Prior Park Primary School

TWEEDMOUTH PRIOR PARK FIRST SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Robert Robinson (OFSTED No: 21024)

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TWEEDMOUTH PRIOR PARK FIRST SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 20 – 21 November 2000

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TWEEDMOUTH PRIOR PARK FIRST SCHOOL

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

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TWEEDMOUTH PRIOR PARK FIRST 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. Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Dean Drive Tweedmouth Berwick-upon-Tweed Northumberland

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The local education authority

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rev. A. Adamson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 09/09/1996 Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 4

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Team members

Robert Robinson (OFSTED No: 21024) Registered inspector

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Team members

Brenda McIntosh (OFSTED No: 8922) Lay inspector

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Team members

Margaret Handsley (OFSTED No: 19117) Team inspector

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Team members

Cambridge Education Associates Ltd Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 9

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is an average sized school for boys and girls aged 3-9 years that serves mainly a large council estate on the outskirts of Berwick-Upon-Tweed. There are 143 pupils (64 boys and 79 girls) who attend full time; 31 of these pupils are under the age of six and are taught in the reception class or the Nursery. In the Nursery eight children aged four attend full-time; in addition, 30 younger children (13 boys and 17 girls) attend either in a morning or afternoon each day. The attainment on entry to the Nursery varies from year to year; overall it is below average. There are no pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds at the school. Eight pupils from travellers’ families attend school and at the time of the inspection three of these pupils had returned recently to the school. Fifty-two pupils (33 per cent) are on the register of special educational needs, a figure well above the national average. Eight pupils have a statement of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

special educational needs; this is well above the national average. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is about 33 per cent which is above the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides an effective education for pupils aged six to nine; it is less effective for children in the Foundation Stage (nursery and reception classes) because the curricular provision, teaching and management have shortcomings. Pupils in Years 1 to 4 achieve well and by the age of nine standards are in line with national expectations because the quality of teaching is generally good. The leadership and management are satisfactory. The school provides sound value for money.

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What the school does well

• The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 is good and as a result pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. • The yearly tracking of progress is good for pupils aged of six to nine, and is used well to set targets for the improvement of their levels of attainment. • The teaching of personal, health and social education, the links with the local community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities enhance pupils’ personal development and relationships. • Parents have a positive view of the school.

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What could be improved

• The curriculum and monitoring of children’s progress for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory resulting in the quality of teaching and learning being barely satisfactory. • Parents of children in the Nursery are not given sufficient information on how well their children are progressing and how they can help their children improve. • The standard of pupils’ handwriting is unsatisfactory. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory progress overall since the last inspection in September 1996. Standards in the national tests for seven-year-olds in reading, writing and mathematics have risen significantly each year from 1996 to 1999. In 1999 standards were in line with the national average but in 2000 standards dipped to well below average because the group of pupils tested included a very large proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Standards by the time pupils left the school in 2000 at the age of nine were above average in English and mathematics. The provision for children in the nursery and reception classes has declined since the last inspection and is now unsatisfactory. The very good leadership and management of the school have not been maintained though are still satisfactory overall. Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 7 The school has addressed the areas for improvement satisfactorily overall as shown below:

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

• standards have been improved in English and mathematics and pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. • there are now policies and schemes of work for all subjects of the National Curriculum but the curriculum guidance for children in the nursery and reception classes is unsatisfactory. • the school has improved the recording of pupils’ attainment well, except in the Nursery.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The strengths in the quality of teaching in Years 1 to 4 place the school in a good position to maintain the present good achievement of pupils but its capacity for further improvement is affected adversely by the unsatisfactory provision in the Foundation Stage. The headteacher was aware of the weaknesses in the Foundation Stage before the inspection and had begun to address these.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

reading E C E E well above average above average A B writing D C E E average below average C D mathematics C C E E well below average E

