The Ellis Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School

The Ellis Church of England Primary School

Dates of inspection: 15 th to 18 th July 2002

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The Ellis Church of England 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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The Ellis Church of England 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. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Street Hemingfield Barnsley South 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: Miss J Robinson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Steve Bywater Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology Foundation Stage Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? Colin Herbert Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with its parents? How high are standards? (attitudes and behaviour) Jennie Platt Team inspector English Art Music Derek Pattinson Team inspector Mathematics Design and technology History Geography Physical education Special educational needs How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 5, Lakeside Werrington Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE4 6QZ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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 Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 29

The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Ellis Primary School is a Church of England aided school in the parish of St Mary’s, Wombwell. Expansion in the village of Hemingfield means that the school is now over-subscribed and larger than it was at the last inspection. The nursery and aided status mean that children also come from neighbouring areas, which widens the socio-economic catchment area. The school has 198 children aged between 3 and 11, smaller than the average primary school. There are 153 children attending full time and 45 children attend part time in the nursery. On entry to the nursery, children achieve at a level that is below expectations for their age but includes the full range of attainment. Approximately 10 per cent of children have a free school meal, but there are several families who do not claim their entitlement. There is very little pupil mobility at the present time and there are no children for whom English is a second language.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Almost 24 per cent of the children are currently on the register of special educational needs. The school has also identified a number of gifted and talented children. Seven children have Statements of Special Educational Need. Most children on the special educational needs register have learning difficulties and a few have medical problems. A very small number of pupils in Years 5 and 6 have behavioural problems. The school is currently involved in both Investors in People and Healthy Schools initiatives.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school with many good features. The children are happy at the school and cared for well. Pupils have good relationships with adults and each other and they behave well. They have positive attitudes to learning and through their hard work and good teaching, pupils are achieving well. Children get off to a flying start in the nursery class and make very good progress. Standards exceed national expectations in mathematics and science at the ages of 7 and 11 and are also above national expectations at the age of 7 in English. Standards in English are not as high as they could be by the age of 11. The headteacher is an effective leader, but other key staff need to develop their roles more. The school gives good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards at the end of Year 2 exceed national expectations in English, mathematics and science. • Standards in Year 6 exceed national expectations in mathematics and science. • Teaching is very good in the nursery class and in Year 2. • Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. • Pupils have a good attitude to learning, relationships within school are good and pupils behave well. • The quality of care is good. The astute analysis of test results and pupils’ assessments and use of the information gleaned are leading to improved standards. Overall, pupils make good progress. • The headteacher is an effective leader. With the support of governors she manages the school well.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The standards in English, particularly writing, in junior classes. • The quality of education provided in the reception classes. • The development of, recognition of and valuing of the roles of key members of staff in the monitoring and evaluation of school developments. • The enhancement of pupils’ learning through visits and extra-curricular activities. • The involvement of parents in the life of the school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has developed well since the last inspection in June 1997. Standards, teaching, the behaviour of pupils and the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development have improved. The role of governors has also improved significantly. The school has at least maintained most aspects of its work, but it has not dealt fully with the key issue of improving the roles of co-ordinators and this continues to be an area to develop. The school accommodation has benefited from the additional building of a nursery class, but the lack of space remains a problem. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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

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STANDARDS

In the 2001 national tests, standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 nationally and when compared with similar schools were well below average in English and average in mathematics and science. Test results should be treated with caution however since small year groups do not give a reliable picture of how standards compare with other schools. Children’s skills on entry to the reception class vary year by year and include children who are very bright and others who are well below average. Overall, they are best described as having average skills. Children in the nursery class make particularly good progress but progress is slower in the reception classes. By the time children reach Year 1, their attainment is in line with the level normally expected for their age in all areas of learning. The evidence collected during the inspection and the results of national tests in 2002 shows that standards in English

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STANDARDS

and science are above national expectations whilst in mathematics they are well above national expectations by the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards are below national expectations in English, well above national expectations in mathematics and above national expectations in science. Standards are in line with national expectations in other subjects at 7 and 11 with the exceptions of music and physical education where there was insufficient evidence available to judge standards.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school, show interest in their work and try hard.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Most pupils behave well in lessons, at play and in the dining hall. A very small number of pupils, mainly boys in Year 5, do not always behave well and disrupt the learning of others.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils understand the need for rules and routines. They get on well with each other and with adults who teach and help them. Pupils respond well to responsibility and work well independently.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. It is in line with the national average and most pupils are punctual. A significant number of parents take holidays in school time. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Overall the teaching is good; the higher quality teaching was seen in the mixed Years 1 and 2 class and in the nursery class. All lessons were at least satisfactory and over half of the lessons observed were good or very good. Teaching in the nursery is very good because the teacher plans and provides interesting lessons and activities and uses of a variety of exciting resources. The teacher has a good understanding of the needs of young children to learn independently through investigation. Teaching in the reception classes is not as good and is satisfactory. Here the teachers do not plan sufficiently for pupils to learn independently and much of the work is not challenging enough. Teachers in reception sometimes talk for too long at the start of the lesson. In the infant and junior classes, teachers have secure knowledge and understanding of the subjects. In most lessons they ensure pupils have suitable resources and teachers and support staff

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

provide focused help for pupils with special educational needs. Occasionally, teachers overuse worksheets and these restrict pupils’ recording skills. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils and control is good. In the better lessons teachers astutely question pupils to test their knowledge and understanding and encourage them to expand on their answers. The teaching of literacy skills is satisfactory overall, but some teachers do not develop pupils’ writing well. They do not have high enough expectations of the presentation of work and do not pick up sufficiently on spelling and punctuation errors. Some of the work is not matched to the needs of higher and lower attaining pupils. The teaching of mathematics is good overall. Strengths include the way that teachers make clear what they expect pupils to learn and the developing of number skills. Weaknesses include the teachers missing real life examples of problem solving for pupils to

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

consolidate their learning. Throughout the school, teachers provide opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology across the curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall and it meets statutory requirements. However, children in the nursery class have a much more suitable range of activities than children in the reception classes. The curriculum for the infants and juniors is broad and reasonably balanced, but the range of extra-curricular activities and visits is somewhat limited.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. There is effective support from teachers and support staff, and additional lessons in literacy and numeracy have led to pupils achieving standards that meet national expectations for their age. However, the quality of individual education plans is extremely variable and in some lessons work is not matched well to their needs.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language No pupils in this school 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 in all aspects. The school promotes spiritual development well in assemblies and lessons. It teaches the difference between right and wrong and reinforces this in many contexts. Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as in the school council, and they work collaboratively in pairs and groups. They learn about the beliefs and customs of major world religions and teachers find opportunities in many subjects to promote both spiritual and cultural development. The Ellis Church of England Primary School How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school’s strong caring ethos promotes positive approaches, which ensure all pupils are cared for in a safe, friendly environment where they are happy to learn. Procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour are good. Assessment procedures are also good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school regularly sets targets for pupils and tracks these carefully to ensure pupils make good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have positive views of the school, but very few help in school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory overall. The headteacher is a caring and effective leader and she provides clear educational direction. However, the roles and responsibilities of some staff including the deputy headteacher and some subject co-ordinators are unclear and in need of development.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are good friends to the school and are involved in many aspects of its work. They are well informed and take a positive role in monitoring and supporting the work of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The school is beginning to make effective use of data, but subject co-ordinators need to know more about pupils’ achievements throughout the school to enable more accurate target setting.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes efficient use of its resources including specific grants and other funding.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school applies the principles of best value well in spending and other decisions it makes. The number of teachers and support staff are satisfactory, as is the quality and quantity of learning resources. The accommodation is adequate and it is well maintained by a committed cleaning staff.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children like school and they make good progress. • The information that parents receive about how their child is getting on. • The teaching is good and the school expects children to work hard and achieve their best. • They feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • The school is helping their children become mature and responsible. • The leadership and management of the school. • A closer working relationship with parents. • The amount of extra-curricular activities. • The amount of work pupils do at home.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

This table takes account of the views of 10 parents attending a meeting held with the registered inspector prior to the inspection and those expressed in 66 returned questionnaires (33 per cent of the total sent out). The inspection team agrees with the positive views of parents and also believes that parents have accurately identified the provision of extra-curricular activities as an area for improvement. The working relationship with parents is satisfactory but does have scope for improvement. The inspection team feels that the allocation of homework is satisfactory and helps to consolidate and extend learning. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards on entry to the school at the age of three are below the levels expected for their age this year. The full range of attainment from well above to well below the levels expected is present, but the intake fluctuates from year to year because the size of the year group is small. Children get off to a flying start and achieve very well in the nursery class due to the very good teaching. Children’s progress slows in the reception classes because the teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to learn through investigation and play. However, by the time children reach Year 1, their attainment is in line with the levels expected for their age in the Foundation Stage areas of learning. 1

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the national tests in 2001, pupils in Year 2 achieved standards that were above the national average in reading and writing and well above average in mathematics. When compared to schools with similar numbers of free school meals, standards were above average in reading and well above average in writing and mathematics. In science, the teacher assessment indicated that all pupils were achieving at the level expected, but no children were achieving the higher levels. On the basis of these test results the school recognised that lower and average attaining pupils were doing well but higher attaining pupils were not achieving as well as they might in writing and science. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls over time. The most recent national tests show that the school has built well on its previous standards. Although no national comparisons are available yet, almost every child has achieved at least the level

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

expected in reading and writing and the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels has increased significantly in reading, writing, mathematics and science. This is a significant improvement in standards from last year and since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the national tests in 2001, pupils in Year 6 achieved standards that were well below the national average in English, mainly as a result of low writing scores, and in line with the national average in mathematics and science. When compared to schools with similar numbers of free school meals, standards were also well below average in English and average in mathematics and science. However, as the school has small year groups, the standards do fluctuate enormously. This does not mean to say the standards are acceptable and the school carefully examined the results of these tests and reasons for the disappointingly low standards. These included: • the boys’ poor performance in literacy, in line with nationally observed research; • the effect of the pupils with special educational needs whose main difficulties were in language and literacy. Mathematics and science tests have the facility for the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

provision of readers, which enabled these pupils to score more highly in these subjects. This is because pupils’ mathematical and scientific knowledge and understanding are not constrained by lack of literacy capability. • four of the children tested had not been in the infant classes but joined the school in the intervening years. Each pupil had a statement of special educational need.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls over time, but the trend of improvement has been slightly below the national trend. The most recent national tests show that the standards have risen significantly in mathematics and science since

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three and ends at the end of the reception class. It is a distinct stage in preparing children for later schooling and is based on six areas of learning. These mainly refer to: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; and personal, social and emotional development, but also include: knowledge and understanding of the world; and physical and creative development. The Ellis Church of England Primary School 2001 and in value-added terms since these same pupils were in Year 2 in 1998. Although no national comparisons are available yet, almost every child has achieved at least the level expected in mathematics and science, but English and writing still remain a relative weakness. The proportion of pupils achieving higher levels in mathematics and science shows that these pupils are challenged and another pupil achieved Level 6 in mathematics

