Grewelthorpe Church of England Primary School

GREWELTHORPE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4th –5th March 2002

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GREWELTHORPE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short 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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GREWELTHORPE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Grewelthorpe Ripon North Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Brian Kitching

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: July 1997 Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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Team members

25406 Paul Nicholson Registered inspector 13706 Gill Marsland Lay inspector

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Team members

TWA Inspections Ltd 5 Lakeside Werrington Peterborough PE4 6QZ

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Grewelthorpe Church of England Primary School is very small school. It serves the village and surrounding rural area of Grewelthorpe, which is situated six miles north west of Ripon in North Yorkshire. The village contains a mix of old and new, privately-owned and rented housing. Currently, there are 45 pupils on roll (19 boys and 26 girls) aged between 4 and 11 years. The school is under-subscribed. Seventeen per cent of the pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is broadly in line with the national average. No pupils come from ethnic minority groups, though one speaks English as an additional language. The school has identified 24 per cent of its pupils as having special educational needs, which is broadly in line with the national average. None of the pupils has a Statement of Special Educational Needs. On entry to the school, children’s individual attainments vary greatly but, overall, they are typical for their age.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school gives an acceptable education to its pupils and has some good features. Pupils make sound progress and achieve satisfactory levels of personal achievement. Standards by the time pupils leave the school are average. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and, at times, good. The school is well led and managed. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school successfully promotes pupils’ personal development within a very caring environment. It fosters positive attitudes. Consequently, pupils behave very well and form very good relationships with other pupils and staff. • There are very good links with parents, which support pupils’ learning and result in the parents’ positive views of the school.

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What could be improved

• Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills to support their learning in other subjects. • The standards pupils achieve in writing through more opportunities to use their writing skills. • The development and use of pupils’ mathematical skills in practical activities. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory progress since its last inspection in July 1997. The headteacher has successfully managed major changes in staffing. The school has further developed its caring atmosphere and maintained the pupils’ standards and their positive relationships. It has modified the teaching time for older pupils to meet national recommendations. Staff have satisfactorily developed the planning for each subject and the procedures for assessing pupils’ progress. The development of work in information and communication technology, however, remains an important issue for the school.

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STANDARDS

Tables showing the pupils’ performance in national tests have been omitted from this report. Annual comparisons with national averages and with similar schools are statistically unreliable because of the very small numbers in each year group. However, an analysis of results over recent years (1999-2001) and inspection evidence indicate that, overall, pupils achieve average standards.

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STANDARDS

Children in reception make sound progress in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. Most children reach the early learning goals 1 set for children in these areas of learning by the end of reception. Pupils continue this satisfactory progress and, by the end of Year 2, they achieve average standards in literacy and numeracy. Results from national tests highlight that results in reading are slightly better than those found nationally because almost all pupils achieve the expected level for a typical seven-year-old (Level 2). A quarter achieves the higher standard (Level 3). In writing tests, most pupils achieve the expected standard. However, none achieve the higher standard.

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STANDARDS

1 Early learning goals - these are expectations for most children in the Foundation Stage to reach by the end of reception. They refer mainly to achievements children make concerning the following six areas of learning: communication language and literacy; mathematical development; and personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical and creative development. There are many goals for each area of learning, for example, in language and literacy pupils should be able to write their own name and other things such as labels and begin to write simple sentences. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School By the age of 11, pupils reach satisfactory levels of personal achievement in English. Over recent years, about three-quarters of pupils achieved the expected standard for their age (Level 4) in national tests in English. About a quarter achieved the higher standard (Level 5). Pupils’ achievements are good in

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STANDARDS

reading, average in speaking and listening, but are not as high in writing. Pupils do not always make effective use of the skills they learn in literacy lessons in longer pieces of writing. In mathematics tests, just over half of the pupils have achieved the expected standard for an 11-year-old. This is less than the proportion normally found. Fewer than the normal proportion of pupils achieved the higher standard. Pupils achieve average standards in their understanding of number, but they are not confident in using and applying this knowledge in practical tasks and in solving real-life problems.

