William Cobbett Primary School

WILLIAM COBBETT JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th – 28 th March 2001

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WILLIAM COBBETT JUNIOR SCHOOL

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

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WILLIAM COBBETT JUNIOR 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. William Cobbett Junior School - 3 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Weybourne Road Farnham Surrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 th September 1996 William Cobbett Junior School - 4 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 22546 J F G Parsons Registered inspector Mathematics Art and design What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve further? How well is the school led and managed? 9505 D Haynes Lay inspector Pupils attitudes, values, personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 22778 A Shannon Team inspector English How well are pupils taught?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

26514 A J Tapsfield Team inspector Information and communicatio n technology Special educational needs 20003 S Metcalfe Team inspector Science Music Equal opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

11864 M Lafford Team inspector History Physical education Modern foreign languages English as an additional language School’s results and achievements William Cobbett Junior School - 5 March 2001 30705 G Stephens Team inspector Design and technology Religious education 20877 D Pink Team inspector Geography

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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 Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE William Cobbett Junior School - 6 March 2001

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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 pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 32

William Cobbett Junior School - 7 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

William Cobbett is a community junior school that caters for pupils between 7 and 11. There are 344 boys and girls on roll. The school is larger than other primary schools and it is larger than it was at the time of the last inspection, as it is over-subscribed. The school has beacon status from the Department for Education and Employment in recognition of high standards. The school takes pupils of average attainment from a number of local infant schools; the majority of pupils in mainstream classes live locally. The school has a unit for pupils with a broad range of significant special educational needs. Many of them travel long distances by taxi to attend the school. There are 30.9 per cent of pupils on the special educational needs register and of these 5.5 per cent have statements of special educational needs. This is well above the national average because of the inclusion of pupils from the attached unit.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Employment in the area is high and the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is low at 5.8 per cent, and less than during the previous inspection. There are very few pupils who are from traveller families (0.9 per cent), who are from minority ethnic groups (1.7 per cent), or who have English as an additional language (1.7 per cent).

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school with a very effective attached unit for pupils who have special educational needs. Standards have improved and are above the national average overall for all National Curriculum tests. The trend in standards over 5 years in all tested subjects is above the national trend. In a significant number of other subjects standards are also good or very good. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, and in the designated unit pupils make very good progress. The school is very careful to ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities to participate fully in school life and that all pupils feel fully included in all activities. The excellent leadership of the headteacher helped by key staff and the governing body has enabled the school to make very good improvement since the last inspection. The very good teaching, very high quality procedures in all aspects of the

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

school’s life, together with average costs for mainstream pupils, means the school offers very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • In religious education standards are very good and a strength of the school. Standards are good in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT), history, geography, art and design, music, modern foreign languages (French and German) and personal, social and health education. Pupils with special educational needs in the attached unit make very good progress. • Pupils have excellent attitudes to school, behave very well, and have excellent relationships with each other and adults. They are very enthusiastic for school and love learning. Pupils are courteous and show respect for the school. These are strengths of the school. • There is a high level of self confidence and maturity among the pupils. • The very good standard of teaching in the school is supported by very extensive, clear and detailed assessment procedures; both are strengths of the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

• The excellent leadership of the headteacher, supported by the governing body and the key staff, ensures that the schools priorities for development are most effective and make a very strong contribution to pupils’ learning. • Arrangements for pupils with special educational needs in the main school are good and in the attached unit they are very good, the integration of all these pupils within the school as a whole is impressive. William Cobbett Junior School - 8 March 2001 What could be improved • There are no significant weaknesses regarding educational standards within the school. • The overall accommodation within the main school is cramped and inadequate and restricts the teaching of practical and creative subjects. In particular the standard and maintenance of toilet facilities fall far below what is acceptable. • The drainage of the outside areas is ineffective limiting access for physical education and play.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was previously inspected on 16 September 1996. There has been very good improvement overall since the last inspection. A very good response by the leadership of the school and the many new initiatives that have been implemented has led to the outstanding range and quality of procedures the school has in place at present. In particular the high quality monitoring of teachers through detailed and effective observation of lessons in the classroom has raised the quality of teaching. During this inspection there was no unsatisfactory teaching and the overall quality is very good. During the previous inspection 12 per cent of teaching was unsatisfactory and teaching was considered good overall. This is a significant improvement. The curriculum planning between years is now very strong and the standards in religious education have been very significantly improved. The subject benefits from specialist

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

teaching and is a strength of the curriculum. Standards in the majority of subjects are good another improvement since the previous inspection. Accommodation for the special educational needs unit is newly built and of high quality, significantly improving facilities. However, the school building as a whole is cramped of poor quality and toilet facilities are inadequate. A new fence has addressed the issue of using the school grounds as a right of way. The beacon status (for high standards) the school has achieved since the previous inspection is well deserved.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: All schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

1998 1999 2000 2000 Very high A* English C B C D well above average above average A B mathematics B A B C average below average C D science A* A A A well below average E

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STANDARDS

The school sets challenging but achievable targets in all subjects including English and mathematics. Pupils achieve and frequently exceed these targets. Over the last five years the trend in the school’s standards were above the national average. The inspection found pupils achieve at least good standards overall in English and mathematics. Key Stage 1 National Curriculum tests indicate that pupils' attainment on entering the school, at the age of seven, is in line with those achieved nationally. The results of the National Curriculum tests by the end of Key Stage 2 taken in Year 2000 show that pupils reach above average standards when all tested subjects are taken into account. In English the proportion of pupils achieving Level 4 2 or above was in line the national average whilst in mathematics it was above. In science the percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 2 or above in these tests was well above

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STANDARDS

the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 2 or above of attainment was broadly in line in English, above the national average in mathematics and well above in science. The test results in comparison with similar schools indicate pupils' attainment in English was below the national average. In mathematics it was broadly in line and in science it was well above the national average. William Cobbett Junior School - 9 March 2001 These National Curriculum test results include those of very low attaining pupils from the special educational needs unit. This has had a negative impact overall on the school’s National Curriculum results. The inspection found standards overall in mainstream classes by the end of Key Stage 2 are higher in English and mathematics than those reflected in the National Curriculum tests and are at least good overall. It found that standards in science are very good. In religious education, standards are well

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STANDARDS

above average and a strength of the school. In ICT, history, geography, art and design, music, modern foreign languages (French and German) and personal, social and health education standards are above those expected for pupils’ ages. In all other subjects standards are at least in line with those expected for pupils’ age. Pupils with special educational needs in the mainstream classes make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs in the attached unit make very good progress. There is no significant difference between the attainment levels of girls and boys. 1 Similar schools judgement is based on the comparison with schools who have a similar number of pupils eligible for free school meals. 2 Level 4 is the average result for pupils in the National Curriculum tests by the end of Key Stage 2. Level 5 is above the national average .

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are very keen to work. They settle quickly to class activities and remain on task for very long periods.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Standards of behaviour in around the school are very high; pupils are courteous and show thoughtfulness when dealing with each other and adults.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils are very mature and responsible. Pupils’ relationships with each other and adults is a strength of the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and there is little unauthorised absence.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The overall quality of teaching is very good, which agrees with the views of 96 per cent of parents who returned the questionnaire before the inspection. Of the teaching observed: 100 per cent was satisfactory or better; 90 per cent was good or better; and 42 per cent was very good or better, including 6 per cent that was excellent. These judgements therefore represent considerable improvement since the last inspection. The highest percentage of very good teaching took place in English and mathematics. These findings are reflected in the very effective learning of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy that was found. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is generally very good. In literacy and numeracy lessons, teachers follow the national strategies well, demonstrating a very good knowledge of the basic pattern of whole-class sessions, group work and a plenary or final session at the end.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teachers have a very good knowledge and understanding of the curriculum, and basic skills are very well taught. A wide range of effective teaching strategies is employed to engage pupils’ interest and to ensure they learn well. These methods help lessons to proceed at a good pace, William Cobbett Junior School - 10 March 2001 ensuring that time is used to good purpose on relevant tasks. Teachers have high expectations of their pupils. There is outstanding use of assessment and planning with clear objectives. This very good teaching accounts for the high standards in the majority subjects. It also ensures that all pupils learn to the best of their ability. Pupils’ learning is particularly strong in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. A strength of the school. The school offers an enriched curriculum including extension activities in most subjects.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils with special educational needs in mainstream education have full access to the National Curriculum. In the attached unit they enjoy a full range of activities that promotes learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. There are very few pupils who fall into this category and they are fully integrated.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. There are many opportunities for the personal development of the individual. The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very effective and a strength of the school.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Adults in the school know all pupils well through excellent assessment procedures. Child protection procedures are good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school works in partnership with parents Very good. The school works hard to consult parents on all issues affecting the school and their children.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The strong leadership of the headteacher supported by key staff ensures the school has a clear educational direction. Throughout the school there is an outstanding commitment to high standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governing body is very supportive of the school, holds it to account and has a strong vision for its future.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent. The school very closely monitors teaching and learning and has excellent procedures in place for tracking individual pupils’ performance.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good. Resources, including specific grants, are used well to promote pupils’ learning. The school development plan is costed to ensure that the school’s priorities are addressed in its expenditure. The principles of best value are observed in buying goods and services.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Adequacy of staffing accommodation and learning resources Good. There is a very good range of well-qualified teachers, who have extensive expertise in many subjects. Learning resources are good both in quality and quantity. With the exception of the very good attached special educational needs unit, accommodation in the school is cramped William Cobbett Junior School - 11 March 2001 and toilet facilities below standard.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

12 parents attended the pre-inspection meeting (3.5 per cent) and 102 questionnaires were returned (27 per cent) What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Most parents agree that their children like school are making good progress and behaviour is good. • They agree that teaching is good. They are comfortable approaching school and expect their children to work hard. • They consider the school is well led and managed and helps their children to mature. • A few parents feel their children do not get the right amount of homework and that they are not well informed. • Some parents feel that the school does not work closely with them and does not provide an interesting range of extra-curricular activities.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views. The inspection found the homework provided is very good. The quality of information given to parents is very good and the links with parents are good. The range of extra-curricular activities provided is very good. William Cobbett Junior School - 12 March 2001

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Key Stage 1 National Curriculum tests indicate that pupils' attainment on entering the school, at the age of seven, is broadly in line with those expected nationally. This is also confirmed by the school's testing of reading skills and from inspection findings.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The results of the National Curriculum tests taken by the end of Key Stage 2 in the Year 2000 show that pupils achieve good standards when all tested subjects are taken into account. In these same tests, in mathematics the percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 2 or above was 82 per cent. This was above the national average of 75 per cent achieving Level 4 2 or above. In English, standards were broadly in line with the national average, 75 per cent of pupils achieved Level 4 2 or above compared to 70 per cent nationally. In science 92 per cent of pupils achieved Level 4 2 or above. This was well above the national average. Nationally 78 per cent of pupils achieved Level 4 2 or higher.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels of attainment Level 5 2 or above at 28 per cent in English was broadly in line with the national average of 29 per cent. Attainment in mathematics with 28 per cent of pupils achieving Level 5 2 or above was above the national average of 24 per cent achieving a similar level. The percentage of pupils achieving Level 5 2 or above in science at 65 per cent was well above the national average of 34 per cent who achieved this level. In comparison with test results of similar schools, pupils' attainment in English was below the national average. In mathematics it was broadly in line and in science it was well above the national average. These National Curriculum test results include those of very low attaining pupils from the special educational needs unit. This has had a negative impact overall on the school’s National Curriculum results. The inspection found