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

this year. However, it is clear that teachers’ assessments and targets have not been as accurate and a little lower than they should have been.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The full range of inspection evidence confirms the findings of the national tests in 2002. Current standards of work in English are above average in Year 2 and below average in Year 6. Standards at the end of Year 2 have risen significantly since the previous inspection in response to very good teaching and the on-going effect of the National Literacy Strategy. Considering pupils enter school with average levels of attainment these standards represent good achievement. Standards have fallen at the end of Year 6 and pupils are not reaching the high standards seen in mathematics and science. The satisfactory standards identified at the time of the last inspection have not been sustained. Some of this decline in English is directly linked to the increased number of pupils with special educational needs in reading and writing (see paragraph 3). Taking into consideration the low national test results achieved by this group of pupils at the end of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Year 2 the great majority have made satisfactory progress. However, a weakness in teaching with tasks not closely matching pupils’ ability leads to the higher and lower attaining pupils underachieving.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Pupils make good progress in the infants because tasks build on prior attainment. In the juniors progress is satisfactory but is occasionally restricted when tasks are too difficult and support is not available.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in speaking and listening are good in Year 2 and satisfactory in Year 6. In Year 6 pupils have extended their vocabulary not only in English but also in other subjects. Standards in reading are well above average in Year 2. Achievement is very good because of the interesting range of practical activities used to teach pupils letters and their corresponding sounds. Standards in reading in Year 6 are below average. Many pupils reach the level expected for their age, but their skills are weaker than expected in reading between the lines and in recognising what an author does to create suspense. Few pupils have knowledge of a range of authors.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in writing are above average in Year 2. Pupils’ writing shows increasingly accurate spellings and confident choice of vocabulary. Most pupils have a secure understanding of the use of capital letters and full stops by the end of Year 2. Writing is the weakest aspect of English for the Year 6 pupils. Although many can put down their ideas in writing, few are able to write a structured piece of work. Pupils are not transferring the skills they are taught in their literacy lessons to their independent writing. Consequently, work often includes basic errors in spelling and punctuation. This reflects a weakness in the teaching of drafting and editing skills. A common weakness in writing is the lack of imaginative vocabulary. This is not the case for the higher attaining pupils who use exciting phrases in their stories. The use of worksheets when pupils fill in missing words constrains pupils’ progress in expressing and writing their own ideas.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The school spends a considerable amount of time teaching handwriting and this continues in Year 6. However, teachers do not insist these skills are transferred to other lessons and as a result pupils in Year 6 do not have a fluent joined style.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards in mathematics are well above national levels by the end of Years 2 and 6, and progress for most pupils is good as they move through the school in the development of understanding of number, shape, space and measures, and in their ability to handle data. Almost all pupils reach national levels by the end of Years 2 and 6, with substantial The Ellis Church of England Primary School numbers reaching the higher levels. The progress of pupils is mostly good because all teachers place good emphasis on developing important number skills and they provide increasing opportunities for pupils to explain their mathematical thinking. Despite significant strengths, pupils are sometimes given work in number which they already understand before proceeding to more challenging tasks.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Standards in science at the end of the infants and juniors are above national expectations. Pupils use information they have gained from first hand experience to compare and contrast, and to make predictions. There is a satisfactory emphasis given to investigation through practical activities of scientific concepts, but this is much better in the Years 1 and 2 class and Years 5 and 6 class than others. This is because teachers in Years 3, 4 and 5 tend to give too much information and guide pupils through their experiments rather than getting them to consider how to work out a test for themselves. Although pupils make satisfactory progress in their knowledge and understanding, they lack some of the basic investigative and experimental skills. Most have a satisfactory understanding of fair testing, although generally find it difficult to organise an investigation for themselves because they have limited opportunity. By the time they are in Year 6, most pupils are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

confident to discuss their wide knowledge in all aspects of the science curriculum. Pupils make good progress in the Years 5 and 6 class and have a secure understanding of materials and their properties. They know how to set up an experiment to make it fair.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. The school has made very significant progress in information and communication technology since the last inspection where standards were below national expectations at the end of the infant and junior stages. Standards by the ages of 7 and 11 are now at the levels expected. Standards are in line with national expectations in other subjects at 7 and 11 with the exceptions of music and physical education where there was insufficient evidence available to judge standards. However, the time allocated to music and physical education is lower than normally expected.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in Years 1 and 2 and sound progress in Years 3 to 6 towards the targets set for them. This is because: • teachers ensure that work is carefully matched to their needs in English and mathematics; • teachers track their progress satisfactorily to give them a chance to succeed; • some pupils receive regular help from a small number of dedicated support staff; • relationships are good throughout the school and pupils’ work is always valued, which encourages them to try harder.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The attitudes of pupils to school and to their learning are good overall and their behaviour in and around school is also good. Pupils have maintained the quality of their attitudes towards learning and improved the quality of their behaviour in school since the last inspection. Relationships between all members of the school community and the initiatives and personal responsibility taken by pupils are also good and have been maintained since the last inspection. These aspects of school life are closely linked into the good provision of moral and social development provided by the school. A very high proportion of those parents who completed and returned the questionnaire or who attended the meeting also expressed positive views about behaviour in school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. In the classroom the attitudes and behaviour of pupils were good or better in 76 per cent of lessons and very good or better in 24 per cent of lessons. A much higher proportion of very good behaviour was observed during lessons in the infants. A very small number of pupils in the juniors display challenging behaviour. Standards of behaviour in the playground and in the dining hall at lunchtime are good and sometimes very good. Almost The Ellis Church of England Primary School all pupils were very polite and well mannered towards visitors as they moved around school. There have been no exclusions during the last reporting year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Children in nursery and reception classes respond well to the adults who help and teach them, showing courtesy and consideration for others. For example they say ‘please’ and thank you’ when their classmate hands out the drinks and snacks. Children in nursery are also aware that they should care for the creatures they have studied in the topic. They learn the value of friendship through the teacher’s well-chosen stories and good examples that the staff set. Children’s behaviour is good in the nursery and the reception classes. Children are developing a secure awareness that some actions are right and some are wrong. They are clear about why it is important to have rules because they discuss this in lessons. Most children work well together and share equipment. They take good care of equipment. Children quickly learn the need for routines and rules and respond very well to them. For instance, when children in the nursery hear music they know it is their sign to

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

quickly tidy up. They show good levels of concentration, initiative and independence.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Most pupils with special educational needs have a positive attitude to their work. They are keen to make progress, eager to please and enjoy succeeding. Most are well behaved and respond well to the encouragement they receive, which helps to boost their confidence and enables them to take pride in their achievements. However, a small number lack concentration and occasionally display unacceptable behaviour, for example in Years 4 and 5, and this slows their progress and sometimes the progress of others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong and always show respect towards all members of the school community. They have a clear understanding that the sanction for unacceptable behaviour is ‘a loss of choice time‘ on Friday afternoons. There was no evidence of graffiti or vandalism in or around school. The vast majority of pupils enjoy coming to school and they talk about it enthusiastically. They are keen to participate in class activities. For example, in a Years 1 and 2 physical education lesson pupils were really enthusiastic and trying hard when throwing and catching. Additionally, in a Years 5 and 6 information communication and technology lesson, pupils were enjoying the experience of writing about their recent visit to Haworth. They were using the equipment carefully. Pupils also demonstrate that they care about their village. During a Years 1 and 2 geography lesson they were discussing ways to make the village safer by

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

recommending the installation of a pelican crossing outside school or the employment of a ‘traffic warden to clamp cars that park outside school‘.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Relationships between pupils and one another, and pupils and all adults, are good overall and sometimes very good. The vast majority of pupils collaborate very well in all aspects of school life and enjoy working and playing together. For example, in a Years 3 and 4 personal social and health education lesson, pupils were actively involved in discussing how they would react in conflict situations. At lunchtime pupils entered into conversations with visitors about their favourite football team and who had been the best player in the England squad in the World Cup. Additionally, a group of girls gave their predictions for the future story line of their favourite television programme – Coronation Street. Boys and girls play together well in playground activities such as the adventure play area. The quality of these relationships has a positive impact on pupils’ learning, as they are all included in all school activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. The opportunities for pupils to take responsibility in school are good. Pupils enjoy taking responsibility in both class councils and the school council and they also demonstrate good speaking and listening skills during circle time. Pupils are also aware of the needs of those less fortunate than themselves and make generous donations to a variety of charities such as the Church of England Children’s Society, National Children’s Homes, National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Christingle and Poppy Day. The The Ellis Church of England Primary School school council is involved in making the decisions about charities that they and their classmates would like to support. All these activities have a positive impact on pupils’ personal development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. Levels of attendance have been maintained since the last inspection. They remain satisfactory and in line with national average. However, a significant number of pupils are taken out of school during term time to go on holiday. Since the start of the current school year approximately one third of the pupils have been absent on holiday during term time. No unauthorised absence has been recorded. Punctuality to school is very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Thirty-eight lessons were observed and the overall quality of teaching is good. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is variable. It is consistently very good in the nursery class, but satisfactory in the two reception classes. There are only two infant classes and again teaching is variable. In the mixed Years 1 and 2 class, teaching is consistently very good, whilst it is mostly satisfactory in the mixed reception and Year 1 class. Teaching in the juniors is also variable. There is good teaching in the Years 5 and 6 class and satisfactory teaching in the mixed Years 3 and 4 class and the mixed Years 4 and 5 class. Fifty-five per cent of lessons were good or better and 18 per cent were very good. Teaching in the last inspection was judged to be satisfactory or better in almost three-quarters of the lessons. Based on the evidence in this inspection, teaching has improved significantly for the youngest children in school and in the infant

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

classes. The quality of teaching in the juniors has remained the same.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching is very good in the nursery and children make very good progress. Teaching is better in the nursery than reception classes. The nursery teacher has more of an understanding of the needs of young children and she constantly challenges children through interesting, practical and relevant activities. She has organised her room well, for example into areas for reading, writing, sand and water play so that children know where to go and they work in a purposeful working atmosphere. The teacher plans her lessons very well and often merges different elements of the curriculum successfully into one topic because children do not learn in isolation. She ensures that children know what is expected of them in lessons. She provides many opportunities for children to learn independently and through investigation as well as more focused teaching which guides and informs. The teacher in the nursery class has already identified some children as

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

being gifted and talented. She prepares extension work so that they are suitably challenged and kept interested. Teaching in the reception classes is satisfactory, but lacks opportunities for pupils to learn independently and through investigation. Teachers often instruct children too much. They do not provide sufficient opportunities for children to learn through play with sand and water and the use of role-play is very limited and disappointing in both reception classes. Teachers’ planning in reception classes is too vague and does not always show clearly what is to be taught and learnt. The work is not always sufficiently challenging for higher attainers. A strong feature of all the lessons seen is that teaching and support staff work together effectively as a team. They give good additional support to children with special educational needs. As a result these children make good progress in

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Throughout the school, teachers' subject knowledge is good. All teachers in the infant and junior classes have benefited from training in subjects, that have included English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. The teaching of literacy skills is satisfactory overall, but there is impressive teaching in Year 2. The teaching of numeracy skills is good overall with strengths in Years 2 and 6. In the better lessons teachers have high expectations and pupils are enthusiastic learners. Pupils respond eagerly to teachers’ astute and high quality questions. These questions The Ellis Church of England Primary School challenge pupils’ thinking, make lessons exciting and greatly enhance their learning. A developing strength in all lessons is the way teachers share and review the purpose of the lessons with the pupils. Weaker elements of the teaching of literacy include the lesson

