Sand Hutton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

SAND HUTTON C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 th – 27 th February 2002

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SAND HUTTON C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full 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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SAND HUTTON C.E. 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. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Sand Hutton York 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 William Miers

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: July 1997 Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Eileen Parry Registered inspector English Equal opportunities Special educational needs English as an additional language Foundation Stage Music Physical education Information and communication technology Design and technology The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

19365 Gordon Stockley 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? 1678 David Peckett Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Religious education Science Art How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Peak Education Partnership 19 Huddersfield Road Barnsley South Yorkshire S70 2LT

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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:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 26

Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This rural school is much smaller than most other schools. It is a voluntary controlled Church of England school that serves a collection of very small villages in the area. Many children come to school on the school buses. The 75 pupils are taught in three mixed age classes. 12.5 percent of pupils receive a free school meal which is below the national average. One pupil has a statement of special educational needs with a further 17 being on the school’s register for special needs. Together this represents a proportion of pupils with special needs which is above average. No pupils speak English as an additional language and there are no pupils from ethnic minority groups. Since the last inspection, there has been a change of headteacher. When pupils start school, their attainment at entry might be described as average overall but this hides the fact that there is often a split between those with higher

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

skills and knowledge and those with learning difficulties.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school which provides an effective education in a happy, friendly and welcoming ethos. The headteacher provides a strong sense of purpose and direction and she is supported by a hardworking staff and caring governors. Almost all pupils make good progress to reach standards which are good but there is a very small number of the pupils with special educational needs whose progress is very slow because the school finds it difficult to meet their needs from current resources. Teaching is good and the school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Results in National Curriculum test for eleven year olds are well above average this year. • Seven year olds make good progress and achieve well despite the low results in the National Curriculum tests. • Teaching is good. Teachers assess children’s learning effectively and plan well to meet the needs of mixed age classes. • Literacy and numeracy skills are well developed across a broad curriculum that also includes extra activities out of school hours. • Pupils’ good attitudes to school have a positive effect on their work. • The headteacher is an effective leader and is well supported by governors. • Good provision is made for pupils’ personal development so that they become increasingly sensible and responsible.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The sharing of roles and responsibilities between the headteacher and the staff. • Provision for a small number of those who have special educational needs . 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

Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 7 Since the school was last inspected in July 1997, it has made good progress. Planning for the mixed age classes is now good and there are very good procedures for assessing how well children are doing. Standards of attainment in geography and information and communication technology (ICT) are much better. Homework is set regularly and helps to raise standards. The new hall has made a big difference to provision for physical education and the school now ensures that pupils will have one course of swimming lessons within the juniors.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Results in English and science in the national tests in 2001 for eleven year olds were well above the average for all schools and for schools in similar circumstances to Sand Hutton based on the take up of free school meals. In mathematics, results were in the top five percent nationally. The appropriate targets set by the governors were met in English and exceeded in mathematics. Taken over four years, the school’s results have improved at the same rate as schools nationally. Care should be taken in interpreting the results because of the very small numbers of pupils involved. Results for seven year olds were well below the national average and when measured against similar schools. However, the difference is because three of the nine seven year olds had special educational needs. It reflects the caution that is needed in interpreting results with small numbers of pupils. The school’s detailed records show that pupils usually make the expected amount of progress and

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STANDARDS

sometimes better. This is a fairer reflection of the pupils’ achievements.

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STANDARDS

The current Year 6 pupils are on course to sustain the same high levels in English, mathematics and science and those in Year 2 should achieve much higher results than last year, bringing them up to be in line with the national average. By the time they are seven, pupils are doing better than the national expectations in ICT and in line with them by eleven. In history and geography, standards are above average by the ends of Years 2 and 6. There was too little evidence for any conclusive judgements in music and physical education. However, the extra music provision means that a number of pupils do well. In art, design and technology, and religious education, attainment is in line with the expectations and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Children in the Foundation Stage (reception class) are likely to achieve all the targets set for them nationally and to achieve above the expectations in knowledge and understanding of the world.

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STANDARDS

In general, pupils of all abilities achieve well. Most pupils with special educational needs make appropriate progress but there is a small group whose progress is very slow because they need more individual support than the school can provide. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are interested in their work and enjoy coming to school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The large majority of pupils behave well but there are a few pupils who have special educational needs in relation to their behaviour and who can disrupt learning.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils are taught to care for each other. Good relationships with the teachers help them to develop understanding about how their actions affect each other.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Overall, teaching in the school is good. Lessons are carefully planned to take account of the needs of mixed age classes. Planning is successful because it builds on the very good procedures in place to assess how well pupils are doing. Teachers are patient, calm and encouraging, helping the majority of pupils to develop positive attitudes to their learning. Good subject knowledge in English and mathematics ensures that basic skills in literacy and numeracy are taught well and that pupils make good progress. Pupils’ handwriting and presentation are not as consistently well developed. Teachers make good use of support assistants in lessons. The assistants provide invaluable support to groups including those with special educational needs. There is a need for more training to help assistants to become even more effective especially when they are helping pupils with learning difficulties. Pupils throughout the school are interested in their work and try hard. Some find it difficult to

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

concentrate continuously. Teaching for the youngest children is good overall. The youngest find it hard to listen for long, especially in literacy lessons, and teachers try to create more opportunities for them to learn through play. These opportunities are satisfactory, being limited by the space available and the needs of a mixed age class.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 9 Aspect Comment

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory for the youngest children and good for those in infants and juniors. Unsatisfactory for some of the pupils who have special educational needs and find it difficult to manage without constant help.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory overall. The school has good procedures and a strong commitment to pupils with special educational needs. The large majority are supported effectively but there is a small number whose needs have not been fully recognised yet through statements and provision for them is unsatisfactory.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There are no pupils currently who speak English as an additional language.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good overall. Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is effectively promoted and their spiritual awareness is satisfactorily developed within the Christian ethos of the school.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils There are very good systems for assessing how well children are doing. Children are well cared for but formal aspects of staff training related to child protection issues have not yet been undertaken.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school works well with parents. Parents are welcome to help in school and some do so regularly. Weekly newsletters are a significant commitment which help to keep parents informed. This is especially important since so many pupils come to school on the school bus and therefore some parents do not meet informally or regularly with staff. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher provides a strong lead and a clear direction to the school’s work. Teachers give support through the quality of their work and through assuming some extra responsibilities. The small number of staff means that the headteacher has been carrying a disproportionate level of curricular responsibility.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. All statutory responsibilities are fulfilled and regular committee and governing body meetings ensure that governors are well informed.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school development plan is based on priorities identified through evaluation.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. The school has made good improvements to buildings and to curriculum resources. The school’s use of the principles of best value is satisfactory overall.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has sufficient teachers for the number of classes. Several teachers work part time and only one of the three classes has a full-time teacher. The governors have recently appointed more teaching assistants; the number is now adequate in view of the difficulties of teaching mixed age classes and large number of pupils with special educational needs. All subjects except ICT are well resourced. Provision for ICT is adequate but it is difficult for the school to provide better because of the lack of space in the building. Only the new classroom is of a good size; the other two are quite small. This affects the range of provision that Class 1 is able to offer to the youngest pupils. The principles of ensuring best value for spending are well understood but there has been no consideration of how this might be extended to take account of the views of parents and pupils.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The school expects their children to work hard. • Their children are making good progress. • Children are helped to become more mature. • Teaching is good. • Children do not get the right amount of homework. • The range of extra-curricular activities. • The working relationship with parents.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspection findings generally support parents’ positive views of the school. Inspectors do not agree with the three negative views. Use of homework is judged to be good, as is extra- curricular provision. Inspectors can find no justification for the claim that the school does not work closely with parents, other than the fact that a significant number of pupils are transported by bus, thus reducing the opportunity for day-to-day contact between teachers and parents that is a feature of many primary schools. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The difficulties of reporting the results of small numbers of pupils taking tests are well illustrated in the figures from the 2001 tests for seven and eleven year olds. Those for eleven year olds were well above average in English and science and in the top five percent nationally for mathematics. They were also well above those of similar schools. Those for seven year olds were well below the average and below those of similar schools in reading, writing and mathematics. In neither case was this due to exceptionally good or poor teaching but rather reflects the composition of those year groups. In the seven year old group, a large proportion, three of the nine pupils, had special needs and did not achieve the expected level in reading and mathematics. Four did not achieve it in writing. The school’s assessment and recording system, however, shows that these same pupils have made good progress in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

