Cradley CofE Primary School

CRADLEY CE VA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 21 st – 24 th January 2002

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CRADLEY CE VA 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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CRADLEY CE VA 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. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Church Road Cradley Halesowen West Midlands Postcode: B63 2UL

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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: 13 th October 1997 Cradley CE VA Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

13712 Mr Stephen Dennett Registered inspector Mathematics Design and technology Equal Opportunities What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9013 Mrs Anita Strong Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 31975 Mrs Kay Andrews Team inspector Science Art and design Music Special educational needs How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

20003 Mrs Susan Metcalfe Team inspector English Information and communication technology History English as an additional language 18498 Mrs Denise Morris Team inspector Geography Physical education Foundation Stage Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Evenlode Associates Ltd 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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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 Cradley CE VA 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? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Cradley Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School provides full time education for 212 pupils, 93 boys and 119 girls. Nearly all pupils are from a white United Kingdom background, with only two pupils of a white non-European origin. No pupils speak English as an additional language. Children enter the school with a wide range of abilities, but overall attainment is broadly average. Fifty-one pupils are identified on the register for pupils with special educational needs, which is below average. Of these pupils, thirty-seven are at the early stage of school group monitoring, twelve are on school action and two pupils have statements of special educational needs. One pupil is currently disapplied from national tests, due to the nature of the disabilities, but otherwise follows the full national curriculum. The majority of pupils identified have weaknesses in either literacy or numeracy. The school has also identified 27 gifted

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

and talented pupils and special provision is also made for them. The social and economic circumstances of pupils attending the school are broadly average, but improving. Fifteen pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below average. The number of pupils requiring free schools meals has halved since 2000.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school with many strengths and no significant weaknesses. Standards are well above average and the quality of teaching is very good. The leadership and management of the school are very good. Taking into account the relatively high income per pupil, the school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

 Standards are very high overall and pupils achieve very well.  Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationship are very good.  Teaching and learning are very good overall.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.  There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and for gifted and talented pupils.  There are very good systems for monitoring pupils’ academic and personal development.  Parents have very positive views of the school.  The leadership and management of the school are very good.

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What could be improved

 Standards in physical education and art and design.  Standards in information and communication technology.  Provision for outdoor play at the Foundation Stage.  The monitoring of teaching and learning in science and foundation subjects.  Ensuring that all legal requirements are met. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has improved considerably since it was last inspected in 1997. It has fully addressed the issues raised at that time and made significant improvements in other areas. The first issue raised by the last report was to extend the use of ‘learning objectives’ in lesson planning. This has been implemented in all lesson plans and teachers routinely share with pupils what they need to learn. This has greatly increased pupils’ understanding of their own learning and improved their levels of achievement in most subjects. The school was also required to improve the recording and use of assessment information. This has also been addressed well and there are now manageable systems in place for all subjects. Assessment is used very well in English, mathematics and science to set targets for improvement for individuals and groups. In other subjects, good use is made of assessment information to ensure pupils’ progress is

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

tracked accurately as they move through the school. Finally, the school was required to improve the quality of teaching at Key Stage 1. This has been addressed well. The quality of teaching at this key stage is now good overall, with some very good teaching being seen during the inspection. Although not identified as areas for improvement in the last report, there have been improvements in overall standards at both key stages, especially Key Stage 1. The overall quality of teaching has improved from good to Cradley CE VA Primary School - 7 very good. There have been significant improvements in the leadership and management of the school and the school has continued to improve its already good ethos for learning. Standards have improved overall in mathematics, science, and geography, as well as maintaining good standards in design and technology and music. Improvements have been made in the provision for pupils with special educational

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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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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

1999 2000 2001 2001 English A* A C C well above average above average A B mathematics A A B B average below average C D science A A* A A well below average E

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

The above table shows that in English, pupils achieved standards that were close to the national average. In comparison to schools with a similar number of pupils eligible for free school meals, standards were also average. In mathematics, standards were above both the national average and those found in similar schools. Standards in science were well above average, both compared nationally and in comparison to similar schools. These results were not as good as in previous years, but the school has presented information that shows that the cohort taking the test contained a higher than normal proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Three of these pupils only missed getting the average grade (level 4) by one mark. The school missed achieving the local authority’s target for English by five percentage points and by two percentage points in mathematics. However, the school did reach its own estimated targets

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

based on the cohort’s previous performance in internal assessments. Pupils’ achievements in national tests in 2001 at the end of Key Stage 1 were very good. In reading and writing, pupils achieved results that were in the top five per cent nationally and compared to similar schools. In mathematics, standards were well above average both compared nationally and to similar schools. There has been a steady improvement in results at Key Stage 1 since 1998. Observed standards at the end of Year 6, when pupils transfer to secondary school, are well above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils achieve very well in relation to their prior attainment in English, mathematics and science. Standards are well above expectations in music and pupils achieve very well. Pupils achieve well in design and technology and standards are above expectations. Standards are close to national expectations in art and design,

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

geography, history, information and communication technology and physical education.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very positive attitudes towards school and their work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good overall. Pupils are polite, helpful and generally follow instructions promptly.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships between pupils themselves and between pupil and teachers are very good. Pupils’ personal development is good and older pupils take responsibility for a wide number of tasks around the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is satisfactory and is close to the national average. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 8

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

Quality of teaching Very Good Good Very 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

The quality of teaching is very good overall. In the lessons seen during the inspection, teaching varied from excellent to satisfactory. Teaching is particularly good at the Foundation Stage and in upper Key Stage 2. Both English and mathematics are taught very well throughout the school and pupils are making very good progress in their learning as a result. The teaching of literacy and numeracy skills is also very good. Where teaching is very good, teachers have extensive subject knowledge, which they use very well to stimulate interest and enjoyment in learning. As a consequence, pupils are enthusiastic about lessons, concentrate very well and put great effort into their work. Teachers’ planning is very good and has clear statements about what pupils need to learn. These ‘learning objectives’ are shared with pupils, who, as a consequence, have a good knowledge of their own learning. Teachers make very effective use of their

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

day-to-day assessment of pupils’ progress and provide pupils with challenging targets for further improvement. Great care is taken to ensure that the work given to pupils is well matched to their abilities and all pupils make at least good progress in their learning, irrespective of their gender, ethnic background or prior attainment. The school is particularly successful in meeting the needs of pupils with exceptional abilities by providing extra support and tasks that ensure they meet their full potential. Where teaching is less effective, insecure behaviour management means the noise levels in some lesson are too high. When this happens, the pace of learning drops and pupils lose interest. However, behaviour management is generally very good and the pace of learning brisk. All teachers have high expectations of pupils and as a consequence, standards have been maintained at a high level in most classes.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum There is a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, which meets the needs of all pupils well. The provision for extra-curricular activities is good. The school has taken great steps to ensure that all pupils have access to the curriculum, including those with physical disabilities. Parents make a very significant positive contribution to pupils’ learning, by supporting teachers in the classroom and their children with their schoolwork at home.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for pupils with special needs is very good and as a result, they make very good progress in their learning. Provision for gifted and talented pupils is also very good and the work provided for them ensures that they reach their full potential.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Overall, provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Although provision for pupils’ cultural development is good overall, opportunities are missed to develop pupils’ understanding and knowledge of cultures other than their own. School assemblies make a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares for its pupils very well. There are good procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare. Procedures for eliminating bullying are excellent. The school has very good procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic performance and their personal development. Assessment information is used very well to guide curricular planning. The school also provides very good educational and personal support for its pupils. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides excellent personal leadership for the school. She is well supported by senior staff and the impact of their combined leadership and management is very good overall. The contribution of staff with curriculum management responsibilities is good overall.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The Governing Body fulfils its responsibilities well. Governors have a very effective role in shaping the direction of the school and have a good grasp of its strengths and weaknesses. The work of the Governing Body is well supported by a number of effective sub-committees.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school’s monitoring and evaluation of its performance is good. There has been careful monitoring and evaluation of teaching by senior staff and governors, mainly in core subjects. The school’s priorities for development are very well focussed and effective action has been taken to meet targets.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes very good use of all its resources. Very effective financial planning ensures that all its educational priorities are supported well. Very good use is made of technology to record and analyse information. All grants are used very effectively to improve the quality of education provided. The school is well resourced and the accommodation is well maintained. However, some classrooms in upper Key Stage 2 are small and this restricts some practical activities. Staffing levels are very good and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. The school applies the principles of best value very well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

 Staff are approachable and the headteacher is very effective.  Teaching is of a high quality and pupils receive plenty of support.  Pupils make good progress and levels of achievement are good.  The school sets high standards and achieves good results.  More able pupils need to be ‘pushed’ more.  Pupils are not given enough homework.  There is not enough emphasis on physical education.  There is not enough feedback on pupils’ progress.  Parents do not receive enough information.  There are not enough after school clubs for younger pupils.  Pupils should not learn ‘joined up’ writing so young.  Discipline is not strong enough in some classes.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents generally have very positive views of the school. The inspection team agrees with all the positive comments made by parents. In response to what parents would like to see improved, inspectors would like to offer the following comments. More able pupils are given work that is well matched to their needs and, as a result, they are generally making good progress in relation to their abilities. The amount of homework given meets government guidelines and supports pupils learning in the classroom well. The team agrees that physical education has been given less emphasis recently and the school has plans to improve this aspect of the curriculum. The team also agrees that reports to parents could include more information on what pupils need to do to improve their work further. However, the team is of the opinion that the amount and quality of information provided for parents is generally good. The school has

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

recognised the need to provide more extra-curricular activities for younger pupils and is currently putting its plans into effect to address this issue. The stage at which pupils begin to use ‘joined up’ writing is prescribed in the National Curriculum and the school has ensured that this requirement has been met. The team has observed that in a few classes the management of pupils’ behaviour is insecure. This has been drawn to the attention of the teachers concerned and the school. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Pupils enter Year 1 with levels of achievement that closely match the early learning goals for the Foundation Stage. In the 2001 national tests for Key Stage 1, standards were very high in reading and writing compared to national averages and in comparison with similar schools. Standards in mathematics were well above the national average and those found in similar schools. The proportion for pupils achieving the higher level 3 was very high in reading and writing and well above average in mathematics. There has been a steady improvement in standards since the last inspection, especially in writing and mathematics. There is very little difference in the performance of boys and girls.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The standards observed at Key Stage 1 are generally good. Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics and attain standards that are above average in both subjects by the end of Year 2. In science and music they achieve standards that are well above the national expectations. Pupils’ achievements in literacy and numeracy are very good and they are making very good progress in the acquisition of these basic skills. For example, most pupils can recite their 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x tables rapidly and accurately. Pupils achieve well in design and technology, geography, history and information and communication technology and standards in these subjects are close to expectations. In art and design and physical education, pupils’ achievement and levels of attainment are broadly average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. At Key Stage 2, in the 2001 national tests, standards were close to average in English compared nationally and in comparison to similar schools. Standards were above the national average in mathematics and also above standards found in similar schools. In science, standards were well above average compared nationally and in comparison to similar schools. Standards were above average overall in all three core subjects, both compared nationally and in comparison to similar schools. These results were not as high as in 2000, but this was largely due to the significant minority of pupils with special educational needs in the cohort. These pupils had made good progress from a low base and indeed some only missed getting level 4 by 1 mark. The proportion of pupils gaining the higher level 5 in English and mathematics was above average and in science, the proportion gaining level 5 was well above average. Standards in English were not as

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

high in 2001 as at the time of the last inspection. However, there have been improvements in mathematics and science since 1997. The school missed achieving the local authority’s target for English by five percentage points and by two percentage points in mathematics. However, the school did meet its own estimates based on the prior performance of the cohort, which had been tracked in detail since Year 4.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Observed standards at Key Stage 2 are generally very good. They achieve very well in English, mathematics and science and standards are well above average by the end of the key stage. Pupils also achieve very well in music and standards are well above expectations. Pupils’ achievements in literacy and numeracy are very good and they are making very good progress in the acquisition of basic skills. In Year 6, for example, pupils can rapidly convert fractions into equivalent decimal fractions, as well as convert vulgar fractions into mixed numbers using quick mental calculations. Pupils achieve well in design and technology, geography, history and information and communication technology and standards in these subjects are close to expectations. In art and design and physical education, pupils’ achievement and levels of attainment are broadly average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. All pupils generally achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress overall, as they receive very good quality support from teachers and learning assistants. The well-conceived withdrawal lessons for English and mathematics means that pupils get tasks and activities that are well matched to their needs. Gifted and talented pupils are also well supported and make good progress in their learning as a result. For example, the school has predicted that at least two pupils in Year 6 are capable of Cradley CE VA Primary School - 11 reaching level 6 in mathematics and these very able pupils are receiving additional focussed teaching to ensure they reach their potential. There are no significant differences in the progress of boys and girls, and the very few pupils from ethnic minorities make similar progress to their peers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6. The attitudes and behaviour of pupils are very positive. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are keen to learn and show very high levels of interest in their lessons. Very good standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Parents believe that pupils behave very well and inspection findings concur with this point of view. They open doors for adults, are polite and courteous, and help each other on many occasions. Pupils benefit from the good range of activities provided, which foster interest and enjoyment. In practical activities, pupils exhibit often excellent behaviour. For example, in science, art and design and swimming, pupils were observed responding very positively to their teachers. They benefited from very good management and planning, which meant that they could experiment and try new ideas out for themselves. Pupils are clear about how they should behave, and they know right from wrong.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