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

plans, which do not make clear what pupils are to learn in lessons. In both literacy and numeracy lessons the pace in some lessons is too slow and pupils lose interest. At the end of some literacy lessons, teachers often celebrate achievement, which is effective in encouraging pupils, but they do not always use this time effectively to consolidate learning. Teachers also need to implement their marking policy, which is currently in draft format. At present teachers often fail to pick up sufficiently on pupils’ untidy handwriting and presentation, inaccurate spelling and punctuation and this detracts from the quality of some pupils’ work.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teachers encourage pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills in all subjects. They also encourage pupils to use information and communication technology to support their learning in other subjects. Teachers now need to formalise this more fully so that opportunities for the use of literacy, numeracy and skills in information and communication technology are more clearly identified in planning so that the opportunities are not missed. For example, the opportunity to use sensor equipment in a thermal insulation experiment was missed and often tables and graphs could usefully be produced using the computer. Pupils’ writing is identified as an area for development and teachers could provide more occasions for pupils to apply their writing skills if they reduced the number of worksheets, which often limit the recording necessary.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. A strength in the teaching throughout the school is the genuine concern all staff have for the needs of all pupils. Staff work hard to ensure that whatever their need, they are supported as well as possible. They welcome pupils’ responses and pupils know that their efforts are appreciated. Management and control are always positive, but a few older pupils with behavioural difficulties are particularly demanding and strategies which work with most do not always succeed with these pupils. The teacher in the Years 4 and 5 class in particular deals with difficult behaviour very sensitively and in the main learning takes place in an orderly atmosphere.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teachers and pupils share good relationships. Teachers work hard to raise pupils' self- esteem and pride in their achievements and this enables them to ensure that all pupils are fully included in all activities. They share their own views, news and opinions with pupils and use pupils’ contributions in a positive way to extend learning. This results in pupils confidently volunteering their opinions and trying hard with their work.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. During the inspection, teachers worked conscientiously to provide interesting starting points and resources to motivate and engage pupils in their learning. However, parents identified, and the inspection team agrees, that the school could make more use of educational visits and visitors to inspire pupils. It is clear from pupils’ response when they have been on a visit, such as to Haworth, pupils are refreshed and enthusiastic in relating their first-hand experiences to their prior learning.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is at least satisfactory, and often good. Most teachers use a wide range of successful strategies to motivate, involve and challenge pupils, and regularly monitor the progress pupils make towards achieving their targets. Most records are well maintained and regularly updated to enable teachers to carefully track progress. However, teachers sometimes do not always match work well to pupils’ abilities in subjects other than English and mathematics, and this prevents them from making the best possible progress. The quality of targets on individual education plans is unacceptably varied. Some targets are not precise enough to enable pupils to make the best possible gains in learning. The Ellis Church of England Primary School 30. Homework supports pupils' learning. However, in a substantial period of time before the national tests the homework is revision and consolidation of knowledge and understanding

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

rather than the enhancement of learning. Eighty-one per cent of the parents who responded to the parents' questionnaire are satisfied with the homework given to pupils.

p.16

PUPILS?

31. The school provides a sound curriculum for its pupils in which all subjects required by the National Curriculum are represented. Teachers use different methods, such as teaching the whole class, small groups and individuals, to make sure that they teach all that is required. There is satisfactory emphasis on the development of knowledge, skills and understanding in most subjects to ensure that work carefully builds on previous learning for most pupils.

p.16

PUPILS?

32. There are weaknesses, however, which slow the progress that some pupils make. Work in subjects other than English and mathematics is usually not matched to the different abilities of pupils, especially in mixed-age classes. Music and physical education receive too little emphasis to ensure that all areas are taught to the required depth and quality, such as singing in music and gymnastics in physical education. Some teachers overuse worksheets in some subjects to aid learning and do not emphasise enough the importance of linking work to the real world to bring learning alive for pupils. Swimming, a compulsory part of the National Curriculum, is to be re-introduced in September to ensure compliance with statutory requirements. The range and number of educational visits, visitors and after-school clubs is smaller than many schools of its size, limiting enrichment opportunities for pupils.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. The National Literacy Strategy provides the structure through which most language work is taught. However, it is not implemented rigorously enough in Years 3 to 6 because teachers pay too little attention to the development of writing. This prevents many pupils from making the best possible progress. The development of number skills is given good emphasis as pupils move through the school and this is contributing to the high standards achieved. However, pupils do not apply number skills enough in new situations to help consolidate understanding. The development of number, language and information and communication technology skills receives some emphasis in other subjects. However, there is scope for further development to raise their profile as part of a planned programme.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. The quality and range of learning opportunities for pupils at the Foundation Stage of learning, in the nursery, is good. Pupils take part in a wide range of planned and carefully structured activities and experiences, which give them a good start to their education. However, the curriculum for pupils in the reception classes is largely unsatisfactory because it does not take enough account of the six areas of early learning.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. Teachers make sound provision for pupils with special educational needs, which enables them to make at least satisfactory gains in learning as they move through the school. Work is almost always matched to their particular needs in English and mathematics, and where additional support is available it is carefully targeted to ensure that pupils make the best possible progress.

p.16

PUPILS?

36. A small number of well-led clubs and activities, such as recorders, rounders and homework clubs, appeal to the interests of pupils and are well supported by them. A small number of educational visits, such as to Haworth, Eden Camp and a Sea Life Centre, extend pupils’ learning, although there is no residential visit at present. Visitors, such as a The Ellis Church of England Primary School poet, a theatre group, an Indian dancer and a ‘Mighty Zulu’, help to enrich pupils’ learning experiences.

p.16

PUPILS?

37. Teachers make every effort in all lessons and activities that support the curriculum to ensure that the contributions of all pupils are valued and celebrated. Pupils with special educational needs take a full part in the life of the school, although work is not always closely matched to their specific needs. Pupils of higher ability have been identified. Teachers provide strategies including targeted individual and group work to challenge them and help them to make mostly good gains in learning. The school successfully provides learning opportunities for all pupils, whatever their age, ability, background or ethnicity, to help them make often good progress as they move through the school.

p.17

PUPILS?

38. Teachers give good emphasis to pupils’ personal, social and health education, which will soon be embedded into curriculum planning to ensure that it makes the best possible contribution to pupils’ development. Pupils become good citizens by supporting local and national charities. They learn to respect each other’s points of view through regular discussions about issues that concern them, such as friendship and conflict. Pupils develop an awareness of the need for rules based on safety, protection and fairness. They learn how to relate to others and work effectively as part of a group. Teachers regularly give praise to enhance pupils’ self-esteem and encourage them to do their best. Some pupils have special duties, which helps to increase levels of initiative and responsibility. Sex education is included in the school’s health education programme and taught according to agreed approaches. Older pupils learn about the use and misuse of

p.17

PUPILS?

drugs. The health education programme makes pupils aware of a healthy diet, hygiene and exercise for maintaining a healthy life style. For example, pupils undertake regular exercise for five minutes each morning to help them keep fit.

p.17

PUPILS?

39. The community provides a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning. Pupils make numerous visits to local places of interest such as Eden Camp, Haworth, the local mining museum at Caphouse Colliery and Crucial Crew. Community visitors include representatives from the fire and police services and theatre and dance groups. The school is very proud of its links with the village of Hemingfield and it often welcomes ex- pupils, who live in the village, back into school for such things as school productions. Additionally the school is used twice a month as a church. The school links all these activities clearly into the curriculum and they have a positive impact on pupils’ learning and development. The school has also developed a good number of links with local shops and businesses that generously donate raffle prizes. Good links exist with Wombwell High School, the school to which most pupils transfer at 11. In addition to developing

p.17

PUPILS?

curriculum links and providing opportunities for induction, pupils from the Ellis School were invited to participate in a maths quiz at the high school with representatives from other feeder schools. These activities ensure the smooth transition of pupils into Year 7.

p.17

PUPILS?

40. The school benefits considerably by being part of the Ellis Trust. These benefits are not merely financial as trust members take an active interest in all school developments. They are keen to see the school develop its community role and to provide further facilities for use by the village.

p.17

PUPILS?

41. The provision made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. This is an improvement since the last inspection. These positive aspects of the curriculum contribute to the caring atmosphere that permeates the school.

p.17

PUPILS?

42. In fulfilling the school’s Church of England denomination to direct the pupils in an awareness of God in their lives the school is successful in promoting the pupils’ spiritual development. Themes and activities in religious education promote an understanding of the principles and beliefs of Christianity and other major religions. In art and design, in The Ellis Church of England Primary School Years 4, 5 and 6, pupils have created a beautiful display of collages and the piano frontal representing the bread of life and the cup of love. Assemblies include prayers and singing and so pupils learn the importance of reverence and worship. Singing, although tuneful, lacks enthusiasm and so the spiritual element of this part of assemblies is often lacking. The school’s assembly policy shows time is allocated to reflection as demonstrated in the first assembly of the week. In other subjects the school promotes an appreciation of the

p.17

PUPILS?

world and especially the local environment. For example, in the reception and Year 1 class a wonderful collection of photographs of ‘April in Our School’ celebrates the beauty of the school grounds. Pupils have watched the leaves open on the ash tree and used information and communication technology to reproduce the patterns seen on the trunks. Throughout the school, teachers value pupils’ ideas and encourage curiosity. As a result, pupils are confident to try out new ideas and further extend their knowledge.

p.18

PUPILS?

43. The provision for pupils’ moral development is good. The school has developed rules to guide behaviour in class and around the school. The school has clear policies to guide all staff including the Dinner Ladies’ Award and a variety of stars and stickers. Pupils are involved in celebrating achievement and the Golden Nomination Board allows pupils to select worthy pupils. Through lessons in personal and social development the school promotes self-discipline. This is evident in lessons when teachers take time to talk quietly to pupils about any misbehaviour. This is very successful in teaching pupils about what acceptable behaviour is and how their behaviour affects others. In many subjects pupils are taught to respect different cultures and the feelings of others. Consequently, pupils show respect for each other and are especially supportive of pupils with special educational needs, who are included in all activities.

p.18

PUPILS?

44. Strong emphasis is given to developing pupils’ social skills. The school fosters a community spirit and pupils have many opportunities to carry out responsibilities in class and around the school. Teachers promote good relationships through carefully planned group activities and pupils enjoy working together. During the inspection pupils were collaborating in art and design and music lessons and producing some good examples of collages and musical composition. The school actively promotes citizenship. Visitors from the local community talk about the importance of helping other people in the community. Pupils raise money for both local and national charities. For example, the proceeds from the Christmas and harvest services go towards sponsoring a child in Tanzania. Through corresponding with this child the pupils extend their knowledge of different life styles as well as recognising their role in supporting others. The school council gives pupils a

p.18

PUPILS?

chance to be involved in leadership and to gain confidence in making decisions and speaking in front of others.

p.18

PUPILS?

45. The provision for cultural development is good. Opportunities for pupils to learn about their own culture are provided in many lessons. For example, in history pupils have visited the Bronte Parsonage Museum and explored the links the Bronte sisters had with the local community. The school celebrates its long history and considers the influences that have shaped their own heritage. The village’s original background in the coal industry is recognised. A piece of coal from the coal pillar that supports the school is on display in the entrance to the school. This was cut out and presented to the school by a past pupil. The old school bell is a reminder of the school’s importance in the community in the past when people did not have clocks. The recorder club enables pupils to extend their musical skills. However, overall, there is a limited range of extra-curricular activities to increase pupils’

p.18

PUPILS?

musical and artistic skills. The school prepares pupils well for life in a multi-cultural society by providing them with information about other faiths and cultures. Displays in the school show detailed attention to Judaism, Islam and Sikhism. These displays often include artefacts, which the pupils clearly respect. Pupils are brought into contact with other cultures through a number of visitors. For example, African and Indian dancers performed The Ellis Church of England Primary School for the pupils and then led workshop activities, which allowed the pupils to try out different styles of movement .

