Other · Ofsted report

Bealings School

Inspected — · published 28 Jun 2000 · URN 124595

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

Herringston Barn

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Inspectorssingle source
Herringston Barn
URN verified
124595

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Praiseexcellentexceptionallyvery effectivehighly effectivestronghigh qualityvery highimproved

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Full report text

BEALINGS PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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BEALINGS 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. Bealings Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Sandy Lane Little Bealings Woodbridge Suffolk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Julia Hicks

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22 January 1996 Bealings Primary School - 4

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Team members

John Messer Registered inspector Susie Messer Lay inspector Shelagh Halley Team inspector

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Team members

Quality Assurance Associates Ltd QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Bealings Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

By the age of eleven pupils attain standards in English and science which are very high and in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good work in art, music and information technology.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. They enjoy school and are eager to learn.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and includes a strong emphasis on music and art.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The school works in close partnership with parents.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The headteacher and governors provide highly effective leadership and management.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 15

Opportunities to apply pupils’ well developed skills in writing, mathematics and science to realistic situations are not always grasped by teachers. Teachers do not always make the most of the inherent links between subjects to consolidate learning and develop ideas.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 15

The early years class is under-resourced. There is not enough play equipment.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 15

Younger pupils in mixed aged classes are not always provided with work which is sufficiently matched to their learning needs.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 15

Pupils in Key Stage 1 have too few opportunities to write at length.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 15

More time needs to be given to improving handwriting and the neat presentation of work at Key Stage 1.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This village school has 92 pupils on roll and is smaller than most primary schools. There are rather more boys than girls, especially in Year 1. Pupils are taught in four classes in the mornings and in three classes in the afternoons. Few pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds and all speak English as their first language. The children come from relatively advantaged home backgrounds and the proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals, 8 per cent, is below the national average. Children’s achievements on entry to the school are above those normally expected of four year olds. Around an eighth of pupils have been identified as having special educational needs and this is below the national average. The school is popular and 37 per cent of pupils come from outside the immediate area as a result of parental choice.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. The standards attained by pupils of all abilities are high across all areas of their learning. Teaching is very good and results in very effective learning. Pupils have especially good attitudes to work and relationships between pupils and teachers are very good. The headteacher has an excellent understanding of how children learn and provides strong leadership. The school is well supported by parents and the governing body. Teaching and support staff are exceptionally well deployed throughout the school in order to use their specialist skills most effectively. Resources and accommodation are used efficiently to provide a very effective learning environment. The school is constantly seeking to improve standards further and provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• By the age of eleven pupils attain standards in English and science which are very high. In mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good work in art, music and information technology. • Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. They enjoy school and are eager to learn. • The quality of teaching is very good. • The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and includes a strong emphasis on music and art. • The school works in close partnership with parents. • The headteacher and governors provide highly effective leadership and management.

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What could be improved

§ Opportunities to apply pupils’ well developed skills in writing, mathematics and science to realistic situations are not always grasped by teachers and teachers do not always make the most of the inherent links between subjects to consolidate learning and develop ideas. § The early years class is under-resourced. There is not enough play equipment. § Younger pupils in mixed aged classes are not always provided with work which is sufficiently matched to their learning needs. § Pupils in Key Stage 1 have too few opportunities to write at length. § More time needs to be given to improving handwriting and the neat presentation of work at Key Stage 1. 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

Since the school was last inspected in January 1996 considerable improvements have been made. Standards in English, mathematics and science have improved significantly. The buildings and grounds have been developed to provide enhanced learning opportunities. Resources have improved and now include a good computer suite. Most of the key issues raised at the time of the last inspection have been tackled successfully. The school development plan has been improved and is now a very useful management tool. The high standards of teaching and learning, the good relationships and behaviour have been maintained and the molehills have been removed from the school field. Handwriting is of a higher standard than it was, but the presentation of children's work remains an area for further development. Bealings Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

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

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Key

This table shows that by the age of eleven the pupils’ results are consistently very high in English and science when compared with all primary schools nationally. The star symbol indicates that the school’s results are in the top 5 per cent nationally. In mathematics the pupils’ results are well above average. When compared with schools which have pupils from similar social backgrounds the school’s performance in all subjects is well above average. The school has set conservative targets of 80 per cent in English and 90 per cent in mathematics for the proportion of pupils expected to attain the national target of Level 4 by the age of eleven in 2000. The school’s assessment data shows that pupils are at widely varying stages of development in each year group. The data indicates that this target will be challenging for this particular group of pupils. The school has set the target of 100 per cent for the pupils who will attain at least the national target of Level 4 in English