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STANDARDS

Throughout the school, standards in information and communication technology are below those expected. Pupils have not made sufficient progress over recent years in developing their computer skills or in using ICT to support their learning in other subjects, with the result that their standards in this subject are low.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their work. They enjoy school, are keen to learn and show good levels of concentration.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are very well behaved in lessons and when moving around the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good overall. Pupils show satisfactory levels of initiative. They co- operate well and there are very good relationships between pupils, as well as between pupils and staff.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. The rate of attendance is well above the national average.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ positive attitudes and their very good behaviour, together with the very good relationships they develop, are important strengths of the school. They contribute greatly to the positive ethos of the school and support pupils’ learning.

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

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory 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 in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory and, at times, it is good. It provides a sound base on which to build. During the inspection, teaching was never less than satisfactory. Good teaching was observed in both classes and in a third of lessons overall. Consequently, pupils make sound progress in each stage of their learning as they move through the school. Teaching and learning of the basic skills in literacy and numeracy are at least satisfactory, though both have aspects that teachers could improve. The teaching of reading and literacy skills is good.

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

Teachers foster very good relationships and manage the pupils very well. As a result, pupils are very well behaved and show good levels of interest. Teachers make good use of support staff, who make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. Teachers have a clear understanding of the subjects to be taught and plan lessons thoroughly. In the better lessons, teachers use a good range of strategies to meet the needs of all their pupils in the mixed-aged, mixed-ability classes. In lessons that are satisfactory rather than good, teachers do not fully challenge all groups of pupils or sufficiently develop their independent learning skills through a wide range of practical activities. Teachers do not use information and communication technology enough to develop pupils’ skills in the subject and to support their learning in other subjects. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The school has a satisfactory curriculum in place. It meets statutory requirements and ensures pupils receive a broad and balanced range of learning opportunities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. These pupils receive good levels of support from the teachers and support staff. Individual education plans are not always specific enough in providing guidance on the needs of these pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The school takes effective measures to support pupils’ learning, so they make good progress and achieve appropriate standards for their ability.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The school has ensured there are many opportunities for pupils’ personal development. There is good provision for their moral, social and cultural development, and spiritual development is at least satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils This is a very caring school where staff and governors give a high priority to procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s very caring environment, which includes good provision for pupils’ personal development, is a strength of the school. It has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and their attitudes. The school successfully promotes the inclusion of all its pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides good leadership and effective day-to-day management of the school. She is well supported by the staff; together they are developing into an effective team.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is supportive and effectively carries out its statutory responsibilities. It has a satisfactory understanding of the work of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school carefully evaluates its performance and this helps it to plan for future educational developments. A clearer focus to its written development plan is needed to guide whole-school improvement

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of the funds it is given to support both current resources and future building plans.

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Aspect Comment

The governors and staff have successfully created a positive and caring ethos within the school. Governors have been very active in seeking to improve the school’s very limited accommodation. Their involvement in identifying priorities and in monitoring progress towards agreed targets, while satisfactory, is recognised as an area for them to develop. The school satisfactorily applies the principles of ‘best value’ by questioning what it does and ensuring money is spent wisely. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Twenty parents (44 per cent) completed questionnaires and 12 parents attended a meeting with inspectors.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy school and they make good progress. • The teaching is good and expectations are high. • The school helps children to become mature and responsible and their behaviour is good. • The school is well led and managed and staff are approachable. • The range of extra-curricular activities. • The amount of homework given. • A small number of parents would like to see the school work more closely with parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection evidence supports the parent’s positive views on pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development and the leadership and management of the school. Teaching and learning are judged to be satisfactory, because standards in some elements of literacy and numeracy as well as ICT are not yet high enough. The school recognises that it does not provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities, in part due to difficulties in the accommodation and in the low response for parental support. There is a clear programme for homework intended to support pupils’ learning. The school has very good links with parents, who make a positive contribution to the work of the school. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The school successfully promotes pupils’ personal development within a very caring environment.