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school continues to provide good care and support for its pupils. It maintains appropriate records for first aid, fire drills, accident recording and the contact of family and friends in case of an emergency. The procedure for child protection is effective and the designated teacher ensures that all members of staff have an appropriate understanding of its contents. Simple health and safety points are reinforced in class from an early age. For example, the nursery teacher was showing children how to handle tools such as saws, gimlets and hammers in a safe way. The governing body now needs to consolidate on the good practices in school by ensuring that the school formally carries out regular health and safety inspections. It should also continue to encourage parents to provide sun hats for their children to wear during the summer. Very few pupils were seen to be wearing sun protection at playtime or when they were doing physical education lessons on the field

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

during the very hot weather at the time of the inspection. Risk assessment is carried out appropriately. In particular, the school assessed the risks associated with the day of industrial action very well and analysed what it needed to do to ensure that it continued to provide a safe learning environment for its pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school supervises pupils very well at dinnertime and in the playground. It keeps vigilant watch on pupils using the adventure play area to ensure that they use the apparatus in a safe and sensible way. Additionally, the supervisors ensure that pupils keep away from the wooded area at the back of the playground. The midday supervisors are an effective and important part of the school community.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Pupils with special educational needs are appropriately cared for. Identification procedures are clear, understood and effective. Pupils’ work is regularly monitored to ensure that they are making progress towards the targets set for them. Regular reviews of pupils’ progress help to ensure that most work is suited to their needs. Outside agencies are involved as required to help meet their specific targets, although the amount of ‘red tape’ sometimes prevents them from becoming involved quickly.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school promotes and monitors attendance satisfactorily. Tracking and monitoring of statistics takes place on a regular basis for both individual and class records. This has had a positive impact on attendance rates, which have been maintained since the last inspection. However, the school must continue to promote the importance of regular attendance with the significant number of parents who take their children out of school for holidays during term time. The school promotes and monitors behaviour well through the good provision of moral development and the way that teachers manage it. In almost all cases it applies standards consistently and the vast majority of pupils have a good understanding of how the school expects them to behave.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school’s arrangements for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are good in English and mathematics. Pupils are regularly assessed using different approaches as they move through the school. The lowest and highest achievers are targeted for development and support to enable them to make at least sound gains in both subjects. However, in most other subjects, the assessment of pupils’ progress is less secure and consistent approaches to assessment are not yet embedded in the school’s work. For example, there are no useful portfolios of pupils’ work, levelled to National Curriculum requirements, to help chart pupils’ progress against national standards. In non-core subjects, the school does not assess pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding consistently over time. As a result, teachers lack specific information about what pupils know and understand. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. There are good procedures for assessing what pupils know and understand as they move through the school in English, mathematics and science, such as through the use of national and school-based tests and teacher assessments. The school analyses national test data to discover strengths and weaknesses. It has started to use information and communication technology to represent this information, so that it can clearly identify strengths and weaknesses, and to help track progress. Teachers are using information gained to set targets, such as in English and mathematics, to help pupils develop ownership in their learning. However, assessment is not being used well to identify strengths and weaknesses to help teachers predict likely outcomes in national tests. As a result, targets resulting from this assessment make little contribution to the raising of standards.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. Although satisfactory, the school is not yet using information gained as effectively as possible to help raise standards by planning the next steps in pupils’ learning. This is because: • the progress pupils make is not assessed with enough precision or consistency in all classes to enable teachers to build carefully on what pupils know and understand. Assessments of problems encountered by pupils during the lesson are often too general and do not pinpoint accurately in all classes those pupils who have not achieved the lesson’s target. As a result of this, work given to pupils next time is sometimes too easy or difficult for them in subjects other than English and mathematics, which slows their progress; • marking does not always help pupils to develop understanding of what is the next step in their learning as well as celebrate what they have achieved, although a draft policy to deal with this has now been produced;

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

• the best possible use is not made of information gained from data analysis to help pupils with their learning, although this too is developing.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The school promotes itself well to its parents and the vast majority of those who responded to the questionnaire or who attended the meeting have positive views about the majority of aspects of school life. These parents hold the school in high esteem.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. A very small number of parents help out in class on a regular basis, but there are many more that assist on visits into the community. Although there is no formal fundraising organisation, a small number of hard-working parents organise events. Other parents are generous with their support of these events, such as the summer fair where they raise approximately £700 each year for school resources. The school values all this support and it has a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. The information produced by the school for its parents is satisfactory overall and the majority of parents consider that they are well informed about the progress of their children. Reports have recently been redesigned to contain more personalised developmental information, which enables parents to recognise their children and help them progress in their learning. A number of parents have expressed their satisfaction at this improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are informed and involved at an early stage of the identification process. Communication with them is mostly good. Links between home and school are regular and constructive, and this helps to ensure that pupils receive appropriate support and make at least satisfactory and often good progress. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall and include many strengths and a number of shortcomings. Since the last inspection, the school has improved the role of governors, but progress to improve the role of subject co-ordinators has been limited. Standards in infants and juniors, provision for the youngest children, pupils’ attitudes, teaching and curriculum development are all improved. The school provides good value for money. It has achieved good improvement on the previous inspection.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The headteacher is a strong, sensitive and determined leader who understands the needs of the pupils well. She provides a clear educational direction for the school and is determined to continue to raise standards and improve the quality of education that the school provides. The staff work hard and clearly have the best interests of the pupils at heart, but there is sometimes a little disparity in how to achieve this. The headteacher has moved some way to delegate both tasks and authority to involve most of the staff in the co-operative task of improving the school’s performance. However, the headteacher also recognises that delegation is not the strongest of her many quality attributes. She now needs to relinquish some responsibilities to enable staff to carry out their roles more effectively. The role of the deputy headteacher and the infant and junior co-ordinators are insufficiently clear and there is no clear understanding and shared expectation of

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

responsibility, authority and accountability. Whilst the co-ordination of the subject areas has a clear outline and an action plan gives details of dates, costs and success criteria, other duties are not clearly defined. The job specification needs to be far more specific. For example, the co-ordinators of English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology have a good understanding of how to move their subjects forward, but they do not have all the information at their fingertips to do the job. Co- ordinators do not know enough about what goes on outside their own classrooms and do not feel empowered to make changes. There is a strong commitment to raise standards but there is no shared vision of how this should happen.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school has not supported co-ordinators well enough in their tasks by giving them time away from class teaching to enable them to monitor and develop their subject area. The current spending plans for the next academic year provides scope for the school to develop and extend co-ordinators’ roles by, for example, teachers using their specialist knowledge in other classes. In the most recent developments in information and communication technology, the co-ordinator and local authority adviser successfully monitored teaching and learning in other classes to see what was working well and where there were problems. However, in other subjects many co-ordinators have not had training in how to monitor teaching. Some of their observations, for example of teachers’ planning, lack focus and rigour. The school has made good developments in monitoring outcomes of national tests and further development has taken place by setting individual

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

targets for pupils. There is good practice in the school. However, in reading and writing, for example, the recently promoted English subject co-ordinator does not have a sufficiently clear role. She cannot ensure that good practice in her class is transferred to other classes in the juniors. Some teachers are reluctant to take advice. The monitoring of pupils’ progress within classes and year groups now effectively underpins the target setting of all pupils. It is much more helpful and accurate than it was at the time of the last inspection.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The management of the Foundation Stage classes needs careful monitoring and support. There is a substantial difference in quality of provision between the very good nursery, where it is very good, and reception where it is satisfactory. The co-ordinator of the Foundation Stage has been mentoring a newly qualified teacher in one reception class. She has not been able to monitor the reception and Year 1 class, which has some The Ellis Church of England Primary School significant shortcomings. However, the school anticipates that the new appointment of a reception teacher will address this issue.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Issues relating to special educational needs are managed effectively by the special educational needs co-ordinator. The special educational needs register is regularly updated and records are conscientiously maintained, and there is a suitably rigorous action plan of needed developments. Classroom assistants provide good support for pupils with special educational needs. They work well, have clear responsibilities and are valued. Most are well informed about the nature and range of disability, which helps pupils make gains in learning. However, they are not always as involved in meeting pupils’ needs as they could be. For example, they do not all contribute to pupils’ individual education plans, although this has been identified for development. However, when the individual education plans are of high quality, support assistants focus closely on pupils’ needs and they help pupils to develop their specific vocabulary well, for example.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The governing body is loyal and supportive of the school. There is no doubting that governors have a clear commitment to continue raising standards and improving the education for pupils in the school. They effectively fulfil their roles as critical friends because many are regular visitors and know what is going on in the school. They also have a secure understanding of standards in the national tests in numeracy and literacy, and have been satisfactorily involved in planning for and monitoring these developments. An enthusiastic and knowledgeable governor is involved in the development of information and communication technology through meetings, reports from the subject co-ordinator and participating in lessons.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school development plan is monitored regularly and governors and staff meet to review the last year’s plan before agreeing targets for the new plan. All the targets in the school development plan are entirely relevant to the school and the action taken to meet these targets is clearly documented and effective. The school has aims that address the educational, social and personal development of pupils, but the aims do not explicitly express a firm commitment to improving attainment and raising standards. The school policies address the aims and priorities and targets in the school development plan. The ethos of the school is good and there is a positive and welcoming atmosphere within school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school uses its funding and specific grants well and is making good use of new technology. The school now provides good value for money. The school office is well organised and the school secretary makes a valuable contribution to the day-to-day life of the school. The school appropriately uses the generous grants provided by the Ellis Trust to improve accommodation and resources.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school has a good understanding of the extent to which the principles of best value are applied, but some educational priorities such as the need to improve writing in the juniors and the need to improve the provision for children in the reception class need further attention when considering the use of funds. The high level of money carried forward in the last year is above audit commission recommendations, but the school has suitable plans for its use this year. These include the employment of additional teaching staff to support special educational needs, information and communication technology and to provide more time for staff to fulfil their co-ordinator roles. After planned spending the carry forward figure will be within commission recommendations by the end of the current financial year.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. There is a sufficient number of qualified teaching and support staff. The provision and match of staff in school is good in the nursery and for the teaching of mathematics and satisfactory elsewhere. Arrangements for the induction of new staff are satisfactory. The The Ellis Church of England Primary School school has introduced its performance management policy well. All members of staff are now in the second cycle of this procedure.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The adequacy of accommodation is satisfactory overall. It is good in the nursery, but only satisfactory elsewhere in the Foundation Stage. The limited size of the hall makes it unsatisfactory for the teaching of physical education. However, the outside area is satisfactory, although the mining subsidence does not permit the playing of many sports on the field. The school is well maintained and pupils, staff and visitors benefit from a clean and stimulating learning environment.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. Learning resources are satisfactory overall. There is a good range of high quality reading books in a small but adequate library. The school supports the teaching of history well by a very interesting range of artefacts, many of which reflect the history of the school and its environment. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

69. In order to raise standards and improve the quality of education the headteacher, staff and governors should

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve standards in writing in the junior classes by: • ensuring that pupils transfer the punctuation and grammar they learn in literacy lessons to their independent writing; • ensuring that all classes implement the handwriting policy; • teaching drafting skills more thoroughly; • checking that tasks set build upon prior attainment; • reducing the number of worksheets which limit pupils’ recording skills; • improving the quality of marking throughout the school by being more rigorous in identifying pupils’ errors in punctuation, spelling and grammar and having higher expectations regarding the presentation of pupils’ work; • providing more opportunities for them to correct their work after it has been marked so that they learn from their mistakes;

p.24

(paragraphs 3, 8-9, 24, 33, 90-91, 95, 97, 111 and 130)

(2) improve the planning and provision for children in the reception classes by: • providing opportunities for children to learn independently through investigation and play (especially through role-play, sand and water); • improving children’s physical development through access and use of an outside play area with wheeled toys and adventurous equipment;

p.24

(paragraphs 1, 22-23, 34, 74, 77-79 and 81-82)

(3) improve the leadership and management of the school by continuing to clarify and articulate the role of the deputy headteacher, Foundation Stage co-ordinators and subject co-ordinators by: • empowering them to lead their subjects with responsibility, time and training where necessary; • reconsidering the aims of the school to ensure that it values all stakeholders (pupils, staff, governors and parents) and recognises their efforts and achievements; • ensuring that governors fulfil their roles as critical friends and finding out more about the school.