They say ‘sorry’ quickly if they bump into another pupil, and they respect the viewpoints of their peers. There have been no exclusions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. When pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are at their best, they have a very positive impact on learning. For example, in Year 5, the very good behaviour of all pupils ensured that their skills in design and technology were developing very well. In Year 6, in a mathematics lesson, the excellent atmosphere for learning enabled pupils to rise to the challenge of work at a very high level for their age. However, when behaviour is less appropriate, such as in a few lessons of physical education, standards drop. Just occasionally, the silly behaviour of a few pupils inhibits the learning of others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils’ personal development is good. They enjoy taking on simple responsibilities, helping to tidy the environment and the classrooms, supporting each other and taking messages. They have the opportunity to belong to the School Council, in which they help to negotiate new ideas and make changes to the life of the school. For example, the current School Council is concerned about the lack of play equipment and resources in the playground. They are working with staff to decide what needs to happen to improve conditions for all pupils, including the youngest children in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils with special educational needs have very good attitudes to their learning and they behave very well in lessons. Very occasionally, where support is not fully focused on keeping them engaged on their tasks, their attention wanders and they disengage from their work.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils across the school work well in pairs and small groups. They negotiate and discuss their work and often make joint decisions. For example, in information and communication technology in Year 4, pupils discussed how to transfer floor turtle instructions onto the screen, in a very mature manner, and negotiated the next steps of learning with their partners. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development of pupils are effectively promoted by the very good support and reward systems that are in place.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The school works hard to maintain the level of attendance found at the last inspection. Whereas the national average has decreased, attendance at the school has remained consistent. There are no unauthorised absences due to rigorous monitoring. Pupils are keen to attend, arrive promptly and lessons begin on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. The quality of teaching is very good overall and as a result, pupils make very good progress in their learning. A total of 50 lessons or parts of lessons were observed. In these lessons, the teaching was excellent in two, very good in 16, good in 23 and satisfactory in nine. No Cradley CE VA Primary School - 12 unsatisfactory teaching was seen. This is a significant improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection, especially at Key Stage 1. 13. The quality of teaching at the Foundation Stage is generally very good. As a result, pupils make very good progress overall in their learning. At the time of the inspection, half the class had only been in school eight days. Already they were making good progress in their social skills and had settled in well. They were also making very good progress in acquiring early reading and writing skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 1 is good overall. Teachers have good subject knowledge, which is used well to ensure that pupils make good progress in their acquisition of basic skills. Planning is very good and teachers regularly share with pupils what they need to learn in lessons. As a result, most pupils have a good grasp of their own learning and progress. The tasks and activities provided by teachers are well matched to the needs of pupils and as a result, most pupils concentrate very well and put considerable effort into their work. For example, in a design and technology lesson in Year 1, pupils were divided into small groups to work at activities to improve their manipulative skills. They worked very hard for 20 minutes, concentrating and helping each other amicably. As a result, very good progress was made in the acquisition of basic making skills during the lesson. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

achievement, and all lessons are well organised. Good use is made of time and resources. Learning support assistants are generally used well to support pupils’ learning, especially those with special educational needs. As a result, these pupils make very good progress in their learning. Gifted and talented pupils are also supported well and achieve very well in relation to their underlying abilities. Effective use is made of ongoing assessment in English and mathematics to set targets for improvement and to adjust planning where necessary. Assessment systems are less well developed in other subjects, but teachers know their pupils well and good relationships ensure that pupils make at least satisfactory progress. Homework is used well to extend pupils’ learning, especially their reading and arithmetical skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 is very good. Very effective planning ensures that pupils are very aware of what they have to learn and the standards they need to achieve. Tasks and activities are very well matched to the needs of all pupils and, as a consequence, all pupils make very good progress overall, irrespective of their gender, ethnic background or prior attainment. Teachers carry out good evaluations of their lessons and planning is adjusted effectively to ensure pupils learn at an optimum rate. Teachers have very good subject knowledge, which is used well to capture pupils’ interest. As a result, pupils put great effort into their work and concentrate very well in lessons. The teaching of basic skills is very good and pupils are making very good progress, especially in mathematics and science. Teachers are very effective in providing a safe and well-controlled learning environment. Their high expectations result in very

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

well disciplined pupils, who persist for long periods at difficult tasks. For example, in one excellent lesson in Year 6, pupils were learning how to convert vulgar fractions into mixed numbers. They worked in almost complete silence for 30 minutes, checking and re-checking their answers to ensure they were right. These quiet working conditions ensured all pupils learned very well and quickly grasped new concepts. Very good use is made of assessment in English and mathematics to set new targets for individuals and groups. Assessment in other subjects is less detailed, but nonetheless provides enough information to ensure that pupils make generally good progress. In a few lessons in Years 3 and 4, teachers’ control of pupils was a little insecure and in these lessons noise levels rose to an unacceptable volume. As a consequence, the pace of the lesson slackened and learning was only just satisfactory. In part, these weaknesses are due to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the inexperience of newly qualified members of staff and the school is providing good quality professional development to address the issue. Throughout the Key Stage good use is made of resources to support learning, with the exception of information and communication technology, where opportunities are frequently missed to support pupils’ learning through the use of appropriate technology. Very good use is made of learning support staff, who make a very valuable contribution to pupils’ learning throughout the school. Homework is used well to support pupils’ learning and to prepare them for the next stage in their education.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The teaching of English, mathematics, science and music is very good overall. Teachers provide pupils with stimulating, challenging and worthwhile experiences. The quality of learning in these Cradley CE VA Primary School - 13 four subjects is very good as a result. The teaching of literacy is very good and pupils make very good progress in relation to their prior attainment. Very good opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their reading skills and great encouragement is given to improving writing and spelling. Numeracy is also taught very well and pupils have very good mental strategies for working out quite complicated arithmetical problems. Because pupils are very fluent in their basic computational skills, they use them frequently and effectively in other subjects. Teaching is good overall in design and technology, geography, and information and communications technology. As a result, pupils generally learn well in these subjects. There are, however,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

insufficient opportunities for pupils to practise their computer skills in other subjects. The teaching of physical education, history and art and design is satisfactory overall and learning in these subjects is likewise satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching of higher attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs is very effective, because when they plan lessons, teachers successfully present a very wide range of work aimed at meeting the needs of all ability levels in their classes. Teachers, in order to support and encourage pupils with their tasks, effectively deploy support staff and volunteer helpers. Effective teamwork has been developed between teachers and their assistants, which has a very good impact on pupils’ learning. They fully share planning so that support is very well focused on what pupils need to achieve. In many classes, while whole class input is happening, support assistants compile comprehensive field notes on what pupils are achieving in the lesson and their application to learning. These notes are thoroughly discussed and teacher planning is often adapted as a result. Booster groups for numeracy have been effective in raising the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

standards of less able pupils at the end of Key Stage 2.

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PUPILS?

18. The last inspection reported that the curriculum was good and it remains so. A number of improvements have been made since that time, which have continued to extend the already good learning opportunities available to pupils. All statutory requirements are met. Schemes of work to underpin teachers’ planning have been regularly reviewed and thoroughly adapted to meet new requirements and the needs of the school, except for the art curriculum, which still needs further adaptation. The school is fully inclusive and gender aware, and equal opportunities are addressed well in all documentation and in the daily practice of the school. Great care, for example, is taken to ensure that pupils withdrawn for extra maths or literacy work, or instrumental tuition, do not miss the same lessons regularly. Due regard is given to both the needs of able pupils and those with special educational needs, as provision for a differentiated curriculum is built into the very

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PUPILS?

good quality planning of teachers. Recently, improved inclusion for pupils with physical disabilities has been addressed rigorously. The school’s strategy for teaching literacy skills is good and this has had a positive impact on the standards pupils achieve. The strategy for teaching numeracy skills is very effective and pupils achieve high standards in their mental work.

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PUPILS?

19. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage, who are in the reception class, is good. It has recently been rewritten and carefully developed to reflect the six areas of learning for children of this age. A current focus of the school improvement plan is to develop links between this curriculum and that of the whole school to improve progression in learning. The programme of work is well planned to provide interesting, exciting activities, balancing direct teaching and good structured play. A shortcoming is the lack of provision for structured outdoor play, where skills of balance, control and mobility could be developed on a range of balancing, climbing and other apparatus.

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PUPILS?

20. Provision for pupil’s personal, social and health education is good. Improving this aspect has been a high priority for the school and a new, good quality policy and programme of work has been devised, which now includes citizenship and law and order. It has a strong thread of spiritual, moral, social and cultural education running through it and is planned through a mixture of discrete teaching and also as part of the topics of the curriculum. The dangers of smoking and healthy eating and exercise, for example, are well incorporated into the science Cradley CE VA Primary School - 14 curriculum. Pupils, as a result of this good provision, are taught to be caring of themselves, each other and their environment. An omission is provision of a drugs policy, but this is being addressed currently. 21. Provision for extra-curricular activities is good overall, despite concerns expressed by some parents. Pupils enjoy a broad range of musical and sporting activities, which are open to all

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PUPILS?

pupils, boys and girls and those with special educational needs. These clubs make a good contribution to physical and social development. Information and communication technology and art clubs are also very well attended. The school was aware of a lack of provision at Key Stage 1 and has taken steps to address this. A football club is now operational and Key Stage 1 pupils will be brought onto the School Council in order that their views, on which clubs they would like, can be gathered. Pupils’ learning also benefits from residential visits and the very wide range of other visits and activities out into the community. Recently, the choir sang at Worcester Cathedral and Dudley Castle and made a CD with a pop group.

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PUPILS?

22. The school’s links with the community have become more effective since the last inspection and are now very good. The link with the church remains very strong. The curate and other visitors take assemblies and services are held in St. Peter’s Church on appropriate occasions. The school provides a variety of visits. For example, pupils have been to the Black Country Museum, Kinver Rock Caves, Worcester ‘Commanderie’. Pupils in Year 6 undertake a residential visit to Kingswood, which enriches many areas of the curriculum. Pupils in Year 5 have tried their skills at bricklaying at Dudley College. The school makes good use of educational professionals when required and there are visits from the animal man, police officer and drugs awareness personnel. Senior residents from Micron House attend the Christmas play and a senior citizen visits the school to recall earlier experiences. The school regularly competes in a variety of competitions,

p.14

PUPILS?

winning ‘Dudley Library Book’ quiz, ‘Newman College’ poetry competition, were area winners of the West Midlands Police ‘Caring Cool’ and with their ‘Blue Team’ of fire officers, won the ‘Fire Quiz’ last year. Individual pupil successes in writing and art are also celebrated. The choir sings in the summer musical festival at Dudley Castle and there are strong links with the community in sports. Pupils show care for others by raising money for charities such as ‘Help the Aged’, ‘Children in Distress’, ‘Tear Fund’ and ‘Comic Relief.’ The school has reached out into the wider community and there is now a pen pal link with a school in Trento, Italy.

p.14

PUPILS?

23. Relationships with partner institutions are good. The school is a member of the ‘Primary Cradley Cluster’, which through termly meetings enables headteachers to discuss current business and the pupils are given the chance to work together on creative art days held at the high school. There is a good induction programme in place for children coming into the school both from privately run or local authority nurseries or pre-school groups. Home visits or private interviews are available to families besides the new parents evening and the children are able to visit the reception class twice a week for five weeks before admission. The good procedures for preparing pupils in Year 6 for the next stage of their education have been maintained since the last inspection. The school has literacy and numeracy meetings with Windsor High School and strong links with Cradley High School, the two main schools to which pupils in Year 6 transfer. The

p.14

PUPILS?

school is in partnership with Newman College for teacher training and regularly receives students for mentoring by those staff who are qualified.

p.14

PUPILS?

24. Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. Provision for the spiritual development of pupils is a strength. The caring, Christian ethos that pervades all areas of the school successfully promotes pupils’ awareness of their own responsibilities for caring and helping others less fortunate than themselves. The very high number of links with agencies in the wider community, such as ‘Help the Aged’ and children’s charities around the world, is a particular strength. Pupils at the school show very good awareness of the struggles of others. They have many opportunities to reflect on this, and on their own lives. Assemblies play a very important role in developing pupils’ spirituality. Themes, such as ‘social responsibility’ and ‘looking after the world’, offer opportunities for pupils to think carefully about the world around them. Within the curriculum there are also opportunities to develop their own spirituality. For example, in

p.14

PUPILS?

music, pupils listen carefully and enjoy the various composers that they hear. In art and design, they enter local competitions and develop their skills through observation and reflection. Challenging and inspiring history lessons encourage pupils to focus on the changes over time and Cradley CE VA Primary School - 15 differences between then and now. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on fundamental issues and develop their own insights into their individual awareness of God on a regular daily basis.

p.14

PUPILS?

25. Provision for moral development is very good. The very good behaviour systems that are in place in all key stages, lead to very good behaviour and positive attitudes across the school. Pupils value and respect the reward systems and work hard to receive a sticker in the younger classes, or a team point in the older ones. In all aspects of their school life, pupils are taught right from wrong. They benefit from effective moral teaching in assembly, where they learn to be kind, and care for each other. For example, in one assembly, pupils discussed how to look after, and care for, plants. They showed good understanding of what happens when plants are neglected. Good emphasis was placed on the need to care for people and all living things, as well as their own environment. Pupils behave well in and around the school, because they are clearly aware of the established routines. Clear systems are in place to ensure that behaviour is effectively monitored

p.15

PUPILS?

26. Provision for social development is also very good. There are very many examples of pupils working together, sharing and helping each other. They are encouraged to work in pairs, and small groups, and to negotiate with each other in many practical sessions. It is particularly evident in subjects such as information and communication technology, where they share systems very well, and in physical education where they often work in twos. Pupils are reminded about their social responsibilities as they raise money for different charities. For example, they have supported many children’s charities, such as ‘21 st Century Child’, which helps suffering children in countries such as Albania and Kosovo. They have worked closely with local residents, sharing their school with elderly visitors, and taking part in a crime prevention award. The extra-curricular provision in the school is very strong and plays a major role in the high

p.15

PUPILS?

standards of social skills achieved by pupils.

p.15

PUPILS?

27. Provision for cultural development is good. Pupils work hard to support people from other countries who are less fortunate than they are. They develop their awareness of other cultures and customs in geography and in religious education. For example, pupils in Key Stage 2 have undertaken studies of the lives of people in Kenya and in Indonesia. In religious education in Key Stage 1, pupils learn about celebrations and festivals from other faiths, and in Key Stage 2, they explore the key beliefs of Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. Pupils learn about their own cultural traditions through local visits in geography and history. They have studied the local village life in Kinver, and undertaken a river study at Woodgate Valley. There are effective links in literacy to a school in Italy. Pupils write letters and send and receive examples of work from their Italian pen-friends. They enjoy listening to music and studying the work of artists.

p.15

PUPILS?

However, not enough focus is placed on experiencing beliefs and life-styles of different groups in the wider community. This is a weakness in the provision and does not sufficiently prepare pupils for life after school in a multi-cultural society.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

28. This school is a very caring school. It makes good provision to ensure pupils’ welfare and works hard to be successful in its aims to make each pupil’s school experience happy and profitable. The caring and supportive environment experienced by the last inspection has been maintained and procedures found satisfactory last time are now very good. Pastoral care is the responsibility of the class teachers who, together with classroom assistants, know their pupils very well, are sensitive to their needs and provide very good personal support and guidance. The very positive relationships between pupils and staff encourage pupils to raise any concerns they may have.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. Child Protection procedures are very good and staff are aware of the need to be vigilant. Pupils at the school say they feel safe and well looked after, and parents have positive views about this aspect of school life. Health and safety is satisfactory overall, with very detailed risk assessments carried out for every school visit. Some concerns were brought to the attention of the school and were addressed immediately or put on the agenda in the near future. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very good. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 16 30. Attendance is carefully monitored, the school is now using the computerised registration system, parents are given regular reminders about the importance of good attendance and there are awards for pupils for full attendance. The importance of good attendance is a main item in the home/school agreement and its success can be seen by the growing number of 100 per cent

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

attendance certificates and the reluctance of pupils to miss school even through illness. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good whilst procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour are excellent. Procedures are consistently applied throughout the school and pupils are aware of the standards of behaviour expected of them and respond accordingly, which creates an orderly environment conducive to learning.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. Pupils are very well supported in their personal development. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and for others. Many pupils are monitors and pupils in Year 6 look after the reception office at lunchtime. House points reward exceptional effort and the headteacher sends certificates given out during ‘Praise Assembly’ and letters of achievement to pupils’ parents. Citizenship is now in evidence in the recently formed School Council, which takes on any concerns voiced by their fellow pupils, who in turn, are very supportive. A vast majority of parents confirmed the school was helping their child to become mature and responsible. A letter was sent to the inspection team by some pupils in Year 5, confirming how much they enjoyed being at school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The monitoring of pupils’ academic performance is very good. There is an exemplary whole school system in place for English and mathematics, from baseline upon entry to the school through half termly assessments in English and mathematics to the use annually of optional assessments using the format of the statutory tests. Science and the foundation subjects are also carefully assessed using a simple but effective colour coded system at the end of each block of work against targets drawn from the national curriculum. Pupils’ writing samples are recorded in individual ‘progress books’ which go through the school with pupils, enabling them to see the progress they are making as each piece is levelled against the national curriculum levels of attainment. These are also levelled to show pupils’ national curriculum levels.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. There is very good use made of assessment data to inform teachers’ curricular planning. Statutory assessments and tests for pupils in years 2 and 6 are analysed and the findings used to support future work, including targets for each year group and the school. Subject managers use the data well to revisit the school’s schemes of work for English and mathematics, ensuring that areas of identified weakness are addressed. Teachers translate information gained through analysing the work in the progress books and end of block assessments into the lessons they plan to teach, aiming to raise standards further. Through the progress books all pupils know the levels at which they are working in English and mathematics and the data is used to draw up individual pupil’s targets. This information is shared with parents and forms an important part of the home/school partnership.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school is very caring of pupils with special educational needs. Everybody makes a considerable effort to ensure they are fully integrated into the life and work of the school. All clubs and activities, including residential visits are open to all pupils. Parents say that pupils are taught to be very caring of other pupils with disabilities and this view is fully justified. The headteacher and special needs co-ordinator thoroughly analyse all end of year and end of key stage assessment tests and use the information gleaned to review targets in the individual education plans of pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils. Good links with outside agencies have been developed and intervention is organised at this time if required. Records are comprehensive and relevant.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

35. Parents are very satisfied with all aspects of the school. The last inspection found a committed partnership between pupils, parents and staff and this partnership remains a strength of the school, with a vast number of parents saying they have no concerns and feel very welcome in the Cradley CE VA Primary School - 17 school. They are particularly satisfied with the fact that their children like school, the progress their children are making, the Christian ethos of the school and that the school helps their children to become mature and responsible.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. Most parents support the school very well by hearing their children read at home, recording their remarks in the home school book and ensuring homework is done. A small minority of parents, five per cent of the questionnaires returned, felt the school did not work closely with them and had concerns about approaching the school with a problem. The school has held a parent’s survey, had discussions with parents and has made every effort to address the matter.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. The quality of information is good. Newsletters are sent out monthly and contain all information on school life. Letters containing individual targets and termly curriculum information goes out to parents, including ways in which they can help their child. ‘Letters of achievement’ are sent when a pupil has earned it. Governors’ annual report to parents contains necessary information but sometimes, as found in the previous report, lacks more detail. The prospectus is informative and contains all the required information although both the authorised and unauthorised rates of absence are not shown as percentages and do not therefore meet legal requirements. Pupils’ annual reports are detailed and personal but do not meet all the legal requirements, as targets are inconsistent. More consistent targets in annual reports and more detail in the governors report is the only evidence found to support the seven percent of questionnaires who felt that they were

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. Three parents meetings are held in the year, but parents also attend assemblies, church services and other activities such as the Christmas plays. The impact of the parents’ involvement in the school is very good. A significant number of parents help in school each week, mostly with hearing pupils read but also provide support on school visits, sports trips and swimming supervision. The Home School Association is a very active dedicated group of parents and teachers who organise fund raising events such as the ‘Christmas supper with Santa’, summer fetes, often with visiting celebrities and discos which are very popular with pupils. Funds raised provide welcome resources for the school, such as some big toys for the reception pupils and chocolates are provided for pupils at Christmas. All pupils in Year 6 receive a bible on leaving the school.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. Parents, at their meeting, said school staff are very sensitive to the needs of all pupils and both high and lower achievers are fully supported in their learning. Inspection evidence supports this view. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in all decisions that are made about their children and are invited to all review meetings.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Parents make a very positive contribution to their children’s learning at school and at home. The home/school agreement, which nearly all parents have signed, has a very positive impact on learning since it includes particularly good supporting attendance and punctuality. Parents strongly support the ethos and aims of the school and the behaviour policy. Most parents make good use of the home school reading diary and there is further support from those parents who take their children to public libraries or support their child to use the home computer for schoolwork. Parents also make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning and development through helping in the classroom, with school visits and by raising substantial funds for the school through the Home School Association.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The leadership and management of the school is very good overall. The personal leadership of the headteacher is excellent and she has built a very effective team, which has moved the school on significantly since the last inspection. The headteacher is very well supported by the deputy headteacher, key stage co-ordinators and subject co-ordinators. There is a very clear educational direction to all the work of the school, which promotes high standards and very effective teaching. The school has a very positive Christian ethos, which has created a secure and welcoming environment. All members of the school community are valued as individuals and Cradley CE VA Primary School - 18 great care is taken to ensure that pupils are given every opportunity to reach their full potential. Although the last inspection found the leadership and management of the school to be very strong, the progress made since that time indicate that it is now even more effective.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The school’s aims and values are very well met in practice. High standards of behaviour are expected of all pupils and, as a result, pupils are polite, trustworthy and act responsibly. High standards are also expected in pupils’ academic work and this has led to consistently high achievement from pupils, irrespective of their prior attainment. The very good relationships between all members of the school community provide pupils with good role models for their own personal development. The school’s effective inclusion policy has been worked out very well in practice and is reflected in all aspects of its work.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The contribution of staff with management responsibilities is good overall. The deputy headteacher’s contribution is especially strong, as her very good teaching skills provide an excellent model of good practice for other teachers. The Foundation Stage is managed very well and children have a very good start to their schooling. There is particularly good leadership of mathematics, science and music and pupils are making very good progress overall in these subjects. The senior management team contributes significantly to the effective day-to-day management of the school.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The previous inspection concluded that provision for pupils with special educational needs was good. It is now very good. Provision is very well managed and monitored by the headteacher and special needs co-ordinator, and also by the governing body, who provides extra funding from the school budget for support staff and specialist resources. The link governor for special educational needs is knowledgeable and committed to his role, which includes observation in lessons. Learning assistants are very effectively deployed and all are expected to undergo specific training for their roles.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The Governing Body is effective in fulfilling its statutory duties. It ensures that the school provides a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, covering all aspects of the National Curriculum. Statutory requirements are also met for collective worship and religious education. However, some minor omissions in statutory requirement were brought to the attention of the school management and steps are being taken to see that these are addressed. These were mainly administrative in nature. The Governing Body has a good range of sub-committees to oversee the work of the school and the members of these committees are well informed about the school’s progress and the quality of its educational provision.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Governors have a significant role in shaping the educational direction of the school. They are kept well informed by the headteacher and the chair of governors meets regularly with senior staff to keep in touch with recent events. Several governors visit the school regularly to observe lessons and talk with staff and pupils. Some hear pupils read or assist in lessons. Governors have taken advantage of training provided by the local education authority and are well informed about current educational initiatives, both nationally and locally. The Governing Body is actively involved in setting the school’s budget, monitoring the school improvement plan and performance management. There is a high degree of effective liaison between staff and governors on such matters as professional development, long-range planning and improvements to the school’s environment. As a result of all these activities, the Governing Body has a good