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It fosters positive attitudes. Consequently, pupils behave very well and they form very good

relationships with other pupils and staff.

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It fosters positive attitudes. Consequently, pupils behave very well and they form very good

1. The school provides pupils with a very caring and supportive environment in which to learn. Staff have a very good knowledge of individual pupils and their personal and social development. Consequently, pupils enjoy school and they develop good levels of interest. This positive school ethos is an important factor in promoting pupils’ personal and social development.

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It fosters positive attitudes. Consequently, pupils behave very well and they form very good

2. The school gives high priority to procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare. Staff and governors carry out regular audits of risks to health and safety. There are very good procedures for child protection. The headteacher, who acts as the ‘named person’, ensures the local area guidelines are correctly followed. Staff have had appropriate training and are well aware of the procedures. They have also received training in first aid, and first aid equipment is available in both classrooms. The school is particularly vigilant in supervising pupils as they move up and down the outdoor steps. Pupils are aware of the dangers. They are taught to walk and not to run on the steps, and so move sensibly between the classrooms.

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It fosters positive attitudes. Consequently, pupils behave very well and they form very good

3. The school makes good provision for pupils’ personal development. It satisfactorily develops their spiritual awareness through, for example, stories in assembly linked to Mothering Sunday and the season of Lent. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to reflect on how special times and events impact on their own lives. The school has an effective range of measures to promote pupils’ moral and social development. These include clear expectations of behaviour that pupils fully understand and teachers apply consistently. Consequently, pupils are aware of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and they feel that staff always treat them fairly. Incidents of unsociable behaviour are infrequent but, if they do occur, staff take prompt action. Pupils spoken to by inspectors are satisfied that any incidents of bullying would be taken seriously. They agree that members of staff are helpful and will listen to them if they have concerns. Initiatives such as merit

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It fosters positive attitudes. Consequently, pupils behave very well and they form very good

cards, certificates of achievement and the weekly merit assembly successfully encourage pupils to work hard and to behave very well.

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It fosters positive attitudes. Consequently, pupils behave very well and they form very good

4. In lessons, teachers encourage pupils to work together in small groups and this results in high levels of co-operation. For instance, pupils worked successfully in pairs to produce lists of mathematical terms on measures. Teachers encourage pupils to volunteer answers and opinions. They praise their efforts and effectively encourage self-esteem and positive social values. The provision of discussion periods called ‘Circle Time’ provide good opportunities for older pupils to talk over issues that face them as part of everyday life. Younger pupils are encouraged to discuss their ideas during story time. For example, the teacher encouraged them to speak freely about whether they felt the actions of the farmer in the story Sam for Sale were right or not. Consequently, the pupils not only enjoyed the story but also made good progress in their personal and social development.

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It fosters positive attitudes. Consequently, pupils behave very well and they form very good

5. The school successfully develops the pupils’ appreciation of their own culture. There are very good links with the local church, whose clergy visit the school regularly. Pupils visit places of local interest, including Fountains Abbey and Ripon Cathedral. The school plans a good range of visitors, such as theatre and musical groups. Visitors from other countries, including Japan and Switzerland make a useful contribution to pupils’ knowledge of other cultures. The school is, however, aware of the need to develop pupils’ appreciation of the diversity and richness of other cultures found within the United Kingdom.

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It fosters positive attitudes. Consequently, pupils behave very well and they form very good

6. Pupils develop positive attitudes because of the school’s very caring environment. They enjoy school and their rate of attendance is above the national average. Pupils show good levels of interest and concentration in lessons. They are attentive and are eager to please. Their behaviour is very good in class and on the playground. They are polite and well-mannered and they show respect for others and for property. Pupils develop very good relationships with other pupils and with adults in the school. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour, together with the very good relationships within the school, are important strengths of the school. They contribute greatly to the purposeful atmosphere within the school, and support pupils’ learning. When given the opportunity, older pupils show good levels of responsibility, for example in the way that they help staff at lunchtime. However, they are given

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It fosters positive attitudes. Consequently, pupils behave very well and they form very good

Grewelthorpe CE Primary School few opportunities to fully develop their independent learning skills, or to show initiative during lessons.

