Terrington St John Primary School

TERRINGTON ST JOHN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Ms Marjorie Glynne-Jones

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TERRINGTON ST JOHN PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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TERRINGTON ST JOHN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Terrington St John Primary School- 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Road Terrington St John Wisbech Cambridgeshire Postcode: PE14 7SG

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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 Ian Philpott

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: July 1999 Terrington St John Primary School- 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 2918 Marjorie Glynne-Jones Registered inspector English Art and design History Music Religious education Foundation year Information about the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

How well the school is led and managed 9169 June Keyworth Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

How well does the school care for its pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 18824 John Heap Team inspector Mathematics Science Design and technology Geography Information communication technology –ICT Physical education Special educational needs Equal opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

19765 Pauleen Shannon Team inspector Terrington St John Primary School- 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

PkR Educational Consultants Ltd 6 Sherman Road Bromley Kent BR1 3JH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Terrington St John Primary School- 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Terrington St John is a small village primary school in West Norfolk with 96 pupils on roll. It recently received a School Achievement Award for substantially improving results between 1997 and 2000. Pupils are taught in four classes, each with two year groups. There are equal numbers of boys and girls overall although in Year 4, there are far fewer girls than boys. Some of the small number of traveller children on roll live in the village; others travel for part of the year. There are no pupils from ethnic minority families. The school knows who its gifted and talented pupils are. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below average overall, while the proportion with the highest level of need, including two pupils with physical impairment, is above average. When they join the school, pupils’ attainment is below the standard expected, especially in communication skills. Pupils

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

come from backgrounds which, overall, are less advantaged than is true nationally. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is about average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school. It helps pupils to develop personal confidence and a mature thoughtfulness for others. Standards are improving. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory because they receive satisfactory teaching from a highly committed staff and have very good attitudes to their work. There is sound leadership and management overall to which governors’ contribution is good. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils’ attitudes and personal development are very good • The approach to achieving good behaviour is very good • There is good provision overall for the foundation year curriculum, physical education and pupils’ moral, social and cultural development • The Governing Body works to good effect.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards and provision in ICT and art and design • The allocation and use of time for managing the school • Accommodation for physical education and the foundation year. 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 last inspection was in July 1999. There has been satisfactory improvement since then. Standards in Year 6 tests have risen; the provisional 2001 results show a rise in Year 2. The management and the contribution of the governing body are stronger; two unsatisfactory mobile classrooms have been replaced. The arrangements for collective worship have improved, but do not fully meet requirements. There are still some omissions from the prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents. Terrington St John Primary School- 8

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. compared with

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English E D C C Well above average Above average A B

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STANDARDS

Mathematics C D E E Average Below average C D Science D D D D Well below average E

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STANDARDS

• Year 6 English results steadily improved between 1998 and 2000. • In the same period, Year 6 mathematics results did not keep up with the national improvement. • Between 1998 and 2000, Year 6 science results rose at much the same rate as national results. • Provisional 2001 results for Year 6 are much the same as those in 2000 in each subject. • Year 2 results in 2000 were below average in reading and writing and well below average in mathematics. • Between 1998 and 2000, the Year 2 reading and mathematics results show a slight fall, while in writing, the gap with national results stayed about the same. • However, provisional 2001 results for Year 2 show a rise in each area. • The numbers of boys and girls are too small to make reliable statistical comparisons of their results in Year 2 and Year 6. • The target for Year 6 mathematics results was met in 2000; English results were much better than the target figure. Provisional results for 2001 show that both Year 6 targets were exceeded.

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STANDARDS

The targets are challenging when considering pupils’ standards on entry, but because standards have risen, targets for 2002 are now modest. • Standards in the small amount of work seen in physical education are above average because the teaching is good. • Children in the foundation year show standards overall above those expected. This is the result of good teaching and good curriculum planning. • In art and design and ICT, standards in the work seen are below average in Years 1 to 6. In ICT, this is partly because the installation of equipment is currently being completed. In both subjects, curriculum planning and teachers’ expertise need strengthening. • Pupils’ achievement over Years 1 and 2 and Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory. In the foundation year it is good. Pupils with special needs make satisfactory progress.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Very good: pupils are keen to come to school and usually enjoy their work. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good: pupils know what is expected of them and respond well; there have been no exclusions since 1997. Personal development and relationships Very good: pupils become mature and responsible; they are extremely courteous to each other and to adults. Attendance Satisfactory overall, but the rate of unauthorised absence is above average. Terrington St John Primary School- 9

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Good Satisfactory Satisfactory 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

The generally satisfactory quality shows across Years 1 to 6 in: • English and mathematics; • the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy skills; • the planning for pupils with special needs and their confident learning.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Pupils are interested in their work and usually concentrate well.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Where teaching and learning are good: • the attainment of children in the foundation year is above average because they are taught basic literacy and numeracy skills very well; • in physical education, pupils achieve above average standards because the activities are planned to be sufficiently challenging.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Two aspects in particular need attention: on too many occasions teachers talk too much, so that pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities for discussion; teachers’ questions do not always probe deeply enough to clarify and extend pupils’ understanding.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

In 100 per cent of lessons, teaching was satisfactory or better; in 43 per cent it was good or better; and in nine per cent it was very good or better. In one lesson, four per cent, excellent teaching was seen.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory: there are strengths in physical education and in provision for the foundation year; in ICT and art and design, the requirements of the National Curriculum are not fully met.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory: pupils are effectively supported by the school’s family ethos, by identifying difficulties early on and by detailed arrangements for assessment and tracking progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall and for social, moral and cultural development; missed opportunities in subjects for spiritual development; good contribution to all four areas from assemblies.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory: sound procedures to ensure pupils’ well-being at all times; adults know all the pupils well and the good pastoral care helps pupils to feel safe and secure; assessment procedures are sound and pupils’ progress monitored well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school works in partnership with parents Satisfactory overall; the school needs more help from parents in reducing unauthorised absence. Terrington St John Primary School- 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory: aims are put into practice well; staff in this small school have sensibly targeted subject development to good effect so that their responsibilities are being carried out well, but not yet across all areas; the allocation and use of management time needs further development.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good: committed work with a strong lead from the chair in establishing systems to ensure that the school’s responsibilities are carried out in a thorough and timely way; requirements for the prospectus and annual report to parents not fully met.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory: lesson monitoring is now well in place for the main areas of the curriculum; the findings are not yet pulled together to get a clear picture of strengths and weaknesses across the school; this limits improvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory overall: staffing and learning resources are satisfactory, but accommodation for the foundation year and for physical education is poor; music activities and learning are restricted by space and the library is too small for effective use to be made of it. Governors take care to get the best value from the school’s resources and spending.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children like school. • Behaviour is good. • Children are expected to work hard. • Teaching is good. • Children make good progress. • Children are helped to become mature and responsible. • Parents feel comfortable about approaching the school with a query or problem. • The information they receive about their child’s progress. • The way the school works with parents. • The activities outside lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with most of the parents’ positive views, finding the school’s provision generally satisfactory. They find that pupils’ personal development (becoming mature and responsible) is very good. However, they judge the range of activities outside lessons to be satisfactory. In general, the inspection team finds that the school provides parents with appropriate information about children’s progress and opportunities to discuss this, and that staff endeavour to work closely with parents. Terrington St John Primary School- 11

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The foundation stage

1. When children join the school, their skills overall are below the standard expected. This is shown by the county assessments and the national test taken soon after they join Year R. It is true of their reading skills and particularly true of their speaking and listening skills and their personal development. However, in writing and mathematics, their skills are better than expected. At the end of the foundation stage, most children exceed the expectation. This shows good achievement overall, and very good achievement in their weakest skills on entry. They do better than expected in personal, social and emotional skills, skills in communication, language and literacy, in mathematical skills and in knowledge and understanding of the world. They reach the expectation in physical development and in creative development. Children achieve well because, generally, they have good learning opportunities and are

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The foundation stage

taught well. However, their development is restricted by the inadequate accommodation for the foundation curriculum, particularly in creative and physical skills.

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Years 1 and 2: results in reading, writing and mathematics

2. The 2000 national test results in reading and writing were below average; they were below average for schools whose pupils come from similar backgrounds. In reading, the school’s results between 1998 and 2000 did not keep pace with the national results. In writing, they did keep pace, with the gap remaining much the same. However, the writing results were well below average for similar schools, indicating some underachievement. The results show a fall since the last inspection, which reported on the 1998 results, particularly in writing. However, pupils’ attainment on entry to the school was below average so that these results were as would be expected.

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Years 1 and 2: results in reading, writing and mathematics

3. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected level in reading and writing in 2000 was well below average. However, in reading the proportion reaching the higher level matched the national average, while in writing the proportion was below average. This suggests that the school did better by its higher attainers in 2000 than it did by its middle and lower attainers. Where pupils did less well than expected by its own teacher assessments, which affected a very small number in reading and writing, the school has not analysed or recorded the reasons. Compared with similar schools, the results were below average. The size of the Year 2 group taking national tests in 2000 was small: 13 pupils. Because of this, the school’s results need to be looked at with caution where proportions (percentages) of pupils are given: one pupil counts as eight per cent. Because the number of both boys and girls taking the tests was below

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Years 1 and 2: results in reading, writing and mathematics

ten, statistical comparisons of their results are not reliable.

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Years 1 and 2: results in reading, writing and mathematics

4. Provisional results for 2001 in reading and writing show good improvement from 2000, particularly in writing. All pupils reached the expected level in reading and nearly all in writing, which is also an improvement. The school has strengthened its work on reading through allocating additional time at the start of each day and is giving continuing attention to improving writing standards. Terrington St John Primary School- 12 5. The 2000 national test results in mathematics were well below average. Between 1998 and 2000, there was a slight fall which widened the gap with national results. Like the reading results, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level was well below average, while the proportion reaching the higher level was average. Four pupils did less well than was expected by the teacher assessments. Compared with similar schools, the results were well below average. Provisional results for 2001

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Years 1 and 2: results in reading, writing and mathematics

show good improvement so that they are close to the national average for 2000. As in reading, all pupils reached the expected level.

