Richmond Hill School

RICHMOND HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 th October – 2 nd November 2000

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RICHMOND HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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RICHMOND HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Richmond Hill Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Queen Street Asparita Wigton Cumbria Postcode: CA7 3BQ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs M Allinson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1996 Richmond Hill Primary School - 2

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr D Hardman (17794) Registered inspector Science What sort of school is it

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Information and communication technology The schools results and achievements Geography Teaching The Foundation Stage Leadership management and efficiency Equal opportunities Staffing and resources Mrs A Longfield (9511) Lay inspector Partnership with parents

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Attendance Links with the community Welfare, health, safety and child protection Personal support and guidance Mr J Fairclough (15474) Team inspector Mathematics Curricular opportunities

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

History Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Physical education Religious education Special educational needs Mr A Scott (27545) Team inspector English Art and design Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Design and technology Assessment and monitoring of academic performance Music Monitoring of personal development and attendance English as an additional language Richmond Hill Primary School - 3 The inspection contractor was:

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Eclipse (Education) Limited 14 Enterprise House Kingsway Team Valley Gateshead NE 11 0SR

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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: The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Richmond Hill Primary School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Richmond Hill Primary School is an average size school situated in the town of Aspatria, in Cumbria. The school serves a wide geographical area. There is a broad social mixture in the school. Many pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is below the national average and a significant minority are well below, although the full ability range is represented. There are 90 boys and 88 girls currently on roll, and the full time equivalent of 14 children in the nursery. There are no pupils who have English as an additional language and none from ethnic minorities. Approximately 23 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is in line with the national average. Twenty one per cent of pupils have been identified as having special educational needs and 1.8 per cent have statements of special educational need, these are both in line with the national average. The majority of pupils with special educational needs have

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

moderate learning difficulties although a significant minority has emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Richmond Hill Primary School is a good school with many strengths. The leadership and management by the head teacher, key staff and governors are good. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology and religious education are in line with the level expected for 11 year olds. Pupils’ results in the National Curriculum tests in 2000 were a significant improvement on the previous year. Pupils achieve as well as could be expected in relation to their previous attainment and standards are rising because of good, often very good teaching and pupils’ very good attitudes. As a result, the school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The quality of learning is good and, by the end of Key Stage 2, pupils achieve well when compared with their previous attainment. Standards are improving and the pupils’ results for Key Stage 2, in the National curriculum tests in 2000, were well above those of similar schools in English and mathematics. • The leadership of the school by the head teacher, key staff and governors is good. Educational priorities are supported by very good financial planning. • There is good teaching throughout the school, it is particularly strong for children in the nursery and reception class and in Key Stage 2. • The procedures and provision for pupils with special educational needs are good. As a result, pupils make good progress. • The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is good. As a result, pupils’ attitudes to school are very good and their personal development and relationships are good.

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What could be improved

• The use of the school’s procedures for assessment and the marking of pupils’ work to set challenging targets for individuals and groups of pupils to further improve pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science. • The use of classroom based computers to support pupils’ work in other subjects, particularly English, mathematics and science. • The role of the subject co-ordinators has been greatly improved since the previous inspection, the school now needs to extend their role by more effectively evaluating and monitoring teaching and learning in their subjects. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Richmond Hill Primary School - 6

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress in addressing the key issues raised in the previous inspection in November 1996. The quality of teaching and learning has been significantly improved mainly because of the good monitoring and sharing of good practice established by the head teacher and the support provided by the local education authority. The improvement in teaching has had a significant impact on raising pupils’ standards in information and communication technology, art and design, and religious education. All subjects are supported by schemes of work, which are currently being adapted to match the recent initiatives for Curriculum 2000. Teachers follow these guidelines in their planning, as a result the statutory requirements for all subjects are now met. The implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, coupled with in service courses for teachers, has improved teachers’ knowledge of

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

the teaching of English and mathematics. The training for teachers of children in the Foundation Stage has been particularly successful and it is now a strength of the school. Building modifications have created two separate teaching spaces for pupils in Years 3 and 4, these are well used and benefit the education of pupils in these year groups.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

There is now a clear management structure in the school and all posts have clear and explicit job descriptions. The monitoring by the head teacher and local education authority is regularly discussed with governors and subject co-ordinators are taking much more responsibility for their subjects. For example, they control their own budgets, review schemes of work, undertake a regular audit and recommend training needs, monitor teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. The school is aware that the next important development is the introduction of a programme that allows co-ordinators to monitor teaching and learning in their subjects. Governors are fulfilling their role well, they have taken steps to deal with the key issues identified in the last inspection and they ensure that parents are kept well informed of school matters by the production of regular newsletters and a weekly governors surgery, where parents can discuss any

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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

compared with Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The results of the inspection show that, by the age of 11, standards in English, mathematics and science are in line with the level expected for 11 year olds. The school expected the standards of the present Year 6 to be lower than the results of National Curriculum tests for 2000 because of the higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. The standards in English and science have been maintained and mathematics, religious education and information and communication technology have improved since the previous inspection. Pupils’ results in the National Curriculum tests in 2000 show an improvement in all three subjects from the previous year. The school analyses the results of tests well and these show that pupils who sat the National Curriculum tests in 2000 made good progress during their four years in Key Stage 2. The school’s implementation of the National Literacy

