Hartland Primary School

HARTLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs M. Hulme OFSTED Inspector Number: 3609

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HARTLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 12 th February 2001

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HARTLAND 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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HARTLAND 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. Hartland Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: North Road Hartland Bideford Devon Postcode: EX39 6BP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 15 September 1997 Hartland Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 3609 Mrs M. Hulme Registered inspector English; art and design; music; areas of learning for children in the foundation stage; special educational needs What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

9306 Mrs B. Moore Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 4109 Mr J. Barley Team inspector mathematics; information and communication technology; geography, history; equal opportunities How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

18344 Mr D. Earley Team inspector science; design and technology; physical education; religious education; English as an additional language How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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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 Hartland 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 - 13

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Hartland primary school is situated in a rural area close to the coast. It was opened in 1870 and the original building has been extended and further improvements are planned. It is smaller than other primary schools, having 122 children on roll who are taught in five mixed age classes by seven teachers who include the headteacher and three who are part-time. The school serves the villages of Hartland, Welcombe, Stoke and all the hamlets from Clovelly Cross to the Cornish border. This results in 50 per cent of children travelling to the school by bus and some live in isolated areas. Children have a choice of secondary school when they leave and may choose to continue their education in Devon or Cornwall. There are no children from minority ethnic groups and none who speaks English as an additional language. There are 11 per cent of children known to be eligible for free school meals, which is broadly in line with the national average. The

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

percentage of pupils on the special educational needs register is low at present (2.5 per cent) and well below the national average. There are two pupils who have statements of special educational need. Children enter the school at the age of four, with many having had pre-school experience at the local playgroup on the school site. Their attainment on entry is broadly in line with that expected for their age but some children have underdeveloped speaking and listening skills and their social development is poor.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

This is an improving school that is working hard to overcome such difficulties as falling rolls, changes to curriculum and instability in staffing. It is now establishing a whole-school approach to everything it does and is succeeding in improving standards, particularly results at the higher levels in National Curriculum tests, improving teaching and providing an ethos where most children are eager to learn and make good efforts. The leadership and management have several good aspects but overall are satisfactory because despite efforts to make improvements there remains two vital stages to be undertaken: the provision for the Foundation Stage needs to be as good as that for the infant and junior classes and teachers need to be more involved in the management process. At present the school is providing satisfactory value for money.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

What the school does well • High standards are achieved in the subjects of art and design and design and technology in all classes; • Overall, the quality of teaching is good and the use of specialist teaching is improving standards; • Caring, sensitive and thoughtful leadership is well supported by a hard working staff and governing body; • The school fosters good behaviour and most children have good attitudes to their work; • Generally parents have good views of the school and are satisfied with the quality of education it provides

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

What could be improved • Provision for the Foundation Stage • Leadership and management related to the management roles of subject co-ordinators • The responsibilities of key staff. They are not equitable and some are overburdened, which is affecting their work in class. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The school was last inspected in 1997. The staff have worked well together to deal with the issues raised in the last inspection but work has not progressed as speedily as it should have done for reasons such as teachers’ long-term illness, no replacement of a retiring deputy and an extensive building programme. The school development plan has been improved with an identification of priorities, resource requirements and criteria for evaluating targets. Although satisfactory attempts have been made to create a whole-school curriculum supported by policies and schemes of work, it is not yet completed, because training for personal, social and health education, together with a new policy, has yet to take place. Teachers’ knowledge of the National Curriculum subjects has improved but that related to the areas of learning for the Foundation Stage, newly introduced last term, is at an early stage of development. An outdoor play area

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

for children under five has been completed successfully. Procedures for monitoring teaching and learning have been introduced but these do not yet involve all staff or all subjects and performance management has been delayed. What did not meet statutory requirements has been remedied. Assessment procedures have been improved and there is now an effective system to assess, record and report on pupils’ attainment and progress. Improvements have been made to special educational needs and time is made for the co-ordinator to monitor its implementation. There is now good support for those children that need it. Overall, the improvement since the last inspection is at least satisfactory and some good work has been achieved. Hartland Primary School - 7 STANDARDS

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

compared with Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

1998 1999 2000 2000 English E C C C well above average above average A B mathematics C A D D average below average C D science E C C C well below average E

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

In lessons and in the scrutiny of written work standards in English, mathematics and science are at national expected levels. The same applies to all other subjects except art and design and design and technology, where standards are higher in all classes.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The number of pupils in Year 6 who undertook National Curriculum tests in 2000 was 25 and one child is the equivalent of four per cent. Although pupils’ performance in English was in line with the national average when compared with similar schools, the 32 per cent who reached a higher level was better than in other schools nationally. In mathematics two pupils missed the higher level by two points and had they been successful the school would have been above average in this subject too. Pupils’ performance in science was in line with the national average when compared with similar schools but the 48 per cent who reached the higher level is a proportion much higher than in other schools. The school’s targets for the percentage of pupils to achieve Level 4 in the National Curriculum tests in 2000 was 60 per cent for English and 66 per cent for mathematics. In both subjects these targets were exceeded.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Standards achieved by the Year 2 children in 2000 are not included in the table above but there has been an improvement in reading over the last three years. Standards are now above average, with over a third of children reaching a higher level. Standards in writing have been well below average for the last few years but efforts are being made to improve them and joined writing has been introduced for the first time this year. Standards in mathematics improved in 1999 and were maintained last year at an above average level.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Trends over time show that, although there is considerable year-to-year variation for Year 2, because the year group is small, the trend is upwards for reading and mathematics. At Year 6 the trends over time are broadly in line with the national average.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

When children in the Foundation Stage enter school their attainment is generally typical for their age but several have poor language and social skills. The majority of children are working towards the early learning goals they need to begin the National Curriculum and are likely to reach those goals in most areas of learning but standards in personal, social and emotional development are unsatisfactory. This is a result of some unsatisfactory aspects of provision for the youngest children.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Children achieve satisfactorily at best in the Foundation Stage. The planning, organisation and adult support for the older children in this stage enable them to make steady progress but provision for the younger ones is inappropriate at times because they are left to their own devices and achievement is unsatisfactory. In Years 1 and 2 children are achieving satisfactorily and in some aspects of their work, such as reading or art and design, it is good. Given the starting points of some children communication is improving. Achievement improves in the junior classes. Effective use is made of specialist teaching and by Year 6 pupils are achieving well, with some doing very well.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Good in the infant and junior classes. Pupils have positive attitudes to school and their work and make good efforts to do well but sometimes unsatisfactorily in the Foundation Stage. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Mainly good. Any incidents of unacceptable behaviour are dealt with effectively. Personal development and relationships The very good relationships that exist between teachers and pupils motivate most children to work hard and do their best. Pupils generally show good co- operation and willingly take responsibility for tasks allocated by teachers. Hartland Primary School - 8 Attendance Satisfactory. Most children arrive punctually and come willingly to school. The very good relationships have resulted in the good attitudes that infant and junior pupils have to school and this forms the foundation for good learning. The good behaviour is a key factor in the sustained work and good efforts.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Although some children enter school with limited skills in personal and social development, progress is steady at the Foundation Stage but deteriorates when interest is lost, activities are not well structured and there is a lack of involvement by adults.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years Lessons seen overall Satisfactory Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is generally good, which is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. In almost all lessons observed it was satisfactory or better. However, there are some differences that indicate strengths and weaknesses. At the last inspection there was only 10 per cent of very good teaching but this has improved to 36 per cent. As in the previous inspection there was a very small percentage of unsatisfactory teaching. This was in just one lesson. This is a small school where all classes have mixed age groups. In the main this presents no problems to teachers, except in one class that has two distinct stages and three age groups.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching in the reception class is good for Year 1 pupils and generally satisfactory for the Foundation Stage, although there are weaknesses and it is in this stage that the unsatisfactory teaching occurred. The organisation and planning have become problematic because the teacher has had little training for the new Foundation Stage curriculum and has difficulty ensuring that she is able to meet their needs and those of the Year 1 children who are in the same class. This has caused her some concern but the limited guidance she has received so far has not helped her overcome these problems. The teaching of Years 1 and 2 is generally good. Teachers’ planning has taken into consideration that there are some Year 1 children in another class and care is taken to see that the work of one group is matched to that of the other. Teachers’ good knowledge of the curriculum is used effectively and children understand what they have to do.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The good relationships established with the children made them confident in trying new work. This good teaching is having a positive affect on learning. The teaching of Years 3 – 6 is good overall with a high percentage of very good teaching. Once pupils get to Year 4 the school makes effective use of specialist teachers and this is having a positive affect on the improvements to standards. Teachers get lessons off to a good start, providing challenge from the beginning, which enthuses pupils and makes them want to be involved. The teaching of English and mathematics is good and at Years 5 and 6 it is very good. The school meets the needs of most pupils well, including those with special educational needs. However, the unsatisfactory aspects of provision for children under five mean that their needs are not met as well as they might be and there are too few opportunities for them to become independent learners.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspect Comment The quality and range of the curriculum Curricular opportunities are good and prepare children well for the next stage of their education. Good work has been achieved in preparing the school for the new Curriculum 2000 but the Foundation Stage curriculum is at an early stage of implementation. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Well trained staff provide good support. The work is co-ordinated well and monitored regularly. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development This has improved and is now good overall. Collective worship promotes spiritual development satisfactorily. Children know the difference between right and wrong and have a growing understanding of the need for social responsibility. Many subjects are used well to make pupils aware of their own culture as well as that of others. How well the school cares for

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

its pupils The care and welfare of children have improved and are now good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school values the contributions of parents to their children’s learning and is keen that they work in partnership with the school. Overall, parents make a positive contribution to the work of the school. The range of curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils is good. Good use is made of the range of visitors to the school and visits that take place to enhance subjects. Additional support is provided for those children that need it such as literacy support. All subjects of the curriculum meet statutory requirements. Hartland Primary School - 9 Procedures for child protection and monitoring and promoting good behaviour are effective. Systems for recording pupils’ academic and personal development and assessing progress are good. Attendance and punctuality are monitored satisfactorily.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED?

Aspect Comment Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher is a caring, sensitive and thoughtful leader and he and the key staff provide competent leadership for the direction of the school. In this they are well supported by the governing body How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are clear about their roles and responsibilities and use a number of ways to keep themselves informed. They are well organised The school’s evaluation of its performance There is now a good understanding of the school’s performance. The improved use of analyses has helped the staff to understand what works well and why. Governors take a keen interest. The strategic use of resources Good. Specific grants are used well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED?

The levels of staffing and learning resources are adequate but the lack of some resources hampers teaching. The accommodation is satisfactory and provides such specialist areas as hall, libraries and an information and technology suite but the libraries are underused and the lack of cleanliness in one class contributes to the unsatisfactory provision for the Foundation Stage .

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED?