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

standards overall in mainstream classes by the end of Key Stage 2 are higher in English and mathematics than those reflected in the National Curriculum tests and are at least good overall. It found that standards in science are very good. There is no significant difference between the attainment of girls and boys.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The results of the Year 2000 national tests show a small decline in attainment in mathematics and English and a significant rise in science. Nevertheless, the trend from 1996 to 2000 is one of a steady increase in pupils' attainment in these three core subjects. The improvement in standards is particularly strong in science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The quality of work seen in lessons confirms this high level of attainment. In all year groups pupils are rigorously developing their competency in numeracy and literacy. This applies equally to the lower and higher attaining pupils. By the end of Key Stage 2 standards achieved in literacy and numeracy in mainstream classes are very good. The last test results identified writing as the weakest skill and the school has successfully addressed this issue. There is greater emphasis on written work and extension groups provided for the highest achievers. In other subjects, inspection findings indicate that pupils attain standards by the end of Key Stage 2 that are above average in ICT, history, geography, physical education, art and design, music, and modern foreign languages (French and German). Pupils reach expected standards for their age in design technology. This represents a significant improvement since

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the last inspection when above average levels were reported in only English, information technology, design and technology and in modern foreign languages. William Cobbett Junior School - 13 March 2001 Standards in religious education are well above those expected of the locally agreed syllabus and the improvement has been very marked. Provision for this subject was judged to be a weakness during the last inspection. Good standards are reached in personal, health and social education.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the end of Key Stage 2 most pupils have reading, writing, speaking and listening skills that are at least above average for their age. These skills are well supported across the curriculum. For example, pupils write interesting accounts of their 'theme' days when they study the Greeks, Egyptians, Tudors and Victorians as part of the history syllabus. They successfully use literature to further their learning about life in Victorian times when they read extracts from 'Oliver Twist' . Pupils in all year groups write well in a variety of styles, including poetry, letters and descriptive accounts. Listening and speaking skills are used well and routinely in most lessons. Pupils are frequently required to discuss in pairs and then show that they can speak at length and confidently when they report their findings to the class. In physical education they are encouraged to give an evaluation of the performances of themselves and others.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Pupils have an outstandingly high degree of concentration when listening to the teacher or to other pupils. Frequent opportunities are taken across the curriculum to ensure pupils broaden their vocabulary. In a Year 3 religious education lesson, for example, they colourfully describe David's feelings when confronted by Goliath.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils' numeracy skills are well developed by the end of Key Stage 2. In a Year 6 mathematics set nine tenths of pupils are working at Level 5 2 of the National Curriculum. Many apply the four rules to three digit numbers in their heads. Year 3 higher attainers demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of mathematical language when they successfully interpret graphs. In a Year 3 set for lower attainers the majority of pupils cope well when adding and subtracting numbers up to 20. Most can break down a three-digit number into hundreds, tens and units and count in fives. Numeracy skills are well used across the curriculum, notably in science and in geography, when pupils are expected to collect and interpret data.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. By the end of Key Stage 2 in science pupils investigate friction and the use of cogs to increase speed using the science co-ordinator’s bicycle. The progressive development of effective recording systems, the clear development of prediction matched to the use of results to draw conclusions that can be repeated are common to work in all areas of the science curriculum. In all other foundation subjects by the end of the key stage, pupils show they have broad general knowledge and interest in these subjects. In Year 6 in religious education pupils reflect on how Christian teachings affect our lives. They study the life of Martin Luther King and identify faith, Ghandi and racism as major influences and ‘love thy neighbour’ and ‘all men are created equal’ as major beliefs.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. From their entry to the school at age seven pupils achieve well. The excellent systems in place for the assessment of pupils’ progress enable teachers to set individual targets and identify gifted and talented pupils. This leads to high expectations of attainment and careful planning of challenging tasks. Pupils who are using English as an additional language achieve well. They are given good support and are able to participate productively in all aspects of the curriculum. The school sets challenging but achievable targets in all subjects including English and William Cobbett Junior School - 14 March 2001 mathematics. Pupils achieve and frequently exceed these targets. Over the last five years the trend in the school’s standards were above the national average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress against the targets set within their individual education plans for literacy and numeracy. They make good progress within their classwork and are supported very well in class. In the attached unit for special educational needs pupils make very good progress due to very good teaching and a curriculum tailored to individual pupils’ needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The pupils’ attitudes to the school and their personal development and relationships are excellent. Pupils’ behaviour and attendance are very good. These are strengths of the school and contribute greatly to the very positive learning environment that exists within the school. Pupils are keen to enter school and settle quickly into the daily routine without undue intervention from the class teacher. During lessons pupils concentrate well over long periods and show enthusiasm in response to the very good quality of teaching that makes lessons interesting. This was particularly evident in a Year 4 personal and social education lesson when a quiet ‘yes’ was heard when the teacher announced the lesson and when Year 6 pupils were enthusiastic to start an ICT lesson.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Parents have a high regard for the values and standards the school offers their children. The school's aims and values are reflected in the school and in classroom rules that are clearly displayed, and there were very few occasions when pupils had to be reminded of the rules. The school is an orderly community, there is no evidence of vandalism or graffiti and learning resources and property are treated with respect. Pupils’ relationships with each other and the teaching and non-teaching staff are excellent, even the youngest pupils will quietly work in pairs whilst sitting together on the carpet. No bullying or other inappropriate behaviour was observed at any time during the inspection. Pupils display a natural courtesy to all adults and behaviour in class and around the school is very good. Pupils are at ease expressing their feelings to the class teacher and in front of their fellow pupils. Pupils have the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

confidence to perform in front of their fellow pupils. This was particularly evident in a whole school assembly when a match report was presented by members of the school’s football team, and in a Year 3 lesson when a group of pupils eagerly performed a song, accompanied with percussion instruments and actions, for the remainder of the class.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils assist in clearing the hall after meals and collect and then return the registers to the office after each registration. Pupils are expected to reflect on the feelings and beliefs of others. This was well demonstrated in a Year 5 personal, social and health education lesson. Pupils were asked to reflect on how they would feel as a farmer who was about to lose all his stock through no fault of his own due to the foot and mouth epidemic. A school council has been operational for a number of years and the pupils are proud of the influence they have on the running of the school. This includes the provision of equipment for lunch times, the establishing of codes of conduct and the holding of events for charitable contributions. The provision of a plaque for a display of tiles produced by the pupils to celebrate the millennium was researched; quotations sought and the order placed by pupils themselves. The

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

school supports local and international charities and makes good use of information to heighten pupils’ awareness of those less fortunate than themselves.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance has been maintained at the high level found in the previous inspection and William Cobbett Junior School - 15 March 2001 is well above the national average. Unauthorised absence is negligible. Registration procedures are correctly and quickly undertaken and there are very few latecomers. Registers are maintained correctly using a manual system and the office staff are competent at reviewing and analysing the data. There was one exclusion during the last school year, the school is very reluctant to exclude pupils and only does so when there are overwhelming reasons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils with special educational needs are positive in their response both to classwork and to the work they undertake with the special needs co-ordinator or their learning support assistant. They are enthusiastic about school, work hard and collaborate well with their classmates. Other children give very good support to their peers with special educational needs. This was particularly evident in an religious education lesson where pupils shared their responses to Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech. Pupils listened with respect and sympathy to a pupil with special educational needs whose response was; ‘ I have a dream that people will not laugh at you because you are different. ’

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The overall quality of teaching is very good. This agrees with the views of 96 per cent of parents who returned the questionnaire before the inspection. Of the inspected lessons, 42 per cent were very good or better, including 6 per cent that were excellent a significant improvement on the previous inspection. The remainder of the lessons was satisfactory. There was no unsatisfactory teaching observed. At the time of the previous inspection, the overall quality of teaching was good, although it included 12 per cent of lessons that were judged to be unsatisfactory. The very high quality of teaching seen represents a considerable improvement since the last inspection. Much of the very good teaching took place in English and mathematics. This reflects the teachers’ very good subject knowledge of teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. In English and mathematics lessons, teachers follow the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies very well, demonstrating a good knowledge of the basic pattern of whole-class sessions, group work and a plenary (a gathering together) at the end. Teachers provide very good opportunities for pupils to use skills across the curriculum, planning reading tasks to find information and writing tasks to record factual information in history, geography, science and religious education. In one very good religious education lesson pupils were observed writing their own speech, ‘I have a dream…’ after listening to and discussing Martin Luther King’s Washington speech.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and basic skills are very well taught. Various teaching strategies are employed to engage pupils’ interest and to ensure they learn well. These methods help lessons to proceed at a good pace, ensuring that time is used to good purpose on relevant tasks. Teachers have high expectations of their pupils. There is outstanding use of assessment and planning with clear objectives. Teachers share their teaching aims with pupils at the beginning of lessons and refer to these during the lesson. There is openness in the approach to teaching, which enables pupils to know their weaknesses and how to improve. Teachers share with the pupils what is required in the different levels of the National Curriculum and in religious education so that all pupils understand what they have to do to achieve within their capabilities. All lessons end with a plenary or final

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

gathering together, during which pupils have the opportunity to reflect on their work and to consider how well they have achieved. Throughout the school, good William Cobbett Junior School - 16 March 2001 classroom routines are well established. Pupils know what is expected of them and settle quickly to their tasks. Teachers’ management of pupils is excellent. The consistent approach to discipline across the school instils a measure of self- discipline within the pupils. Excellent briefing and use of support staff forms part of the lesson planning. There is very good use of homework, which is not an after-thought at the end of a lesson but planned for and used effectively to develop learning further.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. English teaching is very good and includes some excellent lessons. Planning is very effective and includes clear notes about what pupils are expected to know at the end of lessons. Pupils are often given information about the available time for the completion of tasks, which helps them to work at a good pace, and to make a good effort. The restructuring of the literacy hour enables teachers to concentrate on improving the pupils’ writing skills and this is already having a positive impact on standards. The excellent management of pupils results in positive attitudes and relationships. Teachers keep an excellent check on pupils’ progress and the marking of work is thorough, including a comment on whether the learning objective has been achieved, and targets for the next piece of work and advice about the use of language. Teaching of basic skills is very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of mathematics is very good throughout the school. It is consistently high quality in classes for 10 to 11 year olds. Very good teaching was found in every year group. Relationships between teachers and their classes are very good, which leads to good attitudes amongst pupils, who show willingness to put in a good effort. As a result, they learn well. Teachers’ knowledge of how to build pupils’ progress in the subject is good. For example, in a Year 4 lesson on fractions, the teacher’s lively approach ensured pupils remained enthusiastic throughout the lesson. A range of effective methods was used, including the use of well-sequenced questions that helped pupils build on previous learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching in science lessons has improved since the last inspection. Its overall quality in 1996 was described as sound overall with some good teaching, whereas now it is very good. Resources are well organised and used to good effect, with a high regard for safety. In Year 5, a good lesson on sound exemplified and linked vibration, pitch and amplification through the use of chime bars and milk bottles and water. Pupils are asked to predict what might occur and this really makes them think.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching is good in ICT. Instruction is given on the use of programs and planning focuses well on tasks that promote specific skills in controlling applications. The good teaching results in secure learning and pupils are motivated by the challenges that computers offer. Teachers take opportunities to use pupils’ developing skills in the subject to access, save and retrieve information across the curriculum. This means that standards in some aspects of ICT are good. In religious education, history, music, physical education, geography and modern foreign languages (French and German) the overall quality of teaching is good with some very good lessons. Specific skills are taught well, based on confident teaching and good uses of resources to support understanding. The resultant learning is therefore often very good, particularly in religious education. Learning is frequently very good and generally results in attainment that is above expectations. Tasks usually match the

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

different levels of prior attainment of different groups of pupils. Progress is therefore swift. Pupils are given the opportunity to plan, experiment and to take the initiative to seek their own answers.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Class teachers plan work according to the underlying abilities of their pupils very well, carefully addressing William Cobbett Junior School - 17 March 2001 aspects identified within a pupil’s individual education plan. The teaching by the learning support assistants is very good and class teachers keep them well-informed as to plans for each lesson. Support staff make a good contribution to the evaluation process at the end of a lesson and to the planning of the next. When pupils from the special needs support unit are to be integrated into a lesson the lesson plan specifies how this will be done. All staff show a great deal of care for their pupils and know them and their difficulties well. The few pupils who are from travelling families, or who speak English as an additional language or are from minority ethnic groups are fully

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

integrated in lessons and the careful pitch of work by teachers ensures they learn as well as their peers. Gifted and talented pupils are very well taught in various booster classes in English and mathematics enabling them to extend their skills significantly. They also well taught in other lessons through the careful pitch of work in class across the school.

p.17

PUPILS?

