Derwent Vale Primary and Nursery School

DERWENT VALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mr D. Nightingale OFSTED Inspector Number: 18911

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DERWENT VALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th – 21 st June 2001

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DERWENT VALE 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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DERWENT VALE 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. Derwent Vale Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Great Clifton WORKINGTON Cumbria

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Karen Maxwell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: September 1997 Derwent Vale Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 18911 Mr D. Nightingale Registered inspector English science history information and communication technology special educational needs What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve further? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school lead and managed? 9306 Mrs B. Moore Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 11848 Mr J. Taylor Team inspector mathematics design and technology geography physical education equal opportunities How good are the curricular opportunities and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

1951 Ms Y. Crizzle Team inspector art and design music religious education the foundation stage curriculum English as an additional language Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Lincolnshire Education Associates The Innovation Centre Europarc GRIMSBY North East Lincolnshire DN37 9TT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 9

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 - 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 27 - 43

Derwent Vale Primary School - 6 Derwent Vale Primary School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is for children aged 3 to 11 years and is smaller than many primary schools. There are 102 pupils on roll with slightly more girls than boys, although this varies from year to year. In Reception and Years 4 and 5 there are twice as many girls as boys. Information from the statistics available indicates that when children enter the school their overall attainments are well below those expected of children of their age. Thirty-eight per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals; this is above the national average. There are 35 pupils on the register of special educational needs, which proportion is above average compared with schools nationally. There is one pupil with a statement of special educational needs and this is about average. There are no children from ethnic groups or with English as an additional language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a sound quality of education and is a supportive and caring place where most children want to learn. Pupils’ positive attitudes, good behaviour and relationships help them achieve well. The good, and sometimes very good teaching with the oldest children helps them to make good progress by the time they leave the school. The headteacher and governing body work well together to provide effective leadership, although the management role of some key staff is not well developed. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Children make good progress by the time they leave the school • The teaching of the oldest junior aged children is very good. • Very good provision is made for the welfare of children in its care. • Parents are well informed about their children’s progress and the day-to-day life of the school. • The school makes very good use of additional resources made available through different schemes and projects. • The good leadership of the headteacher has resulted in improved provision for children’s personal development and this is reflected in the positive attitudes and good behaviour of children.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards throughout the school in English, mathematics and religious education. • Planning for the consistent development of skills in all subjects and the full implementation of National Curriculum and Agreed Syllabus for religious education • Monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school by key staff with leadership responsibilities. 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

Overall the school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Changes in staffing and long-term absences have significantly affected the pace at which it has been possible to make changes. The governing body are now more involved in the strategic leadership of the school. Although planning has been reviewed and national guidance used to help develop schemes of work, there is not enough consistency in planning to ensure that all subjects receive appropriate coverage and time. The National Literacy Strategy and National Numeracy Strategy provide good structures for teaching English and mathematics but there is still no clear guidance on how children will learn key skills in other subjects. The school development plan is an improved document. It provides a clearer framework for developments and identifies criteria for judging the success in achieving targets. Assessment procedures have been rationalised and are now more useable.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Teaching has improved, overall, with more very good and excellent teaching than at the last inspection. Behaviour has improved. There has been some improvement in the monitoring role of the governing body but governors still rely too much on the headteacher for evaluation information. Long-term financial planning has improved. Derwent Vale Primary School - 8

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English B C D A well above average above average A B mathematics B B D B average below average C D science A A B A well below average E

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STANDARDS

By time pupils leave the school pupils have made good progress considering their attainments when they entered school. This is illustrated well by pupils’ high achievement when compared with the results achieved by children in similar schools. Results over the past three years have shown that pupils’ performance is usually close or above that achieved nationally. Variations in the number of children taking the tests each year affect results, particularly, as in 2000, when there are significant numbers of children with special educational needs. This is most noticeable in English and mathematics where the proportion of children attaining the level expected was similar to the national average but the proportion achieving the higher level was well below the national average. Inspection found that standards in English and mathematics of the current Year 6 were generally below those expected but over half the children in the group have been identified as having special

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STANDARDS

educational needs. Considering this the results they achieve are good. In science standards are in line with expectations for eleven year-olds. Pupils have made good progress in information and communication technology (ICT) with most children achieving the standards expected by the time they leave the school. Standards in religious education are below what is expected of eleven-year-olds because they are not taught it often enough.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Children are enthusiastic and enjoy most lessons. When teaching is good and lessons proceed at a good pace children sustain good levels of concentration.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Children behave well in lessons and when moving around the school. They are very welcoming and polite to visitors

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Relationships between adults and children and among pupils themselves are good. Most children help one another. Pupils accept responsibility well in helping with tasks about the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Unsatisfactory. Levels of attendance are below the national average.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Children’s personal development is good. A significant feature of the school is the children’s open and friendly approach. Their good behaviour helps them to learn and make steady progress. By the time they leave the school pupils are becoming mature individuals. Children who find it difficult to behave consistently respond well to their teachers’ good management of their behaviour. Derwent Vale Primary School - 9

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory, enabling pupils to learn well. It is particularly good with the oldest children. Teaching was satisfactory or better in 92 per cent of lessons seen; in 48 per cent of lessons it was satisfactory; in 23 per cent it was good; in 17 per cent it was very good and in 4 per cent it was excellent. Teaching was less than satisfactory in eight per cent of lessons, of which half of these was poor. Although there was some unsatisfactory teaching the general quality has improved since the last inspection. The teaching of all subjects seen during the inspection was at least satisfactory and it was good in English, science and physical education in the junior classes. No teaching of history or music was seen

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Good relationships between adults and children form the basis of the good management of classes. Teachers use resources effectively to help with explanations or provide support for pupils’ learning. In the best lessons, teachers’ very good knowledge of their subject helps inspire good learning in children. These lessons proceed at a good pace and have a good balance between teacher input and children’s work. Classroom assistants provide good support to children because teachers deploy them effectively.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Unsatisfactory. Planning does not ensure that all of the required elements of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught in sufficient depth. This results in an imbalance in the whole curriculum and unsatisfactory range of learning opportunities, especially for children in Year 2. Not enough time is allocated for teaching each subject. There are good strategies for teaching literacy skills and for developing children’s personal, social and health education. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Individual education plans (IEP) set clear targets for children to achieve.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The school makes good provision to develop pupils’ understanding of themselves and the society in which they live. Children are given understanding of right from wrong. They are encouraged to work and play together. Pupils are helped to have an awareness of local environment and the needs of others. Subjects such as art and music are not used enough to develop children’s spiritual and cultural understanding.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Procedures for ensuring that pupils work and play in a safe environment are very good. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. Results of assessments are analysed effectively to track progress of groups of children and to guide curricular planning in English and mathematics. It is not used consistently to support the academic progress of individual children.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents’ views are supportive of the school. The overall quality of information provided to parents is very good. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum which is planned, although weaknesses in the planning means that they do not receive a balanced curriculum. Child protection and health and safety procedures are well understood by all staff. Derwent Vale Primary School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. Good leadership by the headteacher, who has a very clear vision for what the school aims to achieve. The lack of involvement of key staff in the monitoring of the work of the school limits their input into the strategic management of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Through well-organised committees the governing body fulfils it statutory role successfully. Governors support the school well and are now more active in the leadership and strategic development of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Unsatisfactory. Procedures are not well established. This results in weaknesses in the curriculum the school provides not being clearly identified.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. Financial planning and school administration are good. Very good use is made of grants – particularly CREDITS scheme for developing the ICT and the expertise of adults.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There is an appropriate level of suitably qualified teaching staff, although some temporary teachers who have had to cover one class in an emergency do not have good experience of the age group taught. Classroom support assistants provide good support and they have developed their expertise through relevant training. Leadership overall is satisfactory. The school development plan is improved and provides a sound framework for future developments. Weaknesses in the monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school mean that not all the important issues are identified to provide enough information to help with improvements .

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The school expects their children to work hard and achieve their best; • The school is helping their children to become mature and responsible; • They are comfortable to approach school with any problems or questions; • The teaching is good • Their children are making good progress • The school is well led and managed; • That the school works closely with parents. There were no issues that parents would like to see improved.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection supports the parents’ positive views of the school. The school has very good relationships with parents, which in most cases help support their children’s education. Although parents raised no aspects they would like to see improve some parents felt that there were not enough activities outside lessons. The inspection found that the school provides an appropriate number of activities outside lessons for a school of this size. Derwent Vale Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children’s attainments on entry to school are well below those expected of children of their age. Several children have limited personal and social skills, poor communication and language ability and restricted understanding in mathematical development. By the time they transfer to the next stage of education, at the end of the year in which they are five, most children have made good progress in their personal, social and emotional development and in their physical development. Many children exceed the targets set out in the early learning goals for these areas. Progress in the other areas of learning is generally satisfactory. In their creative development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world many children are close to meeting the targets for these areas of learning. Few children meet the expected level in their communication, language and literacy skills and in their mathematical development .

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests for eleven year-olds in 2000 was above the national average in science but below this in English and mathematics . The trend in results over the past three years has been for them to be close to or above average. In the 2000 tests the number of children attaining the expected level (Level 4) in English and mathematics was similar to the national average but the overall performance was limited by the well below average number of children attaining the higher Level 5. In science all children attained the expected level, which was much better than schools achieved nationally with the numbers attaining Level 5 similar to the national average. Evidence from inspection is similar to the results of tests in recent years with standards in English and mathematics being below average but in science standards are at the expected level. This marks good achievement by

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the current Year 6, which has three quarters of the children on the register of special educational needs. Small and varying numbers of children in each year group also account for differences from year to year. Most children start school with the disadvantage of low language and communication skills. By the time they leave the school they have achieved well and made good progress. Comparing the school’s test results with those of similar schools supports this. It shows that pupils achieve much better than pupils in similar schools in English and science and better than them in mathematics .