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Years 3 to 6: results in English, mathematics and science

6. The 2000 results overall for these three subjects were below average. Between 1998 and 2000, there was a rising trend, which kept pace with the national rise. This rise was sustained in the provisional 2001 results. The 2000 English results are better than those in mathematics and science; the mathematics results are the weakest. This is a consequence of the thorough attention given to planning and teaching English in the first year after the last inspection. The school had much to attend to and rightly identified priorities. In the current year, 2000-01, the school has begun to give thorough attention to mathematics planning and teaching. This is not yet showing in pupils’ performance in tests but is evident in the standards of work seen.

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Years 3 to 6: results in English, mathematics and science

7. English results in 2000 matched the national average and the average for similar schools. Between 1998 and 2000, there was steady improvement so that the gap with national results closed. However, these results were not as high as would be expected from the pupils’ results when they were in Year 2, in 1996. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected level was well above average and well above average for similar schools; it was well above what would have been expected from these pupils’ Year 2 results in 1996. This is a good achievement. However, by contrast, the proportion reaching the higher levels was well below average and very low when compared with similar schools. This proportion was also very low in comparison with the results that would be expected by pupils’ performance in their Year 2 tests. While the school has worked successfully to ensure that most pupils reach the expected level it has not challenged sufficiently those capable of gaining the higher levels, so

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Years 3 to 6: results in English, mathematics and science

that there is some underachievement. Staff are aware of this.

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Years 3 to 6: results in English, mathematics and science

8. Mathematics results in 2000 were below average. Between 1998 and 2000, the results did not keep pace with national results so that the gap widened. The 2000 results were well below average for similar schools and well below those that would be expected from the Year 2 results of these pupils in 1996. The proportion reaching the expected level was below average, although well below average for similar schools and lower than would be expected from pupils’ Year 2 results in 1996. The 2001 results were much the same as in 2000.

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Years 3 to 6: results in English, mathematics and science

9. Science results in 2000 were below average and below average for similar schools. They were below those expected from pupils’ performance in their Year 2 tests in 1996. Between 1998 and 2000, results kept pace with the national trend. The proportion reaching the expected level was close to the national average in 2000, although below average for similar schools and lower than would be expected from pupils’ Year 2 performance. Provisional 2001 results show standards being maintained. Terrington St John Primary School- 13

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Years 1 to 6: the work seen in English, mathematics and science

(work in books and folders, discussed with pupils and observed in lessons)

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Years 1 to 6: the work seen in English, mathematics and science

10. In the work seen in these three subjects in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 3 to 6, pupils’ attainment is average. This is better than the standards indicated by the 2000 test results. The school has sensibly given priority to ensuring that the curriculum planned for these three subjects is well up to date in terms of what is expected and planned thoroughly. This is generally successful. In each subject, however, not enough attention has been given to exploring ideas. In mathematics and science, this is included in the investigations pupils carry out, a requirement of the curriculum. In English, this comes from pupils’ own talk about what is meant by a word or phrase, or from exploring ideas in depth.

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Years 1 to 6: the work seen in English, mathematics and science

11. In the work seen in English, pupils’ attainment is average overall. By Year 2, pupils read confidently and enjoy books. Pupils’ writing shows some careful explaining, for example, about the best part of a story in a book they have read. Their spelling is usually accurate – or sensible. They show a feel for words. By Year 6, pupils are competent readers. They listen carefully to their teachers and to each other and volunteer opinions thoughtfully. However, their competence in the mechanics of literacy, spelling, punctuation and grammar, is better developed than their skills in exploring meanings. Handwriting is joined and legible.

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Years 1 to 6: the work seen in English, mathematics and science

12. In mathematics, pupils’ attainment is average by Year 2. Pupils have sound ‘mental maths’ skills and number skills. They can measure length accurately and know the main two- and three- dimensional shapes. By Year 6, their attainment is average overall. Pupils have a good knowledge of technical vocabulary and quick mental skills. They work accurately.

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Years 1 to 6: the work seen in English, mathematics and science

13. In science, pupils’ attainment in Year 2 is average. They know how magnets behave and understand how forces operate by push and pull in swings and seesaws. They have a broad knowledge of living things, such as moss and frogspawn. However, their skills in investigating are not as developed as they should be. By Year 6, pupils’ attainment in science is average overall. Pupils have sound knowledge of living things and know the difference between natural and manufactured materials. They are clear about the differences between solids and liquids, but their skills in experimenting are not developed enough.

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history, ICT, music, physical education and religious education

14. The work seen in Years 1 and 2 shows average standards being consolidated overall, except in art and design and ICT, as pupils settle into learning across the full range of National Curriculum subjects. They sustain this standard over Years 3 to 6. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory.

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history, ICT, music, physical education and religious education

15. Pupils’ attainment is average in geography, music and religious education and, in Years 1 and 2, in history. In geography, Year 2 pupils know the names of the countries of the United Kingdom and can find them on a map. By Year 6, they produce maps that include symbols for landmarks, grids and scales. In music, Year 2 pupils respond with enjoyment to recorded music, sing along with a recorded song and tap the beat. They get better at keeping the beat as they play. By Year 6, pupils sing confidently, varying the loudness and following the lead from the accompaniment. Recorder players can follow a five-line score and play from memory. Terrington St John Primary School- 14 16. In religious education, Year 2 pupils know that there are different religions. They understand what happens in a Christian wedding service. By Year 6, pupils have a good knowledge of Christianity and other world religions. They appreciate how

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history, ICT, music, physical education and religious education

religious beliefs can make a difference to people’s lives but do not sufficiently consider the significance of religion in relation to their own experience. In history, Year 2 pupils know something of the lives of important people in the past.

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history, ICT, music, physical education and religious education

17. Pupils’ attainment is below average in art and design and ICT. In art and design, pupils are not achieving the standards they could because curriculum opportunities are very limited. This subject has not been a priority in the school’s work to improve. In ICT, some aspects of the curriculum are not yet in place because of the lack of equipment for control technology.

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history, ICT, music, physical education and religious education

18. There is insufficient evidence to judge the overall standards of work in design and technology, physical education and, in Years 3 to 6, in history.

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Years 1 to 6:across the school

19. Pupils with special needs make satisfactory progress. They are well supported by the family ethos in the school and by the way teachers track their progress. The school is good at identifying difficulties early on. Targets for reading, writing and mathematics are clearly set out in pupils’ individual plans (individual education plans, IEPs). These are drawn up when a special need is first confirmed.

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Years 1 to 6:across the school

20. Both boys and girls make satisfactory progress. There is no evidence that their progress is adversely affected by the imbalance in numbers in Year 4. Traveller pupils achieve as well as other pupils do. They are fully integrated into school life, to which they make a positive contribution.

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Years 1 to 6:across the school

21. In 2000, English results were much better than the target figure. The target for Year 6 mathematics results was met. Provisional results for 2001 show that both Year 6 targets were exceeded. The targets are challenging when considering pupils’ standards on entry, but because the standards being achieved by the school have risen, targets for 2002 are now modest.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22. Pupils of all ages show very good attitudes to school; their relationships with each other and with all the staff are very good. They are keen to come to school. The success of the school’s approaches to providing for pupils' social, moral and cultural development is shown in the high standards achieved in all aspects of personal development. Inspectors agree with parents' views that the school successfully guides their children to become mature, well-behaved and responsible individuals as they progress through the school. This applies equally to boys and girls, pupils from traveller families and pupils with special needs. These high standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Terrington St John Primary School- 15 23. Children in the foundation year show enthusiasm for their work. They want to contribute in discussion and do so sensibly. They concentrate well. In Years 1 and 2, pupils show strong interest in their work, for example, when following the Big Book

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

story in literacy. In Years 3 to 6, pupils’ skills in working independently are consolidated and they cooperate with each other when working in groups. They are interested in the experiences they are offered, gain in confidence and work purposefully. The majority of pupils attend and appreciate the wide range of after- school activities, which they find interesting and enjoyable, especially the sport.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

24. Behaviour in and around the school is good. Pupils know what is expected of them and they respond well. Pupils in Years R to 2 show a developing understanding of the difference between right and wrong. They try hard and their behaviour in lessons is good. They enjoy taking on responsibilities such as putting out and tidying away lesson equipment and they follow classroom routines very well. Pupils in Years 3 to 6, respond well to the school's expectations for discipline and the rewards system. They behave well in lessons. When travelling to and from the swimming pool, and during swimming lessons, their behaviour is a credit to the school. Pupils are trustworthy and take good care of the school’s and other people's property. They are extremely courteous to each other and to adults. During lunch and in the playground, pupils of all ages mix well, although there are isolated incidents of individuals showing a lack of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

care for others. There have been no exclusions since 1997.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

25. The relationships in the YR and 1 class are very good; children are thoughtful towards each other and work together well, for example in music. In Years 1 and 2, pupils work and play together well. They are willing to share equipment and take turns, and are caring and helpful to each other. They are generally confident enough to speak to teachers individually and keen to answer questions. They listen to each other and are beginning to understand and respect each other's views. For example at lunch, two pupils talked about their geography lesson and the life and culture in different countries. In Years 3 to 6, pupils’ friendships extend to pupils of all ages not only to those in their own age group. In the playground, pupils in Years 5 and 6 are particularly tolerant and careful of others. Pupils respect their teachers who in turn show respect for pupils. Pupils in Year 6 appreciate that the headteacher is very

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

caring and goes to great lengths to include everyone in lessons and school activities. In discussion with an inspector, they took care that each person had an opportunity to have their say.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

26. The pupils who have been given responsibilities take them seriously, for example, returning registers, helping with lunchtime arrangements, gardening and preparing the hall for assembly. These opportunities could be strengthened, for example, through setting up a school council. Pupils in Year 6 are well prepared for their transfer to secondary school and are looking forward to starting in September. They are particularly pleased that they are all going to the same school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

27. The attendance rate is much the same as it is nationally, although the rate of unauthorised absence is higher than the national average. The school’s records show that the relatively high level of unauthorised absence is mainly due to parents not sending written notification of the reason for children’s absence, and to the school’s rigorous implementation of registration procedures. Terrington St John Primary School- 16