p.24

(paragraphs 57-60, 97, 104, 112, 123, 127, 133, 141 and 150)

In addition, the school should also consider: • extending and enhancing the curriculum through: o the improved provision of music and physical education; o additional educational visits and extra-curricular activities.

p.24

(paragraphs 28, 32, 36, 127, 146-147 and 150)

The Ellis Church of England Primary School

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 31

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 18 35 47 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than two percentage points.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 23 153

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Not applicable 16 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 9 38

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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 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

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

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 13

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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)

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (95) 100 (95) 100 (90) 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)

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 77 (95) 100 (95) 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 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 16

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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)

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 69 (67) 69 (80) 94 (87) at NC Level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 75 (73) 81 (87) 81 (87) at NC Level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) 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)

Please note: Due to number of boys and/or girls in this year group being 10 or fewer, the actual figures are not required and hence the cells are shaded. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7 Financial year 2001-2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 392,341

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 364,588

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 165 Expenditure per pupil 18,462

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 30,299

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 58,052

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 32

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 12 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 48 47 5 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 55 3 2 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 52 15 3 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 53 42 2 3 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 24 2 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 68 32 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 42 42 11 3 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 48 41 6 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 46 47 5 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20 38 14 6 22

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CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. There has been a major change in the provision for the youngest children since the last inspection. Firstly, the school now has a nursery class, which is accommodated in a purpose-built building and this has replaced a pre-school playgroup. Secondly, changes in staff have occurred and thirdly, the government has introduced new guidance for the curriculum. In 1997 the provision was satisfactory. It is now good.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. Children enter the nursery class when they are three years old and receive part-time education until they are ready for full-time education at five years of age in the reception classes. Due to an increase in the numbers of children joining the school, children of reception age are placed in two classes. One class consists solely of reception children and the other is a mixed reception and Year 1 class.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. When children enter the nursery class, the attainment overall is below what might be expected of children of their age, but there is the full range of attainment from well below to well above average. Children make very good progress in the nursery class and reach the levels expected for their age by the time they are five. This is confirmed by the initial assessments of children in their first few weeks in the reception class. Progress slows in the reception classes but is still satisfactory. By the time children reach Year 1, their attainment is in line with the nationally expected standard in all areas of learning.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. Teaching is very good in the nursery so nursery children make better gains in their learning in lessons, and in their achievement over a longer period of time, than the reception children. This is because firstly the nursery teacher has high expectations of what children should achieve. This shows in the way that the teacher constantly challenges children’s thinking, imagination and use of vocabulary through interesting, practical and relevant activities. The design, organisation and use of the room help to create a purposeful working atmosphere and promote the very good concentration and learning of the children. Secondly, the lesson planning shows clearly what is to be taught and learnt. It merges the different elements of the curriculum successfully into one topic, such as the minibeasts. This ensures that children know what is expected of them in lessons and their learning is very focused. Thirdly, the teacher has good systems for

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

assessing children’s achievements and she uses these successfully to plan the next step in their learning.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. In the reception classes teaching is satisfactory. In the main this is because lessons are often lacking in opportunities for pupils to learn independently and through investigation. Teachers often instruct pupils too much. There are also times when reception teachers do not intervene and share activities with children. For example, they do not provide sufficient opportunities for children to learn through play with sand and water. The use of role-play is very limited and disappointing in both reception classes. Teachers’ planning in reception classes is too vague and does not always show clearly what is to be taught and learnt and the work is not always sufficiently challenging for higher attainers. In the mixed class of reception and Year 1 children, the teacher’s planning is much more geared to the National Curriculum and some children are not ready for this structured approach.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. A strong feature of all the lessons seen is that teaching and support staff work together effectively as a team. Staff ensure that all children are included fully in the activities irrespective of their abilities. For example, the teacher in the nursery class has already identified some children as being gifted and talented. She prepares extension work so that they are suitably challenged and kept interested. This has a positive effect on children’s learning. Teachers and support staff give good additional support to children with special educational needs. As a result they make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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Personal, social and emotional development

76. Staff promote children’s personal, social and emotional development very effectively and most children are on target to meet the early learning goals by the beginning of Year 1. Teachers are caring, supporting and encouraging, for instance in praising children’s efforts and achievements. Staff set a good example for children to follow and children respond well showing courtesy and consideration for others. This was seen to good effect in the nursery as children take turns to hand out the drinks and ‘nibbles’ at snack-time and recipients are encouraged to say ‘Thank you’. Children in nursery are also aware that they should care for the minibeasts they have been observing and understand rules such as ‘watch carefully but do not touch’. Teachers choose stories carefully to enable children to understand and recognise the importance of friendship. Children’s behaviour is good in the nursery and the reception classes. Most children work together as friends, share

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Personal, social and emotional development

equipment with each other (although some of the three-year-olds still find it a little difficult to share and mix together), and take increasing responsibility for resources. The older children in the nursery class show good levels of concentration, initiative and independence for this age because the staff encourage this. The nursery teacher has set up clear routines. For example, when the music of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is played, children immediately stop what they are doing and tidy their work and equipment away. Reception children dress themselves independently after physical education lessons and settle readily into daily routines, such as registration. Children are developing a secure awareness that some actions are right and some are wrong and are clear about why it is important to have rules because they discuss this in lessons.

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Communication language and literacy

77. Nursery staff place a strong emphasis on developing children’s speaking skills. They give children many opportunities to discuss their work individually and in a larger group. Nursery staff extend children’s vocabulary very well through topic work, for example about the creatures they have collected such as worms and ladybirds. Role-play in the jungle area also extends children’s speaking skills. Children’s progress in speaking and listening slows in the reception classes because the teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for children to speak and participate in role-play activities. However, almost every child achieves the early learning goals in speaking and listening by the end of their time in the reception class. All nursery children are beginning to copy their own names with increasing accuracy. The gifted and talented children are already using the sounds of letters to help them in their attempts to write their own sentences. The reception teachers

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Communication language and literacy

build satisfactorily upon the formal skills of handwriting, such as the correct formation of letters. Average and higher attaining children are beginning to form letters correctly and write their name independently. If the reception teachers provide more activities for children to experiment with their own writing this would improve children’s confidence and competence.

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Communication language and literacy

78. Children enjoy sharing books with adults and listening to the stories that they read to them, such as The Creepy Crawly Caterpillar . The nursery teacher teaches effectively basic skills, such as the knowledge of letter sounds, often using songs such as Polly Put the Pizza In and Suzy Sizzles Sausages . In reception classes the teachers do not always encourage children to use this knowledge to help them to read and write the unfamiliar words they meet. However, there is some inconsistency in the way that children are encouraged to sound out letters. For example one teacher sounds out N as ‘na’ whilst another correctly says ‘nn’. However, higher attaining reception children recognise a satisfactory range of words and are beginning to use these when sharing books with adults. Average attaining children recognise a few words and lower attaining children recognise a few letter sounds. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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Mathematical development

79. Staff ensure that children have a variety of experiences. Almost every child achieves the early learning goals by the end of their time in the reception class in number, but higher attainers could do better. All nursery children count accurately to 10 and many record the number. Higher attaining children in nursery play a dice game and comfortably use numbers to 20. Children consolidate their understanding of number naturally through the singing of number rhymes and songs and, for example, counting the spots on their paintings of ladybirds. Reception children count in ones, twos and tens. They are beginning to record simple calculations to 10, but the higher attainers do this easily and many could certainly be using higher numbers. In both nursery and reception classes the staff encourage children to use mathematical vocabulary such as ‘more, less, greater and smaller’. The nursery children enhance their understanding through sand and water play.

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Mathematical development

However, reception teachers do not use such practical and investigative approaches enough. Children in nursery and reception have a developing understanding of the properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes and recognise the symmetrical patterns on butterflies’ wings.

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

80. Nursery staff use skilful questioning to challenge children’s thinking and this promotes very well children’s knowledge and understanding. Children talk about the creatures they have observed and know about the life cycle of a butterfly. Reception children study a variety of insects and put them into sets determined by their habitats and if they can fly. Children discuss the weather daily. The provision in the nursery class is much better than the reception classes. For example, unlike in the reception classes, children have daily access to water and sand, which enables them to use their senses more fully. Children in the Foundation Stage are interested and enjoy using information and communication technology and make good gains in learning how to use it. For example, children can program a floor robot and understand that they can give a computer directions and things will happen. They can create pictures on a computer screen by dragging and dropping

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

stored images, some of which have been taken on a digital camera. Some of the children in the reception class have produced graphs and charts, for example when they were looking at rubbish. Children in nursery and reception have regular access to listening centres and use them sensibly in small groups or individually. In the reception class children are beginning to develop an understanding of maps, but the use of some of the worksheets is inappropriate for such young children. By the end of the reception year, as a result of the good teaching, children achieve the early learning goals in knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Physical development

81. Staff teach successfully the skills to help children gain safe control of finer movements, such as using glue spatulas, paintbrushes and cutting with scissors. Children hammer and saw with due awareness of health and safety. Nursery staff plan carefully lessons in the outdoor play area so that they gain children’s interest. Children are motivated to learn and follow instructions promptly. They move with increasing co-ordination, awareness of space and each other, although the younger children in nursery tend to be a little eager and often cause ‘traffic jams on their trikes!’ Reception teachers do not plan and organise adequately the outdoor experiences for children so children’s learning is unsatisfactory in this element of the curriculum. This is partially compensated for by physical education lessons that take place in the school hall. By the end of the reception year, as a result of

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Physical development

the good teaching, children achieve the early learning goals in physical development.

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Creative development

The Ellis Church of England Primary School 82. Staff give children many activities for making pictures in creative development. Nursery children use paint, printing and model making with developing skill, for instance when they create their pictures and models of ladybirds. The reception teachers build successfully upon these basic skills, but some lack individuality as they are all the same size, shape and use similar colours. As a result, some of the pictures that children produce do not show children’s close attention to detail, for example when drawing and painting butterflies. Most children join in well with familiar songs and some use instruments to play along. Nursery children concentrate very well and take turns to act out a role, such as in the story of Noah. Reception teachers’ planning does not show clearly what is to be taught and learnt in imaginative play so children’s learning is not as focused as it could be.

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ENGLISH

83. Current standards of work are above average in Year 2 and below average in Year 6. Standards at the end of Year 2 have risen significantly since the previous inspection in response to very good teaching and the on-going effect of the National Literacy Strategy. Considering pupils enter school with average levels of attainment these standards represent good achievement. Standards have fallen at the end of Year 6 and pupils are not reaching the high standards seen in mathematics and science. The satisfactory standards identified at the time of the last inspection have not been sustained. Some of this decline is linked to the increased number of pupil with special educational needs. Taking into consideration the low national test results achieved by this group of pupils at the end of Year 2 the great majority have made satisfactory progress. However, a weakness in teaching with tasks not closely matching pupils’ ability leads to the higher and

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ENGLISH

84. Pupils with special educational needs receive effective support in lessons, which enables them to play a full part in lessons. They make good progress in the infants because tasks build on prior attainment. In the juniors progress is satisfactory, but is occasionally restricted when tasks are too difficult, support is not available and these pupils are not as fully included as they should be.

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ENGLISH

85. Standards in speaking and listening are good in Year 2 and satisfactory in Year 6. Many pupils in Year 2 are happy to talk about their work and activities. The teacher insists on attentive listening and pupils enjoy the discussion sections in literacy lessons. Pupils take turns in making contributions and respect the opinions of other pupils. Their responses are clear and often detailed. For example, when discussing safety they give clear examples about how they can keep safe.

