Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School

DENVER V. C. PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 th – 12 th June 2002

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DENVER V. C. PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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DENVER V. C. 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. Denver V.C. Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: 19 Ryston Road Denver Downham Market Norfolk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Acting chair of governors: Mr Richard Davidson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3.11.97 Denver V.C. Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 2615 E Parry Registered inspector 19365 G Stockley Lay inspector 2616 P Cole Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Peak Education Partnership 19 Huddersfield Road Barnsley South Yorkshire S70 2LT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Denver V.C. 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This small primary school has 115 pupils on roll; 57 boys and 58 girls. It serves the small village of Denver and one other nearby village and also draws in pupils from other nearby areas. Some pupils come by school bus. Pupils come from a variety of backgrounds but with more than usual from affluent homes; only a small number, five per cent, are eligible for free school meals. The school population is entirely white and there are rarely pupils from other ethnic groups. No pupil speaks English as an additional language. Children start school either in September or January of the year that they reach five years of age. Their skills and knowledge when they start vary; some children have special educational needs and others are quite advanced. This affects the overall pattern of attainment on entry which changes from year to year because of the small numbers. It can be below average but is often above

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

average, as it is this year. Two pupils in the school have statements of special educational need with ten more on the school’s register for special needs, mainly because they find learning harder than usual. This is broadly in line with the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school that provides good value for money. It is very well led and managed. Teaching is good overall and pupils achieve well in most subjects. The staff are especially successful in creating a warm and caring school where pupils thrive.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The headteacher leads the school very well and staff and governors support her very effectively. • Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects and achieving well. • The school is a friendly and open place where children are cared for very well. • Very good provision is made for children’s personal development so that they are becoming caring and thoughtful young people. • Parents have confidence in what the school does and their contributions, whether in classroom support or fundraising, reflect this.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are not high enough by Year 6. • The first part of mathematics lessons for juniors is not meeting all of the children’s needs. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in November 1997 and has made good progress in dealing with the areas it was given to work on. A range of ways to improve spelling has been tried but most of the teaching of spelling is now done in literacy lessons. The impact of this is satisfactory, with pupils lower down the school showing the most improvement. Teachers now plan more carefully. They check what is happening in the subjects that they are Denver V.C. Primary School - 7 responsible for so that they can advise what needs to be done next. Teaching assistants have received quite a lot of training and contribute well to children’s learning especially in English. Reports of children’s progress that are sent home to parents at the end of the year now cover all subjects and are good. The school has made parents fully aware of the impact of children’s absence from school because of holidays taken during term time. As a result,

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

there are slightly fewer authorised absences but figures still remain higher than average.

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The ups and downs in the table show how results in national tests at the end of Year 6 are affected by the composition of small groups of pupils. A different combination of pupils, including more with special educational needs or more particularly able pupils makes a significant difference to the result. In 2001, results were among the highest five percent nationally in English and above average in mathematics and science. They were still high in English compared to similar schools, based on the take up of free school meals, but average in mathematics and science. Results are higher in English because more pupils reach the higher levels. One of the reasons for this is that the teaching assistants are well trained in this area and very effective in supporting groups so that all pupils benefit. The school exceeded the targets set by governors for 2001. Targets are set for a similar level for 2002.

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STANDARDS

This year’s Year 6 includes more pupils with special educational needs and fewer who are more able so that results in English, mathematics and science are not likely to be so high but will represent a good result for the pupils concerned. Overall, pupils’ current work reflects an average picture in all subjects, except ICT where their skills and knowledge are below nationally expected levels. Pupils of all abilities generally achieve well, but they do better in English because of good teaching combined with the quality of support from assistants. This year, pupils’ results at the end of Year 2 are likely to be better than last year’s were in 2001 and above average in reading, writing, mathematics and science. About a third of pupils are likely to reach higher than expected levels for their age. Results have improved in mathematics because the structure of groups has been changed, and this is having a

