Handcross Primary School

HANDCROSS PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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HANDCROSS 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. Handcross Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: London Road Handcross Haywards Heath West Sussex Postcode: RH17 6HB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: May 1997 Handcross Primary School - 4

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Team members

17811 Catherine Shirley Registered inspector 9537 Caroline Marden Lay inspector 10992 David Welsh Team inspector

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Team members

Kroner House Eurogate Business Park Ashford Kent TN24 8XU

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Handcross 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Handcross Primary School is a community school for girls and boys aged between four and eleven. There are 99 pupils on roll organised into four classes, all of which contain pupils of more than one age group. The school roll has risen by ten pupils since the last inspection. Except for the Reception and Year 6, all other year groups have a significant imbalance of boys and girls. Handcross School is situated on the edge of the village. About half the pupils come from the local area, but the small classes attract pupils from Crawley and the wider area in West Sussex. The backgrounds of the pupils attending Handcross School reflect the wide diversity of the area, with a mixture of owner occupied and housing association properties. Pupils’ ability on entry to the school is in line with the national average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school has six pupils eligible for free school meals, which is below average. There are twenty pupils who have special educational needs, including two pupils with a statement. This is in line with the national average. The needs of these pupils are very diverse. English is the first language for all pupils in the school, the majority of whom have a white UK heritage background; only two pupils have a black African heritage and one has a Pakistani background.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Handcross is a good school. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good and the relationships within the school are excellent. In their work they reach standards that are in line with the national average overall and by the time pupils leave the school, they achieve well in English and science in the national tests. The headteacher provides very good leadership and the links with parents are very strong.

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What the school does well

• Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are very good and relationships in the school are excellent. • Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils make good progress. • The headteacher provides very good leadership. • The school makes very good provision for pupils’ personal development. • There is a supportive and effective partnership between parents and the school. • The care and welfare for pupils is very good. • Achievement in swimming is high.

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What could be improved

• Standards at the end of Key Stage 1, especially the quality of writing. • Progress of pupils with 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

Under the leadership of the current headteacher, the school has made significant progress in improving its practice in all areas and is very well placed to sustain this rate of improvement. Following its last inspection, the school had two key issues to address: the quality of teaching at the end of Key Stage 2 was unsatisfactory and the curriculum lacked breadth and balance. Overall, good progress has been made in addressing both these issues. Teaching in Key Stage 2 is now good and many elements are very good. The quality of curriculum planning has improved significantly. All policies and schemes of work have been developed, the curriculum is monitored regularly to ensure its quality and the full coverage of all subjects, good procedures for assessment are in place and pupils’ end of year reports Handcross Primary School - 7 contain all the details required. While some teachers use assessment information very well, overall

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

progress in this aspect is satisfactory as there is still inconsistency in practice.

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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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Key

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

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Key

Standards in English and science are high and pupils are doing especially well by the time they leave the school. The school also compares well with similar schools. There have been significant improvements in SATs results in Key Stage 2 recently in English and science. In mathematics standards match the national average. The overall trend for the last four years has been upward in line with the national picture. In Key Stage 2, the school adds good value to the pupils’ education. The school set targets of 81 per cent for English and mathematics in 2002 SATs, which are lower than those last year. In 2001, it reached its target for English but not for mathematics. The small numbers of pupils and uneven year group sizes account for the fluctuations in the targets the school sets and its results.

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Key

The results in the KS1 SATs tests have fallen steadily in writing since 1998 and have not kept up with the national trend for improvement. During the past year, the school has implemented strategies to improve its standards. For the last comparable results in 2001, standards were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics, with results for writing particularly low and in the bottom five percent of schools in the country. While results for 2002 have not yet been validated nationally, the school’s analysis indicates that standards have risen this year, especially in writing.

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Key

In English and mathematics, work seen during the inspection supports this positive picture in Key Stage 2 and the Foundation Stage. While there is some good work in English and mathematics at Key Stage 1, standards are inconsistent. The standards in other curriculum subjects seen during the inspection are in line with those expected nationally, in speaking and listening standards are above and in swimming they are well above national expectations.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. They are keen to come to school and are very enthusiastic to learn.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships between pupils and staff and pupils themselves are excellent.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Handcross Primary School - 8 The ethos created by the staff is very positive and pupils participate fully in all aspects of school life. As a result, pupils’ personal development is addressed very well.

