Orston Primary School

ORSTON COUNTY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th and 19 th September 2001

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ORSTON COUNTY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short 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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ORSTON COUNTY 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. Orston County Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Church Street Orston Nottinghamshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: September 1997 Orston County Primary School

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Team members

18463 Steve Bywater Registered inspector 9652 Colin Herbert Lay inspector 20655 Beryl Rimmer Team inspector

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Team members

TWA Inspections Ltd 5, Lakeside Werrington Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE4 6QZ

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Orston County Primary School

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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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Orston Primary School is a smaller than average primary school in a pleasant rural area on the outskirts of Nottingham. There are 131 pupils in the school, 68 boys and 63 girls, aged between 4 and 11 years. Numbers have been steadily rising for a number of years. The majority of pupils who attend the school live in the village of Orston and the surrounding villages and farms. Some of the villages are in geographically isolated areas. This means that some pupils have little social contact with children of their own age before they start school. A quarter of the school’s pupils come from outside the catchment area. Children’s attainment covers a wide range but is broadly average on intake to the reception year. While there is still a proportion of low-income families in the catchment area, there are many affluent families. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals (4 per cent) is low when compared with the national average and has

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

fallen since the last inspection. Eighteen pupils have been identified with special educational needs including four pupils who receive support from outside agencies. Their specific needs include moderate learning difficulty and specific learning difficulties. Of the children on the special educational needs register, eight come from out of catchment. There are no pupils from ethnic minority groups and no pupils speak English as an additional language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school with some very good features. Its strengths lie in the astute leadership of the headteacher supported by a dedicated team of teachers and a very effective governing body. The good quality teaching ensures pupils are taught well the basic skills in literacy and numeracy and a broad and balanced curriculum promotes pupils’ personal, moral and social development very well. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils achieve standards in English and mathematics which compare favourably with the national average. The school provides good value for money and parents are justifiably proud of the education their children receive at Orston Primary School.

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What the school does well

• Teaching is good and pupils make good progress. • The school is led well and there is a clear commitment by all to raise standards. • The provision for moral and social development is very good with the result that pupils have very good attitudes, behaviour and a strong sense of citizenship • Links with parents and the community are outstanding.

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What could be improved

• Some teachers do not use assessment information consistently or effectively enough. • The monitoring of teaching and pupils’ standards is not as effective as it could be. • The provision for pupils’ multi-cultural development is not well planned. 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. It has made satisfactory progress since that time although some issues identified still require further development. Standards in information and communications technology were highlighted as an area to develop during the last inspection. This aspect has improved significantly and the subject has a much stronger place in the curriculum. The information and communications technology curriculum has been reviewed, new equipment has been purchased and teachers have received effective training. However, the issue of monitoring teaching and the standards achieved as a result of the teaching has not been as effective as it could have been. Staffing changes and absences have prevented a systematic approach to monitoring in the last two years or so because the headteacher and other staff have had to cover classes at the expense of checking how well teachers were

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

teaching. As a result, some teaching of pupils last year was not as effective as it should have been. Orston County Primary School

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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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Key

1998 1999 2000 2000 very high A* English D A* A* A well above average above average A B Mathematics A B A* A average below average C D Science A C B C well below average E

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Key

In the national tests for 11 year olds in 2000, the school’s performance in English and mathematics was very high, being in the highest 5 per cent nationally. Results in science were above the national average. When compared with schools with a similar level of free school meals, results were well above average in English and mathematics and average in science. The school’s performance in tests in recent years has been broadly in line with most other schools.

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Key

In 2001, although there are no national figures available at the moment, the performance of pupils in Year 6 is lower than it was in 2000. There are a number of reasons to explain this. Firstly, with only a small number of pupils in the year group, each pupil has a significant impact on the overall performance of the school. A larger than normal proportion of pupils had special educational needs in 2001 and did not attain the nationally expected level but achieved well in terms of their prior attainment. However, the school expected a larger number of pupils to achieve higher levels than actually did so. The school was disappointed in this and has already put into place strategies to challenge and extend the higher attainers.

