Turvey Primary School

TURVEY LOWER SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Helen Ranger OFSTED number: 22223

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TURVEY LOWER SCHOOL

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

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TURVEY LOWER 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. Turvey Lower School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: May Road Turvey Bedfordshire Postcode: MK43 8DB

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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: Mr P Anderson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1997 Turvey Lower School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Helen Ranger Registered inspector English Mathematics Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education Equal opportunities English as an additional language How high are standards? a) The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

William Twiss Lay inspector How high are standards? b) Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Susan Metcalfe Team inspector Information and communication technology Religious education Special educational needs Gail Robertson Team inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage Science Geography History How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 5 Lakeside Werrington Peterborough Cambs PE4 6QZ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Turvey Lower School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Turvey Lower is a first school with 83 boys and girls on its roll between the ages of four and nine. It has recently become a Foundation School following several years of Grant Maintained status. It is expanding and admits pupils from both the local village and a wide surrounding area. The youngest pupils have levels of attainment on admission that are above average in most years. Almost all the pupils are of white United Kingdom heritage and speak English as their first language. The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs is lower than in most schools; it currently stands at 11 per cent.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school. The teaching is good and enables pupils to make good progress. Pupils achieve standards in their work and personal development that are above those seen in most schools, although the most able pupils are sometimes not stretched enough. Pupils do very well in national tests. The headteacher and governors lead and manage the school well, but the arrangements for delegating staff responsibilities and monitoring teaching and learning do not yet support the teaching staff in raising standards further. The standards achieved in relation to the school’s budget ensure that the school gives satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils in most of the age groups attain above average standards in English, mathematics and science. • There are effective ways of encouraging pupils’ social and moral development that result in the pupils’ very good attitudes, behaviour and relationships. • Teaching is good in most lessons and, at times, is of very high quality. • Attendance levels are high. • The headteacher has led the school well in recent years to its present secure educational and financial position and is supported well by able governors in managing the school. • The curriculum is good and is enriched very well by extra activities. • Adults in the school show high levels of care and support for the pupils. • Parents hold very positive views of the school and work with it well to the benefit of their children.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The consistency of how teachers plan for the most capable pupils. • How standards and the quality of teaching and learning are monitored and how staff are enabled to make further improvements. • The facilities available for children in the Reception class. • How pupils’ achievements are assessed and how the school shares its good practice in assessment. 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. Teaching remains good, as it was then, and pupils have continued to do well in their work and to achieve very well in national tests in most years. There has been satisfactory progress in the main areas identified for improvement by the last inspection. The amount of teaching time has been increased and is now more typical of that seen in most schools. There is better provision for information and communication technology (ICT) and standards are rising in this subject. Spelling is taught systematically. Teachers’ written plans for lessons are better, but there are still variations in the quality of marking and in how assessment procedures are used. The school has implemented the national arrangements for performance management for teachers. Aspects of the school development plan have been improved, but the document still does not support moves for school

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

improvement well enough. The prospectus and governors’ annual report for parents still have some minor omissions. Turvey Lower School

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on National Curriculum test results.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

1999 2000 2001 2001 top 5% nationally A * Reading A* D A A well above average above average A B Writing A* C A* A* average below average C D Mathematics A* D A C well below average E

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STANDARDS

The number of pupils in each year group is quite low and the results in the table above should be treated with some caution because of this. The school’s results in the national tests for seven-year-olds in English and mathematics in most recent years have been much higher than in most schools. Writing has been particularly strong. At several times, performance has been in the highest 5 per cent of schools nationally (indicated by A* in the table above). The exception to this trend was in 2000 where results were much lower. This year group of pupils had much lower levels of attainment on admission than is usual for the school and still has a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Their attainment is not typical of the school in general. The school’s results in the tests given to its oldest pupils in English and mathematics at the end of Year 4 have been good in recent years and higher than the local authority

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STANDARDS

average. No national comparisons are available for this age group. The school’s targets for its current seven and nine-year-olds are challenging and pupils are on course to achieve them.

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STANDARDS

Inspection findings are that the children in the Reception class make satisfactory progress and reach levels that are above those expected nationally for their age, especially in their personal and social development, language and their knowledge and understanding of the world. In Years 1 and 2, pupils achieve well, often very well in Year 1, and attain above average standards in English, mathematics, science, design and technology, history and physical education. Attainment in all other subjects is at least satisfactory. Pupils in Year 3 achieve very well and make a good start to Key Stage 2. Achievement in Year 4 is satisfactory. The current group of pupils in Year 4 attains average standards in all subjects except history, where standards are good. This represents good progress in relation to this group’s levels of attainment on admission and to their results in the national tests when they were seven.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

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

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good in classrooms, around the school and in the playground.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils form very good relationships. They respect others and show increasing maturity as they get older.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good. Rates are well above the national average.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

The school is a friendly and pleasant place. Pupils of all ages mix well as part of the ‘school family’. While attendance rates are very good, a few pupils are not very punctual. Turvey Lower School

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching satisfactory 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 is satisfactory for the children in the Reception class. The school ensures that the two teachers who provide for this age group liaise well and cover the recommended curriculum with the older children who attend full-time. However, the room available to this group in the mornings is very small and has a negative impact on children’s learning as it restricts the range of activities that can be offered. Teaching is good in Years 1 to 4. It has particular strengths in Year 1 and Year 3 where the teachers are very skilled. In these classes, pupils are very enthusiastic and build rapidly on their knowledge, understanding and skills. During the inspection, the Year 2 class was taught by supply teachers, who were providing temporary cover for a staff vacancy, and some lessons with this class were not of the high quality seen elsewhere. Teaching in English and mathematics is good and underpins pupils’ good progress in literacy

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

and numeracy. Teaching in ICT is improving, although not all teachers plan to integrate the subject well into their work across the curriculum. The school provides equally well for pupils of average attainment and for those with special educational needs, but does not always plan well enough to challenge the most capable pupils. Teachers have clear objectives for their lessons and explain tasks well. The small class sizes ensure that all pupils receive high levels of personal attention. Pupils respond well to their teachers and are keen learners. Pupils’ behaviour is managed well and classes are organised to promote efficient learning in most lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The statutory curriculum is planned well for pupils in Years 1 to 4 and enhanced very well by extra activities. There are weaknesses in the curriculum for the younger pupils in Reception, caused mainly by the cramped accommodation.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ needs are identified and supported well by teachers and ancillary staff.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good support for the occasional pupil who is admitted with English as an additional language or from a different cultural background.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision for pupils’ moral and social development and satisfactory provision for spiritual and cultural development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good levels of pastoral support and care. Satisfactory procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school offers an interesting and varied programme of lessons for all age groups, but is constrained in the levels of practical activities it can offer the youngest children in Reception. Provision for pupils’ cultural development does not always give enough attention to the multi-cultural and multi-faith aspects of living in modern British society. In some parts of the school, assessment procedures are very good, but the good practice is neither widespread nor consistent. The school works well in partnership with parents. It informs them well and effectively involves them in their children’s learning. Turvey Lower School

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher leads and manages the school well and has an appropriate vision for its continuing development. The arrangements for delegation of responsibilities to other staff are not clear enough.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are very supportive, active and led well by the chair of the governing body.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school increasingly analyses how well its pupils are doing and acts on it findings to improve further. The monitoring of teaching and the curriculum is not shared sufficiently between the staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Financial planning is good and resources are targeted well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The headteacher is energetic and well respected but carries a heavy workload, which is not shared sufficiently with the rest of the teachers. There is a spirit of teamwork among staff and governors, but the separate responsibilities of the teachers in the drive to raise standards are unclear. The written development plans demonstrate that the school considers the principles of best value well by questioning how it works, comparing itself with other schools, consulting with interested parties and trying to ensure that funds are spent wisely. The plans include satisfactory priorities for improvement, but do not indicate how success will be measured. Staffing levels are good and small class sizes have been maintained. Practical resources for learning are satisfactory. The accommodation has been developed to cater for the increasing roll, but does not give sufficient space for the youngest children to work well.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children enjoy school. • The school is led and managed well. • Children are helped to become mature and responsible. • Children make good progress. • There are high expectations of children. • The range of activities outside lessons. • Levels of homework. • How closely the school works with parents. • Amounts of information about children’s progress.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The parents of 34 pupils (41 per cent) responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire. Twelve parents attended the meeting with inspectors. The proportion of parents who expressed satisfaction with the school through the questionnaire and at the meeting was high. Inspectors broadly agree with parents’ positive views, but feel that the school needs to have higher expectations of its most capable pupils at times. They feel that the range of extra-curricular activities is good compared with most similar schools. The school is successful in working with parents and in providing information about progress. Some parents wanted more homework and some less; inspectors consider the present provision is satisfactory. Turvey Lower School PART B: COMMENTARY

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i) Standards in the Foundation Stage 1

1. Children are admitted to the Reception class at the age of four. Their attainment on entry varies between individuals and from year to year, but is generally above average. The children achieve satisfactorily as a result of sound teaching. Most are well on course to attain at least the levels expected in the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals for all areas of learning by the end of the Reception year. Many are likely to exceed these expectations in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and in their knowledge and understanding of the world.

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ii) Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication

2. In the national tests for seven-year-olds in 2001, the school’s results were well above both the national average and the average for similar schools in reading. In writing, pupils’ performance was in the highest 5 per cent of schools nationally. In mathematics, pupils’ results were well above the national average and in line with the average for similar schools. These results should be treated with caution as the number of pupils tested was small compared to most schools. The performance in the teacher assessments of attainment in science was broadly average, although fewer pupils than average attained the expected Level 2, while a high proportion attained Level 3. Over the past few years, the school’s results have generally been high. The exception was in 2000 when the group of pupils tested included a greater than usual proportion with special educational needs. There have been no substantial variations in the attainment of boys compared with girls in

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ii) Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication

3. Inspection findings are that the standards attained by the school’s seven-year-olds are currently well above average in speaking and listening and above average in reading and writing. Attainment is above average in mathematics and science. Standards in ICT in Key Stage 1 are average. Pupils’ skills in these key areas support their work well in other subjects. This is especially the case in their competence in literacy and numeracy. Progress for this age group is good. From this stage in the year, the school carries out a programme of activities in Year 2 that is intended to ensure that pupils do well in the national tests in the summer term and indications are that this boosts their attainment still further by the end of the year.