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STANDARDS

Richmond Hill Primary School - 7 and Numeracy Strategies has had a significant impact on pupils’ attainment. The trend of pupils’ attainment over time has been broadly in line with the improving national trend. Pupils’ results in science are below average when compared to the national average because the school’s improvement has not been as great as it is nationally. They are aware that a concentrated effort to improve pupils’ achievements in experimental and investigative work is a top priority this year. The school is well set to continue to improve standards, meet its targets and implement the new curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very good attitudes to the school and their work. They are keen to come to school and this improves their learning. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are aware of how to treat each other and they work and play well together. Pupils are polite and courteous towards one another and adults. Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development and relationships are good. They respond well to the rules clearly displayed in all classrooms. Relationships between pupils and staff are good which leads to pupils trying hard and doing their best. Attendance Attendance is good. Most pupils arrive at school promptly, settle into class quickly and lessons start on time. There have been two fixed period exclusions from the school in the last year.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils are very polite, friendly and welcoming. They have a clear sense of right and wrong and treat all people appropriately. They are considerate of others when they move around the building, use the dining hall and play at break times. Pupils are responding well to the trust and respect they are shown.

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

Lessons seen overall Very good Satisfactory sometimes good Good often very good

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

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

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

Forty seven lessons or part lessons were seen. Teaching was satisfactory or better in 98 per cent of lessons. It was good in 36 per cent of lessons and very good in a further 36 per cent. Good teaching was seen throughout the school. It was particularly strong for children in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 2. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection. There was only one unsatisfactory lesson seen during the inspection. This was in English, where the work set was not sufficiently challenging, pupils were easily distracted from the task because the level of noise in the lesson was too high and this adversely affected pupils’ concentration. However, the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been successfully implemented and pupils’ standards are improving by the end of Key Stage 2. The quality of teaching has been monitored by the head teacher and the sharing of good

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

practice is having a positive impact on the quality of teaching throughout the school. This strategy has been successful in establishing a climate within the school where teachers are more aware of their strengths and areas for development. The school is aware that co-ordinators now have the skills to monitor teaching and learning in their subjects and so make a greater contribution to raising standards further.

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

The teaching of basic skills in English and mathematics is good throughout the school. Teachers’ planning is clearly linked to the requirements of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and where tasks are organised to challenge different ability groups in classes, pupils make good progress. However, teachers do not always use the results of their assessments of pupils’ attainment to set targets Richmond Hill Primary School - 8 for individuals and groups, consequently work is not always sufficiently challenging for pupils of all abilities. Some teachers overcome this because they use their daily observations of pupils’ work to set challenging tasks but this is not consistent throughout the school. Classroom assistants give effective support to both individuals and groups of pupils when they are working with them. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by good teaching that provides challenging activities. As a result,

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

these pupils make good progress in both key stages.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The school provides a relevant curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils. The school has adopted the most recent national guidelines and teachers are following these in their planning to ensure that all pupils have a varied and interesting curriculum. There are very few extra curricular activities to enrich the curriculum. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The procedures and provision for pupils with special educational needs are good. Teachers know their pupils well and provide activities that meet the requirements of their individual education plans and this makes a positive contribution to their attainment and learning. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is good. This enables pupils who enter school with poor personal and social skills to

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Aspect Comment

develop very good attitudes, good behaviour and a sense of responsibility that makes a positive contribution to their good learning. Provision is satisfactory for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are good. There are good procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. However, the results of assessments are not always used effectively to set specific targets for individuals and small groups of pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The school places a suitable emphasis on English and mathematics but balances this well with all other curriculum subjects. The school has good procedures in place to check and promote pupils’ attendance and behaviour. These are effective and pupils’ behaviour is good. The procedures for tracking and supporting pupils’ personal development are good. However, the information in teachers’ annual reports to parents on pupils’ attainment and progress does not always give sufficient information on history and geography as separate subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff The head teacher, key staff and governors provide good leadership and management and give a clear educational direction for the school. The quality of teaching has improved recently because of the good monitoring and sharing of good practice undertaken by the head teacher. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors make a good contribution to the effective running of the school and are committed to maintaining and raising standards further. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has good procedures for monitoring and evaluating the success of new initiatives. It makes good use of the information generated by National Curriculum tests to identify strengths and weaknesses and target areas for development. The strategic use of resources The school has sufficient staff to meet the needs of the National Curriculum and they are well-deployed throughout the school. Support

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Aspect Comment

staff play an important role in the life of the school and make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. The accommodation is very well Richmond Hill Primary School - 9 maintained. Resources to support pupils’ learning are satisfactory and used effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The good strategic management of the school is evident in the way that literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology have been given priority for development in recent years. Subject co-ordinators monitor teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. The school has developed good procedures for monitoring teaching and learning, which have been closely followed by the head teacher and the knowledge gained from this has been passed on to teachers. The co-ordinators are now ready to take the next important step in the improvement of their managerial role by observing teaching and learning throughout the school in their subjects. The head teacher is aware that the assessments of pupils’ attainment are not consistently used to guide teachers’ planning and set challenging tasks for all pupils. The head teacher, governors, financial consultant and the secretary keep a close eye on spending and have worked hard to remove the budget deficit identified in the last inspection. They have

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Aspect Comment

successfully built up a contingency fund that allows the school to plan more effectively for the future and support educational initiatives with suitable resources. The school now follows the principles of best value and ensures that pupils have sufficient resources to help them learn. Specific grants are used well for their designated purpose.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school • Their children are making good progress • Teaching is good • Behaviour in the school is good • The school expects children to work hard • The school helps children to become more mature and responsible • The range of activities outside lessons • The way the school deals with any questions or problems • The way the school works with parents • The way the school is led and managed