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Key

• In 2000, standards, by the time pupils left the school at the age of nine show that: • the proportion of pupils who achieved the level expected of their age (Level 3) was above average in English and mathematics. • the proportion of pupils who achieved the higher than expected level of their age (Level 4) was above average in English and mathematics. • Pupils’ attainments within each year group range from above average to well below average and the proportions at each level vary from year to year. The high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and the number of pupils with statements of special educational needs lead to wide variations in the overall performance of pupils from year to year thereby making statistical comparisons unreliable. However, inspection judgements show that pupils’ achievements in relation to their prior attainments are good overall. • The standards of pupils by the age of seven in the national tests in 1999 show performance to be in

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Key

line with the national average, though it is well above the average of pupils in similar schools in reading and above in writing and mathematics. • The results of the tests for seven-year-olds in 2000 show the effect of the presence of a well above average proportion of pupils with special educational needs and of pupils with statements of special educational needs in this group. • Standards in the nursery and reception classes are below average and children could do better because the planning of lessons and range of opportunities in the curriculum are unsatisfactory. • Inspection judgements for the present group of 21 pupils in Year 4 show that pupils’ performance in reading is above average and in writing and mathematics it is about average, though handwriting is below average. The school has set challenging targets for pupils’ performance in English and mathematics to be above the national expectations by the time they leave the school; these are

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Key

attainable as the quality of teaching is good in Year 4. Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Satisfactory overall; most of the oldest pupils have a good attitude to their work but a significant number of younger pupils lack interest in their work and this results in restlessness and slower progress.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory: most pupils behave well but a minority needs constant reminders from teachers about their behaviour.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good: pupils assist willingly with the daily routines of the school. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff are good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance is satisfactory.

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

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

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

The quality of teaching and learning was good overall. It was very good in three out of 19 lessons, good in seven lessons, satisfactory in seven lessons and unsatisfactory in two lessons. The quality of teaching and learning in the nursery and reception classes is barely satisfactory; it is good in other classes. The unsatisfactory quality of teaching was seen in both the nursery and reception classes. The very good quality of teaching was in Years 2, 3 and 4.

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

The teaching and learning of English is good for six- to nine-year-olds; teachers have a good understanding of the subject and are successful particularly in teaching reading. The teaching of mathematics is effective and strong in Years 2 to 4. The teaching of the skills of literacy and numeracy are effective.

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

In Years 1 to 4 teachers plan well to ensure that pupils, irrespective of their level of attainment, are challenged and make good progress in their learning. Teachers’ planning for children in the nursery and reception classes is inconsistent and sometimes adversely affects the quality of teaching and of pupils’ progress. In the Nursery planning is very poor and it provides little guidance for staff; whilst better in the reception class, it shows no precise details of what children at different levels of attainment will be taught.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 4 is satisfactory; however, it is unsatisfactory for children in the Foundation Stage.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory overall.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory overall; however, the provision for social development is good. It is enhanced through personal, social and health education lessons, opportunities for pupils to take part in extra-curricular activities and good links with the local community and industry.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There is appropriate provision for child protection and pupils’ welfare. Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher and senior staff are satisfactory overall. The leadership of the headteacher provides the school with a good clear sense of direction. However, the management of the headteacher is no better than satisfactory because delegated responsibilities to members of the senior management team have not been monitored sufficiently to ensure that planned improvement in the Nursery and Reception have been accomplished successfully.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory; the governors are very supportive of the school and have a sound understanding of its strengths and weaknesses through very well developed procedures for monitoring the work of the school during regular planned visits to classrooms. The formal risk assessment of the workplace environment has not been undertaken though governors regularly and conscientiously assess potential health and safety risks.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Pupils’ attainments are monitored well from the end of the reception year to Year 4 and demanding targets are set for improvement. There is insufficient checking of children’s progress in the Nursery. The quality of teaching and learning is monitored satisfactorily overall though insufficient action is taken by the management to address areas of weakness in the Foundation Stage.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The governing body uses its financial resources soundly for the benefit of pupils. The accommodation, both inside and outside, is good; however, insufficient use is made of the outdoor areas in the nursery and reception classes to enhance children’s creative and physical development. Classroom assistants, nursery nurses and special needs support assistants provide a high standard of care for pupils and move their learning on at a brisk pace in group work, but they are often not used sufficiently in whole class lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children enjoy school and are expected to work hard. • Behaviour is good and their children are helped to become more mature and responsible. • Teaching is effective and their children make good progress. • Teachers are approachable. • The school works closely with parents. • The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. • There are insufficient opportunities to find out how their children are progressing in the Nursery.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with the parents’ very positive views of the school but consider these to be more applicable to the situation in Years 1 to 4. Inspectors agree there are not enough opportunities for parents, particularly those who are not able to visit the school during the day, to find out about their children’s progress in the Nursery, as consultation evenings are not held. In addition, parents are not given an annual report in the Nursery, which is contrary to the home-school agreement. Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 10