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ii) Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication

4. There are no statutory tests for the oldest pupils in a lower school at the end of Year 4. The school does, however, carry out a testing programme and sets targets for this age group in conjunction with the local education authority. An analysis of the results in recent years shows that pupils attain above the levels expected by the National Curriculum for nine-year-olds and do well compared with other schools locally. (Again, these results should be treated cautiously as they are based on a small group of pupils.) The current Year 4 group has more pupils with special educational needs than is typical of the school and the attainment of this group is lower than in recent years. Inspection findings are that the pupils in Year 4 attain average standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT. In

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ii) Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication

The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three in schools with a nursery and the last year of this stage is often described in school as the Reception year. During this period, children’s learning is based on fostering, nurturing and developing their: personal, social and emotional wellbeing; skills in language and literacy; mathematics development, particularly numeracy; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and their creative development. ‘Stepping Stones’ are national descriptions of the progress children are expected to make towards the ‘Early Learning Goals’ for all these areas of learning by the end of the Reception year. Turvey Lower School the core subjects of English and mathematics, this represents good progress for these pupils in relation to the results they achieved in tests as seven-year-olds. Challenging but realistic targets are set for each year group of pupils. These are based soundly on the

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ii) Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication

information gained from regular tests and teachers’ assessments of each individual.

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ii) Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication

5. Overall, the inspection found that pupils’ progress is good. Currently, it is best in Year 1 and Year 3. There was no significant evidence during the inspection of variations in the achievements made by boys compared with girls. The progress made by pupils with special educational needs is good. These pupils have effective support from their teachers and, where appropriate, from learning support assistants. Very occasionally the school admits pupils with English as an additional language or pupils who come from a contrasting culture. These pupils’ needs are dealt with individually and effectively. The school provides satisfactorily for its most capable pupils and, in some classes, they are challenged and extended well by the teachers’ lesson planning. However, this aspect of provision is inconsistent at times. In some lessons, the learning needs of this group are not considered to the same extent as other pupils and their progress could be improved.

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ii) Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication

6. The school has at least maintained standards in pupils’ progress compared with the findings of the previous inspection. In spelling and ICT, the two weakest areas at that time, progress is now much better. In Year 4, the levels of work seen during this inspection were not as high as last time compared with national averages. However, pupils’ rates of progress are similar when compared with their previous results and when their levels of special need are taken into account.

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ii) Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication

iii) Attainment in the foundation subjects and religious education in Years 1 to 4.

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ii) Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication

7. By the ages of seven and nine, attainment in art and design, geography, music and religious education is in line with the standards seen in most schools. In design and technology, standards are above average by seven and average by nine. Standards in history are above average for both age groups. There was no first-hand evidence of attainment in physical education by pupils in Year 2, but standards in Year 1 are good; standards in this subject by Year 4 are average. The school has at least maintained the standards identified at the time of the previous inspection and has improved in history in both key stages and in design and technology in Key Stage 1.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. The pupils’ attitudes to their work, their behaviour and the relationships within the school community are very good. These features have a positive effect on the personal and academic achievements of the pupils and reflect the good provision made by the school for their moral and social development. The parents are very happy with this aspect of the school’s work. Parents and pupils alike understand the school’s expectations of high standards and know what is acceptable. The previous inspection recorded that attitudes to work and pupils’ behaviour were good. These aspects have further improved and now they are of a very good standard.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. The pupils’ attitudes towards school, their work and learning are consistently very good. This includes the children in the Foundation Stage. They are enthusiastic and display a keenness to learn more. The pupils settle into lessons quickly and are often able to sustain concentration, even when not formally supervised. The staff work hard to foster confidence and often use the pupils’ personal knowledge and experience well. In a Year 1 literacy lesson, for example, the teacher drew on a pupil’s interest in goats to enhance the story being studied. Consequently, the pupils became more confident in acting out the story and presenting their work. The vast majority of the pupils are not afraid to answer or ask questions. They frequently develop thoughts and views through co-operation and collaboration. In a Year 3 lesson on bullying, for instance, they were able to describe Turvey Lower School

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

several different ways of recognising oppressive behaviour and of dealing with it. A large number of the pupils enjoy going to the comprehensive range of clubs provided for them and show strong enthusiasm for the activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The pupils listen attentively to their teachers. They are alert and respond effectively to well paced and interesting lessons. They are keen to support each other and are genuinely pleased when their peers’ successes are celebrated. For instance, in a Year 3 lesson seen, there was spontaneous applause when a pupil received a certificate for reaching his targets.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The pupils’ behaviour is very good. They behave well in and around the school. They are polite and courteous. The pupils welcome visitors and have a healthy sense of inquiry about what they contribute to the school. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting were impressed with the standards of behaviour. Movement in and around the school is sensible and orderly. As a result, lessons start on time and there is no disruption to daily routines. At break and lunch times, the same positive picture of behaviour is apparent. Responsibility and maturity are the order of the day. There are no obvious signs of oppressive behaviour or bullying. Girls and boys of all ages and abilities get on well together in lessons and at play. There have been no permanent or fixed-term exclusions in the last 10 years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Relationships in the school are very good. Pupils and adults respect and like each other and get on well together. In a whole school music workshop, for example, first-rate relationships were rapidly established between the pupils and a visiting teacher. As a direct result, the pupils learnt a great deal about percussion instruments. The pupils relate well to opportunities to share resources and work together. In a Year 4 ICT lesson they took turns, respected the equipment and encouraged each other. Pupils of all ages show appropriate respect for property and things that have special meaning. They are, for example, highly respectful of the school’s garden of remembrance. There is no deliberate damage to school property or the environment.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The pupils’ personal development is good. They learn about the importance of developing social skills. The pupils are keen to help the staff and diligently undertake duties as monitors. Older pupils often support the younger ones by looking after them and, on regular occasions, they help them with reading. A good feature of this aspect of the school’s work is the consultation that takes place with the pupils. They have put forward many ideas about the design of the playground and about the new arrangements for morning breaks.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Levels of attendance are very good and are significantly above the national average. Unauthorised absence is negligible. A few instances of lateness were seen at the start of the morning sessions that caused a little disruption to the pupils and classes involved.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching seen was satisfactory in Reception and good overall in Years 1 to 4. It was very good at times in Years 1 and 3. The inspectors acknowledge that the Year 2 class was being taught by several supply teachers during the week of the inspection and the teaching seen may not have been typical of the usual provision for that class. Teaching across the school secures pupils’ good progress. The good quality of teaching has been maintained since the last inspection. Of the 27 lessons seen, 4 per cent were excellent (1 lesson), 11 per cent very good, 37 per cent good, 44 per cent satisfactory and 4 per cent unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. There are good working relationships between staff and children. Staff provide good role models and have Turvey Lower School satisfactory expectations of children’s work and behaviour. Staff try to promote children’s confidence and independence and are generally successful in this. The teachers plan the work satisfactorily and the assessments made are good. Teaching is, however, constrained by the current cramped accommodation and the need for pupils to change class each lunchtime.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teaching is good in the important subjects of English and mathematics. There are also strengths in the teaching of history for all ages and in design and technology in Key Stage 1. Teaching has good features in religious education and in ICT. In religious education, teachers enable pupils to learn factually about major faiths and also about how people respond to religions. Teachers systematically build pupils’ skills in most aspects of ICT by planning clearly focused lessons. The teaching seen in physical education, music and science was satisfactory. The inspection had limited direct evidence of the quality of teaching in geography, art and design, and of design and technology in Key Stage 2. Indications from pupils’ work are that, in these subjects, teaching is at least satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. In both key stages, teachers’ subject knowledge is good. The key skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT are taught at least satisfactorily and often well. Pupils’ skills in aspects of English such as spelling, grammar, handwriting and phonics are built up steadily. Number skills are given a high priority in mathematics, but this is not at the expense of other aspects of the subject. In English and mathematics, the nationally recommended strategies are used well, although group work in mathematics does not always challenge the most capable pupils well enough. In ICT, teachers now systematically plan to teach the required programme of study in dedicated ICT lessons. This is an improvement since the last inspection. However, some teachers do not yet include ICT links in their everyday planning for other subjects. This is done well in some classes, but is not yet consistent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teachers’ day-to-day planning is good. There are now clear objectives for lessons and relevant activities planned to implement these. This aspect of planning was a key issue from the last inspection and has seen good improvement. Lesson plans identify how pupils with special educational needs will be taught and make appropriate links with the individual education plans for these pupils. The best lesson plans also include details of how the most capable pupils will be extended, but this is another factor that is inconsistent across the school. Planning exploits cross-curricular links between subjects effectively.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well and learn effectively. Good use is made of support staff to work on the targets identified for this group. Teachers also ensure by their arrangements for grouping and by varying the work set for these pupils that their needs are met. The very small number of pupils who are admitted with English as an additional language or who arrive in the school from contrasting cultures are also supported well on an individual basis that caters for their specific needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers’ explanations are clear, engage pupils’ attention and encourage them to concentrate. Question and answer sessions are used effectively to ensure that pupils understand their work and extend their thinking. Pupils’ behaviour is managed well in most lessons, although this was a weakness in some of the lessons taught by supply teachers during the inspection. Overall, however, the quality of relationships in the school is good and establishes a pleasant climate for learning for the pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Practical resources are often used well to support learning and engage pupils’ interest. Most lessons move at a reasonable pace and the best make rigorous use of time. The use of homework is satisfactory. Most activities set give useful practice in English and mathematics, and reading has a high priority. Activities in other subjects, such as research work in history or art, are also set occasionally to support topics that are being studied. Turvey Lower School 23. Teachers assess pupils’ progress regularly and give frequent verbal feedback. Individual learning targets are established for each pupil and generally used well – an improvement on a key issue from the last inspection. The quality of marking still varies. This was an issue from the previous inspection that has still not been fully addressed. In some classes, marking is clear, positive and gives pupils information about how they have done and how

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

they can improve, but this good practice is not seen in all classes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The school has maintained the good standards in teaching and learning that were seen at the time of the previous inspection and has overcome most of the weaknesses that were identified then.