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. The teaching is satisfactory overall; it is good in the foundation year and satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and Years 3 to 6. In 100 per cent of the lessons seen, the quality was at least satisfactory. It was good or better in 45 per cent, and very good or better in seven per cent (two lessons). This shows an improvement since the last inspection; then, good or better teaching was seen in just over a third of lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Pupils’ attitudes to their work and their good behaviour help them to learn effectively. The good relationships between teachers and pupils generally create a positive atmosphere for work. Pupils are usually interested in the tasks set and eager to contribute their answers and responses. They know how to concentrate and do so even when, on occasion, lessons get a bit dull or move too slowly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. In lessons where the teaching of older pupils is good, the activities generate some excitement and pupils set themselves a good pace for working. On such occasions, they put a lot of effort into their work and sometimes express their disappointment when the lesson has to end. For example, older pupils desperately wanted to read what they had written to the class, but playtime arrived too soon, to the accompaniment of ‘groans’. Where the teaching of younger pupils is good, the activities and learning points are explained very clearly so that the pupils set to work confidently, building securely on what they have previously learned.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. Pupils with special needs are taught well. This is generally true in class lessons where activities are often planned to suit pupils’ differing levels of attainment. It is true when pupils with special needs are taught separately in small groups. Class teachers give helpful individual support to pupils with special needs while other pupils carry on with the tasks set. In mathematics, two younger pupils received good support from the assistant who taught them to recognise coins and their value. A group of seven younger pupils playing mathematical bingo were shown a strategy by the assistant to help them make it work. There is additional support for some pupils’ literacy development; those receiving this support show confidence in class lessons. However, two older pupils did not receive enough individual support for some of their literacy work in class lessons, so that they could not get on satisfactorily. This lowered

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. Some areas need further strengthening. Too often, teachers talk too much so that pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities for discussion. Where this happens, pupils’ thinking skills are restricted because they lack opportunities to test out their ideas on others and to practise putting them forward effectively. Pupils’ learning is limited by teachers’ questions which do not always probe deeply enough to clarify and extend their understanding. The way lesson time is planned needs adjustment to ensure that these experiences are provided as a matter of habit. Although some lesson planning effectively takes account of the different levels of pupils’ attainment, for example, in spelling work in Years 5 and 6, in general, the learning skills that would enable pupils to achieve the higher National Curriculum levels are not planned well enough. It is not only in planning that this occurs. It is true of some of the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

comments teachers make to pupils when evaluating their work which, although sometimes giving helpful ideas about how to make improvements, are not often really challenging. This shows in the test results in 2000. Terrington St John Primary School- 17 33. The school does not have a formal homework policy or plan. Reading and learning tables and spellings at home are expected. Older pupils may be asked to plan or finish work. This approach generally works effectively, although it is not clear in pupils’ books which is the homework and which is the classwork. This makes it difficult to monitor effectively how well homework is supporting learning.

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PUPILS?

34. Overall, the curriculum provides a satisfactory range of learning opportunities and meets requirements. It is supported by an adequate range of clubs and activities outside lessons, particularly in sport and music. Pupils are taught in four, mixed-age classes, some Year 1 pupils with Year R and some with Year 2. The curriculum plan ensures that pupils do not cover things twice or miss things out. The school uses national guidance for the detailed planning in most subjects, sometimes with the addition of other plans and resources, for example, in science, history, geography and design and technology. In music, BBC music broadcasts are used. Weekly teaching plans generally have adequate detail, but the learning targets for lessons are not always clear enough for teachers to assess how well pupils have achieved the intended learning.

p.17

PUPILS?

35. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy are adequately established and are having a positive effect on pupils’ standards. This shows in the provisional results of the 2001 national tests in Year 2. In mathematics, however, work on investigating is not sufficiently emphasised, with the result that not enough attention is given to the development of pupils’ initiative and study skills. Investigative work in science is a little stronger and supported through visits to local sites, such as Wicken Fen.

p.17

PUPILS?

36. The quality of the curriculum provided for the foundation stage is satisfactory. However, the school is unable to offer the full range of opportunities required because of its inadequate buildings and playground space. The difficulty is greater because, being a small school, children are organised in mixed-age classes. Through no fault of the school, the provision is overall unsatisfactory. Local education authority plans to build a new school provide a solution in the longer term. In the meantime, plans are in place to create a small external area for children in the foundation year, at the side of their classroom. While generally, the curriculum for Years 1 to 6 meets requirements, provision for physical education is unsatisfactory because the school’s inadequate accommodation prevents the full range of activities being offered. Provision for ICT is undergoing considerable change and development, supported by

p.17

PUPILS?

a satisfactory draft policy and detailed action plan; these set high expectations. While the subject meets requirements, some areas of teaching and learning are better provided for than others; for example, word-processing, handling information and modelling. The school is aware of the strengths and weaknesses in ICT provision and is planning to target weak areas, such as control and monitoring, through training.

p.17

PUPILS?

37. Appropriate personal, social and health education (PSHE) is incorporated into the curriculum. For example, pupils learn about life processes and living things through science. The PSHE programme includes personal hygiene, safety, drugs misuse and suitable guidance on moral and social issues. Circle Time (a time, when sitting in a circle, pupils are encouraged to talk openly and honestly about their feelings and worries) is helpfully used to ensure that younger pupils are aware of the dangers of encounters with strangers and that older pupils explore issues to do with relationships Terrington St John Primary School- 18 and bullying. Some aspects of citizenship are included within the PSHE programme. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 discussed the issues and procedures of the general election and organised their own election in school.

p.17

PUPILS?

38. Overall, adequate opportunities exist for all pupils to take full advantage of the school’s curriculum. Pupils from traveller families participate fully in all lessons and other school activities. Pupils with special needs experience the same curriculum as other pupils. They receive additional support, for example, working with their class for the introduction to a literacy lesson and then working with a support teacher, either in the classroom or in a separate space. The support takes appropriate account of pupils’ IEP targets; on occasion, it involves teaching basic literacy skills. Pupils with special needs are effectively supported by the school’s family ethos, by detailed assessment and tracking of achievements and by early identification of difficulties. The school is an inclusive school in that its ethos is rooted in a profound concern for all pupils. However, its procedures have not been strengthened by systematic

p.18

PUPILS?

checking to ensure that all individuals and groups, for example, traveller pupils, higher attainers and boys and girls, are getting an equally good deal from what is provided. Knowing individual pupils very well, as staff do, is not an adequate means of checking this.

p.18

PUPILS?

39. The school is effectively involved with the community. Pupils, parents and staff contribute to events and activities in the locality, such as fund-raising for charity and providing musical performances for elderly people and at day centres. Studying the local area brings the pupils into contact with the community and makes a good contribution to their learning in science, geography, history and religious education. There is a variety of visitors whose contribution broadens the curriculum significantly, including for example, the clergy, theatre groups and regular assistance from grandmothers.

p.18

PUPILS?

40. Good links are established with local schools. The strong links with the local secondary school help smooth transfer arrangements to be easily achieved. Joint curriculum projects between the two schools are a strong feature of the partnership, particularly in science where a national scheme, ‘Bubbles’, is used.

p.18

PUPILS?

41. Overall, the school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. This is a similar judgement to the one made at the last inspection. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. The school has appropriate aims and values that are supported and promoted by the whole school community. Daily assemblies provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on a range of issues and stories and give insights into the ways of life and beliefs of others. Significant efforts are made in the Friday merit assembly to reward and encourage good work and behaviour. Pupils appreciate this and it helps to develop their self- esteem. On occasions, when the school judges the time to be appropriate, discussions and periods for reflection take place in classes. These helpfully emphasise the clear values that the school adopts in relation to behaviour and care for others. In the wider curriculum, opportunities are found to give pupils a view of the

p.18

PUPILS?

excitement that learning and participation can bring, for example when taking part in field studies. These experiences help pupils’ sense of responsibility to develop well and introduce pupils to some of the wonders of the world. Terrington St John Primary School- 19 42. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. All staff provide good role models and take every opportunity to teach the principles that distinguish right from wrong. Pupils are comfortable with the school’s moral framework and support it. They are aware of the school’s rules and older ones help the younger ones to understand and follow them. Pupils are introduced to moral dilemmas facing the wider world, for example, the effects on eco-systems of buildings, pollution and waste. They have been visited by people involved in recycling and helped to understand the issues involved.

p.18

PUPILS?

43. There is good provision for pupils’ social development. The school’s rules, aims and values emphasise treating others with respect and courtesy, for example, by waiting for a turn to speak and sharing resources. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for routine tasks in classrooms and around the school. Many are eager to take on responsibilities, such as finding pupils for reading and other such tasks. Older pupils are expected to help younger ones at playtimes and lunchtimes; the positive effect of this is that these occasions become social gatherings. Pupils have a number of opportunities to help others through fund-raising for charities such as Help the Aged and Action Aid . Closer to home, they make a contribution to the local community by providing entertainment for the elderly at various concerts.

p.19

PUPILS?

44. Good provision is made for pupils’ cultural development. There are plentiful opportunities to develop an understanding of local culture. This is achieved through visits, for example, to Wisbech to study the life of a local man who opposed slavery; by receiving visitors, for example, the local vicar and the Methodist minister, who talk about the churches they represent; and by visiting theatre and music groups. Pupils frequently use the local area for study in science and geography. Visits to museums are arranged, both near and farther afield, to bring study to life and develop pupils’ interests. Multi-cultural understanding is promoted effectively through the geography and religious education. As required, a range of religious faiths is the focus of teaching across the school, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Topics in geography include St Lucia and Kenya. Pupils have been encouraged to raise money

p.19

PUPILS?

for a child in Kenya and work has been done on comparing local life with life in an African village. An e-mail link has recently been set up with a school in Australia. The school is checking the library stock to weed out any books that include racist or sexist texts and illustrations.

p.19

PUPILS?