The leadership of the school provides good direction for the work of Years 1-6 but that of the Foundation Stage requires improvement. The school’s aims and values are very well reflected in its work. The extensive responsibilities of some teachers make it difficult for them to carry out their work as well as they would wish. Teachers make positive contributions to leadership but need more involvement in monitoring teaching and learning. Generally, governors meet all their statutory responsibilities but their most recent annual report to parents does not include all the required information. Governors do their best to put the principles of best value into practice.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school and make good progress. • They feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • The school expects children to work hard and do their best. • The teaching is good. • Children are helped to become mature and responsible. • The school works closely with parents. • Information about how their children are getting on. • The amount of work they do at home. • The leadership and management. • Children’s behaviour. • Closer working with parents. • The condition of the dining room.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views. Inspection evidence does not support the concerns of the minority of parents who would like to see a range of aspects improved. Some of these concerns have received attention by the school but the findings have not always been communicated to parents and this would have been a helpful step in keeping everyone up to date. The practices of this school with regard to homework and the provision of information are in keeping with that of other primary schools. The range of information provided is very good. Inspectors endorse parental concerns about the dining room but action is being taken to remedy it. Hartland Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The previous report of 1997 judged standards being achieved to be broadly the same as those expected nationally in all subjects. By Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science matched the national average The findings of the current inspection agree with those reported previously in relation to what was seen in lessons and in the scrutiny of written work for English, mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. When children enter the reception classes, the assessments undertaken by teachers show that although the overall attainment is typical for children of this age the levels of attainment vary considerably. Some children live in isolated areas, which hampers their social development and communication skills. A very few children have great difficulty in communicating and sometimes are incapable of responding at all at first. Others are very articulate and communicate their needs and wants very well. Some children can control pencils and try to form letters while others have had little opportunity to develop this skill and still need more time to learn how to handle a pencil. In numeracy children have usually seen numbers but do not know their names and have to learn what they represent and their place in relation to other numbers. However, there are some children whose numeracy skills are better developed than

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

their literacy ones. The early assessments help teachers to identify who is likely to need support right from the beginning. Overall, the majority of children are likely to attain the early learning goals in most areas of learning. However, the standards in the personal, social and emotional area of learning are unsatisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Inspection findings are in line with the results of the National Curriculum test results for eleven-year-olds in the year 2000 with the exception of mathematics which was below average when judged against all schools nationally and against similar schools. There appears to be a disparity between what was seen in mathematics lessons and the test results but the year group undertaking the tests was small, with one child representing four per cent. Two of the pupils missed the higher Level 5 by two marks and there were two children who should have gained the acceptable Level 4 but failed to do so. Had the two Level 5 results been successful the school would have been above the national average not below it. The standards of the current Year 6 pupils are better than those suggested by the National curriculum tests of last year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. .A small year group of 19 pupils was involved in the Year 2 tests and 25 pupils were involved in the Year 6 tests last year. There have been some improvements since the last inspection. For example, in the national tests last year a higher percentage (37 per cent) of Year 2 children reached the higher Level 3 in reading and only two pupils did not reach the acceptable Level 2. This year the more able pupils at Year 2 are also reading particularly well. In the junior classes a higher percentage of Year 6 pupils reached the higher Level 5 in English. In mathematics tests for 2000 there were no pupils at Year 2 who did not reach Level 2 and in science the percentage of pupils at the higher Level 5 (48 per cent) was well above average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Trends over time show that in the infant class there is considerable year-to-year variation because the year group size is small but the trend is upwards for reading and mathematics. In the Year 6 class the trends over time are broadly in line with the national average. Hartland Primary School - 11 6. Although some children have poor speaking and listening skills when they enter school they make steady progress but by the age of seven there is a distinct difference between those articulate speakers whose standards are well above average and those whose vocabulary is limited and lack the confidence to take part in class discussions and find it difficult to respond in more than one or two words. These findings confirm teachers’ assessments last year of pupils’ attainment in speaking and listening, which showed that almost half the class did well but the other half did not. However, the effective teaching enables pupils to improve and by

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the time they are eleven standards are typical for their age. They use a wider range of vocabulary and know how to explain their opinions and ideas and enjoy taking part in discussions.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Only about half the children enter school familiar with books and they do well to achieve satisfactory standards in reading. Seven year olds use a number of ways, including knowledge of letter sounds, to tackle unfamiliar words and establish meaning. The more able readers enjoy silent reading, talk about characters and the setting of a story. Below average readers have difficulty in tackling new words and tend to skip them rather than use their knowledge of letter sounds. Older pupils read with improving fluency and accuracy and enjoy discussing the merits of one author over another. Above average readers cope with most texts but the reading skills of the slower learners are weak and this makes difficulties for them in other subjects. There are two library areas adequately stocked with a range of fiction and non- fiction books but these were underused during the inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Writing is improving in the infant classes but year groups differ in their ability and often younger children are more skilled than older ones. Children are taught handwriting and learn to form letters but the joining of letters has only just been introduced at Year 2. The writing of Year 2 conveys meaning and story writing is becoming better organised but children still need reminders about the use of punctuation such as capital letters and full stops. In the junior classes, story writing is improving, pupils structure and punctuate sentences satisfactorily and use an appropriate range of writing, including non-fiction related to other subjects. Older pupils make good efforts to compose their own poems and story narratives show a sound use of grammar but more practice is needed in planning, the use of paragraphs and more interesting descriptions that can hold the attention of the reader. The more able pupils use a

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

more interesting choice of words and pieces of extended writing show good use of chapters, spelling and punctuation.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In mathematics, by Year 2 children use a number of ways to solve addition and subtraction problems. They read simple scales and identify two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Only a very few children are working at a higher level but this is a reflection on the general ability of the year group that is not as good as the previous one. By the time they are eleven they have become confident mathematicians. Most pupils are able to multiply and divide whole numbers and decimals by 10,100 and 1000 mentally. They are able to express fractions as decimals and as percentages. They are able to find the perimeter and areas of shapes using a formula, they use coordinates involving negative numbers and are able to transfer a shape from one quadrant to another. They understand that the angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In science infant classes understand and describe the similarities and differences between materials. They use tables to organise information, indicating why some materials are used for specific purposes, such as providing bedding for pets. Higher achieving pupils produce accurate and well-presented descriptions of how to lead a healthy lifestyle but the work of slower learners is not presented as clearly and less work is completed. Most pupils can Hartland Primary School - 12 accurately measure and produce labelled diagrams of the external parts of the human body. Pupils make steady progress in increasing their scientific knowledge because teachers share their own comprehensive subject knowledge with them and ensure that work builds carefully on what has gone before. However, in the work seen, pupils` skills in such work as making predictions or understanding when a test or comparison is unfair are not consistently

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

developed. This is because teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to use and extend such skills. In the junior classes most pupils have a secure scientific knowledge and understanding. Higher achieving pupils accurately describe the major organs of the human body and clearly describe the relationship between the heart and lungs. The work of less able pupils is less well presented and their understanding is less accurate. Older pupils produce accurate graphs to show the rate at which a gas fills a room. By Year 6 most pupils know about physical and chemical changes and understand the relationship between burning, carbon dioxide and oxygen. They understand and use a scientific vocabulary accurately. . However, most pupils have insufficient opportunities to extend their skills in methods of scientific enquiry, such as the selection of materials and equipment and in the devising of their

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

own fair tests in order to perform investigations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Apart from the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, the standards achieved in all other subjects have been maintained since the last inspection and are typical for those expected for their ages. In art and design and design and technology they are better than that.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. In art and design, children used their observational skills well to look at patterns in building materials and constructions and talked about the use of design. Older pupils had been inspired by the work of Michael Brennard Wood in using a range of textiles in their creations with some outstanding results.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. In design and technology younger pupils combined their knowledge of science and technology, using magnetism to make a simple game. Older pupils were skilled at making working models with electronically operated moving parts

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. Although information and communication technology is satisfactory overall, more time needs to be spent on the control elements of the subject. However, the desk-top publishing work of the older children is very good and the school newspaper is testimony to the very effective use of their knowledge, understanding and skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

15. The standards in religious education are in line with those expected by the Devon Agreed Syllabus. Children have a good understanding of Christianity and a growing knowledge of other world faiths represented in this country.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Overall, children’s attitudes to school and their work are good. In the junior classes there were several lessons where they were very good but the situation was sometimes unsatisfactory at the Foundation Stage. The younger children are learning to mix amicably with others, to share and follow instructions but many find it difficult to show good self discipline. The older reception children, who have been in school since September, are more familiar with routines and their activities are more demanding, which maintains their interest. Adult involvement is a regular feature for them and work is sustained. In the infant class there are a few children who challenge the authority of the teacher but this is handled well and others are able to get on with their work and make satisfactory progress. In the junior classes Hartland Primary School - 13 children have good attitudes to work, they are interested in what they are doing and co-operate

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

well with others. The very good relationships that exist between teachers and children provide a good foundation for learning and at this stage most children are eager to learn and make good efforts to complete what they have to do successfully.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Behaviour in and around school is generally good. Most children relate well to one another and outdoors they play energetically. Their games, though frequently boisterous, showed no deliberate aggression. When parents expressed concerns about behaviour, the school took action, seeking expert advice to monitor behaviour throughout the school. The expert’s report confirmed there were no serious concerns as although there were a few problems they were handled appropriately and the school was similar to many throughout the country. The observations of inspectors confirmed this. There have been no exclusions in the last year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Relationships are generally very good. The teachers set a very good standard in their relationships with one another and with children. Most pupils who work and play well together mirrored this as in an art lesson when pupils co-operated well in the sharing of resources and discussed their work in a positive manner.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Personal development is good. Children take responsibility for some of the daily routines and undertake their tasks with quiet efficiency. They enjoy the opportunity to be monitors and take pride in the responsibility they have been given. The school has a ‘head boy’ and ‘head girl’ who take their responsibilities seriously and enjoy such tasks as taking visitors around the school. Older pupils are encouraged to show initiative and during the inspection this was well demonstrated by a pupil returning a lost toddler to a parent. Children support various charities, organising some of these themselves, such as the Blue Peter appeal. Both infants and juniors are beginning to reflect on what they do and understand that their actions do have an impact on others. They are keen to share their achievements with others and respond positively to praise for effort in assemblies and lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. The attendance rate, although slightly below the national average, is broadly satisfactory and unauthorised absences are low and better than the national average. Children are happy to come to school and most are punctual.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching is generally good, which is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. However, there are some differences that indicate strengths and weaknesses. At the last inspection there was only 10 per cent of very good teaching but this has improved to 36 per cent. As in the previous inspection there was a very small percentage of unsatisfactory teaching. This was just one lesson. This is a small school where all classes have mixed age groups. In the main this presents no problems to teachers with the exception of one class that has two distinct stages and three age groups.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching in the reception class is good for Year 1 pupils and generally satisfactory for the Foundation Stage, although there are weaknesses and it is in this stage that the unsatisfactory teaching occurred. In the Foundation Stage, teachers have established good relationships with children and are friendly and approachable. They plan some sessions satisfactorily for the two age groups - for example, when they are introducing a lesson or covering work that is not over-demanding for the youngest children, as in music. However, the organisation and planning have become problematic, particularly in respect of literacy and numeracy, because Hartland Primary School - 14 the teacher has had little training for the new Foundation Stage curriculum and has difficulty in ensuring that she is able to meet their needs and those of the Year 1 children who are in the same class. This has caused her some concern and the limited guidance she has received so