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Key

and mathematics in 2001 and it seems highly likely that the school will reach these targets. Inspection findings confirm that standards are high in English, mathematics and science. Work of high quality is produced in art and music. Standards in information technology exceed national expectations.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils are eager to learn and keen to succeed. They are excited and interested in the work which is presented to them.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils show exemplary levels of good behaviour both in classes and in the playground.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils form very good relationships with one another. They discuss issues confidently with teachers and other adults. They show initiative and are willing to take responsibility for their work and help each other willingly.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is good and pupils enjoy coming to school Pupils’ exceptionally good behaviour and positive attitudes to their work have a major beneficial impact upon the standards that they achieve. Pupils show confidence in asking for help and guidance.

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

Bealings Primary School - 8 Lessons seen overall good good very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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

Teaching in English, mathematics and science is very good. Teaching is particularly effective where teachers use imaginative strategies to capture children’s interest. Teaching is at least sound in all lessons. It is good or better in 90 per cent of lessons; it is very good and occasionally excellent in 47 per cent of lessons. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught very well. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support. Gifted and talented pupils are well catered for.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum A rich and varied curriculum is provided. An excellent range of educational visits and after school activities enhance pupils’ learning opportunities well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is good. Pupils who require extra learning support are identified quickly and effective extra teaching is provided, mostly on an individual basis or in small groups. Teachers match work closely to pupils’ special needs.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Pupils appreciate their own culture and that of others. Art and music give excellent support to pupils’ cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils receive very good guidance in helping them to improve their academic performance. Teaching and support staff provide a secure and caring learning environment.

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Aspect Comment

The curriculum is especially relevant to pupils’ needs and provides them with firm foundations for the next phase of their education. Educational visits are exceptionally well planned and link well with the work pupils do in school. The school’s curriculum complies fully with statutory requirements. French is also provided and this helps to promote pupils’ cultural development. Pupils flourish within the highly caring learning environment provided by the school. Bealings Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and his deputy provide very good leadership and management. All staff work exceptionally well together as a team.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors provide good support and fulfil their responsibilities effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher has a highly developed understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school evaluates its performance clearly and accurately.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Resources, both human and physical, are used very efficiently.

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Aspect Comment

The school has developed an ethos which is rooted in a commitment to improve standards. Finances are used efficiently and the principles of best value are used well to ensure cost effectiveness.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Parents feel staff are approachable • Their children like coming to school • The teaching is good and children make good progress • The school expects children to work hard and achieve their best • The school works in close partnership with parents • The school is well led and managed • The school helps children to become mature and responsible • The amount of homework children are given • Information about their children’ progress

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with the parents’ positive comments. Inspection findings show that parents are given good information about pupils’ progress and that pupils are provided with an appropriate amount of homework. Bealings Primary School - 10

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

work in art, music and information technology.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

1. The pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests for eleven year olds in 1999 was very high in English and science and was well above average in mathematics. These high standards were confirmed by inspection findings. In English, by the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainments exceed national expectations of eleven year olds. They have a very good understanding of literary forms and different styles of writing. They are good at writing poetry, letters for different purposes, descriptive passages and instructional tracts as well as writing associated with other subjects in the curriculum, such as history, geography and science. Pupils use words sensitively and understand how to choose words carefully in order to create an accurate image or an effect which has a strong impact on readers. In a cinquain, a five line poem, on winter, for example, one pupil wrote ‘The leaves, frost crisped, break from the trees’. They write good odes to autumn

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

having explored the famous ode by Keats. Pupils have a clear understanding of the drafting process and are good at redrafting and refining their work to improve its quality. Pupils are well read and have a good knowledge of a wide range of literature. To create a poem around the theme of ‘Full Fathom Five’ they draw on their knowledge of Robinson Crusoe, books by Michael Morporgo and the film of the sinking of the Titanic. They can explain clearly writing strategies, such as alliteration, and use their knowledge of the technicalities of language well in their writing.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