24. The curriculum opportunities provided for pupils throughout the school are very good. The curriculum covers the revised National Curriculum in full and provides a very good programme of personal, social and health education that takes account of drugs awareness and sex education. The curriculum for religious education is in line with the locally agreed syllabus. The curriculum is broad and well balanced and is enriched by extension activities in most subjects. French and German are provided for older pupils. Pupils in Year 6 also have the opportunity to study Latin. Good policies and schemes of work are in place for all subjects. These enable the progressive and systematic development of knowledge and skills in each area of the curriculum. Each subject area has a co-ordinator who monitors the provision from the scheme of work across the school. Cross-curricular links are actively encouraged, for instance texts in literacy work are drawn from the humanities topic

p.17

PUPILS?

and religious education programme. Experiments in science are recorded in charts and graphs using ICT. Music effectively supports the work in drama and dance. Teachers meet together weekly in year group teams to plan the following weeks curriculum for their classes. Lesson plans are drawn from the long and medium term plans for their year groups and copies are regularly monitored by subject co- ordinators to ensure that an appropriate and balanced curriculum is planned. The headteacher together with the senior management team has an overall picture of all curriculum issues.

p.17

PUPILS?

25. The curriculum to implement the National Literacy Strategy is very effective and supports all the work within the school. Pupils speaking and listening skills are systematically developed through the use of debate, circle time (an opportunity for discussion about personal social and health issues) and drama. Pupils read a range of stories, poems and information texts and produce their own work in the same style. This is well illustrated by Year 3 pupils during the inspection looking at the rhymes and patterns in Caribbean rap poems and music and performing their own in the same style. Pupils write for a range of purposes including reports from their history work, stories, book reviews, poems and letters. The school has also given the effective implementation of numeracy a high priority and pupils use number skills in geography and science work appropriately.

p.17

PUPILS?

26. The curriculum is well planned and this ensures that the appropriate amount of time is spent on each subject. Lessons start promptly and finish on time. The well- developed schemes of work enable teachers to carefully plan and match work to pupils’ needs. The school makes very good use of specialist teachers for French, William Cobbett Junior School - 18 March 2001 German and music and some religious education lessons. In addition the junior school liaison teacher from the secondary school supports pupils in extension group activities such as science.

p.17

PUPILS?

27. There are very few pupils with English as an additional language or from minority ethnic groups. They are fully integrated into the school, the support given is effective enabling all pupils to have access to the full National Curriculum and religious education.

p.18

PUPILS?

28. The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities including provision for visits and visitors. Year groups make residential visits to places such as Beaulieu and Swanage for outdoor pursuits and comparative studies in geography. Other visits to museums, galleries and environmental centres also occur. Musicians, theatre groups and artists in residence come into the school to give performances or master classes, working with pupils on curriculum activities. During the inspection Year 6 had a theme day – the Ancient Greeks –pupils used the information they had investigated about home life in Greece to dress in costumes appropriate to their role in ‘Greek society’ but their teachers also! Actors from a theatre group worked with pupils, at one stage re-enacting a battle sequence against the Greeks’ enemies from the Odysseus epic. Other theme days have included the Tudors, Egyptians and

p.18

PUPILS?

Victorians. A theme week using science, art and design, information and communication technology as well as design technology focused upon ‘machines’ . Festivals from different cultures and religions have also been celebrated. Over the years the school has had:

p.18

PUPILS?

• The sculptor and potter Julian Belmonte as artist in residence working with pupils; • a drum workshop led by Jeff Rich of the pop group ‘Status Quo’ and a member of the teaching staff; • poetry master classes with John Rice; and • weekly after-school clubs include drama, music and sports.

p.18

PUPILS?

29. The arrangements for pupils’ personal, social and health education are very good. A well-planned and structured scheme develops pupils’ understanding that they can help, support and resolve problems and conflicts for each other. Regular occasions are planned for pupils to talk about matters that concern them. Pupils are well supported as they increasingly consider others and their own thoughts and actions in a social context. Sex education and a heightening of an awareness of the misuse of drugs and medicines prepare pupils well for the future. This work is reinforced by the use of circle time and the school council on which each class has two representatives.

p.18

PUPILS?

30. The school has good relationships with nearby schools. Before pupils are admitted to the school, links are established and information shared by the feeder infants schools. The special needs support unit in particular has very good links with a number of infant schools as their pupils come from across a wider area than the local community. The school meets other schools for sporting fixtures and arts based activities. The curriculum links with the nearby secondary school involves the liaison teacher working regularly in the school. During the inspection she was working with a Year 6 science extension group, giving pupils the opportunity to sample the Key Stage 3 secondary curriculum. Records of pupils’ progress and achievements are shared and there is good liaison between the two schools to ensure that pupils receive full and appropriate curriculum experiences. The school tries to maintain curriculum links

p.18

PUPILS?

to ensure a smooth transfer of pupils at eleven no matter to which secondary school the pupils transfer. William Cobbett Junior School - 19 March 2001 31. Community support to the school is good. The local community contributes positively to the enriching of the curriculum provision for pupils. The police service, fire brigade and members of different faith communities support assemblies and specific programmes of work. The local medical services come to the school to undertake health checks and contribute to personal development programmes as necessary. The Friends Association raises money for specific projects and supports social events as well as providing parental support to accompany pupils on visits and with sporting and other community events.

p.18

PUPILS?

32. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.19

PUPILS?

33. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good. Acts of collective worship meet statutory requirements and provide pupils with opportunities for reflection and prayer. Assemblies give pupils knowledge and insight into people’s different beliefs and values. These are developed further in topics in personal, social and health education work in class, giving a cohesion and consistency across the school. Collective worship is predominantly Christian in character. Other faith stories, information, celebrations, along with moral tales, are used well. Music is used effectively to settle pupils for assembly and contributes to the establishment of a spiritual atmosphere. Visiting speakers from such agencies as the Young Men’s Christian Association share their faith and skills such as art and design with pupils. Religious education, as well as other subjects, gives pupils the planned opportunity to

p.19

PUPILS?

experience a sense of wonder. Year 6 pupils for instance listen to a recording of Martin Luther King’s Washington speech ‘I have a dream…’ in absolute silence before sharing thoughts such as ‘I believe man should live equally in the eyes of God’ and ‘I believe in harmony’. About the school, art works, photographs, artefacts, flowers and trees and living creatures such as stick insects and fish encourage children to experience the combinations of textures, colours and movements of the natural world. In poetry, pupils read the language of emotions, in mathematics multi-step problem solving, in science the growth of plants and animals all give pupils a sense of awe at the magnificence of nature and the joy of discovery in learning. From a visit to Corfe Castle pupils write about the special memories of seeing the ruins of a famous castle that ‘…once stood brave in battles and now it’s a pile of rubble…’ . A look of wonder is

p.19

PUPILS?

clear in the faces of pupils looking into a rock pool in a photograph from a seaside field trip.

p.19

PUPILS?

34. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. The school’s aims and values and the behaviour policy are effective in ensuring very good moral values. The school encourages truthfulness at all times as well as respect for the rights and property of each other and the development of self-discipline. Constant interaction between teaching and the school’s support staff and with the pupils ensure that moral concepts are very well introduced and supported. All adults provide pupils with good role models. Moral themes in assemblies such as friendship develop a clear sense of right and wrong, as does the school’s personal, social and health education policy. Each class has devised their own rules for living together and these are on display. Pupils are encouraged to care for each other and their environment through the election of two pupils from each class to form a school council. Here they have a

p.19

PUPILS?

voice in deciding matters such as the school rules, and their suggestions and the school’s senior managers treat requests seriously. A sense of fair play is encouraged in the playground and during games lessons. This fosters an awareness that individual behaviour impacts upon the lives and happiness of others. William Cobbett Junior School - 20 March 2001 35. The provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Pupils have a range of social skills upon entry to the school. The school aims to develop a sense of social and personal responsibility in preparation for adult life. The school provides many planned opportunities and occasions for pupils to work together collaboratively and to learn to co-operate. Pupils from the special educational support unit are integrated into the main school especially at break times. Older pupils are encouraged to help younger ones and pupils have a range of responsibilities around the school. All pupils

p.19

PUPILS?

chose a ‘Person of the week’, and think about the qualities that make that person special. Extra-curricular activities and residential visits encourage pupils to develop their interpersonal skills. The school raises funds for charity, having fun at the same time. Pupils see their parents supporting the school: assisting teachers with outings and visits and raising money to provide them with additional resources .

p.20

PUPILS?

36. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good, as is provision for preparing pupils to live in a multicultural society. Pupils learn about and participate in the richness of British and western culture through art and design, music, geography and history. Visits to museums, galleries and other cultural areas are made. The school encourages theatre and music groups to visit. Theme days for each year group are held, involving pupils looking at the culture and customs of peoples of history such as the Victorians, Tudors, Egyptians and Greeks. Recent British history is studied as shown in the display of World War 2. Art and artefacts from countries as diverse as Pacific Ocean islands and France are exhibited. Pupils work in the style of world famous artists such as Monet, looking at the colours, textures and shapes within pictures. The National Literacy Strategy has introduced pupils to a range of literature,

p.20

PUPILS?

poetry, authors and illustrators from Britain and around the world. During the inspection Year 3 pupils were listening to and writing their own ‘Caribbean rap poetry’ . In religious education pupils study the festivals such as Eid, Christmas, Chinese New Year and Diwali from the major world faiths. The few pupils from different ethnic minorities within the school are encouraged to share their language, faiths and customs with the rest of the school.

p.20

PUPILS?

37. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is good overall. The work undertaken by the special needs co-ordinator follows that detailed in their individual education plans. These focus on reading, spelling and punctuation but rarely include detailed mathematics targets as well. Because the school sets pupils for mathematics in every year group, it is felt that the group targets for the lower sets address pupils’ learning needs sufficiently and the inspection found this effective. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs within their classes is tailored to promote their understanding of the work addressed, with their assignments carefully planned to give sufficient challenge. The learning support assistants work effectively with the pupils assigned to them as well as with those close by, promoting the full involvement of their pupils in group activities.

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PUPILS?

38. Lessons for pupils with special educational needs that occur outside the classrooms are timetabled very well to ensure that pupils do not miss important or exciting lessons. Where children miss parts of lessons in other subjects, the special needs teacher works hard to help them complete the assignments for those lessons as well as the tasks she has planned for them.

p.20

PUPILS?