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

far has not helped her overcome these problems. Consequently, in some sessions, she has given priority to working with the older pupils, leaving the younger ones to keep themselves occupied with play activities. This could have worked well but the play activities were unstructured and no adult involvement had been planned to enable progress during the session, resulting in some noisy, undisciplined children being unwilling to settle to an activity for more than just a few minutes. At times both the teacher and support assistant had to leave the group with which they were working to intervene and did so successfully.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The support assistant is deployed well, frequently working with the older reception pupils and helping them in such work as creating a sequence for a story, forming their letters for writing or learning letter sounds for reading. Teachers provide a good range of resources and give clear explanations of the activities so that children understand what they have to do but unless an adult is working with them the younger ones find it difficult to sustain concentration and complete their work. Consequently, they find it difficult to explain what they have learned. This teaching is resulting in learning for the Foundation Stage that could be better and at times is unsatisfactory.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching of Years 1 and 2 is generally good. No unsatisfactory lessons were observed. There is one main infant class with both Year 1 and Year 2 pupils within it. In this class the teacher’s good knowledge of the curriculum is evident in the way that subjects are presented and explained. Learning objectives are shared with the children, who understand what they have to do. For example, in a literacy lesson the teacher explained that as part of their work identifying story themes they would be spending the week reading and listening to stories about night time and then write their own version. The good relationships established with the children made them confident in asking questions and responding to her questions. Although some children lack the vocabulary to do this well there are others who are very articulate and one child gave a very good description of a catherine wheel firework. Effective questioning

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

made them think carefully before responding. For example, in the story of The Owl who was afraid of the Dark they were shown words in italics and asked how this could make the story more interesting.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. Teachers’ planning has taken into consideration that there are some Year 1 children in another class and care is taken to see that the work of one group is matched to that of the other. Teachers plan well for each stage of learning, modifying work for slower learners and extending it for the more able. This was particularly noticeable in literacy and numeracy lessons where there were also incentives to work hard, such as earning team points when ten sums were completed. Previous knowledge is built on effectively when new work is taught, as in a mathematics lesson where previous knowledge of the subtraction of 10 was used to help children learn how to subtract nine. In this stage, the support assistant is well briefed and intervenes quickly when some children do not do as they are asked, allowing the teacher to continue working with the group on which she is focusing. The good teaching is having a

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

positive effect on the good learning and enables children to make at least steady progress.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching of Years 3 – 6 is good overall with a high percentage of very good teaching. Again, no unsatisfactory lessons were observed. Once pupils get to Year 4 the school makes effective use of specialist teachers and this is having a positive effect on the improvements to standards. Hartland Primary School - 15 27. Teaching is particularly good at Years 5 and 6, where the headteacher is responsible for all the mathematics lessons and another teacher takes all the English lessons. Both teachers have a very good knowledge of their respective subjects, inspiring and challenging children to do their best. This was the case in a literacy lesson when pupils were learning how poets use language effectively to create the mood. The very good relationships that existed between the pupils and the teacher made them confident to respond to what they read in the text, extended their understanding of atmospheric language, as they talked about the use of such phrases as

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

phantom listeners and their stillness answering his cry from Walter De La Mare’s poem The Listeners. Teachers get lessons off to a good start, providing challenge from the beginning, which enthuses pupils and makes them want to be involved. This was the case in a mathematics lesson that began with the multiplication of two-digit numbers, including decimals, and then moved to the main activity about rotations, using coordinates and building on the work from the previous day. The teachers’ use of time limits is effective, as pupils have a clear idea of the teacher’s expectations and then concentrate well and make good efforts. The sustained work, interspersed by comments from the teacher, enabled pupils to make further progress and learning was at least good and for some children better than that.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. Teachers make particularly good links between subjects and are helping pupils to see how what they have learned in one subject relates to another. This was the case in a class of Year 3 and 4 pupils who were learning about the ancient Greeks. Research skills learned in literacy were employed well to find out about Greek temples and the worship of gods. The sources used made them think more deeply about why the temples were built so well and they used their knowledge base to discuss and give reasoned responses. Literacy skills were used effectively to enhance history in a lesson with older pupils where the teacher’s very good knowledge stimulated the children with fascinating facts about the Greeks. The rules for research were reiterated before work began; note taking had to include books used and page references and the use of the Internet was permitted as well as books. Pupils demonstrated

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

very good use of contents and index pages, were very proficient at note taking and their personal study skills were well developed.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Particular strengths in both infant and junior classes include the effective use of plenary sessions to assess pupils’ learning, reiterate a particular teaching point or prepare them for what they were to learn next. The management of pupils, use of time and support staff or volunteers were good. The very good relationships between staff and pupils lead to pupils working hard and trying to do their best. Older children concentrate more because of the careful structure of lessons and the interesting work provided by teachers. Lessons taught at a brisk pace kept up the momentum of learning. Clear and concise introductions to new work, activities carried out in pairs, small groups or as individuals and a final plenary reinforced learning and established understanding. Support staff contribute effectively to pupils’ learning. Generally, they are well briefed and their success in helping slower learners as can be seen in

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

the progress made by children with special educational needs.

p.15

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school provides a good range of interesting learning opportunities that enrich the curriculum. The school has worked successfully to address a criticism from the previous inspection by ensuring that careful planning enables pupils to build securely on work that has gone before. The curriculum meets the needs and aptitudes of all pupils in Years 1 - 6, including those with special educational needs. However, the new curriculum for the Hartland Primary School - 16 Foundation Stage is not yet in place and planning relates to some elements of the National Curriculum and to some aspects of the areas of learning. The school fulfils all statutory requirements in teaching all the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. It ensures that all pupils have equal access to all subjects and that pupils have equal opportunities to succeed in them.

p.15

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The school has good ways of teaching literacy and numeracy. Both National Strategies have been successfully implemented with provision for pupils to use their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills in other subjects. For example, in science pupils use their mathematical skills to measure the volume of air in containers and draw graphs of the results. In design and technology pupils make accurate measurements in cutting lengths of wood for their electrically powered models. In history pupils produce extended pieces of writing from the point of view of poor children in Victorian times and their writing in religious education explains aspects of a synagogue and describes Jewish celebrations.

p.16

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. There is good support by well-trained staff. Annual reviews are organised for those pupils who have statements of special need and this is in line with the national Code of Practice. Individual education plans are in place for all children on the special educational needs register. These show good practice as they are detailed and specific and the co-ordinator makes time to work with children to monitor their progress. The adults supporting these children in class have high expectations of work and behaviour and the pupils respond well to this. Relationships are very good, resulting in pupils making good efforts and persevering to complete work.

p.16

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The school makes good use of the specialist skills of staff, particularly in the junior classes. A well-planned scheme of work for personal, social, health and citizenship education is to be introduced shortly. Already many aspects of the scheme are being implemented. For example, children learn about healthy lifestyles and choices and consider the lives of people in other times and places with different beliefs and customs. The school makes sound provision for sex education and that relating to the use and misuse of drugs. 34. The inspection findings are not in agreement with the views of a minority of parents: that the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons. There is a very good range of interesting extra-curricular activities in order to enrich the curriculum, including such activities as golf, cycling proficiency, bird watching, computer club, keyboard, recorder, choir

p.16

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

and drumming. After school football and netball are organised by parents. The school music centre provides pupils with opportunities to play such instruments as flute, clarinet, violin, brass and woodwind. In a similar way pupils extend their knowledge and understanding by making visits to such places as Exeter Museum, Plymouth, and the sheep farm at Bideford. The school also makes provision for pupils to make residential visits to such places as Cheddar where they take part in outdoor activities and learn about living together. Visitors to the school, who help to extend the curriculum, include the police, local clergy, musicians, authors and artists. Pupils take part in drum and art workshops led by visiting specialists. This is a wider range than many other primary schools are able to provide.

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OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school makes good use of the local community in order to extend pupils` learning. For example, senior citizens and war-time evacuees talk to them about life in Britain since 1930 and the school uses the village as a focus for work in history and geography. Effective use is made of local experts in such areas as ecology and African crafts. Local musicians work with pupils and children play music in the church. They visit local churches as part of their work in religious education. There are good links with partner institutions such as sporting links with Hartland Primary School - 17 local primary schools. The school works particularly closely with the playgroup, enabling good liaison about children’s learning and development. Arrangements for pupils to transfer to secondary school are good and the effective co-operation between staff enables pupils to have continuity in their learning. For example, pupils and teachers make use of facilities such as the

p.16

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

technology base in one local secondary school in order to extend their learning.

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. Overall provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good. This is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection. Provision for spiritual education is satisfactory. The daily acts of worship meet statutory requirements and are well planned. Pupils have appropriate opportunities to join in with prayer and reflection. The school uses opportunities to promote pupils` spiritual development in some subjects. For example, pupils appreciate beauty in literature and music. In religious education they develop insights into the values and beliefs of Christianity and of faiths such as Judaism and Buddhism. In science they reflect on their responsibilities for the environment when they study such aspects as mini beasts and food chains. On visits to such places as Cheddar Gorge they react with awe and wonder to their surroundings. Relationships in school are very good and children are confident

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

that their own ideas and achievements are valued and celebrated by adults and other children.

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Provision for moral education is good. Pupils have a good understanding of the differences between right and wrong. This is enhanced by the clear behaviour policy that was formulated after consultation with pupils, parents, teachers and governors. There is a high expectation of good behaviour to which pupils generally respond positively. Good use is made of assemblies and the daily life of the school in order to deepen pupils` understanding. For example, considerations of honesty were considered when a child found and returned a piece of lost jewellery. In their sporting activities pupils are encouraged to compete fairly and to accept the judgements of officials. The school makes effective use of such literature as the Diary of Ann Frank and the Silver Sword in order to illustrate moral issues. In religious education lessons pupils are asked to think about the need for rules in their families, school and society as

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

part of their work on the Ten Commandments.

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. Provision for social education is very good. The school has developed a very caring atmosphere where all pupils and adults are clearly valued. For example, adults provide very good role models in showing courtesy and respect, to which pupils respond positively. The school responds very supportively at times of family illness and crisis. Pupils are encouraged to show initiative. For example, an older pupil, completely unbidden by an adult, successfully resolved a situation where a toddler visiting the school became lost and distressed. Pupils respond to the Blue Peter appeal and organize jumble sales themselves. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to take responsibilities to help with the smooth running of the school. For example, pupils are responsible for the maintenance of the library, greenhouse and for collecting registers. Older pupils have the opportunity to take on the responsibilities of

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

head girl and head boy, which include, for example, showing visitors around the school. In lessons they collaborate well together. When sports teams from other schools visit the school pupils provide them with refreshments. The Eco Committee is a clear example of the school’s commitment to conservation and environmental improvement and to giving children an experience in working together to address practical issues. The school provides pupils with many opportunities to care for those less fortunate than themselves. For example, they help such charities as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Age Concern. They provide gifts to children in Romania and support charities for sick children.