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There are very good links with parents, which support pupils’ learning and result in the parents’

7. The views of parents, as expressed by those who attended a meeting with inspectors and those who completed a pre-inspection questionnaire, are supportive of the school. The school has very effective links with parents and it provides them with a good range of information. Consequently, parents make a very good contribution to the work of the school, and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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There are very good links with parents, which support pupils’ learning and result in the parents’

8. The school takes many steps to foster a close relationship between it and its parents, and the wider community. It provides parents with all statutory required information through, for example, its prospectus and governors’ report to parents. Parents are kept well informed of dates, events and the many visits pupils go on. However, there is no formal system for informing parents of the topics children are to study each term. There is a good mix of formal and informal opportunities for parents to discuss their children’s progress. Annual meetings with teachers and specific meetings on aspects of the curriculum ensure that parents are kept well informed. The school has an ‘open-door’ policy, which means that parents can easily arrange to talk to staff if they have concerns. Annual written reports are informative, though they do not include pupils’ assessments of their own progress. Staff and parents make effective use of reading record books as a means of day-to-day dialogue.

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There are very good links with parents, which support pupils’ learning and result in the parents’

9. Parents support the aims of the school through their good attendance at parent-teacher meetings. The school appreciates the work of a small number of parents and governors who help in school, giving direct support to pupils in classes. For example, they provide effective support to reading and help with activities, such as sewing and cooking. Parents take a close interest and give good support to their children’s work at home. They hear their children read and encourage them to complete their other homework tasks in a positive way. The active parents’ group, Friends of Grewelthorpe School, runs social events and raises money to support the purchase of equipment and valuable projects. For example, recent fundraising has supported the purchase of reading books and the redecoration of classrooms. Further fund raising takes place through a wider community group. This has resulted in a substantial amount of money being raised to support the school’s

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There are very good links with parents, which support pupils’ learning and result in the parents’

building plans. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

to support their learning in other subjects.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

10. At the time of the last inspection, the school needed to promote the further development of work in information technology. Since then, the school has purchased new computers and software that enable it to access the Internet. The staff have had training in the use of this new equipment. The school has satisfactorily adopted national guidelines to help teachers with their planning to ensure that they teach all aspects of the subject. Pupils have had limited experience of the different areas of the subject but they have not developed their skills to an appropriate standard for their age. While their skills in some aspects are satisfactory, they are below average in others. Pupils have had insufficient opportunities to use the computers. They are therefore unable to make full use of ICT to support their learning in other subjects.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

11. Where pupils were observed using computers during the inspection they showed satisfactory keyboard skills for their age. For example, in a literacy lesson, pupils in Year 3 used their editing skills to change words within a prepared text from the first person to the third person. An analysis of pupils’ previous work shows that, in Years 1 and 2, they use simple programs to play mathematical games and to write text, such as their poems . They work co-operatively in small groups, helped by the classroom assistant. In Years 3 to 6, pupils use a word-processing program and, in short exercises, they change the font and size of text and copy, cut and paste sections. In a literacy lesson, pupils wrote and printed a thoughtful poem It was so quiet I heard. They use an art program to produce pictures of animals. In mathematics, they use a program to help their understanding of angles. Pupils satisfactorily use CD-ROMs to gain information, for example about the Ancient

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

Egyptians. Their use of the Internet to gain information has been very limited, in part due to technical difficulties with the new equipment.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