reading and mathematics and satisfactory progress in writing. In the eleven year old group, there were proportionately fewer pupils with special educational needs and over half achieved the higher level. The school met the targets set by the governors in English and exceeded them in mathematics. These were set at an appropriate level and are set at a similar level for 2002 in English and slightly lower in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The standards of work in English for the current group of eight Year 6 pupils are above the average. All but one are likely to achieve the levels expected nationally for eleven year olds and about half of them could reach the higher level 5. They talk confidently and discuss and debate sensibly with their teachers or within groups. They are keen readers who read widely. All write competently in a range of styles and use good vocabulary because they are constantly challenged to consider the most effective choice of words. Handwriting and presentation are acceptable but much more variable both in English and across other subjects. Teachers do not put as much emphasis on this as on the content of writing. Attainment for seven year olds is broadly average. Most pupils talk confidently both in social situations such as lunchtimes and when they answer questions or offer thoughts in lessons. They read and write competently.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In mathematics, attainment varies according to the composition of the year group but the majority of pupils are reaching above average standards. Year 6 pupils have good ability with number. They solve complex problems and use their knowledge and understanding to explain how they solved them. Their work in shape and with measurement is equally secure. By Year 2, pupils have made good progress and achieved a secure understanding of numbers, aspects of measuring, shapes and data handling. From a starting point that is average, some pupils have reached above average levels by the time they are seven.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Attainment of the current Years 2 and 6 pupils is above average in science. Pupils have a good start in the reception class and, by the time they are seven, they know a good range of facts and understand how to observe, predict and record their experiments. Pupils in Year 6 have knowledge of different aspects of science that is at least average, and above average in some areas such as materials. They understand what a fair test is but are less secure about what makes a test reliable. Their knowledge of technical terms is developing well and they use specific vocabulary such as ‘solution’ with understanding.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In ICT, pupils are reaching standards that are above average by seven and average by eleven. The difference is because the curriculum is much wider for older pupils but they cannot have any more time to develop skills because resources are limited. In geography and history, pupils throughout the school achieve well and standards are above average by the Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 12 time pupils are seven or eleven. Pupils do well in ICT by the age of seven and the standards are in line with expectations by the time they are eleven. There was too little evidence for any conclusive judgements in music and physical education. However, the extra music provision means that there are a number of pupils whose attainment is above what is usual. In art, design and technology and religious education, attainment is in line with expectations and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The youngest children are likely to achieve the learning goals set for them nationally by the end of the year with above average attainment in their knowledge and understanding of the world. They settle into school quickly and happily, and talk confidently, but do not listen as attentively as they should. Children learn to read and write their names and some are moving on to read words and phrases and to make early attempts to write their own stories. They develop a sound understanding of simple numbers through counting and number songs. Creative and physical skills are satisfactory

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The school has a large number of pupils with special educational needs but few with statements. All of these pupils are well cared for and happy in the school. Some make good progress but there is a small group of pupils with quite marked learning difficulties whose progress is limited. The staff work hard to prepare suitable work for them but the pupils need much more individual support than can be provided within current resources to enable them to make better strides in their learning. For example, there are pupils who do not benefit from introductions to literacy and numeracy lessons because the level of skills and knowledge they have is too low. Alternative provision places heavy reliance on teaching assistants who are new to the posts and some do not yet have the levels of skill needed in these cases.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils’ good attitudes to school have a positive effect on their work. As at the time of the previous inspection, most pupils are willing to learn and show interest and enjoyment in their work, for example when they work at computers, when the youngest choose their own activities or when the introductions to literacy and numeracy lessons capture their attention.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Overall, behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. However, each class has a small number of pupils whose behaviour is not so good, and this means that the overall behaviour is not as good as at the time of the previous inspection. Behaviour in the dining room and the playground is good. In the dining hall, pupils queue sensibly and eat their lunches quietly. They are friendly and willing to talk about their school and other events in their lives. Outside, pupils play well together, making good use of the range of games and equipment available. Only one incident of poor behaviour was seen during the inspection, and this involved a pupil who has a statement of special educational needs. No bullying was seen during the inspection and pupils do not consider it to be an issue. There have been no recent exclusions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Personal development is good. Pupils become more sensible as they move through the school with good support from teachers and support staff. In lessons, pupils work well together in pairs and small groups, as in a physical education lesson where pupils worked in pairs to perform a sequence of movements and worked together sensibly when putting the floor mats away at the end of the lesson. Pupils are keen to accept responsibility. Willingly, with enthusiasm and pride, they carry out duties such as distributing equipment and materials for the teacher and looking after new pupils. Many pupils maintain good levels of motivation when working without support or intervention from an adult. Good relationships among pupils and between staff and pupils make lessons enjoyable and make a good contribution to sound learning. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 13 11. Attendance continues to be well above the national average, making a positive

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

contribution to pupils’ education. Registers are completed quickly, enabling a prompt start to be made to lessons. Some teachers use the registration session well to reinforce number work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. Teaching overall is good. Occasionally it is very good and all lessons were at least satisfactory. This is a better picture than at the last inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. Staff are hard working and professional, and work with a common approach to promoting good relationships that creates a pleasant working atmosphere. There are clear expectations about dealing with behaviour, which is especially important since there are several pupils for whom this is a difficulty. Teachers are consistently calm, courteous and encouraging which has a calming effect on pupils but they are equally firm when behaviour exceeds what is acceptable.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. Overall, teaching for the youngest children is good. The teachers who share this class have a good understanding of what the youngest children need and try to provide it. Good attention is paid to helping children to learn the routines. For example, older ones in the class look after younger ones in physical education or escort them to the toilet in lesson times. There is a satisfactory balance between activities which children can choose and those that operate for the whole class. This is satisfactory rather than good because of the need to provide for older pupils as well as the limitations of a small classroom. Teachers are calm and consistent in encouraging children to listen and this does have a good effect, which was noticeable in the calmer way children responded on Wednesday than on Monday. Teachers have high expectations of children’s independence and value their efforts, for example in art and design and technology. On one occasion during a session of mixed

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

activities, a new technique, mixing powder paint, was introduced to a group by a helper without adequate preparation of resources. Children did not learn enough about mixing colours although they showed resourcefulness in the way that they tackled the problem.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. For pupils in infants and juniors, teaching is also good overall. Lessons are well planned and carefully prepared with good quality resources. Teachers have very clear learning objectives for lessons and these are shared with the pupils so that pupils know what they should learn during the course of the lesson, as in a mathematics lesson for the oldest pupils where the objectives where both written down and discussed with the pupils. In all lessons, positive and supportive relationships promote learning. Teachers remain consistently calm and encouraging even when some pupils’ behaviour is difficult and interrupts the flow of lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Teachers assess pupils’ work very well and give them clear and honest written and verbal feedback on how well they are doing. This is particularly good in English. The best lessons are often set at a challenging pace and have high expectations of pupils’ response as in a literacy lesson with Class 2. Usually the lessons that were satisfactory rather than good lacked this briskness and sometimes this was because the pace of the lesson was slowed by restlessness or lack of attention from a few pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The school has introduced the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy effectively. Teachers have good subject knowledge and, because of the thoroughness of assessment, they match the work well to take good account of the needs of mixed age classes. This shows in the fact that results at Year 6 include a good proportion of pupils who achieve the higher levels and that those who do not achieve the expected level usually have Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 14 special educational needs. Literacy and numeracy lessons are well balanced and well taught with good development of basic skills for the large majority of pupils. Skills are also developed effectively across the curriculum with good opportunities for writing, for instance in history and for mathematical work in science.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Teaching assistants are effectively deployed to provide valuable personal support to pupils. When they look after a group, it allows the teacher to concentrate more intently on others as when an assistant supported the youngest children in their role-play. Support can also be extremely effective in helping groups and individuals when it is combined with some professional expertise, as seen in the literacy lesson in Class 2.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teachers and support staff have very positive approaches to pupils with special educational needs. When there are assistants in the class, they are deployed efficiently by teachers to help generally and sometimes to help specifically with pupils who have special educational needs. Their effectiveness depends on the amount of experience and training they have had as most are new. A good example of effective support is when an experienced assistant recognised that a pupil needed ‘time out’ to adjust his behaviour and response and acted immediately to provide this. Other assistants are less secure in recognising this type of need and less confidant in acting. Sometimes assistants follow fully the teachers’ directions and careful plans but lack the specialist knowledge to help pupils with learning difficulties, for example in mathematics.

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PUPILS?

20. The curriculum provision has improved since the last inspection and is satisfactory overall. Schemes of work have been introduced for each subject and care is taken in the planning and organisation to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. There are a greater number of visits out of school and opportunities for visitors to come into school. The school has a rich environment for studies in science, geography and history. The planned curriculum includes better use of these resources, including studies of habitats in the school grounds, visits to the Great Wood and to the church. Swimming is now included once within the juniors. The buildings added since the last inspection provide improved opportunities for physical education and ICT.

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PUPILS?

21. All teachers plan very carefully for all subjects, following the schemes of work and the school’s long-term planning cycle. There is some flexibility in the organisation of the time and the inclusion of all subjects every week. Some, such as history or geography, are put into blocks over a half term. The long-term plan for the curriculum is good. It covers all subjects and personal and social education in a way that meets the needs of the three mixed age classes. Religious education is taught in line with the agreed syllabus.

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PUPILS?

22. The requirements of the National Curriculum are now fully met with an appropriate emphasis on English, mathematics, science and ICT. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been fully implemented. Progression in the teaching and learning of basic skills in using numbers, reading, spelling and grammar is good.

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PUPILS?

23. The schemes of work are used to establish the annual and half termly plans for science, ICT, religious education and the foundation subjects. Good opportunities have been identified, and used well, to link learning in English, mathematics and ICT to other subjects. For instance, Class 3 used the Great Wood as a focus for work in science, geography and English. Class 2 are studying Ancient Egypt in history and have included well-planned opportunities for ICT, art and English. There are effective arrangements in place to use the Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 15 materials developed by the national strategies to provide additional support in numeracy and literacy, including a ‘Booster’ group that meets twice each week in the spring term. Policies for medium-term and weekly planning are used consistently to match the lessons to the schemes of work in all subjects and to the general abilities of the pupils in each age group.

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PUPILS?

This is done with great care in order to meet the needs of all the groups of pupils across two and three years of age as well as the wide range of ability.