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. Provision for cultural education is good. Pupils have many opportunities to appreciate their own culture. They take part in the annual revels that include traditional music and dancing and Hartland Primary School - 18 learn about the local history of Hartland, its families and occupations and record this in their own very well produced newspaper. Local musicians come into school to perform traditional music. Provision for pupils to learn about the richness and diversity of other cultures is good. In geography they study the cultures of India and America and in history they learn about the cultures of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. In religious education pupils extend their knowledge of the cultures associated with the major world religions; for example, they celebrate Hanukkah and the Chinese New Year and take part in a form of Jewish Passover meal. The school makes good use of the expertise of a member of the local community to

p.17

OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

introduce children to the African crafts of dyeing and printing. The school invites visitors from other cultures to work with them; for example, pupils were given the opportunity to appreciate Japanese culture when a Japanese puppet group visited the school. They took part in African drumming and dancing and Samba drumming to celebrate Commonwealth Day.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Since the last inspection report this aspect has improved and is now good. There are appropriate procedures in place to enable teachers to know their children well. For example, the teacher of the Foundation Stage spends time with the playgroup on the school site and has a good knowledge of most young children before they enter her class. In all classes teachers demonstrated a good knowledge of their children, monitoring progress in all aspects of school life in order to provide the appropriate level of support and guidance that children need. Procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare, health and safety are generally good but the cleanliness of the classroom used by the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory and in urgent need of attention. The school and parents expressed concerns about the condition of the dining area where children eat their lunch. The school has taken all necessary action that

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

it can and props to the roof are now in place, with further work identified to maintain health and safety at a desirable level. The Local Education Authority has planned to remove this building but no timescale is available yet.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Procedures for assessing children’s attainment and progress are good. Teachers make an assessment of children’s skills when they enter school and plan for their individual and group needs. In lessons progress is monitored and assessments are used to plan what needs to be learned next. Records are detailed, clearly identifying strengths and weaknesses. Analysis of pupils’ performance in National Curriculum tests is used to discover strengths and weaknesses and these are remedied. For example, the weaknesses found in writing tests in the infant classes are now being tackled. Those children who had problems in attaining Level 2 or just reached that level in the national tests are having additional literacy support. Those children with special educational needs are identified early and appropriate support is provided. As improvements are made children may be removed from the special educational needs register

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

and at present numbers are low. Their progress is monitored by the co-ordinator and new targets set for their individual education plans when they are ready to move on. The school has not ignored the needs of more able children who are faster workers and work is matched appropriately to their stage of learning. This was reflected in the high percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels in National Curriculum tests last year.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Procedures for monitoring and supporting personal development are good and the merit system is used well. The monitoring of attendance is satisfactory and the school works closely with the Education Welfare Officer. The monitoring and promoting of good behaviour are effective in most classes, with expert guidance sought as necessary. However, it is not acted on as well as it needs to be at the Foundation Stage. The school’s support and guidance enable most Hartland Primary School - 19 children to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered. Children say they feel valued in the school community and enjoy coming to school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. At the last inspection the school was judged to have an effective partnership with parents and this good aspect was making a significant contribution to pupils’ attainment and progress. Despite the 27 per cent of responses to the parental questionnaires, prior to inspection, that disagreed that the school works closely with parents, the findings of this inspection are that generally parents have good views of the school and are satisfied with the quality of education it provides.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. There was a clear indication from parents that their children like school, that pupils are expected to work hard and do their best, that teaching is good and they feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. These views came from questionnaires, views expressed at the meeting prior to inspection and from those parents who talked to inspectors during the inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. There were a number of aspects where parents thought improvements could be made. For example, 47 per cent of questionnaires indicated that parents did not feel well informed about how their children were getting on and 17 per cent disagreed that the school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. Inspection findings do not support these concerns. A home-school agreement is in place. Information is good, with clear indications on pupils’ reports about strengths and weaknesses, including information about attitudes to school. Parents said they find the reports informative and appreciate the inclusion of targets for future development. The reports meet statutory requirements. A weekly newsletter provides further information about school life. It is of good quality and very informative. Teachers are available to talk to parents at the beginning and end of the day and there are

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

usually consultation sessions for teachers to discuss children’s progress on a more formal level. The poor response to one of these arranged meetings led to a cancellation but the school did offer other time to those parents who had expressed a wish to see teachers. There is a good range of activities outside lessons, which is a wider range than many schools of this size can provide and they are detailed earlier in the report.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parental contributions to children’s learning are generally good. They have opportunities to help their children with work at home, which begin with reading for younger children and are extended as they move through the school. Some parents who have the time and live near enough to help in school provide good support. Parents are invited to assemblies, especially those when awards are being presented, giving an opportunity for them to share in their children’s achievements, but only one parent attended during the inspection. The work of the Parent-Teacher Association is much appreciated by the school and its organisation of social and fund raising events contributes well to the range of learning resources used by the children. The assistance of those parents accompanying the school on visits to places of interest or to the residential activity enables children to take a full part in the range of learning

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Although the school seeks to work in partnership with parents and generally makes good efforts to do so, the need for greater communication and consultation is sometimes overlooked, resulting in parents who are not as well informed as they would like to be and this can lead to misunderstandings. Hartland Primary School - 20

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The headteacher offers the school sensitive, caring and thoughtful leadership. He has a clear view of what the school is about and has the ability and determination to achieve these goals, supported by a hardworking staff and governing body. The headteacher has a 50 per cent teaching commitment, works without the help of a deputy and is constantly wrestling with a falling roll of pupils which has led to staff reductions and limited funding. Despite this he remains clearly focused on his prime task of raising standards in the school and of developing pupils who will be good citizens of the future. He, the staff and the governing body want children to be capable of relating well to others, whatever their background, showing tolerance and understanding, together with concern for those less fortunate than themselves.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school now regularly analyses test results and uses the resulting information effectively to set targets for both individuals and groups of pupils. These are shared with all staff and governors in order that everyone has a clear view of the school’s performance and an understanding of what works well and why. Governors take an interest in how the school performs in competition with other schools and are kept up to date about test results and the action taken to improve them. There is a shared commitment to raising standards by all concerned with the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school has clear aims, which have been generated following a joint meeting between staff and governors. Such meetings take place regularly and are one key factor in ensuring that everyone in the school has the same hopes and aspirations. These meetings, together with regular and recorded visits to the school, are ways that governors ensure they are aware of the main strengths and weaknesses and thus are in a better position to make informed decisions. Governors act as the headteacher’s critical friend and expect to question decisions and receive explanations as to why one course of action is preferable to another. They trust the headteacher but expect accountability in return. There have been some delays over the new performance management but this is now going ahead and the governing body is in the process of arranging for the headteacher’s review.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The previous inspection report highlighted the lack of monitoring of teaching as a weakness. This has improved, particularly in literacy and numeracy, but not all subject co-ordinators are yet involved in monitoring the work of other teachers as they work. The previous report was also critical of the monitoring of the curriculum. This is now much better and subject leaders carefully monitor their particular subjects and the headteacher has an overview of the curriculum as a whole. Governors play a part in this and the Chair of the Curriculum Committee makes regular visits to the school, findings are recorded and shared with other governors at their meetings. In this way everyone knows what is happening and success can be celebrated and concerns discussed.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Improvements have been made to the school development plan, which is now well focused and identifies the priorities for the school. Monitoring procedures have been introduced which involve governors taking responsibility for different objectives in the development plan and making regular checks on the progress towards them Funding for priorities is allocated appropriately.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The governors take their responsibilities seriously and try hard to ensure that they carry out all their statutory responsibilities. Generally this is done well but this year they have recognised Hartland Primary School - 21 that last year’s Annual Governors’ Report for parents has some omissions and needs to be remedied.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Governors and staff work hard to respond to parental concerns and care is taken to see that these are in the best interests of the children. For example, when the school was made aware of some parents’ concerns about the behaviour of some children and it responded by employing the services of an expert in child behaviour. The expert observed what was happening and reported that their behaviour was similar to that of children in other schools and that since staff had procedures to deal with challenging behaviour it should not be seen as a concern. In another situation, where concerns centred on a serious illness, the headteacher took medical advice and followed it carefully to ensure that no harm would come to those in his care. A minority of parents disagreed with the decisions taken by the school but inspection evidence confirms that staff and governors take appropriate action.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. In order to tackle the falling roll and consequent lack of funding the school has had to make temporary appointments as teachers have left. This has created the situation where the headteacher and one other member of staff have been given greatly increased responsibilities. There is no longer a deputy and one teacher co-ordinates three subjects, acts as co-ordinator for special educational needs, acts as co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage and co-ordinates the work of Key Stage 1. In addition, she acts as deputy when the headteacher is unable to be in school. The situation is now better, with temporary appointments made permanent. An urgent review of staff responsibilities is required with a view to achieving a more equitable distribution of responsibilities across the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school is making reasonable use of new technology although at present there are not enough computers in school either in classes or in the information technology suite. Pupils use the Internet for research and the school administration staff use it to communicate directly with the Local Education Office. New opportunities funds have been used effectively in this subject. The headteacher has achieved the platinum training award and can now train staff, some of whom achieve bronze level.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Although the numbers, qualifications and experience of teachers and support staff are generally satisfactory, the headteacher has a major commitment to class teaching. Although this has a very positive impact upon the standards achieved in mathematics, it reduces the time he has for administration and monitoring, which in a small school is more extensive as the administration staff have fewer hours than in larger schools. Staff training in literacy and numeracy has been beneficial but there is an urgent need for training in the new Foundation Stage curriculum because provision for these children is unsatisfactory.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school building has recently been improved with the construction of three new classrooms and two shared areas, one of which is used as an information technology suite and the other as a library for the infant children. The use of this library is limited as it is situated too close to an imaginative play area, which is noisy. A further library area for older pupils is also underused. Although the new classes are an improvement, the cleanliness of the room used by the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory and requires urgent attention. The room where children eat their lunch is in a poor condition and parents correctly expressed concerns about it at their meeting prior to the inspection. However, the Local Education Authority plans to remove it and re-site the kitchen in another part of the school but governors do not have a time scale for this yet. Hartland Primary School - 22 59. Overall, the learning resources are adequate for the school's curriculum but the teaching of

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

some subjects is restricted by a lack of some essential resources. Literacy sessions in the infant classes would benefit from a wider range of large print books, the Foundation Stage would benefit from a computer and water play equipment in the classroom to make better provision for the areas of learning and more computers are needed for the use of other pupils.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The governors know about the principles of best value related to comparison, challenge, consultation and competition but accept that some elements are at an early stage of development.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. There are many good elements in the leadership and management of the school but the provision for one stage has deteriorated since the last inspection. Although the majority of children are likely to reach the early learning goals in most areas of learning the provision for the Foundation Stage of the school is unsatisfactory and the management of this stage has several shortcomings.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. In order to improve pupils’ quality of education further, the governors, headteacher, and staff need to:

p.22

Improve the provision for children in the Foundation Stage by:

• ensuring the teacher has opportunities to attend training; • planning an appropriate curriculum in line with the national guidance for the Foundation Stage; • organising lessons in ways that directly involve staff in all children’s learning and enable them to become independent learners; • use of the outdoor area for the physical development area of learning; • ensuring the classroom is clean and stimulating area for children to learn.

p.22

Improve the provision for children in the Foundation Stage by:

Paragraphs: 22, 23, 30, 41, 58, 62, 66, 67, 68, 72, 75, 76

p.22

Improve the leadership and management of the school by:

• ensuring an equitable distribution of responsibilities amongst staff; • extending the management role of the subject co-ordinators to incorporate the monitoring of teaching and learning

p.22

OTHER ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

The school should also consider the following minor issues:

p.22

OTHER ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• improving the communication and consultation with parents;

p.22

OTHER ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• making better use of the designated library areas by all classes; Hartland Primary School - 23 • ensuring that the governing body’s annual report to parents includes all the statutorily required information.

p.22

OTHER ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

Paragraphs: 7, 17, 46, 48, 54, 55, 59, 83 Hartland Primary School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 28

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 122

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 13

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR– Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Hartland Primary School - 25

p.24

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 9 10 19

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 7 4 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 9 10

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 89 (93) 68 (87) 100 (93) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 6 7 3 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 9 7

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 74 (93) 84 (93) 53 (93) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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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 13 12 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 8 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 10 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 76 (60) 76 (75) 80 (65) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 8 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 10 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 76 (42) 76 (75) 80 (75) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Hartland Primary School - 26

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.6 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total expenditure 260375

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1958

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 61 Balance brought forward from previous year -478

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 1691

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Hartland Primary School - 27

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 27 47 6 3 17

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 16 53 15 5 11

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 17 43 27 9 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 7 40 34 13 5

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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. 50 41 5 1 2

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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. 27 60 4 4 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 9 56 20 6 9

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 15 40 18 9 18

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 21 57 4 7 10

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 22 50 13 5 10

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Other issues raised by parents

Parents expressed concerns about the condition of the dining area and its suitability as a place for children to eat.