39. Individual education plans very rarely identify specific targets for behaviour and this is an area for development. The co-ordinators have already identified the need to develop clear and precise behavioural targets for pupils. William Cobbett Junior School - 21 March 2001 40. The school seeks successfully to ensure that pupils learning English as an additional language are fully integrated and have full access to the curriculum.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Overall the school demonstrates a good level of care for its pupils. A Year 5 teacher is the nominee responsible for child protection. She provides a very good level of care and ensures that teaching staff are regularly briefed of any developing situation. Non- teaching staff are aware of their responsibilities but have not benefited from formal awareness training. Teaching staff documentation is very clear and comprehensive and ensures that all staff know what is required of them in the organisation and consistent operation of the school. Lunch time and playtime supervision is satisfactory and pupils relate well to the adults on duty. First aid provision is good and pupils know exactly who to approach and what to do should the need arise. Parents of younger children are only encouraged to bring their children in to the classrooms in the first few weeks of their first term. However, at the end of the school day, the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

teachers take the children out to meet their parents. Throughout the year, this enables them to socialise and exchange information concerning the children on either an informal or formal basis. This ensures teachers and parents gets to know each other well.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The procedures for monitoring absence are good. Registers are maintained correctly using a manual system. A good feature is the return of the registers to the office after each registration, any late comer having to report to the office. The school should consider developing this good practise further by allowing the office staff to become more involved in absence monitoring and recording. The chair of the governors writes personally to any family that allow their child to have any unauthorised absence. School and classrooms rules are prominently displayed and all pupils know what is expected of them. Effective procedures are in place to promote good behaviour and there were no incidents of harassment or bullying during the inspection. The effectiveness of the behaviour policy is evident that at no time during the inspection was there any need for more than reminding pupils of the class or

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school caretaker lives on site and together with contract cleaners maintain a satisfactory level of cleanliness. Access to the rear of the school grounds is now protected by a fence and there is no longer a problem of trespassers identified in the previous inspection. Safety tours and risk assessments are carried out as advised by the local education authority and records are maintained. The school should consider improving this good practice by taking a more active role in making these aspects of health and safety more school specific. There are areas of pathways and of the playground that retain standing water after periods of rain, this restricts the opportunity for outdoor creative play and puts unnecessary pressure on staff and pupils confining them to the cramped accommodation.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Currently no pupils who use English as a second language are at the early stages of learning the language. However, the school has good procedures for assessing the attainment of new pupils so that appropriate support can be given.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The support and care for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Staff are quick to identify needs as they arise and monitor pupils’ progress well. When particular needs are identified the special educational needs co-ordinator, ably assisted by the special needs governor, undertakes well-planned assessments. They then use the information gained very effectively when planning individual William Cobbett Junior School - 22 March 2001 education plans in partnership with class teachers. The learning support assistants have a key role in informal assessment, undertaking regular structured observations during lessons. These observations make a very positive contribution to future plans, both for individuals and for the class as a whole. The school generally works well with troubled children and their families. Personal support plans are drawn up in consultation with parents and children to give clear guidance for pupils on behaviour

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

that is acceptable in school. The school makes every effort to avoid excluding pupils and to keep them in the school. Only in extreme circumstances does this occur.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are very good, and excellent use is made of them to guide teachers’ planning. An assessment folder for each class was introduced in January. This is an improvement on the previous method used. Every teacher uses a similar format with files arranged in a similar order. These folders are very well thought out with every aspect of assessment included. Teachers complete the records on a daily basis. Because assessment is built into the planning this ensures that there is very quick modification of lessons. Foundation subjects have the same assessment format as the core subjects. At the weekly planning meeting these assessments are discussed and this helps the teachers plan appropriate work for the coming week. Opportunities for pupils’ self- assessment are given in every lesson. They have the opportunity to reflect on how well they have achieved the learning intentions of the lesson. Pupils consider their

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

strengths and weaknesses, which ensures they have a very good understanding of their own levels of attainment and what is needed to achieve their individual predicted level. Optional national tests are taken each year and the results are very carefully analysed to review any changes needed to what pupils learn and where staff training may be required. This information is used to make an informed judgement about what level each child should be at when the next optional tests are taken. The Year 5 data is used to set school targets for the end of the key stage. Pupils have their own individual targets, which are written down and used by the pupil to ensure that appropriate progress is being made. There is a strong and effective marking policy, which is evaluative as well as informative and ensures that the pupils understand how well they are achieving. The active contribution of learning support assistants to

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

lessons has a major impact on the quality of teaching and learning. Their use in the assessment process to record observations during whole class discussions is very good.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Parents’ views of the school as expressed in the parents’ questionnaire and in particular at the parents’ meeting were very positive. Approximately 20 per cent of parents responding to the questionnaire were concerned about homework, how well they were kept informed about how their child was getting on and the range of activities on offer. All other questions on the parents’ questionnaire had a positive response of at least 94 per cent, and 100 per cent of parents thought the school expected their child to work hard. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting supported these views. However, some parents feel that the school does not work closely with them and does not provide an interesting range of extra-curricular activities. The inspection found that the amount and standard of homework across the school is very good and supports the school’s approach that learning is a joint activity between school and home. The use of the homework book as a means of home/school

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

communication is particularly effective. The quality of information given to parents is very good and the links with parents are good. The range of extra-curricular activities provided is very good. The annual report to parents contains details of achievement in all curriculum subjects and summarises a pupil’s personal and social skills. William Cobbett Junior School - 23 March 2001 Parents of children with special educational needs are well supported with individual education plans and a number of pupils have personal support plans. Both of these plans are reviewed regularly with parents. The school organises annual report evenings and has organised evenings to explain new initiatives such as the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies but these were poorly attended by parents. A home/school agreement is in place, the school prospectus is clear and comprehensive and parents benefit from guidance on what activities can be undertaken at home to

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

support learning in school. A very good example of information to parents is the year group termly newsletter that itemises topic work to be undertaken and important dates for the term.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Only a small number of parents voluntarily help in school during the teaching day though a number a parents assist on school trips and accompany children going swimming. There is an active Friends Association that raises valuable funds for the school and parents assist with particular projects such as the trim trail and garden. During the inspection week the pupils enjoyed a Greek Day and parents had made a great effort at home preparing the period dress for their children. The school’s partnership with parents is good but there remains scope for further development, particularly the greater involvement of parents during the teaching day.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The involvement of parents in the provision for special educational needs is good and parents express very positive views of the school’s special educational needs provision. Individual education plans are shared with parents, who contribute to the review of targets and the setting of new ones.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The headteacher is an excellent leader. She manages the school extremely efficiently and with great vision. She works closely with all staff and effectively delegates responsibilities to the senior management team and subject co-ordinators. It is the attention to detail and foresight that marks out the headteacher’s management style and the quick action to resolve situations as they arise. For example, the swift action taken to improve pupils’ extended writing once this had been identified as an area for development. The various management strategies introduced since the last inspection have been particularly effective and have had a significant effect on raising standards, leading to the school gaining beacon status from the Department for Education and Employment as a particularly effective school.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. All the weaknesses identified in the last inspection have been fully addressed including the very good improvement in the quality and amount of accommodation available for the special educational needs unit. However, the accommodation for the mainstream pupils is cramped and restrictive, and has an adverse impact on practical subjects such as art and design, design and technology and science. Toilet facilities are inadequate for the number of pupils and staff in the school. The drainage of the outside area is poor. This means that pupils are often not able to use the area because of standing water that makes it dangerous and restricts its use for playtime and physical education. It is only the excellent relationships within the school and the pupils’ very good behaviour that enable the school to overcome the significant restrictions the accommodation imposes and continue to maintain high standards.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Particularly effective has been improvement in the quality and range of monitoring of teaching and learning, especially the detailed observation of lessons. The observer gives constructive and developmental feedback to teachers on their teaching, leading to a significant improvement in teaching performance since the last inspection. William Cobbett Junior School - 24 March 2001 53. The governing body is a very strong supporter of the school and has a full involvement in school life holding it to account and monitoring developments effectively. It fulfils all its statutory duties. The creative and dynamic input of the chair of governors is a real asset to the school. It is this dynamic approach to school initiatives by the headteacher and governing body that has enabled the school to progress so well. The governors have undertaken training to better fulfil their role and some provide additional services to the school in ICT and financial planning. A series of very strong

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

systems has been introduced that have also made a positive impact on standards. For example, the school has developed an excellent system that uses the extensive data it gathers on pupils from various forms of assessment to track individual pupils’ progress. This means teachers know their pupils very well and ensures that they set them challenging but achievable targets in their work. The attention to detail in the assessment procedures is a particular feature which is evident in many of the school’s procedures. The school is constantly evaluating its policies to ensure that they remain as effective as possible.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The senior management team is made up of the headteacher and her deputy, the head of the special educational needs unit and year group leaders. It is particularly effective, all the team has clearly defined roles and takes full responsibility for them, with the headteacher and governing body holding them to account. This strong management structure is a major factor in the efficient running of the school and the drive to raise standards. All members of staff share this ideal. To pursue this goal further the school is to set up a school improvement team whose specific role it is to look for further ways to improve standards. There is an unusual degree of openness in this school, staff act as critical friends to each other, willingly accept constructive criticism and actively seek to improve their performance.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The management of the arrangements for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The teacher-in-charge of the attached unit is also the special needs co- ordinator, ably assisted by the school’s special educational needs teacher. They are very knowledgeable and have established very good working relationships with colleagues. All the paperwork is designed to be manageable and useful whilst meeting the requirements of the Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs. This ensures that pupils’ needs are met effectively with the minimum of administration time. The school has good relationships with the outside agencies that support them. The school has a satisfactory range of resources for special educational needs.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school has an excellent school development plan that is detailed and fully costed for three years to ensure that the school looks to the future. It is reviewed annually and concentrates on a series of priorities each year. All initiatives and strategies are given a target date for implementation. The priorities the school identified in the school development plan ensures that expenditure is carefully targeted to action these priorities. Excellent action is taken to meet these priorities and very good use is made of the resources available to the school including the grant for holding beacon status and the one given from the standards fund for raising standards in the school. The school makes good use of new technology, it has a cramped but well-equipped computer suite linked to the Internet and uses a commercial software package to manage its finances. The school accesses its budget through an electronic link with

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the local education authority. The careful husbandry of resources uses the concept of best value to ensure that goods and services are competitively obtained. Additional grants and funding that the school receives are used appropriately. The overall range and quality of learning resources are good. William Cobbett Junior School - 25 March 2001 57. There is a large teaching staff, which gives an extensive range of expertise covering all subjects. Many support staff have taken additional training to make them more effective in the classroom and all staff undertake in-service training provided within the school and by outside agencies such as the local education authority. This training is carefully tailored to meet the needs of the school and to extend the skill of the individual. For example, when a weakness in writing was identified, each year group has taken additional literacy training to develop their effectiveness in teaching reading

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and writing skills. The school has very good procedures in place for the induction of newly qualified staff and staff new to the school. The year group leader is responsible for the mentoring of new staff in his or her year, assisted by the subject co-ordinators. This is most effective and the school is a popular placement for student teachers from St Mary’s College Twickenham, Kingston University and even as far afield as Bulmershe College in Reading.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school meets all statutory requirements. The average cost per pupil in mainstream classes the average attainment on entry and the high standards achieved means the school offers very good value for money. William Cobbett Junior School - 26 March 2001

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

59. The school has no significant educational weaknesses. However, to overcome the school’s cramped and overcrowded accommodation and inadequate toilet facilities, the governing body and headteacher should:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• endeavour to improve and extend the accommodation for pupils and toilet facilities for pupils and staff (paras: 43, 51, 82, 90).

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Other issues which should be considered by the school:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• the school should seek to improve the drainage of the outside areas to improve the access for physical education and playtime (paras: 51,127).

p.26

THE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUPPORT UNIT

60. The special educational needs support unit caters for pupils with a range of academic, emotional and physical difficulties, all of whom have statements of special educational need. At present 18 pupils are on the unit’s register. Of these, two integrate full-time into the appropriate mainstream classes and three pupils spend some afternoons each week in their classes with some support. The other pupils join a mainstream class as they are able, participating in as many activities as they can with the help of their learning support assistants. This is planned very carefully and in full consultation with parents and mainstream teachers to ensure continuity and success.

