Threshfield School

THRESHFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 - 22 February 2002

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THRESHFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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THRESHFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Threshfield Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Low Road Threshfield Skipton North Yorkshire Postcode: BD23 5NP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Peter Huff

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23/09/1997 Threshfield Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

14906 B Male Registered inspector Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Design and technology Geography History Equal opportunities Special educational needs English as an additional language What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

19419 S Boyle Lay inspector Attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 30690 K Coupland Team inspector English Art and design Music Physical education Religious education Foundation Stage How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Full Circle The Brow 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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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 Threshfield Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This small rural primary school takes pupils from four to 11 years old, and is maintained by the North Yorkshire Local Education Authority. It occupies its original 1674 building, together with a very recent large addition, in a unique location in Upper Wharfdale. At the time of the inspection there were 108 full-time pupils in four classes. Many pupils start school with standards of attainment above those usually found. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs is in line with the national average. There is a small number of pupils from an ethnic minority, but none for whom English is an additional language. These proportions are much lower than in most schools. The school has been very successful in being recognised in national awards such as the Department for Education and Skills Award for Excellence and the national

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very popular school with many very special features. The school provides a very secure and caring community where pupils are valued as individuals. Pupils are involved in a rich curriculum that very successfully extends their understanding and widens their horizons. Standards of attainment in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are well above the national average by the time pupils leave school at the age of 11. These standards represent good achievement for the pupils. Pupils’ attitudes and standards of behaviour are very good, and relationships are very good across the school. The quality of teaching is good overall, and the headteacher provides very strong leadership for the school. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils make good progress across the school and attain well above average standards in English, mathematics and science. • There is a wide curriculum with a rich range of activities. • There is particularly good provision for pupils’ personal and cultural development within a strong ethos. • Pupils have very good attitudes to school and behave very well. • The headteacher provides very strong leadership. • The quality of teaching is good. • There is very good provision for pupils who have special educational needs. • The school is very well supported by parents.

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What could be improved

• Some lessons could build more directly on the assessment information the school has already obtained. • Pupils could be involved in a wider range of learning strategies in some lessons. 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 was last inspected in September 1997 and has made very good progress since then. Standards of attainment have risen in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Pupils’ attitudes and the quality of relationships have improved and are now very good. Provision for pupils’ personal development has also improved. The quality of teaching continues to be good overall, and the headteacher continues to provide very strong Threshfield Primary School - 7 leadership. The school building has been improved significantly and more than doubled in size. The school’s achievements have been recognised by a range of national awards. The school has addressed most of the key issues raised by the previous inspection, but pupils still need more opportunities for independence and for discussing their work. The school has shown that it has a good capacity to improve.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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schools

1999 2000 2001 2001 very high A* English A A* A A well above average above average A B Mathematics A A* C D average below average C D Science B A* D E well below average E

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schools

The school maintained its well above average standards in English in 2001, but standards fell in both mathematics and science. The fall was mainly caused by the presence in the class of a higher than usual proportion of pupils with special educational needs. It is normal to find such fluctuations when year groups are small. The maintenance of standards in English resulted from the particularly good teaching in that subject. Inspection evidence suggests that standards will rise this year in both mathematics and science and be well above the national average. Standards are also well above average in information technology. The well above average standards represent good achievement for these pupils. The school sets appropriate targets for attainment and has been generally successful in meeting them.

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schools

Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are well above the national average in reading, and in line with the average in writing and mathematics. The higher standards in reading result from the emphasis the school puts on this aspect and the considerable support that pupils receive from parents. Standards in reading have been well above average over the last four years. Standards in writing have fluctuated between well above average and average, whilst standards in mathematics have declined over the last two years.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very good attitudes to school. They are confident learners and keen to learn. They are particularly enthusiastic about school and take a great interest in its range of activities. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms There are very good standards of behaviour in class and around the school. Pupils are sensible and very polite. They act sensibly and thoughtfully and are proud of their school. Threshfield Primary School - 8 Personal development and relationships There are very good relationships across the school. Pupils are caring and thoughtful of others. Teachers provide very good models for these relationships. Personal development is very good, and pupils act independently and with growing self- confidence. Attendance The rate of attendance is well above the national average.

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Quality of teaching

Good with some high expectations Satisfactory with some good features Good with some very strong features 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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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers are very hardworking and are committed to the welfare of their pupils. They have very good relationships with their pupils and care for them as individuals. There is some excellent teaching where the level of challenge is high and the lessons enthuse and excite the pupils. Most lessons contain good challenge and are well structured to promote learning. Pupils are involved in a particularly good range of activities that take them outside the classroom and make good use of the local environment. In some lessons, more use could be made of the assessment information available to target the learning objectives more precisely to different groups, and pupils could be involved in a wider range of strategies to promote learning.

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Quality of teaching

There is effective teaching of basic numeracy and literacy skills, especially at Key Stage 2 where the level of challenge is high. There is very good support for pupils who have special educational needs and they make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a rich curriculum that is broad and balanced with an emphasis on literacy and numeracy. Pupils are involved in a wide range of activities both in and out of school, and there is a good programme of extra-curricular activities. The curriculum is enhanced by very good links with the community and partner institutions. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school makes very good provision for these pupils. The national Code of Practice is followed, and individual education plans set useful targets. Pupils are well supported by teaching assistants and there is a very effective programme carried out by a specialist teacher. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Pupils’ personal development is very well supported by the school. There is a very strong and valuing ethos that underpins

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Aspect Comment

development. There is very good provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Threshfield Primary School - 9 How well the school cares for its pupils The school is extremely caring and provides a very secure and valuing community. Child protection and health and safety procedures are generally sound but policies need review. There are now good arrangements for assessing pupils’ progress and attainment, and the school is in a good position to use this information more directly in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a very positive relationship with parents and provides a good range of information. Parents are very supportive of the school and make a positive contribution to learning. Many parents help in school and this makes a significant impact on learning, especially in reading.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very strong leadership for the school, and has overseen many significant improvements. She has been particularly successful in obtaining recognition for the school’s achievements in national awards and in obtaining grants for special projects. Other staff make an effective contribution to the management of subjects. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is very supportive of the school and has a good knowledge of the context of the school. They have been very active in making improvements and overseeing developments, particularly to the physical environment. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is taking many valuable steps to monitor and evaluate its performance. Test and other performance information is carefully analysed and this analysis provides a good overview of the work of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of its resources. The principles of best value are applied and all special grants allocated appropriately.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a good level of staffing, and a high number of support staff. There is a generally good level of teaching and learning resources across the school. The new addition to the school building has greatly enhanced the school’s accommodation. Threshfield Primary School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school provides a caring and secure environment with a positive ethos. • Pupils make good progress and attain high standards. • Pupils are expected to work hard. • The quality of teaching is good. • The school is well led and managed. • Parents feel comfortable approaching the school. • Pupils like coming to school. • Some parents would like to be better informed about how their children are getting on. • Some parents feel the range of extra- curricular activities could be wider.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection agrees with all the favourable comments made by parents. The range of extra-curricular activities offered by the school is much wider than offered by most schools of this size. The school offers one formal meeting with parents a year, and this is fewer than most schools, but it makes individual arrangements for meetings at any time and many parents take advantage of this. Threshfield Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Many pupils enter the school with standards of attainment already above those expected for children of this age. They make good progress across the school and standards are well above the national average by the time pupils leave the school at the age of 11. The good progress results from the good quality of the teaching, the wide range of activities in which the pupils are involved, the pupils’ very good attitudes to school and the support they receive from their parents.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

