St Martin's CofE Primary School

VOLUNTARY AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 th -29 th November 2000

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VOLUNTARY AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 2 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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VOLUNTARY AIDED 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. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Voluntary Aided Primary

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Burnham Road Owston Ferry Nr Doncaster

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 25 th June 1996 St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 4

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Team Members

Mr. D.Byrne 28076 Registered Inspector Ms. J Bedawi 19322 Lay Inspector Mrs. H Eadington 23549 Team Inspector

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Team Members

The Croft Brierley Way Oldcroft Lydney Gloucester GL15 4NE

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Team Members

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

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Team Members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in English, mathematics and science by the age of eleven. Pupils across the school achieve good standards in art, history and music. The school makes very good provision for supporting pupils with special educational needs. The school makes very good provision for developing pupils’ sense of spirituality, and their social and moral development. The curriculum gives a stimulating programme of work that inspires and motivates pupils to learn and take responsibility. Learning is enhanced by excellent links with the local community and use of the natural environment supported by very good accommodation. The school is very effectively led and managed and creates an excellent ethos that successfully develops pupils’ personal and academic development.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 16

The standards achieved by pupils aged eleven in information and communication technology should be much better. The current systems for recording the progress of pupils in mathematics and science need refining so that individual progress can be easily tracked. More opportunities could be provided for pupils to learn about and appreciate the lives of people of other cultures.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 18

St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 6 St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is in Owston Ferry, a village on the west bank of the River Trent in North Lincolnshire. It is a Church of England Voluntary Aided primary school. The school is smaller than primary schools nationally. There are 98 pupils on roll with no pupils from an ethnic minority group. Eleven children attend the nursery on a part-time basis. The percentage of pupils eligible for free-school meals is below the national average at just over 8.5 % of pupils. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is close to the national average being 16% and 12% require the support of outside agencies. The percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs is high at 2.6%. No pupils require additional guidance for English as an additional language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school with many excellent features. By the age of eleven, pupils achieve standards that are above the national average in English, mathematics and science. The quality of teaching is very good and makes sure that all pupils, including those with learning or behavioural difficulties, develop high levels of self esteem and make good progress in all aspects of their personal and academic development. Excellent links exist with the local community and very good use is made of the local environment to develop pupils’ appreciation of nature. The school is very well managed. The head teacher, teachers, support staff and governing body work together very well to create an excellent ethos and provide an exciting and stimulating curriculum. The finances of the school are very well managed so that all income is very effectively spent to benefit pupils’ education. The school is giving very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in English, mathematics and science by the age of eleven. • Pupils across the school achieve good standards in art, music and history. • The school makes very good provision for supporting pupils with special educational needs. • The school makes very good provision for developing pupils’ sense of spirituality, and their social and moral development. • The curriculum gives a stimulating programme of work that inspires and motivates pupils to learn and take responsibility. Learning is enhanced by excellent links with the local community and use of the natural environment supported by very good accommodation. • The school is very effectively led and managed and creates an excellent ethos that successfully promotes pupils’ personal and academic development.

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What could be improved

• The standards achieved by pupils aged eleven in information and communication technology should be much better. • The current systems for recording pupils’ attainment in mathematics and science need refining so that individual progress can be easily tracked. • More opportunities could be provided for pupils to learn about and appreciate the lives of people of other cultures. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the last inspection, the school has continued to develop and has improved at a good rate. Standards in science and mathematics have improved steadily and standards in other subjects have been maintained. Developments in information and communication technology have not kept pace with change and standards by the age of eleven are below national expectations. The National strategies for literacy and numeracy have been successfully implemented and resources for learning have been improved especially in information and communication technology. Major developments have occurred in the quality of the accommodation with well planned and thought out extensions to classrooms and buildings. Provision for pupils in Reception is much better and accommodation for the administration of the school is much improved. The school has a very good capacity to continue to improve.