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STANDARDS

positive impact on the quality of teaching and the rate at which that these pupils learn. In all other subjects, Year 2 pupils are reaching the standards that are expected of them. This year’s reception class are doing well and most have achieved the learning targets for their age which are set out in the curriculum for the Foundation Stage (the special curriculum for nursery and reception children). Many are now working within the National Curriculum in English, mathematics and science. Denver V.C. Primary School - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very positive. Children like the school and enjoy learning.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Children can be lively but are always well behaved. They understand where the boundaries are between what is or is not acceptable.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. The school helps pupils to become caring, responsible and thoughtful young people.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory, although just below the national average because of the numbers of absences for holidays.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching throughout the school is good. Teachers have good knowledge of all the subjects they teach, but this is especially so in English and science. They plan all lessons well and have the resources that they need ready so that no time is wasted. The best teaching uses a variety of ways to interest the children, including humour, making deliberate errors on the board, praise, encouragement and simple reminders and direction. The very good quality of relationships helps children to learn by making them feel valued. Teachers use time well and plan clear tasks for the teaching assistants to undertake in most lessons. When this is so, teaching assistants play an important part in children’s learning, working under the teachers’ direction, with groups or individuals. Their help is particularly effective in literacy lessons where they have had additional training and are very confident, and also in mathematics with

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

the infants. Occasionally, at the start of lessons when they are listening with the children, their skills are not used to best advantage.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching in English is strong and is reflected in the good results that pupils achieve. Mathematics teaching is satisfactory. Teachers in the mixed-age junior classes know what they want to achieve in mathematics, but the mental and oral work at the start of lessons is often slow. This is because teachers find it difficult to ask questions that are suitable for this wide age and ability range. The middle part of lessons is much better because the tasks are matched to the level at which pupils need to work. The school’s strategy of grouping the infants into year groups makes the task of teaching mathematics easier because the children’s needs are not as wide; this is proving successful in raising standards. Teaching for reception children is good. There is a good balance between formal activities and learning through play. Teaching assistants support these children well.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Children throughout the school are keen to learn and work with interest and enthusiasm at whatever they are asked to do. The oldest ones know how well they are doing and can refer to what they need to do to improve. When asked searching questions, they show a strong capacity to think out answers and reason why things might be so. Denver V.C. Primary School - 9 Denver V.C. Primary School - 10

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school offers a well balanced curriculum for all of its pupils with a good range of extra activities, visits and visitors.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Those who have statements of educational need are very well provided for and those with less profound needs receive good support.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Currently there are no pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Pupils are given many valuable experiences which help them to be thoughtful and reflective.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes very good care of its pupils and has very good arrangements in place for their welfare, health and safety. Children’s personal and academic progress is recorded effectively.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have very positive views about the school . Some help directly in lessons and all contribute very effectively through fundraising which makes sure that all pupils go on trips and is also used for buying extra equipment.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is very well led by the headteacher who has established a team approach where everyone feels able to contribute, and they do so effectively.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. Governors take an active interest in the school that goes beyond the routine of meetings.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. Staff and governors are self-critical and use formal and informal evaluation very well to move the school forward.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of its funding and resources. It ensures value for money in the purchase of supplies and services and is starting to apply the principles of best value more widely through consulting parents and pupils more.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has sufficient classrooms, although some are quite small. A variety of other spaces are used well for teaching, including a small library. The building is well maintained, clean, and bright with displays, some put up by the children themselves. The grounds have been developed very well to offer a rich variety of play and learning space. There are Denver V.C. Primary School - 11 sufficient teachers and a good number of teaching assistants. Books and equipment are generally plentiful and of good quality. Those for ICT have been much improved and are now adequate in number and good in quality.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The school expects children to work hard. • Teaching is good. • The school is well led and managed. • Behaviour in the school is good. • Children are making good progress. • Children like coming to school. • The amount of homework. • A small minority does not feel comfortable approaching the school.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees with most of the positive views that parents hold. Children do like school. They behave well, are expected to work hard and are making good progress in most subjects, although those in juniors have the capacity to do better in ICT. Teaching is good and the school is led well. The school is very aware of the parents’ feelings about homework and is responding by trying different patterns. It intends to take account of parents’ preferences at the end of the year. There is an open door policy that is intended to make everyone welcome but there are a few parents who do not feel comfortable in approaching the school. Denver V.C. Primary School - 12

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The headteacher leads the school very well and staff and governors support her

1. The school is very well led by the headteacher who gives a strong sense of purpose and direction to the work and life of the school. Daily routines are well established to give a calmness and order to the day. Improvement is kept central to the school through daily informal discussions, and through the formal structures of staff meetings and school improvement planning. The effectiveness of leadership and management can be seen in many ways such as the high quality of the environment inside and in the grounds, the improvements since the last inspection and the willingness and openness of all the staff, parents, pupils and governors to share concerns and look for solutions.