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Governors are able to ask penetrating questions about the school’s performance and make informed suggestions as to the best way forward when met with challenging circumstances.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. Monitoring and evaluation of the school’s performance has improved since the last inspection and is now a strength of the school. New systems present a very positive picture of a school moving forward and there is a sharp focus on improvement. The headteacher’s monitoring role is extensive, covering areas such as teaching, learning, standards, attendance, punctuality, and the progress of able pupils and those with special educational needs. Teaching and learning in mathematics and English is also thoroughly monitored by the co-ordinators and plans are in hand to extend this to the foundation subjects. All co-ordinators monitor planning, talk to pupils and Cradley CE VA Primary School - 19 sample pupils’ work. The Governing Body has a monitoring role in the general life of the school, but in particular, to judge the effectiveness of the teaching and learning of pupils with special educational needs. Some governors have observed teaching in this area. All members of the

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school community have a firm commitment to success. The high quality leadership, very good standards of teaching and effective management systems show that the school has a very good capacity for further improvement.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The management of the school’s finances is very good. Educational priorities are supported effectively through careful financial planning. The school budgets systematically for expenditure and is clear about costs. Financial decisions are in line with the school’s development plan. There is a good balance between providing sufficient staff, with appropriate expertise and training to raise standards further and the environment and resources to enable them to do so. No space is wasted in the school. The library provides an effective working environment for additional literacy and numeracy support. Additional grants for all pupils are used suitably and help to improve the quality of pupils’ learning. Money from the New Opportunities Fund, for raising staff expertise in information and communication technology has been particularly well managed, though the impact upon pupils’ standards is still to be fully seen. The contract to

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

provide and maintain sufficient computers for a computer suite was negotiated on the school’s behalf by the local authority.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Systems for financial control are unobtrusive and efficient and good management of the office systems by the headteacher and the office staff enables class teachers to concentrate on their work within class. Up to date information is readily available to the finance committee who continually monitor spending to ensure the budget is on track. Upon the advice of the local authority the school has run down the contingency fund, with no carry forward planned for the next and subsequent years. The principles of best value are applied systematically in the decision making of the governing body and senior management team. During any work in the school there is frequent monitoring of standards against the contract ensuring value for money is obtained throughout.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school is well staffed by a sufficient number of suitably qualified teachers. Job descriptions show clear roles and responsibilities. Support staff have been successfully introduced into all classes and provide, in the main, very good support for teaching and pupil’s learning, although some are not yet fully trained. Induction procedures are very good and newly qualified, as well as new teachers to the school are fully supported. A recent high turnover of teachers at the school has not affected the efficiency of the teaching and learning process, as a result of this support. All new teachers are well settled into the school. Performance management has been effectively implemented and all staff have agreed targets, linked to a comprehensive training plan, which focuses both on the current priorities of the school and on the personal development of teachers. The school has started to revise its staff development policy through preparation for an ‘Investors

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Accommodation is better than seen at the last inspection and is good overall. Good use is made of all available space for storage and the whole school is very tidy and clean and welcoming with colourful displays. Key Stage 1 is now a very pleasant part of the school, with very bright and well-kept cloakroom areas. Unfortunately, the rolling programme has not yet reached Key Stage 2 and the Year 5 classroom particularly remains small for a large class of older pupils and is in need of decoration. Occasionally the small size of the room restricts movement during practical activities. The grounds and playground facilities in the school are good and as a result of pressure from concerned parents, the authority has recently surfaced the playground. There is a very pleasant paved quiet area with wooden tables and chairs, supplied by the Home School Association. There is a good size area of grass, and trees and bulbs have been planted in some

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

parts and an attractive little playhouse is a memorial to a past pupil. However, there are no markings for games yet on the playground and there is no outdoor equipment in place, particularly for the youngest pupils. The School Council has taken up the concern that boys playing football are interfering with other play. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 20 52. The school, as found at the last inspection, remains well resourced. Resources in all subjects are good with those in science, geography, music and physical education very good, the latter having the advantage of the local swimming pool. However, although the school now has the use of a computer suite, the system introduced limits the development of higher order skills and there is a lack of suitable compatible software for mathematics, science and design and technology. The library is used well, with older pupils acting as librarians to help the younger pupils to find their

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

53. In order to further improve the already high quality of education provided by the school the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Continue to raise standards in art and design and physical education as planned by: ii. Providing additional training for staff where necessary; iii. Revising curricular planning to ensure there is full coverage of all aspects of the subject; iv. Raising teachers’ and pupils’ expectations where necessary. [Paragraphs: 80-84, 109-113]

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Continue to raise standards in information and communication technology by: i. Ensuring that there is sufficient software and hardware to meet the demands of the subject and that it functions effectively, matching the needs of the school; ii. Improving planning to include more identified opportunities to use appropriate information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning. iii. Improving assessment procedures to enable teachers to track the development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding as they move through the school. [Paragraphs: 99-103]

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve the provision for outdoor play for children at the Foundation Stage as planned. [Paragraphs: 51, 61]

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) As planned, extend the monitoring of teaching and learning to all subjects, starting with science. [Paragraph: 47]

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Ensure that all legal requirements are met. [Paragraph: 45] Cradley CE VA Primary School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 50 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 53

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

Number 2 16 23 9 0 0 0 Percentage 4 32 46 18 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 one percentage point.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 212 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 15 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 51

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of 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 Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 5.0 School data 0.0 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. Cradley CE VA 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 9 22 31

p.22

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 9 9 9 level 2 and above Girls 21 21 22 Total 30 30 31 Percentage of pupils School 97 (100) 97 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.22

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 9 9 9 level 2 and above Girls 21 22 22 Total 30 31 31 Percentage of pupils School 97 (97) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88) 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 18 11 29

p.22

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 12 13 16 level 4 and above Girls 9 10 11 Total 21 23 27 Percentage of pupils School 76 (97) 79 (87) 93 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.22

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 11 13 14 level 4 and above Girls 10 10 11 Total 21 23 25 Percentage of pupils School 72 (87) 79 (90) 86 (94) 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. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 210 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 2 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

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.6 Financial year 2000/01 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20 Average class size 30 £ Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 448,634 Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 452,127 Total aggregate hours worked per week 157 Expenditure per pupil 2,103 Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 4,366

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0 Balance carried forward to next year 873 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0 Total number of education support staff 0 Total aggregate hours worked per week 0 Number of pupils per FTE adult 0 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4 Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.62 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 24

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 66 33 0 1 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 67 31 2 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 50 43 2 3 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 58 33 6 1 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 76 20 1 2 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 83 19 1 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 63 31 5 0 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 65 27 6 1 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 65 32 2 0 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 50 27 11 5 7

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Other issues raised by parents

 Staff are approachable and the headteacher is very effective.  Teaching is of a high quality and pupils receive plenty of support.  Pupils make good progress and levels of achievement are good.  The school sets high standards and achieves good results.  More able pupils need to be ‘pushed’ more.  Pupils are not given enough homework.  There is not enough emphasis on physical education.  There is not enough feedback on pupils’ progress.  Parents do not receive enough information.  There are not enough after school clubs for younger pupils.  Pupils should not learn ‘joined up’ writing so young.  Discipline is not strong enough in some classes. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 25

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage of learning, who are in the Reception class, is very good. This has been maintained since the last inspection. Children enter the Reception class when they are four years old. There are two entries each year, in September for the older children, and in January for younger four-year-olds. Currently, 30 children are in the class, of whom 16 have been in school for a term and the others have just started. Almost all have had some nursery experience before coming to school. Assessment of children in their first weeks at school shows that they achieve broadly average standards overall on entry, although there is some below average attainment in physical development and aspects of literacy, and above average attainment in personal and social education. During their time in the reception class children make very good progress in learning in all areas, except in physical development, where

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

they make satisfactory progress. This very good progress particularly applies to those children who only have two terms in the Reception class. By the time they enter Year 1, almost all children have reached the Early Learning Goals for children of this age. Older children often achieve higher standards, while some of the younger children struggle to achieve the goals within the two terms that they are in the reception class.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. All areas of learning are well catered for, except for the outdoor play facility of physical development. This is unsatisfactory and the progress of children’s physical skills is hindered as a result. The Foundation Stage is well organised and led, with good accommodation and resources overall. Children enter a warm and caring environment in which they are very well supported by all staff. They all have equality of opportunity and enjoy school life.

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Personal, social and emotional development

56. Provision for the personal, social and emotional development of children is very good. There is clear evidence of a planned daily programme to develop this area of learning. Children enjoy coming to school and benefit from the very caring and supportive environment offered. They quickly learn to co-operate and share with each other. During the inspection, there was a weekly focus on having a ‘happy’ classroom. Children openly discussed their ideas and offered suggestions to make their class a happy place to be. They showed maturity and good awareness of caring for each other as they suggested such things as ‘being nice to one-another, and looking after one-another’. Daily personal and social development is fostered by such discussions. Children are taught right from wrong from their earliest days in school. They are confident enough to share their feelings with adults and peers, and achieve high standards in all aspects of

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Personal, social and emotional development

their personal development. Many are beginning to take simple responsibility, such as taking the register to the office, looking after their own belongings and tidying the classroom. Very good teaching and support is leading to high levels of confidence.

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Communication, language and literacy

57. Provision for communication, language and literacy is very good. Children benefit from very high quality teaching in this area of learning, and this helps them to make very good gains in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Many older and higher attaining children, achieve high levels, particularly in reading by the end of the reception year. The children are beginning to show very good awareness of initial sounds by the time they have been in school just a few weeks. Older children are able to discriminate between sounds and write simple sentences. They show high levels of enjoyment in their literacy tasks. Younger children can almost all write their own initial name sound, and many can write their own names. The twice-yearly entry into the reception class has an impact on the standards that younger children achieve.

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Communication, language and literacy

58. The very good teaching of early phonics has a positive impact on children’s ability to read. Multi-sensory approaches, in which children make letter shapes in the air, cut and stick pictures and link them to sounds, and practise saying them with the teacher, are a real strength. Children Cradley CE VA Primary School - 26 enjoy literacy lessons. They are generally fully absorbed by stories and rhymes. In one lesson, they sat and watched and listened intently while the teacher told a story about the letter ‘a’. Very good story-telling techniques encourage high quality listening and attention. This leads to high standards in many aspects of language and communication. Many opportunities are sought to encourage children to talk to each other and to adults. Their opinions and ideas are listened to and valued. A very good discussion was observed in which children were encouraged to give their own ideas for happiness. Their contributions were treated seriously and staff were very

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Mathematical development

59. Provision for mathematical development is also very good. Numeracy lessons are very well planned and organised to meet the needs of all children. A good range of resources is used to keep children interested and extend their skills. Again, a multi-sensory approach is often used so that children hear, see and feel numbers. In one lesson, children were observed counting on a number line. They were required to jump from one number to another, counting as they went. This activity led to great enjoyment and helped to consolidate number skills. The higher attaining and older children can undertake simple addition to 10 and can recognise and write numerals correctly. Younger children are beginning to represent numbers with their fingers. They can order numbers to five and put the correct number with a group of objects. They enjoy the practical nature of mathematics and show delight as they join in with simple number songs, such

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Mathematical development

as ‘Five Little Ducks’. Many children achieve high standards in numeracy and benefit from good use of additional staff and resources, and from very good teaching.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

60. Provision for the development of children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is very good. A range of exciting activities is planned to meet the needs of this area of learning. For example, there is evidence that children have been learning about their senses. They have looked at lots of different fruits, and tasted and smelled them. They were looking at melting ice during the week of the inspection. Children made predictions about what might happen to ice cubes if they were put by the radiator. They showed that they understood what ‘melt’ meant, and several could suggest why the ice cubes melted. This activity caused great excitement, and children continually ran to peek at the ice-cubes to see what was happening. They benefited from the practical aspects of the activity. Good questioning and very good organisation, which meant that all children had a chance to make predictions, led to very good learning and understanding.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Children have also made a weather chart and use symbols daily to record the weather. They use appropriate language as they look to see what is happening outside each day.