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STANDARDS

The number of pupils that took the national tests at the age of eleven is below ten and too few to merit the publication of results. Inspection findings are that by the age of eleven, pupils make good progress and reach high standards in English, mathematics and science. Eleven year olds also reach standards that exceed national expectations for their age in art, music and history but standards are not as good as they should be in information and communication technology. Between the ages of five and seven, pupils also make good progress and achieve high standards for their age in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Pupils aged seven also do well in art, music and history. Children in the foundation stage make good progress and reach standards expected of them by the time they start Year 1.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils are enthusiastic in lessons and enjoy learning. They thrive on being challenged especially during practical, investigative work. Pupils are confident and happy.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good during lessons and outdoors at playtimes. Pupils are aware of others and behave with sensitivity and care towards each other.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils work very well without being directed by teachers. In all aspects of school life, pupils respect one another. Relationships are excellent between everyone involved in the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance This is above the national average with below average levels of unauthorised absence. Lessons begin on time and punctuality of pupils is very good. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 9

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

17 lessons seen overall Very Good Very good Very Good

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

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

The quality of teaching is very good overall. In the lessons observed during the inspection the quality of teaching was excellent in a third of lessons, very good in a third and good in a third. Lessons are very well planned so that the needs of everyone, including higher attaining pupils and those with special educational needs are very well met. A sense of urgency during lessons, coupled with high expectations ensures that pupils learn rapidly particularly in literacy and numeracy. Very good use is made of resources to support pupils during lessons and to help to explain ideas. The quality of non-teaching support staff is very good and has a positive impact upon the progress of all pupils but especially those who find learning difficult. Pupils are very well managed and they gain confidence from the positive use of praise and encouragement. Teachers use homework effectively to support learning and they have a good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Pupils benefit from exciting and stimulating lessons that successfully capture their interests. All subjects appropriate for pupils in primary schools are well planned so that pupils develop a good range of knowledge and skills. Excellent links with the community and use of the local environment bring learning alive. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with learning and behavioural difficulties are given very good levels of support. Their needs are carefully planned for and pupils’ progress systematically monitored.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development An excellent range of opportunities exists for pupils to develop a sense of spirituality as part of lessons. The excellent links with the local community gives pupils very good experiences that develop their social skills, a sense of justice and a very good appreciation of local culture. There are limited opportunities for pupils to acquire an understanding of the richness and diversity of other cultures. How well the school cares for its pupils Caring and committed staff provide pupils with a family atmosphere that successful builds up pupils’ self-esteem. The day-to-day welfare of pupils is very good, but recent training is required to up-date child protection procedures. The way in which pupils’ progress in mathematics and science is monitored needs improving. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The head teacher is a strong and visionary leader who successfully creates a very caring ethos within the school. A strong staff team successfully strives to provide pupils with an education that inspires and motivates them. There is a strong commitment to continue to reach high standards. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body effectively fulfils its statutory duties. It works closely with the head teacher to check on the quality of teaching and learning in the school and establishing strategies that maintain and improve standards. The school’s evaluation of its performance All results of national tests for seven and eleven year olds are carefully analysed to plot the progress of pupils. Governors regularly visit the school during the day to find out for themselves how well it is managed and how well pupils are taught.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Each aspect of the school is very effectively used. The governing body has a very good sense of the need to provide value for money. Every part of the school building is well used and all staff very effectively deployed.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The way the school expects their children to work hard.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The development of pupils’ ability to act maturely and take responsibility.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The effective and approachable way in which the school is led and managed. • The quality of information provided about what pupils will learn in each class.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection judgements are that the positive views of the parents are accurate. The school provides information about curriculum planning by posting them on class and school notice boards. These are accessible to parents. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 11

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

English, mathematics and science by the age of eleven.

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

1. Pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science by the age of eleven because of the very good quality of teaching. Across the school, lessons are exciting and meticulously planned so that the needs of all pupils are met. A strong feature of teaching in each subject is that work is frequently made relevant to the pupils’ lives so that they make sense of what they are learning. Tasks that challenge and extend the knowledge, understanding and skills of higher attaining pupils ensure that they make good progress. Pupil who find some aspects of their schoolwork difficult benefit from very good support. Class teachers and special needs support staff work together very closely to identify the needs of individuals and provide very effective activities that successfully promote very good progress for these pupils. Throughout the school excellent relationships coupled with very good levels of classroom organisation and

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

management, make sure that pupils work hard and reach their potential.

