Caister Infant With Nursery School

Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

Kingston Avenue, Caister on Sea, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 5ET

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Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

Reporting inspector : Mr Nigel Stewart - OIN 3545

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Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

Dates of inspection : Monday 11 June 2001 – Thursday midday 14 June 2001

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Caister on Sea First and Nursery 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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Caister on Sea First and Nursery 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. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: First and Nursery School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Kingston Avenue Caister on Sea Great Yarmouth Norfolk

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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: Mrs A Greatrex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 12 May 1997 Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

N P Stewart Registered inspector History What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve further? The school’s results and achievements How well is the school led and managed? Special Educational Needs E Mills Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? M J Morgan Team inspector English Geography How well are pupils taught? Under Fives K French Team inspector Mathematics Art How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils or students? Equal Opportunities J G Hughes Team inspector Science Design and Technology Physical Education D Atkins Team inspector Information and Communication Technology Music Religious Education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Doncaster Inspection Services

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

PO Box 266 Floor 5 The Council House College Road Doncaster DN1 3AD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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: The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 10

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11 - 13

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Caister on Sea First and Nursery School serves a mixed and stable catchment area of mainly owner-occupied housing. The rapid expansion in the population is reflected in the size of the school which is much bigger than the average primary school with 373 pupils on roll and 52 part-time nursery children. At 14% the number of pupils who receive a free school meal is average. The school has an above average 29% of pupils on its special educational needs (SEN) register; the number of pupils with statements is in line with national averages. The school experiences some problems with attendance which is below the national average. Children enter school with levels of attainment in line with those expected for their age. The school is part of a local Education Action Zone (EAZ).

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The arrival of a new headteacher last September has enabled the school to take stock of its position and to focus on a number of areas which were not satisfactory. The progress made over the past nine months is significant and reflects the clear leadership and direction provided by the headteacher, and the good support he is receiving from the governing body and the staff of the school. Teaching overall is at least satisfactory and often good, but little progress has been made to introduce clear systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and dealing with any weaknesses. More needs to be done to raise some aspects of attainment, particularly for more able pupils. The school also needs to improve its performance in comparison with similar schools. Some of the issues identified in the school's previous inspection report had not been tackled with sufficient commitment and rigour until the recent

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

appointment of the headteacher. At the moment the school is just giving satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The headteacher provides very good leadership and direction. • The governing body has a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. • Very good procedures are in place for ensuring pupils' welfare. • Children with SEN are well supported. • Relationships are good. • Very good information on the curriculum and topics to be covered by each year group is provided for parents.

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What could be improved

• Raising achievement of pupils, particularly the more able, in comparison with standards achieved by those from similar schools. • Ensuring that procedures are in place for assessing pupils' progress and planning appropriate activities so that they learn more effectively. • Introducing clear procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching and making provision to Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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What could be improved

- 7 - tackle identified weaknesses. • Raising standards in art across the school. • Improving the attendance of pupils.

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What could be improved

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 inspected in May 1997 and overall standards were judged to be in line with the national average. Since that time little progress has been made in the performance of pupils by the end of Key Stage 1 when compared with schools nationally. The results for last year, in relation to similar schools, were below or well below average. The evidence from this inspection, however, is that standards in the school are broadly average across all subjects.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Until the arrival of the new headteacher progress on key issues identified in the previous report was unsatisfactory, with the exception of the action taken to raise standards in pupils' handwriting and to improve provision in information and communication technology (ICT). The major areas of weaknesses in teacher assessment, aspects of curriculum planning and the teaching of ICT were not tackled with sufficient reference to evaluating the outcomes of action taken against improved pupil performance. Over the past nine months, however, following a very focused identification of priorities for school improvement, satisfactory progress has been made to improve consistency in curriculum planning and to develop expertise and further increase resources in ICT. Action taken to address the lack of consistency in the application and use of assessment data to support pupils' progress remains unsatisfactory.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The headteacher has been ably supported by the governing body and by staff in tackling these issues over such a short timescale. It is to everyone's credit that the school can point to significant progress during the present school year in a number of key priorities. Actions being taken to manage the weaknesses in assessment are sound, but there has been insufficient time yet for these to have made an appropriate impact. The governors are now acutely aware of the school's strengths and weaknesses and are working hard to support the headteacher in managing the process of school improvement. The newly extended senior management team has a very important role to play to ensure that progress continues to be made and that the task of raising attainment is tackled rigorously across the school as a team.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

1997 1998 1999 2000 2000 Reading C C C C D well above average above average A B Writing C B C C D average below average C D Mathematics D C C D E well below average E

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Key

Standards of attainment in reading and writing at the end of Key Stage 1 are in line with the national average, but below average when compared with similar schools. Standards in Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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Key

- 8 - mathematics are below national averages and well below average in comparison with similar schools. Science teacher assessments judge pupils' performance to be below national expectations and below those for similar schools. Trends over time from 1997 show little actual improvement in the standards pupils have attained. This is a disappointing picture which reflects a level of underachievement in the school over the period of time indicated.

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Key

There is, however, a more promising picture from the evidence of classroom observations and pupils' work during the inspection. Standards in English, mathematics and science, both in Key Stage 1 and in Year 3, are satisfactory, and there is a better level of achievement from pupils with higher ability. Attainment in ICT has improved since the last inspection, but declined in art. In all other subjects standards are in line with national expectations. Pupils with SEN are attaining appropriately for their ability and making good progress, particularly in Key Stage 1.

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Key

Pupils in the Foundation Stage make sound progress and most attain the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception classes; some exceed them.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Most pupils show a keen interest in their work. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils mostly behave well in class and around the school; occasionally, some are not as fully involved in their work as they should be. Personal development and relationships Good. Relationships are positive; some opportunities are provided for pupils to take responsibility and help others. Attendance Unsatisfactory. Despite the school's good systems for promoting attendance, rates are below average due to the number of pupils who take family holidays in term time.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils of all ages enjoy coming to school. Relationships are good and this has a positive effect on pupils' learning. Attendance at the school is below national rates, mainly because of pupils who take family holidays during term time.

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

Lessons seen overall satisfactory good satisfactory

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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

The overall quality of teaching is at least satisfactory and often good. In the 73 lessons observed teaching was judged to be satisfactory in 44%, good in 41% and very good in 8%. The best teaching takes place in Year 1. Across the school five of the lessons observed (7%) Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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

- 9 - were found to be unsatisfactory. In Year 3 four lessons (25%) were unsatisfactory and this is an unacceptably high level. Teacher planning is mainly good across the school, where there are clear benefits from a consistent team approach. Pupils with SEN make good progress. Where there is unsatisfactory teaching in one Year 3 class, it is caused by a lack of effective preparation and weak teaching strategies for managing pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Sound. The curriculum is suitably broad and balanced; the school offers a good range of extra-curricular activities. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils are well supported and their work is closely monitored; teaching assistants are well managed and appropriately deployed to support pupils' learning; SEN pupils make good progress. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Sound. Provision is good for pupils' moral and social development and sound for their spiritual and cultural development; little evidence was seen of planning for spiritual development across the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Sound. There are very good procedures for ensuring pupils' welfare; monitoring of attendance is good; procedures for assessing and monitoring academic progress remain unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum and there have been recent significant improvements in the quality of curriculum planning. The school offers pupils a good range of extra-curricular activities. Whilst very effective systems are in place for ensuring pupils' welfare, much work still needs to be done within areas of assessment to improve academic performance.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher provides very effective leadership with a clear direction for raising standards; he is forming a good working relationship with the deputy headteacher; the roles of year leaders and subject co-ordinators have been redefined and the introduction of a good strategy for performance management will clearly help to develop their contribution to school improvement. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors now receive clear information about the school and they have a good grasp of its strengths and weaknesses; governors are supportive and are taking an increasing role in questioning and monitoring school performance, with guidance from the headteacher. The school’s evaluation of its performance Sound. The school improvement plan is a good one, detailing clear targets, timescales and responsibilities and involving staff and

