Cullercoats Primary School

CULLERCOATS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 th – 18 th February 2000

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CULLERCOATS PRIMARY SCHOOL

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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CULLERCOATS 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. Cullercoats Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Marden Avenue Cullercoats North Shields Tyne and Wear

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 13 th January, 1997 Cullercoats Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities Moira Fitzpatrick Registered inspector History What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve further? School’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? Trevor Smith Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Anne Heakin Team inspector Special educational needs English as an additional language English Art Lea Short Team inspector Under fives Music Physical education Religious education Paul Hayes Team inspector Mathematics Design and technology Geography Graham Carter Team inspector Equal opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Science Information technology Cullercoats Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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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 Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Cullercoats 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? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Number of full time pupils: 403 (bigger than other schools) Pupils with English as an additional language: 1.25% (slightly higher than other schools) Pupils entitled to free school meals: 9.5% (below the national average) Pupils on the register of special educational needs: 14.1% (below the national average) Average number of pupils per teacher: 23.4 (broadly average) The school is much bigger than the average primary school. The attainment of pupils when they enter the school covers the full ability range from very high to very low. Overall, the intake has average attainment. The percentage of pupils who speak English as a second language is slightly higher than in most schools. The socio-economic circumstances of pupils at the school are more favourable than those found nationally.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Cullercoats Primary School is a very good school with many strengths and some outstanding features. The school promotes very high standards in learning and develops very good attitudes in its pupils. The quality of teaching is a strength of the school and supports these features. The headteacher provides very good leadership for the school, both academically and pastorally. She has succeeded in creating a very strong sense of family within the school and has established very good relationships at all levels. The governing body provides good support for the school’s development and fully understands the school’s needs. Given the high standards the school achieves, the good quality of provision and the low expenditure per pupil, the school gives very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Sets and reaches very high standards in English and mathematics. • Teaching is good throughout the school. • The provision for children under five is good. • The leadership of the school is very good and provides clear educational direction and support for the development of the school. • Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are very good and support the high standards they achieve. • The standards achieved in physical education are well above the national average. • Music flourishes in the school and children are given many opportunities to participate in musical performances. • The range of extra-curricular activities is good and the quality is sometimes outstanding. • The school manages its limited resources very well. What could be improved • Attainment in science could be improved to bring standards level with those achieved in mathematics and English. • The monitoring of personal and social education to ensure that there is consistent and

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

systematic provision. • The detail in some annual reports to parents and in the school’s prospectus. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good progress since it was last inspected in January 1997. All areas for action have been tackled successfully, with the exception of improvements to the playground. The school has managed to make some improvements with financial support from parents, but failed to enlist the aid of the Local Education Authority in completing the recommendations of the last report. The high standards found during the last inspection have been maintained and, in English and mathematics, have been improved. The quality of teaching has improved. There is now a higher proportion of good and very good teaching and a negligible proportion of unsatisfactory teaching. The quality of relationships in the school has improved and these are now judged to be very good. Given the quality of leadership at all levels, the school is very well placed to sustain its high standards and to make further improvements.

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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 B C A A well above average above average A B Mathematics B B A A average below average C D Science B D C C well below average E

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STANDARDS

The table shows that the performance of pupils in the National Curriculum tests in English and mathematics was well above the national average and well above the average for similar schools. In science, pupils’ results were in line with both the national average and the average for similar schools. Taken together, trends in attainment in these subjects are rising in line with the national trend. Results in science are less good than those in English and mathematics, but the appointment of a new subject manager has already produced changes and improvements. Inspection evidence shows that standards of pupils nearing the end of both key stages are above national expectations in English and mathematics. In mathematics lessons, challenging questions by teachers raise standards and support pupils to reach higher than expected levels. In English, all teachers plan activities to build upon good explanation and discussion of the topics studied. In science, some

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STANDARDS

teachers use their subject knowledge well to extend pupils’ scientific thinking, but not enough teachers have the subject expertise to do this consistently. By the ends of both key stages, pupils reach the expected standard in information technology. In religious education, they reach the levels expected by the Locally Agreed Syllabus. In history, they attain standards similar to other children nationally and in all other subjects they attain above the national expectation, except in physical education at Key Stage 2, where pupils’ attainments are well above the national expectation. Standards are particularly good in gymnastics and dance. The school has set realistic targets of 80% for English and 81% for mathematics in the national tests in 2000.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Pupils of all abilities are very enthusiastic learners. They quickly develop independence and become confident in their ability to succeed. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Standards of behaviour are high in and out of classrooms. The vast majority of children are courteous and considerate of others. They make visitors very welcome, engaging them in conversation about the work they are doing. Personal development and relationships Pupils take responsibility for their learning materials and organise themselves well from an early age. They work very well together and the very good relationships they form with each other and their teachers make a positive contribution to the rate at which they progress. Attendance Attendance is above the national average. Unauthorised absence is negligible and punctuality is good. The secure and stimulating atmosphere, which pervades the school, is one of its outstanding strengths.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Wherever staff and children are found working together, there is a harmony and enthusiasm which makes a powerful contribution to the learning process. The very high levels of respect and consideration reflect the headteacher’s leadership, which is based on leading by example and placing trust in fellow professionals. Cullercoats 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

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 quality of teaching makes a very significant contribution to the high standards that children achieve. Teaching was at least satisfactory in 99 per cent of lessons seen. In over two-thirds it was good and in over a quarter of lessons the quality of teaching was very good, with some examples of excellent teaching. Teaching in English is good overall and, at Key Stage 2, over a quarter of lessons seen were of very good quality. In mathematics, the quality of teaching is good at Key Stage 1 and very good at Key Stage 2, with no teaching less than good. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are very well taught at both key stages; teachers have good subject knowledge, know their pupils’ attainments and use good planning to build on these in every lesson. The school achieved the Basic Skills Quality Mark in autumn 1999. Teachers promote both literacy and numeracy in the other subjects they teach and they have taken care when selecting resources to ensure that non-fiction

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

books will serve the needs of language development and subject knowledge. In history and geography lessons, pupils are expected to research and read independently and to write in a style appropriate to the topic. Pupils make good use of opportunities in science, design technology and geography to measure, calculate and record, using the skills they have learned in mathematics lessons. There is particularly good teaching in music at both key stages, with two-thirds of lessons seen being good or better. Similarly, in physical education, the teaching seen in Key Stage 2 was never less than good and over half of the lessons seen were very good or excellent. In both of these subjects, the quality of the teaching promoted high standards and enthusiasm for the subject among pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The school’s curricular provision is good. All learning activities are well planned and provide a broad and balanced education for the pupils. Visits out and visitors to the school enhance the quality of the curriculum for pupils. The school provides a wide range of extra- curricular activities throughout the year and there is a good uptake of these by pupils at both key stages. The school has a good range of community links which provide further enrichment for pupils’ learning. There is a need to ensure greater consistency of provision in personal and social education. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school uses appropriate procedures for identifying pupils who have special educational needs. Formal tests are used to help identify pupils with special educational needs when they start school and at regular intervals thereafter. Curriculum planning for pupils with special

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

educational needs is good. Class teachers devise the individual educational plans with the special needs co-ordinator and this ensures that pupils’ targets are relevant and realistic. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is consistently good. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Specialist provision is good and teaching ensures that pupils make good progress in the understanding and speaking of English. In class, pupils are supported to make good progress by the teacher’s planning and the direct intervention of the teacher. Cullercoats Primary School - 10 Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision overall. Pupils are taught to reflect on their experiences; they are taught right from wrong by teachers who are very good role models. Their school environment celebrates their culture and the culture of others through good quality display and the

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

work done in lessons. Pupils have very good opportunities to develop social skills by working together in class, supporting the learning of younger pupils and in the many extra-curricular activities provided by the school. How well the school cares for its pupils This is well promoted within the school. Teachers know their pupils well and monitor their academic and personal progress carefully. They make good use of praise to motivate their pupils and they encourage them to become confident and independent learners.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has a good partnership with parents, who support the work their children do in school through the homework programme and through help in class. The approachability of the vast majority of teachers makes parents feel welcome and was one of the things the parents praised about the school. Parents are well informed about the work of the school and are invited to attend meetings on curricular matters. The active Parents’ Association has raised considerable sums of money to improve learning resources for the children.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff There is very effective leadership from the headteacher in all aspects of the school’s work. Her considerable management skills set an example to other staff who together provide good management of the subjects of the curriculum. There is a strong, clearly expressed commitment to high standards and a determination to raise standards even further. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are very supportive of the school and active on its behalf. They have a good understanding of how the school should develop and are directly involved in the life of the school through their links with subject managers. The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior management team and governors have a clear picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have made very good progress in developing the

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

school since the last inspection. They have identified the need to raise standards in science and have begun making improvements in this area. The strategic use of resources Financial planning and administration are very good. The school makes very good use of its limited resources. Taking into account the low expenditure per pupil, which is in the lowest quartile nationally and the lowest for the LEA, the high standards that the school achieves and the very good quality of education it provides, the school gives very good value for money.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has sufficient well–qualified staff to teach the curriculum. Non-teaching staff are suitably qualified to support pupils’ learning and provide a good balance for curricular demands. The school’s accommodation is ample and provides good facilities for the different subjects of the curriculum. The playground surface, mentioned as being in need of renewal at the inspection in 1997, is still unsatisfactory, despite the school’s efforts to attract funding from the Local Education Authority. Learning resources are satisfactory overall. However, there are shortages in science which affect the standards pupils achieve. The headteacher and senior management team scrutinise test results, governors screen test data and together they monitor the school’s performance regularly to ensure that high standards are maintained. They are careful to evaluate tenders for work to ensure that the school makes best use of its resources and obtains good value for money.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved 1. That the school expects children to work hard 2. That their children make good progress 3. That the teaching is good 4. That the school is well led and managed 5. That they feel comfortable about approaching the school with concerns 1. Information on how their children are progressing 2. The range of activities provided for children

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very supportive of the school and value the quality of education provided for their children. Inspection findings support the parents’ positive views of the school. Teaching is good and teachers have high expectations of pupils. Children make good progress and standards are high. The leadership of the school is very good and there is effective management at all levels. The vast majority of teachers are approachable, readily listen to parents’ concerns and give advice. Inspectors do not agree that information on how the children are progressing, or the provision for extra-curricular activities are inadequate. The school issues annual reports on pupils’ attainment which follow national guidelines, except for some detail on the foundation subjects in some reports. The school is aware of the need to monitor reports to ensure that all meet the same standard. The range of curricular and extra-curricular activities is judged to be good, with more variety and of a better quality

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

than is found in the majority of schools. Cullercoats Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Pupils are admitted to the reception classes at the beginning of the school year in which they are five years old. Although there is a wide spread of attainment, overall, the children are of average attainment on their entry into the reception class. This is confirmed by the results of baseline assessment. Because of the good teaching and stimulating provision in the reception classes, children make good progress and the majority are on course to meet the expected level in all areas of learning and some are set to exceed it. At the time of the inspection, thirty of the forty-four children in the reception classes were under five.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Standards in English are above the national average. In 1999, the percentage of pupils achieving level 2 or above in the National Curriculum tests for seven year olds in reading was above the national average. In writing, in the same tests, the percentage of pupils achieving level 2 or above was well above the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher level 3 was broadly in line with the national average. When compared with the performance of pupils in similar schools, pupils achieved above the average in both reading and writing. Taken over the past four years, the performance of pupils aged seven was well above the national average in reading. In writing, the performance of pupils was above the national average in the same period. Pupils currently nearing the end of Key Stage 1 show similar high levels of attainment. They quickly develop good reading strategies and understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction. They write

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The school’s results and achievements

in a clear hand and have good knowledge and use of punctuation.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. In the 1999 national tests for eleven year olds, the percentage of pupils achieving level 4 or above was above the national average and the percentage achieving the higher level 5 was well above the national average. Compared with the results of pupils in similar schools, results were well above the average. Taken over the past four years, pupils’ performance in English has been above the national average. Standards are equally high for pupils currently almost at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils read fluently, with expression; they state preferences in reading and explain these. They are good speakers, who make clear their meaning and develop their own and others’ ideas. Their writing skills are well developed, showing mastery of a range of styles and the use of a good vocabulary.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Standards in mathematics are very high. In the 1999 National Curriculum tests for seven year olds, 100 per cent of pupils achieved level 2 or above, which was very high compared with the national average. The percentage achieving the higher level 3 was well above the national average. These results were also very high compared with the results of pupils in similar schools. The performance of pupils in mathematics over the past four years was very high in comparison with the national average. By the end of the key stage, pupils’ attainment in mathematics is above the expected level. They have a very good knowledge of number facts and are agile in computation. Their knowledge of fractions and shape is of a similarly high standard. Cullercoats Primary School - 13 5. In the 1999 national tests in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2, the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level 4 was above the national average and the