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THE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUPPORT UNIT

61. The unit is a very good resource where pupils are valued and their successes recognised. Pupils benefit from a rich curriculum that is broad, balanced and appropriate and addresses all areas of the National Curriculum and religious education. Pupils make very good progress in relation to the targets identified on their individual education plans. These relate to the development of simple literacy and numeracy skills as well as targets for verbal communication and social interaction where relevant. ICT is used very well to support pupils in their learning, with some specialist equipment used effectively. Computer skills are taught well and many pupils develop confidence in word processing and in printing their own work. Physical education lessons are planned for when the physiotherapist is in school, making very good use of her expertise to enhance pupils’ learning. In these lesson pupils work at

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THE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUPPORT UNIT

their own levels and abilities, with a great deal of valuable support from many adults. Pupils also swim and ride each week. There is an emphasis on life skills such as shopping. Each summer a residential trip is organised when pupils contribute to the domestic chores as well as the activities planned such as archery, go-carting and canoeing. The programme for personal social and health education varies according to the needs of the pupils on role at the time. Currently teachers are addressing social use of language, helping pupils to refine their social interactions and presentation of themselves. During the inspection the development of pupils' vocabulary and their confidence in expressing opinions to the group was particularly good. For example, during a lesson about music for the seasons, one pupil was able to give a very clear and reasonable explanation of why his picture of a lady in a pink

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THE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUPPORT UNIT

dress with green hair expressed the mood of the springtime music. William Cobbett Junior School - 27 March 2001 62. The teaching within the unit is very good overall, with some exemplary lessons observed. The teacher-in-charge, the second teacher and the learning support assistants know their pupils well and show them that they enjoy their company. Planning is good and addresses the individual needs of pupils. Very good use is made of ongoing assessment to enable pupils to progress well. The staff work effectively as a team and all members make very good contributions to pupils' educational development. Expectations of pupils are high in terms of effort and of taking responsibilities. Pupils are supported well in lessons but the work they achieve is their own.

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THE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUPPORT UNIT

63. Pupils respond well to the teaching within the unit. They work hard and often maintain good concentration on the tasks that they are given, persevering when they meet difficulties. They are well-motivated and very enthusiastic. Pupils develop skills in working co-operatively, share resources well and are supportive of one another’s efforts. They are developing good learning skills, making choices and requesting assistance as they evaluate their own work. Pupils show great pride in their achievements and get considerable pleasure from mastering a task or technique. For example, the joy expressed when their electrical circuits were completed to make a bulb light up was moving to observe. Pupils are confident in their relationships with staff and with each other and the unit is a happy place for all involved.

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THE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUPPORT UNIT

64. The unit is well managed. All paperwork is maintained according to the requirements of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. The teacher-in-charge is very knowledgeable and manages her team very effectively to promote the highest standards their pupils can attain. External agencies such as the speech therapist and the physiotherapist work well with the unit staff and provide good support for the pupils. The remodelled accommodation has addressed the criticisms of the last inspection. The unit is now housed within a new set of rooms in the main building of the school. Two good-sized, airy classrooms are complemented with designated toilet facilities and suitable administrative areas that double for such aspects as one- to-one support or physiotherapy. The unit is bright and inviting, with pupils' work displayed to maximum advantage and with resources easily accessible to pupils. These are plentiful and in good condition. There is good access to the playground,

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THE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUPPORT UNIT

but the unit does not have enough suitable outdoor play equipment such as tricycles to extend the opportunities for outdoor play, particularly for pupils with physical disabilities.

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THE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUPPORT UNIT

65. William Cobbett is a very appropriate school for a unit to be attached to and it is to the school’s credit that during the inspection no member of staff made reference to difficulties in integrating pupils from the special educational needs unit into mainstream activities. The integral part played by the unit in the life of the school is impressive. For example, unit pupils worked with Year 6 children to create the ‘whirlpool’ sculpture in the entrance foyer. Its central location is testament to the unit’s place at the heart of the school. Despite understandable concerns about the negative impact on the school’s results in the National Curriculum tests due to the addition of the results of pupils from the unit, the headteacher talks of the school’s ‘sense of privilege’ in having the unit attached.

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THE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SUPPORT UNIT

66. The consistency of approach noted at the last inspection has been maintained, and the quality of education given by the unit continues to be very high. William Cobbett Junior School - 28 March 2001

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.28

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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 Y3 – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) - 344

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals - 21

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y3 – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs - 24

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register - 112

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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 6

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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 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. William Cobbett Junior School - 29 March 2001

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 47 42 89

p.29

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 36 37 44 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 37 31 38

p.29

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 82 (75) 76 (86) 92 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 22 34 37 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 27 34

p.29

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 60 (66) 69 (76) 80 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

p.29

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. William Cobbett Junior School - 30 March 2001

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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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.

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 16.8 Financial year 1999/2000

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.7

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total expenditure 723,108

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 13 Expenditure per pupil 2,090

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 256 Balance brought forward from previous year 55,219

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 61,302 William Cobbett Junior School - 31 March 2001

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 40 52 5 0 3

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 40 52 5 1 2

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 51 15 1 1

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 38 42 16 3 1

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 57 38 4 1 0

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 37 0 0 1

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 30 49 16 1 4

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 56 37 3 0 4

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52 43 2 0 3

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20 43 21 6 11

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

None William Cobbett Junior School - 32 March 2001

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ENGLISH

67. In the previous report, standards of attainment were judged to be at least in line with the national average, with particular strengths in the quality of speaking and listening. The results of the 2000 National Curriculum tests by the end of Key Stage 2 showed that attainment was slightly above the national average. The majority of pupils reached the expected Level 4 2 and a significant proportion exceeded it. It is only in comparison to similar schools that the performance is below average. This is largely accounted for by the inclusion in the results of the pupils from the attached special educational needs unit. Because the school carefully analysed these results they recognised that it was in writing skills that pupils were not achieving the higher levels. They have addressed the problem by restructuring the literacy lessons. Self- assessment has also been introduced, in which pupils consider how well they have

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ENGLISH

achieved the learning intention of the lesson.

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ENGLISH

68. Findings in the inspection show that writing has improved by the end of Key Stage 2 for pupils in mainstream classes. Standards overall in literacy by eleven are at least above and frequently well above what is expected of pupils nationally. They develop very good speaking and listening skills. Opportunities are provided to explore ideas through discussion and pupils demonstrate very good levels of skill. Furthermore, these skills support work across the curriculum well. For example, in a Year 6 religious education lesson, pupils spoke clearly about Martin Luther King’s Washington speech ‘I have a dream…’ They listened well to the tape of the speech and responded to each other’s views and comments. Similar features occur in everyday conversations and at more formal times, such as in assemblies.

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ENGLISH

69. By the age of the key stage, pupils read with fluency and accuracy, easily matching the expected Level 4 1 in the National Curriculum, with many exceeding this standard. Higher attaining pupils can predict what will happen in stories and talk readily about other books by the same author. The length of a book does not daunt them. They read with intelligent attention to the text and with expression, taking due regard of characters when reading dialogue. Lower attaining pupils read at a satisfactory level, though they lack some of the fluency and expression of higher attaining readers. The majority of pupils are enthusiastic when talking about the books they like to read. They express their preferences and, for example, talk about the differences between a book and its film version. Year 6 pupils gave detailed and convincing reasons why they preferred the book version of ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’ to that of the film. Knowledge

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ENGLISH

of authors is good because pupils are introduced to a wide range of genres, and the authors and their particular styles are pointed out during literacy hours. Pupils learn how to locate information and then to use it as the basis for other work. Year 5 pupils enjoyed finding out about the Victorians using primary sources of information. Pupils know how to locate information using the contents and index pages of books and understand the use of a glossary. They know that ICT can also be used as a starting place for research. However, their knowledge of the Dewey library system to locate books is less developed.

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ENGLISH

70. By 11 years of age, pupils write effective English in a variety of styles and situations and for different audiences. The school’s revised structure of the literacy hour is ensuring that standards in writing are rising. Inspection findings show that nearly all pupils match the expected Level 4 2 at the age of 11 and a higher proportion than last year reach Level 5 2 or above. This high attainment reflects the learning and progress that has occurred in the school through the focus on teaching writing skills. For William Cobbett Junior School - 33 March 2001 example, pupils in a Year 3 class were observed writing their own very good West Indian style rap poems after reading and performing a rap poem about a grandmother. Good examples of poems written by different year groups are on display around the school. Year 6 looked at personification in poetry and then wrote their own poems.

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ENGLISH

The sun opened one eye and edged warily towards the horizon. The moon ran away from the sun. The flowers woke up and stretched all over.

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ENGLISH

71. Year 6 pupils have written stories as a whole class, which are carefully presented and displayed in the reading corners. Year 4 pupils’ book reviews are well written and the reader gets a good feel for the book from what is written. Many of these reviews are very well presented using ICT . Scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that all pupils make good progress. It also shows that pupils are offered a full range of writing opportunities, including lengthy stories. Cross-curricular links with religious education and history add to such opportunities when they write imaginary accounts of life as an evacuee in war-time Britain, as well as factual accounts of their findings. Pupils in mainstream classes with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress.

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ENGLISH

72. Literacy is emphasised in most subjects, and opportunities to acquire and practise its important basic skills are found in many areas of the curriculum. For example, reading is used to find information in many subjects and often pupils are asked to look up something at home. Year 5 pupils during design and technology lessons wrote a story called Jenny’s Birthday Surprise using high quality language and illustrating it with pictures with moving parts. A high standard of presentation is expected in all areas of the curriculum. Various occasions across the curriculum are also employed to help pupils make very good progress in speaking and listening. These include lessons in classrooms, assemblies and annual school productions.

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ENGLISH

73. In English lessons pupils respond with great enthusiasm and show willingness to contribute ideas to discussions. They listen well or work in pairs or groups as required by teachers, keeping on task and working well together. A high degree of co- operation is always evident. The structure of the school’s literacy hour and the reading sessions encourage the pupils to become independent workers. The way teachers share with pupils what is meant by the different levels of attainment in the National Curriculum tests contributes to their awareness of their own learning.

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ENGLISH

74. Overall the quality of teaching is very good and includes some excellent lessons. In 80 per cent of lessons teaching was very good or better, 20 per cent was excellent and there was no unsatisfactory teaching. In all lessons planning is very effective with clear aims. This very good planning helps teachers explain to pupils what they are expected to understand by the end of the lesson and thereby contributes well to their learning. Teachers use suitable strategies for ensuring that the learning takes place. Methods match the age and needs of the pupils, which supports the learning of basic skills. In all lessons, the school’s recently modified literacy hour structure was followed and pupils were given information about how time was passing, which allows them to appreciate how quickly they must work to complete the task. This maintained the pace of work well. The final or plenary sessions were carefully planned and timed

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ENGLISH

to give the pupils the opportunity to reflect on what they had learned and for the teacher to recapitulate the learning intention of the lesson. This revised structure, with its concentration on writing skills, is already having a very positive effect on the William Cobbett Junior School - 34 March 2001 standards of written work, which was evident in all year groups during the inspection. The group reading session of the literacy hour is now taught as a short, separate lesson so that the high standards the school achieves in this area are being maintained. In all classes pupils are well-managed and positive attitudes and relationships result. Excellent use of ongoing assessment is employed to check on pupils’ progress. It includes conscientious marking of pupils’ writing, indicating how far the learning intention has been met and offering advice about how to improve the next piece of work.

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ENGLISH

75. Co-ordination of English is very good and the analysis of the disappointing writing results of the Year 2000 National Curriculum test results and the subsequent decision to alter the planning for the literacy hour is already showing a marked improvement in writing standards across the key stage. The class teachers carefully plan the work of the very skilled learning support assistants, which makes a very good contribution to the work and progress of the pupils. Excellent arrangements for assessing pupils’ work are in place and systems for monitoring the subject are also established. Under these systems the co-ordinator regularly checks the planning of all year groups. The outcomes of the ongoing assessment are used at the weekly planning meeting of the year group to inform the following week’s planning.

p.34

ENGLISH

76. There are opportunities for the more able pupils to work with authors and poets in school. They have attended writing master classes at the local secondary school.

