Risley Lower Grammar CE (VC) Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 2 nd – 3 rd July 2001

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SCHOOL

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

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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. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr E W Tryner

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 th March 1997 Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 4

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Team members

4343 Ms S Billington Registered inspector 14066 Ms G Hoggard Lay inspector 4341 Mr D Clegg Team inspector

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 16

Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a small primary school with 120 pupils on roll. There are roughly equal numbers of boys and girls, although there is a variation in different year groups; Year 6, for example, has three times as many girls as boys. The school has four classes, each with two year groups. Class sizes vary from 22 for the youngest pupils to 35 for the oldest. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic groups or speak English as an additional language.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is also well below average. The majority has some short-term learning difficulties; three children have significant learning problems.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Almost all pupils have some pre-school experience before starting school. Their attainment on entry is above average overall; the majority has a good base in early reading skills.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school has just been awarded Beacon status by the Department for Education and Skills; this is in recognition of the high quality of its work.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. Standards achieved by seven and eleven year olds in English and mathematics tests are consistently well above national averages. Teaching throughout the school is good, ensuring that all children achieve well and have good opportunities to use their developing skills in literacy and numeracy in subjects across the curriculum. The school is very well led and managed and provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Good teaching ensures that pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science • The curriculum is broad and provides a good range of learning opportunities • Very good provision for pupils’ personal development ensures positive attitudes to learning and very good relationships throughout the school • Very good leadership and management give the school a clear sense of direction • Arrangements for pupils’ care and welfare are very good

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What could be improved

• The accommodation and facilities are inadequate and totally inappropriate to meet the demands of teaching and learning in the twenty-first century. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in March 1997. The good standards found then in English and mathematics have been further improved and are now well above average. Standards in science have been maintained at above average levels and the school is working to achieve further improvement. Pupils continue to make good progress as they move through the school.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

All the areas for development identified in the previous report have been tackled successfully. There are now systematic and detailed procedures for assessing pupils’ progress as they move through the school. All elements of information and communication technology (ICT) are now taught, although there is still work going on to bring the school up to speed with staff training and access to the Internet. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 7 Medium term curriculum planning is based on national guidance and is being further refined to establish a two year programme with a clear focus on learning objectives and the systematic development of pupils’ skills in all subjects.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

The number of pupils taking national tests each year is small, so results can vary considerably. Nevertheless, the school has established a good track record in the tests taken by eleven year olds over the past four year. The school’s performance in English and mathematics tests in1998 and 1999 placed it in the top five per cent of schools nationally. The inspection findings bear out the results; by the age of eleven, pupils are achieving very high standards in English and mathematics.

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Key

In tests taken by seven year olds in reading, writing and mathematics, results are also consistently well above average. This is the outcome of the good start that children get to their learning. The youngest children make good progress in all areas so that by the end of their reception year, the majority is working in the early stages of the National Curriculum in English and mathematics. By the age of seven, pupils are achieving well in English and mathematics.

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Key

Throughout the school, standards in science are also above average, with pupils having good knowledge of all aspects of the subject. The school recently targeted science as an area for improvement and has been successful in raising standards to well above average levels this year.

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Key

Pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy are developed well as they move through the school and used effectively in subjects across the curriculum. The school sets challenging targets for pupils’ achievement at the end of each academic year and is successful in ensuring that these are generally met.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Throughout the school pupils are well motivated, eager to learn and show a strong level of commitment to their work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. Pupils of all ages are responsible and sensible in the way in which they move around the site and cope with the difficult conditions for learning.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. All pupils are eager to take on responsibilities. The oldest pupils help to supervise and take care of younger ones and make a good contribution to the school as a community. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 8 Attendance Very good. Attendance levels are above national averages and there is very little unauthorised absence.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ very good attitudes, behaviour and personal development are key factors in their successful learning. The oldest pupils have well-established work habits and are well prepared to move on to secondary schools.