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ENGLISH

86. In Year 6 pupils have extended their vocabulary not only in English but also in other subjects. Technical words are used correctly. Pupils listen attentively to stories, but a few pupils in Years 5 and 6 find it difficult to maintain concentration for a length of time and their listening skills deteriorate. They are then confused about the purpose of the tasks they are set. Teachers encourage debate. For example, in a Year 5 lesson pupils showed an awareness of the importance of language when putting forward their reasons for cycling to school. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 are confident asking probing questions. Many are capable presenting their ideas to the rest of the class.

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ENGLISH

87. Standards in reading are well above average in Year 2. Achievement is very good because of the interesting range of practical activities used to teach pupils letters and their corresponding sounds. Pupils use this knowledge very effectively to tackle new words. They also have a good recognition of many frequently used words. The teacher in Year 2 has provided the pupils with a wide range of strategies to tackle new words and they are very confident reading a range of books. Many pupils enjoy reading because of the high quality reading books they take home to read. They have good recall of their favourite The Ellis Church of England Primary School stories and can explain the plot and characters. Pupils have good research skills. They competently use the index and contents sections of books, showing a good knowledge of the order of the alphabet.

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ENGLISH

88. Standards in reading in Year 6 are below average. Many pupils reach the level expected for their age, but their skills are weaker than expected in reading between the lines and in recognising what an author does to create suspense. Few pupils have knowledge of a range of authors. Higher attaining pupils who read to the inspector had selected books because excerpts had been used as a focus in literacy lessons and this had encouraged them to read the full story. For example, one pupil was enjoying Goodnight Mr Tom because it involved children and their experiences. Other pupils were less enthusiastic about their books and in some cases the books were too easy and did not extend the pupils’ reading skills. This reflects a weakness in the teachers’ assessment of pupils’ reading skills. The system used to record reading varies between classes. A few examples are very good and identify where pupils are having difficulties and what they

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ENGLISH

need to do to improve. The school intends to adopt these procedures throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

89. Standards in writing are above average in Year 2. Pupils’ writing shows increasingly accurate spellings and confident choice of vocabulary. An example of very neat work from a higher attaining pupil catches the readers’ interest with phrases like ‘my bedroom is scattered with’. Dialogue is included to develop characters with speech marks being used appropriately, if not always correctly. Pupils write for a variety of purposes. Teachers make this exciting by providing stimulating ideas. The small diaries to record the growth of a sunflower seed show a clear understanding of factual writing. Lists are written and the lower attaining pupil records that ‘it has grown so tall it needs a stick’. Most pupils have a secure understanding of the use of capital letters and full stops by the end of Year 2.

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ENGLISH

90. Writing is the weakest aspect of English for the Year 6 pupils. Although many can put down their ideas in writing, few are able to write a structured piece of work. Pupils are not transferring the skills they are taught in their literacy lessons to their independent writing. Consequently, work often includes basic errors in spelling and punctuation. This reflects a weakness in the teaching of drafting and editing skills. Although teachers encourage planning and often provide planning sheets, insufficient attention is given to checking work in a systematic way. As a result, pupils’ final work often contains errors and pupils are not learning to recognise and improve their own work. Teachers use information and communication technology for final presentation of work, but did not use it to support learning during the inspection. Teachers plan a wide range of writing experiences and pupils recognise the different styles of writing. They have written poems, reports, stories

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ENGLISH

and play scripts. Pupils understand how to set out a letter and appreciate a letter of complaint needs more formal language. However, a few find this difficult and a common weakness in writing is the lack of imaginative vocabulary. This is not the case for the higher attaining pupils, who use exciting phrases in their stories. For example, in a collaborative well-structured story, two pupils wrote: ‘He is only ten feet tall, but has armour, a bone sword, a stealth medallion and a shield’. The use of worksheets when pupils fill in missing words constrains pupils’ progress in expressing and writing their own ideas.

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ENGLISH

91. The school spends a considerable amount of time teaching handwriting and this continues in Year 6. However, teachers do not insist these skills are transferred to other lessons and as a result pupils in Year 6 do not have a fluent joined style. When marking pupils’ work teachers do not point out to pupils their errors and expectations are not always high enough. This was a concern identified in the previous inspection and has not been fully resolved. However, action is planned following the implementation of a new marking policy to be implemented in the next academic year. The Ellis Church of England Primary School 92. Teachers often make effective use of other subjects, including information and communication technology, to promote reading and writing tasks. Pupils in Year 6 have thoroughly enjoyed their history topic on the life of the Brontes and have attempted to write autobiographies after extracting information from a range of sources.

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ENGLISH

93. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Teaching is good in the infants and satisfactory in the juniors.

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ENGLISH

94. The best teaching is in Year 2 where expectations are high and pupils are enthusiastic learners. The pace of lessons is brisk and pupils’ attention is maintained throughout the lesson. Probing questions, quick word and letter games all make lessons exciting and pupils are eager to learn. Pupils’ positive attitude to learning means that they try their best and this greatly enhances their learning. A developing strength is the way teachers share and review the purpose of the lessons with the pupils.

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ENGLISH

95. Teaching is satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Teachers plan to the National Literacy Strategy, but lesson plans do not make it clear what pupils are to learn in lessons. As a result pupils are not always clear about the purpose of their tasks. For example, pupils discussed how to complete an activity on conjunctions but had little knowledge of the purpose of these words or how to use them in their own writing. At the end of lessons, teachers often celebrate achievement, which is effective in encouraging pupils. However, teachers do not always use this time effectively to consolidate learning. This makes it difficult for teachers to make a secure assessment of the progress pupils are making. As a result, tasks are being set that do not build on previous learning and this accounts in a large part for the underachievement of the lower and higher attaining pupils.

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ENGLISH

96. A strength in the teaching throughout the school is the genuine concern all staff have for the needs of the pupils. Staff always welcome pupils’ responses and so pupils are confident to respond knowing their efforts are appreciated. Management is always positive. Staff manage a few older pupils with behavioural difficulties very sensitively. Learning takes place in an orderly atmosphere.

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ENGLISH

97. The subject is soundly managed. As yet the co-ordinator has had no opportunity to monitor what is happening in lessons or carry out a thorough review of standards due to the length of time in post. As a result the very good teaching being seen during the inspection is not being shared with other teachers. The school is making good use of assessment information to identify weaknesses, but is less effective in implementing strategies to improve these concerns. The school has made a good start in setting pupils’ individual targets and these are displayed in classes. These are not as effective as they might be because teachers are not reminding pupils about them when setting tasks and marking work. Resources are good. The library is adequately stocked and used for reading and research.

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ENGLISH

98. English contributes to pupils’ cultural development with the wide range of texts now used in literacy lessons. Year 6 pupils have especially enjoyed reading Jane Eyre after their visit to the Bronte Parsonage Museum. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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MATHEMATICS

99. Standards in mathematics are well above national levels by the end of Years 2 and 6, and progress for most pupils is good as they move through the school. Almost all pupils reach national levels by the end of Years 2 and 6, with substantial numbers reaching the higher levels. This is a much better picture than the findings of the last inspection. However, the high standards obtained in the most recent national tests are not reflected in the quality of pupils’ work studied at the end of Year 6.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The progress of pupils is mostly good, and leads to high standards, because: • teachers match most work carefully to pupils’ different needs; • many pupils have personal targets to aid learning; • all teachers place good emphasis on developing important number skills; • teachers provide increasing opportunities for pupils to explain their mathematical thinking to help develop their reasoning and improve levels of confidence; • teachers ensure that they follow the requirements of the National Numeracy Strategy, with homework being used regularly to consolidate learning; • information gained from tests is analysed to identify and overcome weaknesses; • classroom assistants support pupils with special educational needs well; • teachers provide extra challenge for identified higher attaining pupils, which enables them to reach the higher National Curriculum levels; • links with other subjects are developing, such as with information and communication

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MATHEMATICS

technology, which is helping to raise further the subject’s profile and enable pupils to practise essential skills; • the subject is given good emphasis in all years, with most areas soundly represented; • Years 2 and 6 teachers spend much time preparing pupils for the national tests, and other years complete optional national tests, to help improve their performances.

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MATHEMATICS

101. Despite these strengths pupils do not always make the best possible gains in learning. For example, pupils sometimes are given work in number that they already understand, before proceeding to more challenging tasks. Worksheets are overused as a resource for learning, sometimes at the expense of real-life experiences, which are more meaningful for pupils. Pupils do not get enough opportunity to apply their learning to new situations to help them develop understanding, such as through the use of open-ended investigations.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Most pupils make sound progress in the development of understanding of number, shape, space and measures, and in their ability to handle data. By the end of Year 2, pupils use mathematical names for common two-dimensional shapes, represent data in different ways, such as through the use of block graphs, and estimate, measure and compare the capacities of different containers. They solve simple number and money problems using mental calculation and paper methods. Higher attaining pupils are already beginning to understand the place value of numbers to 1,000, which is a Level 3 requirement. By the end of Year 4, they measure accurately using appropriate tools, draw and interpret simple line graphs, and classify two-dimensional shapes using their properties, including reflective symmetry. By the end of Year 6, pupils use protractors accurately to measure and draw acute, obtuse and reflex angles. They show recognition of proportions by using fractions

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MATHEMATICS

and percentages to describe them, change improper fractions to mixed numbers, and understand the mathematical patterns of multiples by using Venn diagrams to represent them. Pupils have developed their own strategies for solving number and money problems.

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MATHEMATICS

103. Teaching is at least sound with good teaching seen, such as in Years 2 and 6. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. This is an improvement on the findings of the last inspection. Where teaching is good, teachers’ high expectations result in challenging work and pupils put more effort into getting it right. Purposeful questioning develops clear understanding of The Ellis Church of England Primary School new knowledge. A good choice and use of resources ensure that learning is effective. High levels of enthusiasm from the teacher, good relationships, secure subject knowledge and a brisk pace help to keep pupils motivated and involved. Weaker features of mathematics lessons include slow pace, not enough challenge for higher attaining pupils and the use of control strategies, which are not successful for all pupils. Some teachers do not sufficiently encourage pupils to take pride in their work through neat, careful

p.35

MATHEMATICS

presentation. Some teachers do not use information technology enough to support learning in mathematics. However, strengths outnumber weaknesses, indicating why most pupils respond well to mathematics lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

104. The subject is soundly led and there are clear plans for its continued development. These include the establishment of consistent, rigorous and regular monitoring programmes to help the co-ordinator evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and become more effective in her role. There are enough resources for teachers to implement National Curriculum requirements, but there is limited space to store them to ensure ease of access.

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SCIENCE

105. Results in the 2001 national tests suggested that pupils’ attainment in science had not improved to a significant degree from the previous inspection. However, the results of the national tests in 2002 indicate a significant improvement from last year’s results and the previous inspection. Almost every pupil achieved the expected level and about a third of the class achieved the higher level. The teacher assessments of pupils’ standards at the age of 7 in 2002 also show that almost every pupil attained the expected level and over half achieved the higher level. This too is a significant improvement on last year’s assessments and standards seen during the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

106. Standards now at the end of the infants and juniors are above national expectations. The teacher of pupils in Year 2 places a good emphasis on investigative work. The programme of work carefully balances the teaching of information with due attention being paid to the development of skills needed for the subject. Pupils use information they have gained from first hand experience to compare and contrast, and to make predictions. In work on life processes, the teacher challenges the pupils in a Years 1 and 2 class, encouraging them to think about what plants need to live and grow and encourages them to test their theories. Pupils were enthralled at the state of plants that had been kept away from sunlight and pupils were inspired to write about the differences between healthy and unhealthy plants. Pupils in the Years 1 and 2 class are inquisitive and respond very well to the teacher’s open-ended questioning. For example, she asks, why do you think the plant

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SCIENCE

kept in the dark is ‘not so perky’ and has such a long stem. Pupils use accurate and impressive scientific vocabulary for their age in their answers. One higher attaining pupil explained that the process by which plants create their food is called photosynthesis and others knew that plants give off oxygen or carbon dioxide depending on whether it is day or night.