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PUPILS?

24. In the class for the youngest pupils, the planning includes appropriately a mixture of National Curriculum and early learning goals. Provision is aimed at securing a balance for this difficult mixture of two different age groups and key stages and offers a satisfactory compromise given the limitations of the classroom size and the level of support. The youngest pupils take part in literacy and numeracy hours. Sometimes sections of these lessons, particularly introductions, are too long for them. Good provision is made at least twice in the week for a range of activities to be offered which gives more choice and freedom of movement. Better use is made of the outdoor areas when weather permits but this is also dependent on when support is available. Now that there is a hall, the teachers can provide more physical activity than previously.

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PUPILS?

25. The curriculum for pupils with special education needs is generally unsatisfactory. This is because there are a few pupils who do not yet have statements and whose needs are greater than the school can provide for within current resources. Some, for example, cannot learn much from literacy and numeracy hours because their skills are at too low a level. The teachers try hard to meet these needs, for example by providing separate work, such as that found in the breakthrough to literacy scheme but more skilled support is needed to make this effective in classes which contain such a wide range of ages and abilities. There is also some specialist support one morning a week but this was not observed. Arrangements are in place to ensure equal access for pupils with special educational needs but there is a need for more support to improve the learning opportunities. The provision meets the Revised Code of

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PUPILS?

Practice with individual education plans that consistently identify and differentiate the pupils’ needs sufficiently.

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PUPILS?

26. The statutory curriculum is broadened by the inclusion of personal, social and health education. There is a governors’ statement on sex education but there is no written and agreed statement for the inclusion of education about drug misuse. However, all of these elements are taught appropriately.

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PUPILS?

27. The curriculum and learning opportunities are enriched and extended by a number of extra-curricular activities that includes specialist games coaching and visits to museums, such as Royal Armouries in Leeds and a farming museum, and other interesting places on the coast or in the more immediate locality. In school visits from theatre groups play a part in motivating pupils and developing their interests. The school has a tradition of including a valuable residential visit for the older pupils that extends their physical and social education curriculum by providing opportunities for new activities that are greatly anticipated and enjoyed. Cycling awareness, safety education and a small number of clubs at dinner time or after school are well attended. Pupils receive specialist teaching to learn to play the flute, brass instruments and the guitar. Two parents provide the most invaluable support to music

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PUPILS?

groups so that the pupils are given more time to practise and make music together and perform for their parents and other pupils. The links to the church are strong and add important opportunities that enhance the wider curriculum.

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PUPILS?

28. Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. This is an improvement from the previous inspection when provision was satisfactory. 29. Spiritual awareness is developed within the Christian ethos of the school and is satisfactory. The vicar is a regular participant and leads assemblies. Assemblies generally Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 16 provide a suitable context for pupils to reflect on important issues in their lives, for example, in considering issues such as ‘jumping to conclusions’ or ‘judging by appearances’. Circle time provides another good opportunity for considering such issues. The religious education syllabus includes lessons about different faiths, contributing to both spiritual and cultural development. Pupils are being encouraged to understand faith and commitment and why religious artefacts are considered to be so special. In Class 2 pupils shared a Seder meal

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PUPILS?

together to understand the symbols and ritual associated with the Jewish festival. Teachers use opportunities to foster a sense of awe and wonder when these occur, such as the enormity of the pyramids and their complex construction and purpose.

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PUPILS?

30. The provision for pupils’ moral development continues to be good, as it was at the time of the last inspection. Personal and social education lessons include good opportunities to consider issues, such as the qualities of a good friend or how to take personal responsibility. There is a clear and consistent approach to ensure pupils understand right from wrong. The pupils are encouraged in all their work to be independent and make choices. This is extended to their behaviour and relationships with other pupils and adults. This successfully supports the good relationships seen around the school. The large majority of pupils are reflective and consider their actions and behaviour and how they affect others.

p.16

PUPILS?

31. Provision for pupils’ social development is good. Teachers and support staff promote pupils’ social development well. There are regular opportunities for pupils to work co- operatively with one another both within their own year group and with pupils from other year groups. In the best cases, teachers expect pupils to consider how to work together effectively, as seen in a science lesson in Class 3. Several examples were observed of pupils caring for each other: Year 1 pupils helping the younger pupils to dress after physical education or the spontaneous applause given by pupils in Class 2 to a pupil who answered a question very successfully. The school regularly contributes to charitable causes, such as the Christmas Shoebox for Bosnia or the Seeds for Africa appeals, which broadens pupils’ understanding of social (and moral) responsibilities. The residential visit made by the older pupils provides a valuable opportunity for them to gain independence and to develop their

p.16

PUPILS?

32. The school’s provision for pupils’ cultural development is now good. It was judged to be unsatisfactory in the last inspection. There are visits to different museums and cultural centres. The religious education programme enables pupils to learn about their own culture and several different faiths. Other subjects, such as geography, history and English, include opportunities to learn about cultural traditions of the past and present. The school uses the strong link with the church and with the local environment to foster an understanding of aspects of the pupils’ own culture. When buying new resources and artefacts for English, history, geography and religious education, the school has carefully ensured the provision for cultural and multi-cultural education as part of a rich and diverse society. Links with the community provide opportunities to study the local environment. As a result of one pupil’s

p.16

PUPILS?

initiative, a local company provided a new football strip for the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school is a welcoming place where pupils are safe, well cared for and valued. Sound procedures promote pupils’ health and safety and staff have a genuine concern for pupils’ well-being whatever their needs. The headteacher is responsible for child protection and makes sure that the staff know what to do if concerns arise about a pupil. However, she has not yet had training in child protection procedures although this deficiency is due to be remedied shortly. Two members of staff are qualified in first aid. The school records accidents to pupils and informs parents about injuries to their children. Routine checks take Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 17 place regularly on fire equipment and electrical appliances. The school has not yet carried out risk assessments and is awaiting assistance from the local education authority with this task. There are good procedures for monitoring and improving attendance.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school takes good care of children in the reception class. Before attending school, they visit the classroom with their parents, meet the staff and become familiar with the building. Their entrance to the school is gradual and tailored to their individual needs. This ensures close attention from teachers and support staff and provides a calm introduction to their life in school.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Good procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour focus on rewards and sanctions that are agreed and used consistently by teachers and support staff. The successful use of these procedures creates an orderly community where pupils learn with little disturbance. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when this aspect was judged to be satisfactory. A good range of toys is available at break and lunchtimes to occupy pupils and reduce the incidence of poor behaviour. Good procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour involve pupils in telling a teacher or other adult if they are bullied. As a result, incidents of oppressive behaviour are unusual.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are good and given a high priority by the school. Circle time sessions are valued as a means of helping pupils to develop confidence and are a regular part of the weekly timetable. Personal development is assessed on entry to the school. It is reviewed regularly, recorded and shared with parents at the twice yearly parents’ evenings and in the annual written report at the end of each year. This is effective because teachers and support staff know pupils and their families well and this enables them to promote pupils’ personal growth.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Overall, the monitoring of pupils’ academic performance is very good. This is a marked improvement since the last inspection when arrangements for assessment were unsatisfactory. Systematic assessment and the analysis of data to identify strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning and progress have contributed to the improvements in standards.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The headteacher has a good understanding of the use of assessment and the need to monitor the pupils’ progress. There are good records of each pupil with a detailed analysis of their prior attainment and challenging targets for their progress. Baseline assessment is used to monitor pupils’ progress in reception and set the targets for Year 1 and for the end of Year 2 tests. Similar developments for each pupil in Key Stage 2 identify the level of development of each pupil and use the information to set challenging targets for each pupil over the year and for the end of Year 6 tests. There is an effective computerised database to record information and enable teachers to see each pupil’s progress over each year against challenging targets set for him or her.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The reception class baseline assessment, made when they first come into school, is used to identify clear strengths and areas of need and used as starting points for their learning. Regular assessments are made of pupils’ learning in reading, writing, mathematics and science as they progress through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The half-termly assessments are carefully marked, annotated and kept in the pupil’s ‘Best Book’. These books give a very clear picture of the pupil’s attainment and progress over time. For each pupil there is also a comprehensive record of his or her progress in all subjects, including religious education. The school has carefully identified the key learning objectives for every subject each term and uses them to assess individual achievements and progress. The records are completed regularly and summarised termly. Marking is often linked to assessing progress and refers to the planned learning objective in the written comments. Sometimes