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

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

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

Teaching is good throughout the school and some aspects are very good. Of the lessons seen during the inspection, 75 per cent were good or better and the remainder were satisfactory. The quality of pupils’ work also indicates good teaching, ensuring that pupils’ learning moves on at a good rate. All lessons are well planned, with clear objectives for learning that are shared with the pupils. Teachers make good use of resources to engage pupils’ interest and to make it clear to them what they need to do. Classroom organisation is good and pupils are well managed. In the most effective lessons, expectations of what children will achieve are high and learning moves on at a good rate. Teachers often make good use of assessment to adjust their planning to suit children’s learning needs. Marking is generally detailed and helpful, indicating pupils’ achievements and identifying what they need to do to further improve.

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

Teaching of literacy and numeracy is often very good, particularly for the older pupils who are given good opportunities to use their skills in subjects across the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good overall. The curriculum is broad and well balanced with good links made between subjects. There is a good range of learning opportunities across the school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ needs are identified, additional support is allocated where necessary and their progress is carefully tracked.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There is no specific additional provision for any pupils with English as an additional language. Children are well integrated into all classroom activities and make good progress in their acquisition of English.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Pupils’ social skills are promoted well in a range of activities throughout the school, Subjects such as art, geography and history make a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Pupils are well known and cared for as individuals. Their progress is carefully tracked as they move through the school.

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Aspect Comment

All aspects of the curriculum are taught and statutory requirements are met. However, the constraints of the accommodation limit learning opportunities. The youngest children are accommodated in a classroom that is too small to enable ready access to a range of practical and play activities. The lack of a library restricts opportunities for pupils to undertake independent research. Pupils aged seven to Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 9 eleven are taught in two rooms in a terrapin building with the ceilings propped up; this restricts group activities and pupils’ ability to clearly see the teacher during whole class teaching. Teachers and pupils find ingenious ways to cope with the difficulties, but are nevertheless working in unacceptable conditions. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 10 The school works well in partnership with parents, many of whom give a good level of support to their

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The leadership of the head is strong and purposeful. Teachers work hard to fulfil their multiple management responsibilities and make a good contribution to the school’s development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors are well organised and well informed to support the school and meet their statutory responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. Effective use is made of information from monitoring activities and results of standardised tests to analyse the school’s strengths and plan areas for further development.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. Funding is used effectively to improve the quality of education as far as is possible.

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Aspect Comment

Headteacher, staff and governors share a clear sense of direction and work well together as a team. Together they consider and plan ways to further improve the school and build on a successful base. Governors are careful to consider ‘best value’ in making decisions about expenditure.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Twelve parents attended the pre-inspection meeting and 95 questionnaires were returned.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The vast majority of parents (95% or more) feel that: • Their children like school, are expected to work hard and are making good progress • Behaviour is good • Teaching is good • The school is well led and managed • Children are helped to become mature • They would feel comfortable approaching the school A significant minority of parents (24%) feel that the range of activities outside of lessons is limited.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection bears out parents’ positive views and indicates that their confidence in the school is fully justified. The range of extra-curricular clubs is limited. There are currently some sporting activities and plans to start a computer club next term. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 11

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Good teaching ensures that pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science

1. Teaching is good throughout the school. Teaching of literacy and numeracy is often very good with the result that pupils achieve well and attain high standards. Over the past four years the results of tests taken by seven and eleven year olds have been well above the national average in English and mathematics.

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Good teaching ensures that pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science

2. By the age of seven pupils have a good base of skills in literacy. Reading skills are well taught so that pupils learn to use a variety of strategies to tackle unknown words and to make sense of what they read. Many read with good expression and understanding. Pupils make use of their skills in reading for information and know the functions of the index and glossary in reference books. Their written work takes a variety of forms including instructions, lists and poems. Written work is generally well structured and well presented. Commonly used words are spelt correctly and pupils begin to use punctuation and capitals for effect and emphasis. Higher attaining pupils vary sentence structure to engage the interest of the reader and make good use of language for effect, writing, for example ‘ there was a river made of lemonade… it was like a fairy heaven’

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Good teaching ensures that pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science

3. Older pupils read widely and talk sensibly about their preferences. Eleven year olds enjoy modern novels such as those of JK Rowling and Jacqueline Wilson and recall the events and the characters. They study poems and benefit from being encouraged to think carefully about what the poet is saying and how s/he creates an effect through careful choice of vocabulary. Reading skills are applied across the curriculum so that pupils research information from books and CD-Roms, use scanning and skimming techniques to find out the information they want and then put the information into their own words. The oldest pupils have a good range of opportunities to write in many different styles; accounts are well structured, interesting and pupils use grammar accurately. Teaching is rigorous in helping pupils to write well. Work that explores how different authors begin stories results in pupils creating their own engaging opening lines, such as ‘A lot of things happened that day… … ’.