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Key

Children start in the reception class with broadly average levels of attainment. By the end of Year 2, pupils are working at levels above those normally expected for their age in English and mathematics. Throughout the school most pupils make good progress, but some high attainers could do better. The targets set by governors are reasonably challenging when considering the proportion of pupils expected to achieve nationally expected levels, however more pupils should achieve higher levels. The reason for this discrepancy is that the school is not using its assessment systems rigorously enough to monitor and predict pupils’ performance.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are keen to learn. They enjoy school and work hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good throughout the school day. Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong and value the feelings of others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Personal development is very good. Throughout the school, from the youngest to the oldest, responsibility is welcomed with enthusiasm. Relationships throughout the school are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Rates of attendance are above the national average. Orston County Primary School

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching is good overall and no unsatisfactory lessons were observed. Children in the reception class are taught well and this gives them a good start to their education. The teacher provides a broad range of activities to move the children on to their next stage of learning. The teacher is particularly strong in teaching children the social skills as she ensures that everyone is aware of school routines. The efforts of all children are valued and she has very high expectations of work and behaviour. During the inspection, in Key Stages 1 and 2 the teaching was also good. However, it was in the scrutiny of work and an analysis of teaching in Year 6 for part of last year that highlighted a weakness in a lack of challenge for higher attaining pupils. Neither did the marking pick up on untidy work. This weakness was not evident in the work of pupils this term. In most lessons the good teaching is characterised by the teachers’ good

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

knowledge and understanding of the subject, good levels of challenge resulting from high expectations, purposeful questioning and a good choice and use of resources. All teachers have good relationships with their pupils and they control them well. The teaching of English and mathematics is good overall. Strengths include the way that teachers give good explanations to pupils and clear instructions for the tasks that they ask pupils to do. Teachers ensure that pupils know what they are expected to learn in the lessons and as a result pupils are clearly focused and concentrate well. Impressive mental mathematics sessions are increasing pupils’ speed and their understanding of strategies which are then applied to solve problems. Review sessions at the end of literacy and numeracy lessons are consistently used well to consolidate learning and to provide a firm platform on which to develop further understanding. Teachers

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

provide many opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology across the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs learn rapidly due to the tightly targeted support as they receive one-to-one guidance from the conscientious special educational needs co-ordinator.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The school extends its basic curriculum by offering a good range of visits to places of interest, visitors into school and activities beyond the school day.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The school receives very limited additional support from the local education authority but provides focused attention for pupils with special educational needs either individually or in small groups to meet their needs.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good and a strength of the school. Staff provide good role models and have high expectations of their pupils to behave well. Pupils’ spiritual development is good. Whilst pupils have a good appreciation of their local culture, their understanding of other cultures is satisfactory and could be improved.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. Whilst there are good procedures for child protection and welfare, some other aspects of school, such as the monitoring and tracking of pupils’ progress are not effective enough.

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Aspect Comment

The curriculum is broad and balanced and enhanced by a good range of additional activities, including a residential visit for pupils in Year 6 to partake in sports such as archery and fencing. The school has exceptional links with parents and the local community. These make a very good contribution to pupils’ personal, social and moral development as well as providing the funding for an additional classroom. The school has a good range of assessment systems and teachers record the results of pupils’ assessments well. The teacher of pupils with special educational needs regularly updates her records of pupils’ learning and plans work according to pupils’ progress. However, some teachers do not make sufficient use of the Orston County Primary School

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Aspect Comment

Orston County Primary School information gleaned by their assessments when planning their work, especially to challenge higher attaining pupils in some classes. There is no effective method of tracking pupils’ progress throughout the school which could lead to individual pupils being targeted and thus ensuring they achieve the best they can.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher has a clear picture of what the school does well and where it needs to develop. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work well together. Staffing difficulties have curtailed the monitoring of teaching and pupils’ work over the past year and monitoring needs to be introduced in a more systematic way to identify weaknesses and ensure strengths are shared.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors are well informed and take a positive role in monitoring and supporting the work of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The school is beginning to make effective use of data but still has some way to go. Target setting is not yet based on sufficiently reliable tracking of pupils’ attainment to make it necessarily meaningful.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes efficient use of funding, especially to provide additional staff to support pupils with special educational needs.

