Skipton, Water Street Community Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16 th to 18 th April 2002

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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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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. Water Street Community Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Water Street Community Primary School Elliot Street Skipton North Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Pauline Jackson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 th – 13 th November 1997 Water Street Community Primary School - 4

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Team members

20932 Tim Boyce Registered inspector 19361 Keith Ross Lay inspector 22398 Lynne Wright Team inspector

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Team members

Evenlode Associates Ltd 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Water Street Community 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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

Water Street Community Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Water Street Community Primary School is an average sized school, providing full time education for 221 pupils, aged from 4 to 11 years. The school is popular and oversubscribed and serves a wider area than that immediately close to the school. Most pupils have a white UK heritage and only three pupils come from other ethnic groups. Two of these pupils have English as an additional language, with one at an early stage of English language acquisition. A much lower than average number of pupils is eligible for free school meals. Approximately eight per cent of the pupils are included on the school’s register of special educational need. This is well below the national average. The majority of these pupils have minor learning difficulties. No pupils have statements of special educational need but two are awaiting their assessment. The social and economic circumstances of the majority of families are above average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Assessments administered on entry, and inspection evidence, show that whilst there is variation from year to year, attainment on entry to the Reception class is above the local and national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school with many significant strengths and very few areas for improvement. The head teacher provides the school with excellent leadership and management, and is very well supported in this by the senior managers, co-ordinators and the governing body. The overall quality of teaching is very good, the curriculum is broad, rich and relevant and most pupils achieve very high academic and personal standards. When all these factors are weighed together the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve very high academic and personal standards. • The overall quality of leadership and management is very good. The head teacher provides the school with excellent leadership. • The overall quality of teaching and learning is very good and pupils are effectively encouraged to become independent learners. • The curriculum is broad, balanced, rich and relevant. • Pupils form excellent relationships with their peers and with all adults in school.

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What could be improved

• The outdoor play provision for children in the Reception class. • The assessment and record keeping systems for subjects other than English, mathematics science and information and communication technology (ICT). 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

There has been very good improvement since the school was last inspected in November 1997. All of the key issues identified in the previous inspection report have been addressed and most of them have been fully resolved. The school has worked very hard to make good any shortcomings in its provision for ICT, design and technology (DT) and geography, and standards have risen in all three of these subjects. Good progress has been made in improving investigative aspects of mathematics and satisfactory progress has been made in developing investigative aspects of science. The overall quality of leadership and management has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now very good. Monitoring and evaluation procedures are now very effective and co-ordinators play a full and active part in the management of their areas of responsibility. Most of the weaknesses in teaching found in some classes

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

during the previous inspection have now been eliminated and the overall quality of teaching and learning is now very good. The provision for special educational needs is very good and all the required documentation is now fully in place. Parents now have a clear understanding of the school’s policy on homework. The school has established very effective formal procedures for assessing and recording attainment and progress in English and mathematics and is currently testing procedures for assessing and recording progress in other subjects. Whilst these have improved the provision in these subjects, they are not yet fully effective and the school is aware that further improvements will be required once the trial period is over. Water Street Community Primary School - 7 In addition to the improvements in those areas identified as Key Issues, there have been many other significant improvements in the school’s overall provision. Academic and personal standards have

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

improved and most pupils are now achieving better than average standards in most subjects. The curriculum is broad, balanced, rich and relevant and has a very positive impact on the academic and personal development of all the pupils. A very effective partnership has been forged with parents and carers. The very significant improvements in the leadership and management of the school have resulted in the creation of a very stimulating, caring and forward-looking community. The potential for further improvement is good.