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Other issues raised by parents

Some parents expressed concerns about the best use being made of information technology as some of the equipment was dated. Hartland Primary School - 28

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. At the time of the inspection, the older children in the Foundation Stage had been in school for a term and a half but the youngest children had only had six weeks at school and several were still having problems adjusting to the school routines. The local playgroup uses part of the school building and shares the outdoor space with the reception class. The co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage works closely with the playgroup and knows these children well before they start school.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. When children enter the reception class the assessments undertaken, soon after they start, show that although the overall attainment is typical for pupils of this age several have poor language and social skills. The previous inspection, undertaken when the children had been in school for only two weeks, found that standards in all areas of learning were at least sound. The findings of this inspection are that although the majority of children are likely to attain the early learning goals in most areas of learning, standards in one area are unsatisfactory and there was insufficient evidence to judge another.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The provision for the Foundation Stage contrasts strongly with that of the previous inspection in that it is unsatisfactory. The provision is unsatisfactory in policy, planning, organisation and management of pupils. In addition, the condition of the classroom is unsatisfactory. The carpet is dirty, floors are not swept properly, tables are stained and tacky, chairs are paint stained and there is inadequate storage for resources. The school is aware that the new curriculum for the Foundation Stage is not meeting all requirements and that training for the teacher is an urgent need. Plans are being made to improve this situation but a contributory factor to the unsatisfactory management of this stage is the extensive workload of the teacher, who is responsible for leading the subjects of English, art and physical education and co-ordinating both the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. In addition she co-ordinates the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

work of children with special education needs and assists the headteacher with the management of the school, acting as deputy when he is absent.

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Personal, social and emotional development

66. Children learn to mix amicably with others, to share and follow instructions. However, they find it difficult to show good self discipline, as seen in a numeracy session where they responded to a question and then fell back on the floor and waved their legs in the air or chatted to those nearest so that the teacher was constantly having to draw their attention to the learning planned. Although opportunities are planned to enable children to work together co-operatively, such as through role-play and using the home corner, they are left to own devices and scatter equipment about rather than using it in the way planned. The lack of adult involvement and intervention is the main reason that this happens. The teacher and support assistant often have to work hard to settle children who are reluctant to do as they are asked but this is improving. Standards in this area of learning are unsatisfactory.

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Personal, social and emotional development

67. The teacher has established good relationships with pupils, she is friendly and approachable and provides a secure place for them to learn. However, the teaching of this area of learning is unsatisfactory as it lacks planning with clear objectives for what children need to learn and consequently pupils are unsure of what is expected of them. The teacher’s concern for the Hartland Primary School - 29 needs of the older children is limiting the time for younger ones to learn the consequences of their actions for themselves and others, particularly during afternoon sessions when there is no supporting adult. When the teacher is able to intervene, then learning improves and the management of pupils is better.

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Communication, language and literacy

68. Children begin the early stages of reading and writing when stories are read to them. They enjoy stories and concentrate well at such times. Older ones have shown an interest in reading and a high priority is given to teaching the sounds of alphabet letters and how this knowledge can be used to read unfamiliar words. The older children understand that written words have meaning and recognise some familiar words. In the whole-class group children are encouraged to respond to questions and most make attempts but some lack the vocabulary to speak other than in short or even one-word responses. Some children write their name unaided and others are making efforts to do so. Most children can hold a pencil correctly but not all use it effectively and have to be shown. The older children are acquiring a handwriting style that shows well-formed letters.

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Communication, language and literacy

69. Overall, the teaching of this area of learning is sound. The organisation and methods used to promote this area of learning are satisfactory but there are some shortcomings that hamper learning. For example, around the classroom is a range of print but some is at a level too high for children to read. There are well-planned areas to promote literacy skills, such as the listening area, but no children were seen using this during the inspection. The position of some activities hinders the progress that children might make, as in the provision of a book area and an imaginative play area that are alongside each other. Both activities are appropriate but one tends to become noisy and the other requires quiet for children to concentrate and to listen to stories. A limited range of large print books makes it more difficult for the teacher to have shared reading that is appropriate for both stages. Effective use is made of resources such as

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Communication, language and literacy

the use of white boards for writing. This works well as it encourages children to make good efforts since any poor letter formations can be wiped away and further attempts made easily. The teacher plans activities to promote reading skills, such as the ‘empty seat’ game that extends memory skills and pupils respond well to this. The support assistant is deployed appropriately for literacy activities such as creating a story in sequence, using pictures. She talks to the children about their task, providing encouragement and comment that results in good progress. In the literacy sessions, the teaching at the beginning of the session is good and the contributions made by the teacher and the support assistant to their respective groups are good but group activities for the other children are not well structured and time is not used well during these sessions.

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Mathematical development

70. Children experience a good range of counting games and practical activities such as sorting and matching objects to develop their numeracy skills. They combine objects together as they explore the early stages of addition. Children are reasonably successful at adding two sets of objects together and more able pupils find the correct total when using symbols to record what they have done. The older pupils have made good progress and are at the stage of recording addition in a number of ways then applying what they have learned to the addition of coins. The slower learners are not at this stage and are working towards the early learning goals. They count to five, still have difficulty forming numbers and using simple mathematical language when talking about quantities, shape and size as they use such terms as circle, Hartland Primary School - 30 bigger , more and less . Children are likely to achieve the early learning goals by the end of

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Mathematical development

71. Although the teaching of literacy and numeracy is generally sound there are weaknesses. The planning for teaching literacy and numeracy has become problematic since the class has a few Year 1 pupils working alongside the 17 Foundation Stage pupils. In lessons the priority has been to provide well for the older group, leaving the younger children to initially work with the older ones then choose play activity that keeps them occupied. Once the first part of the lesson is over, the teacher’s efforts are directed to the older pupils and the support assistant usually works with the older reception pupils from the Foundation Stage. The work done with these groups is good but attainment for the younger ones is not as good as it might be, as their tasks are unstructured and lack adult involvement. This results in limited concentration, children moving rapidly from one activity to another and noise levels that become distracting to

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Mathematical development

others. For example, in a numeracy session the group activities for the younger pupils included board games that necessitated counting, such as snakes and ladders and incy-wincy spider that had fluffy spiders on strings . The children ran around the classroom, dangling the spiders in front of whoever would give them some attention. The teacher was very involved in a practical activity with Year 1 pupils: the support assistant did intervene and managed to get some pupils back on task but this was not sustained. A shop activity had only a cash register and two plastic baskets for children to use and when a would-be shopper enquired where the goods were, those pupils in the shop brought some art objects from shelving nearby. Neither of these activities provided purposeful play and lacked adult intervention so that no progress was made, learning was unsatisfactory and pupils were not managed well. The Foundation

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Mathematical development

Stage teacher has only just begun to attend training to familiarise herself with the requirements for the new curriculum on the areas of learning that schools were expected to have in place in September. More training sessions are planned and the school is aware that the curriculum currently provided for these young children is not meeting the national requirements.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. In this area of learning, children are developing knowledge, skills and understanding that help them make sense of the world. They select materials from a range provided by the teacher and are developing skills to build, construct and join materials together. There were activities where children joined construction pieces together and a range of resources was provided but generally children were left to their own devices and constructions had no purpose in mind. Opportunities for children to discuss events that occur regularly within their experience result in their taking an interest in events past and present in their lives and they talk about such celebrations as birthdays and what they have done at the weekend. Children follow the adventures of their teddy bear as he travels the world and they distinguish between bears that are old and bears that are new.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

73. There was no opportunity to see children involved in investigation or exploration, although work on magnetism was planned, with an emphasis on finding out about the features of objects. This work was linked to a text ‘The Very Busy Spider’. The work scrutiny showed that a good opportunity had been provided for children to notice and discuss patterns around them - for example, rubbings from bricks, tree bark and other objects around the school. This enabled them to look closely at similarities and differences in patterns. They are developing some knowledge about the place where they live. The teacher is keen to build on the information and technology skills that children learn at home but there is little opportunity for children to learn about the uses of everyday technology since the classroom has no computer Hartland Primary School - 31 and very few children know about programmable toys. The tape recorder and headphones

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. Teaching of this area of learning is generally sound but has some weaknesses. A good range of resources is provided and explanations of the activity are clear. The teacher is making satisfactory efforts to plan activities that relate to the stages children go through as they work towards the early learning goals. Some of these are planned to take place while other pupils are undertaking literacy and numeracy activities. At such times the adults find it difficult to give the input that is required to an activity and on these occasions the progress is satisfactory at best. The organisation of some activities is unsatisfactory. For example, children when tidying up do not leave the area in an appropriate state, as materials are put away untidily and furniture is left with adhesive or paint marks, which gradually build up and make for an unpleasant place to learn.

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Physical development

75. In general, children move around confidently and are learning to do so safely. They have a growing awareness of space for themselves and others. In lessons children show an ability to use a range of small equipment, tools and materials. However, at times some children do not use tools well, as in the sand activity when spades were used roughly and more sand ended up on the floor than in the container. Noticeable amounts had been spilled onto the carpet, which was not close to the sand tray. Since the last inspection, a safe outdoor area has been developed for outdoor play. Children use this during break times for recreational purposes. Although there is some outdoor equipment, it lacks climbing apparatus and is not used for regular and frequent physical activity outdoors. There are some opportunities for children to use the hall for physical activity but this was not seen during the inspection. There was

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Physical development

insufficient evidence to judge whether children will attain the early learning goals in this area of learning by the end of the reception year.

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Physical development

76. Inspection findings based on activities seen in the classroom show that the teaching of this area of learning is generally sound but there are some weaknesses. The planning is broadly based on this area of learning but there are too few opportunities to use the outdoor space because the teacher has no additional support to assist with supervision during the afternoon sessions and it is not planned for during the morning. Again, the organisation of sessions during the morning is resulting in unsatisfactory learning. Occasionally, there is unacceptable behaviour by some children but this is remedied by the quick intervention of the teacher.