12. Pupils have too few opportunities to use the computers, especially in Years 3 to 6. Consequently, they have not developed communication skills, such as to send e-mails, to use desktop publishing programs or to publish their work on web pages. They have had only limited experience of aspects of the subject, such as data handling, control and monitoring, and so their progress has been slow. Older pupils have had very few opportunities to enter data or to produce printouts of bar graphs and pie charts. They have little knowledge of spreadsheets and therefore their progress in using data- handling programs is very limited. Similarly, their use is also very limited of programmable toy robots, programs that require sequences of instructions to make things happen and programs that explore real and imaginary situations. Opportunities are missed to use equipment that monitors changes in temperature, light or sound to support learning in other subjects, such as science. This is

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

the result of a lack of expertise and confidence amongst the staff and difficulties in pupils accessing the resources that are sited at one end of the junior classroom. Activities in information and communication technology sessions are often based on exercises from a worksheet. Teachers do not give pupils sufficient ‘hands-on’ experience to develop their skills satisfactorily.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

13. The school is aware of the need to compensate for previously slow progress and to develop pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding in this subject. The headteacher recognises the importance of using ICT to support pupils’ learning in other subjects. She has correctly identified the need for further training for teachers and greater access to the resources for pupils. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School The standards pupils achieve in writing through more opportunities to use their writing skills.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

14. Through the monitoring of pupils’ attainment and their results in National Curriculum tests, the school has identified writing as an area for development. Over recent years (1999-2001), most pupils in Year 2 achieved the expected standard (Level 2) in national tests in writing. However, fewer than is normally found achieved the higher grades (Levels 2A and 2B) within this level and no pupils achieved the higher standard (Level 3). This indicates that pupils’ achievements in writing are not as high as they could be. During the same period, pupils’ results in English tests for 11-year-olds also show standards slightly below what they should be. The proportions of pupils achieving the expected standard (Level 4) and the higher standard (Level 5) are similar to those found nationally. However, the pupils’ average points score 2 for English shows that they were almost a term behind in their work.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

15. The school has effectively implemented the National Literacy Strategy and teachers carefully follow its programmes for the teaching of language skills. However, standards in writing throughout the school are lower than those found in other aspects of English, such as reading, where standards are better than average, and speaking and listening, where standards are average. Recently, teachers have attended additional literacy training, have visited other schools and enlisted the support of the local education authority. It is still too early to assess the impact of these measures on raising pupils’ standards.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

16. An analysis of pupils’ current work shows that their technical skills in terms of spelling, punctuation and grammar are satisfactorily developed. For example, pupils in Year 2 have a secure understanding of the sounds individual letters and short blends make, such as ‘ai’, ‘sc’, and ‘th’. They satisfactorily use this phonic knowledge in their attempts at spelling words, such as ‘train’, ‘school’ and ‘thumb’. On worksheets, pupils correctly use capital letters and full stops when writing single sentences, and they add commas into lists. However, when writing longer stories, pupils’ concentration on sentence punctuation is easily disrupted in their haste to write their ideas.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

17. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 continue to make sound progress in their literacy skills. They recognise homophones as words that sound the same but have different meanings, for example ‘there’ and ‘their’. They understand the use of apostrophes and suffixes. Through studying a series of short stories, they recognise that stories require a setting and characters. They understand that writers use different styles. For example, they know that author Ann Cameron uses ‘misunderstandings’ in her book The Julian Stories and they use a similar style in planning their own stories.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

18. This sound progress continues in Years 5 and 6, where pupils understand that synonyms have a similar meaning and that connectives, such as ‘because’, and ‘although’, can link sentences. However, when pupils are asked to write creatively, as when telling their own fable, they are not given sufficient time to fully develop their ideas. Pupils do not use paragraphs to organise their thoughts. In their writing, they do not always use a good range of vocabulary that is chosen for variety and interest. Although pupils recognise the use of adjectives and adverbs within a sentence, they do not make effective use of these types of words to enhance the quality of their writing. Older pupils understand that words such as ‘then’, ‘but’ and ‘although’, can join two short sentences to make a longer, more complex one. They do not make effective use of this skill in their extended pieces of writing. Although, occasionally, pupils redraft their first attempt at a piece of writing, they