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The school’s results and achievements

percentage of those achieving the higher level was well above the national average. When compared with the results of pupils from similar schools, pupils’ performance was well above the average. The attainment of girls was slightly below that of boys. Pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 have very good mental skills. They work out complex problems mentally and are able to explain their mathematical reasoning fluently. They have a good understanding of place value and of the properties of regular and irregular shapes.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. In the teacher assessments in science at the end of Key Stage 1, the proportion of pupils’ achieving level 2 or above was very high compared with the national average. By the end of the key stage, pupils make simple predictions and observations. They can explain a fair test and can classify simple substances according to whether they are hard or soft.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. In the National Curriculum tests for eleven year olds, the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level was close to the national average, as was the percentage of pupils achieving the higher level. When compared with the performance of pupils in similar schools, results in science were close to the average. Taken over the past four years, science results have been in line with the national average. Pupils currently nearing the end of Key Stage 2 are attaining in line with the national expectation and are making good progress, particularly in Year 5. Higher attaining pupils show a good understanding of the different ways that solids, liquids and gases behave. By the end of the key stage, pupils have a sound understanding of the human circulatory system and how the skeleton protects the major organs.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. In information technology, pupils’ attainment is in line with the nationally expected level at the ends of both key stages. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils use graphics software to produce a range of visual images and can wordprocess stories or information. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are able to edit word-processed work, use desk- top publishing programs and do research using CD-ROM databases. Higher attaining pupils know how to use electronic mail. Pupils make satisfactory progress at Key Stage 1 and good progress at Key Stage 2.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. In religious education, pupils’ attainment is in line with the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus at both key stages. Pupils make satisfactory progress at both key stages. By the time they are seven, pupils are aware of special people and events in their lives. They are beginning to understand about religious beliefs, celebrations and practices.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. Pupils who have special educational needs work to the targets on their individual educational plans, which are specific to their needs and are reviewed regularly. This means that they make good progress in line with that of their peers. They make good progress in the additional literacy lessons for which they are withdrawn from class. In the majority of lessons seen, they make good progress in class, either through the support of an additional teacher or the careful planning for their needs by the class teacher. Cullercoats Primary School - 14 11. Pupils who have English as an additional language make very good progress. The specialist support teacher, who spends five hours a week in the school, assesses the pupils’ needs and meets with class teachers to discuss language targets and to plan cross-curricular targets for the pupils. This joint approach contributes to the very good progress made by the pupils.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. Pupils make good progress at both key stages in design technology, geography, art and music. Pupils have better than expected manipulative skills in technology. They appraise the music of composers and attempt their own compositions in music, as well as singing and accompanying their songs with percussion. In history, they make satisfactory progress and in physical education, they make very good progress at both key stages. In physical education, standards are very high in gymnastics and dance at both key stages, with outstanding work seen in a Year 6 dance lesson.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. Literacy is well promoted across the curriculum, with very good emphasis on speaking as a vehicle for developing thought. Pupils are encouraged in all lessons to listen closely and to follow the speaker with further suggestions or examples. As a result, children develop very good listening skills and become confident speakers who respond well to the respect given them by their audience. Pupils are given many opportunities to write for a wide range of purposes across the curriculum. The school has wisely invested in a good range of non-fiction books for work in literacy, which also support learning in other subjects of the curriculum. Teachers make good use of these as models on which pupils base their writing in science, geography and history, thus reinforcing their writing skills in a range of contexts.

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The school’s results and achievements

14. Standards of numeracy are well above the national average and are well promoted in most subjects. Pupils have considerable mental agility and enjoy the challenge of applying their good knowledge of number in design technology, science and geography for measuring and recording and, in the case of the higher attaining pupils, in predicting patterns and outcomes.

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The school’s results and achievements

15. The school has succeeded in maintaining the high standards found at the previous inspection and, in some cases, has improved standards. This is true in the National Curriculum tests in English at Key Stage 1, where the percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels in writing has improved from below the national average to in line with the national average. Attainment in mathematics at the expected level has reached 100 per cent and the percentage of seven year olds reaching the higher level is well above the national average. At Key Stage 2, pupils’ results at the higher level in English have improved from in line with the national average to well above the national average. These improved standards are due to the improvement in teachers’ planning and to the overall quality of teaching in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The quality of pupils’ attitudes to work, of their behaviour and personal development, as well as their levels of attendance, have been sustained since the last inspection and remain strong features of the school. Cullercoats Primary School - 15 17. Pupils have good attitudes to work. They are well motivated, enjoy learning and are keen to respond to the challenges offered. Children under 5 show strong interest in their work and co-operate well with their teacher and classmates. They are good at taking turns and sharing equipment. This pattern of good response continues throughout the school and has a positive impact on the standards achieved. Pupils listen carefully to their teacher, or when others are speaking, answer questions sensibly and contribute confidently during discussions. They settle quickly to each new task and usually work with purpose, determination and good levels of concentration. Pupils who have special educational needs have positive attitudes to

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

school and are involved in all aspects of school life, relating well to adults and other pupils. Pupils who have English as an additional language form constructive relationships with adults and pupils. Other pupils are observed as being very helpful and friendly, despite any language difficulties.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Behaviour throughout the school is good. This confirms parents’ views. Pupils clearly know what is expected of them and usually react accordingly. Around school, pupils are orderly and act sensibly. Incidents of bullying are rare and none were observed during the inspection. The rate of exclusions is extremely low only one child being excluded for a fixed period during the last school year. Pupils are proud of their school and pay due respect to all of its fabric and fitments.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Pupils’ personal development is also good. They are confident and clearly respect each other’s rights, feelings and beliefs. The youngest children understand the importance of sharing and taking turns and have a well-developed sense of fair play. Pupils work well, independently and use opportunities to plan their own learning productively, particularly at KS2. Responsibilities for carrying out duties around the school are mainly restricted to pupils in Year 6, who carry out their allotted tasks well. At lunchtimes, for example, they answer the telephone and help to look after younger ones. The quality of relationships amongst pupils and between pupils and staff has improved since the last inspection and is now very good. This makes a significant contribution to the quality of education provided. There is a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere within the school. Pupils are polite, very open in their dealings with others and always ready to be helpful. In lessons, they work

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

very well together in pairs or groups and share ideas and equipment well. At playtime and in the dining hall, they are friendly and sociable. 20. Attendance remains above the average for primary schools nationally. Unauthorised absence is negligible. Punctuality is good. Almost all pupils arrive on time and are settled in class promptly at the start of sessions.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching is good, with some very good teaching, in all the areas of learning for the children under five. Baseline assessment is carried out at the beginning of the year and the use of on-going assessment is good. It is used to plan suitable work for the children. All of the reception staff have good understanding of how young children learn. Very good use is made of the classroom assistants to support group activities and they make a significant contribution to teaching and learning. The scrutiny of planning documents and observations during the inspection show good coverage of all aspects of the nationally recommended Desirable Learning Outcomes for this age group. There are good links to the national curriculum where appropriate, which provide good continuity and progression for pupils of reception age. Cullercoats Primary School - 16 22. In Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching is good or better in 66 per cent of lessons

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

seen and satisfactory in 30 per cent of the remainder. One unsatisfactory lesson was seen in Key Stage 1. The best teaching in Key Stage 1 is consistently found in mathematics, where teachers’ use of the National Numeracy Strategy, particularly in developing mental agility with number, is having a very positive effect on pupils’ computational accuracy and confidence with number. This results in very high standards in the subject for all pupils. 23. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is good overall, with 67 per cent good or better and the remainder all satisfactory. The teaching of mathematics was always at least good and almost half the lessons seen were very good. The teachers’ very good questioning techniques challenge pupils to think quickly and to concentrate during the opening session of the lesson. This sets the tone for hard work and good progress in the rest of the lesson. In English lessons, the quality of teaching is good

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

or better in over half the lessons seen. The teachers’ good knowledge of the subject ensures that pupils are taught the basic skills of literacy effectively. The quality of teaching in physical education at Key Stage 2 is very good overall, with outstanding teaching of dance and gymnastics in Year 6. In these lessons, the teachers’ subject knowledge is put to excellent use in devising tasks that appropriately challenge pupils of all abilities and in grading them, so that pupils are aware of their own rapid progress. In all of these subjects the quality of teaching is promoting standards which are higher than average. 24. Teachers’ planning is thorough, well informed and takes account of pupils’ prior learning. Teachers are skilled at integrating the learning of pupils, building on knowledge and skills they have learned in other subjects. Good examples of teachers consolidating literacy skills are often seen. For instance, in a Year 1 history

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

lesson, pupils held a lengthy and in-depth discussion about the possible uses of artefacts from long ago. The interest of pupils is engaged in art lessons when teachers use the work of other pupils to demonstrate technique and finished effect. In geography lessons, teachers plan for Year 6 pupils to use their investigative skills when considering how people cause problems within the environment. 25. Teachers use a wide and very effective range of teaching methods to interest and challenge their pupils. In a design technology lesson in Year 1, pupils enter into role-play with the teacher and, as the ‘Friendly Fruit Company’, work as a team to design, prepare and taste their fruit salad. They are completely absorbed in their individual tasks and work quietly and efficiently to support the work of their team. They make very good progress, learning and applying a range of skills and evaluating their finished product. Similarly, in an English lesson about definitions,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the teacher’s imaginative way of teaching pupils to be concise has them thinking hard about both important and redundant words. 26. The high expectations teachers have of behaviour and effort succeed in making pupils keen learners who aim for high standards. Because of the teacher’s high expectations, pupils work very hard to improve their personal best in a Year 6 gymnastics lesson; they listen closely to the teacher’s advice and strive hard to meet the individual targets set for them. As a result, all pupils make very good progress in a learning situation which is exhilarating and satisfying to them. In nearly all mathematics lessons, teachers demand good concentration and clear thinking from pupils. Their high expectations are made clear in the brisk pace of questioning and in the challenge presented for pupils to explain their mathematical reasoning. This leads to very good learning in many lessons as pupils eagerly

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

volunteer answers and follow closely the answers of others. Cullercoats Primary School - 17 27. The quality of teaching pupils with special educational needs is consistently good. Class teachers’ planning, particularly in numeracy and literacy, is matched to pupils’ needs. When pupils are withdrawn from class for specific work, teachers try hard to match the withdrawal work to the teaching that is going on in the classroom or, if this is not possible, they make sure that lessons are organised so that pupils are not disadvantaged. A good example of this was seen when some Year 6 pupils were withdrawn for extra literacy work during an art lesson. Their teacher made a point of spending extra time with them on return to class, so that their artwork was comparable with that of the rest of the class. Support staff know the children’s needs well and work closely with class teachers to make sure that pupils achieve

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. The specialist support teacher provided by the local authority, and the other adults in the school, ensure that pupils who have English as an additional language are given opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills. The specialist teacher liaises with class teachers and gives pupils the opportunity to show their class teacher how hard they have worked during withdrawal sessions, and so earn house points despite being out of the classroom.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. The teaching of English is good overall and is promoting very good standards, especially at Key Stage 2. Teachers make clear to pupils what they will learn each lesson and, in the best lessons, they relate this to recent work on the same topic. They plan lessons well to achieve a good balance between the elements of language study. The tasks presented to pupils in English lessons interest and challenge them and ensure that they consolidate new learning rapidly. In a very good Year 5 lesson on myths and legends, all pupils, especially boys, were eager to suggest apt words to capture the mood and tone of a class version of the legend of “Perseus”. Teachers in Key Stage 1 have a good knowledge of teaching phonics and apply it to the development of the pupils’ spelling skills. Teachers’ good subject knowledge and their understanding of the role of speaking and listening in developing and consolidating language skills is evident in the well-structured

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

discussions which form part of all literacy lessons. Pupils’ enjoyment of these discussions has a positive impact on their recall of new knowledge and supports their application of this knowledge in their reading and writing. In Key Stage 1, teachers make very good use of paired work to enhance learning in spelling, ensuring that the pupils concentrate hard and check their answers before offering them to the teacher.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. Teachers’ planning and very good questioning make a significant contribution to the high standards in numeracy found across the school. Teachers share lesson objectives with the pupils and ensure that all of their explanations are couched in explicit mathematical language, which pupils are expected to reflect back in their answers. Lessons are always conducted at a brisk pace, with vigorous questioning at the start to develop mental agility in the pupils. Most teachers devise questions in sequence so that they are consolidating and extending learning throughout these sessions. They use novel ways of introducing new topics, as seen in a Reception class lesson on subtraction, when the monster ate the spiders while the children counted back. Teachers’ subject knowledge and their knowledge of the children they teach combine to produce good assessment techniques, which allow them to judge how well children have grasped a concept. A good example of this was seen

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

in a Year 6 lesson, where the teacher re-planned a lesson to revisit a topic from the previous day to ensure that all pupils fully understood it. Cullercoats Primary School - 18 31. Pupils learn to be independent and well organised in their studies because teachers provide them with the means to do this. In all classes, teachers have resources arranged so that pupils can fetch and clear their learning materials. Pupils are taught to use a dictionary and thesaurus from an early age and to load and use computer programs. They are taught to think for themselves through the extended discussions and challenging tasks that teachers set for them. Through all of these means, pupils develop confidence and self-knowledge, which supports them in their efforts to be successful learners.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. Teachers set an appropriate amount of homework regularly in order to consolidate learning and to establish the habit of independent study.

p.18

PUPILS?