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Creative development

77. There are many opportunities for children to explore colour, texture and shape. They make constructions, collages, paintings and drawings. Every child has a ‘ portrait book’ to try out different techniques and experiment. The skills and techniques that children need in art and design start at this stage and they explore ideas through their own representations. They are learning to make choices and select appropriate materials. They enjoy musical activities and join in familiar songs, explore the different sounds of percussion instruments and listen to different types of music. Opportunities are made for children to take part in imaginative play but this activity is outside the classroom and is not used as well as it might be. Children enjoy stories and use their imagination well when they use it in small world play. Hartland Primary School - 32 78. The teaching of this area of learning is satisfactory and sometimes good. The teacher has a

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Creative development

good knowledge of art and uses it particularly well in those activities where children are painting, drawing and creating their own collage representations.

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ENGLISH

79. On the evidence of lessons and from scrutiny of work, standards in English are typical for seven and 11 year olds with the exception of writing in the infant classes, where there are still some weaknesses. These findings are similar to the National Curriculum test results for the year 2000. Those national test results show that standards were comparable with those in similar schools and show that by the time they leave school pupils achieve standards in line with the national averages in reading, writing, speaking and listening.

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ENGLISH

80. However, there have been some improvements since the last inspection. For example, in the national tests a higher percentage (37 per cent) of Year 2 children reached the higher Level 3 in reading and only two pupils did not reach the acceptable Level 2. This year the more able pupils at Year 2 are also reading particularly well. In the junior classes a higher percentage of Year 6 pupils reached the higher Level 5 in the National Curriculum English tests, which was above the national average. Over the last few years pupils’ performance in tests has shown an improvement and where teachers’ assessments have perceived a weakness, such as in writing, they have taken steps to try and improve it. In the main, boys’ attainment exceeds that of girls in the infant classes but the girls catch up and their attainment exceeds that of boys in the junior classes.

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ENGLISH

81. When they enter the school, some children lack confidence in speaking and their listening skills are poor. In the infant classes, they communicate using only one- or two-word responses and one child’s communication by speech is only just beginning. Others are very articulate and respond well to the teacher’s questions, using a good range of vocabulary. For example, when reading a story, the teacher asked for an explanation of a ‘catherine wheel’ firework but while many children resorted to hand signals and one-word responses another child provided a clear explanation. Despite children’s initial lack of confidence, the effective teaching enables them to achieve well and by the age of eleven standards are typical for their age. Pupils learn to use a wider range of vocabulary, as seen in a Year 3 class studying a different version of a traditional story. They extended their understanding of how the use of unusual words, such as

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ENGLISH

‘suspicious eyes’ helps an author to represent character and context. They know how to explain their opinions and ideas about stories, as when older pupils were talking about the Harry Potter experiences and whether certain events at Hogwarts were really believable. They use extracts from poems, such as phantom listeners , to convey the mood, as in a Year 6 class enjoying the vocabulary of Walter De La Mare’s poem, The Listeners .

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ENGLISH

82. Only about half the children enter school familiar with books and know how to use them and they do well to achieve satisfactory standards in reading. Much attention has been given to the teaching of letter sounds. The average readers have a reasonably good grasp of letter sounds and this helps them to read words that are unfamiliar to them. Above average readers enjoy books and are eager to read. They read at home and are regular visitors to the local library. The below average readers have difficulty in tackling words that are unfamiliar to them because they are less skilled in their use of letter sounds. There is hesitation in their reading and a tendency to skip unknown words rather than use their knowledge of letter sounds to assist them. Although there is a separate library for infant classes, outside the Hartland Primary School - 33 classrooms, it is too close to the role-play activity, which tends to be noisy, and distracts

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ENGLISH

readers who then lose interest in using it. The library for junior classes is sited in a wide corridor and although use is made of books no pupils were seen to use it for reading or personal study during the inspection. Pupils read with improving fluency and accuracy and older pupils enjoy discussing the merits of one author over another. The older pupils are adept at finding information they need from several sources, including the Internet, and are competent readers of fiction and poetry. Above average readers cope with most texts but the reading skills of the slower learners are weak and this creates difficulties for them in any subject learning depends on reading.

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ENGLISH

83. Writing is improving in the infant classes and standards seen were sound. A scrutiny of samples of writing showed that some year groups do better than others. At Year 1 the more able pupil writes a simple letter, with sentences, using some capitals and full stops. The average child prints legibly but fails to use capitals and full stops, although composes more than one sentence. The below average child writes unaided and print is mainly legible. By Year 2, the writing of more able children conveys meaning, uses narrative structure and, in the best examples, sufficient detail to engage the reader, with some words used effectively. Spelling is accurate or phonetically plausible. Although the story writing of average writers is becoming better organised, with more than one sentence, several pieces lacked full stops and capital letters. The written work of below average pupils shows that they have struggled to write a

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ENGLISH

sentence unaided and some still have problems in forming letters. They now try to write two sentences but attempts at spelling are often unsuccessful.

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ENGLISH

84. Writing in the junior classes shows a good understanding of grammar. Story narratives show a clear structure and at Year 3 the use of dialogue is introduced but only the more able do this well. Average pupils make attempts but use of speech marks inaccurately and the narrative is too short. By Year 4 pupils use dialogue better. They try writing stories depicting atmosphere but sometimes such weaknesses as a lack of description and uncertainty about the use of verbs hinder imaginative development. By Year 5 pupils have targets to improve their writing and some story writing is now much longer, well constructed, lively, showing accurate use of dialogue and sentences demarcated. Year 5 average pupils plan stories from imagination that are neatly written and well punctuated. The use of grammar shows an understanding of the use of tenses but sometimes problems with complex sentences. Pupils make some good

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ENGLISH

attempts to use similes in writing but occasionally the choice is inappropriate - for example, ‘phoned like a desperate beetle’. The more able pupils write stories full of good description that make the reader want to know what happened next. One piece of writing entitled ‘The Dump’ showed variation in the length of sentences. Some good examples of writing from another viewpoint were seen in stories inspired by the book ‘ Stig of the Dump’ with quotations from it to support views. Non-chronological writing included information about Victorian railways and history was used well to reinforce literacy skills. A visit to the theatre to see a Shakespearean play resulted in interesting accounts of Macbeth , with writing that expressed views about which parts they liked most or least. Standards at Year 6 are not as good as those at Year 5. The average pupils make good efforts to compose their own poems.

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ENGLISH

Story narratives show a sound use of grammar but more practice is needed in planning, the use of paragraphs and more interesting description that can hold the attention of the reader. The more able pupils write poems using an interesting choice of words such as ‘distant, luminous moon’ but imaginative writing, although often starting well, is less well written at the end, owing to insufficient planning. Pieces of extended writing show good use of chapters, spelling, punctuation and vocabulary and description that hold interest. Hartland Primary School - 34 85. Many children enter school able to hold a pencil and are trying to form letters and write their name. Although they try hard, only the more able are achieving legible letter formations. Overall, standards of handwriting are satisfactory but it varies from year to year. Younger pupils practise forming their letters correctly but most Year 2 children are not at the stage of

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ENGLISH

using joined writing. More able pupils are acquiring the skills of joining two letters but it is at a very early stage. Junior pupils are developing their personal style. At Year 4 joined writing is not always correct and size of letters indicates a lack of uniformity. By Year 5 it is legible, joined and shows good presentation but the writing of some Year 6 pupils indicates the need to continue practising joins and occasionally the size of letters is inaccurate. 86. Overall, the quality of teaching is good in both the infant and junior classes. Over half the lessons seen were good. Some very good teaching was seen in junior classes and there were no unsatisfactory lessons. Teachers across the school know how to teach reading and writing but progress in the infant classes is hampered by a lack of some resources such as books with large print or guided reading books, and by the unsatisfactory organisation of two stages in one

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ENGLISH

class. In one class with Year 1 and Year 2 pupils the teacher was using the text The Owl who was afraid of the Dark but the text was too small for pupils to read and the teacher had enlarged it for the whole class to read together. Although this worked fairly well it was difficult for those at the back to see a word in italics as she tried to make a teaching point about improving reading by the use of expression. In the other class just a few Year 1 pupils are taught alongside a large group of reception children. Although the group work for Year 1 had the full attention of the teacher and the older reception children were supported by the teaching assistant, the rest were without direction or intervention and noise levels were unacceptable, even penetrating to the class next door. Year 1 pupils made very good efforts not to be distracted but progress was hampered.

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ENGLISH

87. The use of a specialist teacher to work with some Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils is having a positive effect on standards. Teachers make sure that pupils know what they are expected to learn and how this links to what they have covered previously. They help pupils to make connections across subjects and extend pupils’ cultural development by using such literature as The Diary of Ann Frank to help pupils understand the beliefs and lives of Jews and Germans during World War II and Goodnight Mr Tom to raise awareness of the plight of some children who were evacuated in this country during the same period. Good examples of extended writing in history enables pupils to express empathy for the poor in Victorian times.

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ENGLISH

88. Teachers effectively promote pupils’ interest in new words and insist that proper terms for language are used. In a lesson for younger pupils the story about an owl resulted in children extending their understanding of such words as nocturnal and taxidermist . In a Year 4 lesson the use of powerful words to describe an imaginary animal resulted in more interesting accounts using words such as awesome , razor sharp teeth and big boned body . They understood and recognised the use of alliteration, adjectives and similes. Challenging questions such as ‘Can you explain why that is a useful word?’ made them think hard but provide good explanations.

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ENGLISH

89. Pupils with special educational needs have detailed individual education plans, which are followed carefully, resulting in good teaching that is well focused. The teaching assistants give pupils opportunities to succeed by providing activities that capture their interest and make them eager to get on with the task. Additional literacy support is provided for those pupils who did less well in the tests last year and they are making good progress.

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ENGLISH

90. Two teachers share the management of English, one in each key stage. Overall, the management of the subject is good but the teacher at Key Stage 1 is overburdened by Hartland Primary School - 35 leadership tasks in other subjects and aspects of school life. She has to work hard to meet all her responsibilities. The headteacher has plans to give this task to one teacher in the future. The teaching and learning are monitored by one of the co-ordinators. The National Literacy Strategy is successfully implemented in most classes but there is some confusion in a mixed-age, class that has both the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2. Good records are kept and test results analysed to discover weakness and remedy it. Samples of writing are moderated regularly and progress books give good indications of how well children are doing. Staff plan together under the guidance of co-ordinators and show consistency of approach in

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ENGLISH

planning for yearly and termly work. However, the weekly planning varies according to key stage. The school monitors its performance and knows what works well and why. Until recently joined writing was not taught at Year 2 but the recent introduction is one of the ways that the school is trying to improve standards at Key Stage 1; the more able children will then have the opportunity of reaching the higher level.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 achieve standards in line with those expected for their age. On the evidence of lesson observations and from scrutiny of work most Year 2 pupils are working at the expected Level 2 of the National Curriculum but only a few are working at the higher level and this is a reflection of the general ability of the year group, which is not as good as that of the previous year. In the year 2000 National Curriculum tests, all pupils achieved the nationally expected level, with over a third doing better and achieving the higher Level 3. The standards for eleven-year-olds seen in lessons is better than that suggested by the National Curriculum tests of last year, which showed that attainment was below average. In a small group of pupils, where one child represents four per cent, the use of percentages can distort results. For example, two pupils missed the higher Level 5 by two marks and had they been

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MATHEMATICS

successful this would have put the school above the national average, not below it.