The school’s targets and pupils’ achievement 2. The school has set realistically challenging targets and has been successful in achieving them. The standards attained by pupils by the time they leave the school at 11 years old generally represent good achievement and progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Children under five 3. Many pupils enter the school as four year olds with standards of attainment already above the national average. They receive a good start to their education in the reception year, and standards of attainment are above those usually found in all areas of learning by the time they move to Year 1.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Key Stage 1 4. In national tests for seven year olds in 2001, the overall standards, as measured by average point scores, were well above average in reading and writing, and average in mathematics. Standards in reading have been consistently well above average over at least the last four years. Standards in writing have varied, being below average in 2000 and well above average in other years. Standards in mathematics have fallen over the last three years from well above average in 1999.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Inspection evidence shows that standards this year continue to be well above the national average in reading, but are average in writing and mathematics. The higher standards in reading result from the emphasis that the school places on this aspect and from the extra help pupils receive from parents and other adults. Standards are above those usually found in science, information and communication technology, and geography. Standards are generally in line with those usually found in design and technology, art and religious education. Insufficient lessons were seen in history, music or physical education for an overall judgement to be made.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Key Stage 2 6. The school’s scores in national tests for 11 year olds in 2001 were well above the national average in English, average in mathematics and below average in science. Compared to similar schools, these standards were well above average in English, below average in mathematics and well below average in science. Standards in English continued a long trend of well above average standards. In two of the last four years, standards in English have been in the top five per cent of the country. The lower standards in mathematics and science followed a four year trend of well above average standards in these subjects, and were associated with the presence in the class of a higher than usual proportion of pupils with special educational needs. The high standards in English are associated with the particularly good teaching in that subject. Threshfield Primary School - 12 7. Inspection evidence indicates that standards have risen in both mathematics and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

science and have returned to being well above the national average, whilst standards in English have been maintained at that level. Standards are also well above average in information and communication technology, and above average in geography and physical education. Standards are in line with those usually found in design and technology, art and religious education. Too few lessons were seen in history and music for any judgement to be made.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Progress of different groups 8. The school is successful in providing appropriate challenge for all its pupils and enabling them to progress. Higher attaining pupils generally do well at both key stages. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in meeting the targets set in their individual education plans. The progress of boys and girls, and of higher and lower attaining pupils is in line with the general progress of the school. There is no pupil for whom English is an additional language requiring extra help for language.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Literacy and numeracy 9. Within English, standards of reading, speaking and listening are higher than writing at Key Stage 1. Standards in all three aspects are well above average at the end of Key Stage 2. Standards in mathematics are above average at the end of Key Stage 1, and well above average at the end of Key Stage 2.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils have very good attitudes to school. At the start of the day, Class 1 pupils go to the classroom and quickly settle down to a chosen activity. Many parents are able to accompany their children and share a book with them. Older pupils mostly go straight to the classroom and quickly to their seat to start the work that has been set by the teacher. There is a great sense of purpose, with pupils keen and ready to learn. These good work habits are evident throughout the day with pupils showing great commitment by listening well, by being eager to answer questions and by putting a great deal of effort into whatever they do. Pupils perform tasks diligently and carefully, and are proud when they feel they have done something well. During the inspection, they were keen to talk about their work and to show the inspectors what they had done.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ behaviour is very good overall. In some situations, such as collective worship it is often excellent. At other times, pupils’ behaviour is just satisfactory; for example when the Key Stage 1 pupils were in the hall for wet playtime they were very lively and slow to respond when asked to behave. Generally though, pupils only rarely have to be reminded about their behaviour, and when they are they respond well. They move around the sometimes fairly cramped confines of the school in an orderly way. When asked to move furniture in the mobile classrooms, they do so with care and consideration for others. Boys and girls do play with each other, but not quite as much as might be expected, and in the playground the boys tend to dominate the space with their football games. The change in arrangements whereby playtimes are now staggered has alleviated this to some extent by creating more space, but it is still

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

an issue at lunch break. Pupils enjoy the playground equipment and share it well. However, is not always used appropriately or for its intended purpose. Pupils are exceptionally polite to adults and show good levels of respect for each other.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The incidence of exclusion is extremely low. Threshfield Primary School - 13 13. Relationships in the school are very good. Pupils generally get on well with each other. If they have minor disputes they tend to take them to an adult, and the matter is then quickly and amicably resolved. Many older pupils enjoy the company of younger pupils and like to play with them and help them. Pupils’ personal development is very good. The youngest children are confident to find their seat in the dining room, and to organise a drink for themselves without adult help. If they forget their drink then older pupils, acting diligently in their role as table monitors, are on hand to help them. Pupils were a little self conscious at the start of the inspection but soon lost their shyness and were keen to talk to the inspectors and to promote their school.

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Attendance

14. Attendance at the school is well above average by comparison with other schools. The school works hard to encourage pupils to arrive punctually and most pupils arrived very promptly at the start of the day.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching is good overall across the school. Teachers are very hardworking and are committed to the welfare of their pupils. They have very good relationships with their pupils and care for them as individuals. They are successful in meeting the needs of all their pupils. There is an encouraging approach in which pupils’ answers and contributions are well valued. This encourages the pupils’ very good attitudes to school and helps build their self confidence. These in turn contribute to the progress made.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Foundation Stage 16. Children receive a good start to their education in the reception year where the quality of teaching is good overall. The teacher and support assistant have high expectations of behaviour and enjoy good relationships with the children. Resources are well prepared and attractive, children are involved in a good range of activities and there is often high challenge to which they respond well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Key Stage 1 17. Teaching is satisfactory overall at Key Stage 1. Teachers have very good relationships with their pupils and have created a very positive ethos within their classes. There is a good emphasis on literacy and numeracy and the basic skills are taught well. Teaching is good overall in English and information technology and satisfactory in mathematics, science, design and technology and art. Too few lessons were seen in other subjects for a judgement to be made. In both classes, the challenge to the older pupils is not as high as to the younger ones and it is this that makes the lessons satisfactory rather than good in many cases.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Key Stage 2 18. Teaching is good overall at Key Stage 2 and the new specialist teaching arrangements are proving very effective. Teaching is very good in English and good in mathematics, science, design and technology, information and communication technology, and physical education. Teaching is satisfactory in art and religious education. There are high expectations across the key stage and many lessons that promote thought and reflection. There are some particularly good approaches that excite the pupils’ interest. Threshfield Primary School - 14 General 19. Where lessons are most effective across the school, there is a sharp focus on the needs of different groups and learning objectives are made clear to the pupils and reviewed at the end of the lesson. In these lessons, the teacher is able to set appropriate challenges to different pupils based on what they have already learned. For example, in a Year 5/6 science lesson, Year 6 pupils constructed a force meter