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection findings confirm the positive views expressed by parents about the school. They do not agree with the concerns over the leadership and management of the school because of the improvements made over the last few years. In addition, there are effective systems in place for parents to express their concerns. The well established governors’ surgery held every week in school gives parents a regular opportunity to air their views. Inspectors agree with parents that there is a very small number of extra curricular activities to support and enrich pupils’ learning. Richmond Hill Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and achievements

1 Children in the Foundation Stage in the nursery and reception class follow an appropriate and interesting curriculum. Many children enter the nursery with standards of attainment that are well below those normally seen in children of this age, particularly in communication, language and literature, mathematical development, personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world. All children, including those with special educational needs, achieve well in all the areas of learning and this good progress continues in the reception class. As a result, by the end of the Foundation Stage, many children’s attainment is broadly in line with that expected for their age. Children learn to take responsibility and to work together and this underpins the good relationships and behaviour in these classes. The progress of children in the past has not always been as good as this but the improved

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The school’s results and achievements

teaching has made a significant impact on the learning of children of this age.

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The school’s results and achievements

2 In both key stages, pupils’ attainment varies considerably between different year groups, mainly because of the different number of pupils who have special educational needs. However, pupils’ attainment is improving in both key stages because of the successful implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Pupils’ attainment by the age of seven is in line with that expected nationally. This represents a slight lowering of standards since the National Curriculum tests of May 2000, when attainment was above national expectations. This is because fewer pupils in the present Year 2 are working at the higher levels and because there is a significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs. The school has maintained the standards in Key Stage 1 since the last inspection. In the 2000 National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds, pupils’ attainment in English was above the national

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The school’s results and achievements

average. When compared with similar schools, the school’s results were well above the average for these schools. Pupils’ attainment by the age of 11 has shown improvement. Inspection findings show that attainment is broadly in line with the level expected for pupils’ ages. There is also a sizeable proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the present Year 6, but their current good progress is such that most pupils are likely to achieve their expected levels. Since the previous inspection, pupils’ attainment has improved slightly faster than the national trend. The school is setting realistic targets for improvement in English.

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The school’s results and achievements

3 By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment in mathematics is in line with the level expected for their age. In the 2000 National Curriculum tests for mathematics for seven-year-olds, pupils’ attainment was above the national average and above the average for similar schools. In the 2000 National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds, pupils’ attainment was above the national average. When compared with similar schools, the school’s results were well above the average for these schools. These improving results in both key stages reflect the positive impact of the National Numeracy Strategy. They are also the result of the Year 2 class last year benefiting from support given by two members of staff for most of the year. There has also been good analysis of pupils’ performance in previous tests and this has resulted in the setting of good class targets to focus on improving the weaker areas of

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The school’s results and achievements

mathematical knowledge. The school recognises that this process now needs to be refined and targets set for individuals and small groups and so improve pupils’ attainment further. Pupils use their numeracy skills well in other subjects such as science and information and communication technology by, for example, creating graphs showing features of their own bodies in a health project. They collected data on hair and eye colour, size of various limbs and heights and recorded them to show the balance throughout the class.

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The school’s results and achievements

4 By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment in science is at the level expected for their age. In the teacher assessments in science in 2000 for Year 2, pupils’ attainment was above the national Richmond Hill Primary School - 11 average, it was also well above the average when compared with similar schools. In the National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds in 2000, pupils’ attainment was below the national average. When compared with similar schools, the school’s results were average. The school did not do as well in the National Curriculum tests in science in Key Stage 2 in 2000. Analysis of results has shown that pupils did not perform well in questions relating to investigations and an improvement in this aspect of science is a high priority this year. The school has done well to maintain the standards found in the last inspection because of the increasing numbers of pupils with special educational needs in each year group. For

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The school’s results and achievements

example, there are nearly one third of the present Year 6 who have individual education plans, these pupils are making good progress and their attainment is improving when compared to their previous skills. During the inspection, there was no significant variation noted in the attainment of boys and girls.

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The school’s results and achievements

5 There is now an upward trend in pupils’ attainment over time. The school is improving standards and setting realistic targets to improve further. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning, particularly in their literacy and numeracy skills. The school makes effective use of assessment data in the Foundation Stage to set targets for future improvement. However, the use of the school’s procedures for assessment and the marking of pupils’ work to set challenging targets for individuals and groups of pupils to further improve pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science is not well established. Regular school-based subject tests and national test data are used to identify pupils with special educational needs who are then set challenging targets in their individual education plans. These pupils meet the targets set out in their individual education plans.

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The school’s results and achievements

6 By the end of both key stages, pupils attain standards in information and communication technology that are at the level expected for their age. This represents a significant improvement since the previous inspection when pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology was low and progress unsatisfactory. The school has made considerable improvements to its curriculum over the past three years. Information and communication technology is valued as an essential part of the curriculum. For example, the governors have set up a small committee to monitor improvements in the subject and to support the school in its future developments. The establishment of the well equipped computer suite has made a significant improvement and the teaching of skills to the whole class has raised pupils’ attainment considerably. However, the co-ordinator is aware that class based computers are not used sufficiently often to further improve pupils’ skills and support work in other subjects.