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The headteacher leads the school very well and staff and governors support her

2. The headteacher and the staff are proud of the sense of community that is such a strong feature. As she laughingly and rightly put it, ‘everyone thinks the school is theirs but they are all wrong, it’s mine’. Everyone does see the school as their school. This shared ownership helps everyone to feel that they are part of a team and that their contributions are valued. Pupils talk of the respect that staff have for them; staff talk of the respect that is given to their suggestions by the headteacher. As a result, they all evaluate what is happening and put forward ideas for improvement. These range from the provision of flavoured milk at breaks, suggested by the cook as a way of encouraging the youngest to drink more milk, to a suggested change to the structure of the year groups for mathematics which was offered by the newest member of the staff.

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The headteacher leads the school very well and staff and governors support her

3. Teachers in their roles as subject leaders look carefully at what is happening in their subjects and put forward suggestions that feed into the overall improvement plan. Information about pupils that is collected from tests, assessments and looking at pupils’ work, is analysed carefully to see what is going well within subjects and which areas might need some additional support. No one is complacent about the current provision and there is a constant questioning about what works well or could be better. Ideas for improvements are welcomed. Subject leaders actively support colleagues in all aspects of teaching. They provide practical support, such as dealing with technical problems of computer equipment, and more strategic support by, for example, providing a structure for teaching investigations in science which was proving a difficulty.

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The headteacher leads the school very well and staff and governors support her

4. Governors are fully committed to supporting the school. Most of them visit regularly to talk to staff and to see what is happening in classrooms. Staff value governors’ opinions and the fact that they listen and provide a sounding board for ideas. Governors feel an integral part of school life because of this openness and welcome. Some of their decisions, such as increasing the number of teaching assistants, have had a fairly swift impact in improving the standards that pupils reach. A good example of their enterprise is the way that they have taken over completely the production of the governors’ annual report to parents in order to take some of the pressure from the headteacher. They have succeeded in producing a lively and well presented document that makes much more interesting reading than is usually found in such reports. Denver V.C. Primary School - 13

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

5. Teaching throughout the school is good and helps pupils of all abilities to make good progress. This can be seen in the results of the national tests for Year 6 pupils where the 2001 results were in the top five per cent in English and above average in mathematics and science. Because of the different composition of the small group taking the tests this year, results are not likely to be as high. There are more pupils with special educational needs and fewer who will reach the higher level, therefore results are probably going to be about average. Differences between year groups are also reflected in the infants. The results for Year 2 this year are likely to be better than those in 2001 and above the national average with about a third of the pupils reaching the higher level in reading, writing and mathematics. More importantly, pupils make good progress as they move through the school. This can be seen

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

when the results in national tests achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 are compared directly with the results that they achieved at the end of Year 2. Last year’s Year 6 pupils made good progress in English and mathematics during this period and expected progress in science. It can also be seen in the school’s own system that tracks pupils’ progress. This shows that all pupils, except those with special educational needs, make at least the expected progress for their age. Pupils with special educational needs make equally good progress when their learning difficulties are taken into account. For example, an external visitor judged that pupils had exceeded the level of reading skill that was anticipated for them.

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

6. Teachers have good knowledge of all the subjects that they teach, but especially in English. This is reflected in the national test results for Year 6 pupils where two thirds of the group reached the higher level. The school has decided to adapt the national literacy programme by concentrating on teaching skills in literacy lessons and providing opportunities for reading in small groups with an adult separately. There is also separate time for extended writing. This is proving very effective. Children in reception get off to a good start and quickly learn to put their ideas down. The most able show good command of language when writing independently. They use quite a sophisticated structure for their age, as in this example, “As he opnd his iyie and to his amasmnt then he opendt hs av iye, the sun wet dan”. Writing in literacy lessons in Years 1 to 6 develops pupils’ skills that they then practise in short

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

exercises. Pupils are taught to make their writing interesting by adding description. An example of this from a Year 6 pupil is that ‘The plane flew overhead’ became ‘Diving and swooping like a bird, the plane flew over the horizon puffing a smokey path all over the golden filled sun’. The separate time that is given so that pupils learn to write at length gives them opportunity to practise writing well. Spelling is still the weakest part of writing in Year 6 but the work in literacy is starting to make an impact in the lower year groups. Spelling errors in the reception and Year 1 class, for example, are picked up by the teacher and become the focus of specific work for those who need it in the next lesson. Group reading sessions throughout the school that are separate from literacy lessons mean that pupils work effectively in small groups with extra support and extra time focused on developing their