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

whilst Year 5 pupils were investigating friction. There is often a good focus on the Year 3 pupils in the Year 1/2/3 class. A good Year 5/6 mathematics lesson challenged the older pupils well, requiring them to look for patterns in a series of numbers whilst other pupils performed calculations. Many lessons that are generally satisfactory do not build sufficiently on the good assessment information that the school holds by targeting teaching to the levels different groups of pupils have already reached. By clarifying the levels already attained by groups of pupils in the class within each subject, teachers would be able to consider the ways that the different levels can be addressed within each lesson, clarify the learning objectives in terms of these levels and so ensure that teaching is directed towards the different groups within the lesson

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The very best lessons enthuse and excite the pupils as well as giving good challenge. A series of Key Stage 2 English lessons at the time of the inspection were based on an imaginary visitors centre for Year 3/4 pupils and alternative energy centre for Year 5/6 pupils. The roles that pupils had assumed within the running of these imaginary centres and the way in which they had become absorbed into these through a variety of activities, including models of the centre, had really awakened their interest and ensured their commitment. Pupils often spent time looking at the model centre during their breaks and discussed possible alterations and improvements. An excellent Year 3/4 English lesson built on this involvement by asking pupils to assume the role of manager and respond to a letter of complaint. The subsequent role play was greatly enhanced by the teacher’s technique of using a ‘microphone’ for the pupils to speak into and leaving it in front of them when they

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

had finished in order to prompt them into expanding their points. This helped structure and clarify their subsequent writing.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In the past, the school has involved pupils in some other very interesting projects that not only enthuse the pupils but extend their thinking. For example, pupils were told that some bags had been found in the school grounds and the police had asked them to look inside to see if they could discover to whom they belonged. A whole day was spent considering the various clues that had been planted in the bags and classifying and sorting the evidence. The accounts that pupils wrote about the bags’ owners were of a very high standard.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. There is some very high challenge in lessons that promotes some very good progress. For example, there has been high challenge in Year 5/6 information technology lessons where pupils have been taught to combine information from the Internet and pictures from a digital camera with their own writing within the PowerPoint program along with sounds and moving graphics. This was a very high challenge indeed and one which pupils have met with confidence. There was also high challenge for the youngest pupils when they were expected to write independently and use words such as ‘protective’ that they had learned from the fire fighters’ visit.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. There is some very good use of information and communication technology to promote learning in a range of subjects. The recent acquisition of ‘smartboards’ that allow a computer to be seen and operated on a large board visible to all pupils has been particularly valuable. For example, in a Year 1/2 mathematics lesson the teacher was able to involve all pupils particularly well in sorting data they had Threshfield Primary School - 15 collected and constructing a graph. The use of the screen to project a data handling program enabled the pupils to see a graph changing every time an individual entry was made. The power of this in promoting understanding was seen in the way the pupils were able to say, “This one’s winning” as one column of the graph grew higher, and how they were able to relate this to the individual entry. This was very effective use of the technology by the teacher.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Across the school, pupils are involved in good range of learning activities that take them out of the classroom and involve them in practical situations. There is also a good range of learning activities within lessons with pupils involved in investigation, discussion and problem solving, and responding to tasks through individual and group writing and through discussion. The school could build on this range and enhance learning still further by considering the range of learning strategies in each lesson. Such strategies would include: working independently to select materials, apparatus and methods for the tasks set, being given scope to work out their own solutions to problems, considering different methods and approaches, discussing their work in pairs or groups and evaluating each other’s work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Teaching of different groups 25. The school makes very good provision for pupils who have special educational needs. The national Code of Practice is followed, and individual education plans set useful targets. Pupils are well supported by teaching assistants and there is a very effective programme carried out by a specialist teacher.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

The quality of learning 26. The quality of learning, and the rate at which pupils acquire new knowledge, skills and understanding, is good across the school. Pupils are keen to learn, and they work hard in lessons, sustaining their concentration well. In most lessons, pupils have a good understanding of what is expected of them and are able to discuss what they need to learn, this is particularly the case when learning objectives have been shared. In some lessons, pupils are made aware of the learning objectives, and the final session involves them in considerations of whether these have been attained. This enhances learning significantly, and the use of this format could be profitably extended to more lessons.

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HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. The school provides a rich curriculum that involves the pupils in a particularly wide range of activities both inside the classroom and outside the school. As well as the expected range of National Curriculum subjects, there are visits, residential visits, and visitors to school. Good use is made of the local environment, interesting projects take place and good opportunities created for music and the arts. Opportunities are enhanced by good co-operation within the local ‘cluster’ of schools.

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HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. The curriculum is broad and balanced, and meets all the requirements of the National Curriculum and locally agreed syllabus for religious education. The school provides effectively for personal and social education, including health education, sex education and attention to drugs misuse. The school places a good emphasis on literacy and numeracy and there are very effective strategies for the teaching of basic skills. The school is successful in providing equal access to the curriculum for all pupils and is socially inclusive.

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HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. At the time of the last inspection insufficient opportunities were made available for physical activity for pupils in the reception class. This is no longer the case, and Threshfield Primary School - 16 pupils now enjoy the benefit of a new classroom and a hall, together with an outside play area leading off the classroom, and are well provided for in all areas of their development.

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HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

30. The school makes some very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and ensures that they have access to the curriculum. The school complies with the Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs and individual education plans contain helpful targets.

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HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

31. The curriculum is enhanced by a significant number of clubs and extra-curricular activities. These include art, choir, homework, sport, design and technology and textiles for which a number of awards have been received.

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HOW GOOD ARE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

32. Very good links have been developed with local churches and the wider community. Government initiatives including a project entitled ‘Alternative Energies in the Dale’ make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. In addition, community representatives, such as a Sikh leader, visit the school regularly and contribute to the many activities of the school. Very good links exist between the class teachers, parents and pre-school providers which ensure pupils enter school happily. Similarly effective links are also forged with the schools to which pupils transfer, and these enable pupils to settle in quickly.

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Provision for personal development

33. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a great strength in the school.

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Provision for personal development

Spiritual 34. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good. A strong feature of provision is the way in which pupils are valued by staff. Through this valuing, pupils develop a sense of themselves in the world and how to relate to others in ways that are valuing. Pupils’ suggestions are listened to and acted on; for instance, when a pupil said that the school dictionaries did not fully meet the requirements of older pupils, the school agreed with this and bought a set of more suitable dictionaries. School assemblies make a significant contribution to spiritual development. Difficult issues are explored with sensitivity and there is good involvement of pupils.

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Provision for personal development

Moral 35. Provision for pupils ‘moral development’ is very good. For example, in an assembly, pupils were asked to think about the way Goldilocks behaved when she was in the Three Bears’ House. They considered what impact her actions had on the three bears, whether Goldilocks deserved to be punished and how she might try to make amends. In this way, pupils were encouraged to think about their actions and the consequences of their actions on others and on themselves.