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

are not sufficiently encouraged to look for ways of improving the style and structure of their writing.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

19. In literacy lessons, mainly using worksheets, pupils develop a sound knowledge of the skills required to produce writing of a good quality. However, teachers do not plan sufficient opportunities in English or in other subjects to use and develop these skills in longer pieces of writing. Teachers miss opportunities to develop different styles of writing in other subjects such as science, geography and history. The over use of worksheets results in pupils’ recording their work as words, short phrases or single sentences. In science, for example, pupils do not record their work using different styles, such as instructions, observational records, note-taking or discussion texts.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

2 The average points score provides schools with a single statistic to compare the overall grades attained by their pupils with the grades attained by pupils in another school. At Key Stages 1 and 2, the Level attained by each pupil, for example, in mathematics, is given a score. Level 1 = 9 points, Level 2 = 15 points and so on. Therefore the average points score in mathematics is worked out by adding up all of the points based on the Level attained by pupils and then dividing by the number of pupils who took the test. Therefore, a school whose average points score for mathematics in the end of Key Stage 1 tests is greater than 15.0 is one whose pupils are performing above that expected for their age. The average points score for Level 4, the nationally expected level for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2, is 27. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School 20. The standard of handwriting and presentation throughout the school is lower than it should be. By

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

the age of seven, pupils’ handwriting is accurately formed and legible, but pupils are not joining letters. Teachers give insufficient attention to developing a joined style, particularly in pupils’ exercise books. Older pupils do not always join letters correctly and their size is not consistent. Teachers’ expectations are often too low and pupils have not sufficiently developed an awareness of the importance of clear and neat presentation. Pupils make little use of information and communication technology to present their written work.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

The development and use of pupils’ mathematical skills in practical activities.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

21. Over recent years, pupils in Year 2 have achieved average standards in national tests in mathematics. Teacher assessments confirm that pupils achieve average standards in their understanding of number and in their knowledge of shape, space and measures. However, their assessments identified a weakness in the pupils’ ability to use and apply their mathematical skills. Results in national tests for 11-year-olds have not been as good in mathematics as they have been in English and science. Just over half of the pupils have achieved the expected standard compared with three-quarters of the pupils in English and almost all in science. Over recent years, pupils’ achievements in mathematics have been about two terms behind that normally found in other primary schools.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

22. Inspection evidence indicates a broadly similar pattern in the current Years 2 and 6. Pupils throughout the school, including those with special educational needs, make sound progress and gain satisfactory levels of personal achievement in their understanding of number, shape, space and measure.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

23. The quality of teaching of numeracy is satisfactory and, at times, it is good. Teachers manage the pupils well and there are positive relationships between staff and pupils. Consequently, pupils are well behaved and they show good attitudes towards their work. For example, reception children enjoy using small soft toys when learning to count on and back. Teachers have satisfactorily adopted the National Numeracy Strategy. However, the teaching methods they use do not always ensure pupils make the best possible progress. Teachers have not yet ensured that pupils have sufficient opportunities to carry out practical mathematical activities or to investigate problems that directly relate to their own lives and experiences. These are important factors in preventing pupils from reaching better levels of achievement.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

24. Teachers do not plan sufficient opportunities to develop strategies for problem solving, such as thinking about different ways of approaching problems. Consequently, pupils lack the confidence to apply their knowledge to problem-solving situations. This was illustrated in a group assessment activity where six-year-olds found it difficult to calculate the change needed after paying a shopping bill. They correctly used their knowledge of addition to find the total bill by carefully adding the cost of the items. However, they lacked strategies to solve the second part of the problem – the amount of change required. The pupils were unsure of how to use the coins provided to help them. The pace of the activity was slow, with the result that pupils did not complete enough examples to help consolidate their learning.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