45. At the last inspection, the curriculum was judged to be unsatisfactory and a serious weakness in the school’s provision. This is no longer the case. There has been a range of fundamental improvements that together constitute notable progress. The curriculum has a satisfactory structure which ensures that the work progresses satisfactorily and develops pupils’ skills. There is now a daily literacy lesson and adequate time for all subjects. Timetables are systematically checked to ensure that the curriculum experienced by pupils is sufficiently broad and offers a good balance of different areas of experience.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school provides satisfactory care for its pupils, as was found at the last inspection. There are sound procedures for child protection, for pupils’ health and safety and for ensuring their well-being at all times. In this calm and orderly community, adults know all the pupils well. Good pastoral care helps pupils to feel safe and secure. Terrington St John Primary School- 20 47. Arrangements for child protection have been strengthened since the last inspection. The designated person responsible has received relevant training; the deputy headteacher takes responsibility in her absence. All staff are aware of the need for vigilance. However, the designated person has not shared her training with all other staff; it is proposed to arrange this shortly. There are established links with outside agencies to support the school in its duty of care for pupils. Safety policy is sound, for example, in relation to school trips. The advice to have a policy on pupil restraint has,

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Health and safety policy is regularly reviewed. The governors' fabric (premises) committee is diligent in its oversight of health and safety and risk assessment. Fire and electrical equipment are routinely inspected as required. Arrangements for first aid are satisfactory. Many of the weaknesses reported at the last inspection have been put right, for example, registers are returned to the office and visitors report to the office and wear identity badges. Most of the small number of safety issues identified during this inspection and reported to the staff were known to the school. Several practical improvements have been made to assist pupils with medical needs. Procedures are being established to ensure that pupils with asthma are well supported medically.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school identifies the special needs of individuals well, using the information to plan suitable learning opportunities. Pupils with special needs are integrated well into lesson activities and targeted classroom support is good. In the mixed year-group classes, pupils’ differing attainment levels are often clearly identified both in the planning and in the teaching methods. However, the school has not agreed an approach to providing suitable learning opportunities for the learning needs of gifted and talented pupils, although individual teachers know who they are. The work set is not always planned to challenge higher attainers effectively.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. Satisfactory procedures for assessing pupils' attainment and progress are established. The information that teachers learn from assessments in English, mathematics and science is used effectively to organise teaching groups and to set individual learning targets. This information is also used effectively to guide the planning for these subjects. There is good personal support and guidance for pupils. Good records are kept so that their progress is now monitored well, an improvement since the last inspection. Portfolios of pupils' work are kept to track their progress. Overall, there has been a marked improvement since the last inspection. However, in other curriculum subjects these procedures are not firmly in place. In art and design, music and religious education this is reflected in pupils’ annual reports which do not include information about pupils’ progress.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school effectively assesses and monitors the progress of pupils with special needs. Individual education plans (IEPs) are clearly written, have realistic targets and set out clearly the action to be followed. This helps teachers to monitor progress. Review dates and significant progress, such as major improvements in a pupil’s reading age, are efficiently recorded on the IEPs. Most pupils are entered for the National Curriculum tests; on occasion, some are not entered when there is good justification. There is termly liaison with the local education authority school support team to review pupils’ needs and progress. Terrington St John Primary School- 21 52. The school’s strategies for achieving good behaviour and checking that this is consistently achieved are very good. All staff, including lunchtime and playground assistants, put the school’s policy into practice consistently and have high

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

expectations of pupils' behaviour. Any incidents of poor behaviour are quickly dealt with. House points and stickers are valued by the pupils and contribute to their achievement of good behaviour. Although the discipline policy incorporates anti- bullying strategies, provision needs strengthening as part of the school’s termly planning. The headteacher is aware of this.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Procedures for recording attendance have been revised to comply with regulations. Registers are properly marked in accordance with the school's guidelines. Regular attendance and punctuality are positively encouraged. The school secretary diligently follows up individual absences. Arrangements to make it easier for parents to report their children’s absence are to be agreed with the governing body; the aim is to ensure that authorised and unauthorised absences are accurately recorded. A computerised system for recording attendance is proposed for the autumn term 2001.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The nine per cent of parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting expressed very positive views of the school, in particular the happy family atmosphere in which children thrive. There was a high return of 46 per cent to the parents’ questionnaire. As at the last inspection, parents’ most positive views are about their children liking school. They also feel positive about the good behaviour in school, their child being expected to work hard, the good teaching, their child making good progress and being helped to become mature and responsible, and that they feel comfortable about approaching the school with queries or difficulties. Areas of high concern for those completing the questionnaire are about how well parents are informed about their child’s progress, about the range of activities provided outside lessons and particularly, about how closely the school works with parents.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Inspectors agree with most of the parents’ positive views, finding the school’s provision generally satisfactory. They find that pupils’ personal development (becoming mature and responsible) is very good. However, they judge the range of activities outside lessons to be satisfactory. In general, the inspection team finds that the school provides parents with appropriate information about children’s progress and opportunities to discuss this, and that staff endeavour to work closely with parents. The home-school agreement is helpful. However, a small number of ‘grumbles at the gate’, about the last lesson of the day finishing late and worries about bullying not being carefully followed up, are ones that should be heeded.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The information provided for parents is satisfactory. There are newsletters giving useful information about dates and events, although not, as happens elsewhere, about class topics for the term or year. As required, subject work schemes are available at the school for parents to look at. The prospectus is very detailed and gives helpful suggestions on how to prepare pupils for starting school. While the governors’ annual report to parents is informative and well presented, it omits many of the items that the governing body is required to include; for example, the national test results in Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils’ annual reports give parents very clear and detailed information about their children’s progress in most subjects, particularly in English, mathematics and science; this is not achieved in the reports for art and design, music and religious education. There is a yearly programme of parents’

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Terrington St John Primary School- 22 meetings, for example, for new parents to discuss their child’s assessment on entry. Soon after children’s annual reports have been sent home, there is a meeting to discuss these and children’s national test results. Guidance for parents on how to give support to their children when they are doing homework is helpful. The intention is that homework should be enjoyable for both children and their parents.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. The school works well with parents of pupils with special needs, for example, when contact with outside agencies is necessary, when applying for funding and when considering their specific educational and personal needs.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. The involvement of parents and grandparents in lessons makes a positive contribution to the school’s work. Parents regularly help with hearing reading, in after- school activities such as cross country and sewing, and on school trips. Grandmothers help with cooking in Years 1 and 2 in which pupils weigh ingredients, talk about them, think about hygiene and time how long the food takes to cook. However, parents’ attendance at special sessions about the developments in literacy and numeracy teaching was disappointing.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The school association gives good support to the school. It is active in fundraising and putting on activities and social events for children and their parents. Parents collect tokens for computers and books.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. In this very small school, all teaching staff take a key role in its leadership and management. The staff team shows a strong commitment to helping all pupils to achieve their best. Improvements since the last inspection have been carried through with thoroughness, showing that the school can move forward effectively. The role of the governing body in helping to establish systems which support the headteacher in managing the school is good. There is strong leadership by the chair who is both supportive and demanding of the headteacher, so that the impetus for improvement is not allowed to falter. Brief but detailed notes of the weekly meetings held between the head and the chair of governors show the systematic way in which the school’s responsibilities are now progressed. The governors’ role of ‘critical friend’ is put into practice very effectively.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The work to tackle the weaknesses reported at the last inspection two years ago has been substantial. Additional time for carrying out the responsibilities of managing the school is now allocated to the headteacher. One result has been a programme of lesson monitoring by subject leaders, including the headteacher as leader for mathematics and science. The written reports show generally helpful evaluations with useful points for improvement. However, the findings from the full set of observations carried out by subject leaders have not been pulled together to give a clear picture of school strengths and weaknesses. This restricts the effectiveness of any action taken to raise the standard of teaching further. It does not enable governors to have a clear enough understanding of areas needing further development when budget allocations are being decided. The monitoring programme does not yet include

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

lessons in all National Curriculum subjects. Terrington St John Primary School- 23 62. Financial management was judged to be sound in the last audit report (1999) and accorded Norfolk’s ‘top grade’. Day to day management of the budget is efficiently carried out. Thorough oversight is taken by the chair of the governors’ finance committee who visits the school in most weeks. The budget plan for the current year draws on the reserves carried forward in the previous year and carries forward a nil balance into the next. The school is confident in its ability to manage this properly, and anticipates additional grant monies. There is no evidence to suggest this will not be well managed. The governing body is determined to achieve the best possible value from its spending and to check thoroughly that the school is performing as well as it should. This comes over clearly in discussion, but not so clearly in the minutes of

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

meetings. It is crystal clear in the notes of the chair’s weekly meetings with the headteacher. New technology, as it is installed or becomes available, is being used effectively for school administration. The improvements in provision for the ICT curriculum have not been in place long enough to show an effect on standards.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Provision for pupils with special needs is managed well. Staff are well informed and trained appropriately. Records, kept efficiently on computer, are up-to-date. Funding for pupils with special needs is used appropriately. The co-ordinator works closely with the designated governor and reports regularly to the governing body.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school was built over one hundred years ago and although it has historical charm it is showing its age. Stimulating displays of work, although not of work in art, do much to ameliorate this. Two new mobile classrooms have been installed since the last inspection but there are still inadequacies in the accommodation. Pupils’ progress is restricted by the school building which is not fit for its purpose. This affects pupils’ progress in the foundation year, in physical education, music and library skills. There is no space available for use as a computer room. The size of the hall restricts opportunities for pupils to perform to parents, for parents to attend assemblies and is too small to enable all pupils to eat their lunch together. Plans for a new building in the longer term are currently being considered.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. Statutory requirements are mostly met, but not fully for collective worship and the formal communication of information to parents. Terrington St John Primary School- 24