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Provision for personal development

Social 36. Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. The school makes very good use of the opportunities provided by the cluster group to meet and work alongside pupils from other schools in a wide range of activities. At Key Stage 2, pupils have various responsibilities that they do around the school and in their classrooms, many of which lend themselves well to enable pupils to use their initiative. The school thinks carefully about pupils’ personal development, and how policies such as the politeness award are having a significant impact on the way in which pupils act towards others. Threshfield Primary School - 17 Cultural 37. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. Through the cluster group, pupils have a good number of opportunities to perform for others in plays and concerts. They listen to musical performances and recently visited a theatre to see ‘Twelfth Night’. Pupils visit a very wide range of museums, art galleries and places of

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Provision for personal development

interest. They enjoy the extra-curricular art and textile club. Opportunities to study other cultures are developing well. There was a special ‘Europe Day’, and visitors from other cultures have been into school to talk about their beliefs and traditions. The school is planning to further develop provision for multicultural education through its newly formed link with a school in Huddersfield.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Assessment 38. There are good procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ academic performance. These are thorough and ongoing, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Pupils are assessed at the end of each half term on the objectives stated in the teacher’s planning. Assessments are used well to identify pupils’ attainment, to plan work based on their needs and to improve standards in these subjects. The school is now in a good position to use these to target teaching more precisely within lessons.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Results of baseline assessments for reception children assist the class teacher in initial planning in relation to the Early Learning Goals. Regular observation and discussion with the support assistant ensure children are provided with appropriate targets.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Assessment of pupils with special educational needs is carefully carried out and appropriate individual education plans are monitored effectively.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The assessment of foundation subjects, a concern of the previous inspection is now receiving more attention, especially at Key Stage 2, where computerised grids are used to record all subjects.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Welfare and Support 42. The school is extremely caring and concerned for the welfare of its pupils. The child protection policy is effectively in place and the designated person is clear about procedures, but she has not had recent training, and it is now time to review the policy and to familiarise staff with the more recent guidance.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school, with strong support from a governor, has developed a well thought out approach to health and safety. There is careful monitoring and generally the school keeps a written record of the various health and safety checks. The school is clear about the fairly recent new requirements for health and safety and has recognised that a more rigorous approach is needed. A newly acquired computer program should help with this.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The monitoring and promoting of attendance are very successful with attendance rates much higher than in most primary schools. The school is small and is able to monitor individual pupil behaviour very effectively, and to give pupils appropriate support. Pupils are encouraged to behave well, to work hard and to be polite, kind and courteous. All these aspects of personal development are celebrated in a special assembly each week. Threshfield Primary School - 18 45. The very good behaviour in the school is because teachers manage pupils’ behaviour so well. Most staff are very positive in their approach to behaviour management and teachers in particular have developed very effective relationships with the pupils. This works well because pupils like their teachers and want to please them.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. In discussion with parents at the school and at the parents’ meeting, most parents were very supportive of the school and very pleased with its work. The results from the questionnaire generally reflect these very positive views, except that a significant number of parents felt that they were not kept well informed about the progress their child was making. The school has a truly open door policy with many parents in the classrooms at the start of the day and many others helping in school. Parents find teachers approachable and know they can arrange to see a teacher if they need to. However, the school offers only one formal parent-teacher consultation evening a year and this is fewer than most schools. The annual written reports are not always explicit about how well pupils have achieved or clear about the progress they have made. Reports for children at the Foundation Stage do not cover all the areas of

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school produces a very attractive regular newsletter with information about what children have been doing and forthcoming events and visits. However, the information about the curriculum is limited. It would be more helpful if parents had more detailed information in advance about the work pupils were going to be doing. There have been information sessions on drugs education, sex education and mathematics but generally there is not a great deal of information to help parents to support learning at home.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The school has very effective links with parents through the very good relationships it has established with them. As has been already said, parents are comfortable to come into the classrooms and to talk to the teachers. They also use this as an opportunity to see the work their child is doing.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Very many parents support their child’s learning at home by listening to them read. A good number of parents come into school to help on a regular basis. They are very committed and make a significant contribution to learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The Friends Group has a thriving committee with two parent representatives from each year group. Last year fund raising was severely disrupted by foot and mouth disease but the group is keen to resume its former level of activity.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The school seeks parents’ views in a number of ways such as questionnaires. It does not however, generally consult them about policy with the exception of the Home/School Agreement.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The headteacher and senior staff 52. The headteacher provides very strong leadership for the school and sets a clear educational direction. Her own very good teaching sets a particularly good standard for the school. She has created a strong and supportive ethos in the school where pupils are valued and feel a particularly good sense of ownership of the school. The Threshfield Primary School - 19 school is open and responsive to parents, by whom she is held in very high esteem. She has overseen many significant improvements whilst she has been headteacher, not least the recent extension of the building that has altered the school radically. She has been very successful in obtaining grants for special projects. She has been particularly successful in obtaining recognition for the school’s achievements through national awards such as the national Chartermark and Department for Education and Skills Award for Excellence. The school’s trophy board has few rivals outside Old

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. There is no deputy or assistant headteacher, but staff work together well as a team to ensure that duties and responsibilities are spread. Even so, the responsibilities of the headteacher remain great when she is teaching more than half of the time. Subjects are managed effectively and the school is very keen to keep abreast of educational developments. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is effectively managed and the individual education plans are well written. An extra grant has been obtained to increase staffing in this area and this provision has been well managed.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The last inspection identified the need for a review of the role and deployment of non- teaching assistants. This matter has been addressed and they are now well deployed and have a positive effect on pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The governors 55. The governors are very supportive of the school, and have a good knowledge of the school and its context. They have been very active in making improvements and overseeing developments. They have worked very hard to ensure that the expansion of the building went smoothly and have carried out improvements, such as creating the Foundation Stage playground, themselves. They ensure that all statutory requirements are met.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Monitoring, evaluation and targets 56. The school is taking many valuable steps to consider and evaluate its performance through the analysis of test and other assessment data. The monitoring of teaching is taking place and the introduction of performance management has been generally effective.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school’s improvement plan is an extremely comprehensive document that covers a wide range of its work. The targets set for pupils’ attainment are appropriately challenging and the school has been successful in meeting them.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The budget and best value 58. The school’s budget is managed by the headteacher and a bursar and overseen by the governors’ finance committee. A large surplus of over 15 per cent of annual income has built up in recent years, mainly because the school was successful in obtaining outside grants for projects for which it had budgeted. The school is using up most of this surplus this year through increased support staffing and other projects. Such expenditure cannot continue for a further year, but there is no clear plan yet for how expenditure will be reduced. The bursar is confident that the necessary savings will be made without adversely affecting provision. The school could face the coming year more confidently with a clearer plan for expenditure.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Special grants and other income are managed effectively, and the principles of best value are applied. The school receives an income per pupil that is in line with the national average for schools of this size. Pupils make good progress across the Threshfield Primary School - 20 school from an above average start, and so the school provides good value for money.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 60. The school has a good level of staffing, and a high number of support staff. There is a generally good level of teaching and learning resources across the school. The new addition to the school building has greatly enhanced the school’s accommodation which is now good. The two outside classrooms are shabby, particularly in comparison with the new classrooms in the recent extension, but there are plans for their refurbishment.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