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

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

Teaching and learning are good at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage. Teachers have a good understanding of the subjects they teach, have high expectations and use their knowledge of individual pupils to extend and encourage them very effectively through questioning and discussion. Throughout the school teachers’ plans are very good with clear learning objectives outlined for every lesson and resources are used well to support learning. A good range of techniques for managing pupils is used.

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

In Key Stage 1, teaching and learning are satisfactory. Planning is thorough and pupils are well managed but there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to plan and manage their own work and there is an over-reliance on worksheets. The teaching is not always sufficiently focused so pupils are given insufficient guidance about the lesson objective and what they need to do to complete the task. As a result, pupils waste time and make little progress in some lessons.

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

English and mathematics are taught satisfactorily in Key Stage 1 and well in Key Stage 2. In the Foundation Stage pupils are making good progress, though there is an over-reliance on paper and pencil tasks. Overall, the school meets the needs of pupils of all abilities well and literacy and numeracy skills are effectively used to support work in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is well planned and pupils receive a very well balanced education.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. It is managed well by the co-ordinator but the level of support in the classroom is not always sufficient.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social education is very good. The breadth of cultural educational is more limited but provision is satisfactory overall.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils receive very good care and welfare.

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Aspect Comment

The school works very well in partnership with parents and this is a strength of the school. All subjects of the curriculum are planned thoroughly and fully meet the statutory requirements, though the provision for pupils to develop an understanding of the multi-cultural aspects of the society in which they now live are less well addressed within the curriculum on offer. The school strongly encourages pupils to learn how to be good citizens. Pupils receive very good support and the school shows a high level of care in all aspects of their development.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good overall. The headteacher’s leadership is very good. She provides clear guidance to staff and governors and keeps them well informed.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Strategies for providing strategic direction are improving and governors are becoming more closely involved with school life.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. Effective self-evaluation underpins its strategies for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. However, budget constraints are having a negative impact on the level of special needs support in the classroom.

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Aspect Comment

The school is very well led by the headteacher, whose clear vision and leadership abilities have had a major impact on the work of the school. The Governing Body has made great strides recently to ensure it fulfils its strategic role and its meetings are purposeful. Decisions are based on good information and are focused on getting the best for pupils at the school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children are happy at school. • Teaching is good and children make good progress in learning. • They feel comfortable about approaching the school with a concern. • Children are expected to work hard. • Children develop a good sense of responsibility. • The behaviour of some children. • The range of activities out of lessons. • Management.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team concurs fully with all the very positive views that parents hold about the school and these were strongly reinforced at the parents’ meeting. The improvements parents would like to see are areas that were less strongly supported in their responses. Behaviour of pupils is very good. Any unsatisfactory behaviour is dealt with promptly and, where linked to a pupil’s special educational needs, it is managed appropriately. The range of activities outside lessons reflects the situation in most schools and was judged to be good. The management of the school is good. Over the past year, there have been a number of confidential issues that have made it difficult for the school to keep parents fully informed. However, these have been managed appropriately by the headteacher. Handcross Primary School - 10

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Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are very good and relationships in the school are

1. Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are very good. Regardless of their age pupils show sustained interest in their learning and good levels of concentration. As a result of the pupils’ positive attitudes to school, attendance is good. They show an eagerness to be in school and an enthusiasm for all they do. They are keen to work together and do so in many different situations. For example, Years 3 and 4 pupils worked in pairs on a task to develop the characters and their feelings in their writing. The interaction was very positive and they showed an awareness that they both had good ideas to offer. Pupils collaborate frequently on joint tasks and are developing good negotiating skills. This ability to co-operate and consider the views and feelings of others is very strong in all classes, including the Reception where, despite their young age, children relate well to their classmates. The school builds on this good start. A group of the oldest pupils

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Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are very good and relationships in the school are

engaged in reading a play-script with the teacher were relaxed and confident, while the remainder of the class completed their comprehension task, all sustaining excellent levels of concentration.