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PUPILS?

25. The previous report found that the school curriculum was broad and balanced and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, had full access to the whole curriculum. This is still the case; the curriculum offered by the school is good. The school takes care with the design, structure and implementation of the curriculum it offers. All subjects of the National Curriculum are taught, as is religious education in accordance with the locally agreed syllabus. The curriculum fulfils the statutory requirements.

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PUPILS?

26. The curriculum offered to the children in the Foundation Stage is sound; it covers all six nationally recommended areas of learning and also includes relevant parts of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. This is an improvement; the previous inspection reported that the area of knowledge and understanding of the world was not included in planning for this age group. The satisfactory planning for these children and the effective procedures for assessing their attainment results in sound progress. This equips them with a positive foundation for their learning in Key Stage 1. However, the planning for this age group is constrained by the lack of space and outdoor facilities available at present.

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PUPILS?

27. The school quickly addressed the previous key issue of insufficient teaching time allocated to Key Stage 2 pupils. The time now available for teaching each week complies well with the recommended guidelines for both key stages. The National Literacy and National Numeracy Strategies have been fully implemented and, although they require an allocation time equivalent to almost half the timetable, by careful timetabling the school has not allowed other subjects to be unduly restricted. There are good booster activities planned, especially in English and mathematics, to provide additional support for appropriate groups of pupils from Year 1 upwards.

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PUPILS?

28. A strong feature of the curriculum is its detailed planning for the development of skills and knowledge necessary for each subject. There are now policies for all subjects, including for ICT, which was not planned well enough at the time of the last inspection. The agreed programmes of work are strictly adhered to when planning. The curriculum is underpinned by a clear policy statement, which sets out what is to be taught and what is tested and reported to parents. Many subjects are linked and taught as cross-curricular topics, although the separate skills for each are duly emphasised and planned.

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PUPILS?

29. Specific time is allocated on the timetable to pupils’ personal, social and health education and a very good programme of lessons is planned for all age groups. With the approval of the governors, sex education is not taught separately but as part of the curriculum, when appropriate. Pupils’ questions in this area are answered directly with regard to their subject context and the age of the pupils. Health education, including the use and misuse of drugs, is taught through science, physical education and the school’s personal, social and health education programme. The organisation of the curriculum ensures that all pupils have equal access to all its aspects, and an equal opportunity to learn and make progress. Turvey Lower School There is a sound homework policy, which describes the purpose of homework and underpins its provision.

p.14

PUPILS?

30. The curriculum provided for pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers and support staff enable these pupils to take a full part in activities, both by planning work that is appropriate to their individual targets and competence and by giving additional adult support when needed. The education plans written for these pupils are good and are regularly reviewed. Increasing attention is given to identifying and providing for gifted and talented pupils. The school is linked with other schools in the local ‘pyramid’ to cater for the needs of this group. Provision is currently sound.

p.15

PUPILS?

31. The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities. These include football, guitar playing, recorder club, French club, dancing clubs and Saturday club. Parents pay for some of these activities. The school’s curricular provision is enriched by a wealth of educational visits, for example to West Stow in Suffolk to study Anglo Saxon artefacts and an archaeological site. During the past year, there have been many visitors including a Reminiscence Group to inform the pupils of historic Turvey and performances by a range of professional musicians.

p.15

PUPILS?

32. The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. It has worked hard to maintain the good provision noted in the previous report. Areas of the curriculum give sound support to pupils’ spiritual development. Pupils’ exploration of their inner feelings and ideas is encouraged - and given good expression in the quality of their writing. One pupil in Year 3 wrote in his study on water “ Water - we need it to so A human needs it to grow Through the day it has so many uses Even in tea, coffee and juices Rivers flow and help other life As we know ”.

p.15

PUPILS?

33. Pupils’ writing sometimes reveals deep thinking on major events and on sensitive issues in pupils’ lives. Art and some aspects of music also provide opportunities for pupils to use their imagination in creating and expressing individual ideas, but this is not developed sufficiently. In the playground there is a very special area where pupils can quietly reflect; this is the memorial garden dedicated to a member of staff who died quite young. During the assemblies, which are of satisfactory quality, thought-probing themes are well developed, but there is too little reflection time for pupils to think further upon the themes presented. Sound links are made in assemblies with pupils’ work in religious education.

p.15

PUPILS?

34. Moral provision is good. Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong. Their behaviour in the classroom and around the school is very good and reflects the good provision made by adults. The school has developed a strong ethos in which positive attitudes and behaviour are celebrated in the form of praise, stickers and certificates. No incidents of bullying or aggressive behaviour were observed during the inspection. In a personal, social and health education lesson, Year 3 pupils listened with interest to a story involving bullying, and spoke of their own opinions and experiences. Pupils assist in devising their own classroom rules for behaviour. Wider moral issues, such as environmental pollution, are well brought out in science and geography.

p.15

PUPILS?

35. The school is a well-integrated social community where there is good interaction between staff, parents and pupils. Social provision is good. This is influential in producing a harmonious atmosphere, which actively promotes good teaching and learning. Relationships, particularly within the classrooms, are very good. When asked to do so, pupils work together sensibly and productively in pairs or groups. There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to help, and they are encouraged to do so. Older pupils help Turvey Lower School younger ones round the school, for example at paired reading time. Pupils help with taking registers to and from the office. Pupils show awareness of others’ needs by collecting stamps for a local cancer charity and participating in ‘ Blue Peter ’ appeals. They show initiative in organising bring and buy sales, sometimes with parents’ help. They make and put up posters advertising the events and they raise laudable amounts for many different

p.15

PUPILS?

types of charities. The school’s extra-curricular activities also encourage pupils’ social interaction and relationships.

p.16

PUPILS?

36. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is sound. It is promoted through the curriculum in art, music, geography and especially in history lessons. Pupils are given very good insight into their local cultural heritage with talks by the local village Reminiscence Group and further enhanced by walks into the village and visits to the church. An awareness of other cultures is raised through religious education, in the pupils’ study project on St Lucia in geography and the use in literacy lessons of ‘big book’ text stories from around the world. However there are, overall, insufficient opportunities available for pupils to appreciate the diverse cultures of the world. In particular, the school does not yet give enough attention to how it plans to introduce its pupils to the diverse cultural and religious traditions that make up modern British society.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The support and guidance given to the pupils while in the care of the school are good. The school justifiably prides itself on the care that it provides for all pupils. Consequently, they feel valued and enjoy their schooling. Parents are happy with this aspect of the school’s work and they confirm that each child is treated as an individual.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school has good arrangements for ensuring the health and safety of the pupils. It is vigilant in its approach to assessing potential risks and hazards. Timely action is taken to rectify any shortcomings that are identified. At the time of the inspection, there were no outstanding health and safety issues. Relevant training ensures that those staff with health and safety responsibilities are competent in matters such as the administration of first aid. The headteacher makes sure that all staff are aware of the school’s agreed procedures for child protection. As a result, all staff are aware of what must be done if there are any concerns.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The headteacher and all staff take the pupils’ welfare seriously. They clearly see this as an important element in making the pupils feel welcome and in fostering a climate in which they become enthusiastic learners. The staff know the pupils well and conscientiously monitor their personal development. Using this knowledge, they are sensitive and sympathetic when offering support and guidance. In lessons seen, for example, the teachers took care not to embarrass pupils who temporarily forgot answers to questions. The teachers show a similarly positive sense of care and support when pupils become distressed. In a Year 3 physical education lesson, for instance, the teacher comforted a pupil who became upset so that he rapidly resumed his full part in the lesson. Pupils with special educational needs are cared for well. Their needs are identified early and reviewed regularly. Pupils’ targets for improvement are monitored well.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. From time to time, visiting professionals come into school to offer support and advice to the pupils. In this way, the school nurse offers routine health screening and confidential advice on health matters. Visitors from the fire service, for example, have alerted pupils to the dangers of combustion. The school makes effective use of services that aid pupils’ welfare. For instance, it maintains good working relationships with the education welfare officer.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Very effective policies and procedures promote high standards of behaviour and result in the apparent absence of oppressive behaviour. The school rewards the pupils with stickers Turvey Lower School for good conduct and work. The older pupils value being able to earn rewards through their star system. Highly effective procedures succeed in promoting very good levels of attendance, which have improved in recent years. The school now recognises the need to ensure that registers are taken during the afternoon as well as at the start of the day. It modified its procedures as a matter of urgency during the inspection as a result

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has worked on rectifying the weaknesses in assessment procedures that were identified during the previous inspection. There are some examples of very effective practice in Years 1 and 3. These detailed systems and practices enable the teachers to know exactly what each pupil can do and to identify their potential for further achievement. In a Year 3 mathematics lesson seen, the teacher drew on her assessment of the pupils’ work on calculations. This told her that the pupils needed to know more about division. As a direct result, her lesson was very well focused on this. The headteacher is developing a system for tracking the achievements of individual pupils from the day they enter the school. He and the staff use this system alongside the results of periodic tests to make regular and relevant assessments in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Currently, however, there is inconsistency in the application and use of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

assessment procedures in other subjects. Good practice is evident in parts of the school where, for example, individual teachers have systems for manageable and useful assessments in the foundation subjects. These systems are developing piecemeal and there is too little sharing and use of the best practice. The school recognises the need for more rigour and stronger leadership in this part of its work.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The previous inspection concluded that the care offered to the pupils was generally good, but that assessment procedures needed improvement. This is still the case.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The school enjoys very good relationships with the parents. They express a high level of satisfaction with all that the school provides. They have great confidence in the headteacher. The parents are particularly pleased with the standards of education that their children achieve and the positive values that the school actively promotes.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The school works hard to ensure that all the parents are fully involved in the life of the school. A small minority of the parents expressed concerns about the levels of information provided for them, but the inspection team did not find evidence to support their views. The school provides a good range of information for the parents of children starting in the Reception class. A welcoming induction pack and a programme of visits helps the parents and the children to familiarise themselves with school routines. A comprehensive prospectus summarises what is taught in each subject. Regular written reports meet requirements. They outline what the pupils have learnt and illustrate how they can improve further. Parents value their consultation meetings. They feel that this is an aspect of the school’s work that has improved since the previous inspection. Parents appreciate the use of the reading record and inspectors agree that this works well. It enables parents to know