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Aspect Comment

The school is well led and this is contributing to the high standards attained by most pupils. There is a very strong partnership between staff, parents and governors and this supports the school well. The school uses its money and resources effectively and the principles of best value are efficiently applied to spending decisions.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school and they make good progress. • The teaching is good and the school expects children to work hard and achieve their best. • The school works closely with parents and they feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • The school is well led and managed. • The school is helping pupils become mature and responsible. • The amount of work pupils do at home. • The amount of extra-curricular activities. • There were no specific points raised by parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

This table takes account of the views of 16 parents attending a meeting held with the registered inspector prior to the inspection and those expressed in 103 returned questionnaires. The inspection team agrees that parents are right to hold positive views. The school is well led and managed and parents are kept well informed about the life and work of the school as well as being given ample opportunities to come into school for social and informative events. Pupils do develop very positive attitudes and values and their behaviour is very good. The teaching is good overall and sometimes very good. As a result, most pupils make good progress throughout the school. Orston County Primary School

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Teaching is good and pupils make good progress

1. The school has placed a strong emphasis on maintaining high standards in literacy and numeracy over the past few years. Until the school experienced a dip in results in 2001, it had successfully achieved highly in the national tests for 7 and 11 year olds when compared with all schools and those with similar numbers of free school meals. In 2001, standards are likely to be average when compared with all schools nationally and fewer than expected pupils achieved the higher level (national comparisons have yet to be published). This was because more pupils than normal were on the special educational needs register and also because a temporary teacher’s expectation in Year 6 was not as high as others who taught in the same class. It must be stressed that small cohorts do lead to considerable variation in statistics.

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Teaching is good and pupils make good progress

2. One of the main reasons why pupils usually do well in English and mathematics is the particularly good teaching. Teachers have high expectations and expect pupils to succeed. As a result pupils’ learning accelerates. For example, in a Year 4 English lesson where pupils were looking at poetry based on their personal experiences on a ‘Sea Theme’, the teacher effectively reinforced pupils’ knowledge of parts of speech, encouraging pupils to use their imagination and expressive language. Pupils eagerly and confidently articulated ideas such as “the birds swooping down to the seashore”. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils enjoyed a ‘guess the number’ mental starter. Pupils were expected to concentrate well and the very good questioning teased out the reasons why pupils were arriving at their answers. The quality of questioning throughout the school and in all subjects was a positive feature of teaching. Teachers astutely draw out

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Teaching is good and pupils make good progress

responses from pupils to enable them to develop and deepen their knowledge and understanding.

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Teaching is good and pupils make good progress

3. In all lessons, teachers ensure that pupils are clear about what they have to do and why they are doing it. In a very good science lesson in Year 2, the teacher had organised an investigation about ‘floating and sinking’. Pupils had already been thinking about this at home prior to the lesson and were reminded of the purpose of the lesson at the start. Consequently they were able to predict, discuss and hypothesise about which item would sink or float and why. The well-organised lesson captured and held the interest of the pupils from the beginning and by the end of the lesson pupils showed they had retained and built upon what they had learned before. Teachers are enthusiastic and work hard to ensure that the lesson is well presented and that no time is wasted. Relationships are very good and teachers use praise well to celebrate pupils’ efforts. As a result, pupils feel that they are valued and there is a positive working atmosphere. For example, in an

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Teaching is good and pupils make good progress

excellent lesson in Year 1, the teacher created a wonderful feeling of warmth in the class as the pupils discussed the ‘specialness’ of their families.

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Teaching is good and pupils make good progress

4. In most lessons, teachers clearly plan activities which challenge all abilities. This often means that higher attaining pupils are stretched and those pupils who do not attain so highly are supported by more individual or group attention. However, the work from pupils in Year 6 last year did not show this and all pupils in the class were given identical work at times. This meant that higher attaining pupils in particular were not making the progress they were capable of. This does not appear to be the case this year.

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Teaching is good and pupils make good progress

5. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. This is the result of them being withdrawn to work on tightly focused activities that are specifically designed Orston County Primary School

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Teaching is good and pupils make good progress

Orston County Primary School for them. These activities demand exactly the right amount of intellectual challenge and enable pupils to respond with confidence.

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The school is led well and there is a clear commitment by all to raise standards

6. The headteacher is successful in promoting the positive ethos of the school. There is a keen sense of team spirit among staff; morale is high and the school functions with a common sense of purpose. The school has well-established aims and values, giving pupils a sense of pride in themselves, their work and their school. The promotion of self- respect, self-esteem and the importance of valuing others is evident at all times.