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Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are very good and relationships in the school are

2. Whenever the pupils get together there is a strong sense of community and a responsibility for each other. The assemblies, playtimes and lunchtimes are all examples of this and pupils learn both the importance of being able to live in a community and how to achieve it. The school creates a sense of harmony so the individuality of all pupils, parents and staff can be celebrated in the classroom and around the school generally. Pupils show an understanding of others’ difficulties. They are very good at ignoring the outbursts and inappropriate behaviour of a few pupils with particular special needs. In one lesson observed, pupils sustained their concentration well and continued with their work while the teacher dealt calmly with the situation, following the school behaviour policy. Overall, behaviour is very good in class and around the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are very good and relationships in the school are

3. At playtimes the pupils mix very well within and across classes and show a high level of maturity in the way they relate to their peers. The role of mediator is taken on by many of the older pupils who flourish when given this responsibility. The pupils understand their roles as mediators as they have been well trained and this underpins the positive responses they make to each other.

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Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are very good and relationships in the school are

4. Relationships within the school are excellent among pupils, between staff and pupils and between pupils and other adults who are in school. Pupils learn from the start what is expected of them and they respond very positively to their school friends and all adults. Relationships are characterised by a high level of respect for others. Staff support and guide pupils in a calm manner, making clear the school’s expectations for their behaviour and developing in pupils a sense of responsibility for their own actions. Handcross Primary School - 11

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

5. Teaching and learning are consistently good at Key Stage 2 and frequently better. The progress of pupils at Key Stage 2 is good, which is a significant improvement since the last inspection. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

6. Teachers have a good understanding of the subjects they teach and make learning lively and fun for pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early and the teachers plan and manage the diverse needs well. For example, during a design and technology lesson in Years 5 and 6 the teacher used her good knowledge of the subject to structure it well. She ensured the pupils made very good progress by setting clear objectives for them to design and build a strong platform, then evaluate their design after completing it. In this successful lesson, a pupil with special educational needs worked particularly well with his partner, achieving more than any other group in the class. All pupils achieved the levels expected nationally.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

7. Assessment not only underpins the teachers’ planning, but they are constantly aware of how well pupils are doing, adjusting the questions they pose and the support they provide according to what they see happening in the lesson. Work is differentiated for the pupils with special educational needs as well as for the average and more able. Teachers have a very good range of strategies to support pupils’ learning. In Key Stage 2, pupils have a particularly good understanding of the progress they are making and how they might improve, because staff talk to them about their work in a meaningful way and provide helpful comments when marking work.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

8. Teachers pace the lessons very well and intervene and challenge pupils effectively. A mathematics lesson in Years 5 and 6 was bright and lively, with the teacher holding the pupils’ attention throughout the introduction and keeping them concentrating on their individual tasks. This enabled her to focus on the more able group to extend and consolidate their understanding of decimals. This group of pupils has a very good grasp of place value and can swiftly add and subtract two digit numbers with a high level of accuracy. However, the majority of the class also have a firm understanding of place value and pupils calculate decimals with a good degree of accuracy.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

9. As a result of good teaching, pupils’ progress is good in all lessons. For example, the teacher modelled writing very effectively in one lesson in Years 3 and 4 so that pupils knew what they needed to do to develop their ideas. She gave the pupils a structure on which to write their narrative which helped them plan their ideas successfully and used the pupils’ work to provide examples of how others might develop their ideas. Working successfully in pairs, they all achieved a good quality piece of narrative writing.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

10. In the Foundation Stage children achieve the Early Learning Goals as a result of the good teaching. The planning is very good and covers all six areas of learning very well. The range of activities available is good and children are supplied with a good range of resources. While children need to learn to participate in literacy and numeracy sessions, the learning of the youngest children would be further enhanced by fewer sessions that over-emphasise the formal recording of work and are too teacher directed.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