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds in 2000 was well below the national average. Standards in reading were very low and they were well below average in writing and mathematics . No children attained the higher level in reading and writing and only a very small percentage did so in mathematics . The trend in results over the past three years has been of steady improvement although results still remain well below average. This low attainment has been significantly influenced by the low Derwent Vale Primary School - 12 standards achieved by boys. This is an issue the school has remedied and inspection evidence did not indicate a significant difference between boys and girls attainments. Inspection evidence showed standards to be below those expected for children of their age in English , mathematics and science . When results are compared with those of similar schools they show that pupils

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

achieve in line with what would be expected in writing and mathematics given their low attainment when starting school. In reading pupils’ achievements are still low. Children in previous years and in the current Year 2 did not have the benefit of time in the nursery class. Evidence from the inspection indicates that the recently provided nursery class is beginning to help raise standards, as pupils in Year 1 were working close to the levels expected for their age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Children with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set for them in their individual education plans (IEP). This is particularly evident in activities where they receive additional support from the headteacher and effective classroom assistants. Provision for pupils who find it difficult to behave well is good. The sensitive support they receive enables them to achieve well in lessons and ensures that when they misbehave they do not disrupt the learning of other children.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Inspection found standards in science to be close to those expected for children by the time that they are eleven but to be below average in English and mathematics . In these subjects most children in Year 6, where there is a significant proportion of children with special educational needs, work at levels close to those expected for their age but very few work at levels above this. The school places emphasis on teaching literacy and numeracy skills and this successfully helps pupils achieve well by the time they leave the school. By the age of seven, several children still need support with their reading and only the more able children read confidently and fluently at an appropriate level. They build on the foundation of basic skills they learn in the younger classes so that they make good progress through the Years 3 to 6. By the time they are eleven, most pupils read confidently and accurately. Although the books

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

they choose to read do not always provide enough challenge in developing pupils’ skills. Most children are competent in finding information from reference books. By the age of seven, inconsistent handwriting and infrequent use of capital letters and full stops in sentences spoil pupils’ independent written work. The more able children use sentences more accurately but they do not use joined handwriting in their work. They make good progress by the time they are eleven, so that most pupils know how to structure sentences but they do not always apply this knowledge to their independent writing. Although children’s writing often shows good quality of ideas it is not always of a consistent standard in its structure and use of punctuation. Most pupils spell common words accurately but are less certain with more complex words.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. From the low level of understanding of mathematics when children start school they make good progress but standards are still below average by the ages of seven and eleven. By the age of seven pupils are confident in using numbers up to 100 but they do not have a good understanding of the significance of the place a digit holds in a number. Few have a good recall of Derwent Vale Primary School - 13 addition and subtraction facts up to 10. They are confident to solve simple money problems, recognise different shapes and use simple measures but have little understanding about angles as a way of measuring turn. By the age of eleven most children can work out appropriate calculations quickly and accurately in their heads. They develop appropriate skills in measuring, use and interpret graphs and know about decimal numbers and percentages. They have less confidence in using reverse operations by, for example, making a

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

subtraction sum to check an addition. They are unsure about the use of simple formulae in helping solve problems such as finding the area of a regular shape. Overall, children lack confidence in applying their numeracy skills to problems.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. By the time children leave the school their attainments in science are in line with the expectations for eleven-year-olds. They have made good progress since the age of seven. Pupils know how to keep elements in their experiments constant and change only one factor to make a test fair. They develop a wide body of knowledge about living things, materials and forces, through lively lessons and a range of practical tasks. Standards achieved by seven-year-olds are below those expected for their age. One reason for this is the inappropriateness of some of the work they are given. Children know about habitats and life cycles of animals and plants. They need help to conduct simple tests fairly. Through observations they develop an understanding of the uses of different materials. They record their findings on simple charts or in diagrams but this work is not always neat or completed. There was little evidence of children having recently studied the aspect of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

science about forces, motion, electricity, light and sound.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in information and communication technology ( ICT ) have improved since the last inspection as pupils now have access to a wider range of opportunities. The establishment of an ICT suite has been significant in this improvement. By the age of seven pupils have not yet achieved the levels expected for their age but children in Year 1 work at levels expected and show the effects of good teaching by a support assistant with appropriate qualifications in the subject. By the time they leave the school pupils have become adept at using the computer and achieve standards that are expected for their age. They use computers for a range of tasks including word- processing, multi-media work, research, recording information and controlling actions. They make use of ICT skills to present work well. They research information on the Internet for use in other subjects, although they do not always use this information well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Standards in religious education are below those expected of children of their age by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils do not receive enough teaching of religious education to help them develop a suitable understanding of religious traditions or to understand the nature of belief and how it affects people’s lives. Pupils use skills in literacy and numeracy appropriately in other subjects. For example they write letters as part of a geography topic and make accurate measurements as part of their science work. Derwent Vale Primary School - 14 10. Standards in design and technology , geography and physical education are about those expected for children of their age by the time they leave the school. In art and design, history and music standards are not as high as would be expected for children by the time they leave the school. The main reason for this is that these subjects are not taught often enough or planned

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Although the level of attendance is below the national average most pupils are keen and eager to come to school. The school day starts calmly and promptly. They respond to routines well and are ready for purposeful work with minimum delay. Pupils take a good interest in their work and many sustain good levels of concentration. They are pleased to talk about their work and show what they have done. Good work assemblies help pupils share their learning and in this way they develop useful skills in communication and presentation. Pupils listen attentively at these assemblies and genuinely applaud successes.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ behaviour has improved since the last inspection when it was described as satisfactory. It is now good. Pupils behave well in class and are generally sensible when they move around the school. They are courteous, polite and respectful of each other and of the adults with whom they work. Children take good care of school property and that of others. Their good behaviour has a positive impact on their developing maturity and helps them to learn and make steady progress. All pupils are clear about what is expected of them and respond well to their teachers. The school rules are uncomplicated and well understood by all. Pupils decide on their own classroom rules. All are clear about the consequences should they misbehave.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The good relationships in lessons and around the school support pupils well in their personal development. Teachers and adults set good role models for pupils and this supports all in the school community to get the best from the companionship. Most children are keen to take responsibility and are pleased to give out books and resources or to help tidy up after a lesson. A few of the oldest pupils who are the “Bully Watch” monitors take their work seriously. Other pupils have jobs such as holding doors open and setting up for assembly. When given the opportunity pupils show some initiative in setting up work or finding resources, particularly in science lessons. These opportunities are limited, particularly for younger children, as the activities are often too teacher-directed and pupils do not get the chance to select the resources they need. A consequence of this is that there is a tendency and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

expectation for children to ask the teacher for assistance.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. The quality of teaching overall is satisfactory and it is particularly good with the oldest children. It makes a significant contribution to overall good quality of learning by children who achieve well by the time they leave the school. Teaching was satisfactory or better in 92 per cent of lessons seen; in 48 per cent of lessons it was satisfactory; in 23 per cent it was good; in 17 per cent it was very good and in 4 per cent it was excellent. Teaching was less than satisfactory in Derwent Vale Primary School - 15 eight per cent of lessons, of which half of these was poor. Teaching was very good with the oldest children and satisfactory with children under the age of five. Although there was some unsatisfactory teaching, the general quality has improved since the last inspection, as there is a significant percentage of very good or better teaching, of which previously there was none. The

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

teaching of all subjects seen during the inspection was at least satisfactory and it was good in English, science and physical education in the junior classes. No teaching of history or music was seen

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. A strength in teaching in nearly all lessons was the good classroom management of pupils; teachers have high expectations of good behaviour. This was based on the good relationships between adults and children. Children responded well and pupils had good attitudes to their work and behaved well in lessons. They eagerly answered or commented in lessons because they knew their contributions would be valued as part of the discussion. For example, in a science lesson with Years 4 and 5, one child’s pertinent observation that plants give out oxygen was used effectively by the teacher to further develop the lesson. In the isolated lesson where management was not of the usual high standard children behaved inappropriately and the lesson was poor. Effective action was taken by the school’s management team to deal with this weakness. Another consistently good feature of lessons throughout the school is the effective use made of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

resources. In some lessons, for example science, good use is made of wall charts and the overhead projector to illustrate points to children and to capture their interest and imagination. In other lessons, such as an English lesson on word building, resources were used very effectively as part of an activity to help children with what they were learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching seen in the Foundation Stage was satisfactory. Planning ensured that all the expected areas of learning were included. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children were generally managed well and relationships were good. Teaching was sensitive to the immediate needs of children when they first joined the school and developed their confidence well. As a result, children have good attitudes to work and school life. Teachers and support staff work successfully together as a team to give children a good start to schooling. There were weaknesses in teachers’ knowledge of the most recent initiatives, in particular the approach to learning using “stepping stones”. Results of assessments were not used well to help children make progress and reach higher standards in all areas of learning, particularly in communication, language and literacy and in mathematical development.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. Teaching of children in Years 1,2 and 3 was satisfactory in the majority of lessons observed and good in 20 per cent of lessons. Most lessons start with a brief recall of what children have learned in previous lessons. This was usually done so that it skilfully introduced what children were to learn in the lesson and helped focus children’s attention. Basic skills were taught effectively - for example, when looking at how to spell words the teacher encouraged children to build them from the sounds of the letters. The effectiveness of this was seen when listening to older children helping each other with spellings. Children were encouraged to use relevant vocabulary which teachers carefully introduced when, for example, talking about growth in a science lesson. Teachers used a range of effective methods to help children learn including encouraging children to work together in pairs or small groups. As a result pupils successfully

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

developed skills in working together. Instructions and explanations of skills were given clearly so that children were systematically introduced to new ideas. For example, in a mathematics lesson the practical and step-by-step approach helped children successfully sort two- and three-dimensional shapes. When used well the short discussions at the end of lessons were effective in assessing what children had learned in the lesson. This session was not used consistently well. Derwent Vale Primary School - 16 18. In some lessons with the younger children there were minor weaknesses. Children were not always encouraged to sit correctly, with a result that their work was not presented as neatly as it could have been. Occasionally, the teacher does not ensure children are quiet when giving instructions, with the result that explanations are given loudly over the chatter of children who do not listen carefully enough. The pace of parts of some lessons, particularly mental mathematics

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

activities, was not quick enough to keep pupils fully involved and interested in the activity. The chance to extend children’s understanding through discussions was not always taken in these sessions. In the one lesson where teaching was unsatisfactory the management of children was good but the content of the lesson was inappropriate for the age of the children. As a result many children did not have a firm grasp on the ideas being taught and were unsure of what they were to achieve.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Children with special educational needs receive good support. IEPs for these children contain clear targets for them to achieve. They receive good support from classroom assistants who help them with work in most lessons. When necessary these children work individually with an assistant in order to meet the targets in the IEP. Pupils also benefit from working regularly in groups with the headteacher who provides additional teaching for those children identified as needing extra support. Classroom assistants also provide good support in other areas of work, particularly in ICT, where they use their expertise to help develop children’s skills and assess their progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of the oldest children was very good. The very good relationships between children and adults established high expectations of good behaviour and led to an atmosphere where children were eager to learn and take part in lessons. In many of the lessons teachers used their good knowledge of the subject being taught to take children on a journey of discovery. Tasks were well chosen and together with lively explanations helped to inspire good learning in the acquisition of knowledge and skills. A good example of this was seen in the discussion when children considered feelings and reactions of the characters in an extract from Goodnight Mister Tom. Lessons proceeded at a good pace with a sensible balance between teacher’s explanations, children’s comments and time for them to complete work. As a result children maintained their interest, sustained high levels of concentration and worked hard throughout the lessons. Basic

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

skills were taught well. For example, in a Year 4 and 5 literacy lesson a very clear review of what children had learned about using the phonemes “sh” and “ch” helped children consolidate effectively what they had learned in the lesson. Children were encouraged to use relevant vocabulary accurately when answering questions. For example, when discussing food chains in a science lesson, children used terms such as predator and producer .