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 18 this aspect of marking could be developed further. Through the detailed assessment procedures, the teachers know the pupils very well.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The assessment of pupils with special educational needs is good and focuses on their specific needs. Individual education plans identify targets to help raise attainment and help the pupil learn more effectively. The provision to support the learning targets is not yet satisfactory.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Assessment information is also being used to set learning targets for individual pupils based on current achievement and the next stage of learning. Pupils are aware of their targets and both teachers and pupils refer to them when they discuss the work. In Year 6 the personal conferences for English and mathematics are very effective. Pupils are aware of their achievements and the targets that have been set for them.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Reports to parents are very good. They are very comprehensive, using all the information gained from the assessment procedures, and give a clear picture of pupils’ attainment and progress as well as the priorities for the next stage of learning.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parents are pleased with the school and the education it provides. They are particularly pleased that the school expects their children to work hard and that their children are making good progress. About a quarter of the parents who responded to the questionnaire felt that their child did not get the right amount of homework. A similar number felt that the school did not provide an interesting range of extra-curricular activities, and almost as many felt that the school did not work closely with parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Inspection findings generally support parents’ positive views of the school, although inspectors have some concerns about the progress made by some pupils with special educational needs. Inspectors do not agree with the three negative views of parents mentioned above. Use of homework is judged to be good, as is extra-curricular provision. Inspectors can find no justification for the claim that the school does not work closely with parents, other than the fact that a significant number of pupils are transported by bus, thus reducing the opportunity for day-to-day contact between teachers and parents that is a feature of many primary schools.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Very good information helps parents to understand their children’s learning. Teachers hold events to explain how numeracy, literacy are taught and circle time conducted. Annual reports inform parents how their children’s achievements relate to national standards. They point out pupils’ strengths and weaknesses, and usually indicate targets for improvement. Teachers invite parents to discuss their children’s progress twice each year and to set targets for the remainder of the year. Weekly newsletters keep parents well informed about events and the school’s routines. At the beginning of each term parents receive helpful details of the work their child will do in coming weeks and this information helps parents to prepare to support their children’s learning. All this activity keeps parents well informed about the work of the school and allows them to take an effective part in their children’s education.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. There is an open invitation for parents to help in school and currently a number of parents provide valuable support in lessons. Other parents help by leading the school orchestra, recorder groups and the football club. The governors’ annual report to parents is an attractive and informative publication. It goes far beyond that required by law and its content, enlivened by children’s contributions, makes interesting reading. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 19 47. The school’s financial resources are well supplemented by the efforts of the Parent- Teacher Association. The PTA organises a number of social events each year, including a disco for the children, and raises a significant amount of money to enhance the quality of education. Over the last year the PTA has contributed towards the cost of swimming and school trips, as well as purchasing furniture and soft furnishings for the new classroom.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The school has forged effective links with parents. Parents’ involvement has a good impact on the work of the school and parents make a sound contribution to children’s learning at school and at home. This is another area where the school has improved since the previous inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Since the last inspection, there has been a change of headteacher and an almost complete change of teachers. Overall, leadership and management of the school are good. The current headteacher has given a strong lead to staff and governors. Her thoughtful analysis of the school’s needs has established clear priorities for development as well as effectively addressing the issues that were identified for improvement at the last inspection. Governors feel that they are more closely involved and that there is now a better partnership between staff and themselves in terms of managing the school. Governors have clear ideas about the strengths and weaknesses of the school through their sound committee structure and regular meetings. Statutory responsibilities are met.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The headteacher’s commitment and leadership make an important contribution to the standards that pupils achieve. Teaching in the middle class in the school for a substantial part of the week enables her to set the standards and to monitor what is happening informally. She has also formally monitored teaching and learning in the classrooms and her perceptive comments, which are shared with the staff, highlight what could be better as well as what is going well. Overall, monitoring is good.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Currently the headteacher assumes responsibilities for a large number of subjects. It is a much larger load than anyone else’s and is difficult to manage with the current teaching commitment. This has partly arisen because there is only one other full time teacher and partly because she felt curriculum development to be so important. The considerable effort that has gone into curriculum change and assessment practices has achieved good results and it is now time to review roles and responsibilities to see how these can be more equitably distributed.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. An important factor in creating a school team and shared commitment to improvement are the regular staff meetings and governors’ meetings where information is shared and needs discussed. The school development plan sets out clear priorities and targets which direct the work of the school. Governors are involved in discussing priorities before the plan is finalised and in checking how well the plan is being realised through the headteacher’s reports and regular discussions.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The governors have a strong commitment to pupils with special educational needs and see the school’s mix of pupils as a strength. They have recently improved provision by providing a management point for co-ordination. In addition, the school’s positive budget has enabled governors to appoint teaching assistants who provide classroom support, some of which is directed to those with special needs. There are good procedures for managing the provision for special educational needs and the headteacher and special needs co-ordinator try very hard to pursue better provision for individuals through statements. However, there is a small number of pupils whose needs have not been recognised in this way by the local Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 20 education authority. They are pupils who are quite happy in the school but whose progress is limited because of the lack of professional support, despite the good efforts that the staff

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

make to help them. This is particularly noticeable in Class 2 where there is an unusually wide range of attainment across three year groups as well as a cluster of pupils with clear special educational needs but no statements.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The school has not had an external audit of its financial systems recently and should request one to ensure that all its systems are operating efficiently. It was not within the scope of this inspection to undertake the level of detail that would be done with such an audit. Financial controls seem to be efficiently handled in the school and the governing body is well integrated into the process. However, at present, there are no limits set to the headteacher’s spending although all spending must be agreed at finance committee. The school does not have a register of governors’ pecuniary interests. The principles of ensuring best value for spending are well understood but there has been no consideration of how this might be extended to take account of the views of parents and pupils. Specific grants such as those for standards funds and special educational needs are spent appropriately.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school has sufficient teachers for its size. Two classes operate with shared posts and only one class has the same teacher all week. The school has recently appointed teaching assistants to provide additional levels of support. This is a good move in terms of meeting the needs of all pupils in mixed age classes but represents only an adequate level of support given the nature of the school’s population. At present, these people are moving from class to class daily and are gaining experience of working in the school. However, there is a need for training to help them to be more skilled in helping pupils and equally for looking at their deployment as a whole. For example, the youngest children in the reception/Year 1 class would benefit from one person working in the classroom and building up skills and knowledge to help with less direction than at present.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. Maximum use is made of the school’s building and this has been significantly improved with the construction of a hall/dining room and one classroom. There are few toilets although, during the new building, the school was assured that these were sufficient. The lack of toilets does impact on lessons in that quite a lot of children go out during lesson times as they have not managed to get to the toilet during the short breaks. Only the new classroom for the oldest children is of a good size. That for the youngest children is small and means that staff have to compromise to provide for the range of experiences for the youngest children. For example, the sand tray and role-play areas are very small. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 21

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

57. In order to improve further the standards and quality of education offered, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Review the balance of roles and responsibilities between the headteacher and staff taking account of the range of possibilities such as:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• an equal sharing of subject responsibilities, • a shorter teaching commitment for the headteacher, and • changes to part-time employments. Paragraph 51

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Seek to improve the provision for pupils with special educational needs by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• working with the LEA to review provision for those pupils at the stage which is now classed as ‘school action plus’, and • providing training for staff involved in working with pupils with special educational needs. Paragraphs 53; 55; 70; 79.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

There are a number of minor issues for action which the governors should consider in their action plans. These include:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Minor adjustments to financial arrangements paragraph 54 • Seeking an external audit of school finances paragraph 54 • Implementing planned training for child protection and informing all staff paragraph 33 Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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 almost four percentage points.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 72

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 7

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

p.22

Attendance

School data 4.4 School data 0 Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 23 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 24

p.23

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 5 6 11

p.24

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 82 (60) 100 (70) 100 (80) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.24

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 82 (70) 100 (80) 100 (80) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.24

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. * Results are not included separately for boys and girls since there are fewer than 10 in each case.

p.24

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

The table of results for Key Stage 1 is not included because there were fewer than 10 pupils altogether. Results for this year group were very low in reading, writing and mathematics because three of the six pupils taking the tests had special educational needs. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 25

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3.4 Financial year 2001

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 169016

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 167668

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 50 Expenditure per pupil 2466

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 21633

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 22981

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 26 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 27

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 45 48 2 2 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 30 61 9 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 41 23 2 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 30 55 7 9 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 55 30 9 7 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 48 48 2 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 36 41 14 9 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 45 39 9 2 5

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 36 5 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20 50 18 7 5 Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 28

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. Children in the Foundation Stage are taught in a mixed age class with Year 1 pupils by two teachers who share the week’s teaching. Children are admitted into this class once a year in September. By the time they reach the end of the reception year, they are likely to reach the national standards set for them in all areas of learning as early learning goals. However, their attainment is most often split into two, with a group who are likely to exceed the standards and a group who may have special educational needs and may not reach them. Teaching in all areas of learning is good overall and teachers integrate planning for this group of pupils with planning for the National Curriculum for the older ones. A difficulty that the teachers try hard to overcome is how to provide the wealth of experience that is part of the curriculum for the early years with the tighter structure of the literacy and numeracy hours for

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

older pupils. The resultant compromise makes the curriculum satisfactory rather than good. The younger children cope with the numeracy work better than they do with the literacy hour. They have more difficulty with this because some of them are not ready for the more concentrated and independent work involved.