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

what their children should be reading and to make helpful comments on the work that they do together at home. The school is responsive to the parents. It prides itself on giving immediate feedback to their concerns. The staff and headteacher are accessible and frequently meet the parents before and after the school day. Parents of the pupils who need extra help with their learning are invited into the school. They discuss and review with staff the plans that are put into place for aiding the achievements of their children.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. A loyal band of parents and other volunteers frequently come into school to help out in lessons and with trips. They contribute, for example, by helping the pupils with their reading. This has a good impact on the pupils’ attitudes to reading. Every pupil who was asked commented positively about their love of books and interest in reading. The pupils confirm that they are expected to do work at home. They have a mature and responsible Turvey Lower School attitude towards homework. Many benefit from the active support of their parents with matters like reading and spellings.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. An active ‘Friends’ association organises fund raising events. Their efforts are successful in providing substantial funds. These are put to good use for the benefit of the whole school. Recently, for example, the Friends have contributed towards improvement of the premises and the purchase of books.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Overall, the parents are very satisfied with the school. However, a significant number of them who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire expressed concerns over the lack of clubs for the pupils. The inspection team found that the school provides an interesting range of clubs and activities. These are appropriate for the age of the pupils and are well attended. A small minority of the 34 parents who responded to their questionnaire were unhappy about how closely the school works with them and the level of homework given to pupils. Evidence from the inspection did not, however, support their views. Discussion with the pupils and teachers shows that the school regularly sets homework and that liaison between the school and home is of a high standard.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The previous inspection report identified the school’s work with the parents as a strength and this continues. The parents have very positive views of the school. They make a worthwhile contribution to all that it achieves and they support their children’s learning well.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school continues to be led well by the headteacher and the governing body. The headteacher is energetic and well respected by pupils, staff, governors and parents. His enthusiasm and commitment have contributed considerably to the present secure position of the school. Working closely with the staff and governors, he has ensured an expanding roll, popularity for the school among parents, a healthy financial position and a good quality of education for the pupils. He has ensured that appointments of experienced staff have been made to fill current teaching vacancies and to restore the school’s usual stable staffing situation. The school has a welcoming and purposeful ethos and successfully realises its commitment to providing a good quality of education for pupils and service to the local community. The headteacher carries a considerable workload. He has maintained responsibility for several subject areas and for the management of special

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

educational needs, in addition to the duties usually associated with his position. He also shares the teaching of a class.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The adults employed in the school work well as a team for the benefit of the pupils. The headteacher relies on the capable office team to carry out many administrative and financial duties and they do this very efficiently. However, other duties are not delegated to the teaching staff to the extent seen in most schools. Traditionally, the teachers have shared responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the curriculum from the time when the school was much smaller than it is now. They have also relied on their personal knowledge of their colleagues and of the pupils to gauge how well the school was doing. These methods are less effective now that the school has grown and when it is likely to expand further.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The headteacher has used analyses of pupils’ performance in tests increasingly to assess the success of pupils’ attainment and to set appropriate targets for further improvement. Other monitoring arrangements are, however, less well established. The subjects of the National Curriculum and the management of the Foundation Stage are not formally assigned as responsibilities for any individual. Aspects of the school such as its curriculum and assessment procedures are also managed informally. It is assumed that all teachers will contribute to a corporate responsibility. The result of this system of management is that the monitoring of teaching, learning and the curriculum remains unstructured and is largely Turvey Lower School ad hoc. There are, for example, no clear action plans for subjects. As the school grows and, particularly at a time of significant staff changes, these delegation and monitoring

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

arrangements need to be reviewed. Staff are unclear about their current responsibilities and how these might change as new colleagues join them.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school’s written development plans contain a brief synopsis of its current priorities. They give good consideration to how best value can be achieved by questioning critically what the school does, consulting interested parties, considering costs and comparing performance with similar schools. Their experimental format is unusual and not easily accessible to the lay reader. There are too few details of how the priorities are decided, how they will be realised or how the school will know if it is successful in achieving its goals. There are appropriate plans for how the school uses funds carried forward from each financial year. These are currently quite high. The school’s priorities for this funding are the maintenance of small class sizes and further improvements to the accommodation.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The governors support the school’s work well and play an effective role in its continuing development. Experienced governors work alongside newer colleagues in the efficient management of the school. They have a good committee structure and an appropriate understanding of the strengths and relative weaknesses of the school. Governors visit the school to monitor its work and they contribute well to the establishment of its development plans. They fulfil most of their statutory requirements, although, as at the time of the previous inspection, there are a few omissions from the documents sent to parents, for example in the way that pupils’ attendance is reported.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school manages most aspects of educational inclusion well. The management of special educational needs is good. The headteacher is the co-ordinator for this aspect of work and he works closely with other teachers to ensure that pupils’ needs are catered for well. The specialist resources and expertise available from the local authority are called on as necessary. Additional funding for this group of pupils is used wisely, for example to provide adult support for pupils who will benefit from this. Throughout the school, boys and girls alike are given equal opportunities to take part in the full range of activities and their separate needs are considered. However, the school does not always ensure that the needs of the most capable pupils are met in all lessons.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The headteacher copes well with the administrative demands on his time. He is appreciative of the range of grants that have become available in recent years and these have been used to the benefit of pupils. They eased the difficult financial transition during the change from Grant Maintained to Foundation School status where the school’s budget was considerably reduced in the first year. The school has benefited especially from the grant available to reduce class sizes for the younger pupils. The headteacher reports concerns that some small grants require too much administrative time to be assigned to bidding and monitoring procedures.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school’s administrative staff provides very good support for the headteacher, staff and governors. They successfully maintain accurate and comprehensive records of all financial transactions and receive positive external audits of their work. Spending is closely monitored. This ensures that grants that are given to the school are spent for their intended purposes. The use of ICT is in line with that seen in most schools to support pupil record-keeping, analysis of performance, budget management and general administration.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school has a good match of staff to its needs and this enables it to teach all subjects. The headteacher and governors have worked hard to overcome recent difficulties in recruiting suitably experienced and qualified teachers. As a result, the school now has a team of highly committed staff who possess a range of appropriate skills and expertise. Turvey Lower School 59. The school maintains good arrangements for welcoming new staff. These are effective in helping staff to settle into new routines and getting to know the pupils. The headteacher and governors have satisfactory arrangements for managing the performance of teachers, in line with national requirements. All teachers receive a regular review and advice on their contributions to the school. The school offers good opportunities to trainee teachers to gain confidence and expertise as they enter the profession. The school maintains

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

productive links with a local university in its teacher training arrangements.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. There is an adequate range of resources. They are generally well looked after and are used effectively by staff. A relevant programme of replenishment ensures that books and mathematical equipment are kept up to date. From time to time, the teachers use their own resources and those lent by parents to enhance pupils’ learning. For instance, they have mounted an attractive display of christening robes to help the pupils understand the importance of religious celebrations. Good quality computers are located in each classroom. They are supporting pupils’ progress well, especially in the systematic development of ICT skill. However, the school is experiencing technical difficulties with Internet access that are beyond its control. This is having a negative impact on learning. There is a lack of appropriate large and wheeled toys for the youngest children to use in the classroom and outdoor area

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The school has worked hard to improve its accommodation. The premises and grounds are attractive, well maintained and generally provide adequate facilities for the pupils. The headteacher puts the accommodation available to the school to good use. He consults widely with the pupils and parents on their views about accommodation use. Additional teaching areas such as the library are well used. However, the accommodation for the youngest children is very cramped. Although short-term improvisation has overcome this by integrating the older Reception children into Year 1 each afternoon, the children do not readily have permanent access to the full range of learning activities. They do not have a play area designated specifically for them and this situation will become more urgent next term when the Reception class will be taught separately throughout the day. The school is currently examining ways of rectifying these shortcomings.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. To build on the school’s strengths, the headteacher, staff and the governing body should:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the standards attained by the most capable pupils by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- building on the good practice evident in planning for these pupils in some classes; - ensuring that all lessons cater for the full range of attainments in each class;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• make planning for the school’s continuing development more effective by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- reviewing how responsibilities are shared among the teaching staff in the light of new appointments; - reviewing the headteacher’s workload and priorities in this expanding school; - ensuring that teaching, learning and the curriculum are monitored effectively in all subjects; - ensuring that the written development plans systematically evaluate all areas of school life, clearly prioritise areas for improvement and set measures by which success may be judged; - presenting planning initiatives in a clear format;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs 50-54, 95, 100, 105, 110, 114, 119, 125, 129, 133)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the facilities for children in the Reception class by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- ensuring that this group receives its full entitlement to the curriculum, especially in physical and creative development; - reviewing how the school will provide for pupils in the Foundation Stage in the long term, given the current constraints on its accommodation;

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the effectiveness of the school’s assessment procedures in raising standards by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- agreeing how each subject of the curriculum may be manageably and usefully assessed; - sharing and building on the good practice already present in some classes.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs 42-43, 80, 100, 105, 110, 114, 125, 129, 133)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Other issues that should be considered by the school:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- improving the range of opportunities for pupils to learn about the diversity of culture and faith in modern Britain;

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- improving the extent to which the use of ICT is planned in lessons across the curriculum.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs 18, 87, 79, 100, 132) Turvey Lower School

p.21

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 20

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 4 11 37 44 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. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than three percentage points.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 83