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SCIENCE

107. There is a satisfactory emphasis given to investigation through practical activities of scientific concepts, but this is much better in the Years 1 and 2 class and Years 5 and 6 class than others. Pupils particularly enjoy practical activities, but in lower junior classes pupils are less keen to use their previously acquired knowledge as a basis to pose and test their own theories. Teachers in Years 3, 4 and 5 tend to give too much information and guide pupils through their experiments rather than getting them to consider how to work out a test for themselves. For example, in a lesson on thermal insulation, pupils were provided with all the equipment and told exactly what to do and how to record their work. This is ineffective. Although pupils made satisfactory progress in their knowledge and understanding of how some materials can be used to keep water warm, they lacked many The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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SCIENCE

of the basic investigative and experimental skills. Most have a satisfactory understanding of fair testing, although generally find it difficult to organise an investigation for themselves because they have limited opportunity.

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SCIENCE

108. By the time they are in Year 6, most pupils are confident to discuss their wide knowledge in all aspects of the science curriculum. For example, they speak at length about their work on forces such as gravity and upthrust and explain why they have carried out experiments and whether their hypotheses and predictions were correct. By the age of 11 pupils have covered a balance of relevant areas including the earth in space, soil investigations and the human body. All pupils know that the human body has a skeleton and different organs such as the liver, stomach and kidneys and they understand their functions. Pupils make good progress in the Years 5 and 6 class and have a secure understanding of materials and their properties. They know how to set up an experiment to make it fair. Pupils have begun to make predictions based on scientific understanding and can classify, for example, articles that are transparent or translucent.

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SCIENCE

109. The quality of teaching is variable. It is very good in the Years 1 and 2 class, good in the Years 5 and 6 class and satisfactory elsewhere. In the best lessons, the teachers use their good knowledge of the subject to inspire pupils to think through problems. They give pupils opportunities to speak at length about their ideas. They tell pupils what they are going to learn, provide interesting resources and the rate of learning matches the teachers’ expectations of pupils to work at a high level of concentration. Lessons are well paced and motivating. Pupils have good opportunities to write about their work and so reinforce their learning. They use a variety of methods to record their findings from investigations, using charts, diagrams and graphs. In the best lessons, teachers ensure that all pupils are fully supported by either support assistants and/or work that is especially matched to

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SCIENCE

110. Where science teaching is weaker, teachers intervene too quickly and do not allow pupils to think through the problems. Occasionally, they could use the end of the lesson more effectively to assess what pupils have learnt and especially to consider how they could improve the experiment in future. Teaching in some classes, however, is still too dependent on all pupils filling in the same worksheets. There are three consequences: • pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to record their findings in their own ways; • where they all have the same worksheet, lower attaining pupils often cannot complete it in time and some older or brighter pupils could achieve more; • pupils do not improve their presentation, which is often untidy.

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SCIENCE

111. Thus in planning, there is insufficient focus on what the two age groups in each class will be doing and how the needs of different ability groups, including pupils with special educational needs, will be met. Marking is unsatisfactory. Teachers rarely comment on the scientific learning or the lesson objectives so that pupils are not getting the necessary feedback about what they have achieved and what they need to do next.

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SCIENCE

112. The subject co-ordinator has not monitored the quality of teaching and needs to make more use of the monitoring information available through looking at planning, collecting books and examining the test results. By doing so, the weaknesses in the teaching of some classes will be readily identified. A satisfactory assessment system is in place, but to improve further there is a need for staff to work together to agree the different levels of work and the school’s expectations and targets for each year group. Although pupils use information and communication technology (ICT) occasionally to revise past work and to produce charts of their work, an area to improve is the specific planning of opportunities to use ICT, for example using sensors, in suitable experiments. Overall, the subject contributes well to pupils’ spiritual development, for instance through the appreciation of the living world.

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SCIENCE

The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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ART AND DESIGN

113. Standards of work are at the level expected for the pupils’ age in Years 2 and 6. This represents satisfactory achievement for all pupils including those with special educational needs. The standards identified in the previous inspection have been maintained.

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ART AND DESIGN

114. Pupils in Year 2 experience a wide range of activities. They enjoy mixing colours and have experimented with different tones. Their attention to detail in observational drawings of fruit is impressive and a number of pupils produce high quality work. In a Year 2 lesson, following a very clear demonstration of artistic skills, the pupils were eager to try out new ideas. They knew how to create different effects and experiment with smudging pastels to achieve different shades. Pictures are coloured neatly and pupils give great attention to the shape of the fruit they draw. They enjoy talking about their work and are eager to improve. A few recognise when a line is not correct and are starting to suggest how they can improve their work. Pupils have used textiles for weaving patterns and collages.

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ART AND DESIGN

115. Year 6 pupils’ work includes design. They have drawn plans for their collages showing the position of an interesting mixture of resources. This plan has then been followed through and resulted in colourful collages. Tonal work has been further extended and pupils have experimented with patterns on different backgrounds. Pupils are unsure about artistic vocabulary. In Years 4 and 5, pupils clearly explained how they were adding layer to make their work stand out, but did not relate this to creating texture. Pupils in Year 6 know how to achieve different effects by shading with a pencil. Many understand that sketching includes trying out their ideas with faint lines but a few still draw a defining edge rather than looking closely at the portrait they are trying to complete. This weakness links to the lack of use of sketchbooks. Pupils do not use these books effectively to explore ideas or

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ART AND DESIGN

to collect ideas for future reference. Discussions with pupils as they work show they are able to identify aspects of their work they want to improve, but they are less skilful in suggesting ways to do this.

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ART AND DESIGN

116. Teaching and learning are satisfactory with some examples of good teaching seen during the inspection. Teachers establish useful links with different subjects. For example, the use of a portrait of the Bronte sisters captured the imagination of the Years 5 and 6 pupils because they know about the sisters from their visit to Haworth. Support staff are used effectively and this enables the pupils with special educational needs to be fully included in the lessons. A very positive feature in lessons is the good relationships and positive management. This leads to pupils being confident in their work as they know teachers value their efforts. These are often attractively displayed around the school and this does much to build up pupils’ self-esteem.

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ART AND DESIGN

117. Overall, management is satisfactory. The subject has received limited attention in recent years, but the school has taken on board the nationally recommended planning guidelines.

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ART AND DESIGN

118. The school makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ cultural development. In the Foundation Stage children have looked at the work of famous artists, but this is less evident in the rest of the school. Pupils enjoyed making masks when the school had some African dancers visit the school. The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. Standards in design and technology are in line with national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6. Progress for pupils is mostly satisfactory because the subject is soundly led, teachers follow a structured scheme to ensure work builds carefully on previous learning, and teaching is at least sound across the school. These areas were all weaknesses at the time of the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. Pupils complete projects that enable them to apply and slowly improve their skills of designing, making, evaluating and changing the things that they make. Pupils work with tools, equipment, materials and components to make products, some of which show individuality and are of at least satisfactory quality. Some projects are linked well to other subjects, such as history, science, religious education and English.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. By the end of Year 2, pupils learn about different types of puppets before designing and making their own, using pictures and words to show what they want to do. They suggest ways of further improvement. For example, one pupil comments, ‘I wish I had used buttons for the eyes instead of sparkling balls’. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 design and make moving monsters and Viking long ships. By the end of Year 6, pupils make slippers, after investigating different materials for warmth, wear and strength, in a good link with science. They appreciate that appearance, function, cost and safety are important considerations in the design and making process. They design and make biscuits to their own individual specification before considering the packaging of their product. In a good link with English, pupils write instructions of how to make their biscuit.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. Teaching is satisfactory overall, although good teaching was observed in Year 6. Good features of teaching include secure subject knowledge, well chosen resources, which enable pupils to improve their making skills, and good questioning to help pupils extend their knowledge. These good features help to increase pupils’ confidence and enthusiasm, which encourages them to ‘have a go’.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. Although the school has overcome many of the weaknesses from the last inspection, there are still areas for needed development. For example, there are no consistent approaches to assessing pupils’ progress as they move through the school. The subject co-ordinator has little opportunity to monitor teaching and learning to gain an essential overview because it is not an identified priority for development. Resource storage continues to be a problem because of central storage limitations. Links with information and communication technology are evident, such as through the use of the digital camera to record pupils’ work. The school has identified this as an area for further development, such as through the use of control technology.

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GEOGRAPHY

124. Pupils make at least sound gains in learning as they move through the school and reach standards that are close to national levels by the end of Years 2 and 6. All pupils make at least satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge, skills and understanding because: • teachers place sound emphasis on developing important skills, such as mapping skills; • the subject is well represented in all years; • there is a scheme to ensure that work builds carefully on previous learning; • the leadership of the subject is sound, and there are plans for its further development; • the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, and is sometimes good or better; • a satisfactory range of resources helps to support pupils’ learning. The Ellis Church of England Primary School 125. Pupils acquire a geographical vocabulary, and knowledge and understanding of their own area and contrasting localities, to levels close to those found nationally by end of Years 2

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GEOGRAPHY

and 6. Pupils start to appreciate how localities change, what causes pollution and how conservation can help improve matters as they move through the school. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 demonstrate an awareness of localities beyond their own when they learn about life on a small Hebridean island. By the end of Year 2, pupils express views about traffic problems in Hemingfield and consider how the village can become a safer and quieter place. Year 3 pupils learn what happens to litter and discover how people try to improve the environment. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 study information from brochures to match holidays to different families’ requirements. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 distinguish between a hill and a mountain, and learn about different types of mountains. By the end of Year 6, pupils know how volcanoes are formed and why mountainous regions of the world often have heavy rainfall.

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GEOGRAPHY

126. Pupils gradually develop an understanding of maps as they move through the school. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 study local maps and start to use a simple key. Year 4 pupils learn that contour lines are used on maps to link places of similar height. Older pupils use atlases to locate many of the participating countries in the recent World Cup football tournament and the world’s highest mountains.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. However, some weaknesses exist, which prevent pupils from making the best progress possible. There are no consistent approaches to assessing pupils’ progress as they move through the school. The co-ordinator has no opportunity to monitor lessons to help identify weaknesses, as at the time of the last inspection. Work is rarely matched to pupils’ different abilities. Teachers rarely use visits to develop fieldwork skills to bring the subject to life. Few resources are centrally stored and there has been no recent audit to advise teachers of what is available. Links with information technology are evident, such as when older pupils research information about Mount Everest, but this requires further development.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. Teaching in geography is sound overall. However, very good teaching was seen in Years 1 and 2 during the inspection. Good and better features of teaching include good relationships with pupils, which help to underpin learning, good choice and use of resources, secure subject knowledge, brisk pace, good use of questions to help develop understanding, and regular use of encouragement. These features help pupils to make at least sound progress, gain confidence and increase levels of interest and involvement. In one over-ambitious lesson, there were too many lesson targets for pupils to achieve. This resulted in a lack of clear focus, which adversely affected the progress pupils made in the lesson.

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HISTORY

129. Standards match those expected for pupils in Years 2 and 6. Achievement for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is satisfactory. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory and standards remain the same.