11. Teaching in the Foundation Stage ensures children develop a high level of independence and are learning to organise much of their work themselves. They are confident speakers generally and are able to learn together very successfully. Their language and mathematical development is good overall and, in other aspects of their Handcross Primary School - 12 learning, they employ these skills well. For example, in their Class Council meeting the children showed a very good understanding of what they might take forward for discussion at the School Council meeting, stating their ideas clearly and confidently. The children understood that a meeting is conducted formally with an agenda and those acting as chairman and secretary fulfilled their roles well under the guidance of the teacher.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

12. There are some aspects of teaching that are effective throughout the school. All teachers establish very good rapport with the pupils and this underpins their effective management of them, using a good range of techniques. In all classes planning for the curriculum is very good with clear learning objectives outlined for every lesson and a good range of resources are employed to support learning. Homework is used effectively to support the work in the classroom. Pupils are encouraged to become independent and are given many opportunities to take on responsibilities within the general day to day management and organisation of the classes. Teachers encourage good attitudes among pupils through positive encouragement.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

The headteacher provides very good leadership.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

13. Since the current headteacher took up post, the pace of improvement has increased. She has built on the school’s strengths and provided a strong sense of direction. Her clear vision and confident use of expertise available within and from outside the school have enabled her to identify further issues for development and work successfully with staff, governors and parents.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

14. The headteacher has very effective leadership skills which help her drive the school improvement agenda and support others in their roles. A number of issues relating to staffing and individual pupils have been managed with a high degree of confidentiality. The need to address fully the two issues from the last inspection has been given a high priority and both have been dealt with well. The curriculum is now well balanced and ensures pupils receive their full curriculum entitlement. It is creatively planned so that it is not a straightjacket but supports the creativity of teachers. The literacy and numeracy strategies are well embedded and are used to support and extend the work in other subjects. Standards are rising as the national test results for eleven year olds show.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

15. The school runs very smoothly on a day to day basis under her management and the administration of the school is very efficiently run by the office staff. Support staff know their roles and fulfil them well. Curriculum resources are improving and two particular developments which are starting to have a very positive impact are the school library and the computer suite. Pupils and parents are well informed about the daily routines and have easy access to staff. The headteacher is readily available to staff, parents and pupils and sees this as a key part of her role. Her relationships with governors are very good and their support is sought when necessary. The Governing Body now receives from the headteacher extensive and relevant information to enable it to fulfil its role and the headteacher has encouraged its increasingly effective links with the school.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

16. Pupils are central to all the headteacher’s decisions and she is keenly aware of them as individuals. There are very thorough systems for tracking pupils’ progress in their learning and their personal development is given a high priority too. The inclusion of all pupils, regardless of their ability or needs underpins the work of the school. Since her appointment, the identification of pupils with special educational needs has improved significantly and the school very efficiently liaises with other agencies. The school does Handcross Primary School - 13 its best to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs within the current level of support in the classroom.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

17. The continuing professional development of all staff is seen as a key part of school improvement and it is targeted very effectively. All new staff now complete an induction programme and regularly attend a wide variety of training and development activities. These link well to both the whole school agenda for improvement and to the individual needs of staff. Links with other schools enable staff to see good practice in other establishments as well as their own. Teaching Assistants have received some useful training to develop their skills and would benefit from further professional development to increase their confidence in supporting the class teachers generally, as well as the pupils’ particular special needs. Teachers are given good support to fulfil and develop their roles of responsibility and are encouraged to consider how they might plan their own professional development. The headteacher draws on particular strengths and

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

expertise where possible. For example, the newly appointed named teacher, who is given responsibility when the headteacher is not present, is being given time and encouragement to develop into the role of a senior member of staff. Her expertise will inform her job description once it is finalised.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

The school makes very good provision for pupils’ personal development.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

18. Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. The excellent quality of relationships encourages pupils to learn how to live and work alongside others. The school has created a strong community within which a sense of well-being is considered to be very important. This ethos is helped by the commitment of all staff and parents are seen as a key part of the equation. The role of pupils in developing and sustaining the school community is emphasised very firmly by the actions as well as the words of the adults who work there. The school effectively supports pupils’ development through its curriculum and through outside links with the wider community and other schools. Its provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is very strong. Pupils are given opportunities to experience a wide range of activities that develop their awareness of western culture.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