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to consolidate the improved standards and raise them further, the governors and staff should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in all subjects, particularly in ICT and art and design through • Planning work in all subjects to challenge pupils to achieve as well as they can, whether they are higher, middle or lower attainers. • Supporting all teachers in strengthening their questioning technique for example, by providing training or arranging visits to observe good practice. • Ensuring greater emphasis on explaining things clearly, both for staff as a teaching skill and for pupils as a learning skill. • Emphasising these skills in the monitoring programme, term by term. • Reporting to the governing body on the findings of monitoring. For ICT • Ensuring that a similarly thorough approach is taken to that used for developing literacy provision. • Ensuring that the requirements of the National Curriculum are fully met. For art and design: • Supporting all teachers by providing staff development in subject knowledge and skills.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raising the status of art and design across the school, particularly in display. • Ensuring that the requirements of the National Curriculum are fully met. Across the school • Extending the monitoring programme to include all subjects. Paragraphs 2-5, 6-9, 11, 13-14,17, 32, 35-6, 49-50, 75-8, 80, 93-6, 98, 100, 102, 110

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Further improve the allocation and use of time for managing the school through • Identifying the specific management activities that should be undertaken by the headteacher, deputy headteacher and subject leaders. • Determining how these should be timed during the school year, for example, weekly or termly. • Ensuring that the time allocated for these allows responsibilities and tasks to be carried out to good effect and in a timely way. • Exploring different ways of allocating time for management, for example, by using blocks of time, to minimise the disruption both to teaching responsibilities and to management responsibilities. Paragraphs 34, 38, 47, 49-50, 52, 56, 61, 65, 101, 103, 111-2, 117 Terrington St John Primary School- 25 (3) Seek to improve the accommodation through • providing the facilities to meet the gymnastics requirements of the National Curriculum and the Foundation Year requirements for children’s

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

physical development. • providing library provision which ensures that pupils’ study skills are adequately developed. • providing sufficient space for music activities so that pupils can play instruments without knocking into each other and so that classroom furniture does not have to be cleared in order that music activities can take place. Paragraphs 1, 36, 64, 72-3, 82, 122, 129 Terrington St John Primary School- 26

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 26

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

4 4 35 57 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 96

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 12 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 16

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.26

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Terrington St John Primary School- 27

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 6 7 13

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 3 3 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 6 6 5

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 69 (81) 69 (88) 77 (81) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 5 5 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 6 6 7

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 85 (88) 85 (88) 100 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 5 9 14

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 5 4 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 5 7

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 93 (63) 64 (56) 86 (75) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 4 4 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 6 7

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 86 (56) 71 (63) 86 (63) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Terrington St John Primary School- 28

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.28

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.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.4 Financial year 2000-01

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total expenditure 230,512.00

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Expenditure per pupil 2,376.00

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 82 Balance brought forward from previous year 5,859.00

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 00.00 Terrington St John Primary School- 29

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 45 48 7 0 0

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 43 52 0 2 2

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 18 64 14 0 5

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 30 41 25 2 2

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 47 44 7 2 0

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 43 52 2 2 0

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 34 27 32 5 2

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 30 48 9 5 9

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 35 56 2 2 5

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 27 41 16 7 9 Terrington St John Primary School- 30

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. The arrangements for the foundation year have been maintained since the last inspection. Children are admitted in September or January. When children join the school, their attainment overall is below the standard expected. This is shown by the county assessments and the national test taken soon after they arrive. It is true of their reading skills and particularly true of their speaking and listening skills and their personal development. However, in writing and mathematics, their skills are better than the standard expected. The last inspection reported that children make a good start in the school. This good start has been strengthened because much of the provision has improved since then, although it is still restricted by the poor accommodation for the foundation year curriculum. Teaching is good overall, sometimes excellent, showing very good knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage. There is very effective use of classroom assistants.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

67. Children show enthusiasm for their work. They want to contribute in discussion and do so sensibly. They concentrate well, at times showing quite exceptional ability to do so, for example in religious education. Because they listen carefully to the teacher’s instructions, they have a clear idea of what the task is and most go about it independently. Younger children need more support but receive it in such a way that their independence grows. The relationships in this mixed year class are very good; children are thoughtful for each other and work together well, for example in music. Relationships between pupils of all ages around the school are a strength of this community. Year R children happily sit with Year 6 pupils at lunch and engage in conversation. They are confident enough to answer questions in the whole school assemblies. They make very good progress over the foundation year so that they

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

exceed the expectation, although when they join the school their personal skills are below the expected standard. This happens because they receive very good teaching in which expectations are very high, reasons are explained very clearly and the teacher’s manner promotes confident relationships and respect for others.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

68. Children listen keenly to stories. They listen carefully to the teacher while following the text of a Big Book; they focus on the points she has made, showing a mature approach. When responding to a question about the text, pupils explain clearly why they think so, sometimes spontaneously going out to the front to point at the cue in the text or an illustration. They have a good knowledge of phonics. Their responses show an established habit of exploring books and the ideas and events in stories. The teacher sets an atmosphere of calm and quiet exploration so that all feel confident to participate. Children’s speaking skills are very well supported by the ethos and relationships in the school. Everyone talks to everyone else. There are many opportunities for writing skills to develop, for example, in making a music ‘score’. Children control pencils effectively when writing and drawing, showing fluency

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Communication, language and literacy

in the physical skill itself. Their achievement is good because the teaching is good. In all activities, the teacher not only presents an extremely clear model of language, but always explains fully what is meant so that all children catch up with the meaning. Terrington St John Primary School- 31 They learn how to think about things for themselves and explain them clearly. Children exceed the expectation in these skills.

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Mathematical development

69. Children’s attainment exceeds the expectation in mathematics. Most children are interested in mental maths, enjoy counting on and persevere with the task. The small group of younger children shows less confidence in this activity. Children make good guesses. Most can count to 10, starting at zero. Some count on from 3 to 10. They recognise 1p, 5p and 2p coins and know that 2p+2p+1p makes 7p. They record this in a picture. Most write the number accurately. A small number can explain the process of adding. They confidently recognise when an object is ‘bigger than’ another, for example in a story about animals and use the language for comparing size. They successfully match numerals with their written name in a puzzle. Children maintain their good standards on entry so that their achievement is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are good. Activities are planned well and questioning carefully used to ensure that all children participate successfully. Resources are appropriately

p.31

Mathematical development

prepared and used although the timing of activities is not always well judged; for example, a ‘mental maths’ session was continued for too long.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

70. Activities were seen which showed how children are developing a sense of time and an understanding of culture and beliefs. In these, they exceed the expectation for this area of learning and their achievement is good. Children worked independently at the computer, making a sentence about the sea as an introduction to thinking about what people do at the seaside. They looked at a video of the seaside, showing what it is like today and what it was like in Victorian times. The teacher played the video in short sections, following each with quite searching questions about what was seen. Children’s confident responses showed well-developed skills of recalling and of analysing and comparing what they had seen; for example, what people wore for bathing. They acted like historians, the result of good teaching.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

71. In religious education, all the children took part in a role-play of a Christian wedding with the local Vicar. They had previously learned about how weddings are organised and what different people have to do, for example, the ushers and the bridesmaids. In costume, children attended the wedding in the hall, set up as a church. They played their part with confidence and some solemnity, with rare lapses of concentration. They applied what they had learned in the classroom about different parts of the ceremony to a different physical setting, carrying out the moves competently and showing a remarkable capacity to stand still for a lengthy period, focusing hard on what was going on. Teaching in this activity was excellent, incorporating a very calm approach, high expectations, probing explanations which children understood and reminders which boosted children’s confidence. As a result, children’s learning was

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

very good and their attitudes and behaviour excellent. In this activity, they exceeded the standard expected. Terrington St John Primary School- 32

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Physical development

72. The school’s accommodation for the foundation year is poor. The classroom, shared with Year 1 pupils, is cramped and allows little freedom of movement. Children manage the restrictions confidently and take care how they move around. They control their bodies well, for example, when moving through the group seated on the carpet for a Big Book session. They show good awareness of obstacles and where their limbs can safely be put. There is no adjacent outside area for their exclusive use, although sand and water trays can be put outside, weather permitting. Plans to create such a space, albeit a small one, are in hand. In the wedding role-play, children’s stillness as they stood through the service would have done credit to any adult group in the same situation. They processed at a slow pace before and after the ceremony, maintaining poise even if they were wearing their mother’s high heels. In physical education, they followed the teacher’s effective coaching points to throw a

p.32

Physical development

beanbag over-arm, keeping their balance by moving an arm forward. All showed good awareness and control of their body. What was more difficult for some was to release the beanbag at the right moment. Overall, children‘s physical development reaches the expectation. Their achievement is sound overall, although the range of their experiences is limited by the inadequate accommodation. However, children’s self- discipline and control of their own bodies are very good, sometimes exceptional. This results from the quality of teaching they consistently receive which is at least good and on occasion outstanding. Children have a good awareness of how well they are doing because tasks and instructions are explained very clearly in a manner that invites confidence. While they are working, they are given well-targeted evaluations that help them to improve what they are doing.

p.32

Creative development

73. Making activities, in art and design and design and technology, were timetabled on Friday, not an inspection day. There is little evidence of pupils’ explorations of media and materials and surprisingly little artwork on display in the classroom or round the school. The classroom does not have enough space for children to work on the carpet, in pairs, with instruments, without actually knocking into each other.