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. These very good lessons were enlivened by good demonstrations to illustrate clearly points being made. Where possible, such as in physical education lessons, good use was made of pupils to demonstrate skills. Teachers made good use of observations in practical lessons to help children improve their performance. Pupils were encouraged to comment on their own and others’ performance to help them improve the standard of their work. Good and effective use was made of questions to stimulate pupil’s thinking and to help use their previous knowledge. In some lessons this led to children thinking hard and applying considerable intellectual effort to their work. The level of discussion in a Year 5 and 6 literacy lesson was a good example of this. Through discussions and comments on their work the older pupils develop a good understanding of how well they are learning. They made realistic comments on their abilities as readers and

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

clearly gained knowledge about their performance from evaluating their activities in physical education lessons.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Children in the older junior classes worked at a good pace during lessons, as teachers’ expectations of what was to be achieved were high. Clear expectations of what was to be done in Derwent Vale Primary School - 17 the time available were set and at the end of the session work was reviewed in a class discussion. When time was not enough for the task to be completed and pupils were eager to finish work the teacher allowed children to complete it as a homework task. The oldest children were happy to do this as they had been enthused by the lesson and were clearly enjoying the story they were reading as a class. Pupils worked productively because the tasks were explained well and they had a clear understanding of what was expected. For example, the series of tests on pulse rates, breathing rates and strength were clearly explained so that children knew not only what to do but how they were to record their results.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. There were some weaknesses in a very small number of lessons with the older children. Although a temporary teacher was committed to doing as good a job as possible, her lack of suitable knowledge of what was expected for the age group led to some difficulties in managing lessons. The need to cover an unexpected vacancy meant that the teachers had not received enough recent training on the teaching of the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies. This was reflected in the inappropriate structure of a mathematics lesson. In many lessons the quality of written planning for lessons was superficial. Although teachers had good, and often very good knowledge of what was to be taught, this was not set out clearly so that clear objectives were identified to help assess what pupils had achieved. Consequently, the use of assessment during lessons, particularly at the end of lessons, was inconsistent and information was not always used

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

to modify planning for future lessons. Planning did not identify often enough how work would be adapted to meet the needs of children of different ages and abilities. This resulted in the more able children not always being provided with work of high challenge.

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The school has not completely rectified the weaknesses in relation to the curriculum noted in the last report. In some subjects there is still a weakness in planning which, along with an inadequate allocation of teaching time, hinders the progress of a significant number of children. This imbalance in the curriculum means that, overall, the quality and range of learning opportunities for children are unsatisfactory. For example, the school does not meet the statutory requirements of the local education authority’s Agreed Syllabus for religious education, as there is very little teaching of this subject, particularly to the class of oldest children. Curricular planning for science, history, music and art is inconsistent across the school. It does not make sure that learning of key skills is built upon what children already know and can do. This especially affects the learning of Year 2 children, who, for instance, in their work about

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

space and the planets in science and the Tudors in history, are working, inappropriately, at the National Curriculum programmes of study for older children.

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. The planning for teaching literacy is good, although it is allocated a higher than average level of teaching time. An example of the good strategies used in teaching literacy is the encouragement of pupils to refer to the text they are studying when explaining answers. Planning for numeracy is satisfactory but, in some classes, the oral-mental session is not given enough importance. For instance a Year 4 lesson had no initial oral or mental session and the work in a lesson with Derwent Vale Primary School - 18 Year 1 children was planned at too low a level. 26. Curricular provision for children with special educational needs is satisfactory. They are well supported by IEPs that enable them to make good progress with their learning. This was shown in the support for a group of Year 1 children in numeracy when a practical, step-by-step approach enabled them to identify differences between two- and three-dimensional shapes. The school meets all

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

the requirements of the Code of Practice in respect of these children.

p.18

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. Appropriate learning activities are provided for children under five. The quality and range of learning opportunities help children make a positive start to schooling and helps them well in their personal, social and emotional development. Most planning relates to the recommended areas of learning and helps children, many of whom enter the nursery with low levels of attainment in literacy and numeracy, make steady progress towards the achievement of the early learning goals. However, not enough well-planned and appropriate activities are provided to support children’s communication, language and literacy and mathematical development.

p.18

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. Good provision is made for personal, social and health education. Health education includes lessons for older children on sex education and the misuse of drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. The importance of a balanced diet and need for exercise are taught in science and physical education. Personal and social development is securely based upon the importance of everyone at the school living and working together in an atmosphere of respect, trust and tolerance. Lessons on these themes are a regular feature of the weekly timetable.

p.18

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The school makes satisfactory provision for learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Extra-curricular activities include cross-country running, French, guitar and cycling proficiency groups. There is a biennial residential trip for older children to Derwent Water and visits to places such as the Maryport Aquaria and theatre, Whitehaven Historic Museum and Keswick cinema. Visitors to the school include musicians, Tudor characters, a Shakespearean group, the local Fire Service and Workington Rugby League Youth Club.

p.18

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school has good links with the schools to which all children transfer at the end of Year 6. These include visits, shared experiences with secondary teachers and projects such as the annual one on technology organised by the comprehensive school for the Year 5 children. There are satisfactory links with the local community groups such as the church, chapel and the home for the elderly. A good feature of community links is the school’s involvement in the local regeneration scheme, which supports lifelong training for children and adults. The current focus on information and communication skills has resulted in the establishment of a very good computer suite at school, which is considerably enhancing the learning opportunities for children.

p.18

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. All children have equal access to the curriculum. However, in some lessons, learning is not always matched to the different needs of the children, particularly to the older ones and the faster learners. This restricts their Derwent Vale Primary School - 19 opportunities to progress. For example, in a Year 4 and 5 mathematics lesson children in both age groups and of all abilities were given exactly the same task.

p.18

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. In the previous inspection provision for pupils’ moral and social development was good and provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development was satisfactory. The school promoted a caring ethos where pupils were valued as individuals. This provision for pupils’ personal development has been maintained and judgements on those aspects of school are the same. The school continues to promote a caring ethos and gives satisfactory provision for pupils’ spiritual development. Assemblies support Christian beliefs and teach the principles of right and wrong. Assembly themes show that pupils have some experiences of Bible stories. The school uses daily personal reflection reasonably well and meets the requirements of collective worship. However, opportunity to develop spirituality, reflection, relevance, reverence and purpose in assemblies and collective worship is not included enough the planning of themes for worship. Teachers use opportunities in lessons to

p.19

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

develop children’s sense of awe at the natural world. A good example of this was seen in a science lesson with the oldest children.

p.19

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. Provision for moral development is good. Aspects of personal and social development occur through initiatives that include the “Bully Watch” scheme and class discussions. Pupils respond well to these opportunities and behaviour, particularly in the playground, has improved. Rules for behaviour are displayed in classrooms and the school Code of Conduct – “that children should act with Courtesy, Common sense, Consideration and Co-operation” - is seen prominently around the school.

p.19

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. Provision for social development is good. There are useful opportunities for pupils to learn about working collaboratively and their social skills support them well in this work. Lessons on personal and social education provide children with the chance to talk about social dilemmas they may face. For example, children in Year 2 and 3 discussed whether it was best to be honest or not when they had done something wrong. Children are encouraged to think about the needs of others. The older children help organise raise funds for charities. Children develop an awareness of the wider world through their contacts with a school in France and a school for hearing impaired children in Bury.

p.19

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school’s provision for children’s cultural development is, in general, satisfactory. Children take part in festivals, such as harvest and Easter bonnet parades that help them appreciate the cultural heritage of their own country. Useful links with the local area and wider community, such as, the twinned towns as well as visits to places of interest help children understand their cultural background. Visits to the cinema provide children with a different view on culture. The development of children’s understanding of cultural diversity is limited. They experience traditions from other countries such as France when they enjoy Epiphany cakes. There are books in the library which raise pupils’ awareness of other cultures and languages and these are popular, particularly Derwent Vale Primary School - 20 with some of the younger pupils. However, religious education makes little contribution towards pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Planning in

p.19

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

subjects such as geography, art and music does not identify suitable contributions to help develop this aspect of pupils’ knowledge. As a result, opportunities for children to understand the richness of different cultures through, for example, their music, art and dance are not provided.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Since the last inspection this aspect of the school has improved. The weakness in marking registers has been rectified, as they are now marked promptly each day. Staff work hard to ensure that attendance and punctuality are monitored closely. There are good procedures for improving attendance and the school informs parents of the need for good attendance in order to help their children achieve high standards.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare and for child protection are very well organised. Staff are aware of the appropriate requirements. Teachers know and understand the needs of their pupils very well. This understanding contributes to pupils’ good personal development and to the good relationships between children and adults. Effective procedures are in place to ensure that all matters related to health and safety, security and first aid are dealt with to a high standard. The care that the school shows towards its pupils is highlighted by the involvement of children in safety inspections; staff and governors value their input and act on recommendations when necessary. The involvement of pupils in these inspections makes an important contribution to their personal development and to raising awareness of their responsibility towards their community.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic performance and their personal development are satisfactory. There are effective systems for the improvement and management of behaviour. Rules are clear, posted in classrooms and the standard of behaviour is clearly understood. Teachers effectively manage those children who find it difficult to behave. Good use is made of the local education authority’s behaviour support team to advise on strategies to manage these children. Parents are kept informed of problems regarding behaviour. Parents approve of the standards of behaviour achieved and governors comment positively on the calming influence the headteacher has had on the behaviour of children since her appointment. The staff work hard to make the children feel valued in the school community, where their well being is given high priority. This effective support helps children to take advantage

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

of the educational opportunities provided by the school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for assessing children’s attainment and progress are satisfactory. The school has dealt with the key issue raised at the last inspection by rationalising the number of assessments undertaken. They begin with baseline assessment of children under the age of five to highlight individual strengths and weaknesses in literacy, numeracy and personal development. Derwent Vale Primary School - 21 These initial tests show many children have low standards in speaking and often have difficulty talking about what they are doing, re-telling stories and negotiating with others.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school uses an appropriate range of tests in English, mathematics and science to track children’s progress as they move through the school. These identify levels of attainment and highlight children in a particular age group who are not achieving as well as previous results predict. Some of these tests are carefully analysed to detect strengths and weaknesses in subject areas. Overall this process is used satisfactorily to plan the curriculum by focusing more finely on what groups of children need to learn in order to progress. For example, this enabled a weakness in the understanding of perimeters by older children to be targeted. However, there is inconsistency in assessment procedures. For example, while some evaluation of achievement is undertaken at the end of a particular topic in religious education, geography, history, design and technology, music and art, it is not systematically recorded

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

or the information obtained used effectively to plan further work. A more consistent formal system would have identified the current curriculum weakness in some of these subjects.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Assessment is not always used well to support children’s individual academic progress. On the annual report to parents children record their own perception of ways they can improve. There is little evidence of this being used in lessons to target these weaknesses. The exception is in the class of Year 2 and 3 children where regularly updated individual targets for improvement are agreed between teacher and child. The use of assessment to support children with special educational needs is also sound in this respect. Their IEPs have specific targets, which are used effectively to help their progress.

p.21

PARENTS?

42. Since the last inspection this aspect has become a strength of the school. Parents have very positive views about the school. Parental questionnaires returned prior to the inspection showed that 99 per cent of parents felt that the school is helping their children to work hard and become more mature. A similar percentage expressed a positive view how their children are expected to work hard and achieve their best. They feel comfortable to approach the school with questions or problems. Parents are particularly happy with the standards of teaching, the progress their children make, the way the school works closely with parents and the way the school is led and managed. They also say their children enjoy school. Inspection supported these positive views.

p.21

PARENTS?