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Physical development

61. Provision for the physical development of children is satisfactory. There are many opportunities for children to develop their fine motor skills, such as playing and creating simple structures and working with small beads, pegs and puzzles. Children also enjoy using their bodies to explore space in the hall. They behave very well as they develop their control skills through dance. They respond well to a drum beat, and match their own movements to that of the drum sounds. They stretch and roll, curl and crawl to the beat of the music, negotiating spaces around their peers and experimenting with different movements. However, provision for outdoor play is unsatisfactory and inhibits development of gross motor skills. There is no discrete play area for the Reception children. They are able to use the playground in their own time, but there are too few toys and resources to encourage appropriate movement. Not enough large wheeled toys are available, and

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Physical development

children often stand around the fence with little to do. This is unsatisfactory, and is a weakness in the provision overall that the school and children have rightly identified as an area for development. Due to these weaknesses, many children do not reach the early learning goals for physical development by the time they enter Year 1.

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Creative development

62. Provision for creative development is also very good. Children enjoy exploring different media and creating pictures and models. They have painted many pictures linked to their literacy stories. For example, they have made rainbow fish using many different colours. They have created simple models, such as ‘slithery snakes’ by folding paper. Some effective windmills are Cradley CE VA Primary School - 27 on display in which children have used split-pins to make the sails go round. In one lesson, children were observed painting ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ pictures. They were required to choose colours appropriately so that they represented a hot picture or a cold one. Many could explain why they had chosen particular colours. Showing achievement above expectations. For example, one child, who had used red, orange and yellow, explained that it was a ‘hot picture, like a candle flame’. Another described his blue and green picture ‘like ice’. Children’s creative skills are encouraged

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Creative development

through the many very good daily activities that are planned and taught. The staff offer high quality resources and very good demonstrations to ensure success.

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ENGLISH

63. Standards have improved for seven year olds since the last inspection in 1997. They were judged to be in line with national averages, but now are good. There are particular strengths in reading and writing. Standards have also improved at Key Stage 2. At the time of the last inspection, they were judged to be above average. By the end of Year 6, observed standards are now well above average. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress across the school while those with an exceptional ability make especially good progress in their writing skills. There is little difference between the progress of boys and girls within the school. The school uses optional assessment tests and existing data to draw up targets for pupils in Year 6 and identify pupils of above and below average ability. The targets for 2002 are 91% of pupils getting level 4 with 45% getting the higher Level 5 in reading and 29% getting Level 5 in writing. These figures

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represent very good standards. Inspection findings indicate that, if pupils continue to maintain their present momentum, these targets will be met.

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64. Throughout the school pupils are very articulate. They speak and listen very well and by Year 6, they accurately communicate their ideas and present reasoned arguments for their opinions. Younger pupils are encouraged to listen carefully to teachers’ questions and develop the skill of using the question to form part of the answer, rather than give one-word answers. Teachers encourage pupils to develop a wide and appropriate vocabulary. They present a good role model for the less confident. This enables pupils to contribute clearly and with confidence in lessons, showing an awareness of their listeners. Younger pupils, for example, when sharing information from a previous history lesson, talked about Florence Nightingale, speaking with authority about the mansion she lived in as a girl and compared it with the hovel of a poor child. They also recalled education for girls in the nineteenth century and the status of nurses at the time of the

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Crimea war. Older pupils, researching the specialist vocabulary of advertisements, brought in examples and discussed the use of persuasive language to sell goods and services. Frequent opportunities to talk before an audience in class or group, in for instance the School Council, has a positive effect on pupils’ abilities to express themselves accurately and use language effectively to explain, enquire and compare. However, some teachers do accept one-word answers rather than expect pupils to develop their ideas. All pupils practise their speaking skills through reading aloud to an adult or group within class. Pupils generally use the punctuation and phrasing within a text to ensure that they understand what they are reading and share knowledge from their reading with others. By Year 6, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, are very articulate in most situations and listen carefully to complex instructions. They

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have a wide and appropriate vocabulary and are confident orally, putting their ideas and opinions across to a wide range of audiences.

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65. Standards of reading are above national averages at the end of Key Stage 1 and well above by the end of Key Stage 2. Younger pupils read accurately from the school’s reading scheme of progressively more difficult texts, consolidating their skills well. Pupils in Year 5, for instance read fluently and expressively, enjoying the texts as they read them aloud. They use the skills they have been taught to read unfamiliar words in stories such as ‘Robin Hood’, ‘Peter Pan’ and the ‘Ugly Duckling’, correcting their own mistakes when they realise that what they have said does not make sense. Older pupils read an appropriate range of fiction and non-fiction texts with very good understanding. Pupils tackle unfamiliar texts confidently and talk about different authors and styles of writing with enthusiasm, citing such authors as Terry Deary and Roald Dahl and classics such as Treasure Island. They have a very good idea of genre, for example, talking

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Cradley CE VA Primary School - 28 effectively about what makes a mystery story exciting. Home/school reading diaries contain lists of books, dates and pages read, and some parents make constructive comments on their children’s oral skills, likes and difficulties.

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ENGLISH

66. Standards in writing are above national levels at the end of Year 2 and well above by the end of Year 6. This represents good progress across the school. Year 2 pupils are aware of the construction of a sentence, as well as how authors show speech in text. All pupils can put speech into a bubble and rewrite using speech marks, giving alternatives to ‘said’ such as ‘shouted’, ‘whispered’, ‘asked’ and ‘demanded’. High frequency words are spelt accurately with letters properly formed and consistent in size. Samples of work give evidence of these young pupils writing for different purposes including sequencing text, retelling well known stories, writing their own stories from a common introduction and the use of bullet points when writing instructions. Pupils enjoy words and use a wide range of appropriate and technical vocabulary depending upon the task and audience for their writing. Pupils in Year 6 write with a wide range

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of interesting and lively vocabulary, using words precisely to convey their meaning. Samples of work show that they practise a wide range of skills. Pupils understand sentence structures well and use correct grammar terms, such as ‘adjective’, ‘pronoun’, ‘adverb’, ‘preposition’, ‘connective’, ‘simile’ and ‘metaphor’. Pupils write in a range of different styles, practising non- chronological report writing and constructing storyboards. They write play scripts, informal and formal letters, autobiographies and biographies, as well as extended stories in different genre. Pupils use these skills into other areas of the curriculum well. During a history lesson for instance, pupils were using glossaries from a range of texts about parts of a castle to construct their own glossary for their work on medieval Britain. In literacy pupils construct a bank of useful terms and phrases for persuasive arguments as seen in advertisements and identify the

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ENGLISH

main strengths and weaknesses in written arguments. All pupils use paragraphs correctly and handwriting is generally fluent, joined and legible. Pupils’ presentation skills are generally good, however, younger juniors presentational skills are weaker than the rest of the school, with words that are erratic in size, shape and space. Across the school pupils of below average ability and those with special educational needs make good progress as a result of the high quality of support from teachers and support assistants. Higher attaining pupils and those with exceptional ability work at a very high standard as a result of the quality of teachers’ planning and the setting of tasks well matched to their abilities.

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ENGLISH

67. The quality of teaching across the school is at least good, and much very good or excellent teaching was seen, especially for older pupils. Pupils make good and sometimes very good progress because of the quality of teaching. Teachers make very good use of the National Literacy Strategy throughout the school. No lesson is taught in isolation. Pupils are given the opportunity to practise previously taught skills and to extend and develop concepts further. Plenary sessions at the end of each lesson are used well to ensure that pupils have met the learning objectives. Booster classes have been used effectively to improve attainment for some pupils. In better lessons, teachers link tasks together to keep pupils alert and keen for more. Relationships are strong and pupils learn confidently and with enjoyment. Teachers share their expectations with pupils well, so that pupils know what they are to learn and how they get there.

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ENGLISH

Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, and as a result, behaviour in most lessons is very good. This has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Teachers teach basic skills very well, giving pupils plenty of varied opportunities to be involved with their own learning and a wide range of resources to work with. Good use is made of structured, open questioning to motivate and check pupils’ understanding. Work is planned to stimulate learning for pupils of all abilities within their classes. Support staff are used effectively during lessons. Even during whole-class input, support staff sit with pupils ensuring comprehension and contributing to behaviour management strategies. In group activities, support staff have specific teaching and learning plans that are based on pupils’ own individual learning plans. This supports and extends the learning of not only pupils with special educational needs, but also pupils of exceptional

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ability and of higher ability. Pupils’ attitudes to their work are very good overall. The majority of pupils enjoy sharing texts and resources, co-operating and collaborating positively. Relationships with adults and each other are very good. Pupils work hard and sustain their concentration for some considerable periods of time. Pupils take responsibility for giving out and collecting in resources at the beginning and end of lessons and are active participants in their learning. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 29 Teachers are aware that English is more than the literacy hour. Extra time is allocated to reading, spelling and handwriting to support and develop skills further.

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ENGLISH

68. The subject is managed well by an experienced senior member of staff. She has the skills and knowledge needed to be effective in supporting colleagues and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning in lessons. Through joint lessons, observations with the literacy advisory teacher, evaluating samples of pupils’ work, including looking at in pupils’ progress books, and monitoring of teachers’ lesson plans, she has a clear picture of the standards within the school. She arranges staff training to increase expertise and drive up standards further. There is a good policy and a scheme of work, and a very good range of resources. The co-ordinator has worked effectively with the assessment manager to devise ways of collecting data to monitor and assess standards. Assessment is very good. Pupils know the levels they are at and have targets that they understand, drawn from these assessments. The school has a library that is well stocked with a

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ENGLISH

good range of books and is well equipped for pupils’ independent research. Classrooms do not have computers in them and as a consequence, pupils make insufficient use of information and communication technology to support leaning in the subject. English makes good support to other areas of the curriculum, areas such as history, geography, science and personal and health education. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ moral, social and cultural development through the opportunity to co-operate together, sharing resources, taking turns to take part in discussions and using a range of texts from different cultures and periods of history.

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MATHEMATICS

69. Standards are above average at Key Stage 1 and well above average at Key Stage 2. This shows a good level of improvement since the last inspection, where standards were close to the national average at Key Stage 1 and above average at Key Stage 2. Pupils’ use of mental arithmetic is particularly good throughout the school. Standards have improved each year at a greater rate than the national average. Pupils generally enter the Key Stage with levels of achievement that match the early learning goal for mathematics. In Year 1, pupils are able to add and subtract single digit numbers accurately. Higher attaining pupils are able to subtract a single digit number from a two- digit number. Nearly all pupils can ‘count on’ to add numbers together, or ‘count back’ to subtract. Lower attaining pupils recognise all the numbers up to 10 and know some of the ‘number bonds’ that add up to ten. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and

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MATHEMATICS

all can write their numbers up to 10. Pupils in Year 2 have a good grasp of basic number skills. Their ability to use rapid mental calculations in a wide variety of circumstances is well developed. For example, they have a good mental recall of all the ‘number bonds’ up to 20. They also know their 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x tables well and firmly grasp the concept of ‘doubling’ and ‘halving’ to find answers to calculations involving quite large numbers. Higher attaining pupils are also able to easily ‘round up’ numbers to the nearest 10. Nearly all pupils, irrespective of their prior attainment, can quickly count in 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, 3’s and 4’s. They count to 100 in 10’s and recognise odd and even numbers up to 100.

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MATHEMATICS

70. Pupils are developing the ability to divide numbers accurately. In one lesson in Year 2, higher attaining pupils showed that they understood how to correctly calculate the dividend of such sums as 20 divided by 2 or 16 divided by 4. All the pupils wrote their calculations accurately and neatly. In the same lesson, pupils of average attainment could divide the number 12, using some apparatus to help them. They divided twelve cubes into three groups of four and recorded the results appropriately. Lower attaining pupils are supported well in lessons and as a result achieve standards that are close to the expected level by the time they reach the end of the key stage. Higher attaining pupils are developing a good understanding of fractions and can divide numbers into halves and quarters. They also know the decimal equivalents of these fractions. Nearly all pupils can tell the time up to the half hour and know how many minutes there are in an hour.

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MATHEMATICS

Most pupils can recall the names of simple two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Pupils of average attainment can quickly demonstrate that they understand reflective symmetry by drawing ‘mirror images’ of half circles. Nearly all pupils can accurately abstract information from a simple table to create block graphs. Pupils’ ability to solve problems is less well Cradley CE VA Primary School - 30 developed, although they do have basic strategies for working out the kind of operations needed to arrive at the right answer.