33. The school’s curricular provision is good. It is broadly based and provides all subjects of the national curriculum and religious education. An appropriate allocation of time has been given to all subjects, including some additional time to English and mathematics to meet the requirements of the National Literacy and Numeracy projects. At the time of the last inspection, the curriculum was criticised for being too restricted in geography and English. There was also criticism of the ineffective use of worksheets. Both of these criticisms have now been addressed. The statutory requirements of all subjects are met. The school has well written policies for health education, sex education and education about drugs misuse. These topics are effectively covered through ‘circle-time’ in the Reception and Key Stage 1 classes. However, in Key Stage 2, personal and social education (PSE), which incorporates many elements of these cross-curricular issues, is less

p.18

PUPILS?

consistently taught in all classes. Monitoring of this important area of the curriculum, to ensure consistent and systematic provision, is inadequate. Many aspects of health education are taught through science, physical education and food technology. Sex education is also taught through science, where pupils learn about the life cycle of animals, plants and humans.

p.18

PUPILS?

34. Except for personal, social, and health education, there is satisfactory provision for equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. Three pupils with English as a second language are provided with additional language support on a regular basis, in order to ensure effective access to the curriculum. They are included in all aspects of the curriculum. Curriculum planning for pupils with special educational needs is good. Class teachers devise the individual educational plans in co- operation with the special needs co-ordinator and this ensures that pupils’ targets are relevant and realistic. The support staff, including visitors such as the speech therapist, teacher of the deaf, behaviour support and the Lifeskills Workshop team, work in class and also withdraw pupils in small groups to ensure that the pupils benefit from specialist knowledge and receive the most appropriate curriculum. In

p.18

PUPILS?

Years 4, 5 and 6, classes are carefully organised into ability groups in order to match work more closely to the needs of the pupils in English, mathematics and science.

p.18

PUPILS?

35. The provision of extra-curricular activities is a continuing strength of the school. The school provides expert tuition in gymnastics and dance clubs and pupils taking part in dance festivals and gymnastic classes for teacher training purposes display considerable talent and enthusiasm. Team sports include gymnastics, football, Cullercoats Primary School - 19 netball and cricket. Additional after-school tuition in tennis and gymnastics is provided for Key Stage 1 pupils through parent funding. Musical interest is nurtured through the choir, recorder club and percussion group. An annual school musical production (this year “Pinafore Pirates”), involving many pupils in Key Stage 2, is performed in the local theatre and is a very popular event with parents. An annual residential week is organised in Scotland for Key Stage 2 pupils, during which they are taught outdoor and environmental skills.

p.18

PUPILS?

36. The school uses planned visits well to enhance pupils’ curricular experiences. These include visits to the “Bede’s World” museum in Jarrow and the Beamish Museum in County Durham.

p.19

PUPILS?

37. The overall provision for pupils’ personal development is good. The provision for spiritual development is effective. The school has a strong ethos, which places high value on the worth of the individual and the need to care for one another. Collective worship is well organised and meets statutory requirements. Pupils are given time to reflect through prayer and their involvement in ‘thoughts for the day’. In one Key Stage 2 assembly, pupils were asked to consider what was meant by ‘talents’ after listening to the musical talents of the recorder group. In another assembly for younger pupils, they were asked to consider how they should best care for animals, following the example of St Francis of Assisi. Many subjects contribute to pupils’ sense of awe when learning something new. In a Year 3 design technology lesson, some pupils showed amazement at the sight of an inflated balloon lifting a chair

p.19

PUPILS?

during a lesson involving pneumatic forces. In a Year 6 art lesson, pupils gasped with admiration when shown a very high quality collage design produced by an ex- pupil.

p.19

PUPILS?

38. The provision for moral development is good. The school’s behaviour policy is well understood by pupils and consistently and thoughtfully applied by teachers. Through assemblies, circle time, PSE lessons and religious education, pupils are encouraged to think about moral issues and to consider the differences between right and wrong. In a Key Stage 2 assembly, pupils were asked to consider what they meant by ‘fairness’ through a lively presentation by the teacher, linked to Formula One racing, and thoughtful responses by pupils. During a Year 1 circle time, pupils were asked to consider the needs of others by suggesting ways in which they could care for each other. They contributed to this event by adding individual leaves to a ‘caring tree’ in a poignant display, which led to further, quiet, reflection about the topic.

p.19

PUPILS?

39. Pupils’ social development is very well supported. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to work collaboratively in groups in subjects such as physical education, music, science, art and design technology. Through a good range of extra-curricular activities and visits, pupils learn how to respond to others in different social settings and to make worthwhile contributions to the collective effort. Many pupils respond very well to opportunities to act as monitors for assemblies, registration times and lunch times. Pupils behave courteously towards visitors and show great respect to teachers and other adults employed in the school.

p.19

PUPILS?

40. The provision for cultural development is good. There are many activities, within and beyond the school, which promote cultural development. In art, pupils study the lives of famous artists and acquire useful knowledge of different styles and techniques. In physical education, younger pupils learn to perform a ‘Dragon Dance’ to evocative music in response to their study of the dragon legend and celebrations of the Cullercoats Primary School - 20 Chinese New Year. Pupils listen to a wide range of music during lesson time and assemblies and sing a wide range of local and national songs. In geography, pupils study both contemporary society and African and Indian communities. Religious education makes a significant contribution to pupils’ understanding of other cultures through the teaching of customs, beliefs and values of different religions. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to develop a good understanding of

p.19

PUPILS?

their local and national heritage through regular visits to museums. The annual residential visit provides older pupils with good cultural and social opportunities.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Pupils’ general welfare continues to be well promoted within the school. A suitable health and safety policy is in place and fully implemented. Risk assessments are carried out on a regular basis and the day-to-day working practices, adopted by all members of staff, are good. Testing of portable electrical appliances, however, has not been carried out for several years, although this is now being organised by the head teacher. Standards of cleaning are high, the building is very tidy and generally in good repair. Pupils are supervised carefully throughout the day and lunchtime routines are managed well. As a result, the school functions smoothly. Procedures for dealing with accidents, illness and for the administration of medication are appropriate and followed closely. Child protection arrangements are effective. Local authority guidelines are followed if cases of abuse are suspected and the head

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

teacher has designated responsibility for liaising with outside agencies.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has good procedures for promoting high standards of behaviour based on a system of assertive discipline. These, however, are not fully reflected in the behaviour policy, but are implemented effectively by all teachers. Sanctions are fair and a few sensible rules ensure pupils’ thoughtful and orderly conduct. Clear and appropriate guidelines are in place to deal with any incidents of bullying. Any reported incidents are taken seriously and usually resolved quickly and satisfactorily.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Arrangements for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are effective. Teachers know their pupils well and respond positively to their needs. Opportunities for pupils to plan their own learning and to work independently are good. The programme for personal, health and social education, however, is not taught systematically throughout the school, but whenever it is delivered, it is done well. Praise and rewards are used well to encourage effort and significant achievements are celebrated each week in assembly.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school’s procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are good. Baseline assessments are used as the first step in assessing pupils’ attainments and predicting future achievements. The school is also careful to diagnose the results of national tests to discover possible strengths and weaknesses in teaching. Progress is carefully tracked in the core subjects of mathematics and English and teachers make use of these assessments to plan appropriately challenging work for pupils. Regular testing and moderating of pupils’ work are central to the school’s pursuit of high standards. The good procedures used in mathematics and English are being transferred to science now that the school has established a new scheme of work for the subject. Cullercoats Primary School - 21 45. The school uses appropriate procedures for identifying pupils who have special educational needs. Formal tests are used to help identify pupils with special

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

educational needs when they start school and at regular intervals thereafter. Teachers assess pupils’ progress and use support staff effectively to assist in meeting pupils’ individual needs. If there is a need for intervention from an outside agency, the special needs co-ordinator follows the local authority guidelines. One of the school governors, with responsibility for special educational needs, has monitored progress by sitting in on some special educational needs group work and observing the literacy hour.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The specialist teacher for pupils who have English as an additional language assesses and records their achievements. This information is shared with the class teachers to ensure that there is a shared focus when planning to meet the pupils’ educational and social needs.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Attendance is monitored thoroughly. Registers are completed quickly and efficiently at the start of sessions. In accordance with current guidelines, any absences not explained promptly by parents are followed up effectively. There are no specific arrangements to promote attendance. It is consistently good and almost all of the parents who responded to the questionnaire indicate that their children enjoy coming to school. However, pupils who achieve full, or nearly full, attendance during an academic year do receive an attendance certificate in recognition of their effort.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Good links have been maintained with parents since the last inspection. Parents feel welcome in school and almost all of those who responded to the questionnaire consider that it works closely with them. They are encouraged to support their children’s learning through the work they do at home and most are happy with the homework set. Reading diaries maintain useful contact between teachers and pupils’ homes, particularly at Key Stage 1. Nearly all parents have signed up to the home-school agreement. Several parents regularly give up their time to help in class, where they provide valuable assistance with activities such as craft and technology. The Parents’ Association also remains very active. Its fund-raising and social events are well supported, with all proceeds being spent wisely for the benefit of pupils. Recently for example, it has generously donated a new outdoor play area for pupils in the reception class. Children under 5, and their parents, are introduced

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

into the school with understanding and given clear guidance about its routines and expectations.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are properly involved from the time the teacher has an initial concern. Individual educational plans are sent home so that parents are fully aware of the targets the school sets for their child. Parents are always asked to attend the formal annual review of their child’s progress, but are also encouraged to discuss their son or daughter whenever they have a concern. Both of the governors with responsibility for special educational needs see themselves as links between parents and the school. They are also parents and are available to talk to other parents who may have anxieties about their own children. Cullercoats Primary School - 22 50. Some aspects of communications with parents are unsatisfactory. The school’s prospectus lacks attendance data and does not inform parents of their right to withdraw pupils from religious education and collective worship. In addition, pupils’

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

annual reports do not meet current requirements. This is because they do not contain details of pupils’ progress in all of the subjects and activities studied as part of the curriculum. Information provided to parents does, however, have some good features. Parents are kept fully informed about school events through monthly newsletters and various other forms of correspondence and they also receive good advance notice of what is to be taught in class.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The very good leadership provided by the headteacher is a real strength for the school. The school’s commitment to high standards is exemplified in all aspects of her work. She has a clear educational vision, which is reflected in all the work of the school and is shared wholeheartedly by teachers, governors, parents and all who work in the school. There is a strong emphasis on high achievement and effort and the maintenance of high standards is a result of this clear focus for the work of the school. The strong sense of community that pervades the school is a result of the headteacher’s determination to give every pupil a sense of their own value through the well structured provision for personal development and the lead she personally takes in establishing warm and trusting relationships throughout the school. Since the previous inspection, the school has made very good progress in tackling the