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Good teaching ensures that pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science

Similarly, being encouraged to experiment with different words to create atmosphere and effect results in interesting phrases, such as ‘ the sun was beaming down’ and ‘it was ferociously hot’ .

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Good teaching ensures that pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science

4. Pupils make good progress in mathematics as they move through the school. They are well taught and learn at a good pace. By the age of seven pupils work with hundreds, tens and units. They can increase two and three digit numbers bv 10 or 100. They use addition and subtraction, for example to solve problems with money, and are learning the practical application of multiplication and addition. A good range of mathematics is taught so that as well as improving their skills in numeracy, pupils learn, for example, to measure accurately using standard units and to recognise lines of symmetry. As they move through the school, pupils are continually encouraged to extend their learning and widen their experience. This results in the good standards achieved by the oldest pupils. Eleven year olds have a good grasp of how numbers work. They calculate very comfortably with high numbers; some pupils, working with

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Good teaching ensures that pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science

statistics, round up population figures to the nearest million taking account of decimal places. Pupils have good recall of their tables and use the four operations very effectively. They use what they know to solve problems and work accurately with Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 12 decimals, fractions and percentages. For example, they successfully work out the savings on items with a certain percentage reduction in the price.

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Good teaching ensures that pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science

5. In science, standards are also high. Pupils cover a lot of ground and have a good knowledge base in key aspects of the subject. For instance, by the age of seven pupils are aware of the sources of light and the reasons for darkness. They identify different types of forces and their impact and know how to make a simple circuit. They also undertake some careful observations, for example of the growth of plants. They carry out simple experiments, but their skills in recording their predictions and the reasons for the outcomes are less well developed than their knowledge base. By the age of eleven, pupils are familiar with the movement of planets from their work on space; they also know about scientific changes such as dissolving and filtration and they understand about the functions of the main organs of the human body. Pupils have a good grasp of how to apply their scientific skills. For instance, they understand

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Good teaching ensures that pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science

the characteristics of fair testing and they successfully mount their own investigations and experiments. Some recorded work is of high quality; pupils have a good eye for detail from their close observations and they make sensible and reasonable hypotheses that often guide their thinking.

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The curriculum is broad and provides a good range of learning opportunities

6. The school provides a very broad and balanced curriculum that enriches the range of opportunities for all pupils particularly for the five to eleven year olds. Appropriate emphasis is given to teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, but teachers also make sure that pupils have good opportunities to use their literacy and numeracy skills in subjects across the curriculum.

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The curriculum is broad and provides a good range of learning opportunities

7. The application of basic skills is a key factor in the school’s success in other subjects. For example literacy skills are successfully applied in subjects such as history and geography and, perhaps more unusually, in design technology. In this subject, there are some very perceptive and frank evaluations by pupils of how they tackled a design challenge, comments such as ‘we struggled with doing that’ show a disarming honesty and confidence. The reports indicate how pupils evaluated their own personal contribution to the designing and building of a bridge but perhaps more importantly, reflections on how they worked with other members of the team. This type of work extends pupils’ skills in writing, but also contributes to their personal development.

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The curriculum is broad and provides a good range of learning opportunities

8. Science, history and geography also help to extend and widen the range of writing. Pupils record straightforward accounts of stories about famous events or people and write descriptions of the differences between contrasting parts of the world such as Banana Hill in Kenya and Risley. Pupils learn how to record information in charts and diagrams using labelling and clear illustrations. Many of the illustrations are very carefully drawn and reflect the good standards of artwork that are apparent throughout the school. In history and geography, the illustrations of Aztec jewellery and the patterns and symbols used by the people of Benin bring an added dimension to project work.