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MATHEMATICS

92. In the infant classes most pupils are able to use a range of strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems. They are able to order numbers to 100 and know the value of the digits in numbers up to 100. Pupils are able to read simple scales and can identify simple two- dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

93. By the time they are eleven pupils have become very confident mathematicians. Most pupils are able to multiply and divide whole numbers and decimals by 10,100 and 1000 mentally. They are able to express fractions as decimals and as percentages. They are able to find the perimeter and areas of shapes using a formula. Pupils are able to use coordinates involving negative numbers and are able to transfer a shape from one quadrant to another. They understand that the angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees.

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MATHEMATICS

94. The quality of teaching is good in the infant class and very good in the junior classes, where a specialist teacher is used effectively. All lessons are planned in line with the National Numeracy Strategy and follow the three-part lesson of a mental session, followed by the main activity and finishing with a plenary session. In some lessons the learning objectives that are identified in the planning are shared with the pupils, which gives them a very clear understanding of what is expected from them.

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MATHEMATICS

95. The mental sessions are taken at a good pace and teachers increase the challenge as pupils gain in confidence. They differentiate the questions for pupils of different abilities so that everyone can feel part of the lesson and suitably challenged. Teachers encourage pupils to Hartland Primary School - 36 find their own way of solving the problems and they are encouraged to explain their own way of working things out. In the best lessons the teacher has a high expectation of pupils in both their behaviour and work effort. Pupils in return are very positive. They rise to the challenges set and display good effort and concentration.

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MATHEMATICS

96. In the infant classes the pupils display very challenging behaviour at times but the teachers use a range of effective strategies to control the situation and to ensure that progress is maintained. In the junior classes the pupils are able to work independently of the teacher and are willing to work together to find solutions to problems.

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MATHEMATICS

97. Teachers use plenary sessions effectively. They use effective questioning to assess the level of pupils' understanding and will use the assessment of what has happened in the lessons to make further teaching points or clarify some misunderstanding. Learning objectives are returned to and pupils are reminded of what they were expected to learn. Teachers use this information as part of their assessment of how successful pupils have been.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Good use is made of such subjects as information technology to enhance mathematics. For example, one group in Year 6 was able to use the understanding of rotation to create patterns on the computer. Homework is a regular feature of the work of the older pupils and usually involves consolidation of work done in class or extension of the work done

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MATHEMATICS

99. The headteacher manages the subject well and is responsible for promoting the subject throughout the school. He has a very good knowledge of mathematics and does most of the teaching in the junior classes. The teaching provided by this subject leader is a strength of the school and has given pupils a real interest in mathematics, resulting in enthusiastic pupils who enjoy their work. He has both the ability and determination to raise standards throughout the school.

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SCIENCE

100. During the course of the inspection it was possible to see only one lesson in each of the key stages. However, from the lessons seen and from discussions with teachers and pupils and from scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers` planning, the findings of the inspection are that attainment is broadly in line with what would be expected for pupils at ages seven and eleven. In the infant classes this is an improvement on the results of the National Curriculum teacher assessments for 2000, but not as high as the results for 1999. These differences are attributed to different by achieving year groups of children. In the junior classes pupils’ attainment is in line with the results of the National Curriculum tests for 2000 and is in line with national trends. Inspection findings reflect the findings of the previous inspection. In all classes most pupils show a sound factual knowledge of the work seen. However, pupils do not have

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SCIENCE

sufficient opportunities to develop their understanding and skill in aspects of scientific enquiry.

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SCIENCE

101. By Year 2, most pupils understand and describe the similarities and differences between materials and use simple terms such as shiny, rough, hard and transparent in order to sort materials into groups. They recognise the different materials that every day objects around the home are made from. They use tables to organise information indicating why some materials are used for specific purposes, such as providing bedding for pets. Higher achieving pupils produce accurate and well-presented descriptions of how to lead a healthy lifestyle, although the work of lower achieving pupils is not presented as clearly and less work is completed. Most pupils accurately measure parts of their bodies and produce labelled Hartland Primary School - 37 diagrams of the external parts of the human body. Pupils make steady progress in increasing their scientific knowledge because teachers share their own comprehensive subject knowledge

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SCIENCE

with them and ensure that work builds carefully on what has gone before. However, in the work seen, pupils` skills in such work as making predictions or understanding when a test or comparison is unfair are not consistently developed. This is because teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to use and extend such skills.

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SCIENCE

102. By Year 6, most pupils have a secure scientific knowledge and understanding. For example, pupils know the names of different kinds of joints in the human body and understand how muscles, joints and bones work together in movement. Higher achieving pupils accurately describe the major organs of the human body and clearly describe the relationship between the heart and lungs. The work of less able pupils is less well presented and, for example, their understanding of features of a healthy life style is less accurate. Younger junior children accurately measure the pulse rate before and after exercise and pupils in Year 4 represent their investigations into the effects of burning on a range of materials in tabular form. In Year 5 pupils produce accurate graphs to show the rate at which a gas fills a room. By the time they leave school, most pupils know about physical and chemical changes and understand the

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SCIENCE

relationship between burning, carbon dioxide and oxygen. They understand and use an extending scientific vocabulary; for example, words such as dissolve, eco-systems, circuit, orbit are used accurately. The specialist teaching of science in the junior classes, where very good subject knowledge is shared with pupils and clearly explained, enhances pupils` increasing scientific knowledge. However, most pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to extend their skills in methods of scientific enquiry, such as the selection of materials and equipment and in the devising of their own fair tests in order to perform investigations.

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SCIENCE

103. A clear strength in the lessons seen was the very good quality of relationships. This was the case in a Year 2 class where pupils co-operated well in their work on magnetism. This helped to increase their understanding of magnetism and helped to extend their social skills. In Year 5, pupils were eager to offer opinions and suggestions because they knew that the teacher would value them. This gave them confidence and helped to deepen their understanding of how long a candle will burn in different sized containers. Teachers use questions effectively in order to challenge pupils` thinking. For example, younger children were prompted to think deeply about which metals are magnetic, in response to the teacher’s sound questioning skills. In Year 5 the teacher’s good organisation and management of pupils, where he gathered them around an investigation and engaged them in an ongoing discussion, ensured that all pupils

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SCIENCE

sustained their interest and concentration. This increased their knowledge of the properties of oxygen and carbon dioxide and helped them to begin to understand the need for fair tests.

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SCIENCE

104. The headteacher has recently taken over co-ordination for the subject, following staff changes. He works hard to ensure that planning is detailed and comprehensive so that pupils build securely on previous work. He regularly monitors teaching and learning in order to raise standards.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. It was not possible to see any art and design lessons in the infant classes but sufficient evidence was provided in the range of work and on display to judge that children enjoy their art work and the school has maintained the high standards seen at the last inspection. For example, children had observed pattern in the school building and around the school, looking at Hartland Primary School - 38 the way that design was used. They had made a collection of observational drawings, used rubbings of the patterns found on building materials, used pattern sketch books and experimented with a range of materials to create designs. Their work had been influenced by patterns in textiles created by craftspersons past and present. Art has been used to support topics such as geographical aspects of the local area, particular different architecture in the street where they live. Further evidence of links to other subjects was seen in recent work on

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ART AND DESIGN

symmetry, where the media of paint was used to create symmetrical representations that reinforce mathematical knowledge. The infant classes now use sketch books and have produced detailed drawings that show good creative efforts.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. In the junior classes standards are good, overall. Much work has been undertaken to extend pupils’ knowledge and skills in using pattern. They have been inspired by the work of Michael Brennand Wood and used a range of textiles in their creations. Such themes as under the sea, habitats and death have resulted in outstanding work. Pupils have delighted in explaining their choice of theme and take pride in their work. Older pupils have created some spectacular patterns linking their designs to rotational symmetry in mathematics and using information technology skills in their effective use of graphics. As part of their study of the gods, myths and heroes of ancient Greece, Year 4 pupils have created designs for a Greek pot and Year 6 pupils made very effective use of collage materials when creating the monster Medusa.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. There is clear evidence of pupils’ enjoyment of the visual arts, whatever their ability, and standards are good because art techniques are taught systematically, building on each one as pupils move through the school. By the junior stage, pupils are learning to judge what they like and dislike and this has an impact on the practical decisions they make about how they want to improve their own work. Some outstanding work on portraits showed effective use of observation and a good understanding of the techniques used by Picasso. Close observational work of architecture showed detailed drawing and effective use of paint and colour mixing.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. As no lessons were seen in the infant classes no judgement can be made about the teaching in the infant classes. In the junior classes, teaching is good and sometimes very good in classes taught by a specialist art teacher. The good teaching has resulted in children learning much and achieving well. Teachers build on the good skills and techniques acquired by younger children and older pupils are mainly confident in their own ability. Those who teach art have good subject knowledge, which is evident in the way that they present and explain the subject. The very good relationships result in pupils having good attitudes to the subject and since teachers share the learning objectives with them there is a clear understanding of tasks and pupils are eager to get started. The pace of lessons with use of time limits for activities encourages pupils to complete their work and not waste time.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. The subject benefits from good leadership. The two co-ordinators work well as a team and have raised the status of art and design and are keen to involve those with expertise in the local community who can extend what the school offers. There is an improved climate for learning as most pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They are well motivated and approach work with enthusiasm and enjoyment. There is clear educational direction that provides an effective range of learning opportunities, meets statutory requirements and supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Hartland Primary School - 39 110. During the inspection it was possible to see only one lesson in Years 1 and 2. No lessons were seen in Years 3-6. However, evidence from discussions with teachers and pupils and from scrutiny of work and planning and from the one lesson seen, indicates that in the limited amount of work seen standards are above those expected for pupils aged seven and eleven. This is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection for pupils aged seven and in line with the findings of the previous inspection for the older pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. By the end of Year 2 most pupils show a good understanding of the design process. This is because teachers generally have a good subject knowledge, which they clearly share with pupils. For example, Year 2 pupils used information and communication technology to help in the design of a classroom and in Year 1 used sketches to plan how to make a moving model. They had thought ahead about the sequence of their work and the materials needed in their production of well-finished model box bedrooms.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. By Year 6 most pupils produce well-designed and finished models. The quality of their work is improved through the very good subject knowledge of the specialist teacher. The school ensures that pupils use a wide range of materials and tools. This helps to develop their skills in the selection of appropriate materials and their use of tools, seen, for example, in their production of Greek styled bowls and sail powered vehicles. The school also brings a relevance and purpose to pupils’ work which provides additional motivation and understanding. For example, older juniors designed and made well-finished models of pagodas and sheds, using a range of materials and strengthening techniques, to be used as part of a scheme to improve the school grounds. Pupils respond positively to the challenge to produce working models with electrically operated moving parts and to evaluate and amend their work as they

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. In the one lesson seen in Key Stage 1 the quality of teaching was very good. A particular strength of this lesson was the organisation of pupils, equipment and materials, which enabled pupils to make choices in designing and making thoughtful and well finished games. The teacher’s very good subject knowledge enabled her to link science and technology very effectively in explaining to the children how to use their knowledge of magnetism in making a simple game. This enhanced both their scientific understanding and their designing and making skills. Pupils work hard and are well behaved because the teacher controls them very well and uses assessment very effectively in order to advise them on the next steps to take.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. Pupils enjoy their work and are very willing and confident to discuss their models. They work safely and support one another effectively when they work together. This reflects the teaching well. The school makes good use of specialist teaching in the junior classes in order to raise standards.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