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The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 is good and as a result

pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

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The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 is good and as a result

1. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 is good. Three out of 13 lessons observed were very good, six good and four satisfactory. Very good teaching was seen in Years 2, 3 and 4 and good teaching was seen in each class including Year 1. This good standard of teaching contributes most positively to the good achievements that pupils of all levels of prior attainment make between the ages of six and nine.

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The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 is good and as a result

2. Where the teaching of the highest quality occurred pupils learnt very well indeed. This happened in a literacy lesson for the oldest pupils. The teacher shared with the pupils the objectives of the lesson very well and recapped what pupils already knew. Pupils were very responsive and set about their tasks industriously. The teacher’s very good relationships with the pupils resulted in pupils behaving very well and maintaining concentration on their work. The teacher directed challenging questions to pupils at each level of attainment and ensured each pupil had opportunities to give answers.

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The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 is good and as a result

3. In a very good mathematics lesson in Year 2 the teacher planned an investigation very carefully and ensured that work provided a good level of challenge for pupils at each level of attainment. Questioning was searching and the lesson moved at a fast pace providing plenty of opportunities for the practice of basic addition. Classroom helpers, including a governor, were deployed very effectively enabling lower attainers to take a full part in the lesson. Very good use was made of the accommodation as opportunities were taken to use the dining tables in the hall to provide more room for the group activities.

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The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 is good and as a result

4. In Year 3 the pupils were really enthusiastic in an effectively planned high quality mathematics lesson. The arrangement of the furniture into a horseshoe shape enabled the teacher to question pupils rigorously and to ensure a brisk pace of learning. The teacher had a very good rapport with the pupils resulting in their high level of concentration and much productive learning. The teacher ensured that pupils understood what they were expected to do in group work and pupils were keen to get on with their tasks. The setting of homework was very effective and linked to the focus for the week enabling parents to be aware of the work their children were doing at home as well as providing more practice for pupils.

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The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 is good and as a result

5. The impact on pupils’ progress of the good or better teaching is demonstrated by analysis of the achievement of the group of nine-year-old pupils, who left the school at the end of the last academic year. From the age of seven they have improved at a better rate than would be normally expected. In the national tests for seven-year-olds in 1998 these pupils were in line with the national average in mathematics, below average in writing and well below average in reading. In comparison their attainment, which was judged from samples of their work and the results of non-statutory tests, showed their attainment to be above average for their age. Similarly, the present group of pupils in Year 4 has achieved well since the age of seven and is on course to reach above average standards by the age of nine.

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The yearly tracking of progress is good for pupils aged of six to nine, and is

used well to set targets for the improvement of their levels of attainment.

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The yearly tracking of progress is good for pupils aged of six to nine, and is

6. At the end of the reception year information is entered on to a group target sheet which shows children’s initial attainment on entry to full-time education as well as their attainment at the end of the year in English and mathematics. Targets are set for pupils for the end of the following year based on small steps of the Levels of Attainment of the National Curriculum; this yearly procedure continues in a similar way throughout the rest of the school. Teachers and the management monitor pupils’ progress towards their targets at the end of each term and modify lesson plans accordingly. Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 11 7. These records provide a detailed picture of class and individual pupils’ performance and assist teachers and the management to assess pupils’ learning. The procedures have not been extended to other aspects of the curriculum or to personal development or to the analysis of the

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The yearly tracking of progress is good for pupils aged of six to nine, and is

progress made by different groups, such as boys and girls. However, the school plans to improve the system by entering the present information into a computer program in order to monitor pupils’ progress more efficiently and provide effective ways to monitor the progress of particular groups of pupils.