43. The school’s links with parents are good; parents are made to feel welcome in school. Some parents admitted to feeling nervous when first approaching the school but soon discovered their fears were groundless, as they were always met with friendliness and understanding. Parents make a satisfactory Derwent Vale Primary School - 22 contribution to their children’s learning at home and at school. Some parents make a valuable contribution to the life of the school through helping in classes and most parents give good support to fund raising activities. They generally support children with their homework. Not all parents ensure that their children attend as regularly as they should. Several parents attend Progress Assemblies, which give parents a clear picture of the school’s aims and indication of the work that their children do.

p.21

PARENTS?

44. The school gives strong support to parents through the very good quality of information it provides to parents. Weekly newsletters are very good and give parents a clear picture of the life of the school. Annual reports are very good. They provide parents with a clear description of their child’s academic progress. Reports also include details about children’s personal development and targets for future learning. Links with the community are very effective. Both parents and children benefit from the CREDITS scheme, a community regeneration programme aimed to develop ICT skills in adults and children. Already twelve parents have completed the first part of courses provided. Some of these parents use their newly acquired skills to help support ICT lessons in school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The overall leadership of the school is satisfactory. Leadership by the headteacher is good. She has clear vision for the school of helping to produce well-balanced children who have an excitement in learning in order to raise standards that they achieve. This aim is kept to the fore in the work of the school and its success is noted in the interest the oldest children show in their work as the result of the high quality teaching they receive. The improvements in children’s attitudes and behaviour since the last inspection reflect the success in implementing the school’s aims and values. The headteacher gives good leadership in bringing together an effective team of staff who are supported well by the governing body. The development of this team suffered a tragic setback earlier in the year with the death of an increasingly influential member of staff. The disruptions caused by this tragedy were managed well by the headteacher. In particular, she

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

led the management of children’s emotional development and understanding well. Parents and governors speak highly of the sensitivity shown. Through her personal example in lessons, assemblies and presence around the school the headteacher promotes the good relationships evident throughout the school and supports staff in their day-to-day work.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The headteacher has delegated responsibilities to teachers to ensure that they are involved in the management and leadership of this small school. The deputy headteacher provides a very good example of skilled teaching and gives good support in the day-to-day management of the school. Unfortunately, there is not enough time available regularly for him to use his expertise in helping with the strategic development of the school or in the effective monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school. As a result he does not have a good enough overview of what is happening across the school in order to make a full contribution to the leadership of the school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The delegation of curriculum leadership to teachers is at an early stage of development and is currently unsatisfactory. Teachers with responsibilities for subjects have not developed their overall leadership of their subjects throughout the school. Their contribution in helping to develop a whole-school curriculum is satisfactory but their awareness of how these plans are implemented is limited. For example, the unsuitability of aspects of the science and history Derwent Vale Primary School - 23 planning for children in Year 2 had not been identified. They do not monitor teachers’ planning, pupils’ work or observe lessons often enough. As a result they do not have a clear picture of what is happening in their subject and what it is they need to do in supporting colleagues and planning further improvements. They do not have overall management of the subject through writing an annual development or maintenance plan for their subject and managing available

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

resources for development. Consequently, they are not well enough informed about how the planned curriculum and resources used help improve the quality of education provided. The headteacher monitors work across the school through discussions at staff meetings and observations around the school but has not been as effective this year because of the enforced changes of staff.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The governing body meets it statutory duties through an effective committee structure and the appointment of individuals to oversee key aspects such as special educational needs and health and safety. Governors work hard to support the school and fulfil their role as critical friend well. The governing body has improved its role in school leadership since the last inspection. They help with the regular evaluation of the school development plan but they have not developed systems for gathering information. They are reliant on the headteacher for most relevant information. Although some governors work regularly in school there is no formal system of visits, regular meetings with co-ordinators, evaluation of reports of monitoring by the school or enough analysis of relevant data. The information they receive gives them a sound understanding of what the school does well but they are less well informed about what the school could do to

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school development plan identifies current strengths and areas that need to be developed over the next three years. Clearly identified priorities are aimed at raising standards. The plan is supported by an annual management plan which provides more detail for the current year. It provides a broad outline of what needs to be achieved together with appropriate costs and expected dates for completion. Strategies for achieving this are not clear, as monitoring and evaluation procedures are not well established to provide enough information to help with improvements. Although staff contribute to the production of the management and development plans they do not write sections for the development of their subjects for which they are responsible for implementing. The most recent version of the plan incorporates criteria for success to help in evaluating how well the targets have been achieved. This is a well-used

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

document located in the staff room and targets are marked off as they are achieved. The plan shows a commitment by staff and governors to continued improvement but staff changes and absences as well as a lack of clarity about the role of key staff limit the effectiveness of this commitment.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Financial planning is good. It is well linked to the school’s identified priorities and monitored carefully by the Finance Committee. Good use is made of the support service of the local education authority. Very good use is made of specific funding and other grants, particularly the community regeneration grant through the CREDITS scheme. This has particularly helped with the development of ICT. Care is taken to make sure that the best value is achieved when purchasing goods but the governing body do not evaluate the longer-term effect of purchases or financial decisions to see that they have improved the quality of education. Taking account of available resources, pupils’ achievements and the quality of education provided, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Financial and school administration is good. Administrative staff maintain records thoroughly, provide relevant information to the headteacher, staff and governors and ensure that financial procedures are carefully followed. ICT is used efficiently in the office to help with administration and is effective in supporting children’s learning. The efficiency with which the Derwent Vale Primary School - 24 school office is run enables the headteacher and staff to concentrate on the central purpose of teaching pupils and developing their learning.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school is suitably staffed by teachers appropriately qualified to teach the National Curriculum and religious education. Some temporary teachers do not have recent and relevant experience of teaching this age of children. Performance management of teachers has been successfully introduced and this is helping to develop the monitoring of teaching. There is a suitable number of appropriately qualified support staff to help in classrooms. Their commitment to the school is shown in their willingness to take on additional training to improve their qualifications. The school has established and effective procedures for supporting students studying to be teachers.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. Effective use is made of the new and well-maintained accommodation. Improvements to the courtyard have not been completed but it is clear that when finished they will considerably enhance the premises and provide a good safe play area for children under the age of six. These developments are also improving the amount of storage available so that large equipment in particular can be more effectively stored. The extensive wild area and very large pond have not been developed enough to provide a good resource for children’s learning. Resources for learning in most subjects are generally good. Derwent Vale Primary School - 25

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

54. The governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in English, mathematics and religious education throughout the school and in science with children in Years 1 and 2 by

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- continuing to implement the current successful strategies in English and mathematics - planning for the regular teaching of religious education in all classes - by adopting more rigorous procedures for monitoring the work of the school.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the quality and breadth of planning to ensure the consistent development of skills in all subjects and the full implementation of National Curriculum and Agreed Syllabus for religious education by:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- reviewing and amending the current planning to include when relevant key skills identified in the National Curriculum programmes of study need to be taught to children. - planning activities for children in Year 2 from the appropriate programmes of study of the National Curriculum that are suited to their age and level of development - planning a religious education scheme that fully meets the requirements of the local education authority’s Agreed Syllabus - allocating enough time each year for all subjects to be taught in sufficient depth

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Develop the monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school by key staff with leadership responsibilities by;

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- Clearly identifying which staff are responsible for the co- ordination of each subject of the National Curriculum and religious education - Establishing a regular programme for the review of work in each subject that includes frequent scrutiny of teachers’ plans for each term and for lessons, regular sampling of the work of pupils and observation of children and teachers in lessons - Providing enough time for key staff to be able to carry out effective monitoring - Support this programme with co-ordinators using their expertise to advise or work with colleagues to help improve teaching techniques.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governing body should also consider the following issues for inclusion in the action plan.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improving levels of attendance • Developing the use of information from formal and informal assessments in all classes to plan for individual pupils’ academic progress. Derwent Vale Primary School - 26 Derwent Vale Primary School - 27

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 39

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

4 17 23 48 4 4 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 5 97

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 33 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 34

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 2

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.27

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Derwent Vale Primary School - 28

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 6 6 12

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 67 (79) 67 (71) 83 (71) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (830 90 (87)

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 58 (79) 83 (71) 75 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 8 12 20

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 8 12

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 80 (81) 70 (81) 100 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 8 9

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 80 (n/a) 70 (n/a) 83 (n/a) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.28

* Where there are 10 or fewer boys or girls taking the national tests then

results are not published in reports. Derwent Vale Primary School - 29

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.2 Financial year 2000/2001

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19.4

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total expenditure 224363

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Expenditure per pupil 2267

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 42 Balance brought forward from previous year 0

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 16696

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0.5

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 9

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 9 FTE means full-time equivalent. Derwent Vale Primary School - 30

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 52 44 0 2 2

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 55 2 2 5

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 23 61 8 0 9

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 39 8 2 2

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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. 71 26 3 0 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. 67 32 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 53 41 3 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 67 27 3 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 61 38 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 36 12 3 15 Derwent Vale Primary School - 31

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. In the Foundation Stage, nine children work in the nursery class each morning and 12 children work in the mixed reception and Year 1 class. Children have little or no experience of pre-school education when they start in the nursery class; their attainments when they start school are well below average. For some children, this is limited development of personal and social skills and low levels of understanding in communication, language and literacy and mathematics. The few more able children are articulate and confident speakers. Children’s confidence improves well in the nursery and continues to be developed successfully in the reception class.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children achieve well in some areas of learning and almost all are on course to exceed the recognised targets (Early Learning Goals) in their personal and social development and in their physical development. In their creative development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world many children are close to meeting the expected level. Although children make some gains in their learning, progress in their communication, language and literacy and mathematical development is limited and few children are on course to meet the expected level by the end of the reception year.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. At the time of the previous inspection there was no nursery class. Children in the reception class received a suitable curriculum which helped compensate for the lack of pre-school education by most children. There was no large outdoor equipment for reception children. Since then outdoor play equipment has improved. The school successfully supports children in developing their personal and social skills. Not enough use is made of the information from assessments in the nursery class or of the information from assessment when children start in the reception class to fully meet children’s specific needs in communication, language and literacy and in their mathematical development.

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Personal, social and emotional development

58. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is good and improves well from day to day. They are well behaved and respond very well to one another. Children concentrate well and share toys and other resources very well. This is particularly noticeable when they are engaged in ‘free choice’ activities. Teaching is satisfactory and good features were seen in some lessons in both nursery and reception classes. In the nursery, adults made sure that children did not work in isolation, by talking to children to find out what they were doing and becoming involved in the role-play. For example, children running the travel agents were pleased to sell their teacher a ticket to Spain. They made a phone call, took the money, looked at the globe to find the country and were clearly involved. However, the ‘free choice’ sessions are too long, particularly when adults do not work with the children. In reception, the chance to work on less structured activities with

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Personal, social and emotional development

appropriate guidance is useful but children are left to their own devices for too long. However, the balance between opportunities for children to explore and engage in work at an independent level and to work with adults is satisfactory overall. Derwent Vale Primary School - 32 59. Relationships with adults are good and at times very good. Teachers generally help children to settle, take turns and to become involved in their work well. There are occasions in the nursery when the one or two children who behave in a way to seek attention are not suitably managed. This affects others in the class, who tend to copy the disruptive and over-excited behaviour. Teaching supports reception children well and helps them to follow the school rules. Those who misbehave are clear about the consequences and are helped to control and improve their behaviour. Most children have a good early understanding of right and wrong. Teaching is sensitive to

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Personal, social and emotional development

children’s moods as shown in changing planned activities when necessary. Planning does not always carefully establish routines which help children feel secure about what they are doing or encourage them to tidy away and get ready for the next activity.