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The school is led well and there is a clear commitment by all to raise standards

7. A good school development plan very clearly establishes the priorities for development. These are firmly based on fulfilling the school’s aims and raising standards. Priorities are set out well so that it is clear who is responsible for relevant actions and how the success of each target will be judged. Strategies for improving the quality of education offered to pupils are clearly identified in the school’s plans for improvement. The planning is very good and makes the raising of standards and teaching central to its work.

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The school is led well and there is a clear commitment by all to raise standards

8. There are very good relationships between pupils and adults, and equality of opportunity for all pupils including those with special educational needs and the gifted and talented. Pupils who need additional support receive help with individual and small group teaching, whilst talented pupils have, in recent years, received specialist help at a local comprehensive school.

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The school is led well and there is a clear commitment by all to raise standards

9. The governing body meets its major statutory duties well through a very effective committee structure and the appointment of individuals to oversee key aspects of the school such as numeracy and special educational needs. Governors have a very good grasp of the strengths of the school and know which areas need improvement. Governors are very well informed about the life of the school and the standards and quality of education pupils receive. They are appropriately critical and committed to the school and the welfare of all within it. They share the values of the headteacher and staff, and work individually and collectively to the benefit of the school. They play a full part in working with the school to bring about improvements. Governors visit school regularly and have first hand experience of how the school runs.

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The school is led well and there is a clear commitment by all to raise standards

10. The headteacher applies a very businesslike approach to all financial management aspects of the school. There is a good understanding of the best value principles and they are applied vigorously when making any major decisions about purchases of equipment but less successfully in performance self-evaluation. The thoroughness of the financial planning provides very good support for the priorities that are identified in the school development plan. All specific grants are used effectively for the benefit of the school.

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have very good attitudes, behaviour and a strong sense of citizenship

11. The school community ensures that all pupils are encouraged to do their best. From an early age pupils respond well to the high expectations made of them. Children in the reception class quickly learn the routines of the school and respond well to the teacher’s high expectations. They are given a free choice of activities in order to promote their independence and do so with confidence. Pupils throughout the school know that their efforts to work hard and care for others are appreciated by adults who work in the school. Pupils are enthusiastic learners, they help each other and produce a substantial amount of work. At lunchtime, older pupils assume responsibilities easily and with competence and they care for their younger friends effectively. At all times, pupils are courteous and respectful of each other. In a discussion with a group of Year 6 pupils, inspectors were Orston County Primary School

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have very good attitudes, behaviour and a strong sense of citizenship

Orston County Primary School impressed by the very mature and confident way that pupils expressed their views. All pupils listened carefully to each other without interrupting. They spoke very warmly and fondly of their school, saying “school is brilliant and we have wonderful teachers”.

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have very good attitudes, behaviour and a strong sense of citizenship

12. Pupils behave very well at all times during the school day. Parents are very pleased with their children’s behaviour in and out of school. They are particularly proud of the compliments that are received about their children’s behaviour when on visits organised by the school to support the curriculum. Relationships in school are very good. Good work and good behaviour are rewarded in an assembly. Recipients receive a sticker, received in front of the school. Although teachers choose most pupils, some are chosen by fellow pupils.

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have very good attitudes, behaviour and a strong sense of citizenship

13. Pupils have a good understanding of what is happening in the world around them. During the inspection many pupils openly discussed and reflected maturely over the atrocity of the terrorist attack in New York. They are keen to contribute to charities such as Children in Need and Comic Relief, and they are well aware of the needs of others less fortunate than themselves. Pupils are also encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and to make their own decisions. For example, they are fully involved in determining the conduct and the behaviour that they can expect from each other. By involvement in the local education authority’s Trailblazer project pupils develop a deepening understanding of citizenship by considering global issues such as the greenhouse effect and pollution. They also become increasingly aware of how to resist the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse and violence and how to lead a healthy life. To support their knowledge and

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have very good attitudes, behaviour and a strong sense of citizenship

understanding of the need to be safe, pupils thoroughly enjoy their involvement in cycling proficiency and road safety. Basic water safety is also taught and pupils explain the benefits of such commendable activities by explaining “it helps us to be safer on the road and to think of other road users”, and when referring to basic life saving by water, “to be calm and relaxed in scary situations”.

