Nields Junior Infant and Nursery School

SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Christopher D Taylor

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SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 April - 3 May 2001

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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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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. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior, Infant and Nursery

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Nields Road Slaithwaite Huddersfield West Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs C Shepherd

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 24 - 25 May 1999 Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

23004 Christopher Taylor Registered inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Art and design Music Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? How high are standards? (a) The school's results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9895 Roger Williams Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 22881 George Halliday Team inspector Special educational needs Science Geography History Religious education How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

30834 Ann Lowson Team inspector The foundation stage English as an additional language English Design and technology Physical education How high are standards? (b) Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Quality in Focus Thresher House Lea Hall Park Demage Lane Lea-by-Backford Chester CH1 6LP

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 24

Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School caters for boys and girls aged three to 11 years. It is similar in size to most Junior and Infant schools with 186 pupils and a further 42 children who attend part-time in the early years unit. Numbers have remained stable since 1996. Most pupils join the nursery class with levels of attainment broadly typical for their age. Fifteen per cent of pupils - in line with the national average - are known to be eligible for free school meals. Forty five pupils - close to the national average - have special educational needs. Four of these pupils have statements of special educational needs. Most pupils with special needs have specific learning difficulties (dyslexia) or emotional and behavioural difficulties. Four per cent of pupils are from ethnic minorities. Only one pupil speaks English as an additional language, and there are no pupils at an early stage of learning English.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School is a very effective school with very good aims and values and a caring environment. Standards have improved greatly over the past three years and are at least in line with national expectations in most subjects. Teaching is very good at the foundation stage and good at both key stages. As a result, pupils make good progress during their time at the school. Pupils' attitudes to learning are very positive and their behaviour and relationships are particularly good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The management of the school is very good, and the headteacher provides excellent leadership. Expenditure per pupil is close to the national average and the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils in the early years unit make good progress because of very good teaching. • Teaching is good at both key stages and pupils make good progress as a result. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Pupils' very good attitudes, behaviour and relationships help them to learn effectively. • There is good provision for pupils' social and cultural development and very good provision for moral development. • Procedures for ensuring pupils' welfare are good and the school has very effective links with parents. • The excellent leadership and very good management ensure that the aims and values of the school are clearly reflected in its work.

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What could be improved

• Standards are below those expected nationally in information and communication technology (ICT) at both key stages. • There are not enough extra-curricular activities through which pupils can broaden their interests and develop new skills. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress in addressing the key issues in the previous inspection report in May 1999. It has made good progress in raising standards in most subjects, and has made efficient use of extra time in English to improve standards in reading and spelling. It has made very good progress in identifying and using assessment opportunities in schemes of work and in teachers' planning. Good progress has been made in raising the quality of teaching across the school. The school has developed the role of co-ordinators effectively in monitoring lessons and ensuring higher standards of teaching and learning. In addition to these key issues, the school has maintained its high standard of leadership and management. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is now good, and links with parents have become very good. Pupils' attitudes, behaviour and relationships were judged to be good at the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

previous inspection, and are now very good. Teaching in ICT, however, does not meet all the requirements of the National Curriculum, and there are not enough extra-curricular activities. The school Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 7 has identified appropriate areas for development and has an excellent commitment and capacity to make further improvements.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

In English and science, the school's results in 2000 were well above the national average for all schools in the country and well above the average for schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. In mathematics, standards were above the national average in all schools and in similar schools. Over the past four years, standards have risen much faster than the national upward trend. This is due to improved teaching and better learning. Inspection findings indicate that standards in the current Year 6 are broadly in line with the national average in all three subjects. This is not as good as last year, as this year group has more pupils with learning difficulties. The standard of many pupils in the current Year 5, however, is well above what is expected for their age, and this is more typical of standards generally for seven to 11-year-olds. Standards are close to those expected nationally in all other

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Key

subjects at Key Stage 2 except in art and design, design and technology, and geography where standards are above those expected, and in ICT where standards are below national expectations. Standards for five to seven-year-olds are close to the national average in English and science and above average in mathematics. They are close to what is expected nationally in all other subjects except in art and design, where they are above national expectations, and in ICT where they are below the standard expected nationally. Realistic targets have been set to improve standards in English and mathematics in the National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds in 2001. To meet these targets, the school has focused its attention on effective support for pupils with special needs, additional literacy support, and booster classes for pupils in Year 6. The school was successful in exceeding its targets in 2000.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are very keen to learn and are well motivated. They are interested and involved in all school activities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils nearly always behave well in class and around school. They are polite and helpful. There have been no exclusions.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Relationships among pupils and with staff are very good. Pupils willingly carry out responsibilities when given the opportunity to do so.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Above the national average. Absence authorised by parents is below average. There is no unauthorised absence. Punctuality is good. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 8

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

Lessons seen overall Very good 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 of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Teaching was satisfactory or better in 98 per cent of lessons. It was good in 49 per cent and very good in 20 per cent. Teaching was unsatisfactory in two per cent of lessons. Overall, teaching is very good in the early years unit and is good at both key stages. The teaching of English and mathematics, including the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, is good throughout the school. Strengths of teaching include very high expectations, effective teaching methods, especially at Key Stage 2, and very good class management in all year groups. The school meets the needs of higher and lower-attaining pupils well. As a result, pupils generally work at a brisk pace and make good progress in acquiring skills, knowledge and understanding in most subjects. Good use of discussion at the end of most lessons reinforces what pupils have learned, and helps teachers to check pupils' progress. Good use is made of homework,

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

especially in literacy and numeracy, to consolidate and extend learning done in class. In the one lesson where teaching was unsatisfactory, planning for pupils' activities had not been thought through clearly enough, so they did not achieve what had been intended. In ICT, many teachers have only limited expertise, and there are too few opportunities for pupils to use computers and to practise their skills. There is insufficient use of ICT to aid teaching and learning in other subjects of the curriculum. The school is aware of these issues and already has plans for more computers and additional staff training in ICT.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Unsatisfactory overall. Planning for lessons in the early years unit is good. The curriculum is broad but is unbalanced at both Key Stages 1 and 2 as there is not enough teaching of ICT. Statutory requirements of the National Curriculum are not covered in ICT. There are not enough extra-curricular activities for pupils to widen their interests.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils receive helpful assistance and make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Provision for pupils' personal development is sound. Provision for pupils' moral development is very good, with clear teaching of right and wrong. Provision for pupils' social and cultural development is good. Provision for pupils' spiritual development is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good overall. Procedures for ensuring pupils' welfare are good. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are effective. Procedures for assessing pupils' attainment and progress are good, and assessments are used effectively to raise standards by setting individual targets for pupils to achieve.

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Aspect Comment

The school's links with parents are very good and parents express very strong support for the school. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides excellent leadership of the school and is supported very effectively by senior staff. They ensure that the school is moving forward with a clear sense of educational direction. Subject co-ordinators play an important role in monitoring and promoting high standards of teaching and learning.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good overall. Governors carry out their statutory duties well. They play a satisfactory role in shaping the direction of the school. They are kept well informed about new developments in the school, but do not monitor teaching and learning systematically enough themselves.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The headteacher and key staff monitor and evaluate the school's performance well. They have a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. Educational priorities are supported well through the school's financial planning. All major spending decisions take into account the principles of best value.

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Aspect Comment

There is a good number of well qualified teachers and support staff to teach all the subjects of the curriculum. Overall, the accommodation is satisfactory and learning resources are sound. There are insufficient resources, however, to support the teaching and learning of ICT.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy school. • The school enables children to make good progress in their work. • There are high standards of good behaviour. • The teaching is good. • Parents are kept well informed about their children's progress. • Most parents are comfortable about approaching the school with a problem. • The school expects children to work hard and to achieve their best. • The school works closely with parents. • The school is well led and managed. • Most parents feel the school helps their children become mature and responsible. • A few parents feel that their children do not get the right amount of work to do at home. • A fifth of the parents who responded feel the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection findings support the parents' very positive views. The school sets an appropriate amount of homework, especially in literacy and numeracy. Inspectors agree that the limited range of extra- curricular activities does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to broaden their interests. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children under the age of five join the early years unit on a part-time basis before attending full-time by the age of five. When they enter the nursery class, the full range of ability is represented, while most have levels of attainment broadly in line with those expected for children of their age. As a result of good teaching in the nursery and reception classes, they make good progress towards the early learning goals. By the end of the reception year, the attainment of most pupils is close to what is expected nationally in personal and social development, in communication and early reading and writing skills, in mathematical, physical and creative development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Children with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. By the end of Key Stage 1, the overall attainment of pupils is close to national expectations in English and science, and above expectations in mathematics. It is close to that expected nationally in all other subjects except in art and design, where standards are above national expectations, and in ICT where standards are below national expectations. Most pupils make good progress during Key Stage 1.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In English, inspection findings indicate that standards in Year 2 are close to the national average. In reading and in writing, standards are close to what is expected nationally, and both handwriting and spelling have continued to improve since the last inspection. Pupils' speaking skills are also typical for their age. Standards in reading and in writing were close to the national average in the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds in 2000. In reading, they were close to the average in similar schools, though in writing, they were slightly below the average in similar schools. Standards are higher in the current Year 2 as standards are improving faster than the national rate. Teaching is good, and the extra coaching provided in booster classes and for pupils with special educational needs is gradually pushing up the standards achieved by lower-achieving pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In mathematics, inspection findings indicate that attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is above the national average. Standards in mathematics were above the national average in the 2000 tests, and above the standard in similar schools. Results are improving steadily because teachers have implemented the National Numeracy Strategy well and pupils are making good progress. In science, inspection findings indicate that attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is close to national expectations. This is similar to teachers’ assessments in 2000 when standards were broadly in line with the levels expected nationally. Most pupils are making good progress, and standards are improving each year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In English at Key Stage 1, the majority of pupils make good progress in their speaking and listening skills. As a result, pupils grow in confidence and are able to express themselves clearly. In reading, all pupils make good progress in their reading skills. They read simple texts accurately, confidently and with some expression. The school has worked successfully to address the lower achievement of boys in reading. In writing, most pupils make good progress, and both handwriting and spelling have continued to improve since the last inspection. The presentation of work is satisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In mathematics at Key Stage 1, most pupils make good progress. There is a good focus on developing basic numeracy skills, and mental mathematics skills have improved since the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. In science, pupils make good progress. They develop their scientific enquiry skills by observing the location of plants and mini-beasts in the school garden and pond, and carry out simple experiments to investigate different materials.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils’ attainment in ICT is below the standard expected nationally at Key Stage 1 and pupils make unsatisfactory progress because of the limited amount of teaching in the subject. There is little use of ICT in other subjects of the curriculum. Pupils' attainment in religious education is in line with the Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 11 standards expected in the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils' attainment is close to national expectations in all other subjects at Key Stage 1, except in art and design, where the standard of pupils' artwork is higher than is typical for their age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Inspection findings indicate that the attainment of pupils in the current Year 6 is close to the standards expected nationally in English, mathematics and science. The overall attainment of pupils is close to national expectations in all other subjects except in art and design, design and technology, and in geography, where standards are above those expected nationally, and in ICT where standards are below those typical for this age group. As the overall standard of these pupils was below that expected nationally at the end of Key Stage 1, they have made good progress during Key Stage 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In English, inspection findings indicate that standards in the current Year 6 are close to those expected nationally. Standards in English were well above the national average in the National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds in 2000, and were well above the standard in schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Pupils in the current Year 6 are making good progress, but there are more children with learning difficulties in this group and their standard is not as high as last year's Year 6. Higher standards are being achieved by pupils currently in Year 5 and in Year 3, with higher-attaining pupils in these year groups achieving standards that are well above national expectations. Pupils make good progress in listening and speaking. They discuss their work sensibly using a wide vocabulary and speak clearly and confidently. The good use of questioning makes pupils think carefully about their answers and extends their vocabulary. Pupils