61. In order to build on its success and high standards of attainment, the school needs to:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1) Build more directly on the assessment information the school has already obtained by: • clarifying the levels already attained by groups of pupils in the class within each subject; • considering the ways that the different levels can be addressed within each lesson. (paragraph 19)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) Involve pupils in a wider range of learning strategies to promote their learning, such as: • working independently to select materials apparatus and methods for the tasks set; • discussing their work in pairs or groups; • being aware of the learning objectives of lessons and being involved in considerations of whether these have been attained; • evaluating each other’s work. (paragraph 24)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school will also wish to address the following minor issues: • clarify the budget for next year to take account of this year’s use of the budget surplus; (paragraph 58) • review the child protection and health and safety policies; (paragraph 42) • consider ways of keeping parents well informed about the curriculum and progress. (paragraph 47) Threshfield Primary School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 16

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

Percentage 3 3 57 38 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than two percentage points.

p.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) n/a 108

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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 n/a 1

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register n/a 23

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 0

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 3

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Threshfield Primary School - 22

p.21

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 7* 9* 16

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (92) 100 (83) 100 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (92) 100 (83) 100 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 10* 7* 17

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys -- -- -- Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls -- -- --

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (100) 88 (100) 88 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys -- -- -- Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls -- -- --

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 71 (100) 76 (89) 71 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.22

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

*Where the number of boys or girls in the year group is ten or fewer, grades are not given separately. Threshfield Primary 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 1 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5 Financial year 2000/2001

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.6

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR - Y6 Total income 241,605

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 234,716

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 73 Expenditure per pupil 2,257

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 30,428

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) n/a Balance carried forward to next year 37,317

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher n/a

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff n/a

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week n/a

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult n/a FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Threshfield Primary School - 24

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 50 37 8 0 5

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 40 56 0 0 3

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 35 50 13 0 2

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 34 39 24 2 2

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 55 39 6 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 73 24 3 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 35 47 13 3 2

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 61 35 3 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52 42 3 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 50 26 15 5 5 Threshfield Primary School - 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. Children receive a good start to their education at the Foundation Stage and the good quality of the teaching enables them to make good progress. At the time of the inspection there were twelve children at the Foundation Stage in a mixed reception, Year 1 and Year 2 class. They are involved effectively in the Foundation Stage curriculum and some good arrangements are made for them to be involved in appropriate activities separate from Year 1 and 2 pupils.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Personal, social and emotional development 63. The quality of teaching in this area of learning is good. Children make very good progress and by the end of the Foundation Stage it is likely that all children will achieve the Early Learning Goals in this area of learning. The teacher and support assistant have high expectations of behaviour and enjoy good relationships with the children who know the daily routines well, and develop good levels of concentration.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Children enjoy coming to school, and are confident and happy. Adults consistently encourage children to share and show consideration for others and are duly rewarded by the children who behave very well, and respond positively to the caring ethos of the class. Children show respect for school equipment, and tidy up efficiently at the end of lessons. They learn to take turns and share and co-operate well when working on the computer, playing with Lego or in the role-play corner; for example, one child spontaneously assisted another who was struggling to get into a long white coat. Resources are well prepared and attractive. Children are given appropriate encouragement and praise to raise their self-esteem, and show pride in their work and take some responsibility for their own learning.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Communication, language and literacy 65. Teaching in this area is good, children make good progress, and most children are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals with a few children already working within the early levels of the National Curriculum. Books are displayed prominently to encourage children to browse and share them with friends as well as adults. Children enjoy listening to stories, and the majority contribute well to class discussions, confidently sharing their experiences with adults and their peers. For example, when talking enthusiastically about the fire fighters’ visit, they correctly used the vocabulary they had learned, such as ‘protective’ to describe the clothing worn and understood the importance of an ‘alerter’ as a call to duties. The majority of children form their letters accurately and know the names and sounds of the most commonly used letters. They write their names neatly. Some recognise frequently

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

occurring words in the text, read books in the school reading scheme and make very good attempts at writing simple sentences such as ‘the postman delivers our letters’. The teacher supports the children well and encourages them to speak about their experiences in a variety of situations through skilfully asking open questions and by giving them opportunities to ‘read’ their writing. For example, children were able to sequence pictures and name ‘the crafty fox’ as a chief character in the gingerbread man story.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Effective use is made of role play such as the enactment of the fire fighters to support language development. Children are encouraged to take reading books home each night to share with their parents and evaluative comments are written in their Threshfield Primary School - 26 homework diaries. The teaching assistant effectively supports children including those with special educational needs, enabling them to make good progress.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Mathematical development 67. Teaching is good and as a result children make good progress in mathematics, and the majority will achieve the Early Learning Goals with some children working on the early stage of the National Curriculum. The teacher takes every opportunity to use numbers daily; and encourages the children to see pattern in number.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. Most children are able to match objects to numbers accurately, and correctly place missing numbers into the sequence of numbers to ten. They confidently count backwards and forwards to 20, and some know their numbers to 100. The majority understand ‘one more than’, and ‘one less than’, and can calculate simple problems involving addition and subtraction mentally. Mathematics is linked very securely to themes; for example, counting first, second and third, while waiting your turn in the doctor’s surgery. Children operated a computer program successfully to compare the number and order of balloons. In another session the vocabulary of measurement was successfully introduced. Two children weighed objects on scales and explained that “When the balance is down it is heavy and when the balance is up it is light”.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. The children confidently recognise simple shapes such as circle, triangle, rectangle and square, and are developing their understanding of three-dimensional shapes, such as cube and cone. Children with special educational needs are given good support in the class, and they make good progress.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Knowledge and understanding of the world 70. Teaching in this area is good, and there were some very effective activities planned around the theme of ‘People who help us’ during the inspection that increased children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. Children make good progress, many of them building on experiences from home, and most will achieve the Early Learning Goals before they leave the reception class. Children have a good understanding of the world around them. They know where they live and how to get to school. They confidently, ask questions of the fire fighters and talk about the recent visit of a Sikh. They use the computer confidently to play games to support work in English, mathematics and art. They use the mouse to move icons around the screen, know how to restart the program and show how to develop photographs from a digital camera. They appreciate the need for warm clothes in the winter and know

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

how the sheep on the local hillsides produce wool.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. Children were keen to investigate the equipment brought by the fire fighters and explained in detail that the fire fighters’ hose is not just to put out fires, but also to help when pumping out the water that flooded their school. The teacher used questioning well to probe children’s understanding, and afterwards she recorded and assessed the children’s progress through pictures, writing, photographs and role play.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Physical development 72. Teaching is good in this area of learning, and most children will achieve the Early Learning Goals before they leave the reception class. Children use the new school hall for physical education, where they run and jump, with an increasing awareness of space. This has greatly enhanced their opportunities for learning. They control their movements well when they change direction and speed and develop skills in throwing and catching and working in pairs. Children show appropriate control when using small tools such as scissors, and paint brushes. They are becoming more Threshfield Primary School - 27 skilful when attempting jigsaws and assembling Lego to construct a building site. Together with the support assistant, one group of children made a wigwam using bean canes and all children were enthusiastic in their praise of the finished product.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Creative development 73. The majority of children will achieve the Early Learning Goals in creative development before they leave the reception class. The quality of teaching is good, and careful monitoring ensures that a good balance of activities is achieved, with every child having numerous opportunities to express themselves. Children work confidently with large brushes; for example as they mixed colours and painted the fire fighters. Children were able to make ‘faces’ using different mathematical shapes and generate colourful designs using the computer. They gain skills in cutting and sticking activities; for example, when one pupil sensibly chose to dress a girl for the beach in bright colours in a ‘bikini, sun hat and peep toe sandals’. Other children used fabric collage techniques effectively to make a large-scale picture of ‘The Gingerbread Man’. In the role-play corner a variety of costumes and equipment

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE

encourages children to dress up as a doctor and patient. Children use the correct vocabulary for example ‘stethoscope’ to describe the instrument used to listen to the patient’s heartbeat. Their work is valued by both the teacher and the teaching assistant.