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 3

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 9

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 8

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.22

Attendance

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

p.22

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 9 5 14

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

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

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

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 86 (80) 86 (80) 86 (87) at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

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

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 86 (80) 86 (87) 86 (87) at NC Level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.23

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

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

p.23

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

*Since the separate numbers of boys and girls are low, only the total figures are given. Turvey Lower School

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.5 Financial year 2000-2001

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total income 199,215

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Total expenditure 193,093

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 28 Expenditure per pupil 2,861

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 11,108

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 17,230 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0.5

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.5

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 59 35 6 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 51 44 3 0 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 50 32 15 3 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 32 53 9 6 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 26 9 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 76 18 3 0 3

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 45 36 9 9 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 71 26 0 0 3

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 47 0 3 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 18 33 30 15 4 Turvey Lower School PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The quality of education for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. It is not possible to compare this with the previous inspection as no overall judgement was made at that time for this age group. The children are given a sound basis for their next stage of education. Children enter the Reception class at the beginning of the term in which they are five on a part-time basis and become full-time the term after they are five.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The school provides a sound programme of induction, which includes talks about the school to the parents and visits to the Reception class by the children during the school working day. The children and parents receive a thorough start to school. There are close links with the village playgroup. They are regularly welcomed into the school to use its facilities; most children are familiar with the school long before they begin their education. The present Reception children are taught by two teachers, but in two different areas. In the morning, the group is taught in a very small room with a part-time teacher. This room is unsuitable for Foundation Stage children. It cannot accommodate all the areas of learning. For example, there is no immediate access to the outside for physical development and to support knowledge and understanding of the world. Nor is there an area where children can experience role-play to enhance their language skills and creative development. In the

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

afternoon, the Reception children join the Year 1 class and are taught by the Year 1 teacher. Her classroom is well equipped and well organised. The work planned for both age groups caters for their needs and covers all the areas of learning for Foundation Stage children.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The curriculum offered is satisfactory and covers all required areas of learning as well as parts of the National Literacy and National Numeracy Strategies as these become appropriate for the children’s stage of development. Parents are fully informed of their children’s work and progress through informal discussions and formal interviews.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Children have a wide range of abilities when they enter school. A baseline assessment is carried out within the first seven weeks of entry and attainment in most years is above the expected levels, particularly in communication, language and literacy and knowledge and understanding of the world. Parents are expected to support their children in learning at home through encouraging an interest in and love of books, helping with flashcards and initial phonics work. Overall, the children, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Most children are well on course to achieve beyond the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Reception year.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

67. Children make sound progress in personal, social and emotional development and, by the time they finish the Reception year, they will probably exceed the Early Learning Goals. Children are generally well behaved. They play and work well together and are polite to adults. The staff establish a supportive, caring ethos and the establishment of routines helps to promote independence. Children settle very happily each day to their tasks. Teaching is satisfactory. There are structured activities, which provide opportunities for the development of social skills. Children work well in groups or in pairs taking turns and sharing resources co-operatively. They show good attitudes to their work. This is particularly so in the afternoon when they are working with the Year 1 children in a classroom where the resources are well organised in advance and they have the benefit of space and suitable equipment. They can concentrate for extended periods, for instance

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

when watching a video about the importance of light in different faiths. However, when they have to sit for long periods during parts of literacy and numeracy, their attention Turvey Lower School wanders and they become restless. When preparing for physical education, children try to dress and undress themselves, but need support with shoes and socks. They know the routines for lunch and practise their table manners when eating. Good emphasis is given to this area of learning and children are clear about what is right and wrong.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

68. Children enter the school with attainment above that expected for their age, particularly in conversational skills, their range of vocabulary and their book handling skills. Teaching is sound and all children make satisfactory progress and, by the time they enter Year 1, the majority are on course to have exceeded the Early Learning Goals. The teachers give children opportunities throughout the school day to talk about their experiences and interests. Children recognise and write their own name. Parts of the literacy strategy are taught in preparation for more formal lessons. There is a strong emphasis on reading. All children can tell a simple story using picture clues. Some can read a simple text. Children take home books and there is a home-school diary to tell parents how to support their children. In their writing, children use pictures, symbols and familiar words to communicate meaning, showing an awareness of some of the different purposes of writing. All children

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

are writing their name with upper and lower case letters, showing developing control of a pencil and of the size and shape of their writing.

p.27

Mathematical development

69. Children’s mathematical development on entry to Reception is in line with expectations for their age. Teachers support learning in mathematics well with a wide variety of resources and experiences. Children make sound progress in their counting and number recognition and good progress in mathematical language, as a result of satisfactory teaching. The majority are able to count well beyond ten. They know the names of common shapes, such as ‘triangles’, ‘circles’, ‘squares’ and ‘rectangles’. They learn the names of solids, such as ‘cubes’, ‘spheres’ and ‘cuboids’. Sand and water play reinforce the idea of capacity and volume well and are among the children’s favourite activities. All children are likely to reach the Early Learning Goals by the end of Reception and a few may well exceed that level.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

70. Children’s attainment in this area of learning on entry to Reception is good. Teaching is good and many very good opportunities are provided for the development of their knowledge and understanding of the world. Regular routines help to establish a strong sense of security and help children to understand the passing of time. During early morning registration, lunchtime and breaktimes, there are ample opportunities to talk about their families and homes, and, on birthdays, to talk about the past, present and future in the children’s lives. Children show some understanding of the wider features of their community; for example, they visit the local Post Office to buy stamps to post letters to themselves. Children are introduced to the different faiths in Britain today and they learn the important significance of light at Channukah, Christmas and Diwali time. They know that there is danger in lighting matches and candles. They learn to explore their world.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Children use the computer well and know how to control a mouse and enter instructions with the keyboard. By the time they leave the Reception class their attainments are on course to be above the expected levels.

p.27

Physical development

71. Children are well developed physically and most on entry to the Reception have already reached expected levels. This includes their hand control, which is necessary to be able to cut and draw accurately. Children successfully use a good range of small equipment such Turvey Lower School as scissors, paintbrushes, crayons and pencils. They do not have immediate access to outdoor play areas but, at playtimes, they go into the playgrounds and they take part in the school’s physical education programme in the hall. Teaching is satisfactory. Teachers provide sound experiences for children to use large equipment on which to climb, jump and explore. Outside activity is always well supervised at lunch and playtimes. Children move confidently inside and outside; they are aware of space and do not often bump into each other. There are, however, too few facilities and large or wheeled toys for children’s

p.27

Creative development

72. Most children are on course to enter Year 1 with attainment that is in line with the Early Learning Goals as a result of sound teaching. They explore a wide range of materials - for example, sand, paint, crayons, felt, pastels and glue when they draw, colour and stick. Children use their imaginations and paint boldly in their pictures. The older children frequently take part in role-play when working in the Year 1 classroom and do so imaginatively, often reflecting on the history they have heard. The role-play area is currently a Victorian kitchen. It is well resourced and provides a focal point for discussion about the past, but is not available to the morning group. Teachers link this area of learning very closely to the class topic or books they have read. Children enjoy singing and they sing number and nursery rhythms well and learn new songs and hymns with older pupils. They learn about different instruments and listen carefully to the different sounds

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ENGLISH

73. The results achieved by the school’s seven-year-olds in the National Curriculum tests in 2001 were well above both the national average and the average for similar schools in reading and within the highest 5 per cent of schools in writing. No pupil failed to achieve Level 2 and a high proportion achieved Level 3 compared to national results, especially in writing. The school has done very well in these tests in three out of the past four years. The exception was in 2000 when results were poorer, owing to the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in that year group. However, the results must be treated with caution as the year group size was small for statistical comparisons. Inspection findings for the group of pupils currently in Year 2 are that standards are well above average in speaking and listening and above average in reading and writing. Progress is good, including pupils with special educational needs. These findings represent an

p.28

ENGLISH

improvement since the previous inspection when standards in writing were lower due to pupils’ unsatisfactory progress in spelling. This weakness has since been overcome by a planned and systematic programme for all age groups.

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ENGLISH

74. There are no national test comparisons available for pupils in Year 4. Inspection findings are that their attainment is broadly average. They have made good progress in Key Stage 2 in relation to their attainment in the tests taken when they were seven, especially in reading, including those with special educational needs. In this key stage, standards are similar to those found at the time of the last inspection.

p.28

ENGLISH

75. The National Literacy Strategy has been well established in the school and is used flexibly to develop pupils’ skills in English. For example, in Year 1, the teacher plans well to enhance pupils’ speaking and listening skills as the basis for more formal reading and writing. For older classes, extended writing sessions give good opportunities for pupils to write for sustained periods. The school also uses the national schemes for early literacy support and additional literacy lessons to boost the progress of pupils who will benefit from extra adult input. Literacy is generally applied well across the curriculum. Pupils’ good levels of attainment support their progress in all subjects that have a reading or writing component. Turvey Lower School 76. Standards in speaking and listening are good in most classes. In Years 1 to 3, pupils are effective and attentive listeners and speak confidently in sentences of increasing length

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ENGLISH

and complexity. They have a wide vocabulary. However, while many of the Year 4 group speak competently, their listening skills are not as well developed and their learning is less effective as a result.

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ENGLISH

77. Reading has a high priority in the school and this supports pupils’ good progress. Pupils read regularly to adults in school, both in individual sessions and in literacy lessons. This is mainly beneficial, although the arrangements to withdraw individuals for reading practice is sometimes disruptive to lessons and interrupts the flow of other learning for some pupils. A very high proportion also read regularly at home where they are supported well by their families. The home-school reading diary enhances the effectiveness of this system. The system of ‘paired reading’ where younger pupils work with an older partner is a component of the school’s reading programme that the pupils enjoy and that has social as well as learning benefits. Pupils have positive attitudes to reading and understand its importance in their school work. By the age of seven, most are confident, independent readers of both

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ENGLISH

fiction and non-fiction texts. By nine, pupils read short novels with good recall of the story. They are very familiar with the classification arrangements of the library. Pupils successfully use book features such as the index, contents and glossary to aid the efficiency of their research work.