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Communication, language and literacy

60. Children start school with generally low levels of skills in communication, language and literacy. Although they make progress through the nursery and reception classes, it is not at a pace that helps them develop the range of skills expected of children by the age of five. They listen reasonably well to their teachers and to other adults. Teaching is satisfactory, although there are weaknesses in the teaching of some basic skills. This does not help children to develop their understanding well. For example, in a session in the nursery, children matched pictures, letters, sounds and words with success when the adult gave them clues. This supported listening skills very well but did not help children to work on letter and sound recognition. Throughout the Foundation Stage children learn the alphabet and have some understanding of letter sounds but they learn these slowly. In writing activities, children often lose

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Communication, language and literacy

interest in tracing their names and tend not to choose this in ‘free choice’ work. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children do not receive enough guidance on correct letter formation by concentrating on a letter at a time rather than always writing their whole name. Analysis of children’s work shows that children make limited progress in developing writing skills. Worksheets used offer very little scope to help develop important early writing skills, interest and concentration. Children do not have enough opportunities to develop writing skills and not enough attention is given to clear presentation.

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Communication, language and literacy

61. Children are reasonably keen to take books home. In the nursery, children know that books work from left to right and that pictures tell a story. They make a reasonable attempt to talk about books and show they have a reasonable vocabulary. They answer questions using full sentences but they find it hard to recall information accurately. In the nursery, children listen well to stories, such as The Three Billy Goats Gruff . They point out pictures they like and call out about things that interest them. In some story sessions routines have not been clearly established where children understand when they should listen, when they should talk and when they should ask questions. As a result children do not settle to listen quickly or sustain suitable levels of concentration. Their enthusiasm is not sufficiently controlled. At other times children listen quietly or join in a few rhymes whenever they can. The books

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Communication, language and literacy

children are given to read are sometimes inappropriate for the individual. Derwent Vale Primary School - 33 62. Observations, record keeping and assessments are not used well enough to help plan for the needs the individual. As a result some essential skills are not developed systematically. Not all adults who work with children of this age have a thorough knowledge of the guidance material for the Foundation Stage, and in particular the stepping stones approach.

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Mathematical development

63. Children have limited mathematical understanding when they start school. Although they make progress through the nursery and reception classes, it is not quick enough to help them develop the range of skills expected of children by the age of five. Analysis of children’s work, from lessons and talking to them shows that they still have limited understanding by the time they are five. They learn about numbers and shapes through number songs and games, sequencing numbers, work on shape and jigsaw puzzles. These are useful activities. They understand specific terms such as more or less . They show good interest and skill using jigsaw puzzles, which help them develop an awareness of shape. They recognise a triangle and circle well, a square reasonably well and find rectangles a little more difficult to remember.

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Mathematical development

64. Teaching is satisfactory. Some effective techniques help children to work with number and to develop specific vocabulary. Appropriate resources are often used well. However, activities do not always meet the needs of individual children and sometimes offer inappropriate challenge. For example, in the nursery, children were pleased to count from 1 to 30 but the main activity of the lesson - to work with numbers 1-5 - did not relate well to the earlier activity. Reception children play board games very happily together and match colours and shape without any difficulty at all. They avoid using words to identify colour and shape and so do not consolidate their learning or develop their vocabulary. A weakness in teaching is in the use of assessment to help plan activities that match well to what pupils need to learn.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

65. Children make satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of the world. In the nursery, they learn about travel and vehicles. Through their play and talk about relevant books most children learn about how vehicles work. They use the role-play areas well. Reception children show great curiosity and fascination for the tadpoles and frogs in the tank. This interests them more than the computer work. Teaching offers useful opportunities to use ICT. Children quickly learn how to use the mouse and listen carefully and generally respond to instructions well. Older children use a computer program well to create pictures of shape people and make models using construction kits. Work away from the computer suite is less reliable because children do not always know how to use the program. Helpful Year 1 pupils lend a hand. Teaching is satisfactory. However, more could be

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

done to enhance children’s curiosity. They show reasonable skill in using scissors, glue and paintbrushes. Derwent Vale Primary School - 34

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Physical development

66. Children’s physical development is good. All children have opportunity to use the outdoor play area and equipment. Teaching is satisfactory, although it does not always set enough challenge to help children improve their performance. Children use wheeled vehicles very well and most do so with good accuracy. They have confidence and their skill in control is impressive. However, adults need to be more alert to making sure that all children are aware of important safety rules to avoid collisions and accidents. One or two children race about without due care and attention for themselves or for others. Nursery children throw, bounce and catch a large ball with good accuracy. They walk along the low fence of logs independently but not all wear proper footwear for this exercise. It is also unclear whether the fence is a proper resource for this activity. Children climb the stool, jump down from it and stride

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Physical development

or jump from hoop to hoop confidently and the activity presents almost no challenge. Teachers are sensitive to the needs of children who feel unsure. Other children are nearby to offer their hand. They enjoy working on their own or in teams. In the hall, nursery children and adults work on skipping and follow-my-leader games. These are useful in helping young children to develop balance and control and to work together. However, the work needs to be better planned to take account of individual needs, particularly for those children who have difficulty with their behaviour. Routines are not well established so that children are very clear about what they are expected to do and how they are to behave. They remove shoes and socks generally without much assistance and can tie shoelaces. The more competent help those who have not yet mastered this skill. They learn to handle tools and malleable materials when, for example, they make cakes with the play dough and show

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Physical development

very good rolling skills, use the cake cutter properly and roll cherries carefully. Children use their skills by rolling and using the cake cutter to make real biscuits.

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Creative development

67. Children’s creative development is satisfactory. They have access to a reasonable range of activities. They have opportunity to sing songs, role-play and use easily moulded materials. Teaching is satisfactory. Work is explained clearly and appropriate resources are available. In the role-play area they make phone calls in the travel agents and in the house they prepare tea. Children enjoy music lessons. Their excellent attitude and behaviour helped them get the very best out of the lesson seen. They experimented with sound, to create a loud sound and then a soft sound. The teacher made good links with an earlier science activity and encouraged children to think of soft sounds to help a baby go to sleep. Teaching was effective in keeping children’s mind on the work and all were purposefully engaged in trying to get their instrument to make a very soft sound. They knew that a lullaby was a song to help babies

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Creative development

go to sleep. The good teaching helps children to make significant progress in a short time. They have some experience of using art materials but the work is not sufficiently frequent or sufficiently challenging to help them build their Derwent Vale Primary School - 35 interest, concentration and skills. They paint stripes and they refer to wallpaper designs.

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Creative development

68. The nursery is a spacious and reasonably stimulating place for children to learn. The reception children work in a more cluttered environment. There are few examples of children’s work on display. However, displays by teachers are used well to support learning, particularly the ‘w’ table and the vehicles and the related non-fiction books. The vehicles are of particular interest to the children and is a favourite in ‘free choice’ time.

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Creative development

69. Recent initiatives to plan and prepare on a daily basis have had a positive impact on the Foundation Stage team. They carefully make sure that children experience all the areas of learning. Together, they successfully create an atmosphere where children develop good social skills and are generally helped to improve their behaviour. There is a positive and caring feel to the classrooms, based on a mutual respect between adults and children.

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ENGLISH

70. By the end of the infant stage at the end of Year 2 and by the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, standards are below those expected of children aged seven and eleven. For the older children this is similar to pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests in 2000. A significant influence on these results was the few children attaining the higher levels. Test results show that standards have been sustained since the last inspection but the small size of some year groups leads to variations in the results from year to year, particularly when a year group, like the current Year 6, has a significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Given the generally low levels of language skills children have when they start school pupils make good progress and achieve well by the time they leave the school. Comparing the national test results with similar schools supports this, as pupils’ performance in relation to these schools is well

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above average. Children with special educational needs make good progress by the time they leave the school.

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71. Standards for the younger children show some improvement from the National Curriculum test results in 2000, when pupils’ performance was very low in reading and well below the national average in writing. No children attained the higher level in either reading or writing and this significantly influenced pupils’ overall performance. Inspection findings are more consistent with the results in previous years which show a steady improvement. Pupils achieve at a level that could be expected given their general abilities when they start at the school. The comparison with similar schools supports this for most years except in reading in 2000, when results were well below the average achieved by children at similar schools.

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72. The quality of teaching was particularly good with the oldest children. In the lessons seen children aged eight to eleven received teaching that was never less than satisfactory and in half the lessons it was very good. In the classes with younger children teaching was satisfactory with some aspects that were good. Where teaching is very good teachers have a very clear understanding of what it is they want children to learn. The objectives for the lesson are shared with the children so that they are clear about what it is they are expected to achieve. The pace of the lessons is brisk so that pupils sustain concentration well as the lesson flows from one part to the next. Skilful questioning keeps pupils fully involved and helps them to make relevant contributions to the discussions. Some of the questions make high demands on children’s Derwent Vale Primary School - 36 thinking so that they have to carefully consider their answers. The way teachers value and use

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ENGLISH

children’s answers reflect the very good relationships and good class management in these lessons. Activities are well chosen and fire children’s imagination and interest. For example, children in Year 4 and 5 worked enthusiastically and co-operatively at a word building game. Children were set clear expectations as to how much time was available for them to complete a task. This encouraged them to work quickly so that they completed appropriate amounts of work. When there was not enough time available the older children willingly took their work on Goodnight Mister Tom home to complete.

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73. Teachers’ good understanding of what they want children to learn compensates in some lessons for the barely adequate written planning. As a result of weak planning the selection of tasks does not pay enough attention to providing work to further extend the thinking of the more able. The good level of support provided by classroom assistants helps children who find learning more difficult to work successfully in most lessons. The short discussion at the end of lessons is not always used effectively to help children see whether they have achieved the lesson objectives or to help teachers assess pupils’ progress. Information from lessons is not always used to modify planning for the next lesson.

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ENGLISH

74. Most seven-year olds speak clearly when talking to the class. For example, children spoke clearly, if quietly, when giving good examples of questions beginning with “wh” words in a lesson on looking at information books. The teacher read stories well in a way that encouraged individuals to read the passages with suitable expression. By the age of eleven, most children speak clearly and confidently. They give clear explanations to large groups such as in the school assembly or when talking with adults. They do not always use accurate constructions within the sentences as they speak. Pupils willingly answer questions showing that they listened well.