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MATHEMATICS

71. Observed standards at Key Stage 2 are currently well above the national average, especially in numeracy. Pupils apply their skills well in most subjects and demonstrate the ability to perform rapid mental calculations when necessary. Younger, higher attaining pupils use a good range of different approaches and ways of finding answers to problems. They have a good understanding of place value up to 1,000 and use this knowledge well to multiply and divide numbers by 10 and 100. These pupils have a good grasp of negative numbers and understand, for example, that -18 + 4 = -14. Pupils of average attainment in Year 3 and 4 have a good grasp of addition and subtraction facts and use them well to solve larger problems. Most can undertake such sums as 63 – 50 = 13 and use the signs for ‘more than’ and ‘less than’ correctly. Nearly all pupils can correctly identify common two-dimensional and three-dimensional shape, using the correct

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MATHEMATICS

mathematical terminology such as ‘face’, ‘edge’ and ‘vertex’ to describe the features of these shapes. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and achieve standards that are close to the national average. Overall, standards in lower Key Stage are above average and pupils are making satisfactory progress in their learning.

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MATHEMATICS

72. Standards in Years 5 and 6 are well above average and pupils are making very good progress in their learning. In Year 5, pupils are able to find the decimal equivalents of common fractions, for example, 6 ½ = 6.5. They also know that ½ is the same as five tenths. Pupils can add and subtract decimals to two places and order them to three decimal places. Higher attaining pupils can use all four mathematical operations to 2 decimal places. Nearly all pupils have a good mental recall of multiplication facts and can accurately multiply a two-digit number by a single-digit number mentally. They make good use of their speaking skills as they give extended explanations of their way of working out the examples given to them. In one lesson, for example, pupils were multiplying whole numbers by mixed numbers. One pupil was able to explain the sum 62 x 12 ½ very well, multiplying 62 first by 10, then by 2 and finally halving it and adding the numbers to

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MATHEMATICS

produce the correct answer of 775 (620+124+31). In Year 6, pupils calculate equivalent fractions very rapidly, giving a number of different examples. They demonstrate very quick mental skills, converting 20 / to 5 / without a pause. Most pupils are able to reduce a fraction to its simplest form by cancelling common factors. They can calculate 5 / of 13 and convert improper fractions into mixed numbers accurately. In one lesson, for example, pupils were able to correctly work out that 12 / was 1 and 5 / and then went on to solve a number of fractional parts of whole numbers using a wide range of mental strategies. One pupil worked out that five eighths of 42 was 26 ¼. He did this by dividing first by 8 and then multiplying by 5. Pupils make good use of their mathematical skills by collecting data in frequency tables and using the information gathered to construct line graphs. They also know the metric equivalents of common

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MATHEMATICS

measurements, correctly calculating that 5 ¼ pints is roughly equivalent to 3 litres and that 26 pounds is 11.8 kilograms. Higher attaining pupils are able to draw a variety of shapes accurately using co-ordinates in all four quadrants. Good support is given to lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. Learning in the special groups is particularly good and as a result most of these pupils achieve standards that are close to those expected nationally. The good quality support given to pupils of exceptional mathematical ability is also very good and these pupils are achieving very high standards indeed.

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MATHEMATICS

73. Teaching and learning are very good overall. At Key Stage 1, teaching is good overall and at Key Stage 2 it is very good, especially in Years 5 and 6, where pupils make the most progress. Pupils are very enthusiastic about their work and have very positive attitudes towards the subject. Behaviour is generally very good and pupils often work in silence, concentrating hard. Relationships between pupils and teachers are very good and this has a very positive impact on the overall quality of learning. Pupils’ ability to work independently, although good overall, is less well developed as insufficient opportunities are given for them to investigate mathematical problems. Teachers have very good subject knowledge, which they use very well to extend pupils’ acquisition of mathematical skills. The very good use of questioning ensures that pupils are making rapid gains in their knowledge and understanding of key mathematical concepts. The

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MATHEMATICS

teaching of basic numeracy skills is very good and as a consequence, pupils’ learning in this area is particularly good. Pupils work hard at learning their multiplication tables and number bonds Cradley CE VA Primary School - 31 and enjoy displaying their skills to visitors. Teachers’ planning is very effective and the school has implemented the National Numeracy Strategy very effectively. Each lesson sets out clearly what pupils are to learn, and this is consistently shared with pupils. Tasks are well matched to the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs or those who have exceptional ability in the subject. Assessment opportunities are clearly identified and used effectively and each lesson identifies appropriate success criteria. Good use is made of time and most lessons move at a brisk pace, especially during the mental arithmetic sessions. Teachers use a wide range

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MATHEMATICS

of good strategies to engage pupils and as a consequence levels of interest and concentration are usually high. Occasionally, where teaching is less effective, noise levels are allowed to rise too far and, as a consequence, pupils’ concentration drops. In these lessons, progress is retarded as a result. Very good use us made of support staff both in lessons and in withdrawal groups. Good use is made of assessment information to set challenging targets and to adjust planning to better match it to pupils’ needs. This has contributed considerably to pupils’ very good progress overall, specifically in Years 5 and 6.

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MATHEMATICS

74. The leadership and management of the subject are very good. The co-ordinator has provided very good guidance for staff by producing an effective scheme of work based on national guidelines and commercial workbooks. As a result, the curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant to the needs of all pupils, irrespective of their prior attainment or background. Particular care has been given to providing support to physically disabled pupils so that they can access the full range of mathematical education provided. This includes specialist equipment and very good support by a qualified nursery nurse. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ social development by enhancing their self-esteem and sense of achievement. There has been very good monitoring of the subject by the co-ordinator, who has consistently monitored standards, teaching and learning by collecting examples of work, observing lessons and looking at teachers’ planning. Assessment

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MATHEMATICS

systems are very good and effective use has been made of published data to analyse national test results. In turn, the information gained has been used to set individual, group and whole-school targets. As a result, standards have continued to rise overall, even although the number of pupils with special educational needs in some cohorts has been quite high. The school has met its targets for numeracy and has a very good idea of the relative strengths and weaknesses of pupils’ potential year by year. Overall very good use is made of available resources, but the use of information and communication technology is underdeveloped, largely due to the lack of suitable software. The co-ordinator is aware of the weakness and has an effective action plan to deal with it. Otherwise, the subject is well resourced.

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75. Standards have been steadily improving since the last inspection. They are now well above national averages at the end of both key stages. The school is very effective in ensuring the full inclusion of all pupils, of all ability levels, including those with special educational needs and more able pupils.

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SCIENCE

76. By the end of Key Stage 1 standards in science are well above national expectations and pupils make very good progress. Recorded work is of a very high standard and very well presented. Younger pupils, in their topic on materials, for example, used their hands and eyes thoughtfully to feel and observe objects and accurately identified a range of common materials, such as wood and metal. Almost all pupils showed a good level of knowledge, skill and understanding, including those with special educational needs. They concentrate very well and communicate their findings in simple, but appropriate language as they describe some properties. In their topic on living things, they discuss and carefully record things that are ‘alive’ or ‘not alive’ and match babies to their adults. They name parts of the human body accurately and record similarities and differences between themselves and their friends, such as eye and hair colour. They have good

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SCIENCE

experimental skills, for example, exploring which objects in the classroom can be pushed or pulled, and record their results appropriately in labelled drawings. Similarly, they record how they use their bodies to move. Older pupils in their topic on life processes show well above average knowledge and understanding. For example, they know how the body changes during exercise, and record the different types of exercise with which they are familiar. They make good Cradley CE VA Primary School - 32 records of their observations using tick charts. They experiment successfully to find out how heat changes materials such as chocolate and butter. They record experiments effectively, writing about what they used, what they did and what happened. After freezing water into cubes, for example, they experimented to find out where in classroom they melted quickly and concluded correctly that that place must be warmer. They learn which foods are safe and healthy to eat and

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SCIENCE

which are not, such as some berries and tablets. They work enthusiastically in groups to find out how objects move over different kinds of surfaces. They confidently describe their early predictions, their surprise at being wrong and accurately describe the actual results of their experiments.

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77. At the end of Key Stage 2 standards are also well above national averages and over half of pupils attain level 5 at the end of Year 6 in national tests. Younger pupils have a good understanding of the requirements of a ‘fair test’. They use this knowledge well, for example, when comparing how different materials stand up to being rubbed with sandpaper. They experiment successfully to find out how certain instruments make their sounds, such as plucking, tapping and shaking. They show they have good understanding of how sounds are generated, for instance, by dipping a vibrating tuning fork into water. They showed high levels of scientific understanding when they suggested using a thermometer to find out if the water got any hotter. When investigating how much force was needed to pull a box along different surfaces, they estimated and measured in newtons, recording their results and comparing them effectively. Older pupils show a very good

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SCIENCE

range of data collection skills. They collected data relating to changes in the size and angles of shadows and their analysis of this data, using their very good mathematical skills, is exceptional. Their understanding and use of appropriate scientific language is very good. They record observations and measurements systematically and draw conclusions that are consistent with the evidence. When investigating forces, for example, they dropped a ping-pong ball and a 500 gramme weight and hypothesised as to what will happen. They found they landed at the same time and, as a result, set up a further series of experiments with other objects of different properties to check this, but still reached the same conclusion. These pupils were working confidently at level 5.

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78. Teaching and learning in science is very good. This is because most teachers are very enthusiastic about teaching the subject and they have very good subject knowledge. Most have very high expectations of pupils and plan activities that have clear scientific objectives and are very practical to excite and engage pupils’ interest. The very good teaching in Key Stage 2, especially in Years 5 and 6, enables the very good standards achieved in Key Stage 1 to be maintained. Teaching in Years 3 and 4, however, shows less confidence and lower expectations. Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are very good, as a result of this very good teaching. They apply themselves diligently to their work and behave very well. They are given adequate time to experiment and find things out for themselves and this helps them to formulate ideas and share results. In particular, very specific learning objectives are planned, which are carefully shared

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with pupils, so that they know exactly what they have to do. Clear, recorded key questions are set to challenge pupil’s thinking, extend their learning and help them to work independently. Practical activities, because they are efficiently organised and well resourced, enable pupils to work effectively and swiftly. Well-planned examples of development of literacy and numeracy skills were evident right across the written science work of the school, particularly for data collection and use of graphs to collate and analyse information. Insufficient use is made of information and communication technology to support learning in the subject. Personal, social and health education is carefully woven into the programme of work, such as teaching for healthy living and the dangers of smoking. Assessment is regular and on going and is used to very carefully plan for pupils of all ability groups in classes across the school. Support staff are

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SCIENCE

very effectively deployed to support pupils with special educational needs. These strategies have a very good impact on pupils’ learning. Teachers’ very good class management skills and insistence on good listening, help pupils to work effectively and as a result, behaviour is usually very good. Very occasionally, ground rules for independent working in groups are not consistently applied and some pupils go off task.

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SCIENCE

79. Leadership and management of science have been consistently good since the time of the previous inspection. The co-ordinator has very high expectations, is very energetic and has Cradley CE VA Primary School - 33 considerable influence over the way the curriculum is planned and delivered. This has resulted in the very good emphasis on scientific enquiry, which permeates the teaching and learning of every year group in the school. Although she has not monitored teaching, as yet, her monitoring and support for teacher planning and scrutiny of pupils’ work, has ensured that she gives clear direction to the school on where improvements need to be made. Recently, for example, assessments have been thoroughly analysed to check gender issues and, although no particular pattern emerged across the year groups, the information gained proved useful in other ways.

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ART AND DESIGN

80. Standards in art are satisfactory overall throughout both key stages, and are in line with national expectations, although some examples of good and very good standards were seen. Only one lesson was seen in each key stage and judgements were made after scrutiny of pupils’ work around the school and in sketchbooks, studying teachers’ planning and talking to pupils. Standards remain similar to those found at the time of the last inspection. Art has had a low profile in recent years without a sharp enough focus on improvement in the subject. In some parts of the school, no current artwork is evident in displays and, overall, there is not a strong feel for art around the school. The subject is taught in ‘blocks’, which alternate with design and technology. When talking to older pupils about their artwork, some confusion existed about what has been taught in each subject and pupils found it difficult to recall work done in art.

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ART AND DESIGN

81. At both key stages, standards are satisfactory overall, but sometimes good. Younger pupils at Key Stage 1 use a computer program competently, independently and enthusiastically to draw a colourful picture of a snowman. There is a good emphasis on environmental art. Pupils make effective use of their experiences. For example, after a walk around the school grounds, where they observed seasonal changes to the trees, pupils experiment with chalk and charcoal to create good images of bare winter trees. In summer, after discussing the environmental art of Goldsworthy, they used wild flowers, collected in the school grounds, to create delicate, interesting collage pictures. Older pupils, after studying Van Gogh’s chair and observing other chairs, explored similarities and differences before recording from first hand observations. After studying houses in the area and discussing detail to be found in the brick, stone and tile work,

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ART AND DESIGN

pupils work competently in groups, using a wide range of media, such as clay and acrylic paints, to create their own house prints, models and drawings in the same style.