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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 very high A* English A* A A* A well above average above average A B Mathematics A* A* A* A* average below average C D Science B B A C well below average very low E E* The results of National Curriculum assessments administered in 2001 indicated that, when compared with the national average, standards were very high (in the top five per cent nationally) in English and mathematics, and well above average in science. When compared with similar schools (those with up to eight per cent of pupils’ eligible for free school meals), results were well above average in English, very high in mathematics, where the school was in the top five per cent nationally, and average in science. Standards in English and mathematics have been consistently very high for the past three years whilst there has been steady improvement in science. The school attributes the high standards achieved in 2001 to improvements in its provision and the quality of that particular age group, which contained a much

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

higher than average proportion of higher attaining pupils. Inspection evidence indicates that the standards achieved by the current Year 6 group are above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils are making rapid progress in ICT and whilst many pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 are attaining above average standards, the majority of pupils in Year 6 are attaining standards in line with the national expectation. Standards in other National Curriculum subjects are at least in line with national expectations with particular strengths being identified in the teaching of art and design, geography and dance. Standards in religious education (RE) are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

Children learn very effectively in the Foundation Stage and almost all achieve the required standards by the time they finish their Reception year, with a significant proportion of children exceeding them. Pupils at Key Stage 1 are achieving well and are on track to achieve standards that are at least in line with and often above the national expectation in most subjects. Standards in ICT, for example, are above the national expectation. The school sets and achieves challenging targets for its attainment in English, mathematics and science. Levels of achievement are very good and all pupils are working to their potential irrespective of their age, gender, ethnicity or social circumstance. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress in most lessons, as do gifted and talented pupils and pupils with English as an additional language.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are very enthusiastic about school and try their hardest in almost all of their lessons. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave very well in class and around the school. This makes a very positive impact on the learning in almost all lessons. Water Street Community Primary School - 8 Personal development and relationships The personal development of pupils is very good and they enjoy the many good opportunities they are given to take responsibility and to use their initiative. Pupils form excellent relationships with their peers and other adults and get on very well together. Attendance Very good. Attendance is well above average and pupils arrive at school and to their lessons on time.

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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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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and is a major strength of the school. English and mathematics are taught very well and very good attention is given to the teaching of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. The teaching of science is satisfactory overall, but spans the range from very good to unsatisfactory. The teaching of art and design and ICT are very good and these two subjects, which are used very effectively across the curriculum, make a very positive impact on pupils learning.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Very good use is generally made of specialist teaching including, for example, the teaching of dance. Teaching meets the needs of all groups of pupils very effectively because work is usually closely matched to individual need. Higher attaining pupils, including those identified as being gifted and talented, are well provided for and are achieving well. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported and make very good progress. The school makes effective use of a range of teacher management strategies including job sharing and team teaching to enhance learning. The teaching of the small number of pupils for whom English is an additional language is very effective.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The main strengths of the very good teaching seen were the very positive relationships that teachers form with pupils, high expectations, a brisk pace to work, good subject knowledge and the use of a wide variety of teaching strategies to keep pupils on task. As a result, pupils come to school willingly and enthusiastically, concentrate very hard in their lessons and make good, and sometimes very good, progress. In the one unsatisfactory lesson observed during the inspection the science tasks set by the Key Stage 2 support teacher were not well enough matched to the prior attainment of the pupils and failed to challenge all but the least able. As a result, levels of concentration were low and most pupils did not make sufficient progress.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The curriculum is broad, balanced, rich and relevant and fulfils statutory requirements. It prepares pupils very effectively for their secondary education and life in general. Subjects are skilfully integrated and ICT is carefully woven into all other areas of the curriculum. A carefully considered programme of visits, visitors to school, and theme days effectively enhances the curriculum. These do much to make learning interesting and relevant. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress and generally attain broadly average standards. The school is already implementing the New Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Whilst these pupils receive no specialist support, the general provision is good and the small number of pupils concerned make the same very good progress