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Aspect Comment

governors; procedures for monitoring standards and teaching are Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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Aspect Comment

- 10 - not yet secure, and this area of school evaluation is, at the moment, unsatisfactory. The strategic use of resources Sound. Improvements have been made in the resourcing of ICT and in the re-organisation of the library areas and the SEN room.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher has carried out a thorough audit of the school and identified a number of key priorities in a detailed school improvement plan. Staff and governors are aware of the school's needs to raise standards. Weaknesses in monitoring standards and teaching will only be rectified with the commitment of the extended senior management team and subject co- ordinators. There needs to be a whole-school approach to planning and, then, to taking the action needed to secure improvement.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• their children like coming to the school • they make good progress in school • behaviour in the school is good • the school expects children to work hard and achieve their best • the school is helping children to become mature and responsible • they are comfortable about approaching the school with questions or problems • a wider range of activities outside lessons • better information about how their children are getting on • closer working relations with the school • the right amount of work to do at home

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents' positive views about the school, although most children make sound rather than good progress and more could achieve higher standards. The team also agrees with the parents' concerns about the information they receive about how children are progressing, and has identified annual written reports to parents as an additional issue for the school to deal with. The inspection team disagrees with parents in other respects, finding that there is a good range of activities outside lessons provided and that the right amount of homework is demanded by the school. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Results in the 2000 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 1 are average in reading and writing and below average in mathematics. Teacher assessments for science are close to the national average. At the higher level 3, the school’s performance is below the national average in reading and mathematics tests and in teacher assessments for science; it is above average in writing. There is no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls. Over the past three years from 1998 to 2000 standards in the school have declined slightly, whilst the national trend has seen a small increase. When results in 2000 are compared with those of pupils in similar schools, they are below average in reading and writing and well below average in mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The overall judgement from the many lessons observed, and from the detailed scrutiny of pupils’ work during the inspection, is that standards at the end of Key Stage 1 and in Year 3 are in line with those that would be expected nationally of the age groups. Indeed, evidence from the inspection suggests that more pupils are attaining at the higher levels within and at the end of Key Stage 1 and that pupils in Year 3 have improved in comparison with their performance in the 2000 national tests, particularly in mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Attainment of children on entry to the reception classes is in line with expectations for their age; this is reflected in the baseline assessments that are carried out by the school. These youngest children benefit from a Foundation Stage curriculum which is appropriately planned to cover the areas of learning. Most children achieve the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception classes and some exceed them. For example, many children have a good range of spoken language, write independently and express ideas well. Most have a good knowledge of simple mathematical language, recognise and use number symbols to ten, and some can count further with a good degree of accuracy. Only in the area of creative development are there some notable weaknesses, for instance in art and design, where insufficient attention is given to teaching basic skills.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Pupils with SEN make good progress, notably in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1. More efforts have been recently focused on the needs of older pupils and good work is developing with the strategies for ‘catch-up’ and additional literacy support (ALS) in Year 3. Teaching assistants are appropriately deployed in classes to concentrate on the specific needs of individuals and groups of pupils.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Standards in English are average across the school. The successful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy is having a positive impact upon the attainment of pupils. They have good speaking and listening skills, respond well to questions from adults and, if given the opportunity, offer quite detailed answers and explanations. Most pupils make sound progress with their reading. By the time they reach Year 3 many read with ease from both fiction and non-fiction books and know how to locate information from various sources. Standards in handwriting have improved since the previous inspection, when this was a key issue. Pupils form their letters well in the reception classes and, by the end of Year 2, most are writing with a good degree of Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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The school’s results and achievements

- 12 - control and confidence. In Year 3 most pupils have developed a neat, joined handwriting style.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. In mathematics attainment is average throughout the school. The National Numeracy Strategy is being implemented effectively in all classes. By the time they are seven, most pupils count forwards and backwards in twos, fives and tens with accuracy, and mentally add three numbers together. They recognise patterns in number and name two and three-dimensional shapes. By the end of Year 3 many explain appropriately their mental strategies for calculation. They distinguish right angles and recognise reflective symmetry. Lessons and work in Year 3 show an improvement on standards attained in the previous year’s national tests.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. In science attainment is average by the end of Key Stage 1 and in Year 3. In Key Stage 1 pupils show a sound level of scientific enquiry and have a good understanding of the use of fair testing. In Year 3 pupils build on the skills already gained. They identify and group materials according to their properties. However, this work is insufficiently challenging for the more able who should be encouraged to find out more for themselves.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Pupils’ attainment in ICT has improved since the last inspection and is now in line with national expectations. In Key Stage 1 appropriate examples were seen of pupils using their skills to organise and select information in mathematics, word-processing and printing work linked to a literacy lesson and choosing icons to create their pictograms. In Year 3 pupils input data and make use of screen prompts to produce various graphs.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. Attainment in religious education is in line with standards expected by the Local Agreed Syllabus. Throughout the school pupils are gaining an appropriate knowledge of Christianity and are learning about aspects of other world faiths, including Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. Pupils attain standards in line with national expectations for seven and eight year olds in all other subjects apart from art, where standards are below average. In music, standards are just in line with national expectations.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils of all ages enjoy coming to school and most show a keen interest in their work. In most lessons they listen attentively to their teachers, work hard and concentrate. They generally work well together and have good relationships with their teachers and peers. Instances were seen during inspection where a minority of pupils found it difficult to remain focused on lessons and time was lost as teachers brought them back to task. On occasions, inconsistency in teachers’ expectations or lack of appropriate teaching strategies resulted in some inappropriate chattering and pupils not being fully engaged in activities. However, in most lessons pupils showed a good attitude to their work.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour in and around school is good and instances of exclusion are rare. Pupils are aware of the school rules and understand the consequences of their actions. Throughout the school they enter and leave classrooms in an orderly manner and are polite and courteous. Bullying is rare and dealt with effectively. Overall, the school has maintained the positive attitudes and good behaviour described in the previous report. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

- 13 - 13. The school has recognised the need to increase the opportunities for pupils to become more independent. Pupils of all ages are encouraged to take responsibility as classroom helpers with specific tasks and they respond well to this. Some Year 3 pupils act as ‘playground buddies’, helping younger children and assisting lunchtime supervisors. Opportunities for pupils to use their initiative and plan their own activities in classrooms are not so well developed.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance at the school is below national rates and, as such, is unsatisfactory. The school is working hard to improve attendance rates which are low due to the number of pupils who take family holidays during term time. There is very little unauthorised absence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Teaching and learning throughout the school are at least satisfactory and often good. Of the 73 lessons observed, teaching was judged to be satisfactory in 44%, good in 41% and very good in 8%. Teaching is particularly effective in Year 1, although there are also instances of very good teaching elsewhere. Five of the lessons observed (7%) were found to be unsatisfactory, four of these in Year 3, where there is an unacceptably high level of unsatisfactory teaching. Teachers and classroom assistants work well together and have a good level of competence in the teaching of basic skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Almost all the teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory or better, and in 42% of lessons it was judged to be good. Teachers, nursery nurses and the support staff have a good working knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and have introduced new planning, which is now more clearly matched to children's ability. In the nursery, the staff work as a team, sharing focused work with specific groups of children and responding well to their sudden enthusiasms. More could be done to ensure that key skills, such as mixing colours from dry powder paint or independent writing, are taught progressively. Children should also be given more opportunity to make decisions for themselves.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. In Key Stage 1 and in Year 3, teachers’ short-term planning is generally good, and the main purposes of lessons are clearly explained to the pupils. Planning in teams has clearly brought benefits. However, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ performance and their behaviour vary considerably and only systematic monitoring of teaching will help to ensure consistency. As a result, some more able pupils are insufficiently challenged and the quality of learning in a small number of lessons in Year 3 is reduced by silliness and inattention. Where pupils of all abilities are set tasks which motivate and engage them, then learning is good. For example, in a Year 1 lesson using computers, pupils were asked to create pictograms of data already collected about their pets. In most literacy and numeracy lessons, teachers plan group activities which are mainly well matched to pupils’ abilities and linked to the main text being used. More consideration