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

2. The National Literacy Strategy has been successfully implemented and adapted to meet the needs of the pupils of St. Martins. Throughout the school, many opportunities are provided for pupils to talk in front of others and, by the age of eleven, they speak clearly, confidently and with good levels of expression. Planned opportunities to encourage public speaking are provided, for example, during the school assembly, a Year 6 pupil very competently read the school prayer in front of everyone. During lessons, skilful use of well thought out questions, encourages all pupils to speak in front of the class. Listening skills of pupils are very good. From the time children start school in Reception, they are expected to listen for an appropriate amount of time to others. Stories shared with pupils are used very well. This was illustrated when Reception children listened with good levels of attention and high levels of interest to the story “Where’s my Teddy”.

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

3. Standards of reading are very high because of the skill of teachers and classroom support assistants and the support of many parents when hearing their children read at home. The approach to reading is very well managed by the subject co-ordinator who encourages regular opportunities for pupils to read in school and at home. The progress of each pupil is systematically checked as they move through the school using manageable tests that are carefully analysed to identify pupils who need to be challenged more or who find reading hard. Trained parents support some pupils who find reading difficult. As pupils move through the school, expectations are high for them to use books in a wider context. After finding samples of pottery in a nearby field, pupils capably used non-fiction books from the library to find information about the different styles and materials used.

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

4. In writing, pupils do particularly well by the age of eleven. They write well for a wide range of purposes and audiences. Seven year olds write in a fluent, linked handwriting style and use grammar, some punctuation and a good range of vocabulary to communicate meanings, moods and feelings. During extended writing of the familiar story, Cinderella, pupils’ writing followed a logical sequence and showed an understanding of grammatical features, such as how to alter tenses. By the age of eleven, pupils have made good progress and their standard of writing remains high. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 12 When describing the moor in Macbeth, terms such as ”bone chilling”, “eerie and mysterious” illustrate how well pupils make vivid vocabulary choices. Writing is used to support learning in many subjects. In science, pupils accurately and logically recorded investigations and some high quality poetry has been produced connected with the local

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

study of Romans and Vikings. Whenever possible, pupils are encouraged to write for a real purpose. Recently, pupils have written well-planned and correctly formatted letters to famous people such as Bobby Robson, Tony Blair and David Beckham.

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

5. In mathematics, standards have improved steadily over recent years and inspection findings are that standards are above the national average. Teachers confidently teach mathematics in an exciting and stimulating way. In Key Stage 1, very good use of resources such as real money adds relevance to pupils’ work. During a lesson for Year 1 and 2 pupils, the excellent use of a teddy called “Hippo”, captured pupils’ imaginations as they rapidly improved their ability to count in tens and hundreds. Pupils in Year 3 and 4, were highly motivated to gather mathematical information about the range of pottery that had been collected during their field walk. They applied skills of measuring size and weight. They used scales to accurately weigh their samples and, after recording their findings on well-organised charts, represented the information on detailed graphs. High levels of motivation inspires pupils so much that behaviour is always very good which

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

makes sure that everyone learns how to apply and use basic mathematics skills. A key factor in the high standards being achieved in mathematics is the excellent use made of the mental arithmetic time built in to every lesson. Teachers demand rapid recall and skilfully use questions to challenge pupils’ thinking and involve pupils of all levels of ability. In Year 5 and 6, excellent use of a calculator and an overhead projector demanded that pupils grappled with very demanding tasks that involved adding decimals to fractions. The excellent explanations by the teacher, and the calm and patient manner in which every pupil was supported during the task and the excellent use of praise made sure that everyone made very good progress and pupils did as well as they could. Homework is used particularly well in mathematics to increase opportunities for pupils to practise basic skills such as their multiplication tables.