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

make good progress in reading. The majority read with expression, tackle unfamiliar words well and understand what they are reading. All pupils know how the library is organised and use their skills to find books quickly. Progress in writing is also good. The oldest pupils’ writing is carefully planned, with an interesting use of vocabulary and punctuation to enliven the text. Spelling and punctuation are usually accurate and handwriting is joined-up, clear and fluent.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In mathematics, inspection findings indicate that attainment in the current Year 6 is close to that expected nationally. Standards in mathematics were above the national average in the National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds in 2000, and were above the standard in similar schools. Pupils in the current Year 6 are making good progress, but there are more children with learning difficulties in this group and their standard is not as high as last year's Year 6. Higher standards are being achieved by pupils currently in Year 5, with higher-attaining pupils achieving standards that are well above national expectations. Most pupils at Key Stage 2 are making good progress, and have benefited from the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. Pupils are becoming more confident with written methods of calculation, and there has been a good effort to develop and use mental methods of calculation. In science, attainment is close to the national average in Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Again, this is not as high as in the National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds in 2000, when standards were well above the national average. Pupils, however, are making good progress. They study the permeability of soils and carry out practical investigations to construct electrical circuits. They understand the principles of fair testing and record and explain their results clearly.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils’ attainment in ICT is below the standard expected nationally at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils do not cover all the requirements of the National Curriculum and there is little use of ICT in other subjects of the curriculum. Attainment in religious education is in line with the standards expected in the locally agreed syllabus at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils achieve standards close to national expectations in all other subjects except in art and design, design and technology and geography, where standards are higher than those usually found at this age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. There are no significant variations in attainment by gender as the school has worked hard to remedy underachievement by boys at both key stages. The very few pupils from different ethnic backgrounds are actively included in all lessons and their progress is good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Pupils' needs are identified at an early age, and this contributes to the good progress they make. Pupils receive good support from their class teachers and from classroom assistants, and work is provided at the right level. Pupils with special needs make good progress as Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 12 a result. Pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties make good progress in learning to control their behaviour.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. Pupils' literacy skills are close to those expected nationally at both key stages, and pupils make good progress. The literacy hour has been introduced effectively in all classes, and standards of writing are improving faster than national trends. The new knowledge and skills gained in the literacy hour are used effectively in other subjects of the curriculum to improve pupils' writing, for example, in science and in geography and history.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

15. Standards in numeracy are close to those expected nationally at both key stages. The National Numeracy Strategy has been introduced effectively in all classes and pupils are making good progress. They are carrying out mental calculations with increasing agility and showing confidence in manipulating numbers and using multiplication tables. There is appropriate use of numeracy skills in other subjects such as design and technology and in science.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils’ attitudes to the school are very good, and the school has maintained high standards since the last inspection. Pupils are happy, arrive on time and settle quickly to the school day. They are interested in the activities that teachers provide for them, and all those questioned agreed that they enjoy school. In lessons, pupils listen attentively to the teachers and are quick to offer opinions during whole-class activities. All pupils are keen to point out and discuss the work they have done, either within classrooms or on display throughout the school. This is because pupils' work is carefully displayed and celebrated by all adults, and pupils’ opinions and views are respected and valued. Teachers provide a good range of activities to improve learning in the classroom and these activities are undertaken keenly by most pupils. Teachers use praise effectively to reward effort, helping pupils to become confident and making them eager to join in. When offered extra-curricular

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

activities, pupils take part enthusiastically. 17. Most pupils behave very well both in and out of school. During the long walk from the school to and from the swimming baths, for example, pupils in Year 6 behaved in an exemplary manner; they walked in file, talked quietly, were polite to passers by, and obeyed their teacher’s instructions on road safety to the letter. Any incident of unacceptable behaviour, either in the classroom or outdoors at playtimes, is dealt with very effectively by members of staff. Good management of pupils during lessons has a beneficial effect on learning. Pupils move around the school in an orderly way, displaying good manners as they wait patiently for others in assembly or when taking their turn in the lunch queue. Pupils are unfailingly polite to adults, holding doors open without being asked. They are welcoming and helpful to adults and other pupils in the school. Pupils treat property and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

classroom resources with respect and help to keep their classrooms neat and tidy. In lessons, they move from one activity to the next sensibly, listen quietly and are very good at not calling out. They behave in a way that enables everyone in the school to make the best use of time and resources. There have been no exclusions from the school during the last two years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Relationships among pupils and between pupils and staff are very good. This makes for a happy atmosphere in the school and enhances the quality of learning. Pupils co-operate amicably when working together and are generally helpful and supportive towards each other. All adults working in the school act as good role models, both in their effective working relationships with each other and in the way they respond to the individual needs of pupils. In class discussions, older pupils listen well to the views and opinions of others, thus ensuring that they appreciate and respect the values and thoughts of others. The provision the school makes for pupils to take initiative and personal responsibility is satisfactory. Pupils take on responsible jobs, such as taking registers to the office, and older pupils assist in the dining room at lunchtimes and help to organise a lunchtime aerobics session. However, opportunities for pupils to develop their initiative in other areas are still to be

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

developed, though the school already has plans for a school council.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Attendance is good, as at the previous inspection. The level of attendance is well above the national average for primary schools and there is very little lateness. Parents feel an important reason for this is the fact that children enjoy going to school. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 13

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The standard of teaching is good. As a result, pupils develop new skills well and learn effectively. Teaching was satisfactory or better in 98 per cent of lessons. In 49 per cent the teaching was good and in 20 per cent it was very good. Teaching was unsatisfactory in two per cent of lessons. While teaching of ICT was satisfactory during the inspection, it is unsatisfactory overall as there are not enough computers to teach lessons satisfactorily to a whole class, or even to small groups, and most teachers have only limited expertise.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching is very good at the foundation stage. The teachers and classroom assistants have a good understanding of how young children learn, and succeed in making learning fun. They place great emphasis on developing children's social skills, and encourage them to make choices and to take decisions. Planning is very good and includes a wide range of interesting and appropriate activities for children at different stages of learning. Children are managed well and activities change frequently so that they do not have time to get bored. This helps to maintain good levels of concentration. Staff pay careful attention to developing children's language, reading and writing skills, and to introducing children to numbers in a wide range of everyday situations. Speaking and listening skills are developed particularly well because of the very good emphasis placed on using correct vocabulary.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching is good, overall, at Key Stages 1 and 2. It is good in English, mathematics, history and religious education at both key stages, and in science, design and technology, geography and music at Key Stage 2. It is at least satisfactory in all other subjects except in information and communication technology, where it is unsatisfactory overall at both key stages. Teaching that is good or better (69 per cent of all lessons) is a major factor in ensuring that pupils make good progress. In the one lesson that was unsatisfactory, pupils failed to achieve the learning objectives of the lesson because the teacher did not demonstrate effectively the skills needed by the pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good in most subjects at both key stages and this ensures that pupils acquire sound techniques and accurate information. Teachers' expertise in ICT, however, is in need of further development. The teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills is good at both key stages. Teachers follow the structure of the National Literacy Strategy confidently, and give a good emphasis to developing pupils' language and vocabulary. Opportunities for developing and consolidating writing are followed up in subjects such as science and history. The teaching of numeracy includes a wide variety of activities for pupils to practise and consolidate their learning, and this helps to retain pupils' interest. Teachers use mental mathematics sessions well to develop pupils' analytical thinking and mathematical vocabulary. Numeracy skills are re-inforced appropriately in other subjects, for example, in science and in design and technology.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers' planning is good at both key stages. In English and mathematics, teachers prepare lessons thoroughly and benefit from following the guidelines in the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. In other subjects, planning shows a clear progression of skills and knowledge and this helps pupils to acquire skills in a logical order. Teachers' expectations of pupils' work are very good, and this ensures good productivity and a brisk pace of work, especially among older pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. A wide variety of teaching methods is used well at Key Stage 1 and particularly effectively at Key Stage 2. Teachers often start their lessons by referring back to the previous lesson in order to reinforce pupils' learning. Most teachers make the learning objectives clear at the start of lessons and review what pupils have learned at the end. This helps pupils to consolidate their learning. Teachers use questioning effectively, and constantly encourage pupils to improve their spoken English by using correct vocabulary and technical terms when expanding on their answers. In science and mathematics, there is a good emphasis on developing investigative skills, while in other subjects, good use is made of visiting speakers and of visits in the local area.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. Very good relationships between teachers and pupils produce a pleasant, hard-working and creative atmosphere. Very good management of pupils during lessons is reflected in their very good behaviour and positive attitudes to work. As a result, pupils are eager to learn and their intellectual and creative effort is very strong. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 14 27. Teachers use time and resources well. In literacy and numeracy lessons, for instance, teachers time the different activities well and lessons move at a brisk pace. As a result, pupils work productively and maintain a busy pace of learning. Classroom assistants are used very effectively to provide additional support to small groups of pupils, though they are sometimes left unoccupied during the first part of lessons, especially in English and mathematics. Teachers make good use of a wide variety of teaching resources and this helps to stimulate pupils' interest and curiosity. There

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

are many interesting displays in classrooms and around the school to stimulate pupils' thinking. Pupils' work is attractively and thoughtfully displayed, and this reflects the encouragement and appreciation that teachers show for pupils' efforts.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. Teachers make regular assessments of pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics, and make good use of the results to guide their planning and teaching. In other subjects, written and informal assessments are used to check pupils' learning and to plan for subsequent lessons. The day-to-day use of homework to reinforce and extend learning is good, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Pupils take reading books home regularly and are set an appropriate amount of work to do at home. The marking of pupils' work is carried out regularly by teachers and praise is used appropriately to encourage pupils. The best marking includes helpful written comments on how pupils can improve their work; but not all marking indicates how the work could be better.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good throughout the school. The special educational needs co-ordinator liaises closely with all staff. With her support, teachers write individual education plans which are of good quality and give a clear indication of what pupils need to learn and do. The plans are reviewed regularly and teachers match pupils’ work with the targets indicated. The special educational needs support assistants are fully involved in the planning process and this makes their contribution very effective. Pupils receive good support from teachers and support staff. Their work is carefully structured and based on an accurate assessment of their needs. They receive sensible guidance on behaviour where necessary. Good relationships with teachers and assistants help pupils to feel confident and to make good progress.