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community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities

enhance pupils’ personal development and relationships.

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community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities

8. Pupils’ personal development and their relationships with one another and other adults at the school are good. By the time pupils begin their final year at the school they understand their responsibilities to assist staff in the smooth day-to-day running of the school. They set a good example to younger pupils both in work and play. Parents agree strongly that the school helps their children to become mature and responsible, and are pleased with the interesting range of activities that are available for their children to take part in outside lessons.

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community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities

9. The school provides a good range of after-school clubs, including a variety of sporting activities. The art club, choir, computer club, drama club and the Good News Bible club enrich the life of the school positively and are led well by staff and well attended by pupils. For example, the choir, consisting of about 30 boys and girls, is very capably taught by the nursery teacher and a classroom assistant and as a result the pupils lead singing enthusiastically in assemblies as well as singing in local supermarkets at Christmas to raise money for charities. In addition the school operates a breakfast club, staffed and organised by classroom assistants; the children enjoy talking to each other before school whilst having a hot drink and eating toast.

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community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities

10. The teaching of personal, health and social education is good. This was reflected in the quality of teaching observed during the inspection and in an illuminating report prepared by the chair of governors for the governing body following one of the governors’ regular monitoring visits. In the lessons observed in Years 1 and 2 teachers were making good use of ‘circle time’; this is a particular time in the day when pupils, teachers and other staff sit down together around the edge of the carpet and listen to each others’ views and concerns. The ‘circle time’ makes a positive contribution to pupils’ effective relationships and enables them to gain a better appreciation of right and wrong.

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community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities

11. In one of the good lessons observed ‘circle time’ focussed on a story heard in a previous lesson. Pupils talked about mistakes and the teacher led the discussion well when she shared some of her own experiences and explained the difference between minor and serious errors of judgement. The pupils joined in the conversation sensibly and gained a much deeper understanding. The teachers’ techniques for encouraging pupils to have opportunities to speak and to listen to others were effectively enhanced by using a soft toy and agreeing with the class that pupils speak only when holding the toy. This resulted in all pupils having opportunities to speak, which they did confidently, whilst other pupils were listening intently. The atmosphere in the lesson was very pleasant and very good relationships were apparent between pupils and pupils and staff.

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community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities

12. The school has developed good links with the community and these are used well to develop pupils' social awareness. The local family centre assists the school to provide the school with a teacher with expertise in drama to lead an after-school club. Senior citizens are invited to school concerts and pupils visit local residential homes to entertain the adults. A strong connection has been made with a local manufacturer and a joint project has been very successful in increasing older pupils understanding of the ‘world of work’.

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community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities

Parents have a positive view of the school.

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community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities

13. The responses to the parents’ questionnaire and discussion with parents show they strongly support the work of the school though a minority, rightly, reported concerns about the information they receive about their children’s progress in the Nursery. Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 12 14. Parents strongly believe that their children enjoy school and take a pride in their work. Pupils mix well and their behaviour is good; inspectors agree that relationships between pupils are good though behaviour is satisfactory overall. Parents consider that there is no problem with bullying as the school would not tolerate such behaviour. Some parents are amazed how quickly their children learn to read and write and report that their children’s listening skills have improved. Their children achieve well because the teaching is good. Most parents are happy with the level of homework though a few consider there is too much. They realise that the school expects their

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community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities

15. Parents indicate that they are very happy with the opportunities their children have for taking part in after-school activities and the way the school teaches right and wrong. They strongly endorse the good partnership between parents and the school. Parents are very comfortable approaching teachers to discuss their children’s progress. There are two consultation evenings and an annual report of their children’s progress is provided, except in the Nursery. Parents find these informative and a few of them take up the opportunity to attend workshops to help them assist their children at home. There is an active parent-teacher association and a few parents help in school.