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The school’s results and achievements

7 Pupils in Key Stage 1 make good progress in developing their skills and knowledge. They use their keyboard skills to produce short pieces of text on the screen, use the mouse and understand the use of the cursor and of several of the screen icons when amending their work. In discussion, pupils in Year 2 identified ways in which they use technology to make objects, like the screen turtle, move and draw shapes. Pupils in Key Stage 2 build effectively on their skills and knowledge. For example, in a Year 4 lesson pupils confidently identified on the screen a small part of a picture they wished to use to create repeating patterns. They selected the piece they were going to use and by using “cut and paste” techniques they built up a series of patterns on the screen. They were confident when saving their work and knew how to print the finished picture. In discussions, pupils explained how to load and save their

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The school’s results and achievements

work. They are confident when using computers and understand how to bring up the various menus available, for example, when using a data base to build up a picture of the characteristics of members of the class. They enter information such as, name, eye and hair colour and family members and then explain how they intend to use the information to find out specific facts, for example, how many pupils in the class have blue eyes or how many have one brother or sister. Pupils use computers to support their work in other subjects such as English and science, for example, they use the light sensors to measure reflection in a science experiment.

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The school’s results and achievements

8 By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment in religious education is in line with the level expected for their age. Pupils in Year 2 gained much from a lesson on the importance of ceremonies when studying how harvest is celebrated. By the end of the key stage, pupils consolidate their learning Richmond Hill Primary School - 12 about Christianity through stories from the Bible and from discussions. They know that the Bible is an important book to Christians and the significance of Christmas and birthdays. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils understand the importance of religion to different people and they relate well to stories through discussions and writing about their own life experiences and present day issues. Pupils study world faiths and understand the significance of special festivals in Judaism and in Muslim beliefs. All pupils, including those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in religious education. By the end of

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The school’s results and achievements

both key stages, pupils’ attainment in art and design, history, geography, physical education and music is in line with the level expected for their age. The organisation of the topic cycle for art and design, and design and technology means that pupils in Key Stage 2 covered art and design topics in the first half of the term and therefore had only just started work in design and technology. Consequently there was insufficient work covered to allow secure judgements to be made.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9 Pupils have very good attitudes towards school. They arrive punctually and are keen to settle to work quickly and, for the most part, without fuss. They listen and participate keenly in class, especially when the topic is interesting or new. For example, pupils are eager to work on computers in the new suite and they are considerate enough to work productively with a partner. Many pupils are enthusiastic about music, they take care to moderate and modulate their voices to make a good sound. They also immerse themselves contentedly in more formal subjects. When challenged in English to come up with ideas for similes or thoughts on fox-hunting, many pupils were very keen to respond. Sometimes, however, some pupils are reluctant to take part in class discussions and so do not benefit fully from them. This can be attributed to uncertain language skills and an unwillingness to get things wrong.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10 Pupils’ behaviour is good. In the classrooms, pupils are responsive, attentive and amenable. This enables teachers to teach effectively without the need to interrupt proceedings to deal with ill discipline. In most lessons, teachers let pupils work independently, safe in the knowledge that they will sustain their concentration and strive to complete their tasks. Occasionally, pupils are not so considerate. Younger pupils who constantly seek attention deny the other pupils of valuable learning time, whilst a few older pupils show some disrespect when they fidget on the fringe of lessons. Around the school and in the playground, pupils continue to behave well. The dining room is a civilised place in which pupils enjoy their lunch and a chat in relative peace and quiet. Outside, pupils play energetically and, for the most part, with good humour. Boys play football with girls and younger pupils enjoy simple games together.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11 The relationships between all members of the school are essentially good. Teachers set a good example by showing how much they value pupils’ contributions and efforts in class. Their constant rewards and praise for small and large achievements serve to motivate the pupils and raise their self- esteem. Similarly, pupils get on well with one another most of the time. Throughout the school, pupils co- operate successfully in group work, whether sharing the fun of nonsense words they created in Year 1 or combining to compose a phrase of music in Year 6. One group worked especially well with a governor who was evaluating the lesson activity. Pupils respect other people’s views and beliefs. When pupils supply a wrong answer in discussions or struggle to write a coherent sentence, other pupils show empathetic support. Occasionally, though, pupils do show a selfish streak. When selecting objects to

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

produce a still life in art and design, pupils tended to rush and snatch seemingly more desirable objects. This is not typical and it is evident that the school’s success in raising pupils’ attainment is due in no small part to the positive and warm relationships throughout the school. Relationships are even good beyond the school. During their swimming lessons at a nearby pool, many pupils showed a positive rapport with their instructors.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12 When given tasks to undertake, pupils behave responsibly. Many pupils are efficient monitors in their classrooms and they take messages willingly and efficiently on behalf of their teachers. Pupils help with the setting up of chairs and books for choir, while others help in assembly by manning the Richmond Hill Primary School - 13 overhead projector. Within lessons, pupils understand how they need to be responsible. Pupils as young as Year 1 know about the dangers of carrying scissors and that they have to clear up after a hectic design and technology session. However, the school does not develop pupils’ responsibility enough in other ways, especially in Years 5 and 6. There are few instances when pupils feel able to use their own initiative. However, they know that any suggestions or offers of work would be welcome. For example, one pupil recently suggested that the school choir take part in a music festival.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 Pupils’ levels of attendance are good and are above that of similar schools. The high level of unauthorised absence is due to the persistent non-attendance of one family. The registration periods are well organised and the procedures meet statutory requirements. The punctuality of the majority of the pupils is good and provides a positive start to the school day.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14 Forty seven lessons or part lessons were seen. In the lessons seen, teaching was satisfactory or better in 98 per cent of lessons. It was good in 36 per cent of lessons and very good in a further 36 per cent. Good teaching was seen throughout the school. It was particularly strong for children in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 2. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection. The head teacher is implementing the school policy for observing, evaluating and improving teaching. It is being used effectively to raise the quality of all teachers’ performance. There was only one unsatisfactory lesson seen during the inspection. This occurred in an English lesson, where the work set was not sufficiently challenging, pupils were easily distracted from the task because the level of noise in the lesson was too high and this adversely affected pupils’ concentration. Good teaching was seen in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