p.14

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school provides a broad curriculum containing all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. It satisfies the statutory requirements in English, mathematics, science, religious education and all other subjects except ICT, in which the National Curriculum is not fully covered. This is unsatisfactory and reduces the standards that pupils achieve in ICT. In addition, the school’s range of extra-curricular activities is not wide enough. The school places high priority on improving standards in English and mathematics and this is reflected in the time spent teaching these subjects. There are detailed schemes of work in all subjects of the curriculum. The school holds an assembly and act of collective worship every day. Pupils regularly attend swimming lessons at the nearby pool.

p.14

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The curriculum is organised well for pupils with special educational needs. The good support they receive enables them to make good progress. Most support is given within the classroom. Pupils are supported well by their individual education plans which give clear and specific information about what pupils need to learn in literacy and numeracy and also give targets for those with behavioural difficulties.

p.14

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school pays close attention to pupils’ social, health and citizenship education, and makes good provision in this important area. Personal, health, social and citizenship education is taught in a variety of ways, both as separate lessons, and as part of lessons in subjects such as science. There is a broad coverage including sex and drugs education, and bullying issues. During a Year 2 lesson, for example, pupils reviewed their class rules. They discussed the need for rules and Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 15 considered the reasons for keeping them. They concluded that the rules were justified and should stay the same. Parents are well informed about the content of these lessons.

p.14

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. In the parental survey, a fifth of the parents who responded felt that the range of activities offered to pupils outside lessons could be improved. Inspectors found that there are a few extra-curricular activities held in school, but the range of activities held throughout the year is not wide enough to broaden pupils' interests sufficiently.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The school has good links with the local community. Pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is strengthened by visits to local churches and chapels as well as to a synagogue and a mosque. The local residents’ association holds its meetings on the school premises, and the school is regularly involved in community-based surveys by Kirklees Council, to gather parents’ and pupils’ views on ‘Shaping Slaithwaite’. The local area is used well for projects and studies in history and geography, and the school takes part in local music and art festivals and other events. Many visitors from a variety of organisations attend the school and contribute to pupils’ wider knowledge of society.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school benefits from good relationships with partner institutions, including teacher training colleges. It works closely with other schools, including the local secondary school, promoting the ‘Healthy Schools Standards’ initiative, and taking part in the ‘Colne Valley Early Years Forum’.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. Provision for social and cultural development is good, while provision for spiritual development is satisfactory.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Pupils’ spiritual development is promoted mainly through the daily act of collective worship and through religious education lessons. Acts of worship take place in a calm and peaceful atmosphere. They bring together discussion, participation by pupils, and hymns and modern worship songs which are sung tunefully and respectfully. A model assembly was conducted by one teacher who turned a hymn practice for junior pupils into a deeply spiritual occasion, as well as succeeding in improving the quality of singing. Lessons in religious education are planned well to develop pupils’ spiritual awareness. Teachers give pupils time to reflect on prayer and to explore their own ideas and feelings. The school has yet to develop planning for spirituality in other lessons, however, although teachers do sometimes take advantage of suitable opportunities. Older pupils, for instance, thought carefully about the moods suggested in the music of Holst’s The Planets Suite .

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. The provision for pupils’ moral development is a strength of the school. The headteacher and staff work very hard to teach pupils the difference between right and wrong. The school’s approach is deliberate and positive. All staff expect pupils to follow the school’s code of conduct. They take time to reason with pupils who misbehave. Pupils themselves learn the benefits of positive values such as reason and fairness. The school’s moral climate benefits a great deal from this very good teaching.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. The school’s provision for pupils’ social development is linked closely to the school's promotion of moral development. Teachers encourage pupils to work closely together and positively develop teamwork, especially in lessons such as literacy, numeracy, science and physical education. As a result, pupils work together sensibly and responsibly. The school’s personal, social, health and citizenship education programme (PSHCE) makes a good contribution to the development of social skills. The school lays great stress on good social behaviour and rewards pupils both individually and as members of house teams. Pupils are given some opportunities to take on responsibilities. They are expected to undertake monitorial duties in class, while some older pupils help in other areas, such as in the dining room. The school helps pupils to prepare for good citizenship by giving them opportunities to organise events for charities. Pupils are encouraged to have consideration for

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

those less fortunate than themselves, especially for other children.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. The school provides a good range of opportunities to widen pupils' cultural perspective. Pupils learn about famous painters and composers during art and music lessons. Pupils copy the style of French impressionist painters, and the work of Lowry is imaginatively linked with the factories of their own locality. In geography they are introduced to different ways of life in other countries and to Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 16 the problems of less developed parts of the world. In religious education the school’s multi-cultural approach introduces pupils to a wide range of cultural traditions, building on what they know and extending into the multi-cultural Britain of today. They visit Christian churches, a synagogue and a mosque. The school plans a good range of visits and visitors, which enriches pupils’ education and lives. Pupils visit an art gallery and local museums. A group of pupils worked with an artist to

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

produce imaginative sketches and paintings of the nearby canal prior to its re-opening. Musicians regularly visit the school to play to pupils and visiting theatre groups provide both entertainment and insight into dramatic performances.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are good. The headteacher acts as the school’s child protection officer and is responsible for contacts with support agencies and for meeting the requirements of the area’s child protection committee. The headteacher and governors ensure that the school's child protection policy is implemented and all staff have had training in recognising signs of abuse. A nominated governor has responsibility for child protection matters and meets with the headteacher regularly. The headteacher has not yet benefited from the most current child protection training course, although regular liaison with professionals in this field has ensured good practical expertise. The school’s arrangements for fire safety and for first aid and medical care are good.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Pupils’ attendance is continually monitored by the headteacher, who consults regularly with the educational social worker. This combined approach ensures that the high level of attendance is maintained. Attendance registers are kept accurately, but should be retained in a central location rather than in classrooms.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Arrangements for promoting good behaviour are effective. Isolated incidents of bullying are dealt with immediately. The school’s emphasis on social, health and citizenship education plays an important role in encouraging responsible behaviour. Teachers, classroom support assistants and midday supervisors apply the behaviour policy consistently. This contributes towards the very good standard of behaviour at the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Procedures for checking pupils' progress have improved significantly since the last inspection and are now good. Information from pupils' assessments has played a major part in improving standards. There is a comprehensive policy, overseen by the deputy headteacher, which is understood and applied well by every member of staff. This effective approach to checking pupils' progress and analysing their achievements is benefiting all pupils at the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school has good systems in place for monitoring pupils’ personal development. Pupils' views have been sought on the school behaviour policy, and on their attitude to homework. Pupils are also involved in setting their own targets. They are encouraged to help younger pupils in a variety of ways, and there are some opportunities to take extra responsibility.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. There is good support for pupils with special educational needs. The school identifies pupils who have special needs early in their school life, so they can be given suitable work and support as soon as possible. Support staff provide sensitive guidance for pupils within the classroom, and the monitoring and analysis of pupils’ progress enables teachers to update the targets in pupils' individual education plans regularly. The school makes good use of the services made available by the local education authority, including a speech therapist and an educational psychologist.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The partnership with parents is a strength of the school. The school views its parents as valuable partners and has forged very effective links with them. Parents are very supportive of the school and Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 17 are very positive in their views about it. Over half of all parents responded to the parental survey, and most aspects of the school's provision were supported by at least 95 per cent of those who replied.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The school provides high quality information for parents. This was highlighted in the parental survey, where nearly all parents considered that they were well informed about their children’s progress. Parents of pupils in the early years unit are visited before their child starts school and they have an opportunity to see the school in session. Parents of young children are kept very well informed on a regular basis as to how their child is settling in and progressing. Notice boards aimed at parents display the planned activities for the early years unit. Pupils' reports are informative and indicate areas in need of development. Parents are also supplied with clear information about the work and routines of the school through regular newsletters, and they can study their own child’s record of achievement and their pupil profile on request. Helpful workshops and open evenings are held frequently. A recent workshop on drugs awareness for pupils in Year 5 and their parents attracted

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents make a very good contribution to pupils’ learning at school and at home. A group of parents regularly attends school to help in classes, mainly with younger pupils, and others assist with visits, trips and special events. Parents discuss pupils' individual targets with teachers at the termly open evenings, and they attend school celebrations, musical and theatrical productions. Parents of children with special educational needs are closely involved from the beginning of the process of the identification of their special needs. Parents take part in the reviews of their children’s progress, and are kept well informed of their children’s attainment at all stages.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Parents are consulted periodically through surveys, the most recent being on the effectiveness of the behaviour policy, and the school listens carefully to their views. Parents are actively encouraged to become involved in school affairs and feel they are made very welcome by the school. The school has given valuable support to parents by providing work experience for them when training as classroom assistants. There is an active parents, staff and friends association which organises social gatherings and raises substantial funds to provide resources for the school.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The management and efficiency of the school are very good, as at the previous inspection. The headteacher provides excellent leadership of the school. She has clear aims and appropriate plans for the future, and is well supported by an effective senior management team. As a result, the school is moving forward with clear educational direction. During her four years in post, the headteacher has established very good relationships with parents and has gained the respect of the pupils. She has worked hard to develop the expertise and confidence of the staff and to raise the status of the school. She is committed to raising standards in the school and has developed a very good ethos to support the effective learning of all pupils. The headteacher works closely with the deputy headteacher and another senior teacher who play an important role in supporting other staff and in initiating and overseeing developments at the two key stages.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The headteacher monitors teaching and teachers' planning effectively and this has helped to raise standards of teaching. She visits classrooms systematically to observe every teacher at work. During the last year she has observed literacy, numeracy and science lessons in all classes, together with some geography and history lessons. She feeds back observations to individual teachers, making suggestions to improve their teaching. These visits form part of the appraisal system to identify teachers' professional development needs. Appropriate plans have been implemented to introduce performance management. The headteacher systematically checks the standard of pupils' written work by looking at a sample of work and discussing it with subject co- ordinators. The headteacher analyses National Curriculum assessments, optional tests and baseline assessments to identify areas that have improved, and discusses the findings with subject

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

co-ordinators in order to identify and take action to address weaker areas of the curriculum.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The aims and values of the school are reflected very clearly in its work. The school works hard to provide the support and encouragement needed for each child to achieve its full potential in a happy, Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 18 safe and secure environment. Teachers have high expectations of pupils, and ensure that each child has an equal opportunity to succeed. The school has made good progress in addressing the key issues in the previous inspection report in May 1999. It has made good progress in raising standards and in raising the quality of teaching across the school. It has an outstanding shared commitment to improving the quality of teaching and learning and an excellent capacity to improve pupils' standards. Realistic targets have been set for standards in English and mathematics in the National Curriculum tests in 2001. To meet these targets, the school has focused on raising