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

59. Children cope well with two teachers and respond equally well to both. Children’s behaviour is usually good and they get along with each other well. They know the school routines and follow them happily, for example going to assemblies, having school meals and at playtimes. They show a good degree of personal independence as they change for physical education and look after their own belongings. The teachers take care to provide some times in the week when learning for the whole class is more flexible and during this time the younger ones show that they can choose what they want to do and stick to it for considerable lengths of time as shown by two boys who happily spent most of one session constructing a complex railway track. They talked and played co-operatively, solving problems such as how to get the large train under the low bridge. They solved the problem partly through discussion and partly through action. When the discussion failed, one child just

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

lifted the bridge up and pushed the train through! The good display of old and new toys is treated with respect and the children tell you that you must handle them with care because they are quite old.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

60. Children enjoy stories and look at the pictures with interest. They can talk about what has happened and say what might happen on the next page. A weakness shown by several of the younger children is that they find it difficult to listen quietly in formal situations. During a literacy introduction, for example, they were unable to listen to the story without calling out. Teachers are very patient and consistent in reminding children about listening quietly and it was noticeable that the children were better at this on Wednesday than they were on Monday. As they were playing in the ‘railway station’, children showed good understanding of reading and writing in real situations. They knew that the forms to fill in were to establish their destinations. They were able to make an attempt at their own names and to make marks to indicate writing. When there was an assistant with them, they asked for help and the

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

assistant wrote the destination for them rather than encouraged the children to try. Higher attainers working with Year 1 pupils could write their own names and copy out a sentence from a board accurately with well-formed letters. Others could complete a story board in picture form to retell the story they had heard earlier. At the end of the lesson, some of the Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 29 children helped to retell the story to the class from their drawings, the youngest ones needing support from the teacher through questions to give them confidence.

p.28

Mathematical development

61. Children are developing sound skills and knowledge in mathematics and making good progress. They learn to count to 10 and to recognise smaller numbers quite successfully. They enjoy number songs and rhymes and join in the whole class activity of counting in ones and twos to 20 which allows the more able to stretch their skills. As they made St Lucia crowns, the children used repeating patterns neatly. They can also make repeating patterns using the computer. As the class work on a block graph, reception children contribute. They understand that the squares on a graph make a picture that gives you information. They can say which square is the one that they have filled in and which column is tallest or smallest even if they are not quite sure what that height means.

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

62. This area of provision is good. Generally, reception children achieve well and benefit from provision for a mixed age class with older pupils which accelerates their progress. They have a good experience of using computers and moveable toys which they handle with confidence. Science work is quite strong and children have learned about forces that move objects as they worked and played with large wheeled toys outside, and about sources of light when it is dark. As they play with sand, they explore the material with confidence. There is a good range of construction equipment, although only one type may be available at once because of space. The children are quite competent at joining sections together such as the train track or when constructing robots. They also enjoy deconstructing a train with a special screwdriver. They construct teddy bears with moving parts by joining arms and legs with split

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

pins and use scissors and string safely to make a model where Zaccheus climbs up the tree. The history focus on old and new toys is one which is well within the children’s capacity to enjoy and they can say which set is old and which toys are the ones they are most likely to play with themselves. Children learn about the world around their school through maps which show their villages and homes.

p.29

Physical development

63. Children do well when handling small tools such as scissors or screwdrivers. They are quite skilful in joining materials using split pins or sellotape. They use paintbrushes and pens and pencils with growing control. Children move about the classroom and school, both indoors and outdoors, safely, sensibly and confidently and showed the same skills in a dance lesson. They made shapes that were small or tall in response to the instructions on the tape and the good guidance from the teacher. They compromised by hopping rather than skipping which they were unable to do. The school has delightful surroundings which provide good opportunities for outdoor play and exploration when the weather is suitable. As it was windy and wet during the inspection, it was not possible to look at this aspect of provision. Since the last inspection, however, outdoor play equipment, including better wheeled toys, has been

p.29

Physical development

bought so that it is possible for the school to provide a better experience than was noted in the last inspection.

p.29

Creative development

64. Provision for creative development is satisfactory. It is more difficult to provide high quality in a mixed age class without constant support from a teaching assistant. In addition the small classroom makes it hard to provide for activities such as role-play or sand and water but the teachers compensate by providing these for restricted numbers of children in Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 30 some very small spaces and by providing times when the whole class operates more flexibly. Children often draw and illustrate their work so that they develop competency in using pencils and crayons. The range of attainment is wide. For example, their illustrations to geography work ranged from a scribble outline to represent the sea and the harbour to a very clear picture of a person riding a bike. Children’s past work has examples of using different materials and textures. During the inspection children were introduced to powder paint with

p.29

Creative development

an adult rather than the teacher in support. This activity showed that the children did not know the routines for mixing powder but that they hold brushes and apply paint competently. This was a missed opportunity for the teacher to establish good routines early. The role-play area provided a limited opportunity for imaginative play because of the restrictions of space. The railway station stimulated some good discussions and language, especially when an assistant was supporting play, but pupils had little space to move around.

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ENGLISH

65. Results from the national tests in 2001 were well above the average for eleven year olds and well below the average in reading and writing for seven year olds. These results reflect the differing compositions of each year group and point to the caution that is needed in interpreting results from small numbers. Much more reliable are the school’s good assessment procedures which track pupils’ progress from their start in the school to their leaving. These show that by the time they are seven and eleven, pupils make good progress in reading and satisfactory progress in writing. Inspection evidence would support this analysis.

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ENGLISH

66. Most of the eight pupils in Year 6 speak clearly and confidently. For example, they express preferences for books and make sensible contributions to discussions such as those in circle time. In lessons they listen and concentrate well for the most part but this is sometimes affected when pupils with special educational needs in relation to behaviour are difficult and disturb the flow of lessons. Pupils in Year 2 listen with good levels of interest and attention, especially to the starts of lessons. This shows good progress as listening to others is often a weakness when pupils start the school.

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ENGLISH

67. Year 6 pupils read well. They enjoy reading for pleasure and can name favourite books and authors, particularly those in vogue like J K Rowling, Philip Pullman and J R R Tolkien. They talk confidently about the complexities of the plot and show some understanding of the pleasures of reading by not wanting to give away details to someone who has only just started the same book. They also appreciate the differences between books and films. They say that the ‘Harry Potter’ books are better than the film because so much of the plot and detail gets lost in the making of the film. At the other extreme, pupils with special educational needs have more limited skill in reading and lack confidence. Pupils in Year 2 generally read competently and make good contributions to lessons, such as the consideration of instructional writings which show that they understand what they have read. In other classes, reading is generally well promoted and pupils read efficiently. Pupils often read as they work

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ENGLISH

in other subjects and do so capably, for example in history, when they search for information using the computer.

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ENGLISH

68. Pupils write in a variety of styles with equal confidence. Teachers encourage them to structure their stories, and improve them by drafting and re-drafting. As a result, pupils’ stories often have a good structure. Higher attaining pupils in Year 1 have begun to write confidently and freely as when they retell the story of Kakadu Jack: “one day molly mack went to the market with a sunshe and a sack and a parrot on her shoad called Kakadu Jack.” By Year 2, such pupils are writing well and achieving the higher level in their work because they combine a good structure with good vocabulary and a growing awareness of punctuation. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 31 Other pupils write competently and convey their ideas capably using a simpler vocabulary and structure. In Year 3, many pupils are beginning to use interesting phrases such as ‘spicy cinnamon buns’ and ‘delicious bitter or salty smells’ and by Year 6, pupils can successfully

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ENGLISH

create atmosphere through good beginnings such as the opening to one which began, in resignation, “Here I am, cleaning the deck”. Older pupils often use good vocabulary because the teacher constantly reminds them to think of the effect of the individual words. One story began, “Jordan was obsessed with scary things.” Pupils have some good opportunities to write in other subjects, especially in history and geography.

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ENGLISH

69. Handwriting is inconsistent except when it is a formal exercise. Several pupils in Year 6 use a mixture of print and joined-up writing and a general weakness of older pupils is the quality of their presentation, as noted when they made design and technology books. This is because there is less insistence on quality of writing and presentation than on the content.

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ENGLISH

70. The school has quite a lot of pupils with special educational needs even though these pupils may not have a statement. Teachers do well to plan for the needs of a wide range of pupils in mixed age classes but sometimes it is difficult for them to meet those special needs despite their good efforts. The appointment of teaching assistants is making a difference particularly when the assistant has some professional skill as in the literacy work in Class 2 but there are still some pupils whose progress is very slow because they need a higher level of individual attention and professional support than can be currently given. An example of this is a pupil in the Years 2/3/4 class whose level of language competence is low and who cannot make much of the class literacy work. Even when the pupil has some limited one-to- one support, the pupil finds it hard to remember simple words such as ‘at’ and ‘am’.

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ENGLISH

71. Teaching in English is good. A strength is the quality of assessment and marking which provides pupils with good information on their progress. For instance, the older pupils have reading and writing conferences where each pupil discusses what they have done with the teacher and what they need to do next. Pupils report finding this “challenging but useful”. Sometimes this is very effective and sometimes the very good written and verbal advice does not secure improvement, for example, where pupils continue to write capital letters in the middle of words. In these cases more use could be made of pupils correcting their work themselves following the feedback to make even more impact on standards. The ‘Best Books’ are a very effective way of showing how pupils make progress. For example a higher attaining pupil’s writing in Year 2 showed how it developed from simple sentence ideas to writing more complex sentences within the year: “Yenshin’s wicked stepmother became

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ENGLISH

jealous because Yenshin was friends with a fish.”

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ENGLISH

72. Teachers are knowledgeable in the subject. Lessons are well paced and often times are set for tasks so that pupils know that they have to work quickly as in Class 3 discussion work. Resources for the task are usually well prepared to deliver what the teacher wants pupils to learn as in the Class 2 lesson on writing instructions. Teachers are patient with their pupils and all react consistently to those with problems. In Class 1, for example, where teaching is shared by two people, both teachers present the same calm approach and constant reminders about interruptions which is helping pupils to settle down and listen better. Extra help is also provided through booster classes to help older pupils try to achieve the national standard level and this is proving effective. This next year is likely to see the high results sustained.

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MATHEMATICS

Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 32 73. Overall standards have improved since the last inspection when they were judged to be in line with those expected nationally. In the lessons seen and in the scrutiny of pupils’ work, standards are above average at Year 2 and 6.