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

could be given to some choices of text to provide a richer vocabulary and to fire pupils' imaginations. For example in Year 3, the choice of the book ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’, set in World War II, really intrigued and excited the pupils as they were already studying this period in their history lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. In two-thirds of all lessons, pupils’ behaviour and interest in learning are good. In these lessons, teachers make the boundaries of acceptable behaviour clear. They enthuse pupils about their learning so that they are attentive, respond well, and are absorbed in their activities. In other lessons, whilst pupils’ attitudes remain generally co-operative, Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

- 14 - they are not sufficiently motivated and excited to fully engage in the intended learning. In one Year 3 class, insufficient preparation for lessons and a lack of clarity in the purpose of some activities leads to unsatisfactory outcomes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Consistently applied, positive behaviour strategies would be of benefit in enhancing attentiveness. In the most effective lessons, teachers use skilful questioning to challenge pupils to think carefully. They do not rely too heavily on published material, but make much of dialogue and oral work. For example, in a Year 1 numeracy lesson, oral work was very effective in challenging pupils of all abilities to extend their thinking and apply their knowledge of number patterns to new work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Resources are generally appropriately used. Sometimes the simplest teacher-made resources make a real impact on the quality of learning. For a Year 3 geography lesson, the teacher prepared enlarged photographs of the school’s surroundings, set on a large sheet of paper so that pupils could work in pairs, identifying, classifying and labelling features they had observed in previous fieldwork. This combination of first hand experience, followed by an activity which enabled all pupils to succeed at their own level of ability, resulted in a good standard of learning for all.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Classroom assistants are mostly well briefed, use their initiative and contribute effectively to the quality of pupils’ learning. Teachers of pupils of all ages are becoming increasingly confident in the use of computers. Teachers assess pupils’ work on a day- to-day basis and often give clear feedback about their achievements and where they need to improve. However, the overall use of assessment data is not yet focused on providing the insights teachers need for planning future work at an appropriate level to raise attainment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Some monitoring of teaching has taken place since the last inspection. This has become much more systematic over the past year. The process has not yet been introduced effectively. For example, effective teaching should be more clearly identified and used as a model to spread good practice through the school. This will also ensure that weaknesses that exist, particularly in a Year 3 class, are tackled and strategies introduced to remedy them. Senior staff and curriculum co-ordinators, appropriately trained, have a key role to play in this area of monitoring and evaluation.

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PUPILS?

23. The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. There is a daily act of worship and religious education complies with the Local Agreed Syllabus. Provision for under-fives is satisfactory. In accordance with its priority of raising achievement in English and mathematics, the school’s timetable places an appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy. A good range of extra-curricular activity is provided for pupils.

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PUPILS?

24. The school has introduced schemes of work closely matched to national guidelines, although many of its policies are due for review in order to take account of recent curricular developments. There is insufficient understanding of the progressive development of skills in some subjects, particularly art and music, and a limited range of opportunities for pupils to engage in imaginative and creative work throughout the curriculum. Provision for work in ICT has improved since the last inspection, with opportunities often identified in planning for other subjects. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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PUPILS?

- 15 - 25. The clarity of teachers’ planning has significantly improved since the arrival of the new headteacher, and now addresses issues raised in the last inspection. Teachers now plan well, clearly identifying the purposes of lessons. Activities are generally well matched to the needs of pupils of different abilities in English and mathematics lessons. This is less often the case in other subjects. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to engage in practical activities which allow them to investigate and apply what they know in different situations. Pupils’ work is too often limited by worksheets, which do not provide sufficient scope to extend and challenge their thinking. Provision for pupils with SEN is good. Teaching assistants are mostly well briefed and support individuals and groups effectively.

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PUPILS?

26. The previous inspection reported excellent overall provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; evidence from this inspection is that it is sound. The provision for moral and social development is good. It is reinforced through the school’s expectations in its daily life and classroom practices. Pupils are given responsibility to act as helpers in classrooms, with computers and in the playground. Group work in classrooms develops the social skills of pupils, which are further enhanced by educational and residential visits. Thoughts about less fortunate people are the focus of charity work in the school.

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PUPILS?

27. There is satisfactory provision for pupils’ spiritual development. School assemblies provide time for reflection and to share and celebrate success. Religious education provides opportunity for pupils to consider the centrality of God in various religions and to consider the beliefs and values of others. There is, however, little evidence of planning for spiritual development across the curriculum. Therefore, opportunities for pupils to explore emotions and feelings and to be inspired by the wonders in the world are not sufficiently identified.

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PUPILS?

28. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is sound. Traditional games are introduced. Year 3 pupils attend a multi-cultural day in a neighbouring school. Through history and geography, pupils find out about their own and other localities, both past and present. Religious education helps pupils develop knowledge of other religions and cultures. Although multi-cultural education is less well developed, educational visits, visitors to school and links with the local community make an effective contribution to cultural development.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. The school has maintained the safe and happy environment reported at the previous inspection. Staff continue to provide effective personal support. During the inspection teachers and support staff were seen to deal sensitively with pupils when they were unwell or upset. At lunchtime, midday supervisors provide assistance where necessary but also encourage even the youngest to become independent when choosing and paying for their own meals.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. This is a school which takes great care to ensure that health and safety regulations are met, with appropriate risk assessments and safety checks carried out. A child protection policy is fully in place. Staff with responsibility for this are very experienced and follow local guidelines closely. Statutory requirements are fully met.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The school has recently reviewed its behaviour policy. Good behaviour is praised and rewarded and instances of poor behaviour monitored. Although this results in good behaviour of the majority of pupils, the implementation is not consistent in all classes Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

- 16 - and results in a lack of attention from a few pupils in some lessons. Bullying is not tolerated and any instances are dealt with swiftly and effectively. Parents feel that the school successfully promotes honesty and respect for others.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The school has identified attendance as an area for improvement. It has increased its efforts to promote good attendance, with support from the Norfolk Attendance Service. Parents are reminded of the importance of regular attendance and the disruption caused when pupils are on holiday during term time. A reward system has recently been introduced to encourage good attendance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Some progress has been made on improving the use of assessment since the last inspection. However, until this academic year this has been to increase the frequency of teacher assessment, rather than to focus on how to improve its purpose and use in relation to pupils’ progress. The academic progress of pupils under five is carefully monitored and recorded and work is then planned to match their needs. In Year 1 pupils’ work is assessed and recorded but this does not form part of a coherent process of tracking their progress in relation to their ability. In Year 2 pupils do have end of key stage targets based on teacher assessment, but there is a lack of consistency between teachers’ judgements and national standards.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Teachers plan together more effectively in year groups, which helps to ensure consistency in what pupils will be taught. This is a good aspect of development this year. However, the use of assessment data to help teachers plan future work is still underdeveloped. This process now needs to be reinforced with more detailed planning of the work that pupils need to do in order to make progress in terms of National Curriculum levels. This is directly related to the need to provide a range of different tasks to ensure that the more able pupils in Key Stage 1 can achieve the higher level 3 standards of work.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The development of a Record of Achievement and the use of literacy target cards with pupils are good features of improvements made. Pupils' personal achievements are being recorded and recognised more formally in school. In lessons, pupils are now beginning to have more explicit targets for improvement in their work and are responding positively to this opportunity. Although overall unsatisfactory progress has been made since the last inspection, under the leadership of the present headteacher the school is better placed to make the improvements required in using assessment data for planning work and tracking pupils’ progress through the school. The school identifies pupils with SEN effectively and plans their assessments and programme of support well.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. Parents are supportive of their children's education. They take a keen interest in, and are happy with the work of the school in most areas. They feel that their children enjoy school, are taught well and make good progress. They believe that teachers have high expectations and help their children to become responsible.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. Some parents have reservations about the amount of homework set, the information provided about their children's progress, the school’s work with parents and the extra- curricular activities provided. Views on homework vary between those parents who believe that their children are given too much and those who believe that they are given Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