2. The success of the older pupils is partly due to the good foundations which are laid in the classes for younger pupils. In the class for the youngest pupils children learn to write thank you letters to their mothers after listening to a poem about mothers and participating in high quality discussions about all the things that mothers do. They use a computer program to create a visual scene before adding speech in ‘speech bubbles’ to the characters in the scene. Pupils in Year 2 learn how to analyse non fictional texts and are good at finding the key words in order to take notes. They are developing a good knowledge of language and, for example, most understand the term ‘adjective’ and know that adjectives can enrich their writing. In the National Curriculum tests for seven year olds in 1999 pupils attained standards which were well above average in reading, both when compared with all schools, and when compared with similar schools. Inspection

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

findings confirm that reading standards are high in Key Stage 1. The younger pupils in Key Stage 2 read fluently, and together the class analyses particular features of characters in ‘The Hobbit’. The good work which is produced in English throughout the school contributes to the school’s high performance in the national tests for eleven year olds.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

3. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils attain standards in mathematics which exceed national expectations. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are capable of creating graphs to illustrate the equation y= x 2 – 5 which requires them to use all quadrants of a graph. They are able, for example, to extrapolate a general theory and create formulae after recognising patterns in a sequence of results. In one lesson, for example, when building a cumulative regular model with plastic shapes, a group of pupils quickly identified the steps in a sequence as triangular numbers, though the challenge was so complex that they wrestled unsuccessfully to find the general formula during the lesson. Throughout the school pupils use their skills well in other subjects, such as geography and science. In science, for example, pupils calculate how long 14 millilitres of water at 23 degrees Celsius will take to evaporate, and in Year 2, during work on insulation,

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

pupils read thermometers carefully and create an accurate graph to show how quickly jacket potatoes cool.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

4. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils attain standards in science which exceed national expectations for eleven year olds. In a sequence of lessons on dissolving substances, pupils showed good skills in setting up an experiment with all variables controlled to ensure a fair test. They use stop watches to measure accurately to a hundredth of a second and work carefully with hot liquids, whilst stirring mixtures. They make valid predictions about a greater volume of water enabling sugar to dissolve at a faster rate and hypothesise sensibly about why heat might affect the rate at which substances dissolve. They reflect thoughtfully on why, for example, a set amount of Bealings Primary School - 11 brown sugar dissolves in 42.26 seconds, whilst the same amount of icing sugar takes 81.59 seconds to dissolve. Again the high standards which pupils attain by the time they leave the school are as a direct result of the good work produced in earlier years. Pupils in Year 2 make

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

butter and toast and carefully consider the changes which have taken place and whether the changes are reversible or permanent. They study materials such as plastic and cotton before experimenting to see which are waterproof and which are not. The work they complete is thought provoking. As part of an experiment on melting, for example, they wrap a lollipop in newspaper to see the effects of insulation and are surprised that the lollipop melts more slowly when ‘wrapped up warm’.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

5. Pupils produce good work in information technology and, by the end of Key Stage 2, standards exceed national expectations. Pupils know how to access the Internet and, during the week of the inspection, were creating their own web pages as contributions to the school’s web site. They use colour and different fonts imaginatively in their creations and understand how to import gifs and create hyperlinks. They appreciate that reducing pictures to thumb nails speeds the process of downloading. Pupils use the digital camera and the scanner well to enhance their work. Younger pupils use programs to create pictures and introduce, for example, pirates into a desert island scene before adding speech to their characters.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

6. Very good work is produced in art. Pupils create bold masks in clay after working with an African artist and paint detailed still life pictures after studying the work of Ben Nicholson. They paint these still life pictures on plasterboard, cotton, corrugated card, blockboard and plywood. Pupils select and mix appropriate colours sensitively. Large wall hangings are created collaboratively with rich designs outlined in pen and filled in with inks. Large, framed paintings of pupils’ work inspired by modern painters, such as Modigliani and Picasso, adorn the walls, and triptychs showing, for example, penguins being painted, printed and drawn in ink, show various techniques being used to illustrate the same subject. Pupils study sculptures by Barbara Hepworth and experiment in the naïve style of Alfred Wallis. Younger pupils paint boldly and use colour imaginatively. Throughout the school, a great deal of vibrant work is produced..