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MATHEMATICS

74. Standards of pupils on entry are generally those expected for their age. In the 2001 test results for the Year 2 pupils (nine pupils), standards were well below average when compared to all schools and when compared to similar schools, based on entitlement to free school meals. There were a number of pupils with special educational needs in this age group. However, the number of pupils attaining the higher level 3 was above average when compared to the national average and to similar schools.

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MATHEMATICS

75. At Year 6 in 2001 (11 pupils), the standards were well above the national average and high when compared to similar schools. All of the pupils reached the expected level 4 and just over half of them attained the higher level 5. The results over the last four years have improved in line with the national trend. Girls achieve higher than the boys.

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MATHEMATICS

76. In Year 2 the pupils have a secure understanding of numbers, aspects of measuring, shapes and data handling. They can order numbers to 50, such as 6, 27, 42, 50, and many are able to use numbers to 100. They are familiar with simple doubling and halving numbers to 20 and a significant number can work with larger numbers. They have a good grasp of place value and can count confidently to 100 in ones or tens. Most pupils can tell the time using o’clock and half hours, whilst a number can recognise the quarter hour. In simple multiplication they can use the 2, 3, and 5 times table and are able to divide numbers by 2. When adding they can complete 44 + 35 by adding on and use the same method to subtract 18 from 34; many pupils can complete these calculations mentally. The most able pupils confidently add 6 + 13 + 24 mentally. All the pupils are developing a good understanding of the mathematical vocabulary, including total, sum of, difference, double and minus.

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MATHEMATICS

77. Year 6 pupils, aged ten and eleven, are developing a thorough understanding of mathematics. They are able to solve complex problems and use their knowledge and understanding to explain how they solved them. Almost all the pupils have good mental recall to solve multiplication and division problems such as 324 divided by 100 equals 3.24 or can multiply 2.9 by 10 to give the answer 29. The majority of pupils can work confidently with two places of decimal fractions and use the appropriate language of thousandths, hundredths and tenths. Pupils are very confident when using paper and pencil methods. In addition and subtraction, problems with large numbers are approached confidently using numbers to 10000. Most pupils have good recall of multiplication tables up to 12 and strategies to help them remember or extend the tables. They are confident with percentages such as 15% of 840 and with fractions to work out 5/8ths of 208. Standards in other year groups show the

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MATHEMATICS

same good level of attainment, with some very able mathematicians.

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MATHEMATICS

78. The quality of teaching in mathematics is good. This is an improvement since the last inspection and has contributed to the raising of standards. All teachers plan using the national numeracy framework and support materials. They identify clear learning objectives for each lesson and in the best examples share the purpose of the lesson with the pupils and use it to assess and summarise progress. They approach the lessons with enthusiasm and good subject knowledge. Teachers have good questioning skills and encourage pupils to explain their thinking to the class. Through good pace and varied activities, teachers in both key stages ensure that pupils are motivated and apply themselves intellectually. Routines and expectations are well established, based on a quiet and calm approach. Lessons begin promptly and most pupils settle quickly and are ready to work. The work provided is matched to the intended learning identified in the planning and carefully organised for the different age

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MATHEMATICS

and ability groups in each class. Lessons follow the pattern recommended by the National Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 33 Numeracy Strategy. This successful pattern has helped to improve the quality of teaching and raise standards. Teachers now need to extend the use of the opening session to increase the pace of mental strategies and raise expectations and the value of quick mental calculations. The use of white boards, number fans and digital cards are examples of good practice that engage more pupils all the time in a faster pace, as well helping the teachers to assess learning and progress. Homework is set regularly and is used to extend and practise the pupils’ current knowledge and understanding. Teachers are very skilled at encouraging the pupils to think, solve problems in their own way and record their work independently. This independence is a strength that provides both encouragement as well as challenge.

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MATHEMATICS

79. Progress in lessons and over time is good. Teachers work very hard to provide for the two or three age groups in each class. However, the provision for a few of the pupils with special educational needs is unsatisfactory. Although provided with appropriate work, the support for these pupils is sometimes not sufficiently skilled to meet the needs of pupils with learning difficulties.

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MATHEMATICS

80. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour in mathematics lessons are satisfactory. The majority are attentive, listen carefully and usually are eager to respond and answer questions to solve problems. Strategies and methods to solve problems or share understanding are explained confidently. When answering questions they listen to, and show respect for, each other. When working together in pairs or small groups they work collaboratively very successfully, showing good relationships between pupils. Standards of presentation could be improved without losing any of the pace of learning. However, there are a number of pupils in each class who find concentration difficult. They are restless and can be disruptive. Their influence is such that on occasions the atmosphere and approach to learning are not as sharp as they could be.

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MATHEMATICS

81. There are good links to other subjects to develop the use of mathematics, for example in science where pupils use measurement and databases to record their experiments. ICT is used well to support the learning in this subject. Pupils in Year 1 are learning to use the mouse to follow shape and number patterns. In Years 2 and 3 they use a decision tree to develop their use and understanding of number as they follow the questions raised on the screen. Older pupils are confident in their use of databases, line and block graphs and pie charts.

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MATHEMATICS

82. Work is marked regularly. In the majority of books the teachers’ comments focus on the learning objective and the pupil’s progress. This good practice is not as consistent as it should be, although overall there is good improvement since the last inspection. Assessment and record keeping are very good. Tests are used regularly to assess the pupils’ attainment and progress. There are very clear records of how successful each pupil has been against the key objectives for learning. Individual short-term targets for improvement are being set for each pupil. This good practice involves the pupils and engages them in understanding their own achievements and the criteria for success for the next stage. Analysis of the results of the national tests is good and used to identify strengths and weaknesses in the teaching and learning.

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MATHEMATICS

83. The school has made good progress since the last inspection. The policy and scheme of work have been introduced to provide consistency and raise expectations. The subject is led by an enthusiastic co-ordinator who has ensured that the National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented successfully and resources improved to support the teaching and learning.

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SCIENCE

Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 34 84. Only one science lesson was observed during the inspection. Work from pupils across the school and from last year’s Year 6, teachers’ planning and other documentation were examined in order to reach a judgement. Overall standards have improved since the last inspection and are above average for the current Years 2 and 6.

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SCIENCE

85. In the 2001 end of key stage teacher assessments for Year 2 pupils, standards were below expectations because there was a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in a small age group. Fewer pupils achieved level 2 than found nationally though the number of pupils at level 3 was average. Standards in Year 6 assessments in 2001 were very high and well above the national average with all pupils achieving the expected level 4 and almost two thirds achieving the higher level 5. This is because the small cohort had a proportionately higher percentage of more able pupils.

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SCIENCE

86. Pupils in Year 2 have completed a good range work in science this year. In their current work they are achieving above the expected level of understanding of forces, light and magnetism. The work is very carefully focused on investigations so that pupils understand how to observe, predict and record their experiments. The investigation of heat and temperature resulted in carefully drawn illustrations of a burning candle showing where it feels hottest. Magnets are always a good source of interest and investigation and the pupils had conducted tests to compare the strengths and properties of different magnets. These pupils are also developing a good understanding of some of the properties of magnets, for example that their power is reduced the further they are away from the objects they attract. They also know that magnets attract metals, but not all metals. To understand forces pupils used elastic bands to demonstrate how pulling and twisting the bands released energy as

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SCIENCE

they returned to their original shape. They extended their understanding by looking at springs of different strengths and how they work. Currently they are conducting investigations into the force of friction and how far toys travel over the different materials. Year 1 pupils are also engaged in the study of forces and the use of pushing and pulling to make wheels turn.

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SCIENCE

87. Pupils in Year 6 have good opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding in science. They have a good understanding of what a fair test is but find it more difficult to suggest ways an investigation could be conducted to produce reliable results, for example to show how different materials used for insulation would slow down the melting of an ice cube. All were able to measure and record their findings with satisfactory accuracy. Pupils have a sound understanding of basic parts of plants and of animals, for example skeleton and muscles and what their functions are. Their understanding of materials is good; for instance, they can explain how filtering can separate materials in a suspension and that heating solutions enables substances that have been dissolved to be reclaimed. Equally they know that some changes to materials are not reversible. Their knowledge of technical terms, such

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SCIENCE

as ‘solution’, is good and this raises their achievement in this aspect of science. They are able to describe electrical circuits and the effects of adding bulbs, a switch and a buzzer. They have a good understanding of heat and cold and can read thermometers accurately.

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SCIENCE

88. In the lesson seen, the pupils were interested in the practical tasks they were given and they were sensible and responsible in their use of equipment and materials.

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SCIENCE

89. The lesson observed was well taught. It was carefully planned and took account of the different year groups of pupils in each class. The teacher carefully explained to the pupils what they were going to be learning and this was effective in focusing their efforts and ensured that the lesson built appropriately on their earlier learning. The lesson was well resourced and this enabled all the pupils to participate in the practical tasks. All the three year groups in the class worked quite independently to set up the experiment following the teacher’s demonstration and guidance. Each group used a different material to insulate a container of ice and recorded the temperature every 15 minutes. Pupils in each group could Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 35 discuss their predictions regarding the effectiveness of the different materials and explain how effective their particular material would be; for instance the silver crisp bag would reflect

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SCIENCE

the heat. However, more care should have been taken to establish the variables and to ensure a fair test. The older and more able pupils could have been challenged to use their knowledge and understanding to design and conduct their own experiment with insulating materials.