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ART AND DESIGN

82. Younger pupils at Key Stage 2, as part of their theme ‘Portraying Relationships’, thoughtfully compared pictures by Hockney and Gainsborough. They discussed the relationships between the couples portrayed, before creating satisfactory portraits of themselves with someone else in the same style. When drawing well-executed pictures of bowls of fruit, they focused on skills such as blending and toning, using pastels and using different types of paintbrushes when painting. Based on the theme of ‘Journeys’, other pupils created imaginative collage pictures of a magical journey. They have studied cloud painting in the work of various artists, such as Constable and created their own satisfactory pictures in the same style. Older pupils collected leaves from the school grounds and used them as the basis of finely detailed pictures. They collect objects such as bottles and pottery and thoughtfully create still life compositions, using cross-hatching to

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ART AND DESIGN

develop shade and tone in their work. Other pupils study patterns created on ordnance survey maps and effectively design their own irregular patterns and shapes. After studying the intricacy of the patterns of William Morris, they create their own attractive patterns in a similar style. They develop this further when, after carefully drawing familiar objects around the classroom, they take images from their drawings and effectively repeat, rotate, increase and decrease them to create new symmetrical and other images.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. Teaching and learning in art are satisfactory overall and occasionally good. As a result, pupils have positive attitudes to art. They say they enjoy this subject and look forward to lessons. In the lessons seen, pupils were very enthusiastic about their work and very eager to participate in practical activity. Individual lessons are well planned. The teaching programme is planned appropriately to cover all the elements in the art curriculum, but the results are sometimes disappointing, particularly in some sketchbooks, that are not used regularly, or to good effect. The school has a kiln and appropriate planned work in three dimensions is evident in both key Cradley CE VA Primary School - 34 stages, where pupils create, for example, clay pots and tiles. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported in lessons to enable them to participate in all practical activities and to achieve well.

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ART AND DESIGN

84. The recently appointed co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership and management. She has a clear vision of where she wants the school to go in art and has already begun to bring about improvements. The art club, recently started, is well attended by older pupils and the standard of work they produce is sometimes good. The school has adopted national guidelines to support teachers’ planning, but monitoring of the subject and discussion with teachers, shows that this needs more refinement. It does not yet ensure the systematic and progressive development of skills, knowledge and understanding, particularly in painting. Resources for art, although they are plentiful in terms of staple items, such as paint and paper, are not always exciting and imaginative, and plans are in hand to address this. Few examples were seen in the study of artwork from other cultures other than Western, and this is a weakness. Sketchbooks are not

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ART AND DESIGN

always used to good effect to develop drawing skills, although in some classes, good quality examples were seen.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85. Standards are close to national expectations at Key Stage 1 and above expectations at Key Stage 2. This is a very similar position to that found by the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86. At Key Stage 1, pupils recognise the characteristics of familiar objects, such as doors and windows. They use pictures effectively to describe what they want to do. Pupils are beginning to use appropriate language to describe what they are doing as they use construction kits. Pupils show good making skills. For example, pupils in Year 1 were able to use card, paper and glue to make hinges as part of their study of how doors work. They used appropriate technical language to explain what they were doing. Most pupils are beginning to develop an appropriate understanding of materials and processes for making things. Pupils in Year 2 have made good quality puppets, using their own designs. Well-drawn pictures support their plans and they are able to talk about their planning using appropriate language. Pupils have practised their sewing skills to a satisfactory level and used these skills appropriately to produce puppets based

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

accurately on their original designs. Younger pupils have experimented with moving pictures, using their cutting and joining skills appropriately. They have also designed and made fruit salads as part of their study of food technology. Overall, standards meet national expectations for design and pupils’ making skills are generally good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. At Key Stage 2, pupils identify well the key features of a design. For example, pupils in Year 4 were able to say which features of a number of different torches were most effective. They were able to use correct technical language to say how fit for the purpose each torch examined was and talk intelligently about the materials from which it was made. Older pupils have a good understanding of mechanisms. For example, in a lesson in Year 5, pupils were using cams to make moving toys. They use the correct technical language, talking about ‘followers’, ‘axles’ and ‘cams’ as they described their construction. Pupils take users’ needs into account when making designs and draw step-by-step plans to communicate their ideas. They make good-quality models to check out their ideas and adapt them in the light of comments by others. Pupils are well aware of the constraints of materials and how small components fit together to make a

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

functioning mechanism. They work with a wide range of materials, including card, plastic and wood, showing good manipulative skills. Most pupils know how to choose the appropriate tool for the job in hand and use equipment with care. They know well how to work safely and treat tools with care. When questioned, pupils in Year 6 could describe what worked well in their design and what they needed to do in order to improve the final product. Overall, standards in both design and making are above the level expected by the end of Year 6.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards the subject and behave very well in lessons. They can work effectively alone, in pairs and small groups. All these factors have a positive effect on their progress in learning. Teachers have good Cradley CE VA Primary School - 35 subject knowledge, which they use well to extend pupils’ knowledge of design, especially at Key Stage 2. The teaching of basic making skills is good throughout the school, but at Key Stage 1, the teaching of design skills is less well developed. As a result, pupils make only satisfactory progress in the acquisition of designing skills at Key Stage 1, but at Key Stage 2, progress in this aspect is good. Planning is good and effectively based on national guidelines. Individual lessons are planned well to ensure that pupils have tasks that are well matched to their prior experience.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Pupils put great effort into their work and concentrate very well. As a consequence, progress in learning is good overall and most pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Teachers take great care to ensure all pupils have equal access to the curriculum, including those with physical disabilities. Great care is taken to ensure that these pupils have suitably adapted equipment and are aided by learning support assistants. Good use is generally made of support staff and resources, although the use of information and communication technology to support learning is unsatisfactory. Most lessons move at a good pace and the rate of learning is good. The use of on-going assessment is satisfactory and most teachers use the information gained to adjust planning appropriately.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. The leadership and management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator has provided teachers with good guidance for their planning and this has begun to have a positive impact on standards. The subject has suffered somewhat from her absence on secondment, but is now picking up since she has returned to the school. There has been some monitoring of standards through the analysis of pupils’ work and the co-ordinator has collected samples that demonstrate different levels of attainment. However, there have been no opportunities for her to monitor teaching and learning and this has retarded improvement in the subject since the last inspection. Systems for assessment are satisfactory and collect sufficient information to be able to track pupils’ progress and inform reports to parents. However, insufficient use is made of assessment information to set targets for improvement. The co-ordinator is aware of this weakness and has plans for the further

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

improvement of use of assessment. She is also aware of the weaknesses in the use of information and communication technology to support learning in the subject and has an action plan to improve provision and planning in respect of this aspect.

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GEOGRAPHY

90. Standards are broadly in line with expectations at the end of both key stages. Standards are lower than at the time of the last inspection, when they were found to be in line at the end of Key Stage 1, but above at the end of Key Stage 2. The school has stated that the subject has been given low emphasis recently and this is the reason standards have fallen. Standards are now improving due to the good quality of teaching and pupils were observed to be making good progress in lessons.

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GEOGRAPHY

91. In Key Stage 1, pupils develop their geographical enquiry skills through simple investigations. For example, in an enquiry they were undertaking about the weather, pupils in Year 1 were able to identify symbols on a weather chart and draw conclusions about the kind of clothes or activities they might need on a particular day. They answered questions eagerly and made valid suggestions. One pupil commented that he would ‘have to wear his coat on a cold day’ and that he ‘could fly a kite’ when it was windy. Pupils were able to express their views and interpret geographical features as part of their discussions. In Year 2, pupils have undertaken studies at a local scale. They have thought of ideas to improve their own school environment. They recognise various features and make simple observations. For example, they have reported to the School Council the need to improve the playground environment. They have drawn plans of their school

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GEOGRAPHY

and labelled different areas accurately. Learning at Key Stage 1 shows good improvement over their time in Years 1 and 2, particularly in map and simple route skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

92. In Key Stage 2, pupils build on prior success and achieve well. They attain broadly average standards by the time they reach Year 6. Evidence from past work shows that geography is making a valuable contribution to pupils’ cultural development and awareness of other customs and life-styles. Pupils in Year 6 have studied an environment in Africa and compared it with their own. They develop their literacy skills well as they write extended accounts of the comparisons. Evidence is presented in a variety of forms, such as charts, tables, lists and graphs. Pupils across Cradley CE VA Primary School - 36 Key Stage 2 are able to recognise that places are different, and that the environment has an important impact on the way of life of a community. Pupils in Year 4 have investigated the impact of the climate on clothes people wear in a country such as Indonesia. They look at differences in dress between the United Kingdom and Indonesia and give good reasons for the

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GEOGRAPHY

differences. They benefit from the very good artefacts provided by the teacher to foster their understanding. Pupils in Year 5 achieve good map skills as they study an Ordnance Survey map of Swansea. They show high levels of interest as they use their numeracy skills to plot grid references. Pupils are able to identify many differences between their own area and that of Swansea, and they use their observation skills well to answer questions. By the time pupils have completed Key Stage 2, they have developed appropriate skills and knowledge in the subject and an enthusiasm to achieve well. 93. The quality of teaching in geography is consistently good and this is having a positive impact on standards. Teachers prepare lessons well and make good use of good resources to stimulate interest and knowledge. Clear learning objectives are identified, so that lessons are well focused. Teachers have good subject knowledge and they use this well to extend pupils’ understanding.

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GEOGRAPHY

Pupils are responding well and this is enabling them to make good progress in recovering ground lost. The quality of relationships in classrooms is very high, and this leads to very positive attitudes and good behaviour. Pupils are polite, and recognise social conventions. They listen and join in well. Because of good resources, pupils stay interested and their geographical skills are developing well. The teachers have high expectations that pupils will succeed. They offer helpful and evaluative comments, and encourage contributions well.

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GEOGRAPHY

94. Leadership of geography is good. The recent co-ordinator has established good procedures and policies and the subject is firmly embedded in the school curriculum. Resources for learning are good, and have a positive impact on pupils’ interest and understanding. However, in both Key Stages, teachers do not assess pupils’ achievements as regularly or rigorously as they should. Assessment procedures are just satisfactory, but are not rigorous enough to inform about individual pupils’ achievements and progress in the subject. This results in pupils being unaware of what they have achieved. Insufficient use is made of information and communication technology to support learning in the subject and there is a lack of suitable software to supplement the curriculum.

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HISTORY

95. Standards are in line with national expectations. This is not as good a position as was found by the last inspection, when standards were in line at Key Stage 1, but above at Key Stage 2.

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HISTORY

96. Younger pupils are acquiring a satisfactory knowledge about people and events as well as a sense of chronology. Pupils investigate the homes of the rich and poor, education in the nineteenth century for girls and boys, medicine and the roles of doctors and nurses, comparing them with today. Using events such as the Crimea War they learn about important events in British history and famous people of the time, linking national into world events. They are developing the skills of historical interpretation by drawing conclusions from texts, pictures and artefacts and communicating this information in appropriate ways. Older pupils are developing their chronological, investigative and enquiring skills further. They recognise patterns and relationships by studying such periods as, for example, the Egyptians and Tudors. They have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the lives of ordinary people in different ages. Pupils

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HISTORY

in Year 6 have just started their work on the medieval world, looking at the importance of Castles, the main features of the building as a fortress and as a home. They have investigated the common features of different cultures around the world at different periods of history.

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HISTORY

97. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Lessons are carefully planned to meet the needs of the range of abilities within classes. Teachers have good subject knowledge and match this to high quality resources to support learning. There is the progressive development of chronological skills and the development of the ability to use a range of research materials to investigate different historical periods. Teachers are focused upon learning how to investigate rather than just learning information about different people and places. Discussions are carefully focused Cradley CE VA Primary School - 37 and the majority of pupils take turns, listen carefully to each other and their teachers. Teachers’ behaviour management strategies are positive and learning is encouraged with pupils supported in their work. History makes a good contribution to pupils’ literacy development when they read about the circumstances, people and events in other times. Younger pupils, for example, consider

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HISTORY

the life and legends of the ‘Lady with the Lamp’ while older use and compile glossaries about Castles . Boys and girls have positive attitudes towards their history work. They enjoy learning about the subject and are confident in discussing their learning. In written work they take care with presentation skills with neat handwriting and careful illustrations. Many older pupils bring in extra information found on the Internet or in books and posters to share with teachers; this was particularly seen on work on World War 2 and the Victorians in Year 6 and 5. Evaluations of pupils’ progress are made using progress statements from the national curriculum attainment targets. Written work is marked conscientiously and the best examples, as well as being supportive and encouraging, include specific comments drawing attention to future learning.