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Aspect Comment

as their peers. Provision for pupils’ Very good. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good whilst the Water Street Community Primary School - 9 personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development provision for their social, moral and cultural development is very good. The recently introduced programme for personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is making a very positive impact on the moral and social development of the pupils. Their cultural development is effectively developed by the emphasis given in the curriculum to geography, art and design, music and dance, for example. How well the school cares for its pupils Good overall. The school is a very caring environment and all staff give close attention to aspects of personal safety. There are very good formal assessment and recording procedures for English and mathematics, but these are not so effective for other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a very effective working partnership with parents, who are kept well informed about what is going on and generally make a significant contribution to the progress that their children are making. Racial equality is promoted very effectively throughout the school.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good overall. The head teacher provides the school with excellent leadership and management, and is very well supported in this by the senior managers, co-ordinators and the governing body.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil their responsibilities very effectively. They are fully involved in school life and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school well. They play a significant role in key policy decisions.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Monitoring and evaluation procedures are very effective and enable senior managers, co-ordinators and governors to have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and the strategies to be adopted. The school improvement plan is a very useful document that contains all the required aspects.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes very effective use of almost all of the resources at its disposal. Funding is allocated efficiently so that it effectively supports the initiatives detailed in the school improvement plan. The school maintains a very large contingency reserve, but this money has been earmarked for a substantial building project that will resolve many of the problems with the existing building. The school applies the principles of best value to good effect. Teaching staff are generally deployed effectively and there are good quantities of high quality teaching and learning resources. The staff make very good use of a difficult building to create an attractive and stimulating teaching and learning environment.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children enjoy coming to school. • Their children are making good progress. • Behaviour in the school is good. • Teaching is very good. • They would feel comfortable approaching the school with a question or a problem. • Children are expected to work hard and do their best. • The school is well led and managed. • The range of activities available outside lessons. • The amount of homework set. • The way the school works with parents. • How well they are kept informed about how their children are getting on. • Some classes have too many pupils. Water Street Community Primary School - 10 • Their children are becoming mature and responsible.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with all the aspects identified by parents as strengths. Of the areas identified by parents as areas for improvement, the inspectors consider that an appropriate amount of homework is set. The school has a very effective partnership with parents and keeps them very well informed about the progress that their children are making. The staff work very hard raising standards, developing the curriculum and making sure that lessons are planned and organised carefully and the team considers that the range of activities provided outside of lesson time to be satisfactory. Whilst some classes have more than 30 pupils, the team found no evidence that the size of classes was having a significant impact on the quality of learning. In reality, some of the best learning was observed in the larger classes. Water Street Community Primary School - 11

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Pupils achieve very high academic and personal standards.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. The majority of pupils enter the school with higher than average levels of attainment in almost all aspects of the areas of learning. Their communication, language and literacy skills are often particularly well advanced.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. Pupils learn effectively throughout Key Stage 1 and the attainment of many pupils in national assessments has been considerably better than average over the past four years. Since 1997, pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 have attained good, and often very good, standards in reading, consistently very good standards in writing and standards in mathematics that have spanned the range from satisfactory to well above average. This is mainly because of the teachers have a good understanding of the programmes of study for these subjects and teach them with skill and enthusiasm.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. Pupils continue to learn effectively throughout Key Stage 2 and from 1999 to 2001 the scores gained in English have been consistently well above average, with the scores for 1999 and 2001 being some of the highest found nationally. Throughout that period the scores gained for mathematics have been very high and have always been in the top five per cent when compared with all other primary schools. The very good standards attained in English and mathematics reflect the good subject knowledge of the teachers and the very careful planning that takes place to ensure that all the required areas are covered at a sufficient depth. Standards in science are more variable and have spanned the range from satisfactory to well above average. This is mainly because some teachers are not so confident about the subject and insufficient emphasis has been given to the experimental and investigative aspects of the subject.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. Inspection evidence shows that standards in reading are consistently very good throughout the school and that the majority of pupils read with good levels of accuracy and expression. A good example of this was seen when pupils in a Year 1 class read the story of “Little Red Riding Hood” as the different characters. Standards in writing are very good throughout the school and almost every child can write well-structured and imaginative pieces that are accurately spelt and punctuated. Pupils in Year 6, for example, have written some very compelling descriptions related to the story “The Iron Man”. Standards of spelling, grammar and handwriting are much higher than are usually found. Standards in mathematics are good, mainly because pupils are good at basic numeracy and are quick and accurate when calculating mentally. Standards in science are good because pupils have good conceptual understanding and have been taught correct technical