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

issues raised then and in continuing to raise standards, both in attainment and in the quality of education it provides. The headteacher has established very effective systems for the day-to-day management and organisation of the school. She is very well supported by her deputy-headteacher, senior staff, teachers and office manager in the day-to-day running of the school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The headteacher has effectively delegated responsibilities to subject managers and they have detailed job descriptions to guide their work. The subject managers for English and mathematics have responsibility for monitoring the standards of teaching in these subjects, as well as monitoring teachers’ planning and the work of the pupils. In other subjects, the manager is responsible for monitoring medium- term plans to ensure that pupils receive their National Curriculum entitlement. The role of the recently appointed manager for science is being developed to bring her responsibilities into line with those of the managers for English and mathematics, following a period of slight disruption due to staff turn-over. The managers for both English and mathematics have successfully implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. All subject managers are aware of their role in raising and

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

maintaining standards across the school, though not all have the opportunity to discover the best practice in their subject from direct involvement in classroom observation. The co-ordinator of special educational needs (SENCO) provides good management in the identification of pupils with special educational needs and in the deployment of staff to support pupils. There are good home-school links with the parents of pupils with special educational needs; liaison with outside agencies is good and records are well maintained and accessible. She has an efficient system for recording the progress of pupils who have special educational needs. The high quality support from all adults makes a significant contribution to the good progress made by pupils with special educational needs. Cullercoats Primary School - 23 53. The school aims to maximise the development of the personal, physical and intellectual growth of the whole school community within a supportive learning

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

environment. The school’s fulfilment of its aims is outstanding. The headteacher and staff manage to create a small-school family atmosphere within a large building with higher than average numbers of pupils on roll. They produce high standards for all pupils and for teachers through well planned learning opportunities. The quality of the environment reflects the value in which the school community is held; the very good relationships, the dedication to learning, the impeccable condition of the classrooms and the high standards of cleanliness all signal to pupils how they are valued and the high standards the school strives for. The evidence from parents’ questionnaires shows that they are very happy with the way in which the school promotes its aims and values.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The governing body provides good leadership for the school. There is a very strong partnership between the headteacher and the governors and a good understanding of their separate roles. They share a commitment to high standards and have a good understanding of what parents want for their children. The governing body is well informed about standards in the school from their school-based links with subject managers, their scrutiny of test results, information given in the headteacher’s reports and from presentations by subject managers. They are aware of the school’s performance in relation to other schools and are not complacent about the high standards the school achieves, asking for explanations when results in any subject vary. They are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses in the school and are active and expert in their efforts to improve the school.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher and the governors are concerned that the school maintains its high standards and does not fall behind those achieved by similar schools. The governors are fully involved in monitoring test results and in the decision-making to improve provision. They are careful to evaluate tenders for work in the school to ensure that the school makes the best use of its resources and obtains good value for money.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The governing body has set and is monitoring targets for the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. In the current year, these are concerned with successfully implementing the school’s action plans and the Basic Skills programme, as well as promoting good behaviour in pupils with persistent behaviour problems and promoting the image of the school. The current targets in the school’s development plan are appropriate and are based on a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The plan is sufficiently detailed and focuses on a realistic number of targets for the school.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school makes appropriate use of information technology to support its administrative work and to monitor spending. The headteacher and the office manager are both skilled in the use of finance and administrative systems. The headteacher ensures that accurate and up-to-date information is available to governors. The last auditor’s report was published in 1997 and the recommendations have been fully met. The most recent auditor’s report has just been received in school. Cullercoats Primary School - 24 58. The school has ample accommodation. Internally, the building is spotlessly clean and maintained to a high standard. Classrooms are generally spacious for the number of pupils in them, appropriately furnished, and many have access to shared areas that are used frequently for practical activities. Spare classrooms are also put to good use. One contains the Key Stage 2 library and another is dedicated to the

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

teaching of music. The information technology suite, which is a good facility, is timetabled for use by Key Stage 2 classes. High quality, carefully mounted displays in classrooms and corridors help to create a stimulating environment for pupils to work in and contain significant amounts of pupils’ own work. Outside, the grounds are very tidy, but renewal of the playground surface, considered a necessary improvement at the last inspection, has not been carried out because the school does not have sufficient funds at its disposal to undertake this type of work. Outdoor play provision for the youngest children has been vastly improved of late through the very generous support of the Parents’ Association.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school is well staffed to meet the needs of the planned curriculum. Teachers are suitably qualified and there is a good balance of experience and expertise. Teachers have a clear understanding of their roles, as well as of the roles of others, work well as a team and receive regular training to allow them to meet new national initiatives and to update their skills and knowledge. The distribution of curriculum responsibilities is generally good, with one teacher having responsibility for co- ordinating special educational needs. Non-teaching staff are also suitably qualified to support pupils’ learning and provide a good balance for curricular demands.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Overall, resources to support learning are satisfactory. In mathematics, art, music and design technology, they are good. For science, however, they are generally inadequate in range, quality and amount. There are sufficient computers and computer programs to teach information technology, but much of the book stock in classrooms and the library is old and out of date. Resources are well managed, easily accessible and used effectively.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

61. In order to raise standards even further the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve pupils’ attainment in science by:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- developing the expertise of teachers to teach science to the same high standards as are found in English and mathematics - ensuring that assessment procedures in science are used effectively to provide challenging work for pupils.(paragraphs 92, 96, 97)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Monitor the provision for personal and social education to ensure that all pupils receive their entitlement and benefit from well planned provision. (paragraphs 33, 34)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Review the content of pupils’ annual reports which are sent to parents and the school’s prospectus to ensure that they fully comply with requirements. (paragraph 50) Cullercoats Primary School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

3.6 23.8 41.7 29.7 1.2 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/a 400

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/a 38 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/a 6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/a 56

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 5

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 18

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 22

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.7 National comparative data 0.2 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Cullercoats Primary School - 26

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 24 28 52

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 20 23 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 26 26 28

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 88 (92) 94 (92) 100 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 82 83 87

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 23 24 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 26 26 28

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (91) 97 (99) 100 (99) at NC level 2 or above National 82 86 87

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 32 28 60

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 26 28 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 24 19 21

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 83 (61) 79 (67) 84 (69) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (73) 78 (76)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 21 28 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 19 18

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 67 (67) 79 (67) 70 (75) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Cullercoats Primary School - 27

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups 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.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 17.1 Financial year 1998 - 99

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.4

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 549,691

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1,334

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 82 Balance brought forward from previous year -7,211

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 4,852

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/a

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/a

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/a

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/a

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult N/a FTE means full-time equivalent. Cullercoats Primary School - 28 Results of the survey of parents and carers

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Percentage of responses in each category

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

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

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

My child is making good progress in school. 63 69 5 1 1

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Behaviour in the school is good. 58 75 4 1 1

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 39 77 15 4 4

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 53 67 16 3 0

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 82 51 5 1 0

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 88 49 1 0 1

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

The school works closely with parents. 57 69 11 2 0

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

The school is well led and managed. 72 56 2 0 9

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 69 6 0 9

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 16 58 28 12 25 Cullercoats Primary School - 29

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. Pupils are admitted to the reception classes at the beginning of the year in which they are five years old. Although there is a wide spread of attainment, overall, the children are of average attainment on their entry into the reception class. This is confirmed by the results of baseline assessment. Each of the two reception classes is staffed by a teacher with the support of a part-time classroom assistant in each. At the time of the inspection, thirty of the forty-four children in the reception classes were under five. The classrooms for reception pupils provide the full range of practical activities expected. There is an enclosed outdoor play area, which has a range of adventure equipment – both climbing and balancing and the hall is used for physical education lessons.

p.29

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63. The quality of teaching is good, with some very good teaching, in all the areas of learning for the children under five. Baseline assessment is carried out at the beginning of the year and the use of on-going assessment is good. It is used to plan suitable work for the children. All of the reception staff have a good understanding of how young children learn. Very good use is made of the classroom assistants to support group activities and they make a significant contribution to teaching and learning. The scrutiny of planning and inspection observations shows good coverage of all aspects of the nationally recommended Desirable Learning Outcomes for this age group. There are good links to the national curriculum where appropriate, which provides good continuity and progression for pupils of reception age. The good quality of education provided for under-fives has been maintained since the previous report.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Learning in personal and social development is very good. The quality of teaching in this area of learning is very good. All the staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and growing autonomy and reinforce them through the teaching of classroom routines. The children's good response is shown in good behaviour and their ability to work without direct supervision in some activities. There are very good relationships between adults and children. The children become confident, develop independence and are able to work and play together, for example, when involved in working on their own ‘What can you see?’ books, or when involved in role-play. The children have very positive attitudes to learning and are confident with adults. They are developing positive attitudes and respect for people from different cultures through learning about the life and traditions of others.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. Most children enter reception with average language skills and their learning in the reception class is good, so that the majority of children are likely to attain the level expected by the age of five and some will exceed this. The quality of teaching is good and staff place emphasis on developing the children's speaking and listening skills in all aspects of work. The teachers’ lively presentation and the very broad range of activities provided to support language and literacy work, motivate the children and help them to concentrate. The children listen attentively to their teacher and are keen to answer questions. For example, when looking at the large book ‘What can you see?’ the children closely observed the pictures and were able to answer, “I can see the mouse behind the spade”. They listen to each other in large groups during the literacy hour when saying the letter names and the sounds of

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

their own and of an animal name in rap, or when saying the sounds of letters in Cullercoats Primary School - 30 happy, angry or sad moods. They have facial expressions of the moods being shown and all the children really enjoy this activity as they are learning. In smaller groups, they listen and talk to each other as they work. The children enjoy listening to stories and join in with rhyming words such as in “Hickory Dickory Dock”. The children 'tell' stories when reading books, using the pictures and turning the pages carefully. Many recognise letters and their sounds within the words in the books. The children make good progress in their reading skills and they can read the first words in the texts of the reading scheme. Higher attaining children can read the first books in the reading scheme. They take books home to share with an adult. The children write their names and simple words using upper and lower case letters. The

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children are learning to hold a pencil correctly and are gaining confidence in the early stages of writing, so that handwriting is beginning to be formed correctly.

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66. The children make good progress in their mathematics learning and most achieve at least the nationally expected level by the age of five, and some children exceed this level. The quality of teaching is good, with a very good range of activities planned to consolidate and extend the children's understanding in number. The children learn the language of mathematics, such as “add one more", and count and match the symbols of numbers in the correct order when counting to twenty and beyond. The children are given a very good range of activities to choose from and these reinforce their understanding. Examples of this include completing number jigsaws, learning a range of number rhymes, such as ‘Ten little seeds a-sleeping they lay’ and the ‘counting apples’ rhyme. They can act out the rhyme ‘Ten little children waiting at the stop, five get on the bus, how many are at the stop?’ and say the subtraction sentence – ‘ten take away five leaves five’. The children learn to write

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

numbers. There are many incidental opportunities for the children to learn, for example, when comparing the lengths of paintbrushes they learn about the concepts of length and the language ‘longer and shorter than’. They sort objects by shape and colour and look for pattern when making jigsaws, printing and making collages. The range and nature of the activities help the children to learn and to develop very positive attitudes to mathematics.

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67. By the time they are five, most children are likely to achieve the level expected in knowledge and understanding of the world. They talk about people who help them and paint pictures of what they want to be when they grow up; for example, ‘I want to be a policeman’ (or a fire-fighter, or a singer, and a range of other occupations). They dress up in role in their play. The children know about different weather conditions and keep a daily weather chart. They were thrilled when it began to snow and watched it enthusiastically through the classroom window. The children mould play-dough into shapes and build models with construction sets. They can cut and join materials, using scissors and glue, when cutting out flower pictures. They show good mouse skills when using the computer, showing that they know how to click and drag, as well as how to use the keyboard for simple word-processing. They are

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also learning about how plants need water and light to grow and have plants to care for in the classroom. The children know how they have changed since being babies and have photographs of themselves and their baby toys on a ‘Hush a bye baby’ display. They also paint pictures of themselves now and say how ‘when we were babies we couldn’t write our names but look now’ with examples of their names. The quality of teaching is good. The children are involved in a balance of teacher- led and child-initiated activities with intervention to ensure good learning. Cullercoats Primary School - 31 68. The children's physical development is satisfactory and, by the age of five, most children are likely to achieve the national expectation in this area of learning. Teaching is good. The teachers plan physical education lessons in the hall to incorporate dance, climbing and balancing, as well as developing an awareness of

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

space and different types of moving. There are many opportunities to develop fine motor skills through the use of paintbrushes, pencils, and scissors, as well as through joining jigsaws and when making models. There is a very good outdoor area for which parents contributed the apparatus. This is for the children to use creatively at playtimes and lunchtimes in winter and more freely in the summer months.