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ENGLISH

77. English makes a good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development giving them the opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the beauty of language in poetry and prose and to consider the feelings of the author. Pupils learn to work co-operatively and are introduced to other cultures through the texts they study.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

78. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils achieve standards that are above the national average. In the Year 2000 National Curriculum tests the percentage of pupils that achieved Level 4 2 or above was broadly in line with the national average at 48 per cent compared to 47 per cent nationally. However the percentage achieving the high attaining Level 5 2 result or above was significantly higher at 28 per cent compared to 24 per cent nationally. Standards are in line with schools with a similar low number of free school meals nationally. The inspection findings bear out that standards are at least above those expected for pupils’ age both in lessons and in the work that was analysed during the inspection. Recent National Curriculum results were affected adversely by the inclusion of the results of pupils in the attached special educational needs unit. Standards of numeracy overall are at least good across the school.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

79. Over a three year period between 1998 to 2000 the attainment of boys has been slightly better than girls in the National Curriculum tests. However, the inspection found no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls. The strong assessment procedures in mathematics means that work is very carefully pitched to ensure that all pupils achieve the highest standards appropriate to their age and ability. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and are well supported in the classroom. Those few pupils who have English as an additional language or are from minority ethnic groups are fully integrated and they achieve at a similar level to their peers.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

80. Pupils are set in mathematics, (i.e. grouped according to attainment in this subject.) William Cobbett Junior School - 35 March 2001 This is effective as it enables teachers to pitch the level of work more precisely to each set and give additional support when it is required. In the lowest attaining set in Year 3 the clearly displayed learning intention was to improve pupils’ mental calculation to 20. Pupils work well in pairs adding on to numbers in various ways to 20. Pupils explore the number 349 ‘how many tens’, ‘how many units’ and explore ‘one more’ and ‘one less’. Pupils understand the difference between odd and even numbers. Pupils know that double seven is 14 and that 9+7=16. They sort liquorice sweets into different shapes and identify them such as squares and cylinders. When grouped together for the final or plenary session the majority of pupils count forward and backward accurately in fives and tens. In a Year 4 lesson with the second,

p.34

MATHEMATICS

average attaining set, pupils know how many fractions make a whole, working with quarters, fifths and eighths. The majority understand equivalent fractions, that a half is equivalent to two quarters, five tenths and so on. In an extension group in Year 5 higher attaining gifted and talented pupils count in various ways to a 1000. Pupils quickly work out how to build 765 to 1000, explaining their answer. They round up numbers and estimate accurately to arrive at an answer. Pupils work with precision on multi–step questions that require several calculations to reach an answer, they understand the importance of writing out the explanation of their calculations to be able to check if the answer is correct. They multiply numbers such as 8x5, 30x5, 80x8 and 30x8 and know place value to 2400. In the highest attaining set in Year 6 pupils calculate three digit sums mentally using addition, subtraction, multiplication and

p.35

MATHEMATICS

division and understand probability that they have a one in six chance when throwing a dice. By the end of the key stage pupils have a good knowledge of basic arithmetical skills including working out calculations mentally. They use a good range of strategies to solve numerical problems and use their well developed literacy skills to solve problems that are in written form.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

81. The quality of teaching ranges from satisfactory to excellent with no unsatisfactory teaching. Overall the quality of teaching is very good. Good teaching was seen in 43 per cent of lessons and very good teaching in 36 per cent of lessons. There was excellent teaching seen in 7 per cent of lessons (representing one lesson.) The effective use of setting i.e. (grouping pupils according to attainment) and very detailed planning ensures that teachers have a consistent approach across each year group and across the school. The excellent whole school assessment procedures means that teachers know their pupils very well and track their progress very effectively during their life at the school. In an excellent Year 6 lesson the teacher showed a very strong relationship with the pupils and they were very attentive and responsive. The lesson was brisk and challenging and the teacher showed very good subject

p.35

MATHEMATICS

knowledge. The very high quality question and answer sessions ensured that this higher attaining group of pupils was learning extremely well. The learning intentions of the lesson were displayed clearly on the blackboard and pupils evaluated their own pace of learning, asking for help knowing that it would be given without censure or loss of confidence on their part. In a Year 3 lesson with lower attaining pupils the teacher used praise and reinforcement so that pupils maintained confidence in the subject. Again the question and answer sessions developed pupils learning most effectively. A feature of all the teaching is that pupils are allowed to make mistakes without feeling foolish or losing confidence in their ability at the subject. However, they are keenly aware of their own learning process and know their own standard of work, often quoting the National Curriculum level they have achieved. All teachers have

p.35

MATHEMATICS

been effectively trained in the National Numeracy Strategy and this a strength in the subject leading to a consistency of approach and good pupil progress. High quality evaluative marking and carefully constructed homework further reinforces pupils’ learning. The effective use of ICT complements pupils’ learning in mathematics. Numeracy skills are well used in subjects such as science and geography. William Cobbett Junior School - 36 March 2001 82. The subject is very competently managed by a co-ordinator who has high personal skills and a great interest in the subject. She is used as a valuable resource in the subject to advise colleagues and has ensured that teaching and learning is closely monitored. The excellent use of whole school assessment procedures has made a significant contribution to the subject and ensures that pupils’ progress is very closely tracked. Resources for numeracy are good and have been carefully targeted to the

p.35

MATHEMATICS

subject’s priorities. Of particular note is the good range of resources produced by teachers reflecting the care and attention to detail taken in this subject. Accommodation is cramped in some classrooms making it difficult for pupils to gather round the teacher during the final session in numeracy lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

83. The school has made good progress since the last inspection. There has been considerable input into the mathematics curriculum and standards continue to rise.

p.36

SCIENCE

84. In the year 2000 National Curriculum assessment tests for eleven-year old pupils, results were well above the national average when compared with all schools and those with a similar context. Ninety-two per cent of pupils achieved the target level for their age of Level 4 and 65 per cent achieved the higher Level 5 1 . Standards have risen significantly over the last five years and since the last inspection. This is due to the high quality of teaching, improved planning to support teachers’ subject knowledge and the use of regular checks on pupils’ progress, indicating clearly what needs to be taught next.

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SCIENCE

85. Inspection evidence confirms that standards are at least good and frequently very good, illustrated in very good results in the statutory tests in year 2000. Besides work seen in lessons, analysis of work in pupils’ books and in displays shows that all aspects of the National Curriculum for science are taught. Pupils make good progress in acquiring knowledge about materials, plants, forces and friction and electricity through being given the opportunity to experiment, observe and investigate for themselves within structured sessions. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and achieve appropriate levels, receiving good quality support in the classroom. During the inspection no discernible difference in the progress of girls and boys was observed.

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SCIENCE

86. A strength of science is the amount of time that is planned to give pupils the opportunity to observe, investigate and experiment for themselves. Year 3 pupils, for example, study the needs of plants, make close observational drawings of two plants, one that had been kept in the light, the other in the dark. Pupils know that apart from light and dark, both plants have been treated similarly in order to construct a fair test . A discussion about their drawings enables pupils to clearly identify differences. Pupils confidently make hypotheses and sound predictions about what will happen in an experiment, decide what equipment will be needed and how to collect the evidence. Year 4 pupils, for example, having considered thermal insulation in previous work, move on via electrical conductors to consider thermal conductors. Year 5 pupils experiment with pitch using a range of tuned and tuneable instruments, while Year 6

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SCIENCE

pupils investigate friction and the use of cogs to increase speed using the science co- ordinator’s bicycle. The progressive development of recording systems, the clear development of prediction matched to the use of results to draw conclusions that can be repeated are common to work in all areas of the science curriculum. Across the school samples of previous work show a good use of graphs and charts to record data. When writing up experiments pupils make good use of correct scientific William Cobbett Junior School - 37 March 2001 vocabulary and these technical terms occur in pupils’ literacy work. By the end of the key stage pupils have a good understanding of scientific vocabulary. They understand the concept fair testing i.e.(that all the parameters of the test are the same except for the one being tested) and they use a variety of methods to illustrate their findings.

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SCIENCE

87. Much work is presented using ICT, particularly the use of computer programs in producing graphs, charts and diagrams.

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SCIENCE

88. The quality of teaching is good overall with over 60% of lessons seen being very good or excellent. Teachers extend pupils' understanding well with the use of an appropriate curriculum drawn from the scheme of work for each age group. Work is targeted towards pupils’ particular abilities. Most lessons have extension activities to enable gifted and talented pupils to develop learning further. Teachers plan together very effectively in year group teams. Good questions, instructions and explanations and the use of scientific terms encourage pupils to explain and clarify their thinking. Pupils across the school show at least good, and sometimes very good, attitudes towards their work. They are enthusiastic, co-operate and concentrate with high levels of motivation on their tasks.

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SCIENCE

89. Pupils are assessed very effectively. Teachers closely follow the National Curriculum programmes of study and ensure that pupils’ work is compared to national standards on an ongoing basis. Pupils are encouraged to be aware of the level at which they are working and identify areas themselves for improvement. This has led to very accurate judgements in the teachers’ assessments and predictions about the end of key stage tests. Pupils with an especial aptitude for science are challenged via extension sessions to aim for the higher levels in the programme of study. During the inspection the liaison teacher from the nearby secondary school worked with a small group, developing knowledge and skills concerning electricity from the Key Stage 3 curriculum, (the early secondary school course).

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SCIENCE

90. The subject co-ordinator has effectively worked to raise standards since the previous inspection. He has a clear picture of what pupils needs to develop in science and what the school needs to do to get there. A nationally produced scheme of work has been matched to the school’s practice. Teachers’ medium and short term plans are monitored, as are samples of pupils’ work. Resources are purchased and directed to implement the units of work appropriately. Unfortunately the accommodation does not fully support wider scientific investigation. Classrooms, especially for older pupils, are cramped and this means that science experiments have to be very carefully structured to minimise movement round the room to ensure the health and safety of pupils. For investigational work, for example, on materials and forces using balloons, the hall has to be booked by the year group. This limits the pace of lessons and the

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SCIENCE

development of evaluation skills, although the school has minimised the impact of this by skilful organisation. All pupils have access to a full curriculum, with pupils in the special educational needs support unit either supported within class in the main school or working on an adapted curriculum drawn from the curriculum for Key Stage 1 within the unit.

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ART AND DESIGN

91. Only one lesson was seen in art and design. Evidence is taken from this, talking to pupils, examining teachers’ planning and analysis of pupils’ work displayed in classrooms, in corridors and in sketch books. The standards achieved by pupils by the end of Key Stage 2 are above those expected of their age. This is similar to the William Cobbett Junior School - 38 March 2001 last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. Much of pupils’ work is linked to the themes that the school follows in history and geography. For example, the ancient Greeks was the theme during the inspection. Pupils had an outside drama group visit to exemplify life during this period. In a Year 6 lesson pupils made three dimensional Greek masks using corners of cardboard cartons. Pupils’ designs are based on historic events or Greek mythology. Pupils showed good imagination in the style of the masks, for example, some making masks in the style of those worn by gladiators, others of women’s faces. Pupils discuss in detail the form of decoration they are to use to decorate the mask once the shape has been determined using papier-mâché. In sketch books pupils show that they have achieved a good standard in observation drawing again showing a keen eye for detail. Drafting skills and pencil control are good and the effective use of shading when

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ART AND DESIGN

drawing a still life of a boot was particularly well observed giving the object great depth. A Year 6 display of Corfe Castle shows that pupils capture the mood of the object they are painting and there is some very high quality water colour work that illustrates pupils’ written work. There is a good range of use of different materials. In Year 3, pupils show high quality use of aluminium foil for relief work to illustrate the theme of machines on which they had been working. Pupils work in the style of the impressionist artist Claude Monet and the more recent pottery designer from this century Clarice Cliff. This work shows a keen eye for the detail, colour and style of working of the artists. All pupils are fully involved in the subject and there is a good example of collaborative work with the special educational needs unit and Year 6 in a striking copper wire whirlpool that decorates the entrance to the school. This was

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ART AND DESIGN

completed with the help of one of the many artists in residence that the school has encouraged to join them in recent years. There are equally striking examples of sculptures made by Year 6 pupils using breeze blocks to sculpt monolithic heads similar to those found on Easter Island. Outside of the school walls there are plaques in raised relief made from fired clay to celebrate the millennium, using tiles made by many pupils, including those from the special educational needs unit; both of these projects were assisted by artists in residence.