25. Similarly, older pupils do not develop their own mathematical strategies and look for ways to overcome difficulties. Teachers do not give them sufficient opportunities to develop their understanding through practical tasks. Much of their learning is based on activities on worksheets or is closely directed by the teacher. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 learn to extract information from bar graphs but are not given sufficient opportunities to gather and record their own data in various ways, such as tallies, bar graphs and pie charts. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 gain a satisfactory knowledge of the mathematical terms used in measuring length, mass and capacity. Using an effective game, pupils learn that they would use kilometres or miles when measuring distances between towns and a measuring jug for measuring small amounts of liquid. However, pupils have insufficient opportunities to carry out practical activities in measuring related to real-life problems.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

Consequently, pupils do not consolidate their understanding of measure or use it to develop their calculating skills.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

26. The mental mathematics sessions at the start of lessons are useful in helping pupils to practise existing skills. However, teachers do not always highlight useful ways of solving mental problems. For example, when older pupils were counting on in 50s from 275, the teacher briefly mentioned the answers always ended in 25 or 75. She did not show the pattern visually to help the average- and Grewelthorpe CE Primary School below average-attaining pupils use it in further examples. Similarly, in a mental session with younger pupils, the teacher did not explain the link that a higher-attaining pupil noticed between the patterns found when counting in twos and when counting in fours. Teaching in the mental session at the beginning of numeracy lessons often lacks a clear focus on the strategies the pupils need to develop. The slow pace and the fact that sometimes not all pupils are actively involved further slows progress

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

27. Teachers satisfactorily plan what it is they want the pupils to learn. This planning is best where it clearly shows what each group in the mixed-age, mixed-ability classes is to learn. In an infant lesson, for example, the teacher identified different activities for each group, which ensured work was at an appropriate level for all pupils. Where teachers share the lesson objectives with pupils at the start of lessons, pupils gain a better understanding of their own learning. However, teachers do not often return to the objective at the end of the lesson to reinforce it in pupils’ minds and develop their confidence in the subject. In lessons, the teachers prepare different activities for the different age groups but do not always provide additional challenge for the higher-attaining pupils within an age group.

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Pupils’ standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and their use of these skills

28. The school does not make enough use of information and communication technology in mathematics. Pupils sometimes use practice programs that fit into the theme of the lesson, but they make very little use of programs to handle data. Teachers miss opportunities for pupils to use computers to sort information and produce bar charts and graphs. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to improve the sound quality of education provided by the school, the governors, headteacher and staff should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise the overall standards of attainment in information and communication

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technology throughout the school by:

- ensuring that all aspects of the subject are taught in sufficient depth; - providing appropriate in-service training to improve teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence in the use of ICT; - developing strategies so that pupils have more opportunities to use computers in all areas of the curriculum;

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technology throughout the school by:

- providing more opportunities throughout the school for pupils to engage in extended and creative writing; - developing writing skills in subjects other than English; - teaching pupils to use a greater range of descriptive and expressive vocabulary in their writing; - improving the standard of handwriting and presentation;

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technology throughout the school by:

(3) further raise standards in mathematics by:

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technology throughout the school by:

- providing more opportunities for pupils to use and develop their mathematical knowledge in practical activities; - helping pupils to choose and use appropriate strategies for solving problems; - improving pupils’ mental skills. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 0 33 67 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than ten percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 45

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 8 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 11

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 7 3 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

* School results have been omitted because there were 10 or fewer pupils in the relevant year groups.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 1 1 2

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School ** ** ** at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School ** ** ** at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) ** School results have been omitted because there were 10 or fewer pupils in the relevant year groups. Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.7 Financial year 2000-01

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16.6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 149,571

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Total expenditure 149,375

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 29 Expenditure per pupil 3,557

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 5,138

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 4,932

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.3

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Grewelthorpe CE Primary School

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 40 60 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 35 65 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 30 45 25 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 25 10 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 45 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 30 55 15 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 35 65 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 40 10 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 10 35 50 5 0

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