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The curriculum is broad and provides a good range of learning opportunities

9. Work in science also enables pupils to make use of their numeracy skills. Investigations, for instance into the speed at which salt dissolves in water of different temperatures, result in a clear graph showing time and temperature. Such experiments also involve pupils in careful measuring and calculation of results. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 13 10. Art and design is a particular strength of the school. Much of the work throughout the school is above expected standards. The carefully observed and painted wild flowers by the very youngest children are evidence of the good start in this aspect of learning. Five to seven year olds are introduced to the work of different artists and this helps them to paint ‘winter trees’ in the style of Seurat and populate streets with the matchstick people of LS Lowry. Some of this work is then extended into collage work using string and raffia to create tree outlines, which in turn are used as a basis

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The curriculum is broad and provides a good range of learning opportunities

of textile work. These good standards are maintained by older pupils, where there are many examples of high quality work such as the acrylic paintings of the school by the ten and eleven year olds. Art also makes a significant contribution to the pupils’ cultural development. It introduces pupils to a range of artists and also, along with work in geography, to a range of lifestyles and cultures. Art projects include work on African and Aboriginal art. There is further provision for pupils’ cultural development through a range of visits to places of interest, such as Nottingham Museum, visits to school by theatre groups and the attendance at live theatre events such as the recent ‘Shakespeare for Kids’.

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The curriculum is broad and provides a good range of learning opportunities

11. Information and communication technology (ICT) is being increasingly used to support work in other subjects. Information is researched in subjects such as history and science. In the latter subject, some pupils combined word processing and graphics to produce well-illustrated project books.

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learning and very good relationships throughout the school

12. Pupils respond very positively to the school’s well-planned and carefully considered opportunities for their personal development. The school very successfully helps pupils to develop their own self-esteem, gives them a sense of responsibility and enables them to build and sustain good relationships. The oldest pupils are given specific responsibilities such as setting up the music systems in assembly, locking up the church and ringing the bells. They organise games and act as reading ‘buddies’ for the younger pupils. The teachers take time and trouble to find out what pupils think. They create good opportunities for pupils to voice their opinions and make an impact on the school. For instance pupils in Years 5 and 6 completed a questionnaire about school life that resulted in the school taking action to tackle some of their concerns such as the state of the toilet seats and the lack of play equipment. Pupils

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learning and very good relationships throughout the school

have also been involved in designing a better wild area and developing plans for a safer school.

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learning and very good relationships throughout the school

13. Pupils are very proactive in working with various charities and good causes. At the suggestion of one pupil the school became involved in supporting the local hospice, harvest gifts are taken to a homeless centre in Derby and ‘non-uniform days’ raise money for various charities. Recently, pupils baked cakes, sold toys and collected money to help the earthquake victims of Gujerat.

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learning and very good relationships throughout the school

14. Pupils are mature and sensible; they behave very well in and out of lessons and have very good work habits that equip them well for the next stage of education. In lessons they work hard and maintain a good level of concentration; occasionally they show intense commitment to their work. During an art lesson where pupils worked outside, they very sensibly and carefully carried their equipment down the nearby lane, sat quietly, observed closely and painted with great intensity, concentrating hard and showed a great determination to succeed. High quality relationships exist at all levels throughout the school. The size of the school encourages a genuine sense of Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 14 teamwork; pupils themselves are seen as, and feel that they are, an important element of the team and have an important contribution to make to the life of the school.

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learning and very good relationships throughout the school

15. A very strong supportive ethos permeates the school. Teachers know pupils well, often teaching individual pupils for two consecutive year groups and they have a sharp sense of how pupils are progressing. Teachers make regular assessments of pupils’ progress and set individual targets that help to motivate them and give them a sense of purpose.

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Very good leadership and management gives the school a clear sense of direction

16. All aspects of the leadership and management of the school are very good. The headteacher provides a clear sense of direction that is shared and supported by staff and governors. All teachers have responsibility for the co-ordination of several curriculum areas; they take these seriously and work hard to fulfil their roles and to promote the further development of the school.