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

7. A feature of all lessons in English is that teaching assistants are an integral part and provide invaluable help. They often take groups to help with reading, letter and sound recognition or grammatical exercises. The training that they have had makes them confident and able to help pupils to learn most effectively. They know how to keep pupils interested by asking probing questions and by varying their approach. They use their knowledge informally as well - for example, they often correct the way that younger pupils speak and provide the proper word or suggest a better phrase.

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

8. Science is also well taught. Lessons for the younger ones have a strong practical focus that gives the pupils plenty of experiences to learn from. The use of the outdoor area Denver V.C. Primary School - 14 for the mixed-age Year 1 and 2 pupils to experiment with, and learn about, forces is a good example of this. Both teacher and assistant asked questions that made pupils think about what they were doing and explain what they had found. Pupils were beginning to notice, for example, that when you pushed in one direction, you moved in the other. Pupils write their own conclusions to science work and these are carefully and thoughtfully marked. In Year 6, pupils’ learning is also based on practical work. Demonstrations make pupils think and they do not automatically accept explanations. For example, an experiment to show that sound can travel through water made one pupil pause for thought and ask the question ‘How can

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

sound travel through water when there is no air?’ Pupils showed great delight in experimenting with sounds, as when they suspended spoons from string and attached them to their ears to see if sound can travel through string. Pupils’ work and discussions reveal that pupils of different abilities are working at very similar levels. There is not the range of attainment that is evident in English or mathematics. This is reflected in the national tests where more reach the expected level than in English or mathematics.

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

9. Teachers plan all lessons well and have the resources that they need ready so that no time is wasted. This is evident in a range of lessons from mathematics to art. The best teaching uses a variety of ways to interest the children including humour, making deliberate errors on the board, praise, encouragement, as well as simple reminders and direction. As a result, children throughout the school are keen to learn and work with interest and enthusiasm at whatever they are asked to do. Teachers use time well and usually plan clear tasks for the teaching assistants to undertake, such as supporting a group in reading or number work. Occasionally, at the start of lessons when assistants are listening along with the children, their skills are not used to their best advantage.

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

The school is a friendly and open place where children are cared for very well.

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

10. Children are very enthusiastic about their school. They enjoy coming because they feel that there is plenty to do, everyone is friendly and it is easy to make friends. They find it difficult to think of anything they don’t like, except the occasional school dinner! They get on very well with one another and with teachers and support staff. They say that this is because the teachers expect this, that teachers provide a good model by treating them with respect and that they discuss things in class which helps them to understand how their actions affect each other. Older pupils are quick to respond to the concerns of younger ones and all pupils respond to each other well - for example, they applaud spontaneously when someone’s work or effort is good in assemblies and in class. They listen courteously when others are talking and work together without fuss. The confidence that pupils have in their teachers can be

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

seen in the character studies that the Year 5 and 6 have written about their headteacher and class teacher. The former, affectionately known as ‘the dragon of Denver’ (because of a story she once read that captured the children’s imaginations not because she is fierce) was described as ‘the most strict teacher I know, yet in her own way dangerously delightful’. A pupil described first impressions that someone might have of their teacher as, ‘a cool guy, a rocker, a trouble maker….’. All efforts are displayed on the wall, whatever pupils have written, and this reflects the respect that teachers have for pupils’ views. Some have been included in the next of the Governors’ reports to parents because everyone enjoyed reading the comments. This reflects the warmth, trust and humour that is evident in relationships at all levels.

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

11. School routines and the ordinary daily expectations create a safe and secure environment. Children say that there are not many ‘rules’ but they know how they are expected to behave in different situations. The staff are thoughtful about children’s welfare. An example of this is the way that staff encourage children to take drinks throughout the day. In the reception class, a choice of drink, including flavoured milk, has been introduced to Denver V.C. Primary School - 15 cater for different tastes. The youngest children have playtime in their own yard so that their particular outdoor play needs can be met.