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69. The children make good progress in creative development and are likely to attain the national expectation by five. Teaching is good and a very good range of creative activities is planned to promote this area of learning. Children have many opportunities to paint, draw and make collages using different textures, colours and materials. Most children know a range of colours and can sort and match by colour and shape. They mould using dough and make three-dimensional models with recycled materials and construction sets. The role-play area is well used by the children and they dress up in roles such as fire fighters in their play and dance in the role of postmen and women. They learn a variety of songs and sing enthusiastically. They know the words and tunes and can do actions and clap in time with the words.

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70. Since the last inspection, there has been an improvement in pupils’ standards of attainment in all aspects of English. This can be attributed to the consistently good teaching, especially in Key Stage 2, and to the opportunities taken by the school to improve English skills through the teaching of other subjects.

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71. By the end of Key Stage 1, the national test results show that attainment in reading and writing is above the national average. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ performance in reading and writing is above average. During the last three years, standards in reading and writing have been consistently above the national average. At Key Stage 2, test results for the last three years show that standards are above the national average, with a sharp increase in 1999 showing that standards in English are well above those expected for 11 year olds nationally and in similar schools. This is a result of the good attitudes the pupils have towards reading and writing.

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ENGLISH

72. Pupils throughout the school make good progress overall. Pupils who have special educational needs have full access to the English curriculum. The well-planned support they are given encourages them to try hard to overcome any difficulties and so they make good progress. Boys and girls perform above the national average in English, with boys at Key Stage 2 performing well above the national average for boys.

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ENGLISH

73. Pupils enter the school with average skills in speaking and listening. They make good progress, extending their vocabulary and increasing in confidence. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils enjoy discussing the number of syllables in words, talking readily to each other and to adults about their work and are confident in reading aloud to the rest of the class. Pupils listen well to their teachers and the majority Cullercoats Primary School - 32 respond well to challenging questions, for example, thinking of alternative words to describe speaking, such as ‘roared, giggled, gasped’ and ‘shouted’ and suggesting a variety of words that contain ‘er’. They are able to read two versions of the story of “Rumpelstiltskin” and talk about the differences between the two texts. They are keen to join in discussions and speak to visitors confidently about their work and their school.

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ENGLISH

74. At Key Stage 2, pupils talk imaginatively about words that contribute to making stories mysterious or full of suspense. They work well with partners, dictating and checking each other’s work. They discuss with interest stories such as ‘The Silver Sword’ and ‘Ghost Dog’, and are able to explain the meaning of phrases like ‘ford a flooded river’ and ‘looking for its quarry’. Pupils talk about the best ways to organise written instructions to help younger pupils make finger puppets. They make good use of their language skills when discussing liquids, solids and gases in science, as well as in contributing to discussions in religious education. Pupils make good use of their listening skills, which contributes to the high standards in music and in physical education.

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75. Pupils at both key stages read with increasing fluency and make good progress throughout the school. At Key Stage 1, the majority of pupils become skilled in identifying blends and phonemes and develop effective strategies for reading unfamiliar words. They understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction books and know how to use the contents and index pages to find the correct section of a book. Pupils regularly take reading books home to read to their parents. Pupils have reading diaries to record the books they read; they include teachers’ remarks and often parents add their comments. Lower attaining pupils at Key Stage 1 make some errors when they are reading and often use picture clues to help them to read the unknown word.

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76. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils read with understanding and clarity. Standards of reading are high. Many pupils read aloud with good expression. They usually read accurately and use the meaning and sense of the text to predict unknown words. They are keen to read and share their enthusiasm about their favourite books. One pupil said that when her friends were discussing the ‘Harry Potter’ books she would cover her ears so the story would not be spoiled for her. The majority of pupils enjoy reading regularly in their own time. ‘Goosebumps’ and the ‘Harry Potter’ books are particular favourites, but pupils choose to read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books, some pupils choosing to read poetry.

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77. At Key Stage 1, younger pupils learn to use capital letters, full stops and speech bubbles to show conversation. They can sequence sentences from known nursery rhymes and write their own versions of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ and ‘Puss in Boots’. They use their writing skills to make information posters ‘Take Turns in a Game’ and ‘Don’t go with people you do not know’. Older pupils use mnemonics to help remember difficult spellings and one pupil in Year 2 made up her own to help her to spell ‘could’. They know that the apostrophe in ‘don’t’ means that there is a missing letter. Pupils are beginning to write imaginatively, as in their work on ‘The Classroom of the Future’. They are developing cursive script and take care with the presentation of their work. Cullercoats Primary School - 33 78. At Key Stage 2, pupils write in a variety of styles, creating suspense in ‘The Mysterious Box’, giving instructions in ‘How to Grow a Sunflower’ and use

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persuasion when writing to the council about the state of the local park. Pupils improve their work by drafting and re-drafting. They know how to create an exciting opening for a story and how to plan and develop a story. Pupils in Year 4 make research notes on Henry VIII and use these to develop a non-chronological report. Pupils in Year 5 are developing their note-taking skills and will be assessing their success by sending their notes on the Tudors to pupils in Year 4 to help them with their research. Pupils in Year 3 will similarly assess their own work by sending their instructions for making ‘Mr. Man’ finger puppets to the reception classes and are looking forward to finding out if the instructions are clear enough for the younger children to follow. Year 4 pupils have visited the offices of ‘The Evening Chronicle’ and word-processed their accounts of the process from ‘giant amounts of plain paper being fed into a machine’ to a newspaper being sold to the public. By the

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end of Key Stage 2, most pupils write in a clear cursive style. They consistently date, title and underline their work and take pride in the final version.

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79. Pupils’ attitudes to English are good. They behave well and work well individually, in small groups and as a full class. The pupils are well motivated and positive attitudes mean that teachers are able to work intensively with small groups of pupils while other pupils are concentrating on individual tasks. The good relationships allow pupils to work sensibly in pairs, often discussing work and helping each other to improve. Pupils at both key stages listen well and appreciate the efforts of others in the group.

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ENGLISH

80. The quality of teaching is always satisfactory and overall is good. At Key Stage 1, 50 per cent of the teaching is good or very good, and, in Key Stage 2, 65 per cent of the teaching is good or very good. Literacy training has helped teachers to improve their planning. Learning objectives are clearly focused and explained to pupils at the beginning of the lesson. Teachers ask challenging questions to ensure that pupils think about and fully understand their work. Very clear instructions are given so pupils know what is required of them and are able to start their work promptly. Literacy work is well planned and matched to the abilities of the pupils. Staff know the pupils well and the very good relationships contribute to the good rate of progress pupils make. Expectations of what pupils should do are high and good use is made of the plenary sessions to consolidate new knowledge and to encourage pupils to talk about their work.

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81. Day-to-day assessment is effective and teachers give high levels of praise and encouragement during the lessons. Work is marked consistently and teachers provide helpful and supportive comments. Teachers analyse test information and draw up year group targets, making sure that pupils who have special educational needs have individual targets. Portfolios of pupils’ writing are in all of the classrooms to assist teachers in assessing standards. Teachers make effective judgements about pupils’ progress and use this to plan their work effectively. The teaching of English makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal development; for example, when Year 1 pupils talk about the importance of sharing and Year 3 pupils discuss the different ways in which people can help each other. Cullercoats Primary School - 34 82. The co-ordination of English is good. The three co-ordinators are committed to maintaining and improving the existing high standards. Both they and the

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headteacher have monitored teaching since the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy. They maintain an overview of teachers’ planning and they monitor pupils’ work regularly. There is a clear vision for the future and detailed audits are collated, showing the trends in standards and in pupils’ attitudes. Efforts are made to involve parents by distributing individual leaflets to parents showing how they can help their children to develop their reading skills. Parental responses show that this is very well received. Authors running workshops, termly book fairs and visitors coming to tell or read stories to the pupils all enhance the English curriculum. The school is currently involved in making a video of literacy to be shared with parents and to be used for training purposes. The co-ordinators have been concentrating on building up the ‘Big Books’ and sets of text books needed for the literacy hour and are aware

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that providing some new resources in the library is a priority. High quality displays in the classrooms and around the school celebrate pupils’ achievements and act as a stimulus for further work.

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MATHEMATICS

83. The performance of the pupils aged 7 in the 1999 National Curriculum assessments was very high in comparison to the national average, whilst the percentage of pupils reaching above average levels was well above the national average. Taking the years 1996 to 1999 together, pupils’ overall performance was very high in comparison to the national average. Compared to schools in similar contexts, the performance of pupils reaching expected levels in the 1999 National Curriculum assessments was very high.

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MATHEMATICS

84. The percentage of pupils aged 11 who attained the average level in mathematics in the 1999 National Curriculum assessments was above the national average, whilst the percentage of pupils reaching above the average level was well above the national average. Taking the years 1996 to 1999 together, pupils’ overall performance in mathematics was well above the national average. Compared to schools in similar contexts, performance in 1999 was well above average. 85. In Key Stage 1, pupils’ performance in mathematics has been consistently high compared to national averages between 1996 and 1999, although there was a downward trend in the 1997 assessments. Performance in 1998 was unchanged and returned to its very high level in the 1999 assessments. There was no evidence of different attainments between boys and girls. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ performance was also high compared to national averages between 1996 and

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1999, with downward trends in 1997 and 1998. Performance returned to its very high level in the 1999 assessments. Since 1997, boys have performed better than girls in the National Curriculum assessments. The school has evidence from analysis of the 1998 tests that girls have performed less well since the introduction of the mental arithmetic assessments. The school has good systems for tracking and targeting the performance of pupils in mathematics and these have proved accurate in forecasting the numbers of pupils attaining the average levels in both key stages. Cullercoats Primary School - 35 86. Children under five use mathematical language, such as ‘bigger than’, ‘longer than’ and can compare, match and count using everyday objects. In their work in subtraction, they respond to structured questions such as ‘ten take away three … ..’. Children use games and resources for counting and enjoy the experience of the

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MATHEMATICS

‘hungry crocodile’, reinforcing their knowledge of number bonds to ten and their skills of subtraction. All children are successful in subtracting from ten and are able to practise using number sentences. They make rapid gains in their mental agility and use of the language of number.

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87. At Key Stage 1, pupils were engaged in a stimulating lesson, using their knowledge of number facts to ascertain ‘10 less than 20, 30, 50’ and so on. They are able to complete a series of brisk mental calculations using a number board and understand the operation of subtraction, using symbols, such as minus and equals signs, to record their work. Pupils learn a variety of mathematical terms during the lesson, such as ‘difference’, ‘leaves’, ‘subtract’, ‘minus’ and ‘record’. They contribute their thoughts to the lesson by explaining which are the bigger numbers and why, as well as how they are able to ‘take away’. Pupils use materials and equipment to consolidate their learning and record their work. Some pupils are able to programme a roamer along a large number line to indicate subtraction facts, such as 10 count back 2, 10 count back 6 and so on. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are able to count forwards and backwards in twos to 20 and to 50. They have good

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knowledge of several digit number bonds to10 and can count and understand odd numbers. Other pupils are able to move on to more challenging tasks and can find a variety of number bonds to 15. Most pupils are confident with their work and give clear explanations using appropriate mathematical vocabulary. They are able to subtract single-digit numbers from two-digit numbers and solve problems using money. They identify and use common fractions and know and can recognise two- dimensional shapes. Pupils can construct and understand block graphs and pictograms as well as recognise reflective symmetry. They are familiar with the use of metric units for measurement and mass and are able to tell the time to the nearest half-hour.