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community and the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities

16. All parents who responded to the parent questionnaire stated that they consider the school is well led and managed. They state that their suggestions and concerns are listened to and responded to. Inspection evidence agrees with the parents’ positive views of the school overall though improvements in the Foundation Stage would make the school even better.

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The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory resulting in

the quality of teaching and learning being barely satisfactory.

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The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory resulting in

17. The quality of teaching and learning in the nursery and reception classes (the Foundation Stage) is barely satisfactory. Six lessons were observed and an unsatisfactory lesson was observed in each of the nursery and reception classes. The weaknesses in the quality of teaching showed clear shortcomings in the curriculum guidance given to the teachers and insufficient planning for children of different levels of attainment. The half-termly planning links to the recent curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage, though includes only limited details of the expected outcome of the teaching. Brief weekly activities are highlighted, but give limited information to teachers of the learning objectives and assessment opportunities to enable them to plan lessons more effectively. There is no guidance on the use of the outdoor environment to enhance children’s physical and creative development; this is unsatisfactory.

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The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory resulting in

18. In the lesson judged to be unsatisfactory in the Nursery, the planning for the lesson was poor and not linked to the recent guidance for the Foundation Stage; for example, ‘sand-dinosaurs’ was stated as an activity with no further amplification. Planning for groups of children of different levels of attainment and ages, including children with special educational needs and children of reception age who attend full-time, was neither apparent nor seen in practice. There was a high level of support in the classroom from the nursery nurse and special needs assistant. These members of staff are very experienced and capable, and despite not having clear direction from the teacher used their skills to move children’s learning on at a brisk pace in group work enabling these pupils to make satisfactory progress.

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The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory resulting in

19. The unsatisfactory lesson seen in the reception class was not planned carefully enough to meet the needs of the lower and average attainers and little learning took place during the whole-class teaching. The teacher engaged children in a lengthy discussion of a ‘big book’ as part of a literacy lesson; however, the organisation of children on the carpet resulted in some children not being able to see the book which led to restlessness and inattention. The size of the print was too small and sentence construction too complex for most children to gain a deeper understanding of the story. A minority of children was shouting out responses to the teacher’s questions frequently and dominating the discussion whilst the teacher was constantly reminding Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 13 children of ways they should behave and answer questions without any effect. An additional teacher and teaching assistants were not actively involved in the teaching and sat as passive

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The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory resulting in

observers through most of the lengthy introductory session.

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The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory resulting in

20. The assessment of children is inconsistent within the Foundation Stage. In both the nursery and reception classes individual high quality profiles sheets devised by the local education authority are used to monitor children’s progress from entry to school. The profiles provide teachers with a clear pathway of learning linked to the recent national guidance. However, insufficient use is made of these records to detail children’s attainments in the Nursery and the information is not reflected in teachers’ planning in both the nursery and reception classes.

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The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory resulting in

21. In the Nursery assessments on entry and on transfer to the reception class are made for personal, social and emotional development, for communication, language and literacy and for mathematical development, but no records for knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development are maintained. No entries or other records are kept of children’s progress other than at the start and completion of children’s time in the Nursery; this is unsatisfactory. The individual education plans for children with special educational needs are unsatisfactory and are not shared with parents.

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The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory resulting in

22. In the reception class assessment procedures are better than those in the Nursery though insufficient use is made of the information to direct the planning for the learning of individual children or particular groups of children. Assessments of children’s levels of attainment on entry to full-time education are made at the beginning of the autumn term and targets set from the next scheduled assessment in the spring of the following year. Similarly targets and assessments take place at the end of the summer term. Graphs are produced to show children’s attainment and progress during the year; these provide good information and clearly show children’s achievements compared to the average attainment of pupils in the local education authority for personal, social and emotional development, for communication, language and literacy and for mathematical development.

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The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory resulting in

23. The headteacher identified weakness in the Foundation Stage and the school development briefly highlights this area for improvement. A senior member of school has responsibility for Early Years and the headteacher, rightly, delegated improvements in planning, curriculum and assessment to this member of staff. Little improvement is apparent following the delegation, however; there is neither detailed plan to guide the co-ordinator for Early Years nor are there ways for the management of the school to monitor progress.