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Creative development

74. The wedding role-play was a significant contribution to children’s creative development. Children enjoy listening to the recorded music in assembly and for example, recognised the solo instrument in a concerto as a piano. They answer questions about the music they have heard and join in the singing confidently. In a classroom music session, children, in pairs, decided on the instruments they wanted to play. They did this through cutting and pasting pictures of their two instruments and their names to act as a score. The task was to play a piece using up to five sounds. Children were very clear about what they had to do because it had been explained very carefully by the teacher; it built on what they had done the last time. They practised carefully, collaborating sensibly and finally playing to the rest of the class in a confident manner, concentrating very hard as they did so. The teacher’s planning of

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Creative development

the task supported children’s development in many ways, but did not help them to get a feel for repeated patterns and sounds. None the less, the teacher’s questions and comments ensured that they made a simple analysis of what they had played and checked that they had played it in the order planned on their score sheet. Overall, children‘s creative development reaches the expectation; their achievement is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

Terrington St John Primary School- 33 75. Year 6 English results in 2000 matched the national averages for all schools and for similar schools. Between 1998 and 2000, there was steady improvement so that the gap with national results closed. While the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level was well above average, the proportion reaching the higher levels was well below average. Although the school has worked successfully to ensure that most pupils reach the expected level, it has not challenged sufficiently those capable of gaining the higher levels. In the work seen in Years 3 to 6, pupils’ attainment is average and pupils with special needs make sound progress. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

76. On entry to the school, pupils’ attainment is below average as assessed by a nationally validated test. In 2000, the Year 2 test results in reading and writing were below average as would be expected by their prior attainment. The gap with national results widened a little between 1998 and 2000 in reading. In writing, while the gap stayed much the same, the results indicated some underachievement compared with similar schools. The results show that while higher attainers are achieving as they should, others are not always doing so. However, the provisional results for 2001 show good improvement from 2000, particularly in writing. All pupils reached the expected level in reading and nearly all in writing. The school has strengthened its work on reading through allocating additional time at the start of each day and is giving continuing attention to improving writing standards. In the work seen in Years 1

p.33

ENGLISH

and 2, pupils’ attainment is average and pupils with special needs make sound progress. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

77. By Year 2, pupils read confidently and enjoy books. Most read a lot at home. Their reading is fluent and generally communicates the meaning successfully. When summing up the previous events in a story, average attainers turn the pages over from the beginning as an ‘accompaniment’; they show good knowledge of the events in the story and of the place in the book where they are recorded. When misreading punctuation, a higher attainer was quick to point out that a word had been left out and that ‘it didn’t make (grammatical) sense’ – this was true because of the punctuation error he had made. Pupils showed their understanding of a class story by answering the teacher’s questions, usually giving one word. Pupils with special needs gave answers in whole sentences. Few answers included an explanation unless this was prompted. Pupils’ writing shows some careful explaining, for example, about the best part of a story in a book they have read. They write for a range of purposes and in

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ENGLISH

different styles, for example, poetry, book reviews and diaries. Their spelling is usually accurate – or sensible. They show a feel for words. A poem about autumn included the line ‘apples just drop with a thump’. A story began ‘Winnie the witch is ugly and old, with a green face, red eyes, tatty hair and a pointed nose.’

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ENGLISH

78. Pupils are competent readers by Year 6. Their reading is generally accurate and fluent. They handle any slight hesitations they make confidently and confidently correct any errors themselves. When, on occasion as in Year 2, they misread punctuation, they are quick to point out grammatical errors. Pupils listen carefully to their teachers and to each other, both in lessons and on occasions such as lunchtimes. They volunteer opinions thoughtfully when looking at a class text, ‘Black Beauty’. They use reference materials effectively and know their way round the library. Pupils’ handwriting is joined and legible, but the quality evident in their handwriting books is not lived up to well in the way they complete worksheets; it was evident in a spelling test. Pupils write in different ways, putting arguments, for example for and against fox-hunting; diary accounts for a fortnight; poems, for Terrington St John Primary School- 34

p.33

ENGLISH

example, about bullying; letters; labelling illustrations and diagrams, for example in history work on the Greeks; political slogans; reporting events such as an outbreak of cholera; and telling stories. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are usually accurate. Pupils understand simple and complex sentences but their skills in organising their writing in paragraphs are not secure. Some find it difficult to sustain the approach they are taking in their writing, for example, slipping back into story-telling mode instead of putting an argument. Pupils’ competence in the mechanics of literacy, spelling, punctuation and grammar are better developed than their skills in exploring meanings. Generally, they do not show a habit of enquiry. This shows in the frequency with which, on meeting a new word, pupils could read it accurately as though they understood its meaning, while in reality they did not. Nor did they stop to

p.34

ENGLISH

79. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good overall. Older pupils settle to work speedily, efficiently and quietly. At times, their absorption in their work is reminiscent of a library reading room. Younger pupils do so quietly and efficiently, but the cramped conditions in their classrooms mean that this takes more time than usual. All can organise themselves sensibly. The quality of relationships in the school helps to ensure that lessons are enjoyable occasions; sometimes pupils do not want them to end.

p.34

ENGLISH

80. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The quality is achieved in all except one of the skills involved in teaching where it is better. The exception is in the management of pupils where the quality is good. Teachers have a sound knowledge of the National Curriculum and the requirements of the literacy strategy and plan thoroughly for the mixed-age classes. Although satisfactory, the least developed part of some literacy sessions is the section involving group teaching. This is not always used effectively to take pupils’ understanding and skills forward. Pupils with special needs are given effective support, although on occasion, this was not achieved, so that pupils could not learn effectively and wasted their time. Pupils are usually keen to learn and talk about their work with pride. They concentrate well, even when it is excessively hot or when the lesson gets a bit dull. Where lessons set a good pace for working, the

p.34

ENGLISH

pupils set themselves a good pace in their own work, but this is not equally achieved in all lessons. Pupils have a clear idea about how they are getting on. The marking of older pupils’ work shows appreciation of what has worked well and where attention is needed. However, the help given about ways of making improvements is not always sharp enough. It is in the level of challenge that teaching needs to be strengthened: through more frequent planning of work for different attainment levels; through refining questioning techniques to enable pupils to explore and probe ideas; and through ensuring that literacy skills lead to deeper understanding of meanings.

p.34

ENGLISH

81. The school’s literacy policy is not supported by literacy policies in each subject. In general pupils learn the technical language of subjects and use it. Specialist vocabulary is often on display for pupils to refer to. In one class, pupils presented their work in religious education to each other in the form of plays and read their own writing to the class in a literacy lesson. There is scope for improvement in the provision across subjects, particularly in the opportunities for pupils’ speaking skills to develop in formal situations.

p.34

ENGLISH

82. Leadership and management are satisfactory. In no aspect are they unsatisfactory. A school strength is the commitment of staff to improving their work in English. Results in 2000 and 2001 reflect this well. The subject co-ordinator (leader) monitors teaching and pupils’ work effectively across the school. Good arrangements for assessment Terrington St John Primary School- 35 have been significant in making improvements, particularly through using what is learned about pupils’ progress to check that the planning is suitable and modify it, if not. There has been satisfactory improvement overall since the last inspection, with good improvement in planning. However, some of the areas of teaching skills needing attention have not improved since then. The library space is inadequate for any effective use to be made of the resources as part of the taught curriculum.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

83. The 2000 Year 6 test results were below the national average for all schools. They were well below average when compared to similar schools. The results of the Year 2 tests were well below the national average as well as the average for similar schools. However, about a quarter of the Year 2 pupils reached the higher level which is close to the national figure. Results for both age groups vary from year to year as often happens when numbers of pupils are small. Generally, results are lower than they were at the time of the last inspection.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

84. Attainment in the work seen is better than indicated by the 2000 test scores. Standards are average at age seven and 11. This improvement has been brought about in two ways: by improved teaching, mainly as a result of staff training on the development of ‘mental maths’ skills and problem-solving; and by providing additional support for pupils who are experiencing difficulties. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Those with special needs make satisfactory progress. This is because they are supported adequately in lessons and often receive good support when they are taught separately in small groups. For example, an effective session with Year 5 pupils had several strengths, including good consolidation of basic division skills and effective support for pupils who were developing strategies for coping with challenging work.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

85. By age seven, pupils have satisfactory ‘mental maths’ skills. Pupils respond well to questions involving addition and subtraction, doubling numbers and counting on at regular intervals such as twos, fives, tens and hundreds. However, attainment in investigative mathematics is not equally good for all pupils. Higher attainers work out well the answers to simple problems; they understand how to work out sums that are disguised in codes. In specific number work standards are at the expected level. Higher attainers show good skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; they can work out number patterns and understand halves and quarters. Although lower attainers find number work difficult, their knowledge, skills and understanding are improving because they experience a great deal of practical work. Standards are satisfactory in shape, measuring and data handling. The majority of pupils can

p.35

MATHEMATICS

measure length accurately and know the main two- and three-dimensional shapes.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

86. By the age of eleven, the majority of pupils have built securely on their learning in Years 1 and 2. Strengths include their understanding and use of mathematical vocabulary such as multiple, factor and perpendicular . Work is effectively and neatly set out which supports accurate working out. Good mental skills help pupils respond quickly to tasks that are intellectually challenging. Higher attainers respond well to all aspects of the subject. They have a clear understanding of lines of symmetry, diagonals, co-ordinates and how to interpret pie charts and line graphs. The majority of pupils have appropriate number skills and work accurately. They use correct measures, for example, millimetres to measure the thickness of a book and metres to measure the length and breadth of a room. They are developing sound strategies for solving problems. Higher attainers identify the important parts of the information, and

p.35

MATHEMATICS

Terrington St John Primary School- 36 approximate and estimate the probable answer. However, overall, the use and application of mathematics is not a strong feature of pupils’ work.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

87. The National Numeracy Strategy is being satisfactorily implemented throughout the school. Opportunities are found to use skills in other subjects, such as the measuring of time and temperature in the scientific experiment to test how alcohol conducts heat. Pupils use their measuring skills in the practical work in design and technology, working in centimetres.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

88. Pupils have good attitudes to their work and they behave well. In Years 5 and 6, pupils responded enthusiastically to the good teaching and concentrated well. When working on some quite challenging number sequences they persevered.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

89. Teaching is satisfactory overall and often good. A good range of mathematical ideas, skills and strategies is taught. However, the school gives less attention to the development of investigative mathematics than to other aspects. Where teaching is good in Years 1 and 2, the pace is brisk, activities are matched well to pupils’ attainment and resources are chosen effectively. There are areas of strength in the satisfactory teaching: introductory mental tasks are challenging; the main activity is well supported by staff and through resources; computers are used adequately to support the mathematics. However, the pupils are not sufficiently stretched by the activity or by teachers’ questioning.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

90. In the good teaching in Years 3 to 6, lessons begin with a ‘mental maths’ session that is intellectually challenging. Pupils are encouraged to practise good strategies for multiplying. A brisk pace is maintained throughout and pupils are intellectually challenged, for example, to complete: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, ___, ____, _____? As the numbers got bigger, pupils’ confidence grew and, instead of guessing, many began to develop their own strategies for finding the right answers. As the numbers became less manageable, the use of calculators spurred higher attainers to greater effort. Generally, resources are used well.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