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. In addition to the high standards found in English, mathematics and science, inspection evidence reveals that many pupils have a good knowledge and understanding in several other subjects. Pupils are, for example, developing good ICT skills, which they apply to very good effect in most other subjects. Standards in geography are higher than are usually found. Pupils in the Year 4 class have a good knowledge of the local environment and can explain why the town has developed as it has and what the main influences have been in the past. Throughout the school pupils are attaining high standards in art and design and are developing a real love of the subject. This was demonstrated to very good effect when pupils in a Year 1 class described what they appreciated about the work of Van Gogh. They are gaining a very good understanding of the emotions that drive artists to paint and sculpt, even when their work is not always received

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

positively. Pupils are being given good opportunities to apply their ICT skills when producing computer generated art.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. Levels of achievement are very good and all pupils are working to their potential, irrespective of Water Street Community Primary School - 12 their age, gender, ethnicity or social circumstance. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress in most lessons, as do those pupils identified as being gifted and talented, and those with English as an additional language.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. Pupils attain very high standards in their personal development. Pupils are generally very enthusiastic about their work and enjoy coming to school. They tackle the tasks set with determination and concentrate hard, trying their very best to achieve good standards. They are encouraged in this by both their teachers and their classmates and on several occasions pupils received spontaneous applause and congratulation from their peers, who feel proud of their friends when they do well. This has a very positive impact on the standards achieved in almost all lessons. Behaviour is very good and this also has a very positive impact on the learning of pupils in most classes.

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The overall quality of leadership and management is very good. The head teacher provides the

8. The overall quality of leadership and management provided by the head teacher and key staff is very good. The commitment to improvement is tremendous and staff generally share the head teacher’s vision of excellence for the school. With the able support of senior staff, co-ordinators and the governing body, the head teacher has transformed the school over the past five years to the point where it is clearly a very effective school with the capacity for still further improvement.

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The overall quality of leadership and management is very good. The head teacher provides the

9. All aspects of management are well established in the school and nothing is left to chance. All stakeholders in the school community are involved in the formulation of the carefully constructed school improvement plan that identifies the key priorities for development. These are then discussed and built into a programme that is achievable, within a strict time-scale, but not at a rate that is going to bring unnecessary pressure on the staff. Monitoring is very well established and staff are used to evaluating all stages of the teaching and learning process, including the targeted observation of lessons. As a result, the school sets itself very high standards and is constantly seeking more efficient and effective ways to raise standards. Given this culture, and the quality of the staff, improvement is inevitable.

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The overall quality of leadership and management is very good. The head teacher provides the

10. Co-ordinators have been enabled and empowered to lead their areas of responsibility and are doing a very good job. They run their own budgets and have real ownership of the very significant progress that is being made in their areas. This is a significant improvement on the situation found at the last inspection when the role of co-ordinator was judged to be poorly developed and was a key issue for action. The school makes very good use of the specialist teaching skills of the staff. One support teacher, for example, teaches dance throughout the school to very good effect. The school also gains greatly from the subject specialisms of the two job share teachers in Year 3 who, in addition to managing and teaching the class, play key roles as co-ordinators for ICT and science.

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The overall quality of leadership and management is very good. The head teacher provides the

11. The members of the governing body are fully involved in all the important decisions that are made and fulfil their statutory responsibilities very effectively. They have a very clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and are determined to make good any relative weaknesses that are uncovered.