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SCIENCE

90. There are good links to both literacy and numeracy and good opportunities are taken for different kinds of writing, although the spelling of common words, such as ‘position’ and ‘material’, is not always accurate. The use of computers strengthens the links with mathematics to record and use data gathered during the investigations to produce different kinds of databases and graphs.

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SCIENCE

91. Analysis of pupils’ completed work shows strengths in teaching across all three classes. The pupils’ science books contain many good examples of challenging work that has been matched to different ages and levels of attainment. Much of the work has been marked effectively, comments made by the teacher focusing on the learning and pupil’s progress. The science curriculum is soundly based on the national schemes of work and the long-term planning ensures that pupils do not miss or unnecessarily repeat elements in the three mixed age classes. Assessment and the recording of the progress that pupils make in science are very good. There is a record for every pupil of their understanding and progress against the key learning objectives for every term.

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SCIENCE

92. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and confident in this subject. Her leadership ensures that the science curriculum is rich and varied with a clear emphasis on practical investigation. The approach builds on one of the school’s strengths that encourages pupils to be very independent in their studies and their recording of work.

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SCIENCE

93. There has been good progress since the last inspection. Standards have improved throughout the school with a significant number of pupils achieving highly. The curriculum is well planned with good coverage of all aspects of the National Curriculum. Teaching consistently encourages a scientific approach to investigation, observation, prediction and hypothesising and drawing conclusions.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. Two art lessons were observed during the inspection. These, and a limited range of examples, show pupils to be working at appropriate levels by the ages of seven and eleven.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Pupils in Year 1 have painted portraits, produced collages, constructed models, printed and used paint programs on the computer. However, their painting work shows little development of basic skills such as using brushes, mixing paint and observing carefully. This may be a reflection of the way that techniques are introduced. During the inspection, mixing powder paint was brought in as an activity in a range of activities with a parent helper supporting rather than a teacher teaching the skills, missing the opportunity to develop a specific skill. Pupils’ work shows much more refinement, detail and care in drawings such as those linked to their history work. Their sketches and illustrations using coloured pencils are often of a good quality. Class 2 have used ICT to work in the style of Mondrian. The drawings in the style of Gwen John show very detailed pencil work that resulted from some sustained

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ART AND DESIGN

effort and finished with coloured pencils. Good links are made with other subjects and the printing linked to African designs is good, using a range of materials to create the printing blocks. Currently Class 2 has linked some of the artwork to their study of Ancient Egypt. A group worked with clay to form and mould a good luck charm based on artefacts found in the Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 36 ancient tombs. A second group used fabrics to create a design in the style of an Egyptian collar. There was a fascinating collection of materials available for a group to create a design to be used for a printing block. Pupils in Class 3 are confident in their sketching using pencils. There are examples of some clever perspective drawing to sketch and add designs to a thumb pot and a chest. There was little evidence of work using paint. Clay has been used to make pots which have been embellished with designs. There are some examples of work

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ART AND DESIGN

where pupils have emulated the teacher’s demonstration and used card and paint to produce interesting pictures using printing techniques.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. Teaching in the class lessons seen was good with clear objectives that are explained as part of the introduction to the lesson. Lessons were carefully planned, usually with a good collection of resources prepared. The opening was used to engage and motivate the pupils. They are encouraged to use their own ideas and work quite independently with the emphasis on their personal response. There are times when more attention should be paid to the teaching of skills and techniques as in the reception/Year 1 activity, and time given to practise before using the skills creatively.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. Over time the pupils make satisfactory progress as the curriculum plan follows the scheme of work based on national guidelines. Pupils are attentive and enjoy the practical approach to the subject. They work with sustained concentration and share resources quite readily. They investigate and use a variety of materials as they respond to ideas and stimuli.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. The scheme of work and approach to art is an improvement from the last inspection. The planning covers a range of activities to develop tone, colour, texture, pattern, form and shape. There now needs to be a review of the opportunities in the long-term plan to ensure there is more teaching of knowledge, understanding and skills to raise the standards through the broad range of opportunities that are now in the scheme of work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. Only one group activity was seen in the reception/Year 1 class so evidence for judgements about standards comes mainly from the small amount of work available. These suggest that standards are in line with the national expectations at the ends of both key stages. In the one lesson seen, the pupils were shown how to make a model to represent Zaccheus climbing up a tree. They worked with concentration and independence using scissors safely to make holes. All of the group achieved the task and their finished products were very much their own.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. One well-presented example of food technology in Year 6 showed sound planning, making and evaluation of different types of bread. Story books made by the oldest pupils show a range of skills. A group of more able pupils produced a book which was full of different examples of pop-up or sliding parts, making it a very interesting book to look at. The design and technology aspect was done well but the finished product was marred to some extent by written content which was not presented with the same care and attention. The same project completed by a group of lower attaining pupils was limited in imagination and construction but still managed to use some different techniques appropriately. Other projects include making models that move or make sounds and constructing boxes using corner joints for reinforcement. The collection shows that pupils have been encouraged to use their own ideas and produce their models independently. Products show evidence of good

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

learning rather than good finish, and of satisfactory skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 37 101. Standards in geography are above average by the ages of seven and eleven. Pupils make good progress over the year. There have been significant improvements since the last inspection when standards were unsatisfactory. The subject co-ordinator has led the implementation of the school’s policy and scheme of work that has helped to raise standards in all classes. Only one lesson was seen during the inspection. Further evidence was gained from the scrutiny of pupils’ work and other documentation.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. Pupils in Year 1 are conducting a local survey to see how all the pupils travel to school. From the information they have constructed simple block graphs and used them to look at the data. A large-scale map of the local area helps them to see the relationship between the journey to school and the villages in which they live. In Year 2 they are using maps, atlases and globes to compare locations and looking at the differences between Sand Hutton and the Caribbean. Simple maps and diagrams of the classroom help pupils to begin to use co- ordinates and simple grid references. They have looked at the islands in the Caribbean and the climate of the area. The pupils were able to identify the difference in clothing, crops and building materials. They have considered the climate, the agriculture and the economic opportunities of manufacturing and tourism. After studying the weather and season change,

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GEOGRAPHY

pupils used compass directions and temperature charts capably to record information. Pupils in Year 6 are learning about the local environment and the developments in ‘The Great Wood’ in a locality near to the school. The work gives them a good introduction to research skills using a visit and maps of different scales. Through this study the pupils are developing sound knowledge and understanding of environmental change. During the lesson observed they debated the advantages and disadvantages of the planned developments from the perspective of local authority representatives who have to consider these matters very carefully. Previously they have studied Peru and compared it with the local study.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. Geographical vocabulary is well developed in the written work. By following the scheme of work there is good coverage of the elements of the National Curriculum. Pupils are undertaking geographical enquiry and developing sound knowledge and understanding of places and environments. As a result of the planned programme, standards have improved so they are now above average. This suggests that teaching, overall, is probably good.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory. They enjoy the work, especially the local first hand opportunities for visits and study, but there are a number of pupils who find it difficult to sustain concentration and who distract others. They are able to work independently and collaboratively to discuss the environmental issues. The pupils’ knowledge and skills in reading and writing are used well for research and recording their geographical studies. Work is usually presented neatly, although it is not always of a high standard.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. The quality of the teaching in the one lesson observed was good. The learning objective was clear, explained to the pupils and used to focus the study on geographical knowledge, understanding and skills. Resources were well prepared and used effectively to stimulate and interest the pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. The subject leader is working hard to ensure geography plays its full part in the curriculum of the school. The school’s resources have been matched to units of work and gaps identified. There are now some strengths in the subject such as the use of ICT and the links to literacy and mathematics. Teachers focus on the geographical learning objective in their planning and in the ways lessons develop. The policy for the teaching and development of geography has been fully implemented. There are examples of good practice in the marking of pupils’ work linked to the learning objective. The whole school approach to assessment and recording follows the same pattern as all other subjects, with detailed Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 38 records for each pupil showing progress against all the key learning objectives for each unit of work.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. The current policy set out in the long-term curriculum plan uses the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s guidelines to allocate areas of study and the amount of time for each unit to each class. Each class teacher then allocates a block of time to geography within a half term. The planned curriculum gives good coverage and encourages a consistent approach to the teaching of the knowledge, skills and understanding, both of enquiry and of mapping. There are good opportunities to study places and consider environmental issues.

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HISTORY

108. Standards have improved from the last inspection and are now above average by the ages of seven and eleven. As a result of good leadership of the subject there is now a scheme of work following national guidelines and a well-organised curriculum for each of the three classes, and pupils’ understanding and skills in the subject are progressively enhanced.

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HISTORY

109. By the age of seven, pupils make good progress in their knowledge of the main facts and events related to the study of Ancient Egypt. The pupils know many facts about the pharaohs and the artefacts found in the tombs and pyramids. In their studies the more able pupils understand the sources of information available to historians. In other subjects there is a link to the historical theme and they study art and costume. Pupils were able to discuss their work on Ancient Egyptians and fully understand the purpose of the pyramids, where they were built and what beliefs governed their construction. The more able pupils could recall many facts about the archaeologist Henry Carter and how the tombs had been robbed over many centuries. They had enjoyed using the CD-ROM and video resources and the carefully selected information taken from the Internet. These pupils are developing a sense of time. They are beginning to recognise why people did things and different ways of life at different

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HISTORY

times. Pupils in Year 1 are studying ‘Old’ and ‘New’ through a selection of toys used by different generations and involved their parents and grandparents as sources of evidence. Previous Year 2 pupils had completed a study of the Victorians showing good personal writing. They had a very good understanding of developments during that period and of some of the famous people of the age and why they behaved as they did. During wet playtimes, pupils sometimes have ‘occupying tasks’ such as colouring in a photocopied worksheet related to their work in history.