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ENGLISH

75. Standards of reading by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are below average. This is not consistent throughout the school, as pupils in Years 4 and 5 read at levels more appropriate for their age. The more able children in Year 2 confidently read books appropriate for their age and ability and correct any errors when prompted. Children have not yet developed fluency in their reading and several children are still at a stage where they read the text from word to word with no expression or feel for the meaning of the story. Most children use letter sounds to help them read unfamiliar words and those who find reading difficult need help with this. The more able children talk about the plot of the stories they have read, sometimes explaining why they have chosen a particular section to read. By the age of eleven pupils most pupils read confidently and accurately but they do not read a wide enough range of challenging books as part of their own

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choice. In lessons teachers select books that provide challenges in the use of vocabulary and in the interpretation and extension of ideas. These issues are explored well in literacy lessons when the teacher of the oldest children takes them on a voyage of discovery about the characters and plot of the story. The books children choose to read are not always demanding enough to help children extend their reading skills. Reading records show that the older children do not read these books often enough to adults to help them improve fluency and expression. These records do not provide children with the opportunity to reflect on their reading and only act as a list of books read. Most children in the junior classes know how to use the library to find a relevant information book. They locate specific information using the table of contents or the index.

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76. Although pupils make steady progress through Years 1 and 2 they do not attain standards expected for their age in writing by the end of Year 2. The quality of their independent writing is marred by inaccurate use of sentences and inconsistent handwriting. They usually form letters correctly but too many children write letters inconsistently in size. There was no evidence of children beginning to join their handwriting. The more able children correctly spell words at a level appropriate for their age and most children spell simple, common words accurately. The Derwent Vale Primary School - 37 more able children usually use capital letters and full stops accurately in sentences but many children do not transfer the skills they have learned in exercises to their independent work. As a result too many sentences are not correctly punctuated. Children write for a suitable range of purposes. This includes poems on “Spring”, descriptions of “My House” and a letter to a friend

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77. Although there is a significant number of children with special educational needs in the present Year 6, most children’s work in writing is close to the level expected for their age. No children work consistently at a level above this. Children’s work shows a range of writing for different purposes including different types of letter, descriptions of events, poetry, explanations, instructions and stories. Children write persuasively when presenting argument on topics such as smoking. Using a framework helps pupils plan some of their stories and they redraft some of their work to improve its quality. They sometimes use the computer to present their final copy attractively. Pupils use the thesaurus on a computer to help choose more interesting words for their writing. This helps them improve their use of vocabulary and the standard of their spelling. In their independent writing, most pupils spell common words accurately but are less certain with

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more complex words. Children’s writing often shows a good level of ideas but it is not always of a consistent standard in its structure and use of punctuation. Although children know how to structure sentences they do not always apply this knowledge to their independent writing. Through their writing about events in the story of Goodnight Mister Tom children show a good understanding of differences of writing in the first or third person. Some of the lower attaining children found sustaining writing in the first person difficult. Most pupils have developed a joined, legible and fluent style of handwriting. Some pupils, however, continue to print their work, despite exhortations by the teacher to join their writing.

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ENGLISH

78. The school has effectively introduced the National Literacy Strategy and taken due account of the needs of different age groups in each class. The co-ordinator has identified further modification of this as necessary to help extend the more able children and provide suitable support for those needing extra help. Effective use is made of other subjects to help develop literacy skills, such as letter writing in geography and using the Internet to locate information. Assessment procedures are sound, with suitable use made of national tests. Although most pupils keep a record of the books they have read the loose sheet format does not encourage pupils to keep it carefully. This was commented on at the last inspection and little improvement in the records has been made since. This wastes an opportunity for children, particularly the older children, to monitor their own reading through an evaluation of the books they have read and for

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ENGLISH

teachers to note the progress children make. Records contained very few comments by teachers, although parents of younger children often made comments.

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ENGLISH

79. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership for the subject. The introduction of the Literacy Strategy was led well but the co-ordinator has not been involved enough in monitoring the implementation of the strategy. Pupils’ work is not evaluated often enough, planning not reviewed regularly and there are few opportunities to observe teachers or to work with them. When a temporary teacher was supported by a senior teacher the lesson went well and opportunity to give advice on the management and content of lessons was used successfully. This does not, however, happen often enough. Resources are generally good, with suitably stocked libraries for the older and younger children. The range of books available for the older children needs to be reviewed to ensure that it provides more consistent challenge for the more able readers.

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MATHEMATICS

Derwent Vale Primary School - 38 80. Overall, standards are lower than those reported at the last inspection in 1997. However, that report acknowledged the decline in the ability of children entering the school and the effect this was beginning to have on standards of attainment.

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MATHEMATICS

81. At present the attainment of Year 2 children is below average in comparison with all schools and average when compared with similar schools. This is an improvement from the results of the National Curriculum tests in 2000, which were very low in comparison with all schools nationally. These levels indicate good progress during Year 1 and 2 as many children enter school with very low levels of achievement in numeracy. Comparisons with other schools is affected by the few children who attain a higher than expected level. Last year only one seven-year-old achieved this.

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MATHEMATICS

82. In National Curriculum tests in 2000, pupils’ performance at the end of Year 6 was below average in comparison with all schools but above average in comparison with similar schools. Last year’s results showed a marked decline in standards compared with the national average. More than half of the very small number of children in the current Year 6 are on the special educational needs register and there is little attainment above the expected level. This is a similar level of attainment to last year. Factors such as variations in the size of a year group, the number of children with special educational needs and those attaining higher than expected levels significantly influence averages. This is well illustrated by the attainment of other junior age groups, particularly Year 5, where standards are significantly better.

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MATHEMATICS

83. While few children with special educational needs reach the standards expected for their age, they make good progress. In most lessons there is a good match of teaching and tasks to their needs. For instance, the quality of support given in a Year 5 and 6 lesson, with good questioning and techniques, led to better understanding of suitable intervals when drawing a graph. A similar step-by-step approach with slower learners with Year 1 children enabled them to learn about the difference between two- and three- dimensional shapes. Matching work to abilities is less in evidence for the more able children and this clearly influences the number who attain high standards. For example, in a Year 4 and 5 lesson about finding missing numbers, all children were given exactly the same work, despite the disparity in age and ability.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Seven-year-olds are confident using numbers up to 100 and a few up to 1000. However, they are not entirely secure about the place value of numbers and how to use it to help in solving problems. Most children read amounts of money correctly, recognise coin values and work out change but the significance of the decimal point in amounts above one pound (£) is not clearly understood. Few children recall addition and subtraction facts up to 10 quickly and accurately or are confident in choosing the correct operations to find an answer. They know some of the properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes and metric units of measure but do not understand that an angle is a measurement of turn. By the age of eleven most children can work out Derwent Vale Primary School - 39 appropriate calculations quickly and accurately in their heads. They understand decimals and percentages, develop measuring skills and use and

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MATHEMATICS

interpret a range of diagrams and charts. They are less confident in the use of subtraction as an inverse of addition, estimating and the use of simple formulae, for example to find area and perimeter.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Overall, children lack confidence in applying their numeracy skills to problems. For example, very few Year 2 children applied their knowledge of fractions correctly in a task about Cuddly Toys and most Year 4 and 5 children were unable to apply addition and subtraction of two-digit numbers correctly to complete a number pattern. However, most Year 5 children showed good skills when extracting information from a table of personal measurements and making comparisons through drawing graphs. Numeracy is sometimes used in other subjects - for example, recording the passing of eras in history, measuring the rate of absorption of water in differing materials in science and in work on climate in geography.

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MATHEMATICS

86. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory with children in Years 1 to 3. It is good overall with the older children, although one poor lesson was seen in the Year 4 and 5 class. Teaching of the class of Year 5 and 6 children was very good. Overall, teachers’ knowledge and understanding of mathematics are sound, although there is a weakness in teaching oral skills, particularly in lessons taken by temporary teachers. There is also a lack of pace in teaching this aspect of numeracy in all but the lessons with the oldest children. In one lesson with Year 4 children no oral or mental work was done and in another it was not used appropriately at the beginning of the lesson or pitched at a high enough level to promote progress. Lesson planning is inconsistent and some teachers confuse what is to be learned with what topic is to be covered. Very rarely do plans include reference to variable levels of

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MATHEMATICS

tasks for children of differing ages and abilities. This restricts the rate of learning, particularly of the more able children. In lessons in classes for younger children, for instance, there was a low level of expectation in terms of challenge and productivity for these children. This was in contrast to the teaching in the class of oldest children, which promoted very good levels of learning. By the end of this lesson almost all children had gained new knowledge, skill and understanding of comparison graphs. Some of this (for example, suitability of class intervals along the axis to produce clearer information) is of a high standard.

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MATHEMATICS

87. Overall, teachers manage children well, although this is weak in the poor teaching. Where it is most successful, children are more involved in their learning through the quality of questioning, discussion and opportunities to explain how they have found an answer. This is particularly good in the support teaching for slower learners and children with special educational needs in Year 1. Good basic techniques, the use of children’s current knowledge and a step-by-step approach enabled most of them to learn how to differentiate between two- and three-dimensional shapes. Overall, teachers use resources, including the support of classroom assistants, effectively to support learning. This is particularly good with reception children when Derwent Vale Primary School - 40 learning about common shapes. Teachers are beginning to use ICT more widely in mathematics but there is room for improvement. It is used well, for

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MATHEMATICS

example, by the older children in data work and by younger children to consolidate understanding of number through using Minnie’s Maths House.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Ongoing assessment and its use in planning future lessons are satisfactory . This is done mainly through marking work, although the quality of this is inconsistent across the school. There is good practice in the Year 2 and 3 teaching in this respect, where outcomes of lesson assessment are clearly written on lesson plans and areas of learning to be taught again clearly identified . Homework is used satisfactorily to support and extend the work in the classroom.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Despite a difficult year the school has made good progress in introducing the National Numeracy Strategy. There is a need to check that the three-part lesson structure is established in all lessons, to stress the importance of oral and mental work and make sure that tasks are used which cater for the learning needs of all children. Resources for the subject are good.

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SCIENCE

90. By the time they leave the school at the age of eleven, pupils attain the expected standards for their age in science. In the 2000 National Curriculum tests pupils’ performance was better than that nationally. Pupils in the current Year 6 work close to the expected levels but the significant proportion of children identified with special educational needs influences the standards achieved. Given their attainments when they started school pupils achieve well. The trend in test results over the past four years since the last inspection has shown that the school has sustained a consistently high level of performance although the slow steady improvement has not been as much as improvements nationally. By the end of Year 2, the standards attained by pupils are below those expected for their age. This is consistent with the assessments made by teachers in 2000 when a well below average percentage of children was judged to have reached the expected

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SCIENCE

91. By the age of seven, pupils understand what living things need to survive. They classify living things as plants or animals and know that different plants and creatures have different habitats. Through ordering the life cycle of a butterfly they understand about growth and change. They carry out simple tests such as seeing what plants need for healthy growth, but need help to make sure that the test is fair. By looking at materials around the classroom they decide which materials are suited to different purposes. For example, they note that glass is suitable for windows but not for making shoes. Children know that some materials change when heated or when frozen. They predict what they think will happen when they carry out tests and record their findings on charts or in diagrams. These are not always completed or presented tidily. The more able children draw simple conclusions from the experiments but they do not have enough

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SCIENCE

opportunities to do this and extend their thinking. There was very limited evidence of children having recently worked on the aspect of science about forces, motion, electricity, light and sound.