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The overall quality of leadership and management is very good. The head teacher provides the

12. Very good use is made of the resources at the school’s disposal. The very effective school administrator manages the school office very efficiently. Finances are managed prudently and care is taken to apply the principles of best value when spending decisions are made. Talented and hard-working teachers, support staff and classroom assistants are generally deployed effectively and the good quantities of high quality resources are put to very good use by the careful and well-organised staff. The staff also make very good use of the building, which though attractive, does present some difficulties to staff and pupils. There is, for example, no suitable area for pupils in the Reception class to engage in regular planned outdoor play. The hall is quite Water Street Community Primary School - 13 small and a lot of equipment is stored there. Stairways are steep and problems of access are a constant challenge. The managers of the school are aware of these problems and have carefully

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The overall quality of leadership and management is very good. The head teacher provides the

saved a significant sum of money to part-fund the required improvements. This contingency reserve has been accumulated over a number of years and at a time when large sums of money have also been spent improving resources, the quality of the teaching and learning environment and in raising standards, to very good effect. Water Street Community Primary School - 14

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

13. The overall quality of teaching and learning is very good and helps most pupils to achieve good standards in most subjects. Nearly half of the lessons observed during the inspection were either excellent or very good with another third of lessons being judged as good. Discussion with the pupils and a careful analysis of the work on display shows that this is the usual standard in almost all lessons. Particularly good teaching was observed during the inspection in English, mathematics art and design, geography and dance. The key skills of English, mathematics and science are taught effectively and good attention is given to teaching the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT. The teaching of art and design and ICT are very good and these two subjects are used very effectively across the curriculum, making a very positive impact on pupils learning.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

14. The main strengths of the very good teaching seen are the very positive relationships that teachers form with pupils, high expectations, a brisk pace to work, good subject knowledge and the use of a wide variety of teaching strategies to keep pupils on task. Lessons are planned very carefully and, since most staff work together as a very cohesive team, effective strategies are discussed and shared, to the benefit of all. In an excellent literacy lesson, observed with a class of Year 1 pupils, the teacher created a wonderfully calm and positive learning environment for her pupils through great attention to detail. Her classroom management skills were first class and she took great care to ensure that all pupils were seated carefully so that they could see and hear properly. She encouraged pupils to take responsibility for their own learning, alone, in pairs and in larger groups. She encouraged everyone to share their feelings about the story being discussed. Carefully

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

chosen questioning challenged the most able whilst supporting those that lacked confidence. Similarly high quality lessons were seen again and again, in different classes, as different teachers demonstrated their classroom management skills to very good effect.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

15. The learning environment in the school stimulates the pupils’ imaginations and enjoyment of learning. They come to school eager to learn and take delight in learning new things. Pupils in Year 4 are excited when they correctly apply previously acquired knowledge to add figures that include two decimal points. Children in the Reception class are keen to read stories they have written about the Rainbow Fish. All pupils are encouraged and expected to accept responsibility for their work and to develop positive relationships with each other and with adults in the school.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

16. From the time they start in the Reception class pupils are expected to take responsibility for simple tasks within the classroom and around the school. Children in the Reception class care for the classroom and each other, and readily help each other with tasks such as tidying up. Good learning habits are developed early and the children listen carefully to their teachers so that they are able to start on given tasks quickly and effectively. If they have difficulties they try to solve the problems themselves, rather than immediately relying on the teacher for help. Two four year old girls in the Reception class, writing their stories found the words they needed in the classroom displays, enabling them to work independently and quickly and to successfully complete their stories. Older pupils refer to dictionaries and reference books confidently to research topics and many use the Internet at home to extend homework tasks.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

17. Teachers assume that the pupils will be fully involved in the learning and want to work hard, and they do. Because of this, and the interesting, relevant work, pupils maintain their interest and concentration over long periods. In a music lesson pupils in Year 2 worked hard on a complex task and sustained their concentration for a long time whilst composing an ensemble piece that had different rhythms and layers. The teacher had posed the problem, ‘How do you know when to start, and to finish?’ The onus was placed squarely on the pupils, and although the teachers offered good support through well-focused questions the pupils had to work hard individually and co-operatively to achieve the desired effect. Some of the pieces produced were of a high quality, being melodic with an identifiable structure and real energy. Water Street Community Primary School - 15 18. These very positive and independent approaches to learning are re-established at the start of