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HISTORY

110. Previous Year 6 pupils have produced work focused on the Tudors and the life of Henry VIII. There were some good opportunities for pupils to research and consider evidence, for example how Henry solved the problems that he faced. Pupils used a good range of evidence from portraits and documents to gain an understanding of events and people’s lives in that period of time. A visit to the Royal Armouries in Leeds was a wonderful resource that stimulated some good work and clearly motivated the pupils as they wore armour and costumes of the period. As they studied the explorers who sailed out to the New World, they wrote a very sensitive piece about how the indigenous Indians felt about the invaders. They clearly understand how history can be represented and interpreted in different ways. More recent studies of Ancient Greece build on those developments and include the use of a time- line and interesting ways of recording knowledge and understanding on a poster presentation.

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HISTORY

111. Planning progressively develops knowledge and skills and pupils gain a good understanding of cause and consequence in historical periods. They have good opportunities to consider different interpretations and evidence from a range of sources, including books and video and through visits to museums. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 39 112. Teaching seen was good overall. The teachers were knowledgeable and used this to give clear factual information and instruction. The good command of the subject shows in the mix of questioning, prompting and explaining. This was evident after watching a video about Ancient Egypt. The pupils were engaged and listened intently. The teacher intervened very skilfully to ensure the pupils gained the maximum benefit from the information. The objectives for the lessons seen were clear and explained to the pupils. The school has a good provision of resources that are used to support the learning and create interesting and stimulating

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HISTORY

displays. A series of interesting and useful visits is planned as part of the carefully planned cycle.

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HISTORY

113. Overall curriculum planning is good. This leads to pupils making consistent progress across the school because the curriculum builds on previously learned skills, knowledge and understanding. The co-ordinator is an enthusiastic historian. Good links are made across the curriculum to enrich the learning opportunities. The school approach to learning and personal development encourages independence that is helpful to pupils as they study history and the way the past is represented.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Teachers are developing skill and confidence in providing pupils with ICT experience and this has resulted in improved standards, so that by the time pupils leave the school their work is in line with national expectations. The oldest pupils use word processing competently to set out and present their work, such as that in history where they combined pictures and text to illustrate what they had found out about Queen Victoria. During the inspection a short demonstration by the Class 3 teacher reminded pupils of how to use a program for a multi- media presentation. They watched with interest and an evident keenness to start their own work. Answers to questions showed that they could remember how to add buttons that will provide animation or sound. Pupils know how to generate logo instructions that will create, rotate and repeat shapes, such as a square, into attractive patterns.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. In Class 1, pupils in reception and Year 1 use computers to help them with learning in mathematics such as in number, pattern or shape. They quickly gain skill in using a mouse, helped by tasks such as trying to follow a train stencil attached to the screen. By Year 1, pupils know how to enter data and how to print off the graph that is produced. In the middle of the school such work is extended to include pie charts as well as block graphs. By the age of seven, pupils are reaching above average standards. In Class 2, Years 2 and 3 pupils have used the Internet, on and off line, to find out information such as that on the Ancient Egyptians. They have used an art program to make effective patterns, with lines and bright colours reminiscent of Mondrian’s paintings. Years 2 and 3 pupils support learning in number by using branching databases on the screen.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. The school has made good progress in its provision for ICT. The number of computers is still only adequate but they are of better quality. The small library provides space for three computers; others are based in classrooms. This inevitably restricts the quality of teaching and learning as new skills or programs can only be introduced through class demonstration or individual help and pupils are limited in the amount of time they can have to work on computers. In most of the activities seen pupils worked at computers in the shared areas by themselves. They work with interest whether by themselves or with a partner and their attitudes to computers are positive. This is a good improvement on the reluctance reported in the previous inspection. There was too little evidence to make secure judgements about teaching but the pupils’ improved attitudes and better standards suggest that it is probably

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

good. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 40

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MUSIC

117. Only one short lesson of music was seen so that there is not enough evidence to make secure judgements about standards or teaching. Within assemblies, pupils sing competently. They keep in tune but lack any real vitality. In the one lesson seen, which was only about 20 minutes long, the oldest class of pupils listened to a piece of music and gave suitable suggestions about the mood that the music conveyed. They began to plan a composition to convey one of the emotions that they had listed but only one group, a more able group all of whom also play musical instruments, had the time to give an impromptu performance without prior practice which was remarkably successful given the lack of time to prepare.

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MUSIC

118. The school benefits from the voluntary help of parents who run the school orchestra and one of the recorder groups and enable the musically talented to play together. Pupils do so to good effect, sustaining their own parts well and producing entertaining performances. They learn to play a variety of instruments including guitars, recorders and wind instruments; some of them learn several instruments and are competent musicians. Pupils take part in musical plays and dramas such as Class 2’s performance of ‘The Emperor and the Nightingale’ and Class 3’s work on ‘The toymaker and sons’. These help to give pupils a different kind of musical and dramatic experience and make good contributions to their spiritual, social, moral and cultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. One lesson was seen in infants and one in juniors. In both the teaching was good and pupils were reaching standards that are in line with those expected nationally. However, there is too little evidence to make conclusive judgements about standards across the range of the curriculum for physical education. A taped programme was used effectively in a dance lesson for pupils in the youngest class. They performed simple arm, leg or body movements, which they could hold quite well. When the combinations became more complex, some had more difficulty, especially when the initial position was standing on one leg. Pupils mostly used the spaces around them well but sometimes had to be directed to avoid little clusters. Some of the Year 1 pupils used their imaginations well to produce twisted or rounded shapes, low or high ones. The teacher took advantage of the mixed age class to put older pupils with younger ones when they were working in pairs and this helped the younger ones

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

to use space better and to learn from the more controlled movements of the older pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. Pupils in the oldest class worked sensibly in pairs to put out and replace equipment at the ends of lessons. Whilst they were somewhat boisterous at the start of the lesson, they settled down and worked well, showing good appreciation of effort and quality by applauding those who demonstrated good standards. They put together a series of activities on mats involving rolls and spins, showing sound skills as they did so. Good teaching enabled the pupils to make good progress, for example by using the quality of some pupils’ work to demonstrate to others.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. The school has responded satisfactorily to the key issue raised in the last inspection report and now ensures that all pupils in Key Stage 2 have a term of swimming. This varies when it happens as the whole class go together so some pupils will go when they are in Year 6 and others when they are in Years 4 or 5. Provision for physical education is much better than at the last inspection because the school now has a hall and can provide lessons whatever the weather. Teachers are continuing to raise their skills in this subject through training. Sand Hutton Church of England Primary School - 41

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. The observation of lessons, the scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils indicate that standards for both seven and eleven year olds are in line with those expected in the local agreed syllabus, as they were at the last inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123. Pupils in Year 2 reach the expected standard in their knowledge and understanding. They learn about major festivals and celebrations of Christianity and other major faiths. They know why there are special occasions with their own rituals and traditions. They write the different parts of the Christmas story with both accuracy and understanding of how Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem and the events after that first nativity. They enjoyed listening to the story of Moses and how he led the slaves out of captivity. Following the good links made to the studies of Ancient Egypt, the pupils had a good knowledge of the stories of the Passover, the plagues and the flight across the Red Sea. The teacher used the link and the pupils’ knowledge to prepare a Seder meal in the Jewish tradition. It was a good learning experience and the pupils remembered the symbolism of each of the foods. Pupils have visited the church of St Mary in Sand Hutton, to extend their knowledge by studying the

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

artefacts and symbols and some of the history of the building.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. By the end of Year 6 pupils gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of faith and commitment. They study religious leaders and learn about the Bible and other holy books. After discussing how some thing or place can be very special to someone for a whole host of emotional, sentimental and spiritual reasons, they learned how Muslims revere, respect and treat the Qur’an. From Genesis they read the story of the creation and learned about creation stories from across the world, including Polynesia. When they wrote about the Christmas story they wrote movingly from the shepherds’ perspective and showed a good understanding of the symbolism of the Wise Men’s gifts. During Lent and the Easter festival the pupils wrote a diary of the different days as some of those present may have recorded the events surrounding the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem until the resurrection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

125. Teaching is satisfactory. The teachers plan thoroughly and provide interesting resources to support their planned learning. To improve the teaching to good or better they need the confidence be more out-going in their approach to the sensitive issues involved in spiritual development and an understanding of faith. They have good knowledge and understanding of the subject and use their skills of questioning very well to encourage the pupils’ personal response. They introduce lessons carefully and sensitively to interest the pupils. They are calm and caring in their approach to those children who find the ideas and concepts difficult.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

126. Pupils’ attitudes are satisfactory. Many pupils are attentive and very interested. They respond to questions with confidence and give thoughtful answers but a small number are disruptive and demanding. The Seder meal was a good example of an approach that was effective in interesting pupils. They enjoyed trying the foods and wore the special items of dress with pleasure.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. Co-ordination of the subject is good. The policy and scheme of work provide a consistent approach to the teaching and learning. Resources are good and include books and artefacts borrowed from a specialist centre. Religious education makes an important contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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