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

standards of pupils' reading and writing, effective support for pupils with special needs, and booster classes for pupils in Year 6. The school recognises that raising standards in ICT is another key area for development and has produced a detailed development plan for the subject.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Responsibility for subject areas is delegated to subject co-ordinators, and their role has been developed well since the previous inspection. Co-ordinators manage spending on resources and feed back information to other staff to share their expertise after attending training courses. Many co- ordinators have observed teaching in their subject and have fed back points requiring action to individual teachers to improve the standard of teaching. There is a systematic programme of lesson observations which will ensure that all co-ordinators have had the opportunity to observe lessons in their subject by 2002. All co-ordinators monitor teachers' planning to ensure that lessons are well prepared and there is a regular programme for evaluating a sample of pupils' work and discussing any weaknesses with the headteacher. The special educational needs co-ordinator provides very good leadership in the identification of pupils with special needs and in the compilation of

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

appropriate individual targets. Pupils' individual education plans give clear targets that meet their specific needs. Good use is made of assessments to check pupils' progress. Pupils' individual education plans are reviewed regularly and amended to take account of their needs. The special needs co-ordinator provides very good support both for teachers and for individual pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The governors provide good support for the headteacher, who ensures that they have a good working knowledge of the school. A few governors visit the school regularly to assist in the classroom, look at pupils' work and talk to teachers and pupils, and this ensures they have a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. On the whole, however, the governing body relies too much on the detailed reports it receives from the headteacher, and does not monitor teaching and learning and provision for pupils with special needs systematically enough. The full governing body meets termly, and committees meet regularly to discuss curriculum matters and to deal with staffing, buildings and finance. They discuss management and budget issues, and play an effective role in helping to shape the future direction of the school. They fulfil all their statutory responsibilities well.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school supports educational priorities well through its financial planning. The school's development plan identifies appropriate targets and ensures that all the resources available are directed towards raising pupils' attainment. The personnel, resources and costs involved are clearly identified, and there are specific criteria by which the impact of these developments can be evaluated. The school makes good use of specific funding that is allocated to support specific areas such as special educational needs. The governing body monitors the school budget regularly and satisfactory financial controls are in place. The principles of best value are applied to all major spending decisions to ensure that the school receives sound value for money. Day-to-day administration is efficient and computers are used effectively for placing orders and for keeping pupils' records.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school has sufficient suitably qualified teaching and support staff to enable the curriculum to be taught effectively. Most teachers have several years' service and are very experienced. Since the last inspection, the school has continued to invest resources in developing its staff through well- targeted courses and by monitoring their performance. As a result, standards of teaching have risen and the school has received the prestigious award of ‘Investors In People’. Classroom support assistants are well qualified and support pupils well, though they are sometimes left unoccupied during the first part of lessons. Midday supervisors have received training enabling them to play a full part in pupils’ social development at lunchtimes.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. All staff have relevant job descriptions which are reviewed annually, and teachers have individual professional development training records, including performance management targets to encourage Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 19 further improvement. The governors have set appropriate targets for the headteacher, and suitable review procedures are in place. There are very good systems in place for the induction of new staff, including supply teachers, in order to support their professional growth and confidence. The school has a very good potential for training new teachers.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The buildings have recently been refurbished to a high standard, providing an attractive and stimulating environment. There is sufficient accommodation at the school for effective learning to take place, but pupils in Year 6 are taught in a temporary classroom in the school grounds, and have to walk across the playground whatever the weather to reach the school hall for assemblies. There are good-sized grounds at the rear of the school, although they slope quite steeply due to the lie of the land, making them less suitable for team games. There is an attractive garden and pond, used for observation and research, and the grounds are due for further development and improvement.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The school uses only the rear playground at break times, to ensure pupils' safety, and this leads to a degree of overcrowding when the field cannot be used. The side access to the school is in need of repair. Although there are two other points of access for pedestrians at the front of the building, the main access for pedestrians and vehicles is along a private roadway, which is in a poor condition due to flooding. It is badly potholed and strewn with gravel, which is unsafe to walk on due to the steepness of the slope.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Resources are satisfactory overall. They are good in the foundation stage, in mathematics, science, art and design, music and religious education, and for pupils with special educational needs. The library provision is also good. Resources for information technology, however, are unsatisfactory as there are too few computers to teach a whole class, or even small groups of pupils, effectively. Most resources are easily accessible and are used effectively to extend pupils’ knowledge and skills.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. In order to improve the quality of education provided, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise standards in ICT by (i) ensuring that teaching covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum at both key stages; (see paragraphs 7,11,30,113,118) (ii) providing suitable hardware and software; (see paragraphs 114,120) (iii) providing training to develop teachers' expertise; (see paragraph 115) (iv) providing more opportunities for pupils to practise ICT skills; (see paragraph 116) (v) making more use of computer skills to assist pupils' learning across other subjects of the curriculum. (see paragraphs 7,11,115,119)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(The school is aware of these issues and already has plans for more computers and for additional staff training in ICT.)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) provide a wider range of extra-curricular activities for pupils to broaden their interests. (see paragraphs 30, 33)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues above, the school should consider including the following minor issues in its action plan:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Marking should be more consistent in helping pupils to identify how their work can be improved. (see paragraph 28) (2) The headteacher should ensure that she has up-to-date training in child protection procedures. (see paragraph 41) Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 20 Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 21

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.21

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.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 21 186

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals - 28

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 44

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 17

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 22

p.21

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 14 12 26

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 11 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 11 11

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 85 (75) 88 (79) 92 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 83(82) 854(83) 90 (87)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 11 12 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 11 11

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 85 (61) 88 (71) 88 (82) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.22

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 16 16 32

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 10 11 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 12 14

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 72 (68) 72 (60) 81 (80) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 9 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 12 13

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 69 (64) 72 (64) 75 (68) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 6 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.23

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.

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.0 Financial year 1999/2000

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.25

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 364,890

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1,547

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 91 Balance brought forward from previous year 7,454

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 11,587

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1.0

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.0

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 52

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 24

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 55 39 5 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 36 59 3 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 41 8 0 11

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 55 40 5 1 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 28 1 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 60 37 0 0 3

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 53 42 2 1 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 68 27 2 0 4

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 45 51 0 0 4

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 22 32 20 1 25

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

NB: figures are rounded to nearest integer; sum may not = 100% Nil responses (i.e. blank boxes) are included in category 5.

p.24

Strongest points in order:

• Because of good teaching, the school gets the best out of pupils. • Children like going to the school. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 25 • There are regular events outside lessons, which pupils enjoy.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The school has continued to improve provision for children in the foundation stage over the last two years. Children are provided with a good start to their education. The very good teaching and rich curriculum has a positive impact on children’s learning. Children enjoy their time in the nursery and reception classes. They are enthusiastic, happy, concentrate well on activities and make very good progress. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are very good because they are managed well and kept busy. A wide variety of interesting activities is well planned by the teachers and assessments are used very effectively to track the progress of individual children.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. When children enter the nursery, the full range of ability is represented and children have a range of skills broadly typical for their age. Assessment tests indicate that children currently in the reception class have skills above those expected for their age in speaking and listening, mathematical development and personal independence. However, it is more usual for children at this school to enter the reception class with skills typical for their age in these areas. All children, including those who have special educational needs, make good progress and most will have reached the levels expected for their age in all areas of learning by the time they leave the early years unit.

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

65. Teachers place great emphasis on developing social skills in the nursery and reception classes. They do this very effectively by setting good examples for the children to follow. Activities during lessons are organised so that children experience opportunities to make choices and to take decisions. This effective strategy soon builds up children's confidence. Their growing expertise was well illustrated during a baking lesson. Children made cheese straws in small groups, showing a very positive attitude to new experiences. They were excited and interested, but were also aware that they needed to take turns, share resources for baking and utensils with others and follow the established routines. All staff develop very good relationships with the children. This begins with the very positive relationships forged with parents before their children start school, by home visits and invitations to visit the early years unit. Parents are involved with the

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

education of their children at the outset and they are welcomed as partners. Consequently, the whole atmosphere in the early years unit is very positive and children respond very well to this by being polite, kind and helpful to others. During snack time, they observe good hygiene habits by washing their hands if they have been outside. They share their snacks with others, remembering to say please and thank-you. Older children in the reception class are given specific tasks to complete during the summer term, either working in small groups or independently, with the aim of developing independence and confidence in preparation for their move to Year 1. Most children will achieve the level of personal, social and emotional development expected by the end of the reception year.

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Communication, Language and Literacy

66. By the end of the reception year, nearly all children achieve the levels expected in language and literacy, and many higher-attaining children are already working within the early stages of the National Curriculum. Speaking and listening skills develop particularly well because of the very good emphasis placed by staff on extending and developing correct vocabulary as part of every activity. Children are constantly encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings. Children achieve well because they are taught to listen carefully to stories or instructions and they are encouraged to give extended answers to questions. Children in the nursery, for example, sat in a circle to talk about mini-beasts they liked or disliked. Most children were confident when discussing their feelings about spiders or butterflies. The activity was managed well by the Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 26

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Communication, Language and Literacy

teacher who used resources, such as plastic butterflies, very effectively to ensure children took turns. Children knew that if they were holding the butterfly, it was their turn to speak while others listened carefully. Children directed their speech to the teacher, with most speaking in clear sentences. During activities such as these, support assistants are used effectively to work with smaller groups of less confident children, encouraging them to engage in conversation. The older reception class children continue to develop skills in all aspects of language and communication and they are taught using elements from the National Literacy Strategy. Their writing develops very well because of the many opportunities they are given. Higher-attaining children have good handwriting skills and write simple sentences observing the use of capital letters and full stops. They read instructions, for example when baking cheese straws, and take part in reading a story

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Communication, Language and Literacy

about Book Week. They are eager to share books with adults. Teachers make good use of dictionaries and non-fiction books to develop reading, early spelling and research skills. Most children are able to spell simple words correctly, while older children manage to read castle, chicken and kangaroo successfully. A feature of the very good teaching is the way puppets are used to teach letter names and sounds. This ensures that children are interested and attentive, and behave very well because they want to take part in the activity.