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MATHEMATICS

88. At Key Stage 2, younger pupils are able to count on and back in hundreds, tens and units from two- or three-digit numbers. By using imaginative games, pupils enjoy guessing a three figure ‘target’ by means of their knowledge of place value. They attain high standards and are confident in large numbers up to one thousand. By means of number puzzles consisting of symbols making two-digit answers, pupils devise strategies to identify the value of the symbols, using logic, tables facts and trial and error methods. The pupils are asked to explain their thinking, using correct vocabulary. Higher attaining pupils move on to tasks requiring further computation and deduction skills to complete the sides of squares, each containing three numbers, to make specific totals. They recognise patterns and sequences and take part in a variety of activities to practise and reinforce the four rules of number. They

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work in pairs to test each other’s knowledge of two-digit bonds to make one hundred. In an introduction to solid shapes, pupils are knowledgeable about the properties of a cube. When shown an incomplete cuboid, they answered searching questions about the number of cubes required to complete it. Pupils move on to diagrams of three-dimensional shapes, where they tackle tasks of increasing complexity. Higher attaining pupils work quickly and accurately and many move on to an extension sheet which questions the number of faces exposed on cubes embedded in a large solid shape. In plenary sessions, the brisk rate of learning is reinforced by pupils reporting back to the class, which leads to the good consolidation of standards. Older pupils are able to round decimals and to order Cullercoats Primary School - 36 fractions. They understand the concept of fractions and decimals and know the terminology, such as ‘numerator’, ‘denominator’ and ‘decimal place’. Pupils are

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MATHEMATICS

confident in using calculators to check their work when converting fractions to decimals. They learn the common equivalents of fractions, such as half, quarter, three-quarters and third. By the end of Key Stage 2, in their work in shape, space and measurement, pupils have a good knowledge of acute and obtuse angles and the number of degrees in each. They use a variety of strategies to examine the properties of quadrilaterals and fully understand the number of degrees in all four- sided figures Other areas of the mathematics curriculum covered by the older pupils are the multiplication of decimals and whole numbers by 100 and 1000 and the addition and subtraction of decimals to 2 places. They are adept at the ordering of fractions, at calculating equivalent fractions and converting to decimals. They have a good knowledge of area and volume and know the metric units for measure, weight and capacity. They are able to solve problems requiring the addition and

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MATHEMATICS

subtraction of money, of estimation and by the multiplication of three- and two-digit numbers.

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89. The school has seen several significant changes to its delivery of mathematics since the last inspection. The National Numeracy Strategy has been effectively implemented and has resulted in further advances in standards. Attainment is now good for children under five and for pupils in Key Stage 1 and is very good in Key Stage 2. This represents a distinct improvement from the satisfactory attainment across the school found in the last inspection. The organisation of the Key Stage 2 pupils into sets by ability, the effective use of booster classes in Year 6 and the good assessment procedures have contributed to the improved standards.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The teaching of mathematics is almost always good and sometimes very good in both key stages, but especially in Key Stage 2. Features of the very good teaching are the well-structured questions which are focused on the learning objectives and directed towards all ability levels. Teachers expect high standards of behaviour and attitude to work and are particularly careful to teach basic skills thoroughly. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, time was taken to re-visit a concept, using different and imaginative strategies, to ensure complete understanding by all pupils. The variety and effectiveness of teaching methods across both key stages are impressive and lead to good progress and high rates of learning. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in class, working on the main class topic, and they make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. The best learning occurs in those lessons where teachers enthuse their pupils and build confidence

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through the use of humour and good relationships. In those lessons, pupils are self- motivated and enjoy the mathematics teaching, striving to understand and improve.

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91. The subject managers for both key stages collaborate well with the headteacher to give a clear direction to all staff in the planning, teaching and recording of the new Numeracy Strategy. The teaching of mathematics is organised into ability sets and the planning of learning objectives reflects the varying bands of ability. There are arrangements for in-service training for class teachers who contribute, along with the subject managers, the senior management team and the numeracy governor to the mathematics development plan. There has been monitoring of teaching quality by the headteacher and subject managers and continuity and progression of the subject throughout the school is ensured by the monitoring of weekly and medium term planning of the learning objectives of each year group. There are very effective arrangements for ‘booster classes’ in Year 6, with a system of focused assessments each half term at Key Stage 2, which informs the annual setting of

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MATHEMATICS

Cullercoats Primary School - 37 targets for each pupil and leads to clear improvements in learning and attainment. The mathematics policy statement, as yet, does not describe the school’s organisation for Numeracy teaching, or class organisation.

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SCIENCE

92. In the 1999 statutory Key Stage 1 assessments, the proportion of pupils achieving level 2 was very high in comparison with both the national average and similar schools, but, at level 3, the proportion was below the national average. The attainment of boys and girls was not significantly different. Over the three-year period 1997 to 1999, the average level of attainment was broadly in line with the national average. In the Key Stage 2 statutory assessments, the proportion of pupils achieving at both levels 4 and 5 attainment was close to the national average. The attainment of boys was slightly higher than that of girls. In comparison with similar schools, the proportion of pupils achieving level 4 was in line with the national average, but well below the national average for level 5. Over the four-year period 1996 – 1999, the average attainment was broadly in line with the national average. Inspection evidence reflects the statutory assessment results for both key stages.

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SCIENCE

93. By the age of 7, pupils make simple predictions and observations when investigating the best conditions for growing runner bean seeds. They can describe what makes a fair test and record their observations in picture and word form. However, they have insufficient skills in measuring, estimating, and drawing graphs when recording their investigations. Pupils know how to classify simple substances and to describe how some materials change when heated. They also understand that pushing and pulling forces can make things move or change their shape. By the age of 11, pupils show a good knowledge of the body’s circulatory system and can name important bones of the human skeleton. They show less confidence when wiring up electrical circuits and explaining how they work. However, lesson observations show that, in other topics, pupils are becoming increasingly confident in performing and evaluating their investigations. Following investigations into the

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SCIENCE

way sand, water and air behaved under various conditions, Year 5 pupils used their observations and prior knowledge well to discuss the way different materials behaved when establishing rules about the way solids, liquids and gases differ in their behaviour.

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SCIENCE

94. The overall progress of pupils is satisfactory in both key stages. However, lesson observation indicates that in those lessons where the pace and level of challenge is sufficiently high, pupils make good progress. This good progress is achieved through good teaching and the progressive challenges provided in the recently adopted Qualifications and Curriculum Authority exemplar scheme of work. The older pupils make sound progress in their study of bones of the human skeleton. They make good progress in their investigative work and in the quality and accuracy of their recorded work. In Key Stage 1, the progress of higher attaining pupils is restricted by insufficiently challenging work. Pupils with special educational needs make mainly satisfactory progress in both key stages. However, it is good when either a teacher or classroom assistant works closely with these pupils on tasks which are carefully planned to meet their learning needs. In one Year 5 class, pupils

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SCIENCE

with special educational needs made good progress in their practical investigation of solids, liquids and gases because of the reinforcement of language provided by a part-time support teacher. Cullercoats Primary School - 38 95. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour during lessons are invariably good. On a few occasions, when there is insufficient pace to the teaching, pupils lose concentration and enthusiasm. They show respect both for their peers and adults. During practical work, they use equipment and resources carefully and enjoy working collaboratively.

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SCIENCE

96. The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory and in a significant minority of lessons is either good or very good. In Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching, overall, is satisfactory, but ranges from satisfactory to good. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is good, overall, but ranges from satisfactory to very good. In the most successful lessons, teachers use their knowledge well, by giving clear explanations and challenging pupils with skilful questioning. In a very good Year 5 lesson, the teacher provided a challenging set of tasks for pupils to perform, in order to investigate the differences between solids, liquids and gases. The teacher used skilful questioning to challenge pupils during the plenary session. She encouraged them to extend their scientific thinking by relating what they had observed to the scientific laws about matter. As a result, pupils concentrated for most of the time

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SCIENCE

and made good progress. They worked productively at their practical tasks and strove to give good responses to the searching questions at the end of the lesson. Good teaching helps pupils to develop their language skills. In a Year 1 lesson, the teacher made good use of resources to stimulate pupils’ oral responses in a discussion about ‘rough’ and ‘smooth’ surfaces. Pupils listened well, then responded enthusiastically, eager to show how much they knew and understood. In the least successful lessons, teachers’ inadequate subject knowledge and low expectations led to low levels of challenge and, consequently, to unimaginative responses from pupils, whose enthusiasm for the activity disappears.

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SCIENCE

97. The co-ordinator, who is an enthusiastic teacher, has only recently taken up her responsibility, but is already providing an effective lead in the subject. Resources do not yet match, in range or quantity, the needs of the newly adopted Qualification and Curriculum Authority exemplar scheme of work, but there are plans in hand to improve this provision . There has been insufficient staff development to support the new curriculum materials fully, but the school plans to address this in the near future. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and has introduced procedures for systematic assessment, based on the new curriculum. Assessment data is not yet used effectively to influence future planning, although it is used successfully to group pupils more appropriately in Key Stage 2. Arrangements have already been put in place to begin monitoring teaching later in the year.

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SCIENCE

98. At the time of the last inspection, inspectors commented on the inadequate opportunities provided for information technology in lessons. There are still too few opportunities in teachers’ planning for pupils to use information technology for measuring, recording and data-logging. The previous criticism concerning the inclusion of investigations in teachers’ planning has been addressed.

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ART

99. Judgements in art are based on one lesson observed at Key Stage 1, two at Key Stage 2 and a close analysis of pupils’ work on display in the classrooms and corridors. Overall, standards are good. Pupils throughout the school make good progress, including those with special educational needs. This shows that the school has maintained standards since the previous inspection, when they were judged to be consistent with, and often higher than national standards. Cullercoats Primary School - 39 100. As pupils progress through the school, they develop a good variety of appropriate skills. At Key Stage 1, younger pupils learn about primary colours and explore the range of warm and cold colours. By Year 2, pupils can use crayons and pastels to make drawings of spider plants and illustrate their written work on Bible stories. They are able to use charcoal effectively to draw trees and grass being blown by

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the wind. Having examined Van Gogh’s ‘Cornfield with Lark’, Year 2 pupils are able to apply the ideas from the original painting to inspire their own work. Year 2 pupils use their sketchbooks to plan and to experiment with ideas before producing their final work. The Key Stage 1 Art Gallery displays a variety of best pieces where pupils have used charcoal, paint and chalk in their work.

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ART

101. At Key Stage 2, pupils extend their knowledge of collage and three-dimensional work, Year 3 making a large papier-maché fish and using split pins to make Moving Monsters. They also develop their language skills by giving each puppet a monstrous name. Year 3 pupils talk about building materials, and make a link with their science work, and use textured rubbings to make a collage on the theme of buildings. Pupils in Year 4 look carefully at photographs of seascapes and use their knowledge of colour to paint seascapes in a variety of moods. In Year 5, pupils use charcoal to make detailed drawings of friends’ faces. They also use the work of Gustav Klimt to inspire a colourful floor-to-ceiling flower collage. Pupils use their sketchbooks for planning and designing. These books also illustrate the good progress made during the key stage. In Year 6, pupils plan their work carefully and experiment with a variety of materials including felts, paper, string and lentils,

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ART

selecting the most appropriate for their individual collage work. They evaluate their work, discuss the difficulties they encounter and consider how it can be improved.

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ART

102. Pupils have very good attitudes to art and enjoy their lessons; their behaviour in lessons is good. This is evident from direct observation and the attractive displays around school. Pupils listen with interest and enjoy the demonstrations given by their teachers showing how to create their completed work. Pupils in Year 6 are especially appreciative of similar work done by past pupils which is used effectively by the teacher to boost pupils’ confidence in their own abilities. In Year 2, pupils creating pictures in the style of Van Gogh were so completely absorbed that there was absolute silence in the room. Pupils are keen to offer advice and suggestions to their friends and are very proud of their work.

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ART

103. The quality of teaching is generally good, with very good teaching in Key Stage 1. The high quality displays are evidence of the effective teaching throughout the school. Teachers have sound knowledge of the subject and make their art lessons interesting and challenging by providing artefacts and by demonstrating techniques to the pupils. Teachers offer pupils good support and encouragement, which contributes to pupils becoming confident and critical of their work. Teachers assess pupils’ work through discussion and use the sketchbooks as a running record of pupils’ progress.