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

6. In science, standards are high by the age of eleven. Particularly rapid progress occurs in Key Stage 2 where the standard of teaching is very high. The specialist teacher has very good subject knowledge. This ensures the subject is very well planned and lessons are very well organised and managed at all times. Excellent use of questioning is skilfully used to establish pupils’ existing knowledge so that lessons proceed from the level of the pupils. Pupils are expected to think at advanced levels for their age. This makes sure that higher attaining pupils are suitably challenged and subsequently make very good progress in lessons. Pupils are also expected to work with the minimum of teacher support and to make decisions for themselves. Excellent use is made of practical resources so that pupils learn essential experimental and investigative skills. The need to perform fair tests and procedures for doing so are understood and pupils now how to

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

record their work in a wide variety of ways. During a task in which pupils were exploring the best material for retaining heat, pupils correctly used thermometers to measure the temperatures of water over a period of time and then plotted their results on a line graph and compared it to a control experiment. Discussion with pupils showed that by the age of eleven, pupils are advanced for their age in using data and information to find conclusions from such results. Access to the school’s excellent wildlife area, coupled with the obvious enthusiasm for ecological matters amongst staff, transmits to the pupils who develop a very good knowledge and appreciation of the natural world.

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

Pupils across the school achieve good standards in art, history and music. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 13 7. In art, history and music, pupils benefit from the enthusiasm and inspirational leadership of teachers. In each subject, the skills of teachers ensure high quality learning. Pupils benefit from receiving very good instructional teaching to develop their basic skills. These skills then blossom during lessons that enable pupils to practise and apply them.

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

8. In art very precise directions are given to pupils so that they develop good levels of competence in sketching and painting in particular. As part of studies of plant-life in the wildlife area, outstanding pencil drawings accurately represent the shape and form of stems and leaves of common plants. Close observational drawings of Lincoln Cathedral demonstrate pupils’ ability to use pencils to represent shade and texture. Pupils have a good sense of perspective and an eye for the detail of the architecture. Bold and colourful paintings of themselves illustrate how well pupils aged six to seven can use paint directly upon paper. They demonstrate good brush control and the confidence to fill the paper. Pupils in Years 3 and 4, have a very good understanding of how to use paint to mix shades of the same colour. This was demonstrated very well when pupils observed a number of rocks and then used water paint to represent the shades and the

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

effect of light and shadow in painting very high quality images.

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

9. Standards in history are very high and reflect directly the enthusiasm and energy of teachers for the subject. The resources in the neighbourhood of the school are very effectively used to develop amongst pupils an unusually good knowledge and understanding of the events in the past. Pupils respond very well to expectations for them to develop archaeological skills to find information for themselves. During a visit to a local farmer’s field, pupils excavated parts of the ground and discovered a wealth of information from old and ancient pottery. Pupils proudly described the way some samples were Roman, others Medieval and others Victorian and during discussions demonstrated that they have a well developed sense of change. The practical approach to studying history has developed pupils with very good research skills and produced knowledgeable pupils who thrive upon finding out about the past.

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

10. Throughout the school, the quality of singing is excellent. Both the subject co-ordinator and a part-time subject specialist use their considerable subject knowledge and enthusiasm to give pupils a rich and exciting music curriculum. In addition to timetabled lessons, pupils have many opportunities to practise many aspects of music and take part in singing in choirs and performing with instruments in front of others. The high quality of singing is recognised in the region. The choir regularly sings to members of the local community and it is a regular entrant to local music festivals and competitions achieving considerable success. Very recently, pupils were invited to perform their song, “What a Wonderful World” at the Lincolnshire Environmental Wards Ceremony and it was said that it brought tears of emotion to many people’s eyes. During the inspection a similar mood was created as the whole school sang during assembly. During an early

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The quality of teaching is very good and ensures that high standards are achieved in

morning singing practice, pupils performed with real feeling. Two pieces, “A prayer for peace” and “Road to Bethlehem” jointly written by the specialist teacher and school co- ordinator, were sung with tremendous feeling. Harmonies and descants were held very well and pupils managed to sing songs that were very high in demands for sustaining notes and changing tempo. Excellent teaching and relationships during lessons ensure that pupils happily respond to constant demands for them to do even better. Pupils are justifiably proud of their performance. In addition to singing, pupils also have access to learning the electric keyboard and recorder and many pupils develop good skills in reading music and playing a wide range of instruments. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 14