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

every day when the first half an hour is given to different activities. These are often designed to challenge the pupils’ thinking and check their learning, which they do most effectively. The pupils are used to the routine and apply themselves readily, giving the teachers an opportunity to provide individual help where needed. Although much time is spent on establishing a group responsibility and ethos, teaching sessions also focus on building pupils’ self-confidence and developing their own sense of responsibility, and ability to make decisions. Although this programme is relatively recent it is paying dividends in producing young people who have a high degree of independence in their approach to learning.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

The curriculum is broad, balanced, rich and relevant.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

19. The curriculum developed by the school is very carefully planned and sufficiently broad to ensure that all pupils experience the full range of activities included in the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education and that statutory requirements are met. In addition to being broad the curriculum is carefully balanced so that sufficient time and emphasis is given to each of the subjects being studied.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

20. Apart from English, mathematics and physical education (PE), which are usually taught as discrete subjects, all other subjects are planned so that they are taught in an integrated way that brings meaning and relevance to pupils’ learning. This enables teachers and pupils to study topics and themes at a greater depth than is usually found. A very good example of this can be found in Years 5 and 6, where pupils have been studying Kenya. This beautifully crafted topic carefully weaves together strands of geography, art and design, music and design and technology using the skills of literacy and ICT to represent work in a wide variety of different forms. The numerous two and three-dimensional achievements of the pupils are celebrated in wonderful displays which illuminate classrooms and provide opportunities for pupils to gain a real understanding of the culture and wonder of a comparative region. The fact that this breadth and richness is achieved,

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

whilst staff are also paying due regard to the required progression in specific subject skills, is a testament to the skill and hard work of the teaching staff. Many of the topics studied throughout the school incorporate various visits to local places of interest and also involve visitors with specialist skills coming into school. Residential visits in Years 5 and 6 are used to very good effect and are fully integrated into the topics being studied.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

21. The statutory curriculum is enhanced to very good effect by a thoughtfully constructed programme of personal, social, health and citizenship education that is providing pupils with the life skills so essential in modern society. This is also helping pupils to place their learning in context and to gain a greater understanding of the importance of valuing the views and beliefs of others. This programme is having a very positive impact on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

22. One of the major strengths of the curriculum developed by the school is the part played by ICT, and work with computers is an integral part of all of the topics studied. Children in the Reception class have good ICT skills and are used to using them to word process their writing, to produce computer generated pictures and to represent data in a variety of forms. This pattern is replicated throughout the school, to very good effect.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

Pupils form excellent relationships with their peers and with all adults in school.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

23. The warm and friendly atmosphere of the school reflects the respect and excellent relationships that exist between all members of the school community. The school places great importance on the development of a sense of belonging to, and contributing to, a community and provides a broad range of opportunities to further this aim. Assemblies give all pupils a chance to think about the consequences of their actions and the benefits of working co-operatively. Further opportunities to develop a feeling of belonging are provided regularly throughout the year. During the Spring Water Street Community Primary School - 16 Festival groups of children painted a beautiful Dreamtime collage in the style of Aboriginal artists. Competitions such as designing a pair of Fun Specs encourage children to contribute to the school community. The whole day Music-a-thon allowed parents, children and teachers to make and

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

enjoy music together, and many pupils remember it with pleasure.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

24. Many very good opportunities are given for the pupils to reflect on their own, and others’ feelings and values, and teachers treat family values with great respect. For example, in a lesson for pupils in Year 5 about healthy eating, the teacher dealt with the issue of vegetarianism, and the food different families ate very sensitively and a balanced view presented.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

25. Very good use is made of the new, very good quality PSHCE scheme through regular, planned lessons in each class. These help provide a most secure environment in which the pupils confidently go about their daily routines. The outcome of this very strong social provision is the very responsible attitude of the children towards everyone involved in the life of the school. In lessons this is evident in the ways in which the children are pleased to share the responsibility for their learning with adults, and work diligently and willingly. The suggestion box raises issues to be taken up at the school council, and this gives all pupils a stake in decision-making.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