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

7. Very good work is produced in music. All learn how to play the recorder and many learn to play the flute and clarinet. The older pupils compose pieces for flute and clarinet for their friends to play. Ensembles play a good range of pieces well, including traditional pieces, such as ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ and jazz pieces such as ‘When the Saints Come Marching In’. Pupils play well in unison and interpret the dynamics of varying pieces sensitively. They sing well together in assemblies and listen attentively to the works of a wide range of composers.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. They enjoy school and are eager to learn.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

8. Pupils are keen to learn and eager to please. They are excited by many of the tasks and activities provided. They concentrate hard and most persevere until the work is finished satisfactorily. They are often disappointed when time runs out and the end of a lesson comes before they have finished what they want to do. This occurred in a lesson in information technology, for example, where pupils were totally engrossed in designing their web pages, and were disappointed when it was time to go home.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

9. Pupils are keen to take part in after school activities, such as the hockey club, and clubs soon become over subscribed. Pupils show high levels of confidence and discuss their work with visitors in a sensible manner. They are polite and considerate. They develop sound values and beliefs and have a keen sense of justice and fair play. Good teamwork is evident as pupils play music together and when competing in team games. Pupils’ development is promoted within a safe, secure environment. Health and safety are assured by regular checks and daily vigilance, and suitable child protection procedures are in place. The high standards that pupils attain are partly the result of their very positive attitudes to work and their enjoyment of school.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

The quality of teaching is very good. Bealings Primary School - 12 10. One of the key features which that promotes high quality teaching is the way in which teachers share their particular strengths and specialisms across the school. The science co-ordinator, for example, teaches science to all year groups and this promotes exceptionally good continuity in pupils’ learning. The headteacher uses his expertise in nearly all year groups to develop skills in information technology. Each week, groups of pupils visit the computer suite where he teaches techniques sequentially, so that pupils then have opportunities to practise those skills with the help of an increasingly skilled classroom assistant.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

11. Especially imaginative teaching was seen in science, where the younger pupils in Key Stage 1 were asked to close their eyes and imagine a herd of woolly mammoths crossing the snowy wastes of the arctic. Suddenly the herd was buried by an avalanche and frozen in ice. The pupils were then given blocks of ice inside which they could just make out the shadowy shape of some object. Some suggested smashing the ice to find what lay inside, but it was decided that this might damage whatever was within, so experiments with salt and warm water were tried. To the pupils’ delight, the model mammoths that had been locked within were safely released. Powerful teaching was also seen in English, where the oldest pupils in Key Stage 2 were encouraged to mould words to express the feelings that might be experienced on drowning. This was inspired by their study of the ‘Full Fathom Five’ speech from ‘The Tempest’. Here, high

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

expectations of pupils’ performance and the good relationships forged between the teacher and pupils, promotes work of high quality.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

12. Teachers engender a serious approach to work and because the lessons are carefully prepared and most are planned well to meet pupils’ learning needs, the control of behaviour is not an issue and high levels of discipline are maintained without too much apparent effort. Where teachers share the learning objectives of a lesson with the pupils, learning is more purposeful. Even greater concentration is achieved when pupils understand that they will consider to what extent they have reached their objectives in a review session at the end of the lesson. These strategies help to focus learning and enhance the pace of lessons. The high quality of teaching results in very effective learning.

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

13. Pupils with special educational needs are identified promptly and their needs are catered for well when they are withdrawn from class for extra learning help provided by a classroom assistant or a teacher, usually the special needs co-ordinator, who is released specifically to give special support. Special support is also provided for pupils who are particularly talented, usually in mathematics. Several such talented pupils also benefit from booster classes arranged by the local education authority. This extra attention to pupils’ specific needs is well co-ordinated and is very effective. It helps a significant number of pupils to attain levels that are in advance of the national target of Level 4 in the National Curriculum and several pupils are working at Level 6 in mathematics, which is exceptional. Teaching is supplemented by several useful initiatives, such as the link with British Telecom, who send a member of staff to the school to work on

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in mathematics standards are well above the national average. Pupils produce very good

mathematical problems. The peripatetic music teacher visits each week to teach the flute and clarinet, and high standards are attained. All the teaching seen was at least sound. Teaching for the under fives and In Key Stage 1 was mostly good and in Key Stage 2 most of the teaching was very good. This high quality teaching promotes very effective learning and pupils make very good progress.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

includes a strong emphasis on music and art.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

14. The school provides a rich, broad curriculum of high quality that fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. The curriculum provided for pupils gives due emphasis to English and mathematics, and the skills pupils learn in these areas have a major impact upon their ability to access other areas of the curriculum. Throughout the school, reading receives a great deal of attention, and pupils not only learn to read fluently but they also develop a love of literature and an appreciation of the richness and variety of language. The school sharpens their interest and encourages a breadth of reading by inviting authors, poets and storytellers into school to work with the pupils. A competition, called ‘Everest Challenge’, was organised, so that pupils were challenged to read a variety of books and, as they did so, their flag made progress up the slopes of Mount Everest.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