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have very good attitudes, behaviour and a strong sense of citizenship

14. Pupils’ social development is promoted very well through outdoor pursuits and a residential visit where pupils partake in adventurous activities including orienteering, archery, fencing and wall-climbing. Pupils consequently increase their self-confidence, improve their skills of co-operation and working together and act as good representatives of the school. The school also extends its curriculum by offering a range of extra- curricular activities including recorders, handbells, games club, science club and French club. The school is keen to extend pupils’ involvement in sport by participating in a range of competitive sports with other schools. Parents provide valued support as their children engage in their rugby, orienteering and athletic events. Outside school, many pupils are members of uniformed organisations such as Brownies and Cubs and the school fully supports these to ensure the village keeps its identity.

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Links with parents and the community are outstanding

15. The school promotes itself very well to parents. Comments made at the parents’ meeting and responses to the questionnaire were very positive and parents clearly hold the school in very high esteem.

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Links with parents and the community are outstanding

16. Parents make a very strong contribution to school life and work of the school in several ways. Almost a third of all families have a parent who is in regular contact with the school. Many parents help out in class on a regular basis and more assist on educational and residential visits. Some provide specialist help, for example in helping with costumes and scenery at productions. Others provide help with information and control technology. Many others hear readers in class and on a regular basis at home. Parents who help in class are well briefed by teachers and have a clear view of what the lesson is about. Parents enjoy their work and are pleased to support wherever they can. The support Orston County Primary School

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Links with parents and the community are outstanding

Orston County Primary School provided by parents and carers to home reading and homework is very good and it makes a significant contribution to their children’s learning.

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Links with parents and the community are outstanding

17. The very supportive School Association provides generous support. They organise successful events such as the school barbecue. Last year, parents and the community raised an incredible £17,000 in three weeks to provide funding for an additional classroom.

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Links with parents and the community are outstanding

18. The information produced by the school for its parents is very good. The regular newsletters are informative and additionally parents are told what topics their children will be studying each term in curriculum letters. The quality of annual reports on progress is also very good and teachers make developmental comments and set targets.

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Links with parents and the community are outstanding

19. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept well informed and involved at an early stage in the process. Communication with them is very good throughout the time that pupils are on the special educational needs register. Links between home and school are regular and productive, and this helps to ensure that pupils receive good support.

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Some teachers do not use assessment information consistently or effectively enough

20. The school has put a lot of effort into improving its assessment procedures since the last inspection. The systems are now in place but they are not yet being used consistently or effectively enough.

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Some teachers do not use assessment information consistently or effectively enough

21. Test results and performance data are analysed much more thoroughly and this information is being used to set targets for future performance. However, teachers and governors are not looking at the big picture of how many pupils are achieving at different levels and some pupils who might be expected to achieve higher levels are not doing so. For example, not enough attention has been paid to the number of pupils who achieved highly when they were in Year 2 in 1997, and results in 2001 were somewhat lower than might reasonably have been expected based on the earlier results. This illustrates the fact that the school’s assessment systems are not yet secure enough in forecasting and tracking pupils’ attainment.

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Some teachers do not use assessment information consistently or effectively enough

22. Teachers identify clear objectives for pupils in their lesson plans and share them well with pupils to make them aware of their own learning. This generally works well and the rate of learning is brisk. For instance, in a Year 6 mathematics lessons, the teacher clearly outlined the purpose of the lesson and made good use of pupils’ previous work to highlight common mistakes and illustrate key teaching points. This was a good example of assessment being used effectively to influence the teachers’ planning and support pupils’ learning.

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Some teachers do not use assessment information consistently or effectively enough

23. The planning system which is used in school includes opportunities for teachers to record assessments for those children who do not achieve the objectives set out for the class. Teachers are less successful in recording how well and at what level pupils have exceeded the objectives. As a result class teachers often provide work that is based upon broad target levels and not on what pupils know, understand and can do. This means that there are times when work is either too easy or too difficult for particular pupils. This reduces the progress that they make. Some teachers are tending to focus too much on recording pupils’ achievements rather than using this information to help plan work that will move them further in their learning. Orston County Primary School

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Some teachers do not use assessment information consistently or effectively enough

Orston County Primary School 24. The school has introduced a range of tests and assessment tasks to monitor pupils’ attainment and progress at regular intervals. This is more effective in some subjects than others, especially when teaching matches pupils’ work against expected levels laid down by the National Curriculum for different ages of pupils.