- 17 - too little. Homework set during inspection was appropriate and relevant. The school provides sufficient opportunities for parents to discuss progress, both formally and informally. The annual written report to parents, however, is impersonal and does not always reflect the individuality of pupils. The school is aware of this and has already taken steps to address the problem. The amount of extra-curricular provision, including visits out of school, is good.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. The school works hard to maintain close contact with parents, actively seeks their views and responds to them. Governors have recently distributed a questionnaire for parents to identify any areas of concern. Parents are very well informed about the school and its work. The quality of this information is very good, with details about the curriculum and topic work to be covered provided for each year group. Nursery staff make home visits to meet children and their parents before they start school. The school is seeking to extend the ways in which parents can help their children at home and is in the process of producing further useful guidance for parents. A home/school agreement reinforces the importance of the partnership between parents and staff. Meetings to explain educational issues are well attended. The school has recently increased its efforts to enlist the support of parents in ensuring the good attendance of their children.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. Reading records, most of which are used well, provide an effective means of communication between home and school. Parents are welcome to help in school, although few are involved in classroom activities. The Friends Association is instrumental in raising substantial funds which have provided additional resources for the school, including outdoor play equipment which has greatly enhanced the school environment.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40. The headteacher was appointed at the beginning of the school year. He is already providing very effective leadership and giving a clear direction for the work and development of the school. In a very short time he has carried out a thorough and accurate audit of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and shared these with the governing body and staff. He has managed the production of a well-focused interim school improvement plan and begun to tackle a number of relevant priorities, including key issues from the previous inspection, which had not been tackled or dealt with adequately. In this he is being well supported by the deputy headteacher.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The school improvement plan correctly targets the raising of standards as the most important issue for the school. It uses the evidence from school performance data to prioritise action to raise standards and to set more challenging targets in English, mathematics and science. It sets out roles and responsibilities of key staff and targets for measuring the progress achieved within appropriate timescales. Links to resourcing, staff development and support from named Local Education Authority (LEA) personnel are very clearly made. Senior staff and governors are identified to carry out monitoring and evaluation of developments. Already, LEA staff have carried out a review and made a number of helpful recommendations to the headteacher and the chair of governors.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The governing body has a very clear view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They acknowledge that this is due to the much better information they are receiving from the headteacher. As a group they understand what the school needs to do to improve and have introduced a number of initiatives by which they can play a more active role in carrying out their responsibilities. This includes setting up a ‘school effectiveness committee’ which has a very focused role in evaluating progress within Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

- 18 - the school improvement plan. The chair of governors was appointed at the same time as the headteacher and she has an impressive grasp of where the school is now and the short and long-term strategic plans for school improvement.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. Whilst systems for monitoring such issues as attendance and behaviour are good, procedures for monitoring the more important areas of standards and teaching are only just being established under the guidance of the new headteacher. At the moment they are unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, it is very clear from the actions being put into place, particularly the establishment of an extended senior management team, that this will soon improve. The school’s performance management strategy forms a key part of this process. The agreed targets to develop the role of year group and subject leaders are very well considered and clearly focused. It is essential that all staff, and particularly the senior management team, take a shared responsibility for addressing the core issue of enhancing pupil progress and raising standards.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The school makes good use of its resources. The headteacher, appropriate governors and office staff with budget responsibilities have a sound understanding of the principles of best value in terms of purchasing and deploying resources and, more recently, in comparing the school’s performance with others. Given the size of the school, the amount of the budget carried forward from April 2001 and the projected surplus for next year are rather small and this places some restrictions on spending to meet school priorities. The small amount of funding provided by the local EAZ has been used well to support developments in ICT.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. There are sufficient numbers of teaching and support staff in the school and these are appropriately deployed. The recent initiative to refocus the work of teaching assistants to provide specific support to identified individuals and groups of pupils in most need, is developing well. The whole area of SEN provision is well managed by the headteacher and the co-ordinator.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Accommodation is adequate, although some classrooms are rather small and the three relocatable classrooms, which are not particularly attractive, take up some of the limited playground space. Recent reorganisation of certain areas, for example the two libraries and the special needs room, have improved provision for learning. The locating of a small network of computers in the school hall is not ideal, although it is an important teaching aid. The governors are rightly giving consideration as to how this situation could be improved.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. A range of evidence from the inspection shows that the school now has a good capacity for improvement. However, at the moment it is too early to judge the impact of the very good strategies being put into place by the headteacher and the governing body to secure that improvement. Given the present average standards being attained by the pupils, the unsatisfactory comparison with similar schools in the national tests in 2000, the overall sound to good quality of teaching in most areas of the school and the appropriate use and deployment of resources, the school is just giving satisfactory value for money.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

48. In order to make the school more effective and to raise standards, the headteacher, governors and senior staff should:

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• raise the achievement of all pupils, and particularly the more able, by: Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- 19 - - planning work which stimulates, motivates and challenges all pupils to extend their thinking and attain higher levels of performance; - actively engaging pupils in setting targets to enable them to take more responsibility for their own learning. (Paragraphs1, 7, 17, 25, 69, 74, 75)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensure that procedures are in place for assessing and monitoring pupils’ progress by: - developing the use of assessment data across the school to track pupils` progress and relate this to their ability; - using assessment data more effectively to plan activities for pupils so that they make progress in lessons; - working with staff to make certain that teacher assessment is consistent with national standards. (Paragraphs 21, 33, 34, 35, 73, 77, 81, 89, 102, 110)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• introduce clear procedures for monitoring and improving the quality of teaching by: - identifying and sharing the good practice that exists in the school; - taking appropriate action to tackle areas of weakness, for example the management of pupils in a Year 3 class; - developing the skills of the senior management team in classroom observation and feedback to teachers. (Paragraphs 15, 18, 22, 43, 68, 73, 76, 80, 109)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• raise standards in art across the school by: - providing access to appropriate training for staff; - planning for the systematic teaching of skills to ensure that pupils can make good progress. (Paragraphs 60, 78, 79)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• raise the below average attendance of pupils to at least the national average. (Paragraphs 14, 32)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the quality of information to parents about their children’s progress by: - changing the style and content of the annual written report to parents so that teachers’ comments more appropriately reflect the individual needs and abilities of pupils. (Paragraph 37) Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 86

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 8 41 44 6 1 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y3

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 373

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 50 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y3

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 14 144

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 17

p.20

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. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.20

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 44 49 93

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 32 35 37 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 46 46 44

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 84 [84] 87 [85] 87 [89] at NC level 2 or above National 83 [82] 84 [83] 90 [87]

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 35 35 37 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 45 45 46

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 86 [84] 86 [89] 89 [94] at NC level 2 or above National 84 [82] 88 [86] 88 [87]

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15.5 Financial year 2000/1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y3 Total expenditure 718296

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 15 Expenditure per pupil 1833

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 278.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 11157

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 4891

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 32.5

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 8.7 FTE means full-time equivalent. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 43 49 6 1 1

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 29 64 1 2 4

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 49 16 5 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 26 50 19 5 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 54 36 6 4 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 52 42 3 1 2