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ENGLISH

78. By Year 2, pupils write well in sentences and are beginning to use correct punctuation. The most capable pupils use advanced features such as inverted commas and exclamation marks correctly. They write for a variety of purposes, including imaginative stories and poems and factual accounts, such as their record of work in a design and technology project. Spelling and handwriting standards are good. By Year 4, almost all pupils are independent writers, although a few of the lower attainers need considerable adult support. Spelling and handwriting standards in this age group are average. The higher attainers are beginning to organise their work into paragraphs. They can summarise well, as was seen in a lesson where they wrote a concise school report for a dragon.

p.29

ENGLISH

79. The quality of teaching and of pupils’ learning is good, particularly in Year 1 and Year 3. Where teaching and learning are most effective, the following features are often present: • lessons have clear objectives that are shared with the class and checked for success as the lesson progresses; • the planning for lessons caters well for the full range of pupils’ attainments; • teachers explain tasks clearly; • teachers have a positive and enthusiastic approach; • ICT is integrated well as a classroom tool; • individual pupil targets are used effectively to improve pupils’ performance; • questioning is used well to extend pupils’ thinking and check their understanding; • good use is made of support staff for pupils with special educational needs.

p.29

ENGLISH

The weaker features in less effective lessons are: • too little attention is paid to the needs of pupils’ range of attainments, especially in the planning for the higher attainers; • unclear or rushed explanations that confuse pupils; • too little integration of ICT activities into literacy lessons.

p.29

ENGLISH

80. The management and monitoring of the subject are satisfactory. The headteacher retains nominal responsibility for its monitoring and the staff work together well to identify any areas for review or improvement. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. Teachers have agreed procedures for ensuring that pupils’ progress is measured in all key elements of the Turvey Lower School curriculum. However, these procedures are used more effectively in planning for pupils in some classes than in others.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

81. Seven-year-old pupils in the school have achieved very good results in most years in the national tests, compared with the national average, although the small size of each year group means that caution needs to be used in such comparisons. In 2001, their performance was well above the national average and average compared to similar schools. However, while a high proportion achieved Level 2A or 2B, fewer than average attained Level 3.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

82. Inspection findings are that the current group of pupils in Year 2 attain above average standards. By Year 4, pupils’ attainment currently is average and reflects the proportion of pupils with special educational needs in this year group. The progress made by most pupils is good in relation to their attainment on entry but, in Year 2, there is evidence that the most capable pupils could do better. In this year group, most pupils are performing at a similar level to each other in the work that is recorded in their books and too little is planned to challenge the potential higher attainers.

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MATHEMATICS

83. Pupils do well in Year 1 as the result of good teaching. They have many opportunities for practical learning that reinforce their understanding well. Their attainment is already above average at this stage. By Year 2, pupils have a secure understanding of all aspects of Level 2 of the National Curriculum. For example, they manipulate numbers to 100 accurately and flexibly. They name and identify the properties of a range of shapes and begin to handle data in graphs and charts. Several show an understanding of larger numbers, but have too few opportunities to demonstrate this.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

84. Pupils make good progress in Year 3, where work is tailored well to their needs and the higher attainers are challenged successfully. Progress in Year 4 is satisfactory in all the required attainment targets. The current group of pupils works confidently with four-digit numbers. Pupils are beginning to check their calculations and explain their thinking. They are learning multiplication tables well. They have a sound grasp of shape, measure and data handling.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

85. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers give pupils enthusiasm for the subject and a willingness to learn. The main strengths of lessons are: • good planning for the full range of attainments, including challenge for higher attaining pupils; • careful organisation of rooms and resources to ensure efficient learning; • good use of ‘starter sessions’ to encourage speedy and flexible calculation; • effective support for pupils with special educational needs as part of regular lessons; • integration of ICT activities into lessons; • encouragement of pupils to explain their thinking and use correct vocabulary.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

86. Where lessons are less successful, the main weaknesses are: • too little consideration for different attainment levels, especially for the potential higher attainers; • ineffective control of the livelier aspects of pupils’ behaviour.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

87. The school has made effective use of the National Numeracy Strategy. Most teachers plan most mathematics lessons using the recommended format and this is successful, although group work in some lessons is not yet fully effective in catering for all attainment levels. Additional booster schemes using nationally recommended materials benefit targeted groups of pupils. Good use is made of individual learning targets for pupils. This is done particularly well in Year 3 where the teachers’ very thorough assessments underpin pupils’ good progress. Pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do next to Turvey Lower School improve. Teachers are starting to plan ICT activities that link to mathematics lessons, but these are not yet an integral part of the planning in some classes. Numeracy skills are practised and applied satisfactorily across the curriculum. There are examples of good

p.30

MATHEMATICS

practice, such as in design and technology in Year 2.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

88. The headteacher manages the subject satisfactorily and monitors pupils’ performance well by detailed analysis of their test results. Teachers use regular assessments and predictions of performance well in their planning.

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MATHEMATICS

89. The school continues to do well in mathematics, as at the time of the previous inspection. Standards continue to be above average in Key Stage 1. They are lower in Year 4 than identified then, but this is because of the higher levels of special educational needs in this year group.

p.31

SCIENCE

90. Pupils’ attainment by the age of seven is above average. Results from the 2001 teacher assessments show pupils to be working at well above the national level compared with other schools. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress, although the most capable need to be stretched more by tasks planned for their level of attainment. Science is purposefully timetabled for afternoon sessions to allow sufficient time for experiments to be conducted carefully and for work to be recorded. This is a good improvement since the previous report when attainment was in line with national average. The standards attained by pupils at the end of Year 4 are similar to those found in most schools and the progress made by all pupils is satisfactory. This is a change from the previous inspection when attainment in Year 4 was above national average. The explanation for this apparent downturn in attainment is that the group of pupils in the

p.31

SCIENCE

present Year 4 has a higher percentage of pupils with special educational needs.

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SCIENCE

91. Pupils in Year 1, for example, label diagrams of the main parts of their bodies and know that they were different as a baby. One wrote, ’ I couldn’t walk, I had no hair, no talking, no teeth, then I had a nappy, I could crawl and drink milk ’. Pupils in Year 2 know that materials can be classified by their properties. They describe materials as ’hard’, ‘soft’, ‘lumpy’ or ‘spongy’. They know that some materials can change, such as when they are heated, and that some changes are irreversible. In an experiment they cooked a sponge pudding and commented on how it changed in the process. In their work on electricity, they understand that everyday appliances are connected to the mains and that they must be used safely. The higher attaining pupils can identify positive and negative poles of a battery and they are aware that electricity moves in a circuit. Pupils are encouraged to use the correct vocabulary in their work and do so well.

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SCIENCE

92. Pupils in Key Stage 2 continue to develop their scientific vocabulary soundly in all the topics studied. Terms such as ‘repel’, ‘attract’ and ‘magnetic force’ are used confidently by Year 3. They conduct experiments to see the effects of the pull and push forces of magnets. They investigate, predict and record what they do in their experiments. Pupils in Year 4 understand the meaning of fair testing and the reason for changing only one variable at a time. They investigate the effects of light, water and heat when growing cress seeds. They were amazed at the difference light made to the colour and growth of the cress plants. However, in the lesson seen, they were not encouraged to make predictions, although some were capable of doing so. One wrote, ‘ The tub of seeds in the light grew green and healthy ’. Pupils are encouraged to record their science work in tables and charts. The part that information and communication technology plays in science is limited;

p.31

SCIENCE

for example, sensors or graphs to record findings are rare. Turvey Lower School 93. Pupils respond positively to their science lessons. They are excited when conducting experiments and thoroughly enjoy the practical and independent activities. Pupils work co- operatively and share resources and equipment well when required to do so.

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SCIENCE

94. The quality of teaching is at least satisfactory and some very good teaching was observed in Year 3. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and planning is based on nationally published materials, which are translated effectively into lesson plans. Teachers share the learning intentions with pupils and, in the best lessons, they are referred to as a measure of assessing what progress has been made. The best lessons move at a brisk pace and allow an adequate balance of teachers’ explanation and practical work. An analysis of pupils’ work revealed that the tasks are completed by all pupils regardless of their ability; tasks are varied too rarely to cater for the full range of attainment. Marking is satisfactory, but there are limited examples to show that teachers are providing pupils with purposeful information about their progress.

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SCIENCE

95. There is no co-ordinator for the subject, which is a weakness. All staff have a collective responsibility to plan and ensure standards are high enough. As a result, no thorough monitoring of science has been carried out and no-one is charged with leading future subject development

p.32

ART AND DESIGN

96. It was not possible to see any lessons in art and design during the inspection. Evidence was taken from examining pupils’ previous work and teachers’ planning and from talking to pupils about their work. Standards in both key stages are similar to those seen in most schools and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory, including those with special learning needs. These findings maintain the standards of the previous inspection. That inspection criticised the lack of time given to painting; this is no longer the case and pupils work satisfactorily with paint alongside other media. However, work in two dimensions tends to predominate and pupils have relatively few opportunities to work in three dimensions except when decorating finished products from their design and technology work. Activities are often linked to pupils’ work in other subjects. This makes effective cross-curricular links for pupils but, at times, means that teachers do not give enough attention to the knowledge,

p.32

ART AND DESIGN

skills and understanding of the art and design curriculum in its own right.

p.32

ART AND DESIGN

97. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use a sound range of materials and techniques. In Year 1, they have recently worked on shape collages using a varied combination of papers to achieve their effects. This work has reinforced their mathematical understanding as well as their artistic skills. Currently, work on houses includes attention to skills such as printing. In this year group, pupils have started to appreciate how computers can play a part in art, using the classroom machines to produce drawings. In Year 2, pupils have made detailed paintings of scenes from St Lucia linked to their geography work and Rangoli patterns with pastel during work in religious education. While the teaching in this key stage is satisfactory, many of the finished products are very similar and give too little attention to pupils’ individual creativity or imagination.

p.32

ART AND DESIGN

98. Pupils in Year 3 make good progress. In a recent unit of work about portraits, they have completed high quality pastel figure drawings that show flair and skill. The teacher enabled pupils to use ICT well to support their initial sketches by providing digital images of groups of pupils and encouraging them to look carefully at elements such as line, proportion, shade and perspective. Pupils have moved from drawing an individual figure to successful representations of large groups. In Year 4, much of the pupils’ recent work has been linked to a history project on Sutton Hoo. Pupils have completed satisfactory pencil drawings showing their observation of artefacts from this period and talk about their understanding of how artists and craftspeople worked at that time. Turvey Lower School 99. Sketchbooks are used with pupils in Key Stage 2. They are used particularly well in Year 3 to compile banks of ideas, carry out observational drawings and to test materials.