26. Children and adults enjoy each other’s company and share the common aim of supporting each other to do their best. Adults provide very good role models, working together in harmonious, respectful and productive partnership. The pupils trust the adults to do their best by them and acknowledge how hard they work on their behalf. This runs throughout the school community and, for example, the school is kept clean and gleaming by the dedicated cleaning staff. Pupils are confident that any complaints would be listened to and dealt with fairly, but this remains largely untested as the only thing the pupils interviewed were not happy with was the sloping playground! Pupils work well together. They co-operate in group activities and offer help spontaneously when anyone is ‘stuck’. In an excellent dance lesson for Year 2 pupils, taught by the specialist dance teacher, the theme of trust was developed in a falling and catching sequence which the pupils

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

managed to perform and develop very quickly as the notion of trust is well understood.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and pupils are effectively encouraged

27. Displays are carefully constructed, valuing the work and the pupils and helping to create a rich and stimulating learning environment. Pupils in the Year 5 class have, for example, shown a high degree of co-operation when making a stunningly attractive and eye-catching display about Kenya. Pupils of all ages are proud of their school and say they feel safe, happy and secure there.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The outdoor play provision for children in the reception class.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

28. There is no appropriate outdoor area where young children can take part in outdoor play and develop control over their bodies and the way that they move. Although they have some access to the adventure playground, there are limited opportunities for younger children to experience large-scale movements such as climbing over, under, through, around and between and no opportunity for them to ride wheeled toys to represent various motorised vehicles or to change direction to avoid obstacles. Whilst pupils visit the hall for PE lessons and have some limited opportunities within the classroom, this aspect of the children’s learning is not sufficiently developed.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

29. The head teacher and Reception teacher are aware of the importance of giving pupils a full range of physical experiences and are seeking ways to allow the children to move spontaneously between indoor and outdoor environments. The school is aware of this weakness and although a small space has been set aside at the back of the car park as a temporary measure, it is too small, wrongly positioned and does not meet the requirement. It is planned to incorporate a properly Water Street Community Primary School - 17 equipped outdoor play area into the Reception classroom when the scheduled improvements to the building are made, but currently the provision is unsatisfactory.

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The assessment and record keeping systems for subjects other than English, mathematics

30. Procedures for assessing how well pupils are doing academically, and ways of recording their progress, are good overall. Because they know their pupils well and teaching is of very high quality, teachers plan lessons that effectively support all groups of pupils, either through increased adult support, different activities or ways of recording what they have learned. 31. The data the school collects and analyses on pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics enables it to have a very clear view of how well the pupils are learning, and to plan further action for improvements in these subjects. There are effective arrangements for science and ICT, but these procedures are not applied to the other subjects of the curriculum to the same extent and, consequently, teachers do not have such detailed knowledge of how well their pupils are doing. They cannot therefore ensure a consistently good match of teaching to individual learning needs

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The assessment and record keeping systems for subjects other than English, mathematics

for every pupil in every lesson. A priority of the school development plan to ‘compile a whole school recording system for pupil National Curriculum achievements’ has recently been implemented and is in the initial stages of use. Teachers are conscientiously following the system, which will be reviewed at the end of its first year.

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The assessment and record keeping systems for subjects other than English, mathematics

32. At regular intervals throughout the year teachers identify what each pupil has done, for example ‘has enjoyed practising and performing songs’, and the level of attainment in every subject. The intention is to inform the teacher, and subsequent teachers, of how each pupil is doing and how they match up to national expectations. Although this is important information, it gives the teacher very little measure of the rate at which each pupil has made progress, especially since not all records are dated. Although there is space to record where individual pupils’ strengths lie, and where they are experiencing problems, these records are not always kept consistently, as teachers find it time consuming.

