representing his body. They explore different holy books and know that the Bible consists of 66 books, 39 of which are the Old Testament and 27 the New. They learn more about the Islamic faith and explore Muslim beliefs. Throughout the junior classes pupils have planned opportunities to learn factual information - their own and a variety of other religions. They also explore key questions like ‘Who is God?’ and give their own interpretations. In Year 3, pupils learn about

p.49

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

the friendships of Jesus with an emphasis on personal relationships. They know religious facts like Matthew was a tax collector and what words like disciple and martyrdom mean. In Year 4, pupils look at famous stories from the gospels like ‘The Feeding of the 5000.’ They know what the loaves and fishes represent. Pupils explore how factual accounts can be misinterpreted over time and discuss the implications of this on our lives today.

p.49

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

166. In Year 5, pupils learn that the Passover or Pesach is the most important annual festival in the Jewish calendar. They know that it commemorates the exodus of the Hebrew people from slavery. Pupils use artefacts to gain greater understanding of the Seder service, which starts the celebrations. They learn new vocabulary like ‘charoset’ and know that this means an apple mixture that reminds Jewish people of the mortar with which the Jewish slaves built cities for the Pharaoh. They learn about the three most important things on the Sedar table and what these objects represent. For example, the bowl of salt water is a symbol for the tears of slaves, a glass of wine is on the table and drunk four time to remind people of the four promises God made to Moses, and the matzo which is unleavened bread eaten by the Jews who were escaping from slavery.

p.49

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

167. The quality of teaching and learning in the three lessons observed ranged from satisfactory to very good. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, made at least satisfactory progress and at times progress was good and very good. When teaching was most effective, lessons were thoroughly prepared, well structured, with a range of activities and artefacts that ensured the pace of the lesson was brisk and pupils’ interest was sustained. Teachers demonstrated very good subject knowledge and presented factual information clearly and simply to pupils to ensure they understood key subject vocabulary. Very often teachers demonstrated very good relationships with children, however, on a minority of occasions lesson continuity was interrupted by a small number of pupils talking and shouting out their answers. On other occasions teachers missed the opportunity to re-focus on the learning

p.49

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

objectives during the lesson to ensure that pupils retained the key points after the lesson had finished. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good.

p.49

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

168. The co-ordinator, who is a specialist in this area, leads the subject very well and there have been good improvements since the last inspection. There is now a very good programme of work that has been tailored to meet the specific needs of the school and staff have received appropriate training to ensure there is consistent implementation. A key feature in the programme of work is the identified need to celebrate different faiths across all year groups because of the school’s lack of representation of pupils from a diversity of cultures. Although resources have improved since the last inspection, the co-ordinator recognises that this is an on-going area for development. The provision of artefacts to support teaching and learning about different faiths has improved, there are CD ROMs and videos linked to the programme of work, and the school makes good use of the authority’s book loaning service. The school’s

p.49

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

policy is good, although procedures for monitoring and evaluation are insufficiently described. Assessment procedures are good and the subject’s anthology clearly demonstrates continuity and progression in learning. The school has a good long-term plan to further improve practice. Future developments recognise the need to continue to contact people from other faiths to facilitate and broaden pupil’s first hand multi-faith experiences.

p.49