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Mathematical Development

67. Mathematical skills are taught very well using elements from the National Numeracy Strategy. By the end of the reception year, most children master the skills expected for their age. Teachers ensure that children are given many opportunities to develop mathematical skills and knowledge. Older children understand the mathematical symbols +, - and =. Children use the symbols correctly to write a number sentence, for example, 4 + 3 = 7. To assist them in their work, children use a number line with confidence. They read and write the numbers from 1 to 10 correctly, and are quick to spot any missing numbers. Teachers use questioning very effectively to develop children's mathematical language and to solve simple problems. Children were asked, for example, to make a number sentence using the symbols + and =. Teachers make effective use of the computers in the classroom to give children the opportunity to count up to ten. By

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Mathematical Development

acting out everyday activities, children develop their language and number skills. Children playing in The Slaithwaite Garden Centre , for example, become familiar with larger numbers and begin to recognise the time, as times of opening and closing are carefully displayed. They develop early skills in recognising coins and in giving and receiving change for the purchase of fruit and vegetables. Classroom assistants are used effectively to support groups or individuals during mathematical activities, to ensure that all children are fully involved and make very good progress.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

68. Teachers provide rich opportunities for learning within the classroom, during outdoor activities and on visits out of school to ensure that children make very good progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world. As a result of the very good teaching, most children achieve the levels expected for their age at the end of the reception year. Observational skills are developed as children visit the local village to find out about the re-opening of the canal. They are aware of the features of their local area and make simple comparisons with different localities. One child, for example, compared the facilities in the Oasis holiday village with those in Slaithwaite. Scientific concepts are developed as children look carefully at the life cycle of a caterpillar. They understand that a butterfly begins as an egg, then moves through the caterpillar and chrysalis stages, which are repeated as new life begins and ends. Scientific skills are developed as

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

children are taught how to hold and use a hand lens correctly to observe living creatures. Alongside this, they are taught to respect and care for living things. Their careful observations are recorded in drawings or simple writing, and the very youngest children are encouraged to talk about what they can see through the lens. An understanding of the passing of time develops as children are engaged in the daily task of changing the day or month on the classroom chart, and some children go outdoors to do a daily weather check by observing the clouds. In design and technology, children make models using a variety of materials, and use large and small construction equipment to make imaginative models and structures. An awareness of other Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 27 cultures develops as children experience food from around the world, for instance, when Chinese food was eaten enthusiastically with chopsticks.

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Physical Development

69. Children make good progress in developing physical skills and most children's physical development will be similar to the majority of children by the end of the reception year. Teachers provide many opportunities for children to handle construction equipment, play in the sand tray and use scissors, crayons and paintbrushes. When taking turns to bake, children are given the opportunity to become more dextrous by using a variety of baking tools and equipment. Children were taught how to hold a grater correctly, for example, to grate small blocks of cheese. This required some concentration, but all succeeded and handled the equipment carefully and safely. Outdoors, children use large wheeled toys to negotiate their way around fixed objects. They engage themselves busily with wheelbarrows to “tidy up” sand and small gravel. They learn to take turns and share resources well, using the outdoor space safely and imaginatively.

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Creative Development

70. Opportunities to develop creative skills are rich and varied, and children have access to an interesting range of tools and materials. They work hard, concentrate well and use the materials and tools effectively. As a result, they make very good progress and achieve the skills typical for their age by the time they leave the reception class. Teachers ensure that activities help to develop the main themes and topics of the lesson. When observing caterpillars, for example, graphite pencils were provided for children to record their observations by drawing carefully what they could see. They were taught how to hold the pencil to draw thin lines, how to shade in different ways and how to explore line and tone. They learn how to use paintbrushes of various sizes to achieve different effects, and how to use glue sticks and scissors competently. Most older children mix colours confidently to achieve the tones or shades they want. When making

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Creative Development

models of mini-beasts, very good teaching ensured that children used reference books initially to find out about the mini-beasts. Opportunities were then given for children to develop independence by choosing their own materials, which they selected from a well-organised collection.

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ENGLISH

71. Standards in English are broadly in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. In the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds in 2000, pupils achieved standards that were close to the national average in reading and writing. The results were also average when compared with similar schools. The results of the tests for 11-year-olds in 2000 placed pupils well above average when compared to all schools and also above average when compared with pupils in similar schools. Inspection findings indicate that the present Year 6 will not achieve standards as high as this. Their results will be broadly in line with the standards expected nationally. This represents good achievement for this group of pupils as they have made good progress against the results they achieved at the end of Key Stage 1. Boys do not achieve as well as girls in reading and writing at the end of both key stages, but this gap in achievement has narrowed by

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ENGLISH

the age of 11. The school has taken rigorous steps to increase the achievement of boys and has been successful in raising their attainment. Standards in English are rising quickly in the school and this is a result of good teaching and the successful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making good progress. Standards in both reading and writing have improved since the previous inspection and the school continues to focus on improving pupil’s achievement in these areas. Appropriate opportunities are taken to develop pupils' literacy skills in other areas of the curriculum such as history, geography and science.

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ENGLISH

72. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have made good progress in their speaking and listening skills and achieve standards that are typical for their age. Pupils are confident speakers and readily Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 28 engage in discussions during lessons. Teachers are successful in using many opportunities to develop and extend vocabulary, not just in English, but in other subjects too, where the correct use of appropriate mathematical, scientific and musical terms, for example, is a feature of many lessons. As a result, pupils are constantly engaged in relevant discussions. They are encouraged to listen carefully to instructions and stories. Pupils listen to their teachers and to the views and opinions of other children in whole-class activities or when working in smaller groups.

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ENGLISH

73. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils' speaking and listening skills are well developed. Pupils in the current Year 6 achieve standards appropriate for their age. During lessons, teachers ensure that behaviour and attention are good, so all can listen carefully to shared stories or poetry. They use questions well to get pupils to discuss the main points of the story, using appropriate vocabulary, or to identify which words in a poem or letter illustrate persuasive speech. Pupils respond well to these opportunities and they are confident when speaking independently or presenting an argument within a small group. Pupils know that their teachers and support assistants listen carefully to them, and their views and opinions are welcomed and respected. This is a reflection of the very good relationships evident in classrooms and throughout the school, which often gives the less confident pupil the opportunity to be heard. Most pupils speak with clear vocabulary and

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ENGLISH

express their thoughts using appropriate Standard English.

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ENGLISH

74. In reading, pupil’s attainment is typical of most pupils by the age of seven. The school has worked hard to address the lower achievement of boys at Key Stage 1. All pupils, for example, had an individual reading interview with a teacher, who listened carefully to what pupils had to say about when they liked to read and what were their favourite books. As a result of this, many new books were purchased and a silent reading time introduced. Consequently, the teachers of younger pupils at Key Stage 1 have seen boys choosing more fiction books to read. All pupils when asked, including boys, express an enjoyment of reading. Parents have been encouraged to make reading at home as pleasurable as possible. Another successful initiative, started with Year 4 pupils, has been the FASTLANE Project. This has encouraged parents and children to work on activities together to promote higher standards in reading and writing. All those involved in the

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ENGLISH

project, agree that there has been a positive impact on the reading and writing skills of those children who took part. This successful project is shortly to be repeated with pupils in Year 1. Standards in reading at Key Stage 1 are set to improve further, as pupils make good progress and continue to develop good attitudes to their reading.

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ENGLISH

75. At Key Stage 2, standards in reading are broadly in line with the national average in the current Year 6, but higher standards are being achieved by pupils currently in Year 5 and Year 3. Higher- attaining pupils in these year groups reach standards that are well above those expected nationally. Teachers give pupils many opportunities to read for a variety of purposes, particularly to research current classroom topics. As a result, pupils generally use the library effectively. All pupils are confident when explaining how the library is organised and can use their skills to find books quickly. Older pupils use the contents, index and glossary pages in non-fiction books to gather information. In Year 6, higher-attaining pupils are not as confident when asked to talk about different genres of literacy, but they read fluently and expressively, observing the humour in a story very well. Lower-attaining pupils are able to use a variety of skills to tackle unfamiliar

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ENGLISH

words. One pupil, for example, read examining correctly by breaking the word up into its different sounds. Pupils make good progress in their reading. By the age of 11, boys in particular have narrowed the gap in their reading standards when compared to the better achievement of girls. This is a result of a clear focus on improving standards by the school. Teachers have implemented effective strategies, which are rigorously monitored and assessed by both classroom teachers and the English co-ordinators.

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ENGLISH

76. At Key Stage 1, standards of writing in the current Year 2 are typical for the pupils' ages. Both handwriting and spelling have continued to improve since the previous inspection. This is because spelling and handwriting skills are taught effectively. In a Year 2 lesson, for example, the teacher used a piece of writing with incorrect spellings as a whole class exercise, where pupils were asked to correct the spellings with the encouragement and assistance of other pupils. As a result, all pupils benefited because their attention was held effectively during the task and they all experienced a successful outcome to the spelling exercise. In Year 1, the teacher encourages Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 29 clear, legible handwriting and consequently, pupils learn how to shape their letters correctly and present their work neatly. Higher-attaining pupils in both year groups use punctuation correctly,

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ENGLISH

and the older pupils in Year 2 show correct use of apostrophes, commas and speech marks. When writing stories or poetry independently, pupils use some imaginative words to create a feeling of both character and setting. A higher-attaining pupil in Year 2, for example, wrote I climb high and wave my ray gun. Now we are off to the stars to see the planet Mars … its all such marvellous fun.

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ENGLISH

77. At Key Stage 2, pupils in the current Year 6 achieve standards that are broadly in line with those expected nationally. They are taught basic skills of writing well, and the teacher places a clear focus not only on increasing the pace at which pupils write, but also on encouraging the imaginative use of words to enliven their writing. When writing stories, the interesting use of vocabulary and punctuation creates a sense of tension as in, for example, I raced across the sludgy mud and over a dilapidated bridge which covered a murky stream … there was no bull in sight. In Year 5, pupils’ attainment in writing is higher and many pupils are already achieving standards more typical of 11-year-olds. In a Year 5 lesson, very good teaching encouraged pupils to use letters written about local issues to pick out statements of fact or opinion, then use this to construct their own letter of complaint using persuasive language. Pupils used bullet points to

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ENGLISH

make notes and organised their writing well. Standards of spelling and handwriting are often good. Pupils’ attitudes to learning, and their attention and behaviour in lessons, are usually very good because teachers manage the pupils well and provide interesting and relevant learning experiences for them.

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ENGLISH

78. Teaching is good overall, and there is some very good teaching at Key Stage 2. In the best lessons, pupils are given very challenging work, but the high expectations of the teachers are justified, as pupils are encouraged to tackle the work well and make very good progress in their learning. Relationships are always very good. The literacy hour has been implemented well and as a result, teachers are now confident and competent during these lessons. Additional time is used to develop specific skills in reading or writing to reflect the school’s emphasis on increasing standards in these areas. Lessons are well planned, with appropriate activities for higher-attaining pupils and for those with special educational needs. Teachers make sound provision for more able pupils. One pupil, for example, moves into a higher year group each day for lessons in literacy to work with other more able pupils. He enjoys working with the older children and is

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ENGLISH

making progress in line with his ability. Classroom assistants are used very effectively to support small groups of lower-attaining pupils, enabling them to make good progress. However, during whole-class activities, support assistants are sometimes left unoccupied for long periods, which is not an efficient use of their time. All teachers use time well and maintain a brisk pace during lessons. They manage pupils well, ensuring good behaviour and attention in class. Work is marked regularly, but the quality is inconsistent. When marking is done well, pupils are given further targets to develop and extend their work. Sometimes, however, there are no comments indicating how the work could be improved.