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ART AND DESIGN

93. In the one lesson seen in Year 6 the quality of teaching was very good. Particularly the good use of probing questioning by the teacher to ensure that pupils were clear about the objectives of the lesson. This thorough discussion ensured that pupils were fully aware of the techniques needed to complete their mask and gave them the opportunity to change their minds about the approach. The teacher had very good subject knowledge and has established an excellent relationship with pupils of mutual respect. Pupils were very attentive and genuinely interested in their work, frequently discussing with each other how they were going to approach a particular aspect of design when deciding on materials to be used. For example, one pupil decided that she would use various ribbons as hair to decorate her mask.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. The co-ordinator for art and design actively promotes the subject and very effectively uses the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority guidelines as a basis for the art and design curriculum and encourages the use of ICT in the subject. There were some good examples of computer generated art work in the computer room using commercial software. Year 4 pupils have used a graphics program to explore the use of dots to create pictures as part of their study of Pointillism and the Impressionists. Pupils also research the backgrounds of famous artists using the Internet. Assessment has been simplified to include all foundation 3 subjects that includes art and design and the assessment diaries are effectively used by teachers on a weekly basis to monitor pupil progress. Monitoring of the subject is effectively done through analysis of pupils’ sketch books and through displays. Pupils are encouraged to be

p.38

ART AND DESIGN

William Cobbett Junior School - 39 March 2001 involved in artistic work outside of school. For example, two pupils in different age groups won their categories for the design of a new store for a well known supermarket chain and in addition to their own prizes won and Easter egg for every pupil in the school. The winning pupils are to officially open the new store once it is built. Pupils with special educational needs, including those from the unit, achieve standards appropriate for their age and ability and make good progress. Pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language have full access to this subject and achieve a good standard to a similar level to their peers.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. The cramped and poor quality accommodation of the school inhibits practical work and due credit must be given to pupils and teachers for overcoming this significant drawback. Classes have to completely re-organise their rooms to make the teaching of this subject possible. Resources for the subject are adequate and the school has applied for a grant for a new and more effective kiln to replace their current outdated one. 3-foundation subjects are all subjects except for English, mathematics and science.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. No lessons were observed and therefore no judgement on teaching and learning can be made. However analysis of books, displays and discussions with pupils confirms that standards are at least in line with expectations for their age by the end of Key Stage 2, which is similar to the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. The scheme of work is based on government guidelines and evidence of work recently undertaken was both on display and in pupils’ books. In Year 3, pupils make simple single and double levers and also pop-up mechanisms. They evaluate a bought sandwich by commenting on its smell, taste and texture and they then evaluate the packaging and go on to design a new label for the box. In Year 4 they study pneumatic devices and design a moving monster that uses a pneumatic system. One pupil explains that ‘when you move his tail his head will pop up.’ They also design torches that incorporate electric circuits made by the pupils. In Year 5 pupils make biscuits and go on to investigate musical instruments by answering a set of searching questions such as ‘can you make different notes and if so how?’ They have also worked on control technology on the Science and Technology bus, a visiting facility for schools provided by the local education authority. In Year 6, pupils

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

design cams that work, and design, test and make slippers. Finally, display and photographic evidence shows that the designing, building and flying of hot-air balloons was a great success and a pupil records ‘We learnt that the shape of the balloon made an awful lot of difference to how well it flew .’

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. All the pupils’ work is valued by the teachers and displayed to best effect. The work on levers and pop-up mechanisms is incorporated into well used books where the mechanisms help make moving pictures to illustrate the stories. Throughout the school the principle of designing for a purpose, making, modifying to improve and evaluating with regard to construction and fitness for use is constantly stressed. It is frequently repeated so that eventually it becomes second nature to the pupils. Pupils enjoy this subject and talk with enthusiasm about what they have done. There has been a significant improvement since the last inspection in the development of skills in design and technology skills and in particular the planning for development of the subject is now much more precise and effective. ICT is effectively used for the design element of design and technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. The co-ordinator has been in post since September 2000 and has no non-contact William Cobbett Junior School - 40 March 2001 time to support this subject. She has therefore yet to start monitoring teaching but does, through the annual review cycle and, consults with all staff with regard to resources that are required. Resource provision for this subject is satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

100. Only a small amount of geography lessons was seen during the inspection. Evidence is from these lessons, displays in classrooms, discussions with pupils and the co- ordinator and analysis of pupils’ work. Standards in geography are above those expected for pupils’ age by the end of Key Stage 2. All pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs, who attain a standard that is appropriate for their age and ability. The few children of travellers and those pupils who have English as an additional language or are from minority ethnic groups achieve at a similar level to their peers.

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GEOGRAPHY

101. By the age of eleven, pupils locate places on a map using grid references. They study the local area and contrast this with a coast town of Swanage. They understand how the sea is eroding the coastal areas. In Year 3, pupils explore their local area. In Year 4, pupils consider improvements which could be made in their area and conduct traffic surveys. The results of these are passed to local councillors and used as evidence of a need for a pedestrian crossing outside the school. In Year 4 pupils study an Indian locality. In Year 5, pupils map the different stages of a river, and understand the water cycle. They apply this knowledge to some major rivers of the world. They understand how engineering works such as barriers, locks and canals can modify rivers. Pupils recognise ways in which people try to change the environment.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. Teaching is good. This is characterised by good subject knowledge, a brisk pace in lessons and very strong relationships between teachers and their pupils. Teachers expect good behaviour from pupils and this helps to secure a calm positive atmosphere in which pupils can work. Pupils are eager to respond to the challenging questioning of teachers.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. The co-ordination of the subject is good. The newly appointed co-ordinator, is building upon existing good practices to further develop ways of using assessment to raise standards further. The coverage of the curriculum is ensured and opportunities exist for pupils to use ICT to handle data that they have collected. The co-ordinator has clear priorities for the development of the subject. There are good opportunities for some pupils in Year 6 to develop their knowledge and experience of fieldwork on a residential trip to Swanage or in the study of a nearby town. There has been a good improvement across the school since the last inspection in terms of skills development and the subject now has an effective scheme of work based on national guidelines.

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HISTORY

104. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils attain levels above those expected for their age. They have a good understanding of chronology and they develop a sound appreciation on the causes and consequences of events. In a Year 5 lesson on Victorian times they show that they can distinguish between primary and secondary sources of information. These pupils extract relevant information from a text, make notes and talk at length about what they have found. Year 6 pupils successfully compare life in wartime Britain with that of the present day. A high standard of written work shows William Cobbett Junior School - 41 March 2001 that they have learned a lot about the impact of the bombing on the everyday lives of people and about how they coped with rationing. They achieve well because the high expectations of their teachers who provide excellent support and guidance but also require pupils to use their initiative in researching the topics they are studying.

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HISTORY

105. A strong feature of the history syllabus is the theme day. This involves a visit to the school by a theatre group. Teachers and pupils dress in costumes of the time and portray some of the characters. During the inspection week the story of Odysseus was brought to life in such a way. Pupils were actively involved and were enthralled by the event. Their participation underpins pupils’ drama skills because they are required to show emotion and to move in particular ways. Music and dance also form part of the day’s activities. These visits are also provided for pupils’ learning about the Romans, ancient Egypt and the Tudors. They have all inspired some high quality written work. For example, Year 4 pupils write about the events leading up to Henry VIII's divorce in the style of a present day newspaper article.

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HISTORY

106. Pupils' learning in history makes a strong contribution to their literacy skills. In Year 5, pupils read from source material and extract appropriate information. They read sections of 'Oliver Twist' as a source for their study of Victorian times. The pupils have a very high level of concentration. They listen extremely well both to the teacher and when other pupils are talking to the class. When delivering their findings or expressing their opinions they do so with confidence, showing a high degree of articulation. Good use is made of pupils’ ICT skills in history. They often word process their work and use the Internet and CD-ROM as sources of information.

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HISTORY

107. The quality of teaching in history is very good. Teachers ensure that pupils achieve well by planning challenging and varied tasks. Lessons move at a brisk pace and resources are varied, appropriate and used well. Work is well planned so that it matches the differing attainment levels in the classes. As a consequence, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, participate fully, achieve well and make good progress. Pupils who have English as an additional language achieve a good standard similar to their peers. There are comprehensive procedures for assessing pupils' progress in history. Management of the subject is very good and provides very strong support for teachers. Effective monitoring of teaching and planning ensures consistency among the classes while the scheme of work provides for continuity across the year groups.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. Standards attained in ICT by the end of Key Stage 2 are above those expected for pupils’ age. Arrangements for ICT are good, and pupils make good progress in acquiring the necessary skills. The use of ICT as a tool in other subjects is well developed throughout the school. Good progress has been made since the last inspection particularly in view of the huge advances in the subject during that time.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. The quality of teaching of ICT is good overall and as a result pupils develop a secure skills base. They are given plenty of experience upon which to build confident and more sophisticated use of the technology. Teachers have good knowledge and plan an appropriate range of work for pupils. They have high expectations of pupils’ independence with the equipment. All pupils in the school can use the Windows operating system to log on and access the required program. They can load specific files, both those saved onto a floppy disk and those on the computer’s hard drive and use the keyboard with dexterity. At the end of a lesson pupils save their work and exit a program efficiently. William Cobbett Junior School - 42 March 2001 110. Throughout the school pupils develop and practise word processing skills to a high level and pupils of all ages regularly draft a piece of written work directly to the word

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

processor. The youngest pupils can change the print style, size and colour, print off their own work and some can insert bullet or numbered points into a text. Older pupils progress to amending text using the ‘find and replace’ tool, whilst others learn to rearrange text through highlighting and ‘drag and dropping’ parts of their work. As they move through the school pupils develop more sophisticated methods for editing a piece of text, and organising text and pictures on screen to create eye-catching reports or designs. A good example of this is currently on display in the school the newspaper front pages reporting on the divorce of Henry VIII.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. Teachers act as good role models for pupils in their own use of ICT. For instance, year group newsletters are presented in newspaper format showing good use of desktop publishing techniques. As a result, pupils learn to make good use of ICT to organise and improve their presentation of information, considering specific purposes and audiences as they work. They attain good standards in this aspect of the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. Pupils throughout the school use data-handling programs at appropriate levels to enter, present and interpret data. Their experience of using ICT for controlling events, such as a floor robot around a track, or buzzers sounding at a set time. This is in line with expectations for pupils of their ages. Pupils in Year 4 use the logo computer language to create a set of instructions that will draw simple shapes and then adapt these to alter the size of the shape they are creating. Pupils in Year 6 learn appropriate elements of control and monitoring through visits from the science and technology bus, a visiting facility for schools provided by the University of Surrey.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. Teachers make good use of ICT to support learning in other subjects. For example, Year 4 pupils have used a graphics program to explore the use of dots to create pictures as part of their art study of Pointillism and the Impressionists. Pupils in Year 5 have used a data-handling program to aid their evaluations and present their findings of their science experiments on evaporation. The oldest pupils experiment with creating hyper-links as they design a quiz related to their history project. Pupils make good use of computer peripherals such as the scanner and the digital camera. Pupils in Year 4 used the scanner to adapt hand-drawn outline images, experimenting with a range of techniques for altering their original outline. Others have used the digital camera to enhance class presentations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Pupils make good use of the school’s selection of high quality CD-ROMs to research for other subjects. Good examples of this are within history projects on Ancient Greece and on World War II, and during a science lesson on teeth and healthy eating. Pupils also use the Internet effectively, for example, the oldest pupils in the school have researched other schools web-sites in preparation to creating one for their own school. Teachers guide pupils’ use of the Internet carefully and before they begin, discuss ‘Internet rules’ designed to avoid misuse of the technology. The school has selected an Internet provider that provides a full filtering service to ensure pupils do not gain access to unsuitable web-sites. Pupils are encouraged to evaluate those they do visit, discussing how inviting a home page is and how easy the site is to navigate. This is a good feature and teachers lead these discussions well and pupils