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Teaching overall is good and leads to pupils making good progress in most subjects

12. Pupils’ personal development is monitored well by the staff. They know the children very well and are quick to spot any changes in attitudes or behaviour. Staff also take care to record pupils’ academic progress. Assessment books provide a careful and accurate record of how well children are doing. Parents, as well as pupils, can see these, and the books form a useful starting point for the meetings to discuss progress at the end of the year.

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Very good provision is made for children’s personal development so that they are

becoming caring and thoughtful young people.

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Very good provision is made for children’s personal development so that they are

13. Children have very positive attitudes to learning. They understand that to work hard and do their best is in their own interests, but also recognise that learning can be fun. They make the most of opportunities to enjoy their work, while still putting in the required amount of effort. In lessons, they settle quickly to their activities and concentrate on their work. Pupils believe that they know the difference between right and wrong and attribute this to the school, as well as to home. Their personal development, which includes an increasingly mature outlook and a thoughtful understanding of important aspects of life, is a strength of the school.

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Very good provision is made for children’s personal development so that they are

14. The Christian nature of the school subtly underpins the children’s education and can be seen, for instance, in the quality of relationships which are very good. Children get on well together and are sensitive to one another’s feelings and needs. They respect views that are different from their own - for instance, they said that a new pupil from another country or culture who was noticeably different would be made as welcome in the school as any other. There were many small examples seen that support their views - for instance, in the way they responded to children with special educational needs. Because the school is in an area with few people from ethnic minority groups, it tries hard to find ways to balance the pupils’ experiences, and to teach racial equality. Recently a visitor from Nigeria showed the children her national dress and talked to them about her country and last year there was an

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Very good provision is made for children’s personal development so that they are

Indian dancer in school. Pupils from the juniors have been involved in a “Sing the World” project with other schools where they worked with professional singers from countries such as America, Pakistan and Africa. The school’s teddy bear, Henry, travels widely to places as different as Lapland or Florida and the record of his travels helps children to see something of differences as well.

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Very good provision is made for children’s personal development so that they are

15. The teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their moral sensibilities through discussions about issues as diverse as bullying in school or foxhunting. Pupils learn about other religions and older ones are sometimes led by the teacher to tackle thought- provoking issues such as the Arab/ Israeli conflict and the part that religious beliefs play in such situations. At other times, staff say that moral issues are not so much taught as practised as a way of life. They give, as an example, the fact that children take care of the building and grounds because they want to, rather than because they are told to.

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Parents have confidence in what the school does and their contributions, whether in

classroom support or fundraising, reflect this.

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Parents have confidence in what the school does and their contributions, whether in

16. Parents express very positive views about the school. The meeting with them before the inspection was entirely positive with no concerns being mentioned in any area. The questionnaire also reflects a very positive response. Even where there were criticisms, these were accompanied by an overall statement of support for the school. Denver V.C. Primary School - 16 17. The staff value the help that parents give and see parents’ positive responses as important in creating the sense of community that is in the school. A number of parents help in classrooms on a regular basis and the staff can always count on extra hands for special events. The school is moving towards greater consultation with parents. For example, the issue of homework is one that is under consideration. Each term a different form of homework has been tried and at the end of the year, it is to be reviewed with parents’ comments to form part of the decision about what should happen next.

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Parents have confidence in what the school does and their contributions, whether in

18. Parents support the school very well whenever there are concerts or social events. The fundraising that they do adds to the social life of the school and provides a valuable source of extra income. Parents ask that this is used to pay for school trips, as well as to buy extras. The interesting range of outdoor play equipment is an example of the way that funds have been used to benefit the children. Each year the parents have provided a new computer and they have also bought the playground games and toys that help to make breaks a profitable time for social and physical play.

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Standards in information and communication technology ( ICT) are not high enough

by Year 6. 19. Since the previous inspection, the school has improved the quantity and quality of computers that pupils use. Teachers have worked to improve their own level of skill and knowledge and are providing pupils with a better experience of ICT. By Year 2, the pupils are working at the levels expected for their age. For example, they know how to type in text and put in correct punctuation. They have produced graphs from data they have collected and made maps of their village. Computers are used for art work and pupils know how to select and use different icons. They know that work can be saved and printed out although they need help to do this. They have also used a floor robot and are aware that a set of instructions tells the robot how to move. 20. By Year 6, pupils have a much broader experience, but overall their work is below the standard expected for their age. They are better at word processing and using the graphics