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ENGLISH

79. The management and co-ordination of English is good. The co-ordinators have worked effectively with teachers, pupils and parents in a joint venture to raise standards. They have analysed data from national and school-based tests to search for strengths and weaknesses in the quality of teaching and the quality of pupils’ work. Assessment is used well to track the progress of individual pupils and the progress of each year group. As a result, challenging but achievable targets are set to raise standards, both on an individual and a year group basis. Whenever possible, parents are encouraged to take part in activities related to raising standards. Parents are invited to workshops to learn how the school tackles skills in handwriting, for example, and their views are taken into account when planning homework or reading activities. Consequently, relationships with parents are very good, and most parents work effectively with the school to

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ENGLISH

achieve higher standards for their children. Resources for the subject are satisfactory, overall, and are generally used well; but computers are not used enough to support pupils’ learning throughout the school. A lack of sufficient computers means that pupils rarely use them to draft work directly onto the screen or to edit and re-draft their work before completion. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 30

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MATHEMATICS

80. Standards in Mathematics are above national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and broadly in line with national expectations at the end of Key Stage 2. In the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds in 2000, standards were above the national average. In comparison with similar schools, standards were also above average. The results of the tests for 11-year-olds in 2000 were above average when compared to all schools and also above average when compared with similar schools. Inspection findings indicate that standards in the current Year 6 are not as high as this. Standards are broadly in line with those expected nationally, but this represents good achievement for this group of pupils as they have made good progress compared with the results they achieved at the end of Key Stage 1. In the current Year 5, standards are above the national average, and this is more typical of standards at Key Stage 2. Boys do not achieve as well as

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MATHEMATICS

girls in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1, but by the age of 11, boys perform better than girls. Standards in mathematics are rising faster than the national upward trend at both key stages due to good teaching and the effective introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. Pupils at both key stages, including those with special educational needs, are achieving well. Standards have improved since the previous inspection and the school is continuing to focus on improving pupil’s achievement in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

81. At Key Stage 1, increased rigour resulting from successful implementation of techniques from the National Numeracy Strategy is having a positive impact on pupils’ attainment. In a Year 1 lesson, for example, good use was made of a number line to help pupils count in twos to 20 and back, and a number square was used as an effective aid when counting in tens. Frequent practice during mental mathematics sessions ensures that pupils in Year 2 can partition numbers into hundreds, tens and units accurately. Most pupils quickly recall addition and subtraction facts within twenty and can use the two, ten and five times tables successfully to work out multiplication problems. Higher-attaining pupils also divide by two and by ten, and can subtract hundreds. Most pupils can determine which coins will add up to a given number of pence. They colour in half an object, and readily identify and name common three-dimensional shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

82. At Key Stage 2, frequent use of quick-fire questions encourages pupils to make calculations rapidly in their heads. In a Year 4 lesson, for instance, good use was made of a star diagram to encourage pupils to subtract nine from a series of three-digit numbers. By asking pupils to explain how they had calculated their answers, the teacher made sure they recognised different methods and re-inforced their learning. As a result of daily mental mathematics sessions, most pupils in Year 6 can recall multiplication facts quickly and use them to work out problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They can interpret the use of brackets to determine the order of calculations, and have a secure understanding of fractions and percentages. There is a good emphasis on practical mathematics at Key Stage 2. Pupils in Year 5, for example, used mirrors and dotted paper to sketch the reflections of irregular shapes across

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MATHEMATICS

a line of symmetry, while pupils in Year 6 used geoboards effectively to investigate the properties of different shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

83. The quality of teaching is good at both key stages and pupils make good progress as a result. The school has implemented the National Numeracy Strategy well and teachers have improved their planning for lessons. Assessments are used effectively to match work closely to the needs of individual pupils. Additional work is provided for higher-attaining pupils who complete exercises more quickly. Lessons have clear learning objectives and most teachers share the objectives of the lesson with pupils at the start of the session. This helps pupils to focus on what they are to learn. As a result, pupils' attitudes towards mathematics are very good and most pupils have good levels of concentration. Pupils listen carefully to their teachers during mental mathematics sessions and are keen to answer questions. Pupils are well behaved and co-operate well when working in pairs or in small groups. Relationships between pupils and teachers are very good, and

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MATHEMATICS

this ensures that pupils work hard and do their best.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Brisk introductory mental mathematics sessions are used effectively to motivate pupils and to re- inforce and develop new concepts. Teachers explain new ideas clearly so that pupils’ learning is improved. They target questions well to help pupils build on their prior understanding and deepen Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 31 their thinking. The use of correct mathematical vocabulary is stressed effectively by all teachers. Pupils with special educational needs are given appropriate assistance and make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Support staff are well briefed on the learning objectives and how they can support pupils’ learning. They work closely with small groups of pupils and have a beneficial impact on pupils' progress, especially those with special educational needs. During whole class activities, however, support assistants are sometimes left unoccupied

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MATHEMATICS

and are not always used efficiently to prepare resources or to monitor pupils' progress. Teachers set homework regularly and use it well to consolidate work begun in lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

85. The co-ordinator provides good leadership in the subject. She has observed and evaluated the teaching of mathematics throughout the school and this has had a beneficial effect on raising standards. Analysis of statutory and optional test results has helped bring about improvements in planning and teaching. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good and individual targets are set for pupils to improve their standards. Good use is made of mathematical skills in other subjects of the curriculum, for example, when measuring materials in design and technology and in drawing graphs and charts to show the results of investigations in science. Resources are good and are used well to assist pupils' learning. In a Year 5 lesson, for example, very effective use was made of attractive photographs of lakeside reflections to demonstrate reflective symmetry. Insufficient use is made of computers, however, for pupils to learn and

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SCIENCE

86. In the National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds in 2000, standards in science were well above the national average compared with all schools and well above those in similar schools. This was a very good result for the school as it represents a great stride forward for these pupils since they took the tests when they were seven years old. A notable achievement was the large proportion of pupils who achieved higher than the level expected nationally and the small proportion who achieved lower than this. Over the last four years, the school’s results have been improving more rapidly than the national upward trend. Pupils also did well in the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds in 2000. Most achieved standards close to the national average, while well above the average achieved higher levels. These laudable achievements for 11-year-olds and seven-year- olds have been brought about by much improved teaching and by the successful introduction of a

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SCIENCE

new scheme of work based on national guidelines. Teachers make good use of this innovation to plan interesting work for pupils so they learn progressively as they move through the school.

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SCIENCE

87. Inspection findings confirm the rising trend seen in last year’s test results. Pupils in Year 6 and Year 2 are making good progress in lessons. Their attainment is in line with national expectations. In the current Year 6, this is not as high as the standards seen in last year’s tests for 11-year-olds. This is because the present Year 6 class contains a much higher proportion of pupils with learning difficulties than last year. The school deserves credit, however, for the progress these pupils have made at Key Stage 2.

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SCIENCE

88. The quality of teaching ranges between satisfactory and very good, and it is satisfactory overall at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. This is driving up standards, particularly in Years 4, 5 and 6 where teachers have a very high level of expertise that inspires pupils to make rapid progress. Pupils conduct investigations in a quiet and creative atmosphere, matching the expectations of their teachers and thoroughly absorbed in what they are doing and learning. Teachers encourage a scientific approach. In a Year 4 lesson, pupils connected electrical circuits expertly and tested them first to provide the right conditions for a fair test. After pupils predicted which materials were better conductors than others, the teacher asked "As scientists, how are we going to test our predictions?" as a pointer to how the lesson would continue. Pupils in a Year 6 lesson planned and carried out a fair test to compare the permeability of a range of soils. They did this well

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SCIENCE

because the teacher had taken care to lead them through the method step by step. By the time pupils are 11 years old, they record their work in a scientific manner and introduce graphs, diagrams and tables where suitable. They predict the outcome of investigations and show an Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 32 understanding of the need for a fair test. However, their work does not always contain suitable conclusions explained in terms of scientific knowledge and understanding.

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SCIENCE

89. Teachers introduce pupils to investigative and experimental science when they are very young. Lessons are built around investigations in Years 1, 2 and 3 and pupils make steady progress. However, the approach of teachers in these year groups does not show the same scientific rigour as in Years 4, 5 and 6. In a Year 1 lesson, for instance, pupils were not given sufficient opportunity to examine different objects for themselves in order to classify the materials. The worksheet for recording observations missed out an important element which could have extended the learning of the more able. By the time pupils are seven, they have a suitable grounding in investigative methods, but sometimes teachers direct activities too much. They do not always ensure that pupils record their work in a scientific way from start to finish. They do, however, show pupils how to communicate in a variety of ways, by using suitable diagrams and sketches.

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SCIENCE

In a Year 2 lesson, for instance, pupils observed the location of plants and mini-beasts in the school garden and pond carefully. They then noted their findings in a Venn diagram. This was a good use of resources which pupils thoroughly enjoyed, and they learned effectively from it.

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SCIENCE

90. The school’s lack of sufficient computers prevents teachers from exploiting the possibilities of using ICT in science. In a lesson in Year 3, for example, only a few pupils were able to use the class computer to construct a bar graph to illustrate results from their classification of the properties of materials. Most had to be content with drawing their graph by hand. This limits the progress pupils make in using ICT to support and extend their learning in science.

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SCIENCE

91. The school has improved standards in science during the last four years due to the co-ordinator’s very good leadership. It has the capacity to continue to raise standards.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. Standards in art and design are above national expectations at the end of both key stages. This is in line with the previous inspection report which commented favourably on the good work in art and design. By the time they leave school, pupils have been introduced to a wide range of techniques in two and three dimensions, and their work is beginning to show some sophistication and attention to detail. In addition, they have a sound knowledge of some famous artists and their styles.