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The monitoring of teaching and pupils’ standards is not as effective as it could be

25. Overall, the monitoring by the headteacher and subject co-ordinators is satisfactory but has been severely affected by staffing difficulties. On too many occasions, the good intentions of monitoring classroom practice has been postponed or cancelled due to teacher absences and a need to cover the classes. Whilst this is understandable, the monitoring procedures were not secure enough to pick up on difficulties in Year 6 where some teaching was not satisfactory. The co-ordinators of English, mathematics and science have begun to analyse the results of national tests and also collect samples of pupils’ work. They do not, however, undertake sufficient classroom monitoring in all classes in order to identify strengths and weaknesses. Neither have they scrutinised pupils’ work effectively to identify shortcomings in the quality of teaching and the quality of marking and, consequently, some weaknesses have been missed. The development of

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The monitoring of teaching and pupils’ standards is not as effective as it could be

the roles of co-ordinators is a recent initiative and has yet to have a significant impact in helping to improve standards.

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The provision for pupils’ multi-cultural development is not well planned

26. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good, with many opportunities for pupils to explore their own cultural heritage through the study of their local area. Pupils’ awareness of their own cultural traditions is very good and they have a good appreciation of the diversity and richness of other cultures such as the Aborigines. In religious education lessons, pupils demonstrate an awareness of other faiths and cultures. However, the planning is not secure. Teachers do not consider sufficiently what they want pupils to learn about other cultures and consequently, although very good work is produced at times, some teachers do not develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding in a systematic way. Some examples in the pupils’ work shows a misunderstanding about the culture of some groups of people and stereotyping which might be regarded as unintentionally offensive. In assemblies pupils learn about customs, festivals and

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The provision for pupils’ multi-cultural development is not well planned

celebrations of other faiths. Their awareness of ancient cultures is developed through the school’s history work on Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece for example. Cultural experiences include pupils listening to and sometimes performing, a range of music from different times and cultures in assemblies and in lessons. In art, pupils observe and paint in the style of famous artists such as JMW Turner and Paul Signac. There are also opportunities for pupils to experience the artwork of other cultures. Visits and visitors play a substantial part in promoting pupils’ cultural development. Orston County Primary School

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve the rate of pupils’ learning and make more effective use of assessments, by: Ø making sure that teachers understand the difference between assessment and recording; Ø making sure that teachers assess and evaluate what pupils can (or cannot) actually do; Ø making sure that assessments are accurate by matching them against the national levels set out for pupils in each subject; Ø identifying opportunities to assess and evaluate whether pupils have learned what was intended in each lesson or sequence of lessons; Ø making use of the results of assessments to help teachers plan work that builds on what pupils already know; Ø ensuring that pupils’ progress is tracked more precisely to provide more accurate targets for individual pupils and the school;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) establish more systematic procedures involving the headteacher, curriculum co- ordinators and governors in critically evaluating the work of the staff by: Ø reviewing and analysing their performance; Ø monitoring and evaluating the curriculum; Ø regularly and effectively scrutinising the standards of pupils’ work so that strengths and weaknesses are identified; Ø taking action to improve quality and standards and ensure best practice is shared throughout the school;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) reconsider the planning of topics to ensure that it: Ø systematically develops pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding; Ø ensures that information about other cultures is accurate and carefully discussed.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraph 26) Orston County Primary School

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 8 42 42 8 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. [When the total number is substantially less than 100, add] Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one [two, three, etc] percentage point[s].

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) No nursery 131

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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 5 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 23

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

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

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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 2000 13 9 22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (94) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (94) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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

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

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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 2000 3 9 12

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (83) 100 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (83) 100 (83) 100 (83) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Orston County Primary School

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 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.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.9 Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 327,696

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 331,421

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 39 Expenditure per pupil 2,652

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 13,383

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A Balance carried forward to next year 9,658

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult N/A FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0.0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Orston County Primary School

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 54 40 2 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 57 41 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 35 51 10 3 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 31 56 10 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 75 23 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 72 26 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 47 47 6 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 77 20 1 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 40 2 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 41 47 6 2 4

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