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 20 54 16 6 4

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 31 53 8 3 6

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 38 55 5 0 2

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 17 25 25 14 20 Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. The Foundation Stage comprises a nursery, with places for 52 part-time children, and four reception classes. There has been a period of instability in the nursery prior to the inspection, due to staff illness and the resulting need to employ supply staff and to put in place a temporary job share arrangement. The Foundation Stage is co-ordinated by an experienced reception class teacher.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. At the last inspection, provision for children under five was judged to be a strength of the school. The reception classes have maintained those good standards of provision and practice that will enable almost all children to attain the early learning goals in all the areas of learning by the end of the Foundation Stage, and some to exceed them. In some aspects, they have raised standards, for example in handwriting skills. The only exception is in the area of creative development. Provision in the nursery is sound, but is not as purposeful and stimulating as it could be to enable children of all abilities to make maximum progress.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Personal, social and emotional development

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. In the nursery there is a wide range of maturity in personal and social skills and in emotional development. About two-thirds of the children in both sessions are able to play and work together, use resources and equipment appropriately and respond well to nursery routines. They are polite to each other and aware of their own and others’ feelings. A significant minority of the children remain very dependent on adults, are easily upset by other children and find difficulty in sharing activities. Tidying away time, for instance, is not sufficiently established as a learning activity for children, and adults presently do far too much.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. The present temporary teachers have both worked well to establish some simple ‘circle time’ routines, bringing children together in two separate groups, modelling behaviour and encouraging children to talk about their learning and to listen to others. An effective ‘snack time’ routine involved the giving out and receiving of pieces of fruit, with adults encouraging children to observe the conventions of taking turns, choosing and saying ‘thank you’. In the reception classes, good progress is seen in all aspects of personal and social development. Children are generally enthusiastic about their learning, responsive to adults and able to work individually or in pairs for sustained periods. They talk about feelings of their own and empathise with the emotions of characters in stories. Children are given nominated responsibility each day for a range of tasks to which they respond well. Further development of such responsibility into the

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

choice and organisation of resources and equipment for learning tasks would strengthen children’s independence. This is difficult in some classrooms as not all resources are suitably organised or accessible.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Communication, language and literacy 54. Children in the nursery vary considerably in their speaking and listening skills. Some children talk very little and need the constant encouragement of adults to articulate their needs and feelings. However, the great majority of children have a good range of spoken language. In one session the teacher effectively intervened in an activity with a group of five children making vehicles from ‘Mobilo’. The children talked animatedly Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

- 25 - about what they were making and, prompted by the teacher, used positional vocabulary such as ‘front’, ‘underneath’, ‘inside’, as well as comparing each other’s models.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. Opportunities for introducing books into play activities are sometimes overlooked. Children enjoy the books adults share with them in storytelling sessions, but these are infrequent. Similarly, insufficient emphasis is given to providing relevant opportunities for writing. The current teachers are both aware of this and one provided some small pads for the children to make ‘passports’ for one of their ‘journeys'. Reception class teachers use the Literacy Framework well and children make good progress in speaking and listening. Appropriate emphasis is given to phonics and most children are achieving the early learning goals through a good range of stories, rhymes and poetry. They have a good knowledge of books and many are reading confidently from simple texts. Although most activities within literacy sessions are appropriate, much more use could be made of role play settings to stimulate a greater range of conversation. Many

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children write independently, express ideas and record experiences well. They form letters clearly and make good attempts at spelling familiar words.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. In both age groups mathematical development is handled well. Numerous opportunities are taken in the nursery for counting and for ordering numbers in games and rhymes, outdoors in sand play and at snack time. In playing the counting game ‘five speckled frogs’, staff had made effective numbered frog masks on a stick for children to hold and act out the rhyme. They showed that they knew numbers to five. Outdoor activities provide real experiences of direction (‘this way round’) and position (‘who is at the front?’). In the reception classes all teachers have introduced the National Numeracy Strategy in varying degrees and to good effect. Children recognise and use number symbols to 10, and some count into the teens. Most have a good knowledge of mathematical language such as ‘more’, ‘less’, ‘tall’, ‘long’ and ‘how many?’ This good level of understanding is due to effective teaching through enjoyable

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

and well-resourced activities, with focused support from classroom assistants for the less able. Children’s mathematical skills are also developing well, for example, measuring with small cubes and making simple recordings of their findings. Most children are already achieving the early learning goals and some have exceeded them.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. Through first hand experiences children are learning a great deal about their immediate locality, about the plants and creatures which live there and the people who serve the community. In the nursery, children have learned about change through the life cycle of frogs and can talk about insects, their similarities and differences. In one session, the teacher effectively provided the opportunity during a group time for three children to ‘test’ their wheeled models down a ramp, whilst other children predicted which would go the furthest. These are effective strategies, but there are generally limited opportunities for children to investigate and explore, for example the properties of magnets. Such experiences prompt the asking of questions by the children and the pursuit of enquiry skills. Access to ICT is also limited.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. At the reception stage, children have explored their locality and drawn simple pictorial maps of routes to school. They know about 'people who help us' through representatives visiting the school. Children have learned about the care of animals and written well about the softness of their fur, for example. Children can cut and fasten materials together using appropriate methods and construct models from discarded materials, sometimes finishing them to a high standard by painting them. Through the effective provision of play opportunities in some classes, children recreate Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

- 26 - their experiences of travel and talk knowledgeably about places. By teachers providing these first hand experiences, children are able to strengthen and consolidate their learning in ways not always evident at the earlier stages. Reception children manipulate the mouse on the computer accurately and use a simple ‘draw’ program to design a picture of sunflowers. In most respects, children have achieved the early learning goals for this area of learning.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. The provision of fixed climbing equipment and a ‘trim trail’ arrangement has made an excellent supplement to the existing outdoor play area available to both the nursery and reception classes. Children have planned access to this shared resource and staff make good use of it to provide for a range of learning activities. Children in the nursery direct wheeled toys around a chalked ‘roadway’, observing ‘stop’ signs. They play simple throw and catch games and enjoy activities in the sand and water play. The development of physical skills is good and, in the reception classes, most children can run with good control of direction, jump and land well, balance and climb with a fair degree of skill. In one session, two of the reception classes join together for effective ‘circle games’ outdoors. This well-directed activity involves opportunities to develop directional skills and to move rhythmically with a growing awareness of others in the

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

space available. By the end of the Foundation Stage, most children manipulate simple tools well and with safety.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. This is the weakest area of learning, notably in art and design and in the provision and use of imaginative play. There is a variety of experience with collage materials and with paint and printing in the nursery and reception classes, but an overall lack of quality in the learning activities provided. Children do not mix their own paints from a basic range of powder colours and, as a consequence, are not learning about shades of colour or variations in consistency in the application of paint. Where there are creative activities, insufficient attention is given to the teaching of skills associated with the use of paint brushes, of mark-making materials such as soft pencils or charcoal sticks, or of malleable material such as clay. Staff do provide some limited material, such as play dough, but insufficient opportunity is provided for children to really exercise their imagination, with appropriate adult support.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Similarly, whilst there is some provision in terms of space and dressing up clothes for role play, little is made of the imaginative settings which could be created jointly by adults and children, not least as a stimulus to learning in literacy and language. All children in both year groups sing a variety of songs and rhymes, which they clearly enjoy. A range of percussion instruments is available for children to create their own choice of sounds.

p.26

ENGLISH

62. Standards in English are in line with national averages, as they were at the time of the last inspection. In the national tests for seven year olds in 2000, results for reading and writing were average, which is where they have remained over the past four years. The proportion of pupils attaining the expected level 2 has declined slightly in writing, and remained about the same for reading. Standards in spelling are slightly below average. Compared with similar schools, the proportion of pupils achieving level 2 is below average. There is no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls. However, provisional results for 2001 show an upturn in the attainment of pupils in both Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.26