both key stages and the Foundation Stage. The quality of teaching and the teamwork of all staff throughout the school make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. The teaching of basic skills in literacy and numeracy is good for all pupils. Teachers make good use of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Teachers have high expectations that pupils will behave well and try hard. However, especially in Key Stage 1, teachers do not always set work that is sufficiently challenging for all pupils in the class, especially for higher attaining pupils and this slows pupils’ progress. Teachers, in both key stages, make good use of homework to support pupils’ learning in lessons. In both key stages, pupils with special educational needs are taught well and they make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Teachers make good use of support staff and other adults to work with

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15 The school has placed great emphasis on raising the attainment of all pupils. The results of assessments are used effectively to guide teachers’ planning and to set groups in classes according to their ability, this is having a positive impact on pupils’ achievements and learning. However, the system now needs refining so that individual pupils and small groups are set specific targets for improvement and so raise pupils’ attainment further. There is evidence of some good, thoughtful marking to guide pupils, however, this is not consistent throughout the school and, in some classes, there are too few comments that pinpoint areas for development. In both key stages, pupils learn effectively when lessons are well planned to provide a suitable challenge for different ability groups. Learning is enhanced when pupils are given a deadline to work to and tasks are organised to challenge different ability groups in classes. For

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

example, in a Year 6 lesson on the development of vaccines the teacher pretended to be the inventor, Dr Edward Jenner, and invited class questions to show how the discovery came about. Pupils made their own notes following a “lecture” by the doctor and asked perceptive questions on how the experiments on humans were received by the general public at the time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16 Pupils have good relationships with teachers and adults in the classroom and this has helped to improve the quality of pupils’ learning. Teachers, in both key stages, have a good knowledge and understanding of the subjects of the National Curriculum. They use subject based language to develop the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the particular subject. This was particularly evident in Richmond Hill Primary School - 14 English, science and mathematics, where specific technical language was used well. For example, in a Year 4 mathematics lesson pupils understood the effects of counting numbers in a sequence, the lesson developed well and pupils’ knowledge of how sequences can change a pattern was clearly demonstrated when adding a larger number each time. Teachers know and manage their pupils very well in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 2. They provide good support for different activities. The good

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

relationships between staff and pupils create a secure climate in which to learn. Teachers respond well to the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and they intervene sensitively to offer support and encouragement. Teachers make daily informal assessments during lessons on which to base their future planning. However, teachers do not consistently use the school’s procedures for assessment and the marking of pupils’ work to set challenging targets for individuals and groups of pupils to further improve pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17 Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good. All staff have a very positive attitude towards these pupils and know their strengths and areas for development well. Teachers use daily observational assessment to provide work that matches the requirements of pupils with special educational needs. There are good communications between teachers and support staff and this enables support staff to help pupils towards the targets identified in their individual education plans. Their attainment is monitored and good records are kept. The individual education plans and statements of need are used well by the teachers in day to day class work. Targets use specific objectives that are achievable within a short time scale. Within lessons pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in the learning process alongside their peers, working at a level of difficulty that challenges and

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

leads to further learning gains. Pupils with statements of special educational need are well taught and make good gains in their learning. As a result of good teaching, pupils with special educational needs build on their knowledge, skills and understanding and make good progress.

p.16

PUPILS?

18 Since the last inspection, the school has made good progress in developing a curriculum covering all of the subjects of the National Curriculum. The subjects are organised well to plan for the teaching aspect in a structured sequence that meets the learning needs of all pupils. There are now policies for all subjects and schemes of work are based on government guidance. The use of time for teaching each subject is appropriate, learning objectives are mainly clear and the organisation of lessons shows good balance between direct teaching and learning activities for the pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are taught the full curriculum because of the school’s policy of inclusion. This ensures that they receive the same learning opportunities as other pupils even when they are withdrawn from class for specialist support. Activities are presented to these pupils at an appropriate level of difficulty

p.16

PUPILS?

and the pupils are interested and involved in their work.

p.16

PUPILS?

19 However, there is still room for development. Although some effort is made to match the work to the needs of most pupils, the work set for higher attaining pupils sometimes lacks challenge. The use of commercial worksheets in mathematics, for instance, restricts the learning opportunities for the higher attaining pupils because there is insufficient opportunity for presenting questions at a greater level of complexity and teachers do not always prepare supplementary or extension work for higher attaining pupils. The design element of the design and technology curriculum is not well developed and the process of “learning from religion” in religious education is undeveloped. Pupils have good factual knowledge but have too few opportunities to consider the “big” questions of faith and belief such as God, special moments and special places.

p.16

PUPILS?

20 The school staff teach literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum to a good level of attainment. This provision is good. Lessons follow the structure of the national framework and both introductory activities and direct teaching are effective. There was very good development of pupils’ Richmond Hill Primary School - 15 skills of speaking and listening in a geography lesson for Year 6. Pupils discussed a proposed improvement to the car park for a local supermarket and presented their points of view well whilst also using the courtesies of organised discussion. Another lesson in religious education used drama to illustrate the idea of not destroying the good when trying to remove the bad in the parable of the wheat and the thistles. There was evidence of the use of written comparisons and notes of change in history but there were too few opportunities for pupils to make written comparisons or to record opinion and

p.16

PUPILS?

observation about the topics under study in religious education.

p.17

PUPILS?