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ART AND DESIGN

However, the work in the sketchbooks is too rarely dated and, as a result, does not yet act as a convenient assessment tool for pupils’ progress.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. Because no lessons were seen, it is not possible to judge the quality of teaching and learning, although evidence from pupils’ work indicated that these are at least satisfactory. There is no designated subject co-ordinator and no planned monitoring of how well pupils and teachers perform, although the subject is discussed as a part of joint staff meetings. The staff have jointly developed a satisfactory breakdown of how the subject will be planned; this takes account of National Curriculum requirements and of recent national guidance on units of work. ICT is not yet applied widely to support the subject. There are no agreed procedures for assessment. However, there is good practice in assessment in some classes where teachers have devised their own manageable systems linked to the main learning objectives from their lessons. The school needs to share the strengths of this good practice more widely.

p.33

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Due to timetabling arrangements during the inspection period, only one lesson was seen and this was in Year 2. Examples of pupils’ previous work and teachers’ plans were also examined. By the age of seven, pupils’ attainment is above that seen in most schools as a result of effective teaching, especially in Year 2 where teaching and learning are good. This was demonstrated by a recent unit of work on wheeled vehicles. In this, pupils completed a systematic, challenging series of lessons in which they achieved well. Their work included studying a design brief (and checking this as the work progressed), producing a design, listing the materials needed, learning about and recording methods of construction, drawing labelled diagrams of front, side and back views of the vehicle and testing its efficiency ‘on the road’. In the lesson seen, pupils carefully evaluated the success of the whole project and summarised their learning and progress. Skilful teaching

p.33

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

enabled them to reflect well on their work. The teacher explained the task clearly and gave pupils a well-designed worksheet on which to record their findings. The class has made good quality finished products this year, using a wide range of materials and techniques. The way that pupils record their work in their books is impressive. Pupils are beginning to use ICT in their work, for example to record their findings and to make labels, such as the number plates for their vehicles. Pupils enjoy their work and are excited by their activities.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. The above average attainment seen in Year 2 builds well on the achievements of pupils in Year 1. This age group, for example, has made good models of a range of buildings such as flats, terraces and churches. Teachers in both year groups of this key stage plan units of work well and give pupils an interesting range of activities that extends their knowledge, skills and understanding in this subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. Evidence of pupils’ work was more limited in Years 3 and 4, although teachers’ plans indicate that appropriate work is scheduled for this key stage. For example, pupils in Year 3 will soon start work on a well planned unit of work involving pneumatics. The work available for Year 4 indicates that pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. They have constructed model houses, for example, that show sound progress in the quality of finish and detail compared with those made by younger pupils. They studied food technology by designing and making a sandwich and tested the success of their design by eating the result.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. The teaching and learning seen in Year 2 were good and evidence from pupils’ work indicates good teaching generally in this key stage. There was no direct evidence of teaching and learning in Key Stage 2, but the results of pupils’ work indicate that these are satisfactory. These findings include the pupils with special educational needs. Turvey Lower School 105. At the time of the previous inspection, standards were average for pupils in both key stages. On current evidence, improvements since then have been good, especially for pupils in Key Stage 1. Teachers have now planned a programme of work for all year groups that draws well on recent national guidance to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum. Resources are adequate. There is much informal discussion on standards and provision among the staff, but, with no specific subject leader, there is no systematic monitoring or action planning to raise standards further. There are examples of good

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

practice in assessment, but these are not yet used consistently in all classes.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. It was only possible to see one lesson during the inspection. Judgements were made, therefore, on an analysis of pupils’ work, planning documents, displays around the school and discussions with the teachers and pupils. Pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 and at the end of Year 4 attain the standards that are expected nationally. This is the same as the last inspection. Their achievements are sound, including those with special educational needs.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. Pupils in Year 1, for example, identify different types of houses and record the type of house they live in. They accurately draw their house and match its position on a map of Turvey. They learn to write their addresses. Interesting maps of their journey to school are produced showing the main features they pass. Pupils in Year 2 study the island of St Lucia and compare it with the United Kingdom. One writes, ‘ It is an island. It grows bananas. It has desks in schools. It has supermarkets, they grow rainforests. They have brown skins. They have hotels ’. The pupils used non-fiction books to support their research and applied their literacy skills well in the process. In their study of the island of Struay, they develop their mapping skills and learn to use simple coordinates.

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GEOGRAPHY

108. In the Year 3 lesson seen, pupils learnt how the weather affects what we do. They wrote postcards from holiday destinations and, after finding out the temperature where they were ‘staying’, they decided what they could do. One pupil wrote ‘ I think I am in a temperate climate in Guernsey. I am going for a walk ’. Another wrote ‘ I am having a lovely time in the Algarve, it is hot and I am going swimming ’. It was a challenging lesson, but pupils enjoyed the difficult task when supported by enthusiastic teaching. Good use of ICT was made, as pupils searched the Internet for holiday destinations and temperatures. In Year 4, pupils refine their map work. They understand the use of keys and learn to give directions from a map.

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GEOGRAPHY

109. There is a planned and agreed programme of work. It ensures that geography skills, knowledge and understanding are built up systematically. Sound links are made with literacy when pupils write letters, accounts and reports; there are more limited links with numeracy.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. There is no co-ordinator with overall responsibility for the subject, which is a weakness. There is limited monitoring and no single teacher responsible for the development of the subject. As a result, it is unclear how the school checks pupils’ progress, improves provision or raises standards.

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HISTORY

111. Only one lesson was seen in Key Stage 1 and no lessons were timetabled during the inspection days in Key Stage 2. Judgements are made on a scrutiny of a good amount of pupils’ work and discussion with them and with teachers. Overall, standards in history are above expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and also by the time pupils leave the school Turvey Lower School at nine years of age. There has been good progress since the previous report. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well.

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HISTORY

112. By the age of seven, pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of famous people and events in the past, for example of Louis Braille. They learn about the different attitudes to blind children and adults at that time. They learn that the Braille alphabet was not accepted until after Louis had died. One recalled the trouble Louis had at school learning to read, ‘ Louis Braille felt fed up because it was very slow learning, feeling the whole letter and books were very big and heavy ’. Pupils in Year 1 know the difference between past and present. They play imaginatively, purposefully and creatively in the role-play area, which has been transformed into a Victorian kitchen with authentic artefacts. The handling of good resources helps them to learn quickly the differences between modern and Victorian life. Pupils develop a growing sense of chronology. Parents of Year 1 pupils were asked to help the pupils to complete a task for homework. It seemed that the parents

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HISTORY

also enjoyed looking and comparing toys then and now and the task was a profitable learning experience for pupils.

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HISTORY

113. By the time they reach the end of Year 4, pupils have gained a good understanding of life at different times in the past. Pupils in Year 3 know about some of the settlers and invaders of Great Britain. They study the Celts and Romans; one pupil showed good powers of reasoning when she wrote, ‘ I think Boudicca was very beautiful because of her red hair, she must have been very brave by fighting the Romans because they were very good warriors ’. Pupils visit Roman Verulamium and discover many facts, such as that ’ Roman women kept their hairstyles up to date by looking at Roman coins ’ . Pupils in Year 4 study World War II and write well about the effects the bombing raids had on people’s lives, ‘ Homes and belongings were lost, their lives disrupted by the bombing ’. They research the Vikings and record on maps where they sailed and settled. They can empathise with the Anglo Saxons and see their viewpoint; one wrote ‘ Today I saw lots of

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HISTORY

huge ships, they landed right here, they set fire to lots of houses and killed people. They stole treasures from our churches’. They also see and write from a Viking’s point of view: ‘ We’ve been making this huge ship and today we finally set sail and raided this funny place and set fire to loads of houses’.

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HISTORY

114. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers plan good visits in the local area to learn about history, for example to the museum at Duxford. Visitors come from the Reminiscence Group and talk about historical Turvey. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their experiences and say that history is one of their favourite lessons. ICT is used increasingly and effectively, especially to develop pupils’ research skills. There is no one teacher who has responsibility for history; consequently, the subject is not monitored or its development carefully managed. Assessment procedures are not agreed and the good practice seen in some classes is not consistent across the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

115. At the time of the previous inspection, ICT was highlighted as an issue for improvement. The school has made good progress since then in most areas, including pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding, resources and teacher training. The use of the Internet to support learning is still unsatisfactory, but this is due to server problems beyond the control of the school. Lessons are planned and skills taught to pupils to enable them to use the Internet and send electronic mail. The opportunities to practise these skills are frequently negated as the server will not connect and teachers have to use back up lesson plans instead. This failure also affects the use of ICT to support other curriculum areas. Pupils are not able to develop their researching skills in subjects such as history or religious education as they cannot access appropriate web sites. Turvey Lower School 116. Standards for pupils in Years 2 and 4 are satisfactory overall. There are no differences in

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

pupils’ achievement caused by gender or by pupils’ prior attainment. Any differences that do occur are caused by variations in pupils’ access to computers and other ICT equipment at home. All pupils make good progress in their learning. Expectations of the subject nationally have changed since the previous inspection and demands on pupils are now greater. Standards have steadily risen in line with these raised expectations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