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ART AND DESIGN

93. Only two lessons were seen during the inspection. The quality of teaching was satisfactory overall, although one lesson was unsatisfactory as the teacher did not demonstrate clearly enough the techniques required for the pupils to achieve the intended learning objectives. The good artwork in the scrutiny of pupils' work and the many examples of attractive work displayed around the school, however, confirm that the standard of pupils' work is above that expected nationally. This is due to a higher overall standard of teaching than during the inspection, and it is significant that the headteacher (who trained as an art specialist) usually has a substantial input into the teaching of the subject at other times of the year.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. Good use is made of the work of famous artists to provide stimulation for pupils' ideas and to explore different techniques. Pupils in Year 1, for instance, use oil pastels to draw attractive vases of sunflowers in the style of Van Gogh. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils compared a self-portrait by Van Gogh with self-portraits they had produced themselves. Pupils listened carefully to the teacher's evaluation of the painting, and after observing the brush stroke technique used by the artist, were keen to try the technique themselves. The results were satisfactory, but pupils would have benefited from examining the artist's portrait more closely to observe the variety of colours used in the brush strokes. Colourful posters produced by pupils in Year 4 are inspired by the work of Paul Klee. Pupils in Year 5 examine the work of Lowry, and produce very attractive paintings of industrial landscapes. There are good links with other subjects. Pupils study Greek legends in

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ART AND DESIGN

history, for example, and produce detailed pencil and ink drawings of classical Greek vases. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 33 95. A strength of the teaching is the good range of techniques and resources used by teachers to stimulate pupils' imagination. Pupils in Year 1, for example, enjoyed sketching a range of Victorian artefacts. They paid good attention as their teacher showed them how to draw an accurate outline, though she did not demonstrate how to shade effectively. They also use powder paints to create a portrait, and a wax-resist technique to represent a colourful fireworks display. Pupils in Year 2 use a range of techniques including collage, printing, silhouettes and pastel drawings, all of which are well mounted and attractively displayed. At Key Stage 2, pupils use oil pastels, charcoal, mosaics, collage and powder paints to create a variety of effects. Pupils in Year 4, for instance, use squares of coloured paper to create a mosaic pattern of a flower, while pupils

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ART AND DESIGN

in Year 6 use a variety of materials such as art straws, cotton wool and fabrics when creating a collage of a house and garden. Pupils in Year 6 use sketchbooks to draw objects and to practice shading and crosshatching techniques, though these could be used more extensively to prepare preliminary sketches and to make regular observational drawings.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership of the subject. She monitors the standard of pupils' work on display, but has not yet been able to observe teaching and learning in classes, though this is already planned for the future. The subject is well resourced, and this enables teachers to introduce a wide variety of media and techniques. The local area is used effectively for landscape sketching, and older pupils have visited the Huddersfield Art Gallery. The museum loan service is used appropriately to provide resources on famous artists. A recent visit by an artist in residence, prior to the re-opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, resulted in some striking sketches and attractive paintings of the canal and neighbouring buildings by a group of more able pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Pupils' standards at the end of Key Stage 1 match those expected for seven-year-olds, and they make sound progress in their knowledge and understanding of the design, making and evaluation processes. By the end of Key Stage 2, standards are above those expected for 11-year-olds. The good progress made by pupils at Key Stage 2 is evident in the high quality of work in classrooms and on display around the school. Standards have improved steadily over the last four years.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. At Key Stage 1, a range of interesting activities and the sound teaching of basic skills ensures that pupils appreciate how design is fundamental to making good models. This was particularly evident in a Year 2 lesson, when pupils discussed the need to plan a design carefully. After making sure that their own designs were carefully labelled, pupils considered which resources could be used and then planned any moving parts, for example, a winding mechanism.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. At Key Stage 2, skills learned earlier are built upon progressively and pupils produce thorough designs prior to making their models. Teachers encourage pupils to use sound research skills to find out about their task during the design stage. In Years 3 and 4, pupils examine the work of sculptor Auke de Vries prior to designing bird tables. As a result of looking carefully at this sculptor's work, natural materials such as twigs were used in their models. Pupils in Year 5 researched musical instruments for a recent design project, then used a selection of tools and materials to make high quality instruments. The instruments were tested and evaluated carefully, with pupils making relevant comments such as this guitar could be improved by using different hooks so it could be tuned. Similarly, in Year 6, the evaluation process is used effectively to encourage pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of how models and artefacts can

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. Only two lessons were seen during the inspection, but analysis of teachers planning and pupils' work indicates that teaching is always at least satisfactory and is good at Key Stage 2. In a Year 2 lesson, the well-planned activity enabled pupils to recap on their previous work, then develop their knowledge and understanding of the design process further. To do this, the teacher made a good selection of resources with a winding mechanism available for pupils to examine. This enabled them to understand how an axle can drive a mechanism. As a result, designs created by Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 34 the pupils used sound principles of how winding mechanisms can be used, for example, to make a spider climb a drainpipe. The basic skills of design and technology are taught effectively throughout the school. Teachers manage pupils well and as a result, pupils' behaviour and their attention to detail are usually very good. Teachers build upon pupils' research skills by using

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

books to study designs, for example, when examining the construction of bridges in Year 6. Resources for the subject are satisfactory, accessible and well organised. However, the use of ICT skills to aid research and design has not been developed sufficiently due, largely, to the lack of computing resources.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. The subject co-ordinator provides very good leadership and management. She has focused on raising standards in both the quality of teaching and the standard of work that pupils achieve. As a result of rigorous monitoring and good guidance, a clear impact has been made on raising standards.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. Standards in geography are above those expected nationally for 11-year-olds and broadly in line with national expectations for seven-year-olds. This is a good improvement compared with four years ago when standards were unsatisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. The school has achieved these higher standards through improvements in the quality of teaching. Teachers’ planning has benefited substantially from the introduction of a good scheme of work based on national guidelines and adapted to meet the needs of the school and its locality. As a result, pupils learn systematically, step by step. Because of good teaching, they make good progress as they move through the year groups. Teachers ensure that pupils with special educational needs also make good progress by providing them with suitable and interesting tasks.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. By the age of eleven, pupils know how to undertake fieldwork with a high level of competence. They measure the speed of the River Colne and draw graphs of its cross-section from information gained by measuring the depth of water at set distances from the banks. They understand features which are common to river systems world-wide, such as the source, tributaries and meanders. They develop their mapwork skills by showing how the River Colne makes its way from Slaithwaite to the sea and annotating the physical features as they change.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. A strength of teaching is the consistent approach to fieldwork. Teachers of even the youngest pupils place a strong emphasis on fieldwork and begin to build up a good geographical vocabulary topic by topic. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, for instance, draw maps of their route from home to school and name features such as a church and shops. Pupils in Year 2 chart the week’s weather using a range of symbols, and observe what happens to rainwater after it falls onto soil, roofs, roads and the hillside. By the time pupils reach Year 5 they have a good knowledge of the local environment. They consider ways of improving traffic flow through Slaithwaite and plot the results of their traffic surveys on graphs using a computer. They join in a role-play to understand the problem from different points of view, such as those of a shopkeeper and a pedestrian.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. The quality of teaching is good, overall, and is sometimes very good. Teachers’ good knowledge of the subject enables them to raise pupils’ interest and enthusiasm to such a level that their behaviour is very good. Good relationships lead to a pleasant and creative atmosphere in lessons, and have a positive impact on pupils' productivity. Teachers lead informative discussions and pupils work hard. Classroom assistants actively take part in planning lessons, so they, too, make a positive impact on pupils’ attainment because their roles are clear. In a lesson in Year 3, for instance, pupils with special educational needs made good progress in learning about mapwork from aerial photographs of Slaithwaite because of the helpful support they received. Teachers broaden pupils’ knowledge of the world as children get older. In Year 2, for instance, pupils recognise the constituent parts of the United Kingdom on a map. By Year 4, they learn about the

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GEOGRAPHY

economic, environmental and social problems of less developed countries when they study Chembakolli, a village in India. Teachers mark pupils’ work conscientiously, but do not always Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 35 indicate how pupils might do better next time. Pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to use computers to assist their learning mainly because of the school’s lack of resources for ICT.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. The school has made good progress in promoting high standards in geography. This is because the subject co-ordinator provides very good leadership and has given the school the capacity to continue to raise standards.

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HISTORY

108. Standards are close to those expected nationally for pupils aged seven and 11. Over the last four years, pupils' attainment has risen steadily. This is because of the successful introduction of a good scheme of work based on national guidelines, which has led to better, more consistent and clearer teaching.

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HISTORY

109. Teaching is good at both key stages. Teachers use a wide range of approaches to make lessons interesting and consequently pupils are keen to learn. Year by year, teachers build on pupils’ ability to discover and interpret information for themselves. They provide pupils with a good range of educational visits to enrich the curriculum. In Year 1, for instance, pupils visit Aunt Lizzie’s Victorian Kitchen . This valuable experience fascinated pupils, as was evident in the subsequent lesson. The teacher used pupils’ enthusiasm well to develop their historical understanding of chronology and to examine how objects can be used to discover information about the past. When shown a steam iron and a flat iron, for example, pupils were able to compare present technology confidently with the past.

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HISTORY

110. Teachers introduce pupils to many different sources of information as they get older. In a Year 4 lesson, the teacher took sensitive account of pupils’ differing abilities both when preparing them for their tasks and in the range of books and worksheets used for discovering information about Viking longboats. As a result, all pupils were suitably challenged and were interested in what they were finding out. By the time they are eleven, pupils use books well for research. When they were finding out about life at sea in Tudor times, for example, the teacher guided them towards picking out relevant points rather than copying out passages word for word. As a result, they were able to talk knowledgeably about the different degrees of discipline on board a Tudor warship compared with a merchant ship. The high level of pupils’ interest in lessons is reflected in the way they are eager to join in discussions and to listen carefully to others.

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HISTORY

111. A good feature of teaching is the way that teachers use links with other subjects. In Year 6, for instance, pupils made a historical question and answer quiz board by using an electric current to indicate right and wrong answers. Good use is made of classroom support staff. In Year 4, for instance, the good support provided enabled pupils to make accurate models of Viking longboats from materials such as balsa wood and cardboard. This support adds to the attractiveness of pupils’ work displayed around the school and reflects the pride that staff and pupils take in their work.

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HISTORY

112. The very good quality of leadership in the subject gives the school the capacity to continue to drive up standards. Further work remains to be done in several areas, however, and some aspects of the curriculum need further planning. Teachers sometimes set mundane tasks that do not develop pupils’ ability to recall, select and organise historical information or to communicate their knowledge in a variety of ways. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work does not always indicate well enough how the work can be improved. Lastly, teachers do not use computers sufficiently to support and extend lessons in history, mainly because of a lack of resources for ICT.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. Standards in information and communications technology (ICT) are below national expectations at the end of both key stages. In addition, the school is not meeting all the statutory requirements of Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 36 the National Curriculum. The previous inspection report did not make a judgement on standards in ICT, but the school recognises that raising standards in ICT is a key area for development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. There are several reasons for pupils' unsatisfactory achievement in ICT. The overriding one is that the school does not have the resources to teach the subject satisfactorily. While teachers make the best use of the limited resources, there are not enough computers to teach lessons satisfactorily to a whole class, or even to small groups. With only one or two computers in most classrooms, it takes a long time for every pupil to have the opportunity to practise a skill or to complete a piece of work. Consequently, pupils do not progress fast enough. The school recognises this problem, and has already purchased some additional computers. It is moving forward with plans to develop a computer suite in the school library, which will provide the resources necessary to teach computer skills to a whole class.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. A second reason for unsatisfactory standards is that, while teachers are familiar with computers, most have not yet had sufficient training to give them the confidence and the skills necessary to teach more advanced skills and to use computers for a wide range of applications across the curriculum. This results in insufficient use of computers to assist pupils' learning across the different subjects of the curriculum. Teachers are keen to develop their skills, however, and additional training has already been planned immediately after the inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. Finally, not enough time is spent teaching ICT skills, and pupils do not have enough opportunities to use and practise their skills. The quality of teaching during the inspection was satisfactory, but teachers are very restricted by the short time available and by the lack of computers. Although teachers give clear instructions about how to use the different programs, many pupils are disadvantaged by not getting a clear view of the computer as the whole class is gathered around one machine. The cumulative effect of the lack of computers and the insufficient teaching time and time for pupils to practise their skills means that pupils' skills often remain below the standard expected for their age.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils can insert a floppy disk correctly and click onto appropriate screen icons. They use a CD-ROM to gather information about different countries or historical periods. Pupils in Year 2, for instance used a CD-ROM encyclopedia to gain information about the Crimean War when they were studying the life of Mary Seacole. Pupils use a painting program to create pictures, and use the mouse to choose simple key words to label and classify objects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils use a program to create a bar or line graph. Pupils in Year 4, for example, enhanced their geographical study of Chembakolli by plotting a bar chart of rainfall in the Nilgiri Hills of Bangalore, while pupils in Year 5 plot a line graph showing their pulse rate after exercise. Pupils experiment with different letter styles, sizes and colours, but do not use the computer often enough to draft and re-draft their work directly on the screen. They understand how to load, save and print their work, though some need help to do this. Many pupils use only one finger to type words, and lower-attaining pupils struggle to find the letters on the keyboard. Pupils in Year 6 plot their favourite crisp varieties on a spreadsheet and then print out their choices on a bar chart. They use a desktop publishing program to create a newspaper, and devise a series of instructions to operate a set of traffic lights. Pupils do not get the opportunity, however, to program