115. Because of timetable arrangements it was not possible to observe any geography lessons in either the infant or junior classes and it was only possible to observe history in the juniors. From scrutiny of work and discussions with children standards in geography at Year 2 are in line with that expected for age which is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. Pupils study the local environment and surroundings. They draw maps of the village and plans of their houses and identify features of the area. They draw their route to school and around the school. Whilst studying the area they also develop their historical skills as when deciding whether the houses and buildings they see are old or recent. Hartland Primary School - 40 116. By the time they are eleven most pupils have developed a good awareness of historical skills and standards are again in line with that expected for age and similar to those of the last

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

inspection. They have developed a sense of chronology and are able to understand when major civilisations such as the ancient Greeks were at their height. They show a very good recall of historical knowledge and understanding and are able to use their research skills to find information using a range of sources such as books, the Internet and CD-ROMs.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

117. As no lessons were seen no judgements are made about the teaching of geography. No judgement is made about the teaching of history in the infant classes but in the junior classes the quality of history teaching is good, overall. The lessons begin with effective use of previous learning, with pupils showing a good recall of knowledge. Teachers have good subject knowledge, which they use to good effect to make the lessons interesting and full of fascinating facts that capture pupils' attention. The lesson on the ancient Greeks in Year 6 was particularly good. Pupils were well motivated by a knowledgeable teacher whose enthusiasm and expectations transmitted to the pupils and they responded in a similar way. The teacher encouraged the pupils to take a pride in their work to take notes from their sources of evidence and to keep a record of their sources. Pupils were encouraged to use their literacy skills of using the content and index in books to find particular information.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

118. Effective use is made of educational visits to support the work in class. For instance, a visit had been organised to Exeter Museum to look at the Greek artefacts to support the present topic and the pupils had visited a Victorian classroom when studying the Victorian period. Good use is made of the digital camera to record the visits and to use the photographs as a teaching aid later.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

119. The co-ordinator has monitored the teaching in just one other class but the management of the subject does not encompass teaching and learning. She has established a good co-ordinators file with detailed evidence of how she monitors the planning of other teachers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. It was not possible to observe any lessons in the infant classes and there was very little other evidence available. Therefore no judgements can be made about standards or the quality of teaching and learning at this stage. However evidence of subject and lesson planning and from discussion with teachers shows that a full programme is taught as required by the National Curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. It was possible to observe only one lesson of information and communication technology in the junior classes but discussions with teachers and with pupils indicate that standards overall are in line with national expectations. In some activities, such as the creation of a school newspaper, pupils’ skills in word processing and desktop publishing are well above those normally expected for eleven-year-olds. However, insufficient time has been allocated for the control elements of the subject and standards are unsatisfactory for this age.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. By the time they are eleven pupils are able to use the full facilities of a word processing package, including copying and pasting, spell check and grammar check. They can import images and incorporate them into text, often using a digital camera to record their images in the first place. Each year, in conjunction with a local newspaper, the Year 5 and 6 pupils produce an award winning newspaper. They are responsible for writing articles, producing Hartland Primary School - 41 photographs and arranging for advertisements from local firms. They set out the pages of the paper using a publishing programme and produce a finished article of high quality. Pupils are able to use the Internet as a research tool, as was seen in a history lesson in when Years 5 and 6 pupils looked for information to support their topic on the ancient Greeks. They also use CD-ROMs for research very effectively. Pupils make effective use of graphics programmes

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

to produce mathematical patterns in connection with their work on coordinates. Although they have experienced some control work using Logo this area is less well developed than others. Pupils are very keen and knowledgeable about computers. They are able to speak with confidence about different aspects of the subject and are able to demonstrate their skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. In the one lesson seen the quality of teaching was good but there is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement about teaching. The co-ordinator has used New Opportunities funding well and has been trained to a sufficiently high standard to train other teachers. He possesses good subject knowledge, which has enabled him to raise standards despite the limitations of the resources. The number of computers is inadequate for the number of pupils in the school.

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MUSIC

124. Standards in music have been maintained since the last inspection and are typical of those expected. The use of specialist teaching is having a positive effect on standards and the instrumental tuition, recorder groups and choir activities enhance the range of learning opportunities provided by the school. Those pupils who play musical instruments attain good standards in their ability to read and play music. An interest in African music involved pupils in a drumming workshop and this interest in drumming has spread to most year groups, with pupils practising every day.

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MUSIC

125. By Year 2, pupils sing well and have a good understanding of rhythm. They fit long and short sounds to a steady pulse and compose simple pieces using untuned percussion instruments. Children are particularly good at echoing rhythm patterns. They sing hymns and songs competently in assembly sessions.

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MUSIC

126. Pupils in the junior age classes were very involved in performance during the inspection. The school works with the community each year to produce the main school production and The Pied Piper is the choice this year. During lessons they learned new songs, interpreting phrases to piano accompaniment, but sang the whole song to taped music as preparation for the performance. In using the tape the class teacher was able to move amongst the pupils listening to the quality of their singing and making effective comments on how they might improve. Pupils sing well and are particularly skilled at singing in parts. For example, the chorus had two parts and individual characters sang as well: this necessitated considerable concentration and some found this easier when they moved into groups for singing the different tunes of each part.

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MUSIC

127. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. The subject knowledge of the specialists is good and all lessons seen were with these teachers. Despite the challenging behaviour of some younger pupils the children were managed well and lessons moved at a good pace, maintaining interest. Sometimes teachers were able to reinforce work undertaken to promote children’s moral development; for example, the words of the song ‘Always keep your word’ were discussed in relation to the need to keep a promise. A classroom assistant works in the infant class but her skills were not deployed as well as they might be. Opportunities to support the teacher with pupils who had unacceptable behaviour were sometimes lost, as work for another subject was being marked at the same time. Hartland Primary School - 42 128. The management of the subject is sound. A policy and new planning have been implemented. Teachers feel more secure about the teaching of the subject and the school has two specialists

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MUSIC

to whom they can turn for advice and support. The school has increased its resources and these are now adequate. Although the co-ordinator has revised the curriculum in line with the new Curriculum 2000 and made some changes to planning, she has had no opportunity to monitor the teaching and learning for its effectiveness. This is a weakness in the management of the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. During the inspection it was possible to see only one lesson in the infant classes and one lesson in the junior classes. However, from discussions with teachers and scrutiny of a range of other evidence it is judged that the school fulfils its statutory requirements. In the lessons seen attainment was in line with what would be expected for pupils’ age. 130. Approximately 50 pupils participate in extra-curricular sporting activities during the year. These include golf, cricket, rugby and rounders. Experienced and qualified parents organise netball and rounders and run inter-school competitions. Swimming is confined to pupils in Years 1 and 2 who learn to swim in the local pool. This helps to ensure their confidence, skill and safety in the water at an early age. Parents are informed of pupils’ progress in swimming. The school works hard to promote a fitness policy as part of its activities in

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

physical education. For example, balls and small apparatus are available for pupils to use at playtimes and there are links with science in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. There is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement about teaching but in the two lessons seen it was good and this was reflected in the good learning. A feature in the good quality of teaching seen is the skill shown by teachers in observing and analysing pupils’ performance so that they can explain to them how they might improve. For example, in Year 6 the teacher helped pupils to focus on the beginning and ending of their movement sequences so that their control and balance improved. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject which they share with pupils through careful explanations. For example, in Year 1 pupils know the importance of warming up carefully because the teacher clearly explains this to them. This is supported by a display in the hall illustrating the warming up process. Teachers control pupils well ensuring that they exercise vigorously and behave well. For example, Year

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

6 pupils’ behaviour was good when they used a wide range of fixed and freestanding apparatus in their work on synchronised sequences and concentrated firmly on task when they discussed and evaluated their performance with their partners. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ performance. Year 1 pupils’ use of space and their co-ordination in the use of hoops improved when she presented the lesson in a lively and interesting way. Teachers organise pupils and equipment well so that lessons run smoothly and pupils took good care of equipment. For example, at the end of the lesson Year 6 pupils take responsibility for helping to dismantle and clear away apparatus.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. The co-ordinator works hard to organise the subject. She monitors planning in order to ensure that pupils’ work builds systematically on previous work. She also monitors teaching and learning and provides useful advice for staff in order to raise standards.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Hartland Primary School - 43 133. During the inspection no lessons were seen in the infant classes and only one lesson was seen in the junior classes. However, from scrutiny of children’s work and teachers’ planning, from discussions with teachers and pupils and from the one lesson seen, the evidence is that at ages seven and eleven children’s knowledge and understanding of religious education are in line with the expectations of the Devon Agreed Syllabus. This reflects the findings of the previous inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. The work displayed, children’s books and teachers’ planning show that teachers provide a balanced religious education programme based on thorough subject knowledge. For example, pupils develop a growing awareness that the religious traditions in the United Kingdom are mainly Christian although other principal religions are represented. Teachers present their work in ways that will engage children’s interest. For example, Year 2 pupils visit the local Methodist church, which extends their understanding of churches as special places and increases their knowledge of how different feature of the church are used in worship. Older children learn about the importance of the synagogue for believers in Judaism and participate in a form of Passover meal led by a member of the Jewish faith. They deepen their understanding of religious symbolism when they learn about the relevance of bitter herbs and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

salt and increase their knowledge of the role of the rabbi and the Torah.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. Teachers ensure that pupils learn that religious belief influences the daily lives of believers. For example, pupils in Year 3 relate such Christian values as love, hope and acceptance to their own lives. In Year 6 children explain how the lives of such people as St. Francis of Assisi and Mother Theresa were based on their religious beliefs. The school makes good use of local clergy in its well-planned worship cycle in order to deepen pupils` understanding of the Christian faith and to extend their opportunities for spiritual development. For example, a story of heroism was linked with the Christian belief in Jesus as a saviour and pupils were invited to join in prayers for those who provide help to others. Teachers ensure that pupils know about stories from sacred texts such as the story of Moses and events in the life of Jesus such as his baptism and the Last Supper. A strength of the work in religious education is that children are

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

challenged to relate these stories to their own lives. For example, Year 5 pupils increase their understanding of personal responsibility after discussing Moses` responsibilities and they reflect on the importance of their own baptism. Pupils in Year 3 learn about the visit of the Magi and relate this to considerations of how they might improve the quality of life for others. Teachers also ensure that pupils deepen their understanding of these texts as when pupils in Year 6 compare the similarities and differences in the accounts of Jesus` birth as related by Luke and Matthew. As they move through the school all pupils have a wide range of opportunities to increase their knowledge of festivals and celebrations such as Easter, Hanukkah, weddings and confirmation.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. In the one lesson seen during the inspection, in Year 6, the good quality of teaching was reflected in the good quality of children’s learning. The teacher carefully related the need for rules in school, the family and society to give the children further insight into the Ten Commandments. Children were well organised and controlled so that they had many opportunities to discuss rules with each other and deepen their understanding. The good relationships helped to give pupils the confidence to develop and discuss their ideas because the teacher and other children valued these. The high expectations shown by the teacher and the brisk pace of the lesson ensured that the children worked hard and used considerable intellectual effort.

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