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ENGLISH

74. Good teaching across the school, and some particularly strong teaching at Key Stage 2, enables pupils to make good progress and attain high standards by the age of eleven. Standards are higher than those found by the previous inspection.

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ENGLISH

75. The school’s scores in national tests for seven year olds in reading for the last four years have been well above the national average. Scores in writing have fluctuated; being usually well above average, but below average in 2000. Inspection findings indicate that standards in reading continue to be well above average, whilst standards in writing are in line with the average. The difference stems from the great emphasis the school places on the teaching of reading at Key Stage 1. From the reception year, there is a great deal of extra help with reading, parents come in and hear pupils read individually, pupils take book home and read with their parents. The National Literacy Strategy places a great emphasis on reading. This approach continues through the key stage and is very successful in promoting high standards. By the age of seven, almost all pupils reach the expected level (Level 2) where they

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ENGLISH

read appropriate texts accurately and with understanding. Many reach the higher level where they read more difficult texts fluently and use a range of strategies to establish meaning.

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ENGLISH

76. There is not such an emphasis on the teaching of writing either in time or in extra support and so pupils do not make the extra progress that they do in reading. There is good teaching of the basic skills of writing from the reception year, and many Year 1 pupils are able to write independently with phonetically plausible spellings. Not all pupils have made such progress and some Year 2 pupils still struggle with basic spellings and sentence structure. The teaching of more advanced skills in writing is not always so well focused on what pupils have been assessed as having already achieved. Teaching is therefore often of a more general nature with all pupils engaged in the same aspect and so not making the same progress that they do in reading. For example, many Year 2 pupils have already attained the expected level (Level 2) where ideas are developed into a sequence of sentences with reasonable

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ENGLISH

spelling and punctuation, but have not yet reached the higher level where vocabulary Threshfield Primary School - 28 is more varied and spellings, punctuation and grammar are more accurate. Some of these pupils fail to reach Level 3 because their vocabulary is insufficiently varied, although their spellings, punctuation and grammar are accurate. Others fail to reach the level because they lack the accuracy whilst their vocabulary is already interesting and varied. The teaching of writing at Key Stage 1 is not always sufficiently well targeted to these different groups to ensure that progress is made to the higher level.

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ENGLISH

77. The school’s scores in national tests for 11 year olds have been consistently well above the national average for the last four years, and in two of those years were in the top five per cent of the country. Scores continued to be well above average in 2001 when there was a higher than usual proportion of pupils who had special educational needs, and when scores in mathematics and science were much lower. This is testimony to the very good quality of teaching in this subject at Key Stage 2.

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ENGLISH

78. The new arrangements for specialist teaching are proving very effective at Key Stage 2. Some very good and excellent teaching is ensuring that pupils make very good progress and attain high standards in all aspects of the subject. There continues to be a very good emphasis on the teaching of reading and this links the technical aspects to the engendering of a love of literature. By the end of the key stage, almost all pupils reach the expected level (Level 4) where they read a range of texts with understanding and begin to look for meanings beyond the literal. Many reach the higher level where they use inference and deduction to interpret an author’s meaning, and can support their views with reference to the text. Sensitive teaching of both poetry and prose, where pupils are enabled to explore their reactions to writing, and to understand how authors achieve their literary effects, has deepened

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ENGLISH

both understanding and enjoyment. Year 6 pupils are able to read challenging books with interest, enjoyment, and understanding and can discuss them at a high level; for example, discussing why Gollum in ‘Lord of the Rings’ should feel so ambivalently about the ring in his possession.

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ENGLISH

79. There is some particularly good teaching of writing at Key Stage 2 that stimulates pupils’ enthusiasm and gives an interesting context for writing, as well as providing a context for the teaching of techniques. During the inspection, both Key Stage 2 classes were working on projects where they were managing imaginary local enterprises such as a visitor centre or alternative energy centre. They had assumed roles within these enterprises, such as security guard or cook, and had built models showing the layout. This stimulated imagination and gave a very effective context for writing in a range of styles. For example, in one lesson pupils had to reply to a letter of complaint, and older pupils had to consider the formal style of writing that enterprises adopt in these circumstances. The power of the context and very good teaching enabled a high standard to be reached. For example, in adopting a formal

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ENGLISH

style, one pupil wrote, “We have taken immediate action on this matter”, whilst another wrote the ultra-formal sentence, “The miscreants have been apprehended”. The pupils are aided in this writing by the width of their reading where they have experienced a wide range of styles and forms.

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ENGLISH

80. Standards of speaking and listening are very good across the school. Most pupils enter the school with already well developed skills in this area. They listen attentively and take note of what others say. Most are articulate and express themselves with confidence. By the age of seven, most pupils understand the main points in discussion and explain their points clearly. There are some excellent opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in a variety of contexts at Key Stage 2. For example, in an excellent Year 3 and 4 lesson, pupils assumed the role of manager of their imaginary ‘Sunny Valley’ visitor centre and were asked how they would respond to a letter of complaint. The teacher’s technique of using a drumstick as a ‘microphone’ Threshfield Primary School - 29 for them to talk into in front of the class was very effective in two ways. Firstly it acted as a mask in helping to take away any self consciousness, and, secondly,

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ENGLISH

keeping the ‘microphone’ in front of a pupil when they had stopped encouraged them to expand on their points. It is always difficult to remain silent when the microphone is still there. Most of the opportunities for speaking and listening across the school are in the context of talking with a teacher or other adult. There are fewer occasions on which pupils are called upon to discuss issues in pairs and small groups and to reach conclusions and agreements unaided.

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ENGLISH

81. There is good use of other subjects to contribute to the teaching of English. There are some good writing opportunities in subjects such as history, geography and religious education, and some good opportunities for pupils to discuss and explain their work to the teacher in subjects such as science and design and technology. The use of information technology greatly enhances the learning of literacy, both through programs to teach early skills and through the use of word processing to amend and improve writing. The PowerPoint presentations on ‘Twelfth Night’ illustrate well a very high standard of work where several media are combined to enhance communication.

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MATHEMATICS

82. Pupils make good progress across the school and standards of attainment are well above the national average by the end of Key Stage 2. This is an improvement over the standards found by the previous inspection. The good progress results from the good start pupils receive in the reception class and from some good teaching through the school, particularly at Key Stage 2. Pupils’ own very good attitudes to work also contribute to the progress. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

83. The school’s scores in national tests for seven year olds in 2001 were in line with the national average and below the average of similar schools. This continued a trend of falling standards from well above average in 1999. Inspection evidence indicates that standards remain average this year. Standards for these pupils could be higher. The fall in standards is associated with the level of challenge in the teaching and the directness of building on what pupils have already learned. These same pupils have attained well above average standards in reading.