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

a moveable toy or to give the computer instructions to produce a sequence of movements on the screen. There is very limited use of databases and e-mail, and there is no opportunity to use remote-sensing equipment, for example, to measure temperature changes. This means that the school is not meeting all the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. Pupils enjoy working with computers, and this is evident from the way in which they listen attentively to instructions and behave well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. Pupils in Year 4 use the Internet to research their history topic on Roman glass, but generally, there is very little use of this resource. Pupils do not use e-mail, and do not generally have easy access to information on the Internet or on CD-ROMs. As a result, there is insufficient use of computers to aid teaching and learning across different subjects of the curriculum. During the scrutiny of pupils' work, there was very little evidence of pupils using computers to enhance their work in most subjects. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 37 120. The ICT co-ordinator has a good grasp of what needs to be done to raise standards in the subject and has produced a detailed development plan for the subject. She has introduced a scheme of work that follows nationally agreed guidelines, together with a system for assessing pupils' ICT skills. Training is already planned to improve the expertise of teachers. However, standards are

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

unlikely to improve to a satisfactory standard until the school has enough computers for pupils to spend sufficient time developing and practising their ICT skills.

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MUSIC

121. Standards are close to those expected nationally at the end of both key stages. By the time they leave school, pupils have been introduced to a wide range of musical styles, and their own compositions are beginning to convey a range of different moods and textures.

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MUSIC

122. Insufficient teaching was seen at Key Stage 1 to make a judgement about the quality of teaching. In the three music lessons at Key Stage 2, the teaching was good. Teachers plan work carefully and lessons have appropriate learning objectives. These are explained clearly to pupils at the start of lessons and this helps them to understand what they should be learning. Teachers make good use of correct musical terms and introduce a variety of activities and resources to gain pupils' interest. In a Year 6 lesson, for example, good use was made of a series of pieces from the soundtrack of the film 2001 - A Space Odyssey to evoke the different moods encountered on a journey into space. Pupils develop their musical appreciation effectively by listening to a variety of music from different countries. They understand how changes in musical elements such as tempo, texture and dynamics create different moods in a piece of music. Pupils in Year 5 who

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MUSIC

listened to Holst's The Planets Suite , for instance, described how the peaceful mood of Venus was created by "smooth, long sounds", "slow, with about 3 layers of instruments".

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MUSIC

123. There is a strong emphasis on composing and performing, and pupils are keen to create a range of moods by using different instruments, rhythms and textures. Pupils in Year 3, for instance, described a painting of a dark woodland scene as "scary" and "gloomy", and then used a variety of percussion instruments to re-create this mood in their music. This emphasis on practical activities helps to maintain pupils' interest and concentration. As a result, pupils enjoy music lessons and have very good attitudes to music. They work well in groups and listen attentively to other pupils' performances. Teachers have very good relationships with the pupils. As a result, pupils listen carefully to instructions and behave very well when singing, playing instruments or listening to music. This helps them to make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs join in enthusiastically and make good progress.

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MUSIC

124. Pupils listen to a variety of music when entering and leaving school assemblies and opportunities are taken by the music co-ordinator during singing practices to discuss the composer, the instruments and the mood conveyed by the music. Pupils sing a variety of hymns and modern worship songs tunefully and enthusiastically during collective worship.

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MUSIC

125. The co-ordinator provides good leadership of the subject. She assists teachers with their planning and observes pupils' performances in assemblies and at school concerts. The scheme of work, based on national guidance, ensures that pupils develop musical skills in a logical progression. The school benefits from a good range of percussion instruments and a wide variety of recorded music. Listening to a wide variety of music and singing songs from a range of countries help to develop pupils' appreciation of different cultures. There is a wide range of instrumental tuition in the school. Approximately 40 pupils receive lessons for brass, woodwind, percussion, guitar and strings, and perform regularly in assemblies. A group of musicians visits the school each year to perform for the pupils. The school choir practises regularly after school, and takes part in the annual Kirklees Festival of Music.

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MUSIC

Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 38

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. Pupils' standards match those expected nationally at the end of both key stages, Standards have improved steadily over the last four years. As they move through the school, pupils are given a good range of experiences in different aspects of physical education. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in the development of their skills and knowledge over time, and good progress is often made by older pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. At Key Stage 1, pupils explore basic skills in dance, games and gymnastics. They plan and perform simple actions with increasing control and co-ordination. In a Year 2 lesson, for example, pupils explored different ways of travelling across the floor, working with a partner and using a variety of apparatus. The teacher encouraged pupils to put out the apparatus safely and sensibly, and pupils co-operated well in this task.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. Pupils continue to develop and build upon their physical education skills at Key Stage 2. They understand the need to warm up their bodies by using stretching and aerobic activities before taking part in strenuous exercise. They build on their skills of throwing, catching and aiming, work well within small groups, and participate in games related to cricket. Pupils in Year 6, for example, made good progress in throwing and catching skills because correct techniques were demonstrated effectively by their teacher. Pupils' attainment in swimming is very good. Most pupils can swim at least 100 metres by the time they leave school, and many pupils achieve higher standards. Behaviour in lessons is good and is often very good. The behaviour of pupils when travelling to and from the swimming pool is very good and this is often remarked upon by members of the local community. Relationships in school are very good and as a result of this,

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils are able to evaluate the performance of other pupils in a positive way. They offer effective support and guidance, which helps to improve the skills of all. Classroom support staff are used effectively during lessons to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are included in all activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall at both key stages, and there is some good teaching of older pupils in Key Stage 2. The best lessons move along at a good pace, activities are demonstrated effectively and lessons are planned to ensure a vigorous warm-up activity. In a Year 5 dance lesson, for example, the teacher used instructions well to develop specific movement skills, such as move ponderously like an elephant, or swiftly like an antelope . As a result, pupils thought carefully about their movements, added facial expressions and showed a good range of movements. Teachers manage pupils and activities well, thereby promoting good behaviour and attitudes. Most teachers dress appropriately for lessons, providing pupils with a good role model. Pupils respond well to teachers and this improves their personal and social skills by the way they work together when performing different tasks.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. The subject is managed effectively by an experienced co-ordinator. Recent initiatives have included the revision of the physical education curriculum and the introduction of formal assessments to check the systematic development of pupils' gymnastic skills. Resources are satisfactory and are used well. The school provides a broad curriculum and boys and girls have equal opportunities to participate in all activities. There is a satisfactory range of extra-curricular sporting activities. The school does not offer pupils the opportunity to take part in a residential visit to develop outdoor and adventurous activities, but it makes provision to teach these skills on the school site during the summer term.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. During the last four years, standards have risen and now meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. This improvement is due to better teaching, which has become more focused due to the successful introduction of a good scheme of work. This is based solidly on the locally agreed syllabus and wisely reflects teaching about the main faiths practised in the local area. Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 39 132. The quality of teaching is good overall at both key stages. Teachers use the scheme of work to plan suitable activities so that pupils learn systematically, step by step. As a result, pupils progress steadily through the year groups. Pupils with special educational needs are provided with suitable work so that they, too, make steady progress, though they record their work in less detail. By the time they are 11 years old, most pupils have acquired a reasonable knowledge and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

understanding of the main world religions. There are aspects of their learning, however, in which they show less certainty. At the beginning of a lesson in Year 6, for instance, the teacher’s questioning revealed that few pupils could recall the names of even two or three of Jesus’ disciples. A group of more able pupils, who subsequently researched this information using Bible references, were still unable to recall many of the disciples’ names by the end of the lesson. This was because their task was not focused enough on learning the information they had found.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. Teachers use a wide range of strategies to build pupils’ interest and enthusiasm for lessons. Pupils visit various places of worship including a mosque and a synagogue. This is a good feature of teaching which brings real life experiences into pupils’ learning. Pupils in Year 5, for instance, expressed some surprise at the similarities they saw on their visits to local Anglican and Methodist churches. In a Year 5 lesson, the teacher’s very good use of resources led to a high level of interest and effective learning about the Jewish Sabbath. An informative discussion about the religious objects displayed focused pupils’ minds on the subsequent video, and they successfully picked out relevant information for their tasks. This contrasted with a lower degree of enthusiasm in a Year 6 lesson when there was a lack of resources to stimulate pupils' interest as they wrote about St. Paul.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. Teachers and pupils share good relationships, and this provides the basis for the very good behaviour in most lessons. In a Year 4 lesson, for example, the teacher’s patience and positive approach prevented the behaviour of three pupils from interfering with the learning of other pupils. Staff act as good role models for pupils to copy. Teachers help to develop pupils’ awareness of their own feelings and lead them on towards an understanding of life’s spiritual and moral issues. Pupils in Year 3, for example, discussed the values of kindness and sharing in a lesson on friends and friendship . The pupil who wrote, I like it when I’m sad and people cheer me up , displayed an understanding of such values. Teachers capitalise on pupils' love of stories by using Bible stories to help them understand underlying messages. Pupils in Year 1, for instance, learn about the Nativity and why God chose Mary. In a lesson in Year 2, pupils showed a sound understanding of

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

several stories about Jesus, including Befriending Zaccheus . Pupils in Year 5 compared Jesus’ concern for social outcasts with today’s homeless people in their reading of The Lost Sheep .

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. In the best lessons, there is a variety of imaginative approaches to stimulate pupils' interest and involvement. In a Year 5 lesson, for instance, pupils wrote a lively newspaper article, Amazing Happenings by the Lakeside , describing the miracle of Jesus bringing a young girl back to life. In some classes, however, teachers do not set pupils a wide enough range of stimulating tasks. This, in turn, limits the development of pupils' recording skills. In addition, teachers have not yet developed the use of computers to support and extend pupils’ learning in religious education. This is mainly because of a lack of resources for ICT. The marking of pupils' work varies in quality and often does not indicate how pupils might improve their work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. Overall, the subject has improved well during the last four years. The co-ordinator has a full understanding of how to move the subject forward and the very high quality of the leadership gives the school the capacity to improve standards further.

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