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Very good leadership and management gives the school a clear sense of direction

17. Governors are well informed and well organised to fulfil their responsibilities. Individual governors have oversight of particular subject areas so that the governing body as a whole has good information on curriculum developments. Governors are organised into committees to enable effective management and efficient use of time. Parental consultations are carried out and the results are acted upon. Governors discuss the results of standardised tests and the outcomes of school reviews by the Local Education Authority (LEA)’s quality development division; they are aware of the school’s strengths and areas targeted for development. The budget is monitored regularly by the finance committee and key decisions about expenditure are discussed by the full governing body. Governors are active in seeking ‘best value’ and comparing the school’s performance and expenditure against that of other schools. This process informs the initiatives identified in the school improvement plan

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Very good leadership and management gives the school a clear sense of direction

18. The school has effective systems in place to monitor and evaluate standards and the quality of education. Results from standardised tests are analysed by the headteacher and co-ordinators to identify curriculum strengths and weaknesses. One outcome of this, for example, was identifying that while pupils’ performance in English tests was well above the national average overall, results in reading were much better than those in writing. Improving the range and quality of written work throughout the school became a target for development, resulting in noticeable gains in pupils’ skills in this area. Teaching is monitored regularly, with a specific focus for evaluation in each lesson observed. Teachers are given written feedback and areas for development form part of their planned professional development.

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Very good leadership and management gives the school a clear sense of direction

19. Information from standardised tests is increasingly being used to track pupils’ progress as they move through the school. Scrutiny of the information highlights where pupils are not making expected progress so that extra support can be provided. Those who make very rapid progress are also identified to ensure that the curriculum is sufficiently challenging to enable them to reach their potential. This is a key factor in the good standards attained in mathematics with the oldest pupils. Targets are set for all pupils on an annual basis at both a ‘safe’ and ‘challenging’ level. These targets inform planning for individuals and groups of pupils in both the medium and long term. This ensures that teaching builds on what children have already achieved and is focused on the next stage in their learning. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 15

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Arrangements for pupils’ care and welfare are very good

20. The school has a range of effective procedures in place to ensure pupils’ safety and welfare and to promote their personal and academic progress.

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Arrangements for pupils’ care and welfare are very good

21. The health and safety policy is very detailed, outlining good systems and procedures for regular risk assessment. A critical incident management policy gives very detailed guidelines and procedures to cover all possible emergency situations. Child Protection procedures are very tight to ensure that all staff are regularly updated and are vigilant in their supervision of the children.

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Arrangements for pupils’ care and welfare are very good

22. Very good systems are in place to promote good behaviour. The discipline policy includes a code of conduct to which pupils contributed and then agreed. This code is displayed throughout the school and pupils’ very good behaviour is indicative of its success. An anti-bullying policy outlines a detailed whole school approach to deal with any incidents; the oldest pupils are clear that there is no bullying at the school but that they would know what to do if they were concerned. Parents are confident that any inappropriate behaviour is quickly dealt with and that the school carefully explores the reasons behind such behaviour to try to support children where necessary. Where a child has behavioural difficulties, the school works in partnership with parents to agree an appropriate strategy to deal with these difficulties and to promote improvements.

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Arrangements for pupils’ care and welfare are very good

23. Pupils’ regular attendance is encouraged through regular reminders to parents about attendance requirements. Unexplained absences are quickly followed up; if children have not arrived by 9.15 the school telephones to check where they are.

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Arrangements for pupils’ care and welfare are very good

24. Pupils’ progress is systematically tracked as they move through the school. Baseline assessments are carried out in the first few weeks of children starting school to identify their competencies and skills on entry. Results are shared with parents in a detailed written report and targets are set for development. Progress is reviewed at the end of the reception year when parents again receive a detailed report. Once pupils have started work in the National Curriculum, a detailed skills checklist keeps tracks of their progress in English, mathematics and science as they move through the school. This approach is now being extended to cover all other subjects. Pupils’ performance in standardised tests is monitored to check that they are making the progress that they should. Individual pupils who are not making expected progress receive individual support to promote their learning.