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The school makes very good provision for supporting pupils with special educational

11. Pupils with learning and emotional and behavioural disabilities are very well provided for. The special educational needs co-ordinator manages her time very well so that these pupils’ needs are very well met. An indication of the impact of the very good support is the evidence that many pupils improve so much that by the age of eleven they achieve standards that are similar to those expected nationally. Pupils in need of additional help are identified at a young age and high quality programmes targeted at improving or helping pupils are created. Teachers and classroom support assistants work very well together. The pupils with funded support for statements of special educational needs are given very high quality guidance. The co-ordinator works very well with the Local Education Authority special educational needs support service so that their expertise can be shared amongst staff to benefit the pupils. Parents are invited to be involved in all

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The school makes very good provision for supporting pupils with special educational

aspects of their child’s education. They are made aware of the targets for helping their child and given ideas about how they can support their child’s development at home. These targets are also shared with pupils and then the progress each pupil makes is carefully and systematically checked and recorded.

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The school makes very good provision for developing pupils’ sense of spirituality, and

12. Many opportunities exist for pupils to develop a sense of spirituality. The high quality of music provides pupils with opportunities for them to feel emotion and a sense of wonder. Involvement in observing plants and animals as part of science and art gives an appreciation of living things and the beauty of nature. As a result of the visit to a local field, the range of artefacts discovered visibly amazed pupils. A coin dated 1801 fascinated many pupils and they talked excitedly about the changes that must have occurred since the coin was minted. Excellent relationships within the school and between the school and the local community offer good opportunities for pupils to develop positive social skills. The excellent links between the school and local community gives pupils many opportunities for them to appreciate the lives of others. Excellent use is made of visits from local people with skills such as art, or experiences of

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The school makes very good provision for developing pupils’ sense of spirituality, and

life relevant to pupils’ learning, for example life during World War 2.

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The school makes very good provision for developing pupils’ sense of spirituality, and

13. Pupils are encouraged to be thoughtful and considerate to others and are rewarded when they are. The views of pupils are listened to and valued and pupils develop the confidence to be honest with themselves about how well they do and where they could be better. It was noticeable during mathematics lessons, how pupils were not afraid of saying they needed more help. Teachers successfully create amongst pupils a strong sense of teamwork and shared responsibility. Pupils do not fear ridicule and therefore work together well knowing that whatever skills they have are recognised and valued, even if it is not academic. During lessons pupils are expected to share and co-operate and it is normal for pupils to help each other out. Older pupils frequently help younger ones; for example, Year 6 pupils regularly help children in Reception. High levels of independence are evident in pupils. In Reception, children are expected to take out and

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The school makes very good provision for developing pupils’ sense of spirituality, and

put away classroom materials, such as glue sticks, scissors and pencils and this early start results in pupils later on in the school willingly taking responsibility for a variety of tasks. The wildlife area is managed by pupils and during lessons, such as science, pupils organise themselves very well. Pupils are expected to make decisions and stand by them. During investigations into the thermal conductivity of materials such as cork, aluminium foil and foam rubber, pupils made predictions of what they considered to be St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 15 “the best” and independently planned detailed tests involving measuring and recording the outcomes.

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The school makes very good provision for developing pupils’ sense of spirituality, and

14. Moral issues are not shied away from. The curriculum places pupils in many situations where they have to consider moral dilemmas. The strong environmental links are used to give pupils the chance to develop views about the issues such as the impact of humans upon the environment. Issues of conservation are discussed and pupils develop strong views about these. Collections for deprived areas of Europe through appeals such as Christmas Child shoe boxes, extends pupils’ awareness of the lives of others and the way society can harm people if it is not fair. Pupils know how to behave and do so very well at all times. They are self-disciplined and rarely need the external guidance of adults. Occasionally, pupils with emotional and behavioural disabilities challenge other pupils, but high levels of tolerance and care in the school mean that, in virtually every case, pupils respond sensitively and without aggression. The school is a

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The school makes very good provision for developing pupils’ sense of spirituality, and

happy place in which everyone feels valued. Excellent relationships between everyone in the school community make sure that each pupil achieves success in one or more areas of their education and both personal and academic progress are very good.