21 Good use of homework on a regular basis supports learning in the core subjects of English and mathematics by learning tables, spellings and reading. It also supports work in other curriculum areas by giving pupils research activities such as writing their own address in Key Stage 1 for a geography unit on the local area, or Key Stage 2 noting the contents of the food cupboards for a science topic on diet. Pupils in Year 6 complete a piece of extended writing each Friday. The school also organises residential visits for pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 so that they can experience conditions in different localities such as a city environment. However, the range of regular extra curricular activities is limited. There is a choir, the school takes part in concerts and in tournaments for football, netball and cross-country but most of the practice opportunities take place within the school day.

p.17

PUPILS?

22 Statutory requirements are met in teaching the National Curriculum including health education, sex education and drug awareness. The school makes good use of circle time to teach personal and social education and frequently uses role-play to simulate learning opportunities. Sex education is taught well to the older pupils with the support of a qualified nurse and they become fully aware of their own personal development. There are satisfactory links with the community through concerts and choir performances. Older pupils have performed poetry readings for customers of the local supermarket and there is a biennial pantomime that involves all pupils and members of the community, which makes a positive contribution to their learning. Visiting speakers support the curriculum on occasions and the local vicar conducts assembly on a regular basis. However, although visits are made to the local church, the

p.17

PUPILS?

distances involved restrict opportunities for pupils to visit multi cultural centres in their study of other world religions. Links with the local secondary schools have included their teachers visiting to observe the work of subject co-ordinators and the effective delivery of the Numeracy Hour and so help to ease the transition from one school to another.

p.17

PUPILS?

23 The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is good. It is satisfactory for their spiritual and cultural development. The school ethos is one of care and support and this encourages the good personal development of the pupils. Teachers promote good relationships in lessons, provide good role models for the pupils and foster a commitment to learning. Assemblies are good. They celebrate togetherness and have a spiritual element in the use of prayer and quiet reflection that is appropriate to all pupils. For example, the teacher states that she will have a better Christmas if she can think of children in Rumania opening gift boxes that have been sent from the school. Spiritual development is only satisfactory because religious education lessons focus mainly on the factual aspects of religion and opportunities for reflection are missed for the pupils to consider questions of spirituality such as faith,

p.17

PUPILS?

24 In all its relationships the staff of the school develop a good sense of right and wrong in the pupils. They are aware of the consequences of their actions on others and good use is made of role-play to develop pupils’ understanding of responsible behaviour and the need to consider the needs of others. Although the school does not have an ethos of providing significant responsibilities for pupils, such as library and telephone answering, there are numerous minor opportunities for the pupils to develop an understanding of their role in the school community. Pupils deliver messages and take responsibility for small classroom tasks such as collecting books and distributing worksheets. They initiate some activities and show a good sense of social responsibility when discussing the relative merits of the demolition of a row of houses in order to create better parking and traffic management in Aspatria. The development of

p.17

PUPILS?

Richmond Hill Primary School - 16 pupils’ awareness of their own culture includes all festivals and involves them in a variety of local activities such as concerts, pantomimes and rugby. This provision is satisfactory but is limited by a lack of opportunity to study other cultures within our society and to become more aware of the multi-cultural nature of society in general. Richmond Hill Primary School - 17

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

25 The school’s procedures for child protection and for promoting well-being, health and safety of all pupils are good. The standard of care provided by teaching and non-teaching staff is good. There are good relationships between the pupils, teachers and other adults in the school. When monitoring pupils’ personal development, teachers rely on this relationship and their knowledge of the pupils. The school has adopted the local education authority policy for child protection and there is a designated person responsible for child protection. Staff are kept up to date with child protection issues and all staff are aware of their responsibilities. The health and safety policy is being reviewed, regular health and safety and risk assessment inspections are undertaken. First Aid provision is good, all staff have received appropriate training. The younger children have talks from the local police regarding road safety and the

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

danger of playing near the local railway.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

26 The school has good procedures in place in order to monitor pupils’ academic progress but these are not used consistently to set challenging targets for all pupils. The school uses an efficient system to check pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding when they enter the school and begin Year 1. This is a very useful indicator for areas of concern but also a helpful gauge of progress through the Foundation Stage. Teachers check the progress of pupils regularly in English, mathematics and science in Key Stages 1 and 2. As well as the National Curriculum tests for seven and 11 year olds, teachers also provide similar tests at the end of each year in Key Stage 2. They also conduct tests twice a term to monitor aspects of spelling, vocabulary and times tables. The school tests progress in reading twice a year and has end of term assessments in science topics. They have just introduced end of topic

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

assessments for all other subjects but it is too soon to judge how effective these are. Teachers store the results of all tests and pass them on to the pupils’ next teachers. Subject co-ordinators use this information to advise colleagues of areas of concern in pupils’ progress. For example, the English co- ordinator could identify that 38 per cent of pupils have some problems with reading.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

27 The school’s use of assessment data is less effective, although it is satisfactory. Although teachers store assessment results well and analyse areas of weakness, they do not use this information sharply enough to inform their curriculum planning. They use the data effectively to help in the formation of ability groups in class, teachers re-evaluate these every half-term and move pupils between groups as appropriate. However, teachers do not use the data enough to influence the way in which they meet the needs of all pupils. For example, although teachers produce efficient educational plans for pupils with special educational needs, they do not set targets for individuals and small groups to ensure consistently challenging activities for all pupils, this is especially so for the higher attaining pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