19. The similarities and differences between people in their school community are celebrated, as are their successes both in and out of school. The school has strong values and encourages pupils’ commitment to them. They are helped to learn what motivates and drives others by being given opportunities to talk about their own values and ambitions. Pupils have learned ways to accept and celebrate the differing values and beliefs within their community, including discussions during Circle Time. Through the way the school operates on a daily basis, pupils get to know how what they do as individuals can have an impact on their classmates and staff. The role of mediator which some of the oldest pupils are trained to take on, has helped strengthen the school community and the sense of shared responsibility. This strategy has had a positive impact on the behaviour of pupils in the playground and has also successfully

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

allowed individuals to grow into a challenging and important role in the school.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

20. Through these and other strategies such as Class and School Councils, pupils learn to play a key part in the school community. Pupils are fully committed to these and learn early about the roles and responsibilities of citizenship within the school and the wider community. The youngest children hold their own Class Council meetings with the help and guidance of their teacher, they participate in the School Council and have some sensible concerns to bring to the meeting. All pupils are encouraged to work and co-operate well together in all classes and the curriculum is planned to support the development of their social skills. Handcross Primary School - 14 21. From the start of their time in school they are expected to take on responsibilities which will have an impact on the running of their classroom community. Staff help them to develop the skills and understanding to enable them to do so effectively and pupils are

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

keen to take on the various roles. Assemblies and events within the school are effectively used to enhance the sense of sharing by pupils, staff and parents. In one, the farewell to a family who were moving away provided a chance for everyone to acknowledge the efforts and support of all.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

22. The school’s links with the village community are welcomed and are growing. During the inspection, pupils of all age groups attended a meeting of the Rosemary Club for retired members of the community. The pupils were very keen to share what they were learning and eagerly performed for the villagers a range of activities relating to their music, history and English studies. This type of activity also contributes significantly to the pupils’ cultural development and to their understanding of society’s past.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

23. The moral code at the school is strong and pupils see the school’s behaviour policy being consistently implemented. They see good behaviour rewarded and unacceptable behaviour challenged. As a result, pupils themselves understand right and wrong. The school provides a safe and secure learning environment and expects pupils to take responsibility for themselves, their classmates and their environment. It ensures there are opportunities for pupils to discuss relevant issues and express their views in an open and honest way. Pupils’ understanding is reinforced through the way in which the curriculum is planned and the way the school’s code is modelled by staff.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

There is a supportive and effective partnership between parents and the school.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

24. Parents strongly support the work of the school and acknowledge how much is done for their children. Links with parents are seen as an important part of school life by the staff too. Parents are welcomed into school as part of the community whenever possible to help and support in a range of ways. A number of parents commented that it was difficult not to become actively involved with the school and they liked this atmosphere. In general, they have a good knowledge of what goes on in the school and feel that the pupils are put first at all times. The impact of this supportive partnership on pupils’ achievements is very positive.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

25. Information about procedures and policies are given to parents regularly and these are understood by parents who are then able to help relieve the pressure on the school, which does not need to follow up many issues. They welcomed the newsletters, with dates and reminders, which are posted up as well as being sent out to them. Parents have ready access to the staff but also understand when is the best time to talk to teachers. The School Prospectus is clear and unambiguous, providing useful practical guidance about the curriculum. It also explains clearly the expectations the school has for the amount and type of homework which pupils will be expected to complete and parents found this very helpful too. They commented that homework is now given regularly whereas it used to be sporadic and was less useful in supporting learning.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

26. The school is very good at keeping parents informed about all aspects of its work in the classroom. Parents are pleased to be told what their children will be learning and feel that they can help support specific aspects of this learning. One parent commented on the current unit of work for the oldest pupils based on the Tudors. She was impressed by the knowledge her child had but also felt able to contribute actively to discussions. The detailed and comprehensive information provided about children’s progress also Handcross Primary School - 15 pleases parents who find it gives them a clear picture of what children can do and need to improve.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