ENGLISH

- 27 - reading and writing. There are clear indications of improvement over the last nine months. In most lessons observed during this inspection, standards in Key Stage 1 were average, and in a fifth of them, above average. In Year 3, scores for reading and writing are close to the average for Norfolk schools. In lessons observed during the inspection, attainment was judged to be at, or slightly above, the average expected for pupils of this age. Successful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy is having a positive impact on the attainment of pupils at the end of Key Stage 1, and in Year 3. There is detailed planning for literacy lessons, with clear objectives and personal literacy targets for all pupils, so that they know what they need to do to improve.

p.27

ENGLISH

63. Pupils are given good, planned opportunities for developing their speaking and listening skills within literacy lessons through responses to questions about a studied text, through paired discussion and in predicting events and outcomes from stories. In these aspects, standards are generally good and build well on the broadly average skills most pupils have on entry to the school. Much less emphasis is given to speaking and listening skills within role play and drama, and, as a result, some more imaginative uses of talk are underdeveloped, as are the skills associated with expressing opinion and argument. A good exception to this was seen in a Year 3 class where, during a geography lesson, the teacher provided an opportunity for pupils to work in pairs and decide between themselves the changes they would make to the school surroundings. They then argued the case for each one to the class.

p.27

ENGLISH

64. Pupils enjoy reading and often choose to do so at home. Almost all pupils make sound progress through Key Stage 1 and achieve at least average standards by the time they are seven. Guided reading sessions are used effectively to improve pupils' skills in reading words and understanding text. Younger pupils read with increasing accuracy and use a number of strategies to identify unfamiliar words. Abler pupils in Year 2 read with fluency and expression. In Year 3 most pupils read with ease from both fiction and non-fiction and know how to locate information from books and from the Internet. The reading skills of pupils with SEN in Year 3 are below average, but they are making good progress. Through their involvement in ALS and the catch-up programme, support staff make a good contribution to pupils' learning. All pupils, and particularly the more able, would benefit from a richer and broader range of books,

p.27

ENGLISH

including those that have great appeal to pupils when extracts are used in literacy lessons.

p.27

ENGLISH

65. Pupils make sound progress in writing skills during Key Stage 1 based on the good work done in the reception classes. By the end of Year 2 most pupils are writing with some confidence for a range of purposes. Their handwriting has well-formed letters and spacing and most spell familiar words with a fair degree of accuracy. Punctuation and the structure of writing are satisfactory. In a Year 1 class, pupils used a writing frame effectively to write alternative rhyming couplets to shape a poem of their own based on a poem read to them by the teacher. Handwriting continues to develop in accuracy and, by the end of Year 3, most pupils are able to write in a neat joined hand. An appropriate emphasis on basic skills leads to a good rate of progress in spelling and punctuation. There is a limited variety of writing, the liveliest being critical appraisals of Anthony Brown’s book, ‘Gorilla’, after the author Colin McNaughton had visited the

p.27

ENGLISH

66. Teaching is mostly good across the school. Teachers plan effectively with detailed lesson plans which ensure that tasks are well matched to the range of abilities in the class. As a result, most pupils, including those with SEN, achieve and extend their understanding. What will be learned during lessons is always made clear to the pupils and teachers are generally good at questioning and making connections with prior Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

p.27

ENGLISH

- 28 - work. An effective strategy for engaging pupils’ interest and involvement is in the linking of a shared text with class topics. In a Year 3 class, the teacher used the text ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’ for her literacy lesson. The events in the book were brought alive by the pupils’ prior knowledge of evacuees during the Second World War. Teachers create charts and wall displays which help to consolidate learning in literacy and they prepare material well. Writing tasks are usually well designed but teachers provide too few opportunities for pupils to really build on their work, for example from story beginnings to constructing longer, more developed pieces of writing. More use could be made of computers for drafting and editing writing. Handwriting is now taught regularly and well, linking practice to the learning of spelling patterns. This is an effective strategy which is strengthening both skills.

p.28

ENGLISH

67. Generally, pupils enjoy their learning. They are attentive to adults and respond well to questions. They co-operate effectively and most work diligently during structured group work to complete tasks in the given time. Their learning benefits from appropriate homework relating to reading comprehension and the learning of spellings.

p.28

ENGLISH

68. The co-ordinator has undertaken some monitoring of literacy teaching, but this has not yet led to the analysis of strengths and weaknesses which would provide the agenda for future development. The literacy governor is well informed and supportive. He is in agreement with the co-ordinator regarding the need for further spending on books to increase the range of good quality fiction and non-fiction resources. The two main library areas have been checked for outdated and worn books and the remaining stock is in good order.

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MATHEMATICS

69. Standards across the school are in line with national averages. This is similar to the level of attainment at the last inspection. In the national tests for seven year olds in 2000, standards were below the national average and well below that of similar schools. The number of pupils attaining the higher level 3 was also below average in both cases. The trend over the last three years shows standards have not improved in line with national figures, but declined slightly. However, although they cannot yet be compared with those from other schools, results from this year’s tests show a significant improvement, including at level 3. This is confirmed by evidence from the inspection. Results show no significant differences between the attainment of girls and boys.

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MATHEMATICS

70. By the age of seven pupils count forwards and backwards in ones, twos, fives and tens and add three numbers together mentally. Most have appropriate strategies to add and subtract two-digit numbers and perform simple multiplication and division. They recognise patterns in number and name two and three-dimensional shapes. Pupils record their work, but worksheets are used too much and this restricts the pupils in developing methods to match their own thinking. Pupils in Year 1 are making good progress overall; most distinguish tens and units, count on in tens and apply counting in twos to odd and even numbers.

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MATHEMATICS

71. In Year 3, lessons and work samples show that sufficient progress has been made for standards to be in line with national expectations; this is an improvement on the standards they attained in 2000. Pupils distinguish right angles, recognise reflective symmetry and use directions. They explain their mental strategies for calculation and use their knowledge of number to predict sequences. For example, a higher attaining pupil explained how to work out multiplication by four and eight from his knowledge of doubling and counting in twos. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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MATHEMATICS

- 29 - 72. The quality of teaching across the school is sound with good features. Teachers are familiar with the National Numeracy Strategy and apply it effectively. The three-part lesson is established and teachers plan carefully, although the focus for teachers’ attention in group work is not always clear. What pupils are to learn is clearly explained at the beginning of the lesson and reviewed at the end. Lessons start briskly with oral and mental activities which involve all pupils. Teachers generally use questioning well to ensure pupils’ understanding and engage their interest. In a very good Year 1 lesson oral work was very effective in challenging pupils of all abilities to extend their thinking and apply their knowledge of number patterns to new work. Teachers use a range of appropriate strategies to explore mathematical ideas and reinforce mathematical language so that pupils are able to explain their reasoning. They generally maintain a

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MATHEMATICS

sound pace and have good class control to which pupils respond positively. Pupils with SEN are supported well and make good progress. However, the organisation of resources and groups sometimes slows lessons, leading to pupils’ attention being lost. Although pupils’ attitudes are mainly satisfactory, they lose concentration when activities are too long or teachers’ questioning does not engage them or develop their learning. Pupils are generally able to work co-operatively during group work, including working together on the computer programs which reinforce learning.

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MATHEMATICS

73. The new headteacher has strengthened the role of the co-ordinator and there is a good action plan for further improvement. A start has been made on monitoring teaching and this should be developed systematically to provide a detailed analysis of the school’s future priorities. This should include providing more opportunities for pupils to work practically and applying their thinking to real life problem-solving. Systems are not yet in place to track pupils' progress. Assessment worksheets do not provide the appropriate information to enable teachers to match work to individual pupil's needs.

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SCIENCE

74. Standards of attainment in science are in line with national averages by the end of Key Stage 1; they are broadly average in Year 3. The majority of pupils achieve level 2 by the end of Key Stage 1, but fewer achieve their potential at the higher level 3. This picture is similar to the standards reported in the previous inspection.