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MATHEMATICS

84. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils have a good grasp of the number system and operations and are likely to gain the expected levels for their age range and some are likely to exceed. They understand place value, and are confident in addition and subtraction to 100. Higher attaining pupils work successfully with numbers up to 1000. Standards are also in line with the average in the other aspects of mathematics: data handling and shape, space and measures. Most pupils have a good understanding of block graphs and can sort shapes by their properties. A small number of pupils attain the higher level (Level 3) in each of these aspects, but a number have still to attain the expected level (Level 2). This pattern is in line with the national average.

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MATHEMATICS

85. The teaching in Key Stage 1 classes is always at least satisfactory and sometimes good. There are some clear explanations and good opportunities for pupils to be involved in practical activities. There are some good links to other subjects; for example, pupils in Year 2 linked their study of history with mathematics effectively to show how information can be recorded graphically using information technology. Following a survey of toys played with by children of today and those played with 50 Threshfield Primary School - 30 years ago, pupils accurately constructed pictograms to display their findings. The teacher made particularly good use of a ‘smartboard’ to demonstrate the importance of labelling and drawing axes correctly to display data accurately.

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MATHEMATICS

86. The school’s scores in national tests for 11 year olds in 2001 were in line with the national average and below the average of similar schools. This was considerably lower than the previous four years when standards were well above average and in the top five per cent of the country in two of the years. The fall in standards was associated with the presence in the year group of a higher than average proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Inspection evidence indicates that standards have risen again this year and are, again, well above the national average.

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MATHEMATICS

87. The new specialist teaching arrangements at Key Stage 2 are proving very effective, and the consistently good quality teaching that pupils receive, together with their own enthusiasm in lessons, promotes their good progress. The teacher uses a good variety of teaching techniques, and caters well for all ability levels. The use of individual whiteboards helps to keep all pupils focused and encourages them to become independent learners.

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MATHEMATICS

88. The great majority of Year 6 pupils are in line to attain the expected level (Level 4) by the end of the year, and a high number to attain the higher level in all aspects of the subject. Pupils work successfully with fractions, decimals and percentages, and understand the difference between means, modes, and medians. They interpret pie and bar charts competently and work with a range of measures accurately. They are competent at short and long multiplication of two and three digit numbers and confident with place value when using positive and negative numbers. Pupils are constantly being introduced to new mathematical vocabulary in a meaningful way and they demonstrate their understanding when they explain the strategies they have developed for solving problems.

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MATHEMATICS

89. The school has adopted the National Numeracy Strategy successfully, and the framework is used effectively in all classes to guide planning. The quality of teaching in mental and oral sessions is good. Teachers question pupils at a brisk pace and pupils’ responses show they have rapid recall of multiplication facts and are skilled at manipulating numbers. In some lessons, pupils are not made clearly aware of learning objectives at the start of the lesson, and so opportunities are then missed for teachers and pupils to evaluate progress in terms of these objectives at the end of the lesson.

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SCIENCE

90. The good quality of the teaching across the school, and a good programme of activities, ensures that pupils make good progress across the school and attain well above average standards by the end of Key Stage 2. These standards are higher than those found by the previous inspection.

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SCIENCE

91. By the end of Key Stage 1, standards of attainment are above average. Most pupils develop a good understanding of the three main areas of science: life processes, materials and physical process. They also develop a good understanding of the methods of scientific enquiry; for example recognising the need to ensure that conditions are kept the same when materials are being tested. In a Year 1 and 2 lesson, pupils were investigating materials that bend and stretch and considering those that return to there original shape, and those that do not. They were able to sort the two sorts of materials, although they were not able to suggests any reasons Threshfield Primary School - 31 for this, and understood that some processes such as cooking change the nature of some materials permanently. The challenge of lessons is not always as high for older pupils as it is for younger ones.

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SCIENCE

92. Pupils continue their good progress through Key Stage 2 where there are some high expectations, particularly at the top of the key stage. As with Key Stage 1, good attention has been given to each of the aspects of learning. At the time of the inspection, all pupils were involved in a study of forces. Pupils are also given opportunities for practical investigations which deepen their knowledge and understanding of the three areas, and develop their investigative skills. For example, Year 3 and 4 pupils were asked to consider ways of establishing the strength of different magnets and did so through seeing how many paperclips could be suspended or through how thick a material they could be attracted. There were high expectations in a Year 5 and 6 lesson where Year 6 pupils were asked to construct and calibrate an instrument to measure force. Some were aware that an elastic band might not expand evenly and so would need smaller intervals of measurement at the

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SCIENCE

end of the scale. This lesson was particularly effective because expectations were based on previous learning and Year 5 pupils were involved in different work.

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SCIENCE

93. Although pupils are given opportunities to carry out investigations across the school, they are not always given sufficient scope to follow their own ideas and to develop different methods, with evaluation sessions at the end of lessons looking at the relative merits of different methods. There are many pupils who would benefit from such independence which would allow them to widen their understanding.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. It was only possible to see one art lesson during the course of the inspection, but evidence from displays of pupils’ work indicates that standards are in line with those usually found, which is similar to the findings of the last inspection. Pupils have been involved in a good range of techniques and media and produce work of an appropriate standard. They have clearly studied the work of other artists and sought to produce work in their style.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. In the lower Key Stage 2 lesson observed, where the quality of teaching was good, pupils explored the idea of dreams in order to use their imagination thoughtfully, to create a quality image in collage. The teacher introduced a wide range of vocabulary, and encouraged pupils to consider the angles, images and viewpoints to be considered when discussing their dreams. The resulting work was of an appropriate standard for pupils of this age.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. The previous report identified a need for the school to develop greater progression in the development of skills in art. Medium-term planning documentation now clearly identifies skills and the development in progression of skills, to be assessed alongside knowledge.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. By the end of Key Stage 2, standards of attainment are in line with those usually found. This is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. It was not possible to see any lessons at Key Stage 1. Threshfield Primary School - 32 98. Pupils are involved in an interesting range of activities and materials across Key Stage 2. The design aspect is well established and pupils are able to make plans and drawings to communicate the detail of their designs. Older pupils are able to use labelled drawings to set out their ideas and to take account of the materials being used. For example, Year 3 and 4 pupils were able to discuss the materials that would be most suitable for making the different parts of a glove puppet. Year 5 and 6 pupils were able to produce some good detailed drawing of the water operated models that they were making and label the ways in which they would be joined and hinged.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. Pupils are able to work with a variety of materials with an appropriate level of skill and accuracy. They are also able to recognise when things are going wrong and can think of ways to improve them. For example, some Year 5 and 6 pupils found that the tilting mechanism that had been fixed in a bottle was too stiff to be operated by the water and so took it apart and joined it with an axle so that it could move freely. These pupils worked confidently with a range of methods and materials.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. Pupils’ progress is promoted by some good teaching, and learning is most effective when there are opportunities for pupils to work independently. Where teaching is too prescriptive, pupils do not have sufficient chance to evaluate different designs by comparing one idea against another. The strength of the teaching is in the range of materials and activities that are made available and the focus on design.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. Pupils make very good progress across the school and by the age of 11, they attain well above average standards. The progress results from the quality of the teaching, and the access pupils have to computers both in school and at home. The new ‘smartboards’ are a particularly useful addition to the school’s resources. The school makes very good use of this technology in the teaching of other subjects. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. Good teaching and access to a range of technology through Key Stage 1 enable pupils to develop confidence and a good level of ability in the subject. By the age of seven, most pupils are already able to use word-processing software to write and amend their own stories. Some are able to present their work in different ways by altering the layout and size of fonts. Good use of the ‘smartboard’ in class lessons has enabled pupils to understand data handling programs and to be able to use these to make their own entries and produce graphs and tables. Most are able to give a set of instructions to a programmable toy or game program that requires a sequence of lines.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