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

learn to question and evaluate thoroughly.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and carefully monitors teachers’ planning, supporting those who are less confident with the equipment. Teachers’ own William Cobbett Junior School - 43 March 2001 enthusiasm for the subject has developed very well since the last inspection and the co-ordinator directs this carefully, ensuring staff training needs are addressed suitably when they arise. The school has an ICT suite, in which a whole class can learn in pairs and gain greater hands on experience. This facility is to be extended further to create a more comfortable setting, since the present room is cramped and in the summer is unacceptably hot due to the heat of the machines. The co-ordinator has a clear vision of how ICT will extend pupils’ experience and skills and also give them further opportunities to make use of these skills to support work in other subjects.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

116. Pupils learn German in Year 5 for one year and then move on to French in Year 6. Those learning German achieve well and reach a good standard in the time available. They are familiar with numbers up to 20 and with classroom vocabulary. They understand basic instructions in German. In one lesson they showed that they had learned the names of shops and other features of a town and they used them in context. They worked well in pairs doing role-play tasks. Their confidence improved noticeably as the lesson progressed and they have acquired good pronunciation of the language. Most Year 6 pupils are competent in using the lower numbers in French and they demonstrate this when playing the game lotto . Pupils respond well when the teacher uses French for instructions. They have learned the names of parts of the body, but some pupils who already use these words, in short sentences, do not continue to develop their vocabulary sufficiently quickly. In both French and German,

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

pupils’ speaking, listening and reading skills are good. William Cobbett Junior School - 44 March 2001 117. In both languages teaching is good. this ensures that pupils are well motivated and enthusiastic and that they know what they are expected to learn. Teachers are confident in the use of the languages and use a variety of methods to get pupils to consolidate their knowledge. Lessons often include games and other activities designed to encourage pupils to learn. As a result pupils enjoy speaking French and German and in the lessons observed their very high level of concentration was sustained throughout. Teachers offer a lot of encouragement and they routinely tell pupils how they can improve.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

118. The co-ordination of French and German is good and this enables teachers to be well supported. Planning is monitored for consistency and there are plans to monitor teaching when the staffing situation allows. There is a good supply of resources for both languages, allowing teachers to provide varied learning activities. Opportunities for the assessment of pupils’ attainment are built in to the schemes of work. There are strong links with the local secondary school. As a result, secondary teachers come to the school to give sample lessons in French, German and Spanish, and pupils visit the secondary school to help them make their choice of the options available. Since the previous inspection good progress has been made in developing pupils oral linguistic skills and German has been added to the modern foreign languages curriculum.

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MUSIC

119. Pupils’ standards by the end of the key stage are good overall. During the inspection it was only possible to see music lessons in four classes. To these is added information gained through discussions including those with the co-ordinator, the peripatetic music staff and from displays.

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MUSIC

120. Pupils in Year 4 listen to Maori ‘stick dance’ songs. Not only do they learn more about Maori traditions but identify the three beat rhythm of the music and different patterns within the rhythm. By the end of the lesson pupils follow a conductor. They clap and play simple percussion instruments in patterns written in simple notation of two-bars in time to the dance music. Pupils in Year 6, when asked to give their thoughts about gospel singing, use vocabulary including ‘slow, low, gloomy , sad’. They are surprised when the song ‘ Good News’ was found to be lively, with a vibrant beat. By the end of the lesson pupils sing the song from the sheet music, in canon (or echo effect), along to the taped tune, improvising their own ending. Pupils analyse the sounds, singers, notes, rests (pauses) and instruments. They note that the canon is a bar behind the leading line. Other music that uses the same effect is identified, including that from

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MUSIC

pupils’ favourite pop singers. Pupils in the special education support unit also enjoy music lessons. During the inspection they were listening to two contrasting pieces, Britten’s ‘Spring symphony’ and ‘La Primanera’ by Raspighi while looking at a poster of two pictures representing summer and winter. They discuss the moods, colours, shapes and seasons then while the music is playing draw pictures about what the music told them, sharing their pictures and feelings together at the end. Pupils with special educational needs achieve appropriately and make good progress. Those who have English as an additional language achieve a good standard similar to their peers.

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MUSIC

121. The quality of teaching of music is good. Teachers know the curriculum very well and are well prepared with resources. They plan together in year group teams. Although following a published scheme of work, teachers ensure that lessons are appropriate to all the members of their classes by using an evaluation of previous work. If they have any difficulties they consult other teachers within the year group or the subject William Cobbett Junior School - 45 March 2001 co-ordinator. Because they prepare carefully, establish a good pace and have very good relationships with pupils, lessons flow well. Pupils respond positively to their work. They enjoy lessons, work hard, listen, practise and share what they learn with each other.

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MUSIC

122. Across the school pupils develop musical understanding through listening to a range of music, especially at the start to assembly. As pupils enter the hall not only do they hear the work of composers such as Beethoven, but also on the overhead projector the co-ordinator places a few facts about the composer’s life and work. During the inspection the ‘ Emperor Concerto’ by Beethoven was the music being studied. Pupils’ performance skills develop through using a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments. They have the opportunity to learn to play keyboards and orchestral instruments such as violins and clarinets from peripatetic tutors. In singing pupils learn about pitch, tempo and timbre (or tone) as well as developing their skills of working with others in a choir or group setting. Pupils identified as having a particular talent in music are encouraged to perform in class and school assemblies

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MUSIC

as well as in concerts and end of term and year activities, sharing their skills with others.

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MUSIC

123. There is a lot of music within the school. Pupils sing carefully and thoughtfully in assembly. The rhythms and patterns of Caribbean rap music are used in literacy with pupils writing and performing rap poems. Pupils sing French and German songs in lessons. Year 4 pupils learn the recorder. Pupils in the special educational needs attached unit use percussion in their literacy work for names and syllable work, while Year 6 pupils use the ‘Hiawatha’ drum beat in their dance/drama work. The tunes from ‘Zorba the Greek’ gave good support to the Year 6 ‘Ancient Greece’ day during the inspection. Likewise, music from Egypt, the Tudors and the Victorians is played during these theme days. Music gives good support to extra- curricular activities including dance and drama as well as being an activity itself through recorder, choir and orchestral playing. During the inspection ICT was not seen in use in music.

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MUSIC

124. The co-ordinator gives good leadership to the subject. She has a clear view of where she wants music to go within the school and arranges staff training and monitors developments to drive learning forward. Resources are good and support appropriately the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s scheme of work, Curriculum 2000. The school makes good use of every available space to support the subject but unfortunately many peripatetic lessons have to take place in a small room off the library which is also used as the food technology and kitchen area and is a passageway through the school. This is due to the lack of available space in the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. By the end of Key Stage 2, at the age of eleven, pupils attain standards that are above those expected nationally. This is good improvement since the previous inspection when standards were in line with those expected for pupils’ age. In games most have acquired good basic skills and use these effectively to play small team games. They understand how to prepare for an activity, and teachers use some imaginative and varied warm-up exercises. In gymnastics, pupils plan sequences showing a wide range of movements and perform these to a satisfactory standard. They show that they have developed good control of their movements and they work imaginatively with others. In a Year 5 dance lesson the pupils showed that they walk in time to music and the confidence in their stride reflected the tempo. In a Year 6 lesson their dances showed a good range of movement ideas and group patterns. They worked William Cobbett Junior School - 46 March 2001

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

very effectively in groups to refine the sequence. Pupils' strong motivation and ability to work with others contribute very strongly to learning in this subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. The quality of teaching in physical education is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and this enables them to plan tasks that motivate pupils and allow them to achieve well. In most lessons teachers use a variety of methods to sustain the interest of pupils and they make effective use of intervention to improve performance. This also helps to keep up the brisk pace of lessons. For example, in a Year 3 lesson the teacher made well judged interventions to help pupils to improve their netball passing techniques. They then passed and received the ball more competently as the lesson progressed. Teachers enhance learning by giving good individual encouragement and support to pupils of all abilities. They give feedback to pupils on their performances so that pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, progress well. Pupils have frequent opportunities to evaluate their

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

own performance and that of others. When they do this they demonstrate very good speaking and listening skills. Teachers manage their classes very well and behaviour was very good in all lessons observed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. The co-ordination of physical education across the school is very good. Teaching and planning are monitored for their effectiveness. The planned curriculum is broad and balanced. Provision has now been made for outdoor and adventurous activities to be introduced in the summer term of 2001. Swimming is limited to ten weeks per pupil in Year 3. In this short time, about three-quarters of pupils learn to swim twenty- five metres or more. There are good systems for assessing pupils' attainment and for identifying those who have particular talent. Pupils' learning is well supported by after- school activities that enable them to apply and improve their skills in football, cricket, netball and hockey. Many compete against other schools in football, cricket, hockey, netball, cross-country running and in swimming. There is a good range of resources and the accommodation available is satisfactory, although the use of the outside hard

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

standing is not always available for games lessons due to flooding.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128. Standards are well above those expected in the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Key Stage 2 and this is an excellent improvement since the last inspection. Religious education is a strength of the school and all pupils make very good progress. It benefits from having a specialist teacher taking many of the classes. This teacher also provides detailed planning and resources to support classes not taught by her and this helps maintain high standards throughout the school. The subject also has good, well-established, cross-curricular links with history, art and design, geography, personal, social and health education and literacy as shown in the very good photographic record.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. Pupils study three other world religions alongside Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism and they develop a secure knowledge of the differences between these religions. Pupils study the Bible, especially people from the Old Testament. They study Hindu festivals such as Diwali and also the meaning of Advent and Christmas. In one book a Year 3 pupil writes ‘I have learned that whether you are good or bad, God will always love you.’ They study Judaism and learn about Jewish customs and practices such as the reading of the Jewish holy book, the Torah, and Jewish festivals such as Hanukkah. In Years 5 and 6, pupils continue to learn about and compare the world religions and become more involved in discussions and role-plays as their understanding of the impact of these religions increases. In Year 5, they study creation stories and evaluate the impact of mankind’s role as the trustee of creation.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

William Cobbett Junior School - 47 March 2001 In Year 6, they reflect on how Christian teachings affect our lives. They study the life of Martin Luther King and identify faith, Ghandi and racism as major influences on governments and world affairs. The concepts of ‘love thy neighbour’ and ‘all men are created equal’ are understood by pupils as major beliefs. They listen in rapt silence to Martin Luther King’s Washington speech and then one pupil writes ‘I believe that all men should live equally in the eyes of God.’ Another says ‘The words better and worse should no longer exist. ’

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. The quality of teaching is good overall and very good in Year 6. The co-ordinator who teaches several classes is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Planning is very good and the plenary, or final gathering together, is well linked to the learning objectives to help ensure that on-going assessment is effective. Teachers’ questioning skills are good. For example, in Year 6 during a discussion about responsibility for our actions, a pupil says that ‘God guides you’ and the teacher asks ‘How do you think he might do this?’ This challenges the pupil to think more deeply about what she has said and also helps improve her speaking skills. In Year 5 the teacher asks ‘Do you think this is a perfect world?’ This encourages discussion and the pupils reflect on what they can do to influence and improve their immediate environment. Lessons are also very effective when resources and artefacts are used

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

well. For example, in Year 5, statues of the Hindu gods are displayed to help focus the pupils’ attention during a discussion. In Year 3 the teacher uses three metre sticks very effectively to show the height of Goliath and this prompts a girl to say ‘Gosh that means he wouldn’t even fit into this room!’ Pupils have very positive attitudes to religious education and show great enthusiasm and interest in their work, clearly understanding, and valuing the beliefs of other cultures.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. The co-ordinator has strived very hard to raise the profile of religious education in this school and she has succeeded. There have been very significant improvements since the last inspection when both planning and progress in this subject were regarded as weak. Pupils’ progress is now very good and the planning exemplary. Resources are comprehensive and well organised. They include artefacts, tapes, videotapes, books, posters and copies of all planning. She has monitored two lessons so far and also the work from all classes confirming, and recording that learning intentions are achieved. She attends regular in-service training and is also a member of a small focus group that monitors the value of government guidelines on religious education. She has set detailed short, medium and long-term objectives which should ensure that this subject remains a strength of the school.

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