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to learn and take responsibility. Learning is enhanced by excellent links with the local

community and use of the natural environment supported by very good accommodation.

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to learn and take responsibility. Learning is enhanced by excellent links with the local

15. Pupils benefit from a curriculum that is carefully planned and constantly evaluated so that it successfully meets the needs of pupils in the school. Each subject required for pupils aged 4 to 11 is taught. Although high academic standards are achieved, pupils’ personal and social education is equally valued. Detailed planning and realistic adaptations to national strategies for literacy and numeracy ensure that pupils steadily develop and improve their knowledge, skills and understanding in each subject as they move through the school. Teachers cleverly link subjects where appropriate. Skills of numeracy were used, for example, when pupils explored the samples of pottery gathered as a result of their field walk, and literacy is used to enable pupils to express their views about the way people, such as a Roman centurion, lived in the past.

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to learn and take responsibility. Learning is enhanced by excellent links with the local

16. Very good use is made of the local environment to support learning and make lessons exciting and relevant. The school wildlife area is of regional significance and besides benefiting pupils in the school it is also used to help other schools wishing to improve this part of their curriculum. It is an outstanding resource that has recently won £500 as the first prize in the Lincolnshire Conservation competition. A local ornithologist uses it for trapping and ringing birds so that their movement can be tracked and recorded. Some rare birds such as Warblers have been spotted and there are plans to support the satellite Osprey project. Pupils share some of the recording and have access to a simple but effective shed that is used as a hide. The quality of the resource has been recognised by the great conservationist David Bellamy. He is involving the school in a video production designed to encourage others to make better use of their school

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to learn and take responsibility. Learning is enhanced by excellent links with the local

17. Pupils’ curriculum is enriched by many links with the local community and beyond. There are established links with the Chelsea Pensioners and pupils have been to London to visit them. They also took the opportunity to visit the Houses of Parliament and received V.I.P treatment through the efforts of the local Member of Parliament. The excellent standard of singing and song composition in the school resulted in pupils being invited to the Millennium Dome to perform a cantata about their local area with children from other selected schools. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 16 18. The accommodation is of a very high standard. Opportunities for pupils to learn in a well organised, spacious and well maintained building, help teachers to be creative in their teaching and for the curriculum to be exciting and relevant. The accommodation has plenty of space for the number of pupils and there are many areas for pupils to work

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to learn and take responsibility. Learning is enhanced by excellent links with the local

quietly on their own, or with the support of an adult.

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The school is very effectively led and managed and creates an excellent ethos that

successfully develops pupils’ personal and academic development.

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The school is very effectively led and managed and creates an excellent ethos that

19. The head teacher is an energetic, inspirational, caring leader. He drives the school forward by having a clear vision, setting an excellent example and has high expectations of everyone involved in the school. The belief that the curriculum should not just promote the academic development of pupils but also the personal and emotional development is successfully achieved. Staff are very well supported and made to feel valued as well, and this helps to create a strong sense of team spirit and maintains a sense of urgency and energy. Everyone in the school constantly strives to improve the standards and quality of education of pupils. The head teacher’s commitment to getting the best out of staff is reflected in the way that the school has recently secured its second validation qualifying for the Investors in People Award.

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The school is very effectively led and managed and creates an excellent ethos that

20. The governing body are very supportive of the head teacher and staff. Governors have a very good picture of what is going on in the school. They accurately evaluate reports of the head teacher and have also adopted impressive systems for governors to come into school regularly. Governors are closely involved in monitoring teaching and learning. The literacy and numeracy governors regularly visit each class to observe mathematics and English lessons and through very astute evaluations have gained a clear picture of what is being done well, and what could be even better.