91. Learning is generally satisfactory. However, where the quality of teaching is good, pupils’ learning is also better. In Year 6, the higher attainers can move on at their own, quicker pace. For example, they soon mastered progressively difficult sequences of numbers in algebra – 4, 8, ___, 16, 20, ____, 28 or ___, 2, 6, 12, 20, ____, 42, 56. Pupils’ books show that most complete a satisfactory range and amount of work and are capable of making a strong effort.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

92. Leadership and management are satisfactory. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Monitoring has been improved through lesson observation and sampling pupils’ books. Staff development has brought about improvements in teaching. It has been particularly helpful for teachers to observe teaching in other schools. The targets for further training are appropriate; they include the development of mental arithmetic skills and greater emphasis on problem-solving. Assessment arrangements are satisfactory. There are good links with the local high school, with which a project has been set up to plan work for Years 6 and 7 to avoid a break between the end of one year and the beginning of the next. Terrington St John Primary School- 37

p.36

SCIENCE

93. Results in the 2000 Year 6 tests were below the national average for all schools as well as the average for schools with similar backgrounds. However, these results represent a steady improvement since the last inspection, which reported on 1998 results. The improvement since 1998 has matched the general upward trend in national results. The 2000 teacher assessments at age seven were above the national average. The proportion reaching the expected level was very high and about a quarter of the pupils reached the higher level.

p.37

SCIENCE

94. In the work seen in two lessons and in the sample of books provided by the school, standards are average at age seven and 11. This was reflected in pupils’ comments when discussing their work. It is a similar finding to that of the last inspection. Achievement is satisfactory. Pupils with special needs make satisfactory progress. They are helped by work that is usually set especially for them and that matches their level of attainment.

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SCIENCE

95. By age seven, pupils show average standards in most of the designated areas of learning, for example, living things, materials and physical processes. Opportunities for investigative and exploratory science are not plentiful enough and there is not much work in pupils’ books. However, their work on magnetism and friction reaches the expected level. Pupils generally understand the characteristics of seasons such as spring and autumn. They have explored the school site successfully, finding examples of life such as a silver birch in the playground, some frogspawn in the nature area and moss growing on the wall. Pupils know that heating water produces steam and that when the steam is cooled, it will return to water. They know that, once cakes are baked, they will not be able to separate the ingredients. Pupils have adequate knowledge and understanding of how magnets work and that some materials are magnetic and others not. They recognise that forces push or pull and

p.37

SCIENCE

can give examples from everyday play, such as a swing or seesaw.

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SCIENCE

96. By age 11, pupils carry out experiments on who has the strongest push, whether alcohol conducts heat and about which metals are magnetic. They visit places of scientific interest such as Wicken Fen, explore the wild life and discover facts at first- hand; for example about the water mite, its number of legs, number of feelers, colour and protection. Although this is an improvement on earlier work, the range of experimentation is still too narrow. Standards meet expectations in the study of living things, particularly the use and make-up of teeth, the eye, the effects of exercise on the body and the growth of plants. Pupils achieve well in their work on materials and their properties because the range of work and their knowledge and understanding are wider. For example, they know the difference between natural and made-made materials and their uses from results on a graph, for example, the most efficient

p.37

SCIENCE

material to keep soup hot. They know the effects that freezing and heating have on elements and are clear about the differences between solids, liquids and gases. They achieve the expected standard in work on physical processes, such as electrical circuits and the effects of forces.

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SCIENCE

97. Pupils have good attitudes to their work and they behave well during lessons. Greater emphasis on investigative and exploratory work is needed to develop their initiative more and further deepen their understanding and knowledge of scientific ideas and processes. Terrington St John Primary School- 38 98. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. In general, there is insufficient evidence of experimental and investigative work in pupils’ books which reflects a weakness in the planning. The stronger elements in the teaching in Years 1 and 2 are satisfactory expectations, satisfactory subject knowledge and understanding and management of pupils. However, learning targets are not clear enough. When this is allied to inappropriate use of the computer, the pace of the lesson slows down. For pupils to enter their own data is a good idea, but doing so individually has little advantage. In Years 3 to 6, teaching in a lesson on teeth was good. The strengths included clear

p.37

SCIENCE

lesson targets, good practical explanations and appropriate links between theory and the everyday task of looking after teeth. The teacher returned to the learning targets towards the end of the lesson to review what had been learned.

p.38

SCIENCE

99. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Progress since the last inspection is satisfactory. Teaching is regularly monitored with useful feedback for staff. Staff development is adequate. The school is correctly focusing on providing the teachers with greater knowledge and experience of teaching investigative and exploratory skills. Links with the local secondary school are good and have led to sharing resources. The subject makes a significant contribution to pupils’ social and health education through the work on the body. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. A helpful recent development is the portfolio of pupils’ investigative work, aimed at improving provision through discussion and analysis of standards.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. No lessons took place during the inspection. There is insufficient evidence to make overall judgements about standards, achievement, teaching and learning. There is little artwork on display round the school. The work available from each year group is largely limited to paintings, often in collections of work that are not named. Year 2 pupils mix colours to convey the idea of a jungle as an interpretation of Rousseau’s painting; these all look alike. Year 4 patterns, for example, of leaf prints, show some feel for shape and balance, particularly in the work of lower attainers. Their feel for colour shows some progress from Year 2 work. Pupils’ use of their sketchbooks is infrequent and shows some lack of understanding about their purpose in supporting the development of skills. Work in Year 6 shows some exploring and collecting of visual information using the outhouses in the playground. Pupils drew what they saw;

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ART AND DESIGN

later they took digital photographs to explore the colours. Some well-observed pencil drawings of the wall gratings covering the outlet of an extractor hinted at their exploration of shapes and shadows, but pupils’ skills were insufficiently developed for these possibilities to be realised well.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. Art and design has not been a school priority, although a comprehensive subject policy has recently been agreed. Planning draws on national guidance, is extended by teachers’ individual choices and is summed up in outline plans for each term. However, because of the lack of monitoring of lessons and work, the school has no evidence to show that pupils are underachieving. This is reflected in pupils’ annual reports which do not give clear information to parents about how well their children are doing in the subject. Progress since the last inspection is therefore unsatisfactory. Terrington St John Primary School- 39

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. No lessons took place during the inspection. There is insufficient evidence to make overall judgements about standards, achievement, teaching and learning. Pupils’ work in the form of models, artefacts and plans was seen, mostly from Years 3 to 6. Models of figures that are moved by the pneumatic action of syringes are designed well; the way they are made shows that pupils have satisfactory skills in measuring, cutting and sticking materials. There are good models of fairground attractions such as a roundabout and Ferris wheel made by Year 5 and 6 pupils. The detailed designs include labelled diagrams indicating clearly the resources to be used. For example: ‘frame made from stiff wood’; ‘cotton reels for the revolving base’. The next stage included elements of evaluation such as: ‘What are the things I am pleased with? What would I do differently next time?’

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Resources are adequate. The school’s priorities have not included this subject. Nevertheless, the planning now based on national guidelines is satisfactory, although the timing of some work units needs attention. However, the timing of pupils’ assessments, when the making part of the process is completed, is too late to give pupils sufficient guidance about how to improve their designs and to involve them in making evaluations themselves. There is insufficient evidence to judge progress since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. On the basis of the evidence from the one lesson seen in Years 3 to 6, teachers’ planning, the samples of pupils’ work and work on display as well as from discussions with pupils, attainment is average at ages seven and 11. Achievement is satisfactory; pupils with special needs make satisfactory progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. By age seven, pupils know the names of the countries that make up the United Kingdom. They can identify their relative positions on a map that they have correctly labelled. In discussion, pupils know about their own area, where to find shops and a post office and what the land around the school is used for. Most pupils explain clearly their route to school and describe the landmarks along the way. There is little evidence of map work in their books and folders. The school recognises that this is a weakness.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. By age 11, pupils’ map skills have progressed well. Pupils understand what a map is and this knowledge is supported well by looking at satellite pictures. The majority can produce maps that include symbols for landmarks, grids and scales. Higher attainers know what lines of latitude and longitude are. Vocabulary has increased well, and includes significant technical terms such as continent, hemisphere, ocean and equator . The majority of pupils can give grid references on local ordnance survey maps for landmarks, such as the police house and the school field. Pupils have a clear understanding of some of the issues relating to the conservation and waste of water, for example, through comparing its collection in a domestic water butt and the use of a lawn sprinkler.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. There is insufficient evidence to judge the overall quality of teaching. In the lesson seen, there was an appropriate review and update of local and national news about foot and mouth disease. This helped pupils to consolidate their learning about the counties in England and the effects of the disease on farmers and the general public. Terrington St John Primary School- 40 108. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Although no monitoring of teaching has taken place, standards of pupils’ work and teaching styles are discussed in staff meetings. There is a clear view of the standards being achieved and the shortcomings in provision. However, overall, resources are unsatisfactory. There is an insufficient range of maps, most particularly of Ordnance Survey maps. The recent school audit showed this weakness. Since the last inspection, progress has been satisfactory.

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HISTORY

109. No lessons took place during the inspection. The sample of pupils’ work and the sets of folders in Year 6 show that attainment is average by age seven. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements about standards in Years 3 to 6 and about teaching and learning.

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HISTORY

110. Pupils in Year 2 have some knowledge of people from the past. They know what work they did and understand that, for example, Florence Nightingale and Louis Braille wanted to help other people. This work makes a good contribution to their social and moral development. Pupils in Year 6 write about the Greeks, organising their knowledge of Greek myths and battles, and of objects found from the Greek civilisation, such as pots. Pupils’ illustrations of these reflect their limited graphical skills. Too much of their work, however, involves the completion of worksheets. These do not show the careful work reported at the last inspection; folders are often messy.