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HISTORY

130. Pupils in Year 2 understand changes in their lives over time and identify how their favourite toys have changed as they have got older. They have compared holidays in the past with those of today and know people used to change in bathing huts that were wheeled down to the edge of the sea. Pupils have learnt about famous people such as Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. However, the worksheets used for these topics lack challenge for some pupils and include too much colouring. A few pupils failed to identify the major differences between now and then, which were evident in the pictures. The Ellis Church of England Primary School 131. In Years 3 to 6, teachers plan a range of topics in a two-year cycle to ensure there is appropriate coverage and no repetition of different periods of history. In Years 3 and 4, pupils have a secure understanding of life during World War Two because they have

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HISTORY

visited Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum. This experience was followed up effectively in class and the pupils know that war affected everyone’s life including the children. In Years 5 and 6, pupils’ enquiry skills are well developed and they are able to work out what artefacts are used for. Following their visit to the Bronte Parsonage Museum pupils recognise life has changed and that the Bronte household had servants. Discussions with pupils showed that they understand life was hard for people at that time and many died early because of disease caused by poor hygiene and dirty water. This visit was further extended when a local visitor talked to the pupils about her great, great grandfather’s experience of seeing the carriage taking Charlotte Bronte to her wedding. This extends pupils’ understanding of how people are an important resource for learning about the past. Pupils have studied famous people including John Lennon and know the

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HISTORY

Beatles were famous because they introduced a completely new type of music. They can plot many important events, including the Queen’s coronation, on a time line.

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HISTORY

132. The quality of teaching and learning in the two lessons seen was good. A positive feature of the lessons was the focus on first-hand experiences that enabled the pupils to gain a real insight into the past. Resources are prepared carefully and include a range of practical experiences including the use of videos and information and communication technology. In a Year 1 lesson pupils washed socks by hand and practised ironing with a flat iron. In Years 3 and 4, pupils crawled in to a temporary Anderson Shelter and listened to background noises of an air raid siren. Consequently, they have a real understanding of the anxiety experienced at that time. Management of pupils is good so that these practical activities are carried out in a sensible way.

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HISTORY

133. The subject is soundly led. New planning guidelines have been introduced since the last inspection and assessment procedures are in the process of being introduced. The co- ordinator does not have any regular time to monitor standards and so does not have a clear picture about current areas for development in the subject.

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HISTORY

134. Pupils’ knowledge of their own culture is enriched by their historical studies. The school actively celebrates its long history. The old school bell is in a prominent position in the foyer with a reminder of its importance in the past when people did not have clocks.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135. The school has made very significant progress in information and communication technology (ICT) since the last inspection where standards were below national expectations at the end of the infant and junior stages. Since 1997, the school has improved the provision by: • investing heavily in both equipment and staff training, which has improved the quality of teaching; • improving the leadership of the subject so that it is strong and effective; • improving the planning by ensuring teachers now teach specific lessons to develop the skills laid down in the school’s programme of work (also produced since the last inspection). As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs, are beginning to develop their skills in a logical and systematic order. Teachers are also providing opportunities for pupils to apply them across all subjects. Good support by teaching assistants, volunteers and sometimes other talented pupils ensure that all pupils are fully

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

included in the activities. The Ellis Church of England Primary School 136. This inspection evidence paints a much better picture than the one from 1997 showing that there has clearly been very good progress in developing the subject. Standards by the ages of 7 and 11 are now at the levels expected. Pupils of all ages benefit from the opportunities to use good quality computers and do so more regularly. There is still some way to go and more equipment is needed, but the improvements have been substantial.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. In the infant classes, pupils have good keyboard and mouse skills and are confident in using the computer for word processing. They learn the basic skills of how to use the highlighting option, underlining, changing the size of the font and use the spell check option for editing their work. Pupils in Year 2 go a little further and input clip art pictures to enhance the presentation of their writing, for example in their history work. In Years 1 and 2 pupils use a painting package to draw pictures and create symmetrical patterns and other pictures. They also compare their results with their own paintings and discuss the similarities and differences. They are aware of the many uses of everyday technology around us, for example in cash registers, telephones and keyboards. They recognise that a computer can produce accurate and attractive graphs and use this knowledge to produce bar charts showing types of rubbish they found around the school, favourite

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

colours and hair colours in their class. Children have been able to give commands to a floor robot and understand that a computer can be instructed to follow directions. By the time they have completed their work in Year 2 pupils have accessed the Internet and downloaded pictures and text and most pupils have e-mailed a pupil in their class.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. Junior pupils are confident users of word processing packages and use these to present their work in different styles and layouts. In the junior classes pupils enhance their word- processed work by experimenting with different styles, colours and sizes of fonts and pictures for impact. A particularly good example was seen in the Years 5 and 6 work based on a visit to Haworth and a study of the Bronte family’s literature. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have produced various accounts and reports cleverly combining text with clip-art images from a digital camera and graphics and sound downloaded from software packages. Pupils enjoyed the experience of putting together the multi-media presentations and showing them to their classmates. Pupils throughout the junior classes are aware that a computer can sort information a lot quicker and more efficiently than a person can do manually. In Years 4, 5 and 6 pupils use this information to set up their

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

own database and simple spreadsheets. However, their knowledge of how to use spreadsheets to investigate different situations is limited. The school has recently purchased equipment which enables pupils to identify and control physical events such as sound, heat and light, but this is currently the weaker area of the curriculum and staff are currently waiting for advice and training to use this program. By the end of Year 6 pupils accurately give commands to enable the computer to draw shapes such as triangles, squares and hexagon. Pupils throughout the junior classes make regular use of the Internet, especially the websites that may help them in their research, and most pupils have had the opportunity to use electronic mail. They are fully aware of the need to be careful when using the World Wide Web and teachers ensure that the school’s related policy is enforced.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. The standard of teaching is judged to be good throughout the school. The good teaching is characterised by the teachers’ secure subject knowledge following their training, and the way that they demonstrate clearly what pupils need to know through the effective use of the available resources. As a result, pupils make good progress. There are logistical difficulties in class organisation because there is room for only 10 or so pupils in the small computer suite and this limits the time spent at the computer. However, teachers use time and resources well. Pupils are self-disciplined when working with minimal supervision. Volunteer helpers including a talented governor and the daughter of a teacher provided some good support during the inspection. The pupils' attitudes to their work are good and they work with enthusiasm. They are keen and thoroughly enjoy using the range of The Ellis Church of England Primary School

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

information technologies. Pupils listen to instructions carefully, treat equipment with respect and are eager to develop their skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. In addition to the small computer suite, each classroom has a number of computers. This enables teachers to teach the computer skills and give more opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in other subjects. For example, pupils have used the Internet to download information about Egypt and have researched using CD ROM to find information about Uganda. The work in ICT is clearly supporting work in literacy and numeracy across both key stages, especially in word processing and the use of programs to consolidate the mathematics. However, there are missed opportunities for pupils to use their data- handling skills in mathematics and science.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. The ICT curriculum is well managed and meets National Curriculum requirements. Pupils get a wide range of experiences and all elements of the subject are taught or planned to be taught. The detailed scheme of work ensures pupils carry out activities in an appropriate sequence that builds upon their previous learning. The school recognises that the next stage is to build upon the satisfactory but informal assessment procedures so that teachers can be sure how well pupils are achieving and what needs to be done next. The subject co-ordinator has had little opportunity to monitor the teaching formally in the computer suite, but she does scrutinise pupils’ work and teachers’ planning and is building up a useful portfolio of work. She has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject and has been the major influence in moving the school forward in ICT in recent years. She leads the subject very well and has prepared an effective

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

development plan for ICT to show a clear long-term strategic direction for the continued improvement and development in the subject. It is a credit to the subject leader that ICT is now securely based in this school and teachers have grown in confidence as a result of their training.

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MUSIC

142. No lessons were seen in the infants and only one lesson in the juniors. Consequently, it is not possible to make an overall judgement about standards and teaching.

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MUSIC

143. Evidence in books in Year 6 and from the lesson seen shows that pupils have a satisfactory understanding of composition. They use letters to represent sounds and then perform their compositions including vocals and percussion instruments. When listening to The Hall of the Mountain King pupils recognise repetition and sway in time to the music. Teaching effectively promotes listening and through probing questions pupils consider how music can reflect feelings and emotions. Pupils suggest the music reflects ‘tension’ and ‘excitement’. Pupils work in small groups practising using percussion instruments to play a given pattern. At the end of the lesson pupils perform for the rest of the class, who appreciate their efforts. With support from the teacher, they are learning how to be critical and suggest improvements.

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MUSIC

144. Pupils have a weekly singing lesson in the hall. Many have favourite songs and hymns and especially enjoy those including actions. During the inspection the nursery led an assembly and all joined in with If I were a butterfly and the singing was good. However, on other occasions singing, although in tune, lacked volume and enthusiasm.

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MUSIC

145. The subject is soundly managed. Music does not receive a large amount of time during the school week. The school identifies the need for staff training to enable all staff to feel more confident teaching the requirements of the new planning guidelines. Resources are adequate, although a few instruments are damaged and require attention. The curriculum is extended for a small number of pupils who are learning to play the recorder. The Ellis Church of England Primary School 146. Several visitors extend pupils’ cultural development. For example, the ‘Fine Tuning’ visitor showed pupils an exciting range of instruments and the African dance group and folk singer taught pupils about different types of music. However, there is limited evidence of pupils listening to a range of different music or learning about famous composers.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. By the end of Year 2 pupils reach standards in the development of games skills and activities that are broadly typical of those found nationally. Pupils are close to national levels in their ability to travel with, receive and send a ball and in the development of these skills for striking and fielding games, such as rounders. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements about standards in other areas of physical education by the end of Year 2 or in all areas of the subject by the end of Year 6, as no lessons were seen at the end of these years to help secure judgements. However, planning indicates that all components of the subject are taught, except swimming, which is to be re-introduced in September to ensure compliance with statutory requirements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148. Evidence gained from lesson observations indicate that pupils of all abilities, including those with learning difficulties, make satisfactory but uneven gains in learning some games’ skills as they move through the school. Year 1 pupils show they can run and jump confidently over different obstacles, understand that in a team they must take turns and begin to make judgements about their efforts. By the end of Year 2, pupils are improving control and co-ordination by performing a variety of throwing, striking and catching skills. They are showing increasing understanding of basic tactics in a game of rounders. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 know about the importance of warming up before an activity and some of the benefits to health of physical activity. Activities for pupils are now more complex and challenging, requiring them, for example, to jump using one and both feet combined, to consolidate skills and perform actions with greater quality and confidence. Pupils in Years

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

4 and 5 practise throwing balls and javelins to improve their technique and accuracy, but make too little progress because they do not have enough opportunity to practise these skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. Teaching is sound in both the infants and the juniors, with good teaching seen during the inspection. In both lessons judged good, teachers emphasised well the development of important skills. Secure relationships and effective control strategies underpinned learning. Teachers used time well to keep pupils focused. They demonstrated secure subject knowledge and much enthusiasm, which helped ensure that all pupils responded well to the lessons. They shared good practice to help improve pupils’ learning. They used resources effectively to ensure pupils made good progress. Where teaching was less successful, there was not enough challenge or sufficient activity to enable pupils to make the best possible progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. The subject is soundly led, although it is too low profile at present. For example, too little time is given to physical education in some classes, and there are no visits to enrich and extend the curriculum. The school has identified gymnastics as an area for development. The subject co-ordinator has no opportunity to monitor teaching and learning regularly so that weaknesses can be identified and overcome. There are no consistent approaches to assessing pupils’ progress as they move through the school. There are enough resources to implement the requirements of the curriculum. However, their storage around the hall impinges on hall space that is already too small. This reduces the range of activities that the school can provide on wet days when the pleasant and spacious field cannot be used. Rounders and football clubs extend the programme for physical education and involve pupils of different ages, but there is scope for developing the range of sports represented.

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