27. For those parents whose children have special educational needs, staff and parents meet very regularly to keep everyone informed and up-to-date on progress in learning and methods of support. The school’s efforts are appreciated and their impact on pupils’ learning is recognised.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

28. Parents have a good understanding not just about what is taught in the school but also about ways of teaching and the resources used. The improvements to the curriculum were acknowledged and parents clearly play a part in supporting these. The re- establishment of the pond and the gardening club, the planting of the hedgerow and the opportunities for using the adventure playground are given much support. There is shared understanding that the curriculum is more than what is taught during lessons and the activities outside lessons support pupils’ personal and academic achievements. There is a commitment to improve the school environment further and one parent commented on the building now being very child-friendly, and much brighter and cleaner. Parents actively engage in improving the level of resources available to support teachers in their work. For example, they helped set up the school library.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

29. The school gives parents information that helps them understand and recognise the importance of providing a range of learning experiences. There is support for the high expectations which teachers have but also agreement on the way these should be achieved so there is no undue pressure put on pupils. The shared understanding that reading is about comprehension and not just saying the words encourages pupils to read and enjoy their books. Parents know that it is important for pupils to engage in a range of activities and so they expect their children to write in a range of styles, learn to use a dictionary and thesaurus, and apply their knowledge of mathematics in a practical way. The school and parents work well together in practical ways too. For example, parents helped to make costumes for the performance at the Rosemary Club and they welcome the strengthening links with the community.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

The care and welfare for pupils is very good.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

30. The school displays a high level of care for its pupils. The welfare and safety of pupils is at the heart of its work and arrangements for child protection are very good. The Governing Body places a high importance on ensuring the pupils learn in a safe and secure environment. There are very good levels of supervision at all times of the school day, but this is achieved without restricting the range of pupils’ responsibilities. The environment is welcoming and well maintained. Due consideration is given to potential hazards but the environment has been developed to support the curriculum. There is controlled access to the pond but it is clearly visible and pupils appreciate it as part of their environment. The pupils regularly go out into the village to use the facilities for swimming at the adjacent private school and as part of their curriculum visits. Whenever this happens, staff take great care and draw on the willing support of

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

31. The school has effective strategies to plot the progress of pupils, both in their work and in their personal development. The planning and provision for pupils’ personal development is very good and teachers know the individual pupils well. As a result, they are able to support and encourage pupils effectively.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

Achievement in swimming is high. Handcross Primary School - 16 32. The pupils’ attainment in swimming is well above that expected by the age of eleven. The current Year 6 pupils are able to swim at least two hundred metres using front and back crawl and one hundred metres breaststroke. They have acquired many other skills such as sculling, rotating, somersaulting and retrieving and clearly benefit from the easy access to good facilities in a local school. These results justify the costs involved.

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Teaching at Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage is good and ensures pupils

33. Where appropriate, the school uses specific teaching expertise and this is the case with swimming. The instructors are excellent and, as a result, the progress of all pupils regardless of age in this subject is excellent. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 made exceptionally good progress even within one lesson. The instructors use pupils as exemplars of good practice, getting them to demonstrate while they emphasise what is good.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Standards at the end of Key Stage 1, especially the quality of writing.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

34. Standards of work in lessons at Key Stage 1 are not as high as those in other parts of the school and the low national test results in 2001 emphasise this. In writing, the results in the tests have fallen steadily since 1998 and have not kept up with the national trend for improvement. In 2001 results for writing were particularly low and Handcross was in the bottom five percent of schools in the country. For the last validated results in 2001, standards were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics, when compared with schools nationally and with similar schools. While results for 2002 have not yet been validated nationally, the school’s analysis indicates that standards have risen this year, especially in writing. In English and mathematics work seen during the inspection there were some examples of good work in English and mathematics at Key Stage 1, but standards are inconsistent.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