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HISTORY

111. Responsibility for the leadership and management of history changed in the current academic year. This responsibility is satisfactorily carried out. The policy is to be improved with the aim of developing a clear direction for the subject, something currently lacking. The school is aware of the attention needed to developing pupils’ historical skills and is looking to develop a skills-based curriculum using a national scheme. Some helpful new library books for older pupils have been acquired, for example to support the work on the Greeks. However, resources for Years 1 and 2 are poor. Planning for Years 3 to 6 is unsatisfactory. The termly topics are not all clearly presented so that parents could not be certain about what was going to be taught when. Planning for ICT is not included and the local study is not yet determined. By contrast, pupils’ progress is being tracked well. This shows in the

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HISTORY

good quality of pupils’ end of year reports, which clearly show individual strengths and weaknesses.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY - ICT

112. In the work seen in brief observations around the school, in the work sample provided by the school and discussions with pupils, attainment is below average at age seven and 11. Achievement is unsatisfactory. Pupils with special needs make satisfactory progress in limited areas of study such as word processing, control and modelling. The school is aware that it has not kept up with the changes in requirements since the last inspection with the result that standards have fallen. However, there is evidence of computers being used in subjects such as English, mathematics, science, art and design and history. A detailed and well worked-out action plan shows good capacity for improvement. Nationally funded training is targeted at improving teachers’ expertise in order to provide pupils with a wider range of activities and experiences. Terrington St John Primary School- 41 113. By age seven, pupils use paint programs to make pictures and illustrate their work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY - ICT

For example, at Christmas they made cards using pictures and text. They use word processing skills to write a diary entry and tell a story; they print their finished work. Pupils control a small robot by giving it appropriate instructions.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY - ICT

114. By age 11, pupils are working at the expected level in communicating information, handling information and modelling. However, they are working below the expected level in control technology and monitoring. Pupils know the targets set for their work, for example, that they should name it before they save it. Discussion with pupils indicates that they do this.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY - ICT

115. Pupils enjoy using computers and the limited range of software available. Year 1 pupils express delight at being able to join sentences together using a ‘clicker’. Although the task is relatively straightforward, pupils’ skills are extended through using the mouse more efficiently. In mathematics in Year 2, pupils use a program to support their work on money, solving problems and working out variables in spending. Pupils show good independence when working in pairs and this is extended through learning to print their own work. When working with computers they are sensible and behave well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY - ICT

116. There is insufficient evidence of teaching and learning to judge the quality. However, planning is satisfactory within the aspects that are taught. Pupils receive clear instructions, follow them well and concentrate on the task. There are sound evaluations of pupils’ attainment which are used appropriately to guide teaching.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY - ICT

117. Leadership and management are satisfactory. There has been a detailed and comprehensive review of provision which shows that significant improvements are needed in curriculum aspects such as control and monitoring, upgrading equipment, staff expertise, providing Internet access. Although the number of computers available is acceptable for the number of pupils, their quality is unsatisfactory. The plan to replace them using grant monies is sensible and the upgrading will helpfully coincide with staff training. There has not been enough progress since the last inspection, a main reason being the delays in installing equipment. However, the school’s capacity for improvement is good.

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MUSIC

118. In the work seen, pupils’ attainment aged seven is average. They recognise how the recorded music they hear is organised, responding with enjoyment through swaying in time with it and expressing some of its quality, for example, Fingal’s Cave. Pupils sing along with the songs in a BBC broadcast and tap the beat. During the activity their accuracy improves from showing very little control to being almost fully in control of the beat. In assembly they sing confidently with everyone else, shaping the lines of hymns, and know with certainty that the solo instrument playing with an orchestra is a piano. Their achievement is satisfactory.

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MUSIC

119. Average attainment is maintained through Years 3 to 6. Boys and girls show their understanding of the words as they sing and adapt the loudness and quality to reflect the words, following the lead from the accompaniment. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 sing with style, except when enthusiasm takes over. They can make up and remember a group composition and focus intently on getting the best out of it when performing to the rest of the class. Pupils with special needs generally do as well as everyone else. Terrington St John Primary School- 42 Where they need to be supported in music activities they make appropriate progress. Pupils in the recorder and guitar groups – boy guitarists and mostly girl recorder players - can play from a five-line score as well as from memory. They keep their own part going, fitting in with the other players; they control the sound effectively. Higher attainers produce a clear recorder sound that is well in tune. Overall, achievement is

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MUSIC

120. Pupils show satisfactory attitudes to music overall and behave as they are expected to. When they are involved in playing their own music, their response is more positive and they exert themselves to behave well. In these activities they show that they know how to work independently and to collaborate, whether through words or demonstrations, to make a piece with others. A small minority of boys fails to sustain this.

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MUSIC

121. Teaching is satisfactory. Lesson planning, which is restricted by having to teach music in each classroom, does not always include a suitably varied range of activities. This is one of the reasons for the variation in quality of pupils’ responses. The comments teachers make in Years 1 and 2 to help pupils know how to improve their work are not always specific enough to be helpful. This prevents pupils from understanding how well they are getting on. In Years 3 to 6, most pupils put creative effort into composing and improvising, which intensifies when they perform to the class. Literacy skills are well threaded through the teaching, particularly in Years 3 to 6.

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MUSIC

122. The subject is soundly managed. Staff resources are used well so that the music specialist teacher is deployed to work at times with all age groups. Instrumental resources for class activities have been suitably extended. However, the lack of space in all the classrooms either limits the time for music, because all the furniture has to be stacked at the side, or limits pupils’ activities. Both prevent pupils from making as much progress as they could in lessons and so limits their achievement. Because arrangements for assessing work and monitoring progress are still unsatisfactory, as is the lack of lesson monitoring, there has not been enough improvement since the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Only a small part of the overall work in the subject could be observed, games and swimming. Consequently, it is not possible to make a secure judgement about overall standards. However, in the work that was seen, attainment is above average.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. In the swimming seen, standards are above average. This is confirmed by the school’s records. The majority of pupils aged 11 can swim in excess of 25 metres; about half can swim more than four times that distance. All pupils are confident in the water. They benefit from an improved skills course that includes survival work. By the age of seven, about a third of pupils can swim to ten metres unaided. The majority of pupils achieve well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. By the age of seven, pupils are agile and generally well co-ordinated. In athletics, they lift their trailing leg while hurdling. In hockey, they have good stick-handling skills and control the ball effectively when dribbling. However, their progress is slowed because they often stand too close to the ball. In rounders, they show adequate catching and batting skills and run well and sensibly from base to base. The majority Terrington St John Primary School- 43 of pupils throw accurately with bean bags and some can throw a football strongly over an adequate distance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. By the age of 11, the majority of boys and girls are strong and agile runners who stride out well. Higher attainers tend to be faster than others because their competitive spirit is very keen. In relay practice, pupils pass the baton well, although lower attainers find it difficult to time when they should pass the baton. In cricket, the majority of pupils bowl well, their action is usually side-on and they pitch the ball on a good length. When batting, higher attainers show good co-ordination and move into the shot fluently, often hitting the ball a long way. Pupils’ throwing skills achieve good height, distance, speed and direction, for example. However, lower attainers’ co- ordination skills are not well developed and they do not achieve equal lengths to other pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. Pupils’ attitudes are very good and they behave well. Pupils listen carefully, follow instructions well and this leads to good development of skills. This was particularly evident when Year 2 pupils were learning to hurdle. Personal development is good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are well planned, start with a good warm- up and skills are appropriately taught and demonstrated. In Years 1 and 2, the games lesson was broken down into constituent parts, particularly the work on hurdling. As a result, the pupils expended a great deal of effort and successfully improved their technique. The pace of the lesson was good and resulted in pupils taking part in most of the activities. In Years 3 to 6, very good teaching was prepared well, with equipment put out before the start. The teacher joined in the warm-up and the pupils appreciated that. The lesson moved along at a brisk pace. High expectations of effort, for the use of skills and the quality of performance resulted in pupils working very hard and improving their athletic and cricket skills. The two teachers have secure subject knowledge and expertise. They clearly enjoy what they do and this sets a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. Leadership and management are good. Responsibilities are shared successfully between the two colleagues who were observed teaching. Their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm provide pupils with good coaching, plenty of encouragement and sound advice. Assessment procedures are good. The information gained from assessments is used appropriately to help in the planning of lessons and the curriculum for the subject. The curriculum includes athletics, games, outdoor pursuits, dance and swimming. Classwork is extended well by a range of activities outside lessons, such as teams in football, netball and cross-country. The subject provides effective guidance to pupils on health and exercise. However, a major weakness in provision is the lack of suitable space big enough for gymnastics activities to take place safely. This was reported at the last inspection and has not been improved. The school is making every effort to provide pupils with some

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

gymnastics experiences. In all other respects, the full curriculum is provided for pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. Work was looked at in the sample of books and folders from each class available to the inspection team, the class set of books for Years 5 and 6, work and photographs on display and through discussion with some pupils in Years 2 and Year 6. A short session of Year 5 group teaching and part of a presentation of plays by pupils in Years 3 and 4 were seen. Year 1 pupils were seen with children in the foundation Terrington St John Primary School- 44 year in a role-play of a Christian marriage ceremony. On the basis of this evidence, pupils’ attainment by age seven and age 11 reaches the expected standard overall. In Year 6, pupils have a good knowledge of Christianity and other world religions and religious practice for example, of the Jewish faith. They have a satisfactory understanding of how people take religion seriously, for example, the place of the scriptures in worship. They appreciate how belonging to a religion can make a

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

difference to people’s lives. However, their spiritual development through considering the significance of religion to their own experience is not given sufficient attention. Overall, pupils’ achievement in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. There is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement about pupils’ attitudes and behaviour and the quality of teaching and learning. Pupils in Year 6 show positive attitudes to the subject and an interest in exploring differences in religious practice.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. Leadership and management are satisfactory. There is good commitment to achieving good provision; teaching is monitored. Links with local churches make a significant contribution to the curriculum. Since the last inspection progress has been satisfactory. The weakness in the time allocation for religious education has been put right. Pupils’ learning now benefits well from regular visits by local clergy which are a positive feature of their experience at school. Assemblies extend the religious education curriculum, providing satisfactory experience for spiritual development as required by the syllabus.

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