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The assessment and record keeping systems for subjects other than English, mathematics

33. The newly introduced personal development programme encourages pupils of all ages to set targets focusing on whole class expectations to set the climate for learning. These are reviewed each term and fresh targets set. The purposes of learning are shared clearly with the pupils at the start of each lesson and are referred to at opportune times to help them understand what they are doing. Teachers make useful assessments of what the pupils understand as the lesson progresses and adjust the pace and content accordingly. At the end of the lesson, teachers sum up what has been learnt, often through good questioning of the pupils, so that they can check how well these purposes have been achieved. Teachers make clear to pupils their very high expectations of intellectual effort and behaviour in order that learning should be successful. However, pupils are capable of being more involved in recognising their own strengths and for setting targets for the

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The assessment and record keeping systems for subjects other than English, mathematics

development of their own learning in a more systematic way.

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The assessment and record keeping systems for subjects other than English, mathematics

34. Teachers’ marking of written work is frequently supportive of effort and presentation, or lack of it. Successive comments, such as ‘excellent’ often give no indication to the pupil of what features of the work makes it so and do not encourage extra thought and effort by setting greater challenges. In subjects other than English and mathematics there is a general lack of comment to extend pupils’ awareness of themselves as learners. The amount and quality of formal marking is inconsistent, both within subjects and across classes. Much marking is done verbally and whilst it helps pupils to know, in the short term, how to improve their work, this provides no record for either the pupil or the teacher to look back at, to reflect on rates of progress or achievement. Pupils want to learn and are both literate and articulate so could engage in a written dialogue with their teachers about their work in order to deepen their understanding. Annual reports to parents

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The assessment and record keeping systems for subjects other than English, mathematics

do not allow pupils to review their own learning during the year or describe their own personal goals, although pupils are given opportunities to consider and revise their targets at other times. Water Street Community Primary School - 18 Water Street Community Primary School - 19

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

35. In order to further raise standards and further improve the quality of educational provision, the governors, head teacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the outdoor play provision for children in the Reception class so that they have regular structured opportunities, throughout the day, to develop their gross motor skills by climbing, jumping and swinging and by using wheeled toys, for example. (Paragraphs 28 and 29)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Further develop the assessment and record keeping systems for subjects other than English, mathematics, science and ICT so that work in these other subjects is more accurately matched to the needs of individual pupils. (Paragraphs 30-34) Water Street Community Primary School - 20

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 25 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor Number 4 8 8 4 1 0 0 Percentage 16 32 32 16 4 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching.

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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) n/a 221 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals n/a 5 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs n/a 0 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register n/a 17

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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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 3 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 3.4 School data 0.1 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. Water Street Community Primary School - 21

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 18 15 33

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 16 12 16 level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15 Total 31 27 31 Percentage of pupils School 94 (89) 82 (89) 94 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 16 16 16 level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15 Total 31 31 31 Percentage of pupils School 94 (92) 94 (97) 94 (97) 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.

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 16 29

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 11 11 10 level 4 and above Girls 16 16 16 Total 27 27 26 Percentage of pupils School 93 (97) 93 (97) 90 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 11 10 10 level 4 and above Girls 16 16 16 Total 27 26 26 Percentage of pupils School 93 (94) 93 (100) 90 (97) 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. Water Street Community Primary School - 22 Water Street Community Primary School - 23

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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 1 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 2 Chinese 0 0 White 218 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.7 Financial year 2001/02 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.78 Average class size 31.57 £ Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 422,370 Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 422,369 Total aggregate hours worked per week 80 Expenditure per pupil 1,821 Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 71,862

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) n/a Balance carried forward to next year 71,863 Number of pupils per qualified teacher n/a Total number of education support staff n/a Total aggregate hours worked per week n/a Number of pupils per FTE adult n/a FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1 Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

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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 Water Street Community Primary School - 24 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent. Water Street Community Primary School - 25

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 56 40 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 50 50 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 47 11 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 28 60 8 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 58 42 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 34 0 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 39 48 13 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 64 36 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52 45 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 15 44 30 2 9

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Other issues raised by parents

A small number of parents at the meeting felt that some classes were rather large and that this might be having a negative impact on the progress made by their children. No other significant issues were raised by parents.

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