28 Teachers know their pupils well and are alert in lessons to check individual gains or setbacks. They praise pupils’ work and guide them well more formally when marking work, but do not always give enough direct advice. They do, however, ensure that pupils correct some elements of their work, such as spelling, for example, and this is good practice. Teachers discuss work sensibly with pupils and pupils become aware of their shortcomings, but there is no formal structure in which pupils can evaluate their own work, other than on their school reports which is beneficial. Co-ordinators are starting to set targets in English, mathematics and science for the benefit of classes and groups of pupils, but these are much too broad and ill-defined. For example, one target comprised “reading a wider variety of books” without providing any precise detail to guide pupils and parents more effectively. The school has yet to set clear

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

and precise targets for all pupils, but it recognises the need to do so.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29 There are good procedures in place to monitor pupils’ attendance. Registers are carefully monitored and the local educational welfare officer contacts those families where pupils’ attendance is a cause for concern. The school has recently adopted a new behaviour policy which effectively monitors behaviour and bullying. Pupils are aware of the rules and each class’s own rules are prominently displayed in their classrooms. These are followed well by pupils and their behaviour is good. There were Richmond Hill Primary School - 18 two exclusions in the last academic year. The support for pupils with special educational needs is good. There are good relationships with the staff and when pupils are withdrawn for extra assistance their work is closely linked with that of the rest of their class.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

30 The school works satisfactorily with the parents. In the questionnaires a number of parents stated that they were happy with the standard of teaching and that their children were making good progress. There was some dissatisfaction with the range of extra curricular activities and that the school did not work closely enough with them. Inspection findings agree with parents that there is a limited number of extra curricular activities.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

31 The information that the parents receive from the school about its activities is satisfactory. The governors produce a regular attractive newsletter. Both the school brochure and the governors’ annual report are attractive and well produced publications with photographic examples of the pupils at work and play. Parents are invited to termly consultation evenings and the parents of Year 6 pupils to an extra meeting to discuss the results of National Curriculum tests. The format of the pupils’ annual progress reports is hard to follow and each subject is not always reported separately. Parents and pupils take advantage of the opportunity to record their views of the reports.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

32 Parents do not make use of the opportunity to make their views known through the weekly governors’ surgery. They have recently terminated the activities of the Richmond Hill Fund-raisers, which in the past has provided equipment for the school. A few parents provide good help in the classrooms, with swimming and on educational visits. They support their children at home by listening to them read and supervising their homework. There is a good home/school agreement. There is close contact between school and home in recognising and supporting pupils with special educational needs. Records are reviewed regularly and parents are involved in all reviews.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

33 The head teacher and key staff provide good leadership and give a clear educational direction for the school which has a positive impact on pupils’ improving standards. The quality of teamwork by all staff is very good and fosters a positive ethos in the school where all pupils are valued and their efforts well supported. The governing body takes its responsibilities very seriously: governors make a good contribution to the effective running of the school and are committed to maintaining and raising standards further. The roles and responsibilities of the senior management team have been reviewed and now give a clearer educational direction to the school. The monitoring by the head teacher is regularly discussed with governors who are well aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Subject co-ordinators are taking much more responsibility for their subjects. For example, they control their own budgets, review

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

schemes of work, undertake a regular audit and recommend training needs, monitor teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. The school is aware that the next important development is the introduction of a programme that allows co-ordinators to monitor teaching and learning in their subjects. Governors are fulfilling their strategic role well, they have taken steps to deal with the key issues identified in the last inspection and parents are kept well informed of school matters by the production of regular newsletters and a weekly governors’ surgery.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

34 The role of the co-ordinator for special educational needs has been strengthened and the procedures for monitoring the provision for, and the progress made by pupils with special educational needs, are now good. The format for short term planning is improving and beginning to identify what pupils are expected to learn. However, teachers do not consistently identify the opportunities for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in their planning. As a result, there is not always the quality of Richmond Hill Primary School - 19 information needed to set clear targets for learning of groups or individuals and so raise pupils’ attainment further. The school has worked effectively to address the key issues from the previous report and is well placed to maintain the strengths of the school and build effectively upon them.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

35 Children in the Foundation Stage in the nursery and the reception class receive a good start to their education. There is effective use of all staff and the quality of their teamwork is having a very positive impact on children’s learning. Throughout the school, the implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning as they move through the school. There are policies and schemes of work for all subjects. Teachers use these well to guide their planning and ensure that pupils receive a breadth of curriculum experiences which build on their previous learning. There is now a consistent approach to curriculum planning and the formal assessment of pupils’ progress and achievements is effective. All staff understand the requirements of the Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs. The provision for these pupils is good.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

36 The head teacher, key staff and governors work together closely and manage the school very well. There is a clear direction for the work of the school, ensuring that strategic decisions determine the financial and educational development of the school. The appointment of a financial consultant has been particularly successful because the budget deficit identified in the last report has been dealt with and the school now has a healthy surplus which enables them to plan well ahead. This is particularly important if the school roll continues to fall. Detailed analysis of children’s attainment on entry to the school is undertaken regularly by the co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage and the results are used very effectively to set realistic targets for children’s future attainment. The staff meet regularly, both formally and informally, to discuss curriculum matters. Curriculum and key stage co-ordinators undertake their

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

roles conscientiously. For example, there has been a thorough audit of teachers’ skills in information and communication technology and a very good action plan drawn up to identify a training programme that will develop teachers’ skills further, especially when using the computer suite.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