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The school is very effectively led and managed and creates an excellent ethos that

21. Although the school development plan is only for a year, the governing body know exactly where the school is going. They have a very good overview of spending and anticipate the financial implications of issues such as fluctuating numbers. An above recommended surplus of almost 9% of income has been accrued to help to ease any reduction of intake. All grants received are very well spent to give best value to the education of pupils. Grants for staff to support pupils’ in literacy are very effectively spent and contribute to the high standards achieved. The funds designed to boost pupils’ standards prior to taking the national tests at the age of eleven are effectively spent. Central funding to keep classes for 6 to 7 year olds below 30 currently enhances the school staffing and this is having a very positive impact upon the quality of pupils’ education.

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The standards achieved by pupils aged eleven in information and communication

22. Although resources for information and communication technology have improved significantly recently as result of funding from the National Grid for Learning. Teachers are unsure of the potential of information and communication technology for supporting and extending pupils’ learning. By the age of eleven, most pupils are familiar with using word processing packages to write short extracts. Some pupils use programmes to insert images and pictures into the text, but pupils’ confidence and experience does not match expectations for their age. Although pupils have good skills of gathering and recording data in graphs using traditional methods, their experiences and skills of doing so with computers is weak. Opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology to support environmental surveys or to seek information using the Internet are not included in the planning of most teachers and pupils do not

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The standards achieved by pupils aged eleven in information and communication

have enough experience of using the computer to explore models or control direction or movement. The school recognises that this is an area that needs improving and includes it in its school improvement plan.

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The current systems for recording the progress of pupils in mathematics and science need

refining so that individual progress can be easily tracked.

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The current systems for recording the progress of pupils in mathematics and science need

23. Teachers know pupils very well and recognise the strengths and weaknesses of each pupil in mathematics and science. There is a heavy reliance however upon this knowledge being carried in the head and the quality of written records are very limited indeed. An effective system needs to be devised that ensures individual progress in mathematics and science, in accordance with the expected areas of learning identified nationally can be easily tracked.

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More opportunities could be provided for pupils to learn about and appreciate the lives of

24. Given that the school provides excellent opportunities for pupils to develop spiritually and socially and also to learn about and understand local culture as well as providing very good opportunities for pupils to develop morally, provision for developing pupils’ appreciation of other cultures is a comparative weakness. It is currently satisfactory, but could be better. There is a lack of detail in planning of how subjects such as art, music and especially geography can help to promote pupils’ knowledge of other cultures. Discussion with pupils showed that they were very unsure of the way their life compared with for example, the life of a child in an African state or India. Pupils know about some aspects of the deprivation that some developing countries experience, but the richness and diversity of their cultures for example the music, food, art or landscape are not understood. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 18

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communication technology so that they meet the expectations for their age by:

• Implementing existing plans to train all staff • Developing planning further so that information and communication technology opportunities are included in all subjects where possible • Implementing a way of recording pupils’ progress in information and communication technology as they progress through the school. (See paragraph 22)

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science by:

• Evaluating ways of linking the good quality planning in each subject with ways of assessing pupils’ progress. • Developing manageable systems of recording the attainment and progress of pupils that match the criteria at each National Curriculum level. (See paragraph 23)

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other cultures by:

• Making better use of display, literature, music, art and geography to develop amongst pupils a better understanding of how people in other cultures live. • Finding ways of using the internet to make links with schools either at home or abroad that work in communities of different cultures. (See paragraph 24) St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 19

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

30 35 35 0 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 98

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 15

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4% National comparative data 0.5 St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 20 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 21

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.6 Financial year 1999-2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 191,065

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4.0 Expenditure per pupil 1946

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 35 Balance brought forward from previous year 13351

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 16923

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 5FTE

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 22

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 46 48 6 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 40 56 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 44 46 2 6 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 28 56 4 8 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 24 68 4 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 44 56 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 40 50 4 6 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 68 22 4 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 36 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 28 56 4 6 6 St Martin’s CofE Primary School - 23

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