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SCIENCE

75. Teacher assessment for 2000 at the end of Key Stage 1 indicates that pupils are attaining close to the national average at level 2, but below standards of pupils in similar schools. Observations during this inspection show that the school has made some progress to improve this situation. In Key Stage 1 pupils undertake an appropriate range of work and have satisfactory knowledge and understanding. They are engaged in a sound level of scientific enquiry and show a good understanding of the use of fair testing. In one Year 2 lesson observed, they collaborated well to carry out a fair test to establish what plants need to grow. They shared a good range of ideas and responded very well to some challenging questions from their teacher. In Year 3 standards are satisfactory, and planned work builds appropriately on pupils' experiences in Key Stage 1. Pupils are gaining skills in scientific enquiry, identifying

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SCIENCE

and grouping materials according to their properties. However, this work is insufficiently demanding of more able pupils who are not being challenged to find out more for themselves.

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SCIENCE

76. The quality of teaching is sound. The emphasis placed on developing scientific enquiry is a strength. Teachers show confidence in their subject knowledge. They engage pupils effectively in developing observation and recording skills, planning, predicting and fair testing. Where routines and procedures are well defined and consistently Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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SCIENCE

- 30 - applied, pupils work well. However, where teacher expectations are less consistent, for example in a Year 3 lesson observed, the pace of work was too slow, and learning less effective. In part, this resulted from unsatisfactory management of behaviour. Overall, pupils show satisfactory attitudes and behaviour. When they are challenged and encouraged to share their ideas, their attitude to work is positive.

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SCIENCE

77. Co-ordination of the subject is sound. A more structured scheme of work is being implemented. Staff are clear about what is expected from their planning and from their teaching. Resources are appropriately matched to the work planned. More attention should be paid to using assessment data to track pupils’ progress and set suitably challenging targets.

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ART

78. Overall standards are below national expectations. There is little evidence of observational work with pencil or paint and pupils’ skills are unsatisfactory. Pupils do not know how to mix colours with paint or how to use pencil to create shade and texture. An insufficient emphasis is placed on the progressive acquisition and development of these skills. The use of personal sketch-books in Year 3 is not yet established. Standards have declined since the last inspection.

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ART

79. Planning from national guidelines is clear and the importance of discussion and evaluation is appropriately stressed. However, there is too much focus on coverage rather than quality, with the result that pupils lack the techniques to respond effectively to work on composition or to translate their designs into artefacts. Their work lacks quality and depth. There is evidence of sound work on sculpture in Year 1, which is also displayed well. Pupils have created beach sculptures following a study of an established artist, using the Internet for their research and a digital camera to record their work. Older pupils can name Van Gogh and Picasso, but not describe in any detail how the artists worked.

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ART

80. From the three lessons observed and the work sampled, teaching is just sound. Questioning is used appropriately to develop pupils’ ideas and keep them on task, but some work is too directly led by teachers. In one lesson in which poor teaching was seen, the classroom and resources were not prepared and appropriate behaviour and work routines were not established. Pupils’ attitudes, generally sound overall, were poor in this lesson, leading to work of an unsatisfactory standard.

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ART

81. The role of the co-ordinator is underdeveloped, although she is working hard to raise the profile of art and design and to provide a good role model. There have been few opportunities to influence colleagues, and further training is needed to ensure development. Assessment procedures are not in place to provide a clear understanding of standards, with the result that expectations are too low.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

82. Standards of attainment in design and technology are in line with national expectations in Key Stage 1. In Year 3 work, from the limited evidence available, standards are close to national expectations, but need to be more clearly linked to the remaining work planned for Key Stage 2. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

- 31 - 83. In Key Stage 1 there is a satisfactory picture of coverage of National Curriculum requirements. The range of materials includes flexible and resistant materials, food and textiles which are used to introduce focused activities covering structures, mechanisms and healthy eating. In the Year 1 lesson observed, pupils were generating ideas for Joseph’s coat and using ICT software to produce a repeating pattern. This complemented the whole class activity of cutting and sticking geometric shapes to generate a range of possible pattern ideas. The overall quality of products made is satisfactory. In Year 2 the making of puppets showed a good level of care in cutting and joining materials. Pupils modelled ideas using paper and card and temporary fastenings. They also evaluated their products and suggested how they might be improved. The photoframes made in Year 3 showed some imaginative ideas

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

when adding decoration to the flat frame made in wood. There was insufficient evidence to confirm progress in developing the use of communication skills and evaluation when designing.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

84. From the sample of pupils' work seen, the quality of teaching is sound. However, more attention should be given to clarifying the progression in skills and knowledge for pupils to be achieved across Key Stage 1. Only one lesson was observed. In this lesson the planning was good and pupils understood their task and worked with enthusiasm to generate ideas. They could talk about their work and explain its purpose. The organisation of work was good and class management kept pupils on task and working at a good pace. Pupils show a good attitude to work. They are keen to improve and willing to try different ideas suggested to them.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85. The co-ordinator manages the subject well, with a sense of purpose and direction. The planned programme of work is now clearly understood by staff and they show growing confidence in the outcomes being achieved. However, staff need to be more familiar with progression in aspects of design and more staff development should be provided to support the teaching of the scheme of work.

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GEOGRAPHY

86. Pupils attain standards in geography in line with national expectations. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection and, in some aspects, strengthened through the teachers’ effective use of good quality resources and pupils’ own experiences of travel.

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GEOGRAPHY

87. Pupils in Key Stage 1 build well on the interest and skills gained studying maps and local surroundings in the Foundation Stage. They draw good maps of the locality and their routes from home to school, including pictorial features and clear labels; this is due to an appropriate emphasis on fieldwork, and pupils having the opportunity to examine their locality in some detail. Pupils comment on features of their surroundings and suggest reasons why some places are unsightly. By the end of the key stage pupils have extended their knowledge of place by using world maps to trace routes to distant countries. They have a good awareness of the similarities and differences in localities compared with their own, and many pupils use geographical vocabulary well. In Year 3, pupils use a range of resources and sources of information to answer questions, for example on world weather patterns and the nature of settlements. In

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GEOGRAPHY

further study of their own locality they have developed a good knowledge of the features of a coastal town. Most pupils use local, regional and world maps of various scales and create their own, with a suitable key, using simple grid references efficiently. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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GEOGRAPHY

- 32 - 88. Teaching is good. Teachers use their subject knowledge to design learning activities which engage the interest of all pupils, with group tasks which take account of the range of ability. As a result, most pupils achieve well. Teachers use questions effectively and provide opportunities which extend the most able, for example through written tasks which demand a good knowledge of vocabulary and geographical terms. In a Year 2 lesson, a pupil’s experience of visiting India formed an effective focus for the study of travel routes on a world map. In a lesson on the locality in Year 3, the teacher built effectively on the pupils’ prior fieldwork experience, stimulating discussion of how changes could be made to the school surroundings to meet a variety of preferences.

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GEOGRAPHY

89. The systematic assessment of pupils’ skills in geography is not yet sufficiently in place, so there is some repetition in aspects of learning. The co-ordinator manages the subject efficiently and has moved teachers away from the over-reliance on text books found in the previous inspection.

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HISTORY

90. Standards in history are in line with national expectations in both key stages and pupils are making sound progress. This is a similar picture to the previous inspection.