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Arrangements for pupils’ care and welfare are very good

25. All pupils are known well as individuals by all staff. Their personal development is nurtured and promoted effectively through the high level of care and attention paid to all aspects of their welfare.

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demands of teaching and learning in the twenty-first century

26. The school is housed in a variety of buildings on a large site adjacent to a busy road. Two classrooms accommodate pupils aged four to seven in a former Georgian schoolroom which is a Grade 2 listed building. These rooms are small, cramped and awkwardly shaped. The classroom for the youngest children is totally unsuitable in Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 16 terms of the curriculum requirements for this age. There is very little space for practical activities and opportunities for children to explore and investigate their environment are very limited. There is no access to an adjacent outside play area to promote children’s physical development. A full curriculum is provided by organising a series of activities on a rota basis and by utilising all spare areas; for example sand and water play is provided in a dingy cloakroom in a lean-to at the back of the building. Nevertheless, provision for teaching and learning for this age group is

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demands of teaching and learning in the twenty-first century

compromised by the nature of the accommodation.

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demands of teaching and learning in the twenty-first century

27. Pupils aged seven to eleven are taught in two classrooms in a terrapin building that was provided on a temporary basis some twenty years ago. The classrooms are of an adequate size, but the props that support the ceiling inhibit flexible use of the available space and create some difficulty in whole class teaching sessions where pupils have to be very carefully sited if they are to have an adequate view of the teacher.

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demands of teaching and learning in the twenty-first century

28. An office has been created in a portakabin; this is shared by the headteacher and secretary. The space is inadequate to meet the complex demands of school organisation and management. There is no staffroom and nowhere for staff to meet in comfort; planning meetings and in-service training sessions have to be held in a classroom. The school still has outside lavatories for staff and pupils. There is only one lavatory for staff and school visitors to share; for safety reasons pupils need to visit the toilet in pairs and this results in some congestion and occasionally loss of time for learning.

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demands of teaching and learning in the twenty-first century

29. There are some restrictions on particular aspects of the curriculum because of the lack of space. There is no library; while older pupils are taught research skills and are aware of how to use these, it is impossible for them to carry out independent research when an incidental opportunity arises to do this. The lack of a hall means that the local church has to be used for assemblies; this is a lovely setting but necessitates a walk which needs very close supervision and inevitably leads to some loss of teaching time. A full curriculum for physical education is provided by making use of the school grounds and facilities at local schools for swimming and gymnastics; again this means organising classes to move between sites and has implications for time. There is a good number of computers in classrooms through the school, but these are crammed against walls and this makes effective teaching of ICT skills very difficult.

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demands of teaching and learning in the twenty-first century

30. Strenuous efforts have been made by the governing body to improve the quality of accommodation, but despite this, and the concerns raised in the last inspection report, there has been little progress. There are plans for an extension to replace the terrapin buildings and to improve the facilities on site. This is long overdue, but even when the extension is complete, there will still be issues to be tackled in terms of creating suitable facilities in the main school building. Much of the furniture in classrooms is ill-assorted and in need of replacement and there is a lack of suitable storage for books and equipment.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

18. In order to build on the existing good base and to further improve the quality of education, governors, headteacher and staff should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Improve the accommodation and facilities for teaching and learning by: § continuing to press for improvements to the permanent building; Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 17 § ensuring that the planned new building is fully equipped to meet the demands of teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1; § upgrading the furniture and equipment available in the substantive school building. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 8

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 17 58 25 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 120

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 5 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 19

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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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. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 10 6 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (88) 100 (88) 100 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (88) 100 (88) 100 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 7 10 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 94 (100) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (94) 100 (100) 88 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

NB Separate boys and girls percentages are not included as 10 or less boys and girls took the tests. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 20

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 228,887

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1,924

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 44 Balance brought forward from previous year 6,896

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 21,481 FTE means full-time equivalent. Risley Lower Grammar CE Primary School - 21

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 67 31 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 58 40 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 48 45 5 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 51 34 14 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 80 17 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 81 19 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 59 32 8 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 79 21 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 71 28 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 15 54 20 4 7

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