35. The key impact on standards is the quality of teaching. As identified earlier, there are some strands of teaching which are good throughout the school, including managing very effectively the extreme behaviour of a few pupils with special educational needs. While teaching and learning are satisfactory overall in Key Stage 1, expectations of pupils are too low. Lesson plans are detailed and teachers’ levels of subject knowledge are satisfactory. However, through the academic year there have been insufficient opportunities for pupils to plan and manage their own work, which is reflected in the continuing over-reliance on worksheets. Assessment information is not always used to extend pupils’ learning or develop their skills and understanding. In a number of lessons, work was not matched to the needs of all ability groups within the class and pupils did not know how to improve their work.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

36. The teaching is not always clearly focused on the stated learning objective for the lesson, so pupils are given insufficient guidance about the activity and what they need to do to achieve the objective. For example, the pupils not participating in the performance to the Rosemary Club were brought together for a history session based on a comparison of entertainment today and long ago. Pupils were asked to plan and produce a Punch and Judy show, but were given too little help to structure it and they found it difficult to create a story in which the puppets were used to illustrate their ideas. In this extended session, the pupils wasted time and made little progress in their learning.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Progress of pupils with special educational needs. Handcross Primary School - 17 37. The school identifies the pupils’ special educational needs well, liaises effectively with a range of agencies and plans the support for groups and individuals. However, the range of the pupils’ needs are very diverse, the behaviour of a few pupils is particularly challenging and the special needs of some require a high level of support. Within the current resources, the school is generally doing its best to meet the needs of these pupils, but there are occasions, particularly in mathematics and English lessons when there is insufficient support particularly for pupils with special needs. In a number of lessons, pupils with special needs were left to complete tasks by themselves while the teacher worked with others. Their difficulties were exacerbated when tasks they were given by the teacher were too demanding and, as a result, they achieved little.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Governors are aware of the difficulties created by the reduction in direct support, which is due to the requirement to balance the school budget. However, as a result of the restricted level of support available, some pupils make less progress than they might.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

38. To improve the school further, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise the standards in Key Stage 1 by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ improving the quality of teaching so that it is at least as good as in Key Stage 2; § ensuring teachers have high expectations; § helping pupils to understand what they can do improve their work. (Paragraphs 34, 35 and 36)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the progress of pupils with special educational needs by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ improving the level of learning support provided in the classrooms for pupils with special educational needs; § continuing to provide training for learning support staff; § ensuring the work planned always matches pupils’ individual needs. (Paragraph 37) Handcross Primary School - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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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 more than one five percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 99

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 20

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

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Attendance

School data 5.9 School data 0.0 Handcross Primary School - 19 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 6 5 11

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total - - -

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (76) 73 (65) 91 (76) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total - - -

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (71) 82 (71) 100 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

The table showing the results for 2001 has been omitted as the groups of boys and girls taking the national tests number fewer than eleven.

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

In the 2001 national tests when compared with the average points score, the school’s performance in reading and mathematics was well below the average nationally, with results for writing particularly low and in the bottom five per cent in the country. In comparison with similar schools, the picture was the same.

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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

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total - - -

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (71) 82 (50) 100 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total - - -

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (64) 82 (50) 100 (79) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

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

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

The table showing the results for 2001 has been omitted as the groups of boys and girls taking the national tests number fewer than eleven. Handcross Primary School - 20 In the 2001 national tests standards in English and science were well above average and in mathematics were in line with the average nationally. The school’s performance in English and science was also well above average in comparison with similar schools and close to the average of the group in mathematics. Handcross Primary School - 21

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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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.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.28 Financial year 2001-2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 272,129

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 259,174

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 60 Expenditure per pupil 2,672

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 2,796

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 15,751

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.1

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Handcross Primary School - 22

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 64 34 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 28 58 10 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 44 54 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 56 42 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 26 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 78 22 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 54 40 6 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 38 48 14 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 64 36 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 40 16 0 2

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

Parents’ views overall are very supportive of the school. One area of concern mentioned by a number of parents is the behaviour of a small group of children. The special educational needs of these children have been appropriately identified and behavioural issues are being dealt with using an effective range of strategies. However, the education of this small group is hindered by the lack of sufficient support within the classroom.

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