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well their children are progressing and how they can help their children

24. In all classes, except in the Nursery, parents are invited to discuss their children’s progress during two parents’ days. At these meetings teachers discuss with parents their child’s progress and the child’s next step of learning. In the Nursery parents who bring their children to school have some opportunities to discuss informally their child’s progress but no planned sessions are held during the day or after school. Parents who do not bring their children to school have no opportunities to discuss their attainments and next step of learning unless they make a formal request for a personal interview. In addition, no annual reports have been sent to parents for the last two years in the Nursery. The home-school agreement, which parents receive when their child starts in the Nursery, states clearly that the school will provide annual reports and hold two consultation evenings each year.

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well their children are progressing and how they can help their children

The standard of pupils’ handwriting is unsatisfactory.

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well their children are progressing and how they can help their children

25. Pupils’ standards in English are generally above average overall by the time pupils leave the school at the age of nine. However, pupils’ attainment in reading is better than that in writing. The school has identified this difference, rightly, in its school development plan and has produced an action plan to improve writing. Inspection evidence shows that the current group of pupils is at the present time above average in reading and is average in writing. Analysis of Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 14 the work of the previous group of pupils showed that pupils’ handwriting was not as good as it could have been as some average and higher attainers were not consistent in writing in a joined script and sometimes reverted to printing within pieces of writing.

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well their children are progressing and how they can help their children

26. In lesson observations in Years 3 and 4 it was apparent that pupils preferred to print rather than join up writing to produce a fluent style of writing; for example, in a literacy lesson in Year 4 nearly all pupils completed a worksheet by printing rather than joining up handwriting. Teachers set a good example of presentation of handwriting on instruction sheets, comments in pupils’ books and on teaching boards; however, the handwriting is generally printed rather than joined, except in Year 4. This encourages pupils to continue printing; for example, in a science lesson in Year 3 key words were presented well on the white board but the writing was not joined and as a result pupils printed reports.

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well their children are progressing and how they can help their children

27. Parents are encouraged to support their pupils’ learning through completing worksheets to practise handwriting. Some children have formed poor handwriting habits at an early age and write their names in capital letters; some higher-attaining children of reception age spell their names correctly but write in a mixture of upper and lower case letters. There are no clearly produced name cards with children’s names written out by the teacher though some children use poorly prepared word processed slips of paper to help them with the spelling of their name.

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well their children are progressing and how they can help their children

28. There is not an effective scheme of work for developing pupils’ handwriting from the time they enter the school in the Nursery to the time they leave the school at the age of nine. Limited information is provided in the Nursery handbook and school prospectus of how parents can help their children to improve their handwriting.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

29. The school should enhance the provision for children in the Foundation Stage* through the following measures: • providing better teaching; • ensuring all aspects of the curriculum are taught; • agreeing and implementing clear guidance to help teachers plan suitable work; • identifying assessment opportunities in planning to inform future teaching; • using assessment information to set targets for improvement; • providing annual reports and consultation evenings for parents of children in the Nursery in accordance with the home/school agreement: • improving the leadership and management of the Foundation Stage. (see paragraph numbers 17 to 24)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupils’ handwriting should be improved throughout the school by: • reviewing the teaching of handwriting; • implementing a scheme of work for handwriting which details teaching methods and standards expected of pupils. (see paragraphs 25 to 28) *This area for improvement has been identified already by staff and governors Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 15

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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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 YR – Y5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 23 135

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 47

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 51

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 10 11 21

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 62 (89) 52 (89) 62 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 67 (89) 67 (89) 62 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

* Details of the number of boys and girls achieving Level 2 and above have not been included because fewer than 11 boys were in the age group.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 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. Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 17

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6 Financial year 1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total expenditure 270868

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6.8 Expenditure per pupil 1603

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 108.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 13937

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 22853

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1.0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2.0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 42.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Tweedmouth Prior Park First School - 18

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 53 41 0 3 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 47 53 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 53 12 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 44 6 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 75 25 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 53 44 0 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 53 44 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 69 28 0 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 62 38 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 66 31 0 0 3

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