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HISTORY

91. In Key Stage 1 pupils are developing a good understanding of the difference between past and present, for example by comparing their favourite toys with those of their parents. They find information from simple sources and are beginning to understand how this can be used to identify similarities and differences between their lives now and at a different time. A good example of this was the Year 1 work on holidays, where pupils used pictures and information from families to discuss how holidays have changed. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and work well together. In Year 3 pupils study aspects of life in three different periods of history. Their workbooks show appropriate knowledge of key events and dates during the reign of Henry VIII. Pupils involved in a topic on aspects of the Second World War identify some reasons for children being evacuated to safer places and describe how they might have felt. They

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HISTORY

know that rationing took place and some can explain why food was much more limited in its range and availability compared with today. In the two Year 3 classes observed few pupils were prepared to try to answer questions during whole class discussion, and many did not show much enthusiasm for the tasks they were set.

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HISTORY

92. Teaching is good in Year 1, but ranges from sound to unsatisfactory in Year 3. No teaching was seen in Year 2 during the inspection. Teachers plan well and evidence from samples of work shows a good coverage of the subject across the school. Subject knowledge is appropriate and all teachers use resources very well to try to bring the subject alive and engage pupils’ interest. A good example of this was the use of ration books and weekly rations of staple foods shared with the classes in Year 3. Opportunities were, however, missed with older pupils in one class to explain key vocabulary, such as ‘vital supplies’, ‘scarcity’ and ‘convoy’, and this meant that many pupils did not understand the main points of the text used to provide information.

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HISTORY

93. In the absence of the co-ordinator the deputy headteacher has begun to organise a subject file in line with improvements introduced by the new headteacher. Little work has been done to monitor planning or gain a picture of standards across the school, although there is an understandable focus on issues in other subjects at the moment. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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HISTORY

- 33 - Resources are adequate and have been supplemented by loans from the Library Service. Good examples were noted of artefacts sent in by parents.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

94. Pupils’ attainment across the school is in line with national expectations. This is an improvement from the previous inspection report, which stated that although pupils reached national expectation in some aspects of ICT, overall standards were below average.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

95. In Year 1 pupils use a graphing package to organise and select information to present findings in pictograms. They know how to ‘click and drag’ on a data-handling program to start a class graph on pets. Working in pairs on a computer, they use a software package to help them select shapes and successfully print their work. In Year 2, working in pairs, they use word-processing skills to draft writing from their literacy lesson. In Year 3 pupils use computer games to find numbers on a hundred grid, so making effective connections with their work in numeracy. They input data and make use of screen prompts to produce bar charts, pie charts and line graphs. In discussion, Year 3 pupils talked confidently of their ability to use e-mail and the Internet; they spoke knowledgeably of the different programs they had used in school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

96. Teaching in Key Stage 1 is good. Planning now shows progression of skills to be developed. ICT provision is often planned to complement other subjects, for example in geography and religious education lessons, where effective use is made of a digital camera. Teachers have developed skills and confidence to lead whole-class demonstrations. No direct teaching of ICT was observed in Year 3; however, the scrutiny of work indicates that pupils are covering the full programme of study. Pupils have positive attitudes and show interest in their work. Most carry out their tasks sensibly and independently, and take pride in finished work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

97. The key issues in ICT from the previous inspection report have been comprehensively addressed. For example, teachers and other adults in the school are making extensive efforts to increase their own expertise through a programme of in-service training. Better planning shows progression in the skills pupils are being taught.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

98. The appointment of two co-ordinators has been effective in supporting this area of the curriculum. Two governors with ICT expertise have been very supportive of the school. There have been specific benefits to the school from being part of the Great Yarmouth EAZ, for example funding for computers and for training. Future priorities for ICT include well-considered plans for the provision of an ICT suite and a further increase in resources.

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MUSIC

99. The last inspection judged music to be in line with national expectations across the school. Although it was only possible to observe three lessons in Key Stage 1 and none in Year 3, standards are just in line with national expectations. The evidence for this is drawn from teachers’ planning, discussions with pupils, listening to singing in assemblies and singing sessions, and from the lessons observed. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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MUSIC

- 34 - 100. Pupils in Year 1 recall and clap short rhythmic patterns played by the teacher. They show appropriate physical control when playing percussion instruments. By the end of Year 2 they work in pairs to create a sequence of fast and slow sounds. In Years 2 and 3, pupils participate with enjoyment in singing activities. They sing simple songs tunefully, with accuracy of pitch, rhythm and dynamics. Pupils are enthusiastic about singing and eagerly tackle unfamiliar songs.

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MUSIC

101. Teaching in Key Stage 1 is sound. Lessons build on previous learning. The interaction between teacher and pupils is good and resources are used effectively to maintain pupils’ interest. Pupils listen carefully to music, and work with enthusiasm and concentration. They are very supportive of each other when mistakes are made or when difficulties arise. There is, however, little evidence of teachers planning opportunities for pupils to use tuned instruments, create music and express musical ideas and feelings. Similarly, there is limited provision for pupils to listen to and evaluate a variety of music from a range of times and cultures.

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MUSIC

102. The co-ordinator provides advice and support for colleagues. However, assessment in music is not consistent and does not indicate effectively how pupils are to progress. The planned programme of work should be more clearly monitored to ensure better balance and coverage.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

103. Standards in physical education in Key Stage 1 are in line with national expectations. The school has maintained its level of performance since the last inspection. There were no opportunities to observe lessons in Year 3, but there is an appropriate programme of work, which includes swimming; as a result most pupils are able to swim.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

104. In the Key Stage 1 lessons pupils make sound progress in developing increasing control and co-ordination. They have a good grasp of games-related basic skills and readily follow instructions and rules of the game. They are alert to changes made in lesson activities and evaluate their own performance when required to do so. Pupils link sequences of movement together in a controlled manner, when running, skipping and jumping. They are consistently enthusiastic about physical activity and are developing a sound understanding of the positive effects exercise has on their bodies.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

105. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is at least sound and sometimes good. All staff show a good level of confidence in their lessons and engender enthusiasm and a sense of enjoyment for pupils. Lessons are well planned and the resources required are readily accessible and of good quality. Pupils are being encouraged to take responsibility for selecting, using and storing the resources they use; this helps to develop their involvement in working safely. Class management is good and the instructions to pupils are clear and readily understood. Pupils work well in pairs and, in the good lessons, are more able to evaluate their own performance and to suggest ideas for improvement. All lessons use suitable warm-up and cool-down activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

106. Subject leadership is good and the scheme of work has helped significantly in providing teachers with the confidence they need to teach effectively. The staff development opportunity provided through the Top Sport initiative has been beneficial and further staff development would help to ensure consistency in the quality of activities planned for lessons. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities which are well attended. Caister on Sea First and Nursery School

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

107. The previous inspection report judged attainment throughout the school to be in line with standards expected by the Local Agreed Syllabus. This situation has been maintained, with pupils generally attaining at a level that would be expected for their age.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

108. By the end of Key Stage1 pupils understand that a church is a special place for Christians. They are familiar with some of the artefacts and symbols found in a church and the purpose of some of them. They know about Christian baptism and recognise the patron saints of the British Isles. They are able to talk about the Jewish celebrations of Shabbat and Hanukkah, and have been introduced to the Hindu celebration of Holi. They know about the birth of the Buddha. By the end of Year 3, pupils know about the main events in the Christian year. They have understanding of some Bible stories and are beginning to have some understanding of what it is like to grow up in the Jewish faith.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

109. Teaching in Key Stage 1 is sound. Pupils are well behaved, they listen intently and are involved and responsive to the use of artefacts in lessons. In a good lesson observed, where highly effective use was made of photographs of the local church, discussions were sensitively handled with reference to the children’s experiences. In the one lesson seen in Year 3, the teaching observed was unsatisfactory; subject knowledge was insecure, few children could remember the main points of the story told and many were unsure of the task to follow.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

110. Links are being made with the middle school to ensure continuity of learning in line with the requirements of the Local Agreed Syllabus. The co-ordinator has acquired suitable artefacts for the various faiths being covered. Assessment does not reflect the statements of the agreed syllabus. The subject management role should now focus on monitoring to secure further improvements in teaching and standards.

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