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SCIENCE

92. By the age of eleven, pupils, including those with special educational needs, improve their scientific knowledge and ability to conduct investigations. Most pupils achieve the level expected for their age but few achieve a level above this. When conducting experiments they make sensible predictions, know how to make a test fair and record their results on charts or graphs. Derwent Vale Primary School - 41 Dissecting plants helps them gain a good understanding of the structure of plants and, through experiments they know how plants take in water. For example, a child on the special educational needs register explained that they knew plants took up water because the “veins got red” after they had placed plants in coloured water. Through different experiments children gain a good understanding of the properties of materials and correctly use terms such as dissolve and evaporate when describing their findings. They know that heating can change materials and that

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SCIENCE

some of these changes can be reversed. Other experiments allow children to investigate forces, when, for example, they used a force meter to measure upthrust by weighing objects in air and in water. They recorded their results in newtons .

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SCIENCE

93. The quality of teaching was variable. With the oldest children teaching was consistently very good. During the inspection an experienced and enthusiastic teacher taught the two oldest classes. The teacher took children on a journey of exploration, which held children’s attention very well and involved them in developing suitable experiments. The journey of discovery combined a very good balance of teacher information, astute questions to help children use their previous knowledge well and very good use of demonstrations. As a result children maintained high standards of behaviour because they were absorbed in the content of the lesson. The teacher’s good subject knowledge led to information being imparted in a lively and informative way. Resources were used in imaginative ways to clearly illustrate points to children. A cleverly adapted wall chart meant that Year 4 and 5 children understood where the organs of the body are

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SCIENCE

located. The use of the overhead projector to enlarge minibeasts created a moment of awe and wonder for the children as they watched the tiny creatures move across the screen. Demonstrations such as showing how fast the heart beats clearly illustrated information. The pace of the lessons was brisk so that children maintained their concentration and worked productively. Well thought out activities helped children develop a clear understanding of the topics. For example, developing a food web helped children see how different creatures rely on others as part of their food chain. As a result children confidently used terms such as predator and producer to explain what they had learned.

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SCIENCE

94. Children up to the age of eight received teaching that was satisfactory overall. A feature of all lessons was the good use teachers made of children’s knowledge and understanding from previous lessons. This helped pupils understand what they were expected to learn next. Good use was made of resources with the youngest children. As part of their study of living things children were encouraged to observe and comment on the frogs and tadpoles in the class tank. They enjoyed the visit of a baby and finding out how it had grown and comparing it with themselves. By using the correct terms, such as spawn and cocoon , teachers encourage children use appropriate vocabulary. Resources were not always used effectively. Some charts contained too much content and were too small for children to see effectively. When too much information was provided several children lost interest as they found it difficult to sustain an appropriate

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SCIENCE

level of concentration. This was most noticeable when children were introduced to work on space travel more suited to older children. Most children found this difficult to comprehend and the tasks set did not develop children’s scientific understanding.

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SCIENCE

95. Assessment tasks are used effectively, particularly with the older children to review pupils’ knowledge and help prepare them for national tests. Although the science curriculum uses national guidance to provide a suitably balanced range of activities the effects of teaching a two-year cycle have not been fully considered. As a result, children in Year 2 study topics more suited to older children and do not use the available time to consolidate their understanding of more appropriate topics. Limitations in the curriculum have not been identified, as there is not enough monitoring of the subject. There has been limited observation of lessons, examination of planning and scrutiny of pupils’ work. The co-ordinator has led developments in planning but is currently absent on long-term illness, so that no effective monitoring takes place. Science is used Derwent Vale Primary School - 42 sensibly to improve pupils’ numeracy skills and to provide opportunities to develop their literacy

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SCIENCE

skills through different forms of report writing. Resources overall are good and used well to support teaching and enhance pupils’ learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. It was possible to see only one art lesson during the inspection. There was only limited evidence of pupils’ work available and discussion with pupils did not provide much additional information. This, together with shortcomings in the planning, indicates that pupils do not have a sufficient range of opportunities to achieve the standards expected by the time they leave the school. Insufficient time is allocated for teaching the subject and it is not planned well enough to ensure that children build on skills they have learned previously and experience all the expected areas identified in the National Curriculum.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. Seven-year-old pupils recalled very little about the work that they had done. Although they were polite and courteous and participated willingly in conversation they were unable to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding, such as learning about famous artists. Older pupils were just as polite and talked about their experience of art. They recalled working with clay and using the kiln but did not mention work on landscapes, silhouettes and observational drawings which they had done recently. When talking about the works of Van Gogh and Picasso they showed some confusion about the styles of the different artists. The analysis of the limited amount of work seen showed examples of drawing mirror images using pictures from magazines or photographs and of children working with pastels. Examples of paintings seen were generally unfinished. Some still life work showed signs of developing skills but at a fairly early stage.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. In the only art lesson observed the quality of teaching was satisfactory. Work was introduced well with a good emphasis placed on looking carefully at the cross sections of real fruit. This helped to develop pupils’ observational skills. Children were very clear about what they had to do and worked with very good attitudes, behaviour and concentration. They made every attempt to carefully present their work with good regard for materials and colour. They began to gain a very early understanding of texture. The teacher helped pupils to improve their work by suggesting ideas and offering advice. Pupils responded well to the opportunity to add more detail to their work. The main weakness in teaching was the slow pace of the lesson. Too much time was taken in showing and giving out resources.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. Standards have not been maintained since the previous inspection. This includes a period of time when schools were not required to reach all aspects of the subject. The scheme of work that needs to be completed remains incomplete. The school uses national guidance patchily. The planning for each term is not effective in identifying what pupils need to learn, know and do, and does not build on previous experiences. Not enough opportunities to develop children’s cultural awareness through looking at art from different societies are provided. No member of staff currently has overall responsibility for the subject, with the result that there is not enough monitoring and evaluation of teaching and pupils’ work to identify issues to help develop the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. Children throughout the school, including those with special educational needs, continue to achieve the satisfactory levels reported at the last Derwent Vale Primary School - 43 inspection. Only one design and technology lesson was observed. Judgements are based on scrutiny of planning, discussions with teachers and children and analysis of projects.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. By the age of seven children use design plans in response to simple ideas like making a stand up picture frame. These include annotated diagrams, details of materials and methods to be used in making. They use simple tools such as scissors and they mark, measure, cut out and shape a range of materials with growing confidence when following their plans. They understand basic techniques when joining materials to produce a finished model. Many of these are well matched to the initial task and show a sound understanding of design processes. This step-by-step procedure is also evident in the design project undertaken by the Year 2 and 3 class based upon favourite sandwiches. A class survey provided data that were used to draw and gain more understanding of graphs. The idea was developed through exploration of various edible materials used in a sandwich and the investigation of their variety in taste and texture. Children completed an evaluation exercise to

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

choose which bread they preferred, made sandwiches, shared them with others in the school, and wrote about the end products.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. Older children have sound knowledge and understanding of design and technology through developing ideas, planning, making products and evaluating them. This is evident in projects about biscuits, Tudor houses and the current work being done by the class of oldest children on types of shelter. Ideas for the latter originated from a detailed survey of the purpose of shelters and the significance of shape and materials to meet various criteria such as weather, safety and comfort. This resulted in good understanding of strengthening techniques such as corrugation and triangulation. Children are currently using tools and techniques to make shelters to meet certain needs. In this work they show a sound grasp of how to evaluate, produce step-by-step plans, work with a variety of tools, materials and components with some accuracy and make a model to communicate their ideas.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. In the one lesson seen the quality of teaching was good. Learning more about sandwiches was within the experiences of all the children and generated enthusiasm and interest. The teacher showed good subject knowledge, the lesson was well structured and it had clear aims based on what children were expected to learn. The practical task of evaluating different types of bread and making a choice was used well to teach children how symbols can often convey more meaning than ticks and crosses. There was very good reference to the importance of hygiene in food technology and strict procedures were applied before anyone touched the bread. The building up of bread profiles led to more understanding of words such as texture, evaluate, bacteria, similarities and differences . Children were well managed and resources used effectively to support learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. Design and technology is well linked to other subjects such as history and science. Planning is generally satisfactory. There is inconsistency in the assessment and evaluation of learning, which needs to be remedied to make Derwent Vale Primary School - 44 sure that new work is firmly based upon what children know and can do.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Standards of achievement in geography are in line with those shown in the National Curriculum targets. This is similar to the levels reported during the last inspection. Only one geography lesson was observed. Judgements are based upon scrutiny of planning, discussions with teachers and children and analysis of work.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. By the age of seven children understand the meaning of plan and map. They have drawn their route to school and, by looking at maps, have learned to recognise and name geographical features such as river, coastline, hills and mountains. They have a sound understanding of types of weather and the seasons and know how these affect growing things, clothes that are worn and some of the activities people pursue. Through their study of a village in Kenya they have developed an understanding of a place that contrasts with their own locality. They express their views about issues within their own environment - for example, the problem of litter around Great Clifton.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. Eleven-year-olds have a good knowledge of place names within the United Kingdom and beyond. They understand the significance of geographical location in relation to the equator and the poles and that features such as climate, landscape , location and resources play a significant part in people’s occupations and activities. They relate this to the demise of coal mining in Great Clifton when identifying how and why places change. Geographical skills are sound: for instance, most use an atlas confidently to locate places and understand how to interpret maps through the use of a key. They have used ICT to compare climatic data of Great Clifton, London and Spain and understand how climate affects life styles. Some good learning has resulted from comparing temperatures at different locations around the school over a period of time. For example, they know how to measure temperature accurately and the factors, on a local basis, that result in variations.

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GEOGRAPHY

Knowledge of landscape features has been developed through the interpretation of aerial photographs.

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GEOGRAPHY

108. The quality of teaching and learning in the one lesson seen was of good quality. It was one of a series of lessons about weather, what makes up climate and what causes differences and changes. Some of the teaching regarding the earth’s orbit around the sun and how this results in seasons was pitched at too high a level for some children. However the season wheel task enabled them to learn more about how the countryside and many human activities are closely linked to the seasonal changes. What the children were expected to learn was shown clearly in the lesson plan. Good questioning and discussion techniques were used to involve children in their own learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

109. Planning for teaching and learning is satisfactory, although more attention needs to be given to the appropriateness of programmes of study in the Year 2 Derwent Vale Primary School - 45 and 3 class. While some assessment of achievement is undertaken at the end of topics it is inconsistent across the school. Resources are satisfactory.

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HISTORY

110. Standards in history are below those expected of children aged seven and eleven. There has been no improvement in standards since the last inspection. During the inspection it was not possible to see any teaching of history. Evidence from pupils’ work, displays around the school, teachers’ planning and discussion with pupils, show that pupils achieve suitable knowledge but do not acquire appropriate skills in historical enquiry.