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ART

104. The art policy statement includes cross-curricular themes, guidance for teachers, recording sheets and a list of the available resources. The school intends to review the existing policy and schemes of work when the new national schemes become available later this year. The co-ordinator monitors the subject, though this is often done informally. Resources for the subject are good. Cullercoats Primary School - 40

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. Three lessons of design technology were observed during the week of the inspection. From the scrutiny of planning, of some display and samples of pupils’ design work and finished products and from discussions with teachers and pupils, it is judged that standards in the subject are good across the school. Pupils with special educational needs also make good progress in relation to their prior attainment.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Children under five can explore and select materials and equipment for use in technology in order to support their learning. They are able to use their own skills to cut, join, fold and build and, with classroom support, make models from junk materials, such as cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, egg-cartons and varieties of tubes. They construct rockets, vehicles, buildings and even faces, showing good attention to detail and using cotton wool to represent smoke from chimneys. Using their mathematical knowledge, children construct three-dimensional models of cuboids and cylinders and display these in order to enhance learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. At Key Stage 1, pupils learn to work as a team in the production of a fruit salad – as designers, makers and tasters. Each team has a specific job in the production of the fruit salad, involving cutting and peeling, mixing, arranging and tasting. The work is evaluated by all groups, using their literacy skills of speaking and listening and also their numeracy skills, in the construction of block graphs to record their fruit preference. Other pupils sketch designs for a ‘pull-through’ house and insert a moveable strip of paper at the back of their house, for others to discover who is inside! They also observe, choose and design the shape, materials and function of a music shaker and draw those designs accurately on paper. By the end of the key stage, pupils are able to generate ideas from their own knowledge and experience and use pictures and models to communicate their designs. They are able to draw

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

and annotate pictures of wheeled vehicles, such as chariots or wheelbarrows and are able to assemble and join materials in various ways. They work with some precision and finished products are usually similar to the original. For example, wooden dowel, cotton reels and straws are used to give rotational movement to wheels, while card pictures of ‘Santas’ and ‘snowmen’ are made to move animatedly by the use of brass paper-fasteners.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. At Key Stage 2, pupils are asked to apply their previous knowledge of musical instruments to the task of investigating pneumatics. They discover how a balloon, and the air inside it, can move objects. Pupils have good manipulative skills and are able to attach a balloon firmly to a plastic tube, using masking tape. Some pupils quickly see how to apply the principle of the rising balloon to heavy objects by placing the flattened balloon under a desk tidy. By blowing carefully, the desk tidy is easily tipped. Other pupils manage to raise one side of a tray containing books and even a pupil’s chair, by the placing of a flat item to ‘spread’ the load. Older pupils continue their previous work on the designing and making of their own musical instrument. Their design brief, after examination of ‘real’ instruments, is to design and make one instrument, with three functions, such as a shaker, scraper and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

beater. Finished instruments are to be evaluated and tested, adapted and used in a musical composition of the story of ‘Perseus’. There is good progress during the lesson and pupils explain their product and accompanying designs, whilst others use technology to record and evaluate the sounds of their finished article. By the end of the key stage, pupils are able to work from their own plans and safely use a Cullercoats Primary School - 41 variety of materials and tools, showing control and precision. Their ideas are often produced from their knowledge and understanding of familiar products and pupils show an awareness and willingness to modify their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Since the last inspection, the standards of design technology have improved across the school. Attainment is consistently good in all lessons and the process of evaluating their product is now carried out by all pupils in all year groups. Teaching is at least good in most lessons and very good in some.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. On the basis of the lessons observed, teachers are well organised, confident with the subject and plan well. Imaginative use of role play by some teachers, or the choice of stimulating tasks for the pupils, results in good motivation and enjoyment in the lessons, leading to good standards and rates of learning. They make use of a number of classroom helpers, who are well briefed and who make a valuable contribution to overall standards. The organisation of a good variety of appropriate materials and tools and the devising of open-ended tasks, which extend pupils’ skills, enhance the good learning in the subject. Teachers’ enthusiasm for the subject, their management of the pupils and the use of a variety of teaching strategies contribute effectively to good standards of learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. The subject manager provides effective support for her colleagues and has adapted the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority exemplar scheme of work for design technology to fit the organisational needs of the school. The present policy is due to be reviewed this year in the light of the new curriculum orders for foundation subjects. The subject manager has attended training courses at the local university and also regularly attends the local primary schools’ network meetings. Relevant, new information about the direction of the subject is passed to other class teachers, together with advice and support when required. The subject is planned to be cross-curricular with subjects such as geography, history and science. Although there is no non-contact time available for monitoring the quality of teaching, weekly plans are collected each half term to ensure continuity and progression throughout

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

the school and samples of work are regularly evaluated. Areas for future development include the establishment of business links in design technology and the use of information technology to enhance the subject, especially in the area of control.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. Only two lessons of Key Stage 2 geography were observed during the week of the inspection. Although no lessons of Key Stage 1 geography were observed, from the evidence of planning, samples of pupils’ work, display and from discussions with teachers and pupils, it is judged that the standards of work across the school are good. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior attainment.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. At Key Stage 1, pupils make a study of their surroundings, employing their direct experience and using practical activities. They are able to identify different sorts of homes and public buildings and remark upon their physical features. They are aware of the presence of semi-detached houses, flats, terraced houses, cottages and bungalows. They have some understanding that certain people have more interest in certain types of homes; for example, older people often live in bungalows. Pupils are also able to make a map of their route from home to school and are able Cullercoats Primary School - 42 to identify and plot other buildings, such as the church, vicarage, lighthouse, tennis club and library. They observe and make sketches of buildings they see on a walk and also sounds they hear. By the end of the key stage, pupils learn about localities other than their own, even as far away as Australia, by keeping in touch

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GEOGRAPHY

with ‘Barnaby Bear’. Pupils are able to select information from resources and make use of their literacy skills to write letters describing localities where Barnaby may have spent Christmas. They make use of a large map of the world to indicate the positions of Britain and Australia.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. At Key Stage 2, younger pupils contribute to a large wall display on ‘town and country.’ They divide the localities by means of streets forming crossroads and use the quarters to make lists of the advantages and disadvantages of urban and rural life. They have also used their literacy skills to produce a large booklet of views through windows, showing a variety of physical and human features in different settings. Other pupils continue their new topic on a small village in the sub- continent of India, ‘Chembakolli’. They respond to a series of geographical questions by using a variety of resources and learn about the very different lives of the people of the village. They understand that, because of the climate and the poverty of the area, the school is often held in the open-air and that water is obtained from a stream or perhaps a well. They draw maps of the area and identify the village on a map of the sub-continent and locate Britain and Chembakolli on a

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GEOGRAPHY

map of the world. Pupils use other resources to decide how to get to Chembakolli from Cullercoats. By the end of the key stage, pupils are using fieldwork in their own locality to investigate how people can cause problems within the environment. They look at parking facilities and volume of traffic on a local street and conduct a survey amongst local residents. The results are surprisingly consistent and suggest a solution to the problem. The oldest pupils are also trying to understand how various human activities can affect the environment of a valley in India. By the use of role-play, pupils are able to consider the viewpoints of several vested interests in the possibility of a dam being erected in a valley between four villages. The rate of learning and increase in knowledge is greatly enhanced by this approach, which also makes use of the pupils’ skills of literacy and science.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. Since the last inspection, the subject has improved with consistently good attainment and progress in both key stages. Work is particularly challenging in Key Stage 2, using original and imaginative methods to stimulate and motivate the pupils. There was no evidence of over-reliance on worksheets in either key stage.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Based upon the teaching in Key Stage 2 and the quality of work seen in both key stages, it is judged that the teaching of geography is good across the school. Skilled questioning, designed to bring out the pupils’ prior knowledge of the topics and to increase motivation, is a feature of teaching in geography. In Key Stage 1, teachers take care to build upon pupils’ own knowledge and experience and make good use of the local environment to instil good observational skills and a growing understanding of place. All teachers use a variety of effective teaching methods and, in Key Stage 2, their use of role-play, of the study of practical issues in the locality and of advanced research skills helps to increase the rate of learning and progress of the pupils. Teachers’ high expectations, good relationships and management of pupils contribute to high standards of motivation, work and enjoyment. Relevant and interesting homework is also regularly given to older

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GEOGRAPHY

pupils in Key Stage 2. Cullercoats Primary School - 43 117. The subject manager has been recently appointed and is keen to bring the present organisation of the geography scheme of work up to date with the new orders for foundation subjects in the autumn term 2000. The school has adapted and is using the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority exemplar scheme of work. Assessment, however, is following an earlier school model and the manager is aware of the need to redesign the assessment procedures. The subject makes a good contribution to literacy, numeracy and information technology and generally has a cross-curricular approach. At present, there is no system for monitoring the quality of teaching, although teachers' planning notes are collected each half term as an aid to checking coverage, continuity and progression of the subject through the school. The quantity and quality of resources for the teaching of geography are

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HISTORY

118. Pupils at both key stages make satisfactory progress in history and, by the end of each key stage, they reach standards similar to those of pupils of the same age. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because of the care teachers take to provide materials which they can read and understand. It was not possible to see all classes being taught during the inspection because of the organisation of the timetable. However, a representative sample from both key stages, scrutiny of pupils’ work and classroom displays provided an adequate evidence base.

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HISTORY

119. At Key Stage 1, pupils learn about change over time by considering changes in themselves since they were born. They investigate these changes using photographic evidence to note and describe how they have grown and altered. In Year 1, pupils consider how peoples’ lives have changed because of the differences in domestic utensils for washing and cleaning. The higher attaining pupils are able to see a connection between changes in these things and the development of technology. Lower attaining pupils are able to develop good reasoning in well- planned discussion, which requires them to deduce the uses of utensils and to explain how they might be used. In Year 2, pupils learn about the Great Fire of London from diaries and drawings of the time. They write their own version of the cause and effects of the fire and produce imaginative pictures in chalk and pastel showing how the fire might have looked.

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HISTORY

120. In Key Stage 2, pupils learn about different eras in history and about the lives of famous people. They acquire a sound knowledge of invaders, the Tudors, the Victorians and World War 2. In Year 3, pupils follow up a visit from an archaeologist with their own investigations into artefacts found on the Anglo-Saxon ship discovered at Sutton Hoo. Besides using an investigation frame to shape their inquiries, pupils also benefit from an Encarta CD-ROM which gives good illustrations and more information about these artefacts. Pupils in Year 5 begin their study of the Tudor era by deciding what they would like to discover about the Tudors before beginning individual research. Year 6 pupils learn about the lives of rich and poor Victorians and identify artefacts they would use in the home.

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HISTORY

121. In all of these activities, pupils learn to use a variety of sources for information about the past. They develop good skills of deduction and reasoning and, thereby, gain a good understanding of life in the past. Cullercoats Primary School - 44 122. Pupils enjoy history lessons. They are interested in the content and are eager to join in discussion, making suggestions and developing the ideas of others. They work very well in pairs and groups and show good skills of independent research as they near the end of Key Stage 2.

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HISTORY

123. The quality of teaching in history is at least satisfactory in all lessons, with some good teaching in Key Stage 1. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and are well supported by a range of artefacts and suitable texts. All teachers make good use of talk and stories to help pupils to a better understanding of the past. The presentation of ideas in a variety of written and visual forms helps pupils develop their own individual style of presenting information. Some examples of good writing were seen in Year 2 work on the Great Fire of London. Teachers’ management of pupils is generally good and they make clear that pupils are expected to work hard and to produce work of a good standard. Occasionally, when this is not the case, as in a Year 6 lesson where a group of boys made only intermittent effort, then the standard of work suffers.