117. All pupils are able to log on, find and load programs from the computer hard drive, work upon that program and log off, leaving the computer ready for the next user. Pupils control a mouse to move the cursor round the screen, click to enter different parts of programs and many are starting to use the keyboard with dexterity. At the end of lessons, pupils save their work and exit programs efficiently. Throughout the school, pupils develop and practise word-processing skills, drafting a piece of written work onto the word processor, using spell and grammar checkers appropriately to support their work. Pupils also use data handling programmes to produce graphs and charts and sensor and control programs such as ‘Logo’ for science and mathematics work. The curriculum that pupils follow is broadly planned and uses units of a nationally published scheme of work to develop skills and understanding. As they move through the school, pupils build up a good skills base across

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

a wide range of communication equipment. Pupils use tape recorders, compact disk players, digital cameras, televisions and video recorders. The school has a range of software to support learning in most curriculum areas and pupils are learning how to use these when researching into and editing information for such as history, geography and religious education.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

118. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, with some good teaching also occurring. As a result, pupils develop a secure skills base. They are given a good range of experiences upon which to build confidence. Teachers have good understanding of the programs that are available. They directly teach computer skills, encourage pupils to have a go and experiment to solve problems. They have high expectations of pupils’ independence with the equipment and pupils enjoy this and the result is an improving understanding of their work. Teachers plan a consistent curriculum that progressively builds up pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding. However, in some classes this is too focused on the specific ICT lessons and too little consideration is given in teachers’ plans of how pupils will apply their skills across the curriculum. Where this is done well, it is very successful, for example in Year 3. Teachers share their own expertise and knowledge with each other

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

and with pupils and make ongoing assessments of pupils’ achievements to guide learning further. Pupils respond positively. They take care when working, making sure that they do not damage the work of others, practise their skills and support each other with explanations and demonstrations, taking turns to work on the equipment appropriately.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

119. Leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory overall. No one person has oversight of the quality of teaching in information and communication technology within classes. There is no monitoring of the quality of planning or how it is matched to learning to identify areas for improvement and further develop teachers’ skills. Teachers have made satisfactory developments in their expertise since the previous inspection. They have begun their New Opportunities Fund training. However, because this takes place off- site, teachers do not have the opportunity to practise everything taught as the course is not matched evenly to the school’s equipment, curriculum or the programmes used across the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

120. Resources are satisfactory and are subject to continual update with new equipment regularly considered. Unfortunately, the lack of a subject co-ordinator has resulted in a lack of full consideration to health and safety issues. Although cables and switches are carefully stored, each computer unit has ordinary classroom chairs; smaller pupils have to lean back to see the screen, putting strain on the nape of the neck and taller pupils have to peer down. This poor positioning also affects hand position with many not able to maintain Turvey Lower School a straight line from elbow to finger tip on the keyboard, resulting in wrists that are unsupported and subject to muscle strain.

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MUSIC

121. Standards are average by the ages of both seven and nine, as at the time of the last inspection. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall, including those with special educational needs. In some lessons, and for pupils who take instrumental tuition, progress is more rapid than this. During the inspection, pupils in Year 1 made particularly good progress as a result of excellent teaching. Class lessons are complemented well by extra activities such as recorder, guitar and violin tuition. The headteacher is a skilled guitarist and makes a particular contribution by enabling about a quarter of the school to learn the guitar through regular lessons. Pupils also have additional opportunities to appreciate the work of professional musicians. This was seen in a percussion workshop during the inspection when they commented sensibly on the range of instruments and learned how these were played.

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MUSIC

122. Pupils in Year 1 made excellent progress in a lesson seen about how sounds can represent moods and events. This was because of the attention to detail in planning by the teacher. She catered well for pupils’ different levels of attainment in the class by the levels of challenge or support the pupils received. The teacher’s enthusiasm was infectious and she organised and controlled the class meticulously. As a result, they built up their skills rapidly. They gained clear feedback from the teacher on how well they were doing and guidance on how to improve. By the age of seven, pupils in Year 2 have learnt a satisfactory repertoire of songs and sing tunefully. They listen well, as was seen by their response to the percussion workshop. They compose and perform their own simple arrangements, for example making a planned accompaniment for the story of The Dark, Dark Wood. They are beginning to use written scores to record their compositions.

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MUSIC

123. Pupils in a Year 3 lesson commented sensibly on elements such as pitch, mood and dynamic when working on Peter and the Wolf and discussed how the composer had achieved the desired mood. By Year 4, pupils’ singing has progressed satisfactorily. They can maintain a melody unaccompanied and hold their own parts in a two-part performance. In the lesson seen with this age group, the teacher encouraged and made good use of pupils’ instrumental skills by using the recorder players in the class to play for and accompany the rest.

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MUSIC

124. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Occasionally, teaching is very skilful. Teachers’ subject knowledge is generally secure and all teachers are confident in teaching music to their own classes. The school draws well on the expertise of its specialist musicians for voice, piano and guitar teaching. Pupils enjoy their lessons and those with particular talents or interests in music gain good opportunities for extra activities. ICT is increasingly used by pupils, especially in their use of compact disk and cassette players in lessons.

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MUSIC

125. The curriculum is organised into units of work for each key stage. Satisfactory use is made of national guidance and of published scheme materials. However, when teachers use the same topic for the two age groups in each key stage, they do not always give enough attention to how they can ensure that the older year group attains at a higher level than the younger. They do not always ensure that pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding build progressively across each year group and across the school as a whole. There is no subject leader assigned for music. As a result, any monitoring that takes place is informal. There is some good practice in assessing and recording pupils’ progress, but this is not applied consistently to all the classes.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Turvey Lower School 126. It was only possible to see two lessons during the inspection, one at each key stage. The oldest pupils in Key Stage 1 were not observed for this subject. The lessons seen were in games and gymnastics. Further evidence of the school’s provision was gained from teachers’ planning and records and from talking to pupils. Attainment in the aspects of the subject observed, and with the age groups concerned, was good in Year 1 and average in Year 4. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. In Key Stage 1, pupils in Year 1 achieved very well in the games lesson seen as a result of very good teaching. The teacher planned interesting activities in which the pupils were keen to participate. She managed and organised the class very well, ensuring their full attention and a settled atmosphere for learning. She assessed pupils constantly and gave feedback in a positive way. Pupils built up their dodging and ball skills systematically and were helped to extend themselves in a safe and supportive environment. The pupils showed an excellent attitude to learning and a good sporting spirit.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. By Year 4, pupils have made satisfactory progress and the teaching and learning in the lesson seen were sound. In a gymnastics session, pupils moved in a controlled way over the large apparatus in the hall, with due consideration for their own safety and that of others. The teacher’s attention to general safety was satisfactory, although several pupils worked with their long hair loose. Pupils performed a satisfactory range of balances at various levels and with a varying number of body parts as the balance points. All pupils in the class were fully included and the lesson gave a good opportunity for several pupils who find more academic subjects difficult to achieve well in a practical situation. The lesson made good use of available resources and of the space in the school hall. The teacher used pupil demonstration well to ensure that all had a chance to perform and to appraise others’ performance visually, although pupils were not encouraged enough to put into

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

words how they could improve. The pupils enjoyed their work and behaved well. The apparatus was laid out prior to the lesson and left out at the end so that pupils did not get an opportunity to practise the safe movement of equipment for themselves.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. Teachers’ planning indicates that the school meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. Lessons are planned in all main aspects of the subject for each age group and benefit from the use of published schemes of work. The range of sporting and dance clubs offered as extra-curricular activities supports pupils well and enables those with a particular interest to take part in additional activities. The school has an outdoor swimming pool that is used in summer months and is a valuable resource for teaching the early skills of swimming. Other resources are generally in good condition, although a few of the games resources such as hoops and foam balls are well used and need replacement. There is currently no subject leader for physical education and no agreed assessment arrangements to establish how well pupils are doing. As a result, the school lacks a range of mechanisms to ensure the subject’s development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. Standards are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for pupils by Year 2 and Year 4, maintaining those found at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils are making good progress, including those with special educational needs. Younger pupils enjoy their work. They are building a good base of knowledge and understanding of the stories that form the foundations of the teaching of the world’s major faiths. They especially like listening to stories such as the Christmas story, making good links to celebrating birthdays. Similarly, the story of Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, is linked in Year 1 to the science topic of light. Older pupils think carefully about people from different faiths and how religious beliefs affect lives. During a discussion on foods and feasts, for example, the practice of fasting in the Christian period of Lent was linked to the period of

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Yom Kippur in Judaism and Ramadan in Islam. Pupils also know that different faiths have Turvey Lower School places of worship, sacred texts, special clothes, sacred days and festivals. Older pupils know that all faiths have rules and values that followers of that faith live by. Religious education contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with good teaching seen during the inspection. Teachers are well prepared, know what they are going to teach and have good management and delivery strategies, matching work to pupils’ abilities and maturity. Teachers carefully plan work that as well as giving factual knowledge, progressively develops understanding. They encourage pupils to be actively involved in their own learning, to ask questions, listen to each other, consider, discuss and think. Pupils respond positively to the work planned for them. They listen with respect to teachers and each other, try hard, behave well, take turns in making their contributions and thoughtfully contribute to the learning within their lessons.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. The school has adapted well the locally agreed syllabus as its scheme of work with a good range of resources matched to the themes and units of work. Good links are made to national strategies such as the National Literacy project through texts and stories, though little use is made of ICT in lessons in general. Parents and the local community also support religious education by lending artefacts such as baptism robes, candles and photographs. Unfortunately, the curriculum is not supported by the opportunity to visit places of worship of different faith communities and pupils do not have the chance to talk to representatives and speakers from the different faiths in multi-cultural Britain.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. The management of the subject is unsatisfactory. There is no member of staff with oversight of developments. Although the headteacher sees all medium-term plans, there is no monitoring of teaching or learning within classes, no identification of particular areas for improvement or development or identification of good practice that could extend teachers’ expertise further. There are no agreed procedures for assessment or to record how pupils’ coverage and understanding of their work link to the requirements of the syllabus.

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