103. Pupils continue their good progress through Key Stage 2, and standards are well above average by the age of 11. The presentations older pupils have made using the PowerPoint program are particularly impressive. For example, one Year 6 pupil had made a presentation linked to the class’s study of ‘Twelfth Night’. She had incorporated sounds and moving graphics alongside her own text and pictures taken with the school’s digital camera. This was a very sophisticated use of the technology indeed. Some very good teaching and high expectations have enabled the pupils to attain these standards.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

104. Very good use is made of technology in the teaching of other subjects. The examples of digital photographs of the fire fighters’ visit to reception and Year 1 pupils, and the series of pictures taken by Year 5 and 6 pupils to study the changes Threshfield Primary School - 33 in the course of the river, have already been mentioned. These pupils also use measuring devices attached to a computer to build up a record of the weather. They are then sending this to another school via e-mail and receiving similar data so that they can make comparisons with another part of the country. Mention has also been made of the use of data-handling programs in the Year 1 and 2 class to enhance the learning of mathematics. All of this is a very powerful use of technology to assist learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

105. The school has an adequate number of computers, and makes very good use of them to support learning of information and communication technology itself, and to assist learning in other subjects. The new ‘smartboards’ which act as a computer keyboard projected on a screen, have greatly enhanced the use of computers in class as they make whole-class lessons possible. Their use is particularly effective in the teaching of other subjects such as mathematics where pupils can see graphs forming before their eyes as data is added.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Pupils are involved in a good programme of activities, and standards of attainment are above those usually found by the end of Key Stage 2. Only two lessons were seen and so no overall judgement is possible about the quality of teaching. No judgement was made about standards by the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. Key Stage 1 pupils are knowledgeable about their area and are able to talk about the school’s location close to the river. They are aware about the local economic activity in terms of farming, tourism and the quarry. A good lesson with the youngest pupils looking at the jobs people do, had the great excitement of the arrival of a fire engine in the playground. This was very effective in promoting the pupils’ interest and their understanding of the roles that different people play in the community.

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GEOGRAPHY

108. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a good level of knowledge about the wider world and can locate places on a map with confidence. They are very aware of environmental issues such as pollution and the impact of human activity on landscapes. They understand about physical processes such as the formation of mountains and erosion and deposition by rivers.

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GEOGRAPHY

109. The good programme of activities both in class and out of school promotes the pupils’ good progress in the subject. Particularly good use is made of information technology, and especially the digital camera in promoting the learning of geography. Photographs taken of the fire fighters were very quickly printed out onto sheets of paper to frame pupils’ writing. This is a powerful motivator and an excellent way of capturing details which might otherwise be forgotten. Older pupils had taken regular pictures of the river and so were able to trace differences in its level and course through the seasons.

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HISTORY

110. It was only possible to see one history lesson during the inspection, so no overall judgements can be made about the quality of teaching or standards of attainment. The school’s planning and previous work indicate that pupils are involved in a wide range of activities that promote their interest and understanding. These include visits from historical figures such as Celts, and visits to places of historical interest. These Threshfield Primary School - 34 help make history much more real to the pupils. In discussion, pupils from Year 6 showed good knowledge and understanding of the topics they had studied.

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HISTORY

111. In the one lesson seen, Year 3 and 4 pupils demonstrated good knowledge of the Tudor times and were able to talk about the differences in the ways of life between the rich and poor people. They were familiar with people and events from those times, such as Henry VIII and his battle with the church. The focus on reasons for the changes in ways of life gave the lesson good challenge.

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MUSIC

112. It was not possible to see any music lessons during the inspection and so no overall judgement can be made. Pupils sing well in assemblies and obviously enjoy their singing. The quality of music in assemblies is enhanced by an accomplished parent playing the piano, and the good accompaniment of a choir and percussion players.

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MUSIC

113. There is a good programme of a specialist visiting the school and conducting weekly lessons with all classes. There is also a good programme of instrumental tuition from visiting specialists, and a good rate of participation by pupils. The school has a good tradition of musical performances for parents.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. Good teaching and the school’s strong programme of outdoor education, together with good emphasis on physical pursuits ensure that pupils make good progress and that standards are above those usually found by the end of Key Stage 2. This is an improvement since the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

115. It was not possible to see sufficient lessons at Key Stage 1 for any overall judgements to be made, and only two lessons were seen at Key Stage 2.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

116. In a lower Key Stage 2 lesson pupils learned how to pace themselves in personal survival and lifesaving techniques. Pupils developed a good understanding as to how they should apply resuscitation to an unconscious person. The pace of the lesson was brisk. The teacher had very good subject knowledge, explained clearly how procedures are to be carried out; for example, checking airways, and pupils are well challenged and involved at all stages. Pupils understood the use of ‘compressions’ in life saving, and how the number of compressions used varies according to the age of a person.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. In an upper Key Stage 2 lesson, pupils participated well in athletic activities that required precision, speed, power and stamina. They aimed to improved their performance and set two minute time limits on themselves, after which they discussed their achievements. Pupils responded well to the challenges. The teacher had organised the activities well so that pupils moved from a vigorous activity to a gentler one. All pupils at Key Stage 2 receive swimming lessons and all meet the expectation of being able to swim 25 metres by the age of 11. Threshfield Primary School - 35

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

118. It was only possible to observe two lessons during the inspection, but discussions with pupils, interviews with staff and scrutiny of displays and work indicate that pupils at both key stages attain standards that are in line with those expected for the locally agreed syllabus. Progress is at least satisfactory for all pupils, including those with special educational needs. Standards of attainment are similar to those found by the previous inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

119. Key Stage 1 pupils have appropriate knowledge of stories from Christianity and some other religions. For example, they know about the story of Noah’s Ark and understand the significance of a rainbow. They can talk of the awe and wonder the sight of a rainbow produces. In a Key Stage 1 lesson pupils looked at the significance of spring, new life, new hope for the Dales with the return of new lambs and new hope for the future. In a good Key Stage 2 lesson, pupils learned about Shrove Tuesday, and the Christian festival of Lent, and knew that it is a period of fasting and repentance, which begins on Ash Wednesday. They learned that the burning of palm crosses symbolises the cleansing of sins as Easter approaches. The actual burning of thoughts written on pieces of papers added great interest and involvement and underlined the significance of the lesson.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

120. There is appropriate attention to other religions, and a local Sikh has visited the school to speak about beliefs associated with Sikhism. The work produced by pupils following this visit indicates their understanding of some of the principles of this religion, and their respect for other people’s beliefs.

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