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HISTORY

124. The subject manager monitors teachers’ planning to check coverage and progression of the subject throughout the school. There is no monitoring of teaching in the subject, so that the best practices are not known and shared for the benefit of all. Assessment procedures are adequate, but will be reviewed as the school moves closer to the adoption of a new scheme of work in the next academic year. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ literacy skills and there is a satisfactory range of resources, including CD-ROMs, which support learning in the subject.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

125. By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment is in line with the national expectation. By the time they are 7, pupils can use word-processors to write simple text for stories and information. They can use graphics software to produce a range of visual images and describe what they are doing when using the various ‘toolbar’ icons of the software. In Year 2, pupils used ‘clipboard’ software to collate data about their birthdays, from which they produced a block graph. They know that a computer can control things and can write commands which enable a computerised ‘turtle’ to move and turn in different directions. In a Year 1 mathematics lesson, pupils used the ‘turtle’ successfully to help them subtract numbers. By the time they are 11, pupils use word-processors confidently and can format their work in a variety of ways, using different fonts and layouts. They use the Windows menu to edit their

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

written work effectively and have used desk–top publishing software successfully, on a number of occasions, for invitations and posters for school events. They use CD ROM databases to research various topics and extract chosen information in the printed form. Pupils understand how to use electronic mail. As part of their work on the human body, Year 6 pupils made contact with a world famous mountaineer in the Himalayan mountains, in order to find out more about the adverse effects of altitude on climbers’ performance. By Year 6, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of how devices can be controlled and monitored through their group work, with a volunteer adult, in the construction and use of model traffic lights and fairground rides. Cullercoats Primary School - 45 126. The progress of pupils in both key stages is satisfactory, although in some lessons, pupils make good progress. In Key Stage 1, they make steady gains in their

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

knowledge and use of the keyboard and its functions. They make progress in communicating in different forms; for example, when using various database software and giving commands to produce different outcomes. By the age of 11, pupils have increased their knowledge of keyboard and computer functions, using the ‘Windows’ environment, and are making good progress in using databases to store, collate and retrieve data. They make satisfactory progress in controlling external events through their work with “Lego–Technic”. Pupils with special educational needs make equivalent progress to other pupils and there is no difference between the attainment of boys and girls.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Because of insufficient evidence, it is not possible to make a judgement on the quality of teaching in Key Stage 1. However, in the one lesson observed, the quality of teaching was very good. The teacher used herself and pupils to demonstrate how information is stored on a floppy disc. In a very creative way, pupils learned how much easier it was to ‘store’ information, rather than trying to remember it. The lesson was very well organised, explanations were very clear and pupils were given interesting and challenging tasks. Pupils responded very well, showed keen interest and enjoyment in the activity and quickly learned the value of ‘saving’ valuable data. In Key Stage 2, the overall quality of teaching was good and, in one lesson, it was very good. Teaching is characterised by good knowledge, enthusiasm and very clear explanations. Teachers plan their lessons well and give very useful introductions to tasks, building on pupils’ prior knowledge and interest. In a Year 5

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

lesson, pupils were asked to interrogate a database to classify dinosaurs according to various criteria. The teacher set clear objectives and used worksheet prompts that helped pupils to maintain progress. He monitored groups very effectively, assessing their understanding and progress. Pupils’ responses were very positive. They collaborated well in pairs, working productively, with good concentration on the task for most of the session. In a very good Year 6 lesson, pupils were asked by the teacher to use a spreadsheet to display the earnings from various ‘rides’ in a fair ground. Tasks were well organised to match different ability levels and the teacher showed great enthusiasm for the task in the introductory plenary session. As a result, pupils worked with similar interest and showed pleasure in the role-play exercise. They responded well to the teacher’s sense of urgency about the ‘tax inspector’s audit’ and made real gains in their learning. They discussed the problem

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

with interest and co-operated well throughout the lesson.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

128. Pupils’ behaviour is good in both key stages They are careful when handling computers and show care to go through appropriate ‘close down’ procedures to protect the machines and software. They work well with their peers, waiting for their turn at the keyboard patiently, when necessary, and show good listening skills when teachers are giving explanations of tasks.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

129. The co-ordinator shows good knowledge of the subject and has made good progress in auditing equipment and software. He has made good progress recently in planning for the further use of the internet and electronic mail and in providing dedicated computers for each year group. The recent introduction of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority exemplar scheme of work in the subject is helping to ensure a progressive approach to learning. Since the last inspection, the school has made satisfactory progress in developing the curriculum in Key Stage 2 to include aspects of control, monitoring and the use of the Internet. Assessment procedures are not yet well established or used effectively. Although recent staff Cullercoats Primary School - 46 development has not been a prominent feature, it has been recognised, in the new funding bid, as an area of further development in the near future.

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MUSIC

130. The pupils attain good standards for their age in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1, the pupils learn a range of songs and their singing is clear and tuneful. They sing songs such as ‘My Grandfather’s Clock’ and the ‘Dinosaur Song’ and are able to talk about the moods of the songs. Year 1 pupils develop an awareness of different instruments and their sounds. They learn to name the different percussion instruments and to recognise the sound each makes. They practise playing the instruments whilst watching the conductor and are learning to be conductors themselves. The pupils become familiar with the discipline required for playing instruments loudly and quietly, as well as when to start and stop playing. They can sing and play songs such as ‘listen to our instruments’ and perfect the singing and playing at the same time. The pupils are developing awareness of rhythm and clap words like ‘bus’, ‘car’, ‘tractor’, ‘helicopter’ and ‘aeroplane’ and clap

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MUSIC

increasingly more complicated rhythms by combining the rhythms. They are able to guess the nursery rhymes being clapped. In Year 2, the pupils are able to suggest which instruments to use to represent different animals when playing ‘All Sorts of Animals’ and play their chosen instruments at the appropriate times. The pupils are learning about different composers, such as Vivaldi and know about some of his life and music. Some pupils relate to their own experience of playing the violin and all are able to express opinions on Vivaldi’s music.

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MUSIC

131. By the end of Key Stage 2, the pupils have listened to and evaluated a range of work by different composers. They are able to listen to, discuss and appraise the music and can write short compositions of their own. For example, after listening to ‘Carnival of Animals’ by Saint-Saens, some Year 5 pupils researched an animal of their own choice, chose instruments and wrote their own compositions to represent that animal. They then recorded their music, listened to the recording and were able to evaluate and suggest improvements. The pupils’ singing has also improved and they are able to sing in rounds, singing clearly and in tune. They perform well in hymn practices and in assemblies, showing good improvement by the time they reach the end of the key stage. There are opportunities for all pupils to play the recorder and for pupils to receive specialist instrumental teaching in piano, viola,

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MUSIC

violin, flute, clarinet and brass. The pupils can also sing in the school choir. The pupils have many opportunities to perform in local music festivals and to perform in the community.

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MUSIC

132. The quality of teaching is generally good in both key stages, with some very good teaching observed. Good use is made of the expertise of the music subject leader in enabling all staff to teach music and in teaching the pupils both in lessons and in extra-curricular music sessions. Instruments are used well and all pupils are given good opportunities to play them in order to improve their performance and to increase their motivation in lessons. There are high expectations of pupils’ attainment and behaviour. A good range of tasks is planned to encourage pupils’ listening and appraising skills, as well as performance. The teachers’ observation of, and interaction with, the pupils help them to refine their work and to improve their performance. Cullercoats Primary School - 47 133. The subject leader works hard to develop the subject across the school and to support her colleagues. Resources are good, well used and organised. Music

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MUSIC

makes a strong contribution to the pupils’ cultural development and the school’s continued strength in drama and dance productions contributes to the music curriculum.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. The school has maintained the good standards in physical education since the previous inspection and, in both key stages, the pupils’ attainment exceeds what is expected for their age. 135. Almost all pupils achieve the National Curriculum requirement that, by the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can swim for at least 25 metres and many attain beyond this. Many of the pupils receive challenge awards for swimming and the majority of them successfully complete the Young Life Saver Award. The pupils enjoy swimming and are proud of their achievements. 136. By the end of Key Stage 1, the pupils take part enthusiastically in physical education lessons. They are able to work individually or with partners. In dance, pupils show innovation in movement and different emphasis in response to the music when performing the Dragon Dance as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. They have very positive attitudes and concentrate well, try hard and

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

enjoy the work. In gymnastics, the pupils are able to demonstrate different movements and to build these movements into a sequence of individual movements, which they then perform as a small group sequence with other pupils. They are confident to demonstrate to others and so pupils are able to learn from others with good skills. This has a positive impact on all the pupils’ attainment and motivation. 137. By the end of Key Stage 2, the pupils’ skills in games are good and in dance and gymnastics they are very good. The pupils have well-developed dribbling and passing skills in football. They understand the rules of the game and are able to work co-operatively in teams. Their skills and response to the music in dance are very good. The pupils are able to express feelings and moods through the medium of dance and are creatively involved from the onset of lessons. They are able to work together, as when working in pairs to move in different directions, having to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

trust their partners when not able to see where they were going. Pupils work hard, physically and mentally. They are able to concentrate on their movements and synchronise these to the music; for example, when portraying a dance based on the theme of the Ancient Egyptians in Year 5 or ‘The Iron Road’ in Year 6. The pupils have good understanding of the feelings and expressions to be shown and there were impressive portrayals of the different elements of dance and mime, showing very good ability to mirror others, to follow and to express action and reaction and, finally, exhaustion. The pupils were able to collaborate and negotiate their sequence of movements in order to produce a dance sequence which portrayed powerful images. In gymnastics, pupils work equally hard in practising and refining the core gymnastic skills and can develop these into a sequence of moves. They are able to work in pairs and groups in order to develop a sequence of movements for a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

performance to the class. Their body control and gymnastic skill level is very good. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well so that they too attain good levels. In all physical activities, all of the pupils understand the need for warm- up and cool-down sessions. Cullercoats Primary School - 48 138. Extra-curricular activities are of very good quality and add significantly to pupils’ attainment in gymnastics, games and dance. The residential visit to Dalguise also enhances pupils’ attainment and motivation through outdoor pursuit activities and orienteering.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. Work in physical education makes a good contribution to the development of numeracy and literacy skills, particularly in contributing to listening and speaking skills. Listening skills are developed as the pupils listen to instructions and their vocabulary is increased through the use of words related to symmetry and shape. Their numeracy skills are also developed as the pupils need to estimate time and distance in their routines.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. The quality of teaching is good, with some excellent teaching observed in upper Key Stage 2. The lessons are planned to build upon previously learned skills and the activities are challenging to all pupils, including those who are talented in gymnastics and dance. The teachers provide good role models for pupils by changing into appropriate clothing and giving good demonstrations of movements and effort. The tasks and expectations of work and behaviour are clearly explained, so that the pupils know what is expected of them in the lesson. In most lessons, the organisation, management and structure are very good, and in the best lessons are excellent.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. The subject leader for physical education makes a significant contribution to the subject across the school in supporting other staff and providing in-service training. This has resulted in the good quality of teaching across the school. He is involved in training student teachers and in contributing to the expertise of local teachers in teaching physical education. The indoor resources are good in that there are two halls and a good range of apparatus, which are well used. However, the outdoor facilities for physical education are unsatisfactory. The school uses local community facilities for many activities, as there is not a large enough grassed area for a pitch on site. The hard playground surface is in need of repair and so affects outdoor games lessons. This has not improved since the previous report due to lack of funding.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. One religious education lesson in Key Stage 1 and two in Key Stage 2 were observed. Judgements are based on those lesson observations and on the scrutiny of planning and of previous work. Standards of attainment are satisfactory at the ends of both key stages. Pupils’ attainment meets the expectations, for their age, of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. By the time they leave the school, the pupils have a sound factual knowledge and understanding of the significance of Christianity and other world religions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. By the end of Key Stage 1, the pupils are aware of special people and events in their lives. They are learning about the Old and New Testament stories in the Bible, about friendship and relating to other people. They know the stories such as ‘The Prodigal Son’ and ‘The Good Samaritan’, and can relate these to a present day context. The pupils are beginning to learn and understand about religious beliefs, celebrations and practices. Cullercoats Primary School - 49 144. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding increases in Key Stage 2, as they learn about Christian festivals and symbolism and the history of these. The pupils are also gaining knowledge and respect for other religions, such as Islam and Judaism. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils show understanding of some of the symbolism and traditions in Christianity and know about major religious events in the calendar. They talk about Christian ceremonies. They have a growing knowledge and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

understanding of the sacred buildings, artefacts, practices and festivals of Christianity and of Judaism and Islam. The pupils are gaining understanding of the influence of religion on peoples’ lifestyles. They are developing understanding of the significance of celebrations and practices to the people of other religions. The pupils can discuss the similarities and differences of different religions and are learning to respect other faiths. They express their feelings and are able to explain why certain things are held to be right or wrong.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with one unsatisfactory lesson observed. The teachers' planning shows a clear link with the guidelines of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. The pupils are provided with opportunities to discuss different aspects of life and religion and to show what they understand through drawings and written work. The better teaching is found where there is good questioning, which makes the pupils think hard and reflect. Clear explanations are given and the teachers provide opportunities for the pupils to ask questions or to make their own observations and so increase their understanding. In less effective teaching, work was not sufficiently challenging and there was no extension work planned for early finishers or for the higher attaining pupils, which affected the pace of their learning. The nature of the task set did not enable the pupils to show what they understood and restricted the opportunity for the teacher to assess their

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. Collective worship and the teaching of religious education contribute to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development both through the content of the lessons which extend pupils knowledge and understanding of other cultures and beliefs and through the teaching which creates opportunities for reflection and the development of an individual response to religion.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. Since the last inspection, standards have been maintained in religious education. The school has access to a good range of religious artefacts for use in lessons and the scheme of work is being reviewed to meet the newly published Locally Agreed Syllabus. There is, however, no consistent recording of attainment or monitoring of standards of pupils’ work across the school.

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