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Standards in information and communication technology ( ICT) are not high enough

facilities than in their knowledge of data handling and how computers can be used to monitor and control information. They understand that we can use computers to read and send email but have very little experience of this; this is because the school is still waiting for the LEA to complete email provision. 21. Some good initial teaching and explanation go on before computers are used, for example in a Year 3 and 4 lesson establishing what questions should be asked so that information can be entered into the computer. As the skills related to the program were only taught to four pupils, who were expected to cascade the information to others, those pupils benefited from the teaching, but others will not have the same quality of experience. This might well delay understanding if those who are being shown do not grasp the ideas quickly. In a Year 5 and 6 lesson, there was a good demonstration to show how sensors attached to

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Standards in information and communication technology ( ICT) are not high enough

a computer enable information to be monitored and recorded continuously. A computer club enhances experience for some pupils. The school does not have a computer suite and there are no effective facilities for demonstrating techniques to a whole class. The existing computers are difficult to use for this purpose. Although there are more computers of better quality and pupils are making better progress than at the previous inspection, the school’s resources are not yet good enough to help pupils to catch up to national average levels.

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The first part of mathematics lessons for juniors is not meeting all of the children’s

needs. Denver V.C. Primary School - 17 22. The difficulties of dealing with mixed-age classes and a wide range of ability have been reduced considerably in the infants by organising the two infant classes into three distinct age groups for mathematics and using the skills of teaching assistants with the youngest age group. This is proving to be a very successful strategy, especially since the two assistants provide very capable and skilled support. Teachers and assistants are able to challenge pupils more effectively and results in mathematics have risen in this year’s national tests for Year 2 pupils.

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The first part of mathematics lessons for juniors is not meeting all of the children’s

23. In the juniors, the two mixed-age classes are quite large and both have pupils with a very wide range of’ ability, from those with learning difficulties to those who are very able in mathematics. This range is catered for well in the middle of the lessons where pupils are given tasks according to their needs and teaching assistants support one of the groups. At the start of mathematics lessons, however, it is much more difficult to meet that range of ability within the whole class. Teachers do ask questions at different levels, but the number of pupils means that the amount of work that is relevant to particular individuals is quite limited. As an example, in developing knowledge about shapes, the content was aimed at the majority of pupils and was particular unchallenging for those who have gone beyond that level of knowledge. In number work, questions aimed at speeding up the responses of the

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The first part of mathematics lessons for juniors is not meeting all of the children’s

majority with numbers up to 100 were way beyond a group of pupils who struggled with lower numbers. The discussion and explanations, which profited the majority in thinking about solutions, were too fast for lower attainers who needed more time to think.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Denver V.C. Primary School - 18 24. In order to further improve the quality of education offered and the standards that pupils reach, the headteacher, staff and governors should.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Review the provision for information and communication technology to see how the existing resources might be used more effectively and plan a long term strategy that will look at ways of enabling teachers and pupils to benefit from more direct teaching to groups and classes. Paragraphs 19-21

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Improve the way the mathematics lessons are introduced by:_ • finding resources that are specifically aimed at meeting the needs of mixed-ability classes; • using teaching assistants more effectively at the beginning of lessons or as they are used in the infants; • looking at other organisational possibilities, such as mental and oral work for groups, rather than whole classes. Paragraphs 22-23 Denver V.C. Primary School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 14

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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 five percentage points..,

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 115

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

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Attendance

School data 6.1 School data 0.3 Denver V.C. Primary School - 20 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Denver V.C. Primary School - 21

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 6 8 14

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

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

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (85) 79 (92) 93 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

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

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (92) 79 (92) 93 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 7 11 18

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

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

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (85) 89 (54) 94 (85) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

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

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (62) 94 (62) 94 (69) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. * The number of girls and boys reaching the average level or above has been omitted as the numbers are too small to be reliable. Denver V.C. Primary School - 22

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.6 Financial year 2000 - 01

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 233803

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 234824

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 115 Expenditure per pupil 2174

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 13734

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 12713

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Denver V.C. Primary School - 23 FTE means full-time equivalent. Denver V.C. Primary School - 24

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 60 38 1 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 56 42 0 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 48 14 3 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 53 4 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 60 27 8 3 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 79 21 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 40 53 7 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 66 34 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 49 1 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 48 4 1 4

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