Bealings Primary School - 13 In these ways another dimension is added to the teaching of reading so that greater depth and quality is achieved. The love of words and different genres generated through reading has a powerful effect upon the richness of pupils’ writing and they enjoy experimenting with words to achieve heightened effects.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

15. The significant emphasis on developing literacy and numeracy does not lessen the breadth of the curriculum. Science and religious education are taught each week and work of good quality is produced. Good work was seen in design and technology and pupils gain good skills in geography and history. Art, music and information technology feature strongly and skills learned in these areas are used well across the curriculum. An annual summer music concert and annual dramatic performances are held for parents and friends. Facilities for physical education are restricted but swimming takes place regularly and there are numerous sporting fixtures against other schools. From their earliest days in school, pupils are taught to speak French. Here, the emphasis is on developing oral skills and the teacher concentrates on conversational French.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

16. There is a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ awareness of the multi-cultural nature of society. Literature from other cultures is studied, African and Indian music feature in the curriculum, and art from around the world is considered. Pupils develop a sensitive awareness of their own cultural traditions, as well as an understanding of the richness and diversity of other cultures. Health education and drugs awareness form part of the school’s programme for personal and social education. Pupils in Year 6 meet each Monday afternoon for activities with pupils in Year 6 from other schools in the area, for joint events including drama, outdoor adventurous activities such as sailing, sex education, design and technology. One exceptionally good feature is the work that these pupils do in liaison with a local special school for pupils with physical disabilities. They design interesting games and toys that incorporate sensory features,

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

such as bells and soft fabrics. This emphasis on what can be done for others helps to foster pupils’ social and moral development. Once a week the major part of the daily assembly is devoted to discussing school issues and issues from the wider world, and is chaired by one of the Year 6 pupils. Again, this does much to develop pupils’ ideas of citizenship. Pupils’ spiritual awareness is heightened through their study of stories and poems and they empathise sensitively with the feelings expressed by writers. They also gain such awareness when studying artists and in one assembly, for example, they were able to relate the pictures they drew of their mothers to Hockney’s photo montage of his mother. On this occasion, they also listened quietly for the sound of the cuckoo music by Delius. The school’s residential visits enhance personal development and great interest has been generated in the forthcoming visit to Cornwall, which

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

will feature visits to see the work of many of the artists whose work the pupils are studying.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

The school works in strong partnership with parents.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

17. Parents support the school strongly and are pleased with the education it provides. Several work in classrooms and help the school on school visits. Parents are keen to assist with helping children to develop their reading, spellings and number activities at home. They greatly appreciate the curricular evenings that the school organises regularly to keep parents informed about developments in education. Most like the school reports and find them informative. They find the newsletters useful and are pleased that the governors send a termly newsletter to inform them of the governing body’s activities and of new developments. A substantial sum of money is raised each year by the ‘Friends of Bealings School Association’ to supplement resources. The school now sends newsletters by e-mail as well as by pupil post and this is appreciated by those who use the new facility. Parents consider that the school enables pupils to do their best. They

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

appreciate the high expectations of pupils’ performance and behaviour that the school maintains and consider that this is achieved without any inappropriate pressure to attain high standards.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

The headteacher and governors provide highly effective leadership and management.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

18. The headteacher works in close association with the school governors to provide highly effective leadership and management. He has a very clear understanding of how children learn and a clear vision of how to organise an effective learning environment. He ensures that all who work Bealings Primary School - 14 in the school are deployed efficiently. This often requires precise timing to ensure that staff are in the correct classroom at the correct time but all works smoothly and pupils benefit from being taught by an exceptionally wide range of teachers for such a small school. An example of this good organisation is the way that four relatively small classes are organised each morning and three classes each afternoon. Space, time and personnel are used creatively to ensure enhanced learning opportunities for pupils. The organisation is complex but each element meshes well, one with another, and a calm, purposeful working atmosphere results. A

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

computer suite has been tucked into the corner of the hall in the place of a library area, and this space is now much better used than previously, without detriment to the space required for gymnastics and dance lessons. The grounds have also been enhanced imaginatively and the garden areas have been developed well to provide a very attractive learning resource. Sculptures, an Elizabethan knot garden, a stone collage, good climbing apparatus, a pond and arbours, created by bending hazel branches, adorn the grounds.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