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HISTORY

98. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The subject co-ordinator has reviewed the curriculum in accordance with national initiatives. Units of a nationally produced scheme of work are matched to the school’s requirements to provide a curriculum that is suitably broad and balanced. The co-ordinator has begun to develop a system to enable her to monitor planning, standards and progress with the purpose of ensuring that learning extends pupils’ knowledge and understanding incrementally year-on-year. The co-ordinator is planning to collect examples of pupils work to build a portfolio of examples of progress and learning. Resources for the subject are appropriate. Due to the lack of resources, the use of information and communication technology is unsatisfactory overall, although good use is sometimes made of the Internet for research. While history gives good support to pupils’ moral and social development and British

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HISTORY

cultural background, few links are made outside of Europe to the wider world, especially links between England and the different people who make up multicultural Britain today.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

99. Standards are in line with national expectations by the end of both key stages. Pupils make good progress in each area of the programmes of study. At the time of the previous inspection attainment for younger pupils matched the national expectation while that of older pupils in Year 6 was above. Although national expectations have increased since that time, and demands on pupils are now greater, pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding have risen appropriately and some pupils, especially in the lower age classes attain above these raised expectations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

100. At Key Stage 1, pupils log onto computers in the computer suite competently. They open programmes such as ‘Colour Magic’ and use painting tools to alter brush size and background colours. They use such tools as the ‘spray can’ to fill spaces and other tools to alter and extend their work before saving, printing and closing the computer down carefully and accurately. By the time pupils are in Year 2, they enter word processing packages and are developing satisfactory typing skills. They retrieve previous work and have a growing range of computer vocabulary, understanding such terms as ‘mouse’ and ‘file’, and talk about how computers help them in their work. Pupils use an appropriate range of icons to change the size and font of their written work. They use the ‘enter’ control to form paragraphs and write instructions using ‘bullet points’ and ‘sequencing’ keys. Pupils transfer skills from mobile computers called ‘turtles’ to on

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

screen programmes using ‘Logo’ programmes, drawing a range of mathematical shapes and experimenting with different sizes to make repeating patterns.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. At Key Stage 2, pupils use computer technology in a range of practical ways to support different areas of the curriculum. Year 5 pupils for instance, used temperature sensors attached to the computer to graph experiments on materials, changing sensor settings and printing graphs and charts to support their scientific work. Pupils in Year 6 use a data handling programme to set up spreadsheets as though they were newsagents, using the columns and cells to tabulate daily sales per paper and earnings per week. Pupils across the school are able to log onto the Internet and use a browser to find, download and edit information to support their work in history. Presentation skills are being well developed, with pupils using such utilities as ‘clip art’ to Cradley CE VA Primary School - 38 present their work in interesting and exciting ways, combining graphics with word processing for best effects. Pupils build up good skills across a wide range of communication equipment as they

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

become older. They can use video players, overhead projectors, tape recorders, compact disk players, cameras, and telephones. The school has a digital camera, a scanner and keyboard but use by pupils is limited at present because of software problems. The use of CD ROMs, to support different curricular areas is also a problem as few of the computers in the school have an appropriate drive to play a disk and those that have, have problems holding the program for any length of time.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and this has enabled the school to keep up with the increased demands of the curriculum. All teachers have completed their new opportunities funded training and thus have good subject knowledge. Teachers’ plans clearly link the development of computer skills to other areas of the curriculum such as mathematics, science, art and history. They give clear explanations, making good use of step-by-step instructions to challenge pupils to work hard. Teachers make good use of questions about previous learning to support and extend new work but are not afraid to make ‘mistakes’ for pupils to correct, giving pupils the opportunity to share existing learning. Teachers make good use of supporting adults, ensuring they are aware of the pupils they are to support and the targets to be achieved by the end of the session. Teachers frequently have differentiated activities,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

especially for higher attaining pupils who are working independently. Lessons are characterised by good management strategies, no time is wasted and pupils work hard and sustain their concentration. As well as sharing the lesson objectives with the class, teachers model tasks well using the electronic white board and projector to demonstrate skills and activities.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

103. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The co-ordinator is new but has drawn up a review of the subject, including plans for the future. The policy for the subject was reviewed last year and the scheme of work updated in line with changes in the curriculum. A commercially produced scheme has been purchased to ensure consistency of skills development and linked across the curriculum to areas of science, mathematics, history and English. The inspection has raised some important areas for development. Many pupils have computers at home and have developed a range of ‘short cuts’ that are appropriate for their home programs but could handicap the wider development of computer skills. The co-ordinator plans to refine assessment procedures to identify these so that skills are consistently matched between home and school. Pupils do not have instant access to a wide range of programs as found on CD-ROMs for such as

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

history and mathematics, as all the computers are in the suite and networked, access to which is timetabled. At present, the way in which the school’s network is configured means that some important pieces of equipment do not function properly and access to features is restricted. This inhibits the use of information and communication technology to support several aspects of the curriculum and is a serious weakness of provision.

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MUSIC

104. By the end of both key stages, pupils are achieving standards in music that are well above national expectations. The school has improved its good position from the last inspection. This is a musical school. Music is given a high priority because it contributes so well to pupils’ spirituality and cultural development. Skills are taught very well as a result of this good attention and standards are very high as a consequence, with pupils making very good progress. Pupils and staff gain much pleasure from music making and teachers ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs are fully included in the activities available. Individual talents are encouraged and celebrated.

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MUSIC

105. At Key Stage 1, younger pupils are already developing a good knowledge of the musical elements, for example, when they learn to control a pulse. While listening to the music of Beethoven and Stravinsky they tap their knees to identify a strong pulse. They sing familiar Cradley CE VA Primary School - 39 rhymes confidently and again, identify and keep the speed of the pulse by tapping and clapping. Older pupils learn new songs quickly and accurately. They sing tunefully and learn how to control a pulse in their singing. They sing with very good pitch and breathing control and use untuned instruments confidently and accurately to accompany their songs. Pupils sing rounds accurately, keeping their parts going with confidence.

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MUSIC

106. At Key Stage 2, younger pupils read a poem with good levels of dynamic variation as they put good expression into their voices. They recognise how sounds are organised as they explore different kinds of instrumental sounds and combine them expressively. They make repeating patterns and combine several musical elements as they use instruments to compose an accompaniment to their poem. They make improvements to their composition by discussion and comment appropriately on the effect that they are trying to achieve. They use suitable non- standard symbols to record their compositions. Other pupils improvise repeated patterns appropriately, also showing symbols to represent long and short notes. When they choose symbols to represent each part of their rhythmic patterns, they come to understand that simple ones, such as long and short dashes, are much easier to follow. By Year 5, all pupils, including

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MUSIC

those with special educational needs can read simple music to play a tune on a tuned instrument. Singing is of very good quality. Diction is very good when they sing a song in two parts, and they use expressive control to illustrate the quality of the song – ‘threatening and fearful’.

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MUSIC

107. Teaching and learning in music are very good. Teachers, because they have worked enthusiastically to upgrade their own skills, and are prepared to demonstrate them to pupils at times such as musical evenings and assemblies, have instilled this enthusiasm into pupils. Pupils enjoy their music making and this has a very good impact on their learning. They concentrate and behave very well in lessons. Lessons are planned skilfully, with clear learning objectives that are shared with pupils carefully to ensure they completely understand what they are expected to do. Planning shows good coverage of all the aspects of music, with composition, performance and good listening a strength. Very good opportunities are given for pupils to work well together in groups and in pairs, but also as a whole class. Good quality teaching of skills is a feature and this is demonstrated frequently in the very good quality of the singing and the ability of all pupils to

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MUSIC

read simple music and play tuned instruments by the end of Key Stage 2.

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MUSIC

108. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator is exceptionally enthusiastic and proud of the school’s achievements, which are shared readily with parents and the local community. Recently the choir joined with other schools to sing at Worcester Cathedral and Dudley Castle. They also made a CD with a pop group. The local church is used frequently as a musical venue and parents recently enjoyed a concert of music from around the world. Music is celebrated throughout the school day, in subjects such as physical education, but particularly in assemblies, where singing and instrumental playing is of very good quality and contributes very highly to the spirituality of the occasion. Both boys and girls attend the choir and recorder clubs. Instrumental tuition is a strong feature with flute, clarinet, keyboard and guitar tuition on offer and the take up rate is high. Great care is taken to ensure that pupils do not

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MUSIC

miss the same lessons each week when they are withdrawn for this tuition. Recently, national guidelines have been adopted to support teacher planning, but these have been thoroughly adapted, using materials already available, to meet the needs of the school. New appropriate assessment criteria have been introduced in order to assess individual progress and talent. Monitoring of standards has started but monitoring of teaching is not happening. New teachers to the school are very well supported with their music planning and teaching. The subject is very well resourced.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

109. Standards are broadly average across the school, and pupils in all classes make at least satisfactory progress. In swimming and in athletics, however, standards are very high. This is a similar picture to that at the time of the last inspection. The extra-curricular sports activities are a major strength of the provision. Cradley CE VA Primary School - 40 110. At Key Stage 1, pupils enjoy physical education. In their games lesson in Year 1, pupils were observed moving well, finding spaces and using different levels and speeds. They copied and repeated simple running and jumping skills with basic control. Pupils talked about how to exercise safely, and described how their bodies felt during vigorous exercise. Girls are generally more co-ordinated than boys in this year group. Pupils in Year 2, show increased understanding of the need to ‘warm-up’ before exercising. They are able to perform the basic skills of running,

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

jumping and stretching appropriately, although their ability to work in a space is sometimes limited by their over-exuberant behaviour. The majority of pupils in Year 2 are able to link actions in short phrases, putting at least two movements together.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. At Key Stage 2, pupils have an increased range of opportunities and, by the end of the key stage, all pupils achieve appropriate standards, with a significant minority achieving standards above average. In swimming lessons, Years 3 and 4 achieve very well. They work hard in the pool to improve their performances, and learn new skills. They benefit from very high quality guidance and teaching as they improve their strokes. Many already swim 25 metres independently, and others show good levels of confidence in the water. In athletics in the summer term, there is clear evidence of high achievement. In a recent competition, the boys’ team came first out of 20 schools in the local area, and the girls came third. This is a real strength in the standards achieved by the school. In gymnastics and dance, standards are less successful, but are, nevertheless, satisfactory. For example, in Year 6, pupils were observed undertaking country

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

dancing for only the second time. They worked hard to perfect the movements and responded well to different dance music. Many were able to develop good imaginative dance movements. However, their achievements were limited by some silly behaviour of mainly a very small group of boys, who exhibited noisy, excitable attitudes.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. The quality of teaching in physical education is always at least satisfactory, and sometimes, in swimming for example, is very good. Teachers manage pupils well and lessons are planned effectively to ensure all aspects are taught. Teachers generally make appropriate use of some very good resources, and encourage pupils well, as they seek to improve their skills. Relationships are strong, and activities are usually well matched to learning objectives. Pupils are mostly well managed and health and safety issues are securely dealt with. However, there are times when behaviour management is less successful and noisy, excitable behaviour has a negative impact on the standards achieved in these lessons. For example, in a gymnastics lesson, some off-task and disruptive behaviour by a very few boys had a negative impact on the standards achieved. Some immature attitudes in dance, due to insufficient management of noise

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

levels, also reduces the development of dance skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall, with strengths in the development of the range of curricular activities on offer and the development of resources for learning. For example, some very good extra-curricular sports activities are helping to raise pupils’ achievements in physical education. Links with local area schools are strong, and competition with them in different activities is a real strength. However, not enough monitoring of lessons has taken place to ensure consistency of provision. Procedures for assessing what pupils have achieved in all aspects of the subject are weak, and do not give a picture of individual pupils’ skills in the subject. Management of behaviour is sometimes a weakness and too few systems are in place to ensure that pupils listen carefully and respond appropriately at all times.

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