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HISTORY

111. By the age of seven children place events in the order in which they occur, for example placing the kings and queens of Tudor England in correct order. They identify differences between the past and their own lives such as differences in clothes worn in Tudor times and know some famous people from the era and events associated with them. Through looking at pictures and listening to visitors children gain some understanding of what it was like to live in Tudor England. For example, the more able children write good descriptions of houses in Tudor times with reference to narrow streets and the materials used to make houses. Most children, however, show their understanding is limited by colouring pictures of houses in gaudy and inappropriate colours. Children’s work shows limited understanding of why things happened; for example, they do not explain why Francis Drake sailed around the world. The range of history studied is

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HISTORY

112. By the age of eleven, pupils’ have not extended their knowledge of the past enough nor have they acquired the appropriate skills in historical research. Through their study of Tudor England they know that Henry VIII had six wives but were unable to name them or to give any relevant details of the life of the king. Few children could give reasons, explanations or any significant events about the different marriages, particularly in their effect on the religious life of the country. Children in Year 4 presented work on Henry VIII’s wives in a good clear chart and produced some good work leading to developing an appropriate knowledge. Although older pupils research information using the Internet they make little use of this to explore what life was like in the past. Throughout the junior classes there was little evidence of children making enough use of historical sources of evidence to find out about the past or to examine the reasons behind

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HISTORY

significant events. Too much work was on loose work sheets, some of which showed poor attention to detail, rather than using appropriate styles of writing such as letters or diaries to record their work.

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HISTORY

113. Planning for history is inadequate in detailing how pupils will develop their historical thinking and understanding of ideas. In order to avoid repeating topics all the junior aged children study each topic at the same time so that they do not repeat any of the required areas of study. This has not been developed enough, particularly when considering the needs of children in a Year 2 and 3 class. As a result children in Year 2 follow the Programme of Study intended for older children and will, unless a decision is made to change the cycle, repeat the topic at a later date. Planning for each topic is too focused on the knowledge to be acquired and not enough attention has been paid to the development of historical skills suitable for the different ages of pupils. This leads to children in all year groups studying very similar work and not using the topics to develop appropriate skills and understanding. As a result much of the children’ work is at a superficial

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HISTORY

114. Although there is a co-ordinator for the subject, the role has not been developed enough to provide the leadership needed to improve the planning and standards. Monitoring of the subject Derwent Vale Primary School - 46 is very limited with very little scrutiny of pupils’ work and no observation of teaching or children working in class. This results in weaknesses in planning not being identified. Resources are satisfactory and good use is made of visitors, such as ‘an Elizabethan courtier’, to provide relevant information.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. By the time they leave the school pupils attain standards that are in line with expectations for the subject, with some elements of the junior work reaching a higher level. Standards of the youngest children are improving steadily and by the age of seven most pupils work close to the level expected for their age, but none achieve at a higher level. Since the last inspection there has been an improvement in children’s level of skills as they now have access to a wider range of opportunities.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. The improvement has come about mainly for three reasons. The ICT suite is now in full use and this enables pupils to be taught skills in the subject systematically. The teaching of the subject is now underpinned by a good scheme of work which details what children are expected to learn in each age group. Expertise of staff has improved, particularly that of the support staff who provide valuable guidance to pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. By the age of seven, pupils know the names of different parts of the computer. They can start and restart a computer, open programs and use the keyboard and mouse to operate programs and to open or close files. They are beginning to use word-processing to copy their written work in order to present it an interesting way. Sometimes they change the size and type of font they use. They have some experience of presenting work using text and images, for example when making cards using pictures from Clip Art or taken on a digital camera. By using a suitable program they draw patterns and pictures. Children develop ideas through using the computer; for example, in mathematics they use a matrix to help sort information. They are starting to use the computer to find out information using CD-ROM and a program such as Encarta . They know that they can store pictures of their activities by using a digital camera.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. By the age of eleven most pupils are very adept in the use of computers for a wide range of purposes. They use the range of elements in using word-processing. They cut and paste relevant text, import pictures from suitable programs or the Internet as well as including photographs taken on a digital camera. Not enough use is made of the computer for children to draft and edit their work – it is used mainly for producing final copies. By using a multi-media program pupils develop an interactive program on topics they have studied such as the Tudors or Ponds. They insert and place text in the required position and use a scanner to import suitable illustrations. In some work pupils add sound to their work. Pupils know how to use a search engine to help them confidently access the Internet to find relevant information. They do not always make effective use of the information they find in lessons such as history. Pupils confidently send and receive e-

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

mail. Computers are used successfully to control a sequence of flashing lights. Through using spreadsheets pupils know how to enter data and use simple formula to speed up calculations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. Pupils enjoy using computers and as their competence improves so does their confidence. They talk clearly and knowledgeably about their work and show some independence when using the computer as an aid to their learning. For example, children in Year 6 used a computer’s thesaurus to help find more suitable vocabulary for their writing in an English lesson. Younger children were excited about giving instructions to a model robot to make it move in different directions. They showed great pride in their success. Derwent Vale Primary School - 47 120. During the inspection it was possible to see only one lesson. Planning shows that skills are taught systematically, using a commercially produced scheme. Teaching is enhanced by the expertise of support staff who are suitably qualified and enthusiastic about the subject. The younger children particularly benefit from this expertise. The planning provides a good structure

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

for the teaching of skills and a framework for assessing progress. It does not, however, make sufficiently clear enough references to the expected levels of attainment and programmes of study set out in the National Curriculum. Computers are used effectively to support work in other subjects such as English, mathematics and science.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. The development of the subject has been led well by a knowledgeable co-ordinator who leads by setting a good example. The subject is not monitored rigorously enough to identify what is done successfully, what could be improved and how staff could be supported. The acquisition of the new ICT suite through joint funding with the community has considerably enhanced the resources available to the school. As all computers are integrated into the school network pupils work on whichever computer is available, knowing they have access to any work they have stored on the system. Other resources, such as a digital camera, programmable robot and a control box, enable children to have a suitably wide range of experiences of technology.

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MUSIC

122. It was not possible to see any teaching of music during the inspection. With limited work and little detailed information from interviews with pupils it is not possible to make a secure judgement on standards. However, scrutiny of teachers’ planning and discussions with children indicate that not enough time is given to the teaching of music for children to be able to achieve standards that would be expected for their age. Discussion with Year 2 pupils showed that they had had very few useful experiences. Planning is not detailed enough to properly help pupils to develop musical skills and understanding in a systematic way. The programmes of study of the National Curriculum are not fully covered.

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MUSIC

123. Pupils sing reasonably well in assemblies. Year 2 pupils could only vaguely recall using instruments, although they did give examples of having used a triangle and maracas. Pupils did not remember any songs they had learned. The oldest pupils do not know the names of many instruments and have not heard of the term percussion . They know they hear music in assemblies and that recently they have listened to the Beatles and Buddy Holly. A few pupils learn the recorder, guitar and the flute. Planning for the development of musical skills is still not satisfactory. Schemes of work have not been developed well and the subject is not allocated enough time for it to be taught effectively. Opportunities to extend pupils’ awareness of music from different cultures are not planned. Currently there is no teacher with overall responsibility for the subject with the result that there is no effective monitoring of teaching and of what pupils

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. Only two lessons were observed during the inspection. Pupils’ attainments throughout the school in the aspects of physical education seen are in line with standards shown in the targets of the National Curriculum.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. The lesson with seven-year-olds practising decathlon events for Sports Day was very well planned with interesting content that motivated the children. It Derwent Vale Primary School - 48 was well organised in terms of the use of resources, grouping children and the variety in types of skills to be improved and developed. The teacher had a good knowledge of the subject, which was shown through the attention given to vigorous activity, the need to perform safely and to health issues. Good intervention techniques encouraged children to extend their skills, for example by trying overhead throws. The teacher quickly introduced less difficult tasks for the less skilful to make sure that they had some success. The lesson ended with a discussion about strengths and weaknesses and improvements that might be made. During the activities children showed sound skills in throwing, aiming, catching and retrieving beanbags and balls. The good

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

quality of teaching enabled all children to improve.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. The quality of teaching was excellent and learning very good in a lesson with children in Year 4 and 5. It involved a range of athletics and games activities challenging children to perform at their best and identify ways in which they could improve even further. Very good attention was paid to health issues such as the importance of changing for lessons, and how exercise affects the body in the short term. A very good learning feature was the introduction of a heart monitor for children to use. Other excellent features included the quality of lesson organisation, its fluency, the skilful observation of performance to identify how children might improve and the use of resources. For example, the classroom assistant was well briefed and added to the quality through the sensitive support given to some of the less adept and agile children. Children showed satisfactory skills in sustaining vigorous activities over an appropriate

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

length of time, in throwing and catching balls, in skipping and aiming and retrieving. The school has a swimming programme for older children and almost all swim at least 25 metres confidently and safely by the time they leave the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. Accommodation for teaching gymnastics and dance is good and outdoor pursuits are taught during the residential visit to Derwent Water. The subject has been enhanced recently by involvement in the Top Sports and Top Play projects. This has added breadth to teaching and improved games’ resources significantly. A number of extra-curricular activities, especially cross country running and Rugby football, enhance provision. Overall planning is satisfactory. There is no system in place for assessing and evaluating children’s achievement or for checking the quality of lessons. Resources are good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128. The standards attained by pupils by the age of seven and eleven are below those expected in the locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education. Analysis of pupils’ work, of which there was very little, and discussions with staff and pupils clearly show that the subject is not taught often enough for children to make suitable progress in their knowledge and understanding of religious traditions and beliefs. Standards are not as good as at the previous inspection. Then the subject was described as having a secure place in the Derwent Vale Primary School - 49 curriculum, with the teaching programme offering pupils an appropriate range of experiences based on the Agreed Syllabus. This is no longer the case. The subject does not meet the requirements of the Agreed Syllabus.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. Pupils in Year 2 are not familiar with words such as religious education , Christianity or words about other major faiths. They have written about the story of David and Goliath but in discussions showed very limited knowledge of other stories from the Bible. Although the oldest pupils have looked at aspects of the Christmas story, they generally have an insecure understanding idea of important Christian festivals such as Easter. Their knowledge of other major world religions is superficial. Discussion with children showed that they had little knowledge and understanding of religious stories, beliefs and traditions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. In the lessons observed, the quality of teaching was good overall, although some lessons were about personal and social education rather than religious education. For example, pupils in Year 6 gained an understanding that there are similarities between religions, such as charitable giving, as well as differences in customs but the religious element was not secure in the discussion about family responsibilities. The lesson successfully introduced rules by which some people live. A strength in the teaching was the quality of discussion with pupils which took place in the calm and purposeful atmosphere created by the teacher. Younger children were encouraged to participate in stories and were very pleased to join in. For example, in Year 1, pupils were interested in the Bible story about David and Goliath because teaching made the story come alive through good description and use of voice. Pupils try to

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

share their experience of church and God but have very little to offer. In some lessons pupils were encouraged to close their eyes and think about how God could help them but this was not too successful because pupils have limited experience of showing reverence in this way.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. The statutory requirements for teaching religious education are not being met. The subject is not planned well enough to help develop pupils’ understanding in a systematic way and to meet the requirements of the locally Agreed Syllabus. This document is not used well enough to benefit teaching and ensure that children learn appropriate knowledge. Time available for religious education is often devoted to lessons on personal and social education, many of which are good, but they do not develop religious knowledge and understanding. There is little assessment of what pupils achieve and the subject is not monitored by the co-ordinator to evaluate standards, curricular planning and the quality of teaching. As a result, the school is not meeting its responsibility to provide appropriate opportunities to raise issues through religious education that will take pupils further in their learning and in their

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