19. The headteacher has a very full teaching load that constrains his ability to work alongside teachers to promote their professional development. His role in monitoring and evaluating the quality of education provided in each class in order to identify areas for improvement is limited. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities well. Most governors are able to visit the school regularly give support and to gain an insight into the workings of the school. The governing body maintains good control of the budget and all allocations are spent after much deliberation about how they could be used most effectively to maintain standards. A good school development plan is produced each year. This details proposed developments for the year in line with the priorities that have been identified by the school. In the recent past, the main priorities have been influenced by national initiatives, such as the national literacy strategy and the National

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

Numeracy Strategy, both of which have now been implemented successfully. The school is now at the stage of reviewing the strategies to determine whether adjustments are required to match the current needs of the school.

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The school provides a full and varied curriculum which is relevant to pupils’ needs and

20. Time, space, resources, finances and personnel are all used thoughtfully and creatively to enhance the quality of education that the school is able to provide. The school ensures that pupils attain high standards; it provides very good value for money. Bealings Primary School - 15

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realistic situations are not always grasped by teachers. Teachers do not always make the

most of the inherent links between subjects to consolidate learning and develop ideas.

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realistic situations are not always grasped by teachers. Teachers do not always make the

21. The pupils develop good skills in writing, mathematics and science. These skills are not always used in situations that relate to ordinary, everyday situations. A great deal of arithmetic is taught successfully, but pupils have few opportunities to apply their skills in realistic circumstances. Fractions are taught well, for example, but little is taught as to what fractions might be used for. Pupils have well developed literacy skills, but there are few opportunities to publish their own poetry anthologies or use their skills to produce books that they have made themselves. In science, pupils studied which materials were waterproof, but the knowledge they gained is not rooted in a need to create a mackintosh, for example, in order to cross to the school dining room without getting soaked. This lack of a sufficiently strong link with realistic situations leads to learning being somewhat separate from its purpose, and it is not, therefore, consolidated as

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realistic situations are not always grasped by teachers. Teachers do not always make the

well as it might otherwise be. There are clear opportunities to link learning in different areas of the curriculum that would match the way that pupils learn effectively across the sometimes artificial divisions between subjects. Pupils’ work in science on freezing, for example, is not linked with work on identifying the polar regions in geography or painting winter landscapes in art or composing frosty sounds in music.

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realistic situations are not always grasped by teachers. Teachers do not always make the

The early years class is under-resourced. There is not enough play equipment.

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realistic situations are not always grasped by teachers. Teachers do not always make the

22. The classroom for the youngest pupils is well organised, but lacks enough equipment to support pupils’ learning. The role play area is underdeveloped and lacks a sufficient range of dressing up clothes. There is no well developed outside play area where pupils might drive wheeled vehicles around painted roadways to develop physical co-ordination. Equipment to establish a well resourced, imaginative home corner is lacking. Equipment, to promote an understanding of spatial awareness and how materials behave in the water table, such as funnels, sieves, clear plastic tubing or sponges, are not in evidence.

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Younger pupils in mixed aged classes are not always provided with work sufficiently closely

23. In a small minority of lessons, the learning needs of pupils at widely differing stages of development are not met with sufficient precision to enable them to experience success. Where tasks are not sufficiently well structured to meet their needs, they struggle and do not always finish the work that has been set. This is more often the case with the younger pupils in mixed age classes. Teachers’ planning includes a broad refererence to the way in which expectations will be adjusted to allow for differences in pupils’ prior attainment but such references do not always go far enough. The tasks themselves are not always adjusted sufficiently to meet the needs of all pupils.

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Younger pupils in mixed aged classes are not always provided with work sufficiently closely

Pupils in Key Stage 1 have too few opportunities to write purposefully.

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Younger pupils in mixed aged classes are not always provided with work sufficiently closely

24. Teachers follow the format of the National Literacy Strategy conscientiously, and language skills are developed well. Pupils have an extensive knowledge of the technicalities of language and they are developing an extensive vocabulary. They are skilled in identifying different forms of writing and analyse texts with skill. Opportunities to practise these skills in writing at length are infrequent. There is no clear purpose in practising the skills.

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More time needs to be given to improving handwriting and the neat presentation of work at

25. Pupils’ handwriting is not always carefully formed and, although a minority of pupils write in a very painstaking way, many of the older pupils in Key Stage 1 are not sure about how to form Bealings Primary School - 16 letters and joins correctly. Insufficient time is spent on teaching handwriting and showing pupils how to present their work neatly.

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