37 The school development plan is an effective management tool, which clearly identifies the priorities and targets to be tackled and guides the work of the school. It provides a baseline against which future development can be measured and is having a positive effect on the future direction of the school. Educational and financial planning are clearly cross-referenced. Priorities include the continued monitoring of the curriculum intended to improve further pupils’ attainment and learning. The school knows its strengths and areas for development and has a good grasp on how to improve. All staff work hard to improve their own performance and the educational opportunities presented to pupils. The school has clear targets for improvements. For example, the school regularly analyses pupils’ results in national and school tests and monitors their progress. This information is used to ensure that pupils build

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

38 The school fulfils all legal requirements for special educational needs and there is a whole school effort that is organised and managed well by a knowledgeable and effective co-ordinator. The co- ordinator is informed and fully conversant with all initiatives. All records are up to date. They are reviewed regularly and contain regular assessments and identification of learning difficulties. A support assistant is provided from the school budget for Year 3 in recognition of the large size of the class and the large proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Good policies and procedures aimed at ensuring early identification and support are in place. Pupils are identified early in their school life and appropriate action is taken to provide clear, well defined targets to help them overcome their difficulties. The register is well organised and up-to-date and any changes in the circumstances of pupils are noted and, if

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

necessary, acted upon. Individual education plans are in place for those pupils who require them and parents are involved in the review of their children’s progress. The school liaises very well with outside agencies when necessary. The support for pupils with special educational needs is effective, as a result, pupils make good progress. Since the previous report the school has made good improvement in its provision for pupils with special educational needs. Richmond Hill Primary School - 20 39 All staff have a shared commitment to raising standards. They have succeeded in creating a learning environment where relationships are good and pupils feel secure and valued. A positive ethos reflects the school’s commitment to achieve the highest educational standards and equal opportunity for all pupils. The governors are committed to improving the school building and maintaining standards in the

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school. They keep themselves well informed. The good committee structure enables them to support the head teacher and meet their statutory responsibilities. There are link governors in place for all subjects of the National Curriculum and they visit the school regularly and effectively monitor the delivery of the curriculum. The chair of governors works very closely with the head teacher and they meet regularly to discuss the school and its work. The school’s aims are clearly expressed and have been collaboratively developed and agreed. The governors have a clear picture of the work of the school and are pleased with the improving attainment of pupils.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40 The school has sufficient staff to meet the needs of the planned curriculum. Teachers are suitably qualified and provide a good balance of experience and expertise. They are ably supported by a good number of competent and well-qualified support staff. The quality and provision for administrative support and caretaking is very good and ensures that the daily life of the school continues to run smoothly. Arrangements to support newly qualified teachers are good and fully meet national requirements. The school have an appropriate draft policy under discussion to meets the requirements of the latest initiative for Performance Management.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41 The quality of the accommodation is satisfactory. The buildings are very well maintained and kept meticulously clean. Classrooms are suitably furnished and, together with corridors and public areas, contain good quality, attractively mounted displays, particularly of pupils’ artwork. There are sufficient classrooms but the organisation means that some rooms are only accessible through an adjacent room. This is a source of distraction for the pupils, which they cope with very well. The library is in the centre of the school and does not have sufficient space for whole class work. The staff and pupils appreciate the recent acquisition of the computer suite and it is well used to improve pupils’ skills in the subject. There is a purpose built nursery and secure outdoor play area with a good range of adventure play equipment. Learning resources are satisfactory. They are better in science and information and communication

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

technology, where there are a good range of programs to support pupils’ learning in other subjects.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42 The head teacher, well supported by the governors, has been the driving force behind the school’s recent improvements. Co-ordinators are monitoring teachers’ planning and leading discussions on recent initiatives, for example the implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. However, they are not yet monitoring the teaching of the planned curriculum or the quality of learning taking place in their subjects. Educational priorities are well supported through the school’s financial planning. There have been good improvements since the last inspection. The cost of educating each pupil is in line with the national average. There is good leadership by the head teacher, key staff and governors, very good financial management and good relationships in school. Pupils’ attainment is improving and their learning is good when compared with their previous attainment. As a result, the school is giving good

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

value for money. Richmond Hill Primary School - 21

p.22

school, the head teacher, staff and governors should:

A. Further improve pupils’ standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2 by:

p.23

school, the head teacher, staff and governors should:

• monitoring more carefully the use of the good procedures for assessment in order to set challenging targets for individuals and groups of pupils, in particular the higher attaining pupils; • providing more opportunities for independent, investigative work in science and mathematics; • improving the quality of marking by providing guidance for all teachers on monitoring the effect of its use. (Paragraphs 3, 5, 14, 15, 16, 19, 27, 28, 34, 58, 65, 67, 68, 73, 86.)

p.23

school, the head teacher, staff and governors should:

B. Further develop pupils’ skills in information and communication technology by more regular use of class based computers to support work in other subjects, particularly English, mathematics and science. (Paragraphs 6, 92, 95.)

p.23

school, the head teacher, staff and governors should:

C. Extend the role of the subject co-ordinators to evaluate and monitor teaching and learning throughout the school. (Paragraphs 33, 70, 78, 82.)

p.23

as part of the action plan:

• improve the quality of information to parents on pupils’ progress in history and geography in the annual reports; (Paragraphs 31, 86, 91.) • reorganise the library to make more effective use of the space available and provide a wider range of books. (Paragraph 62.) Richmond Hill Primary School - 22

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 28

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

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.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 14 178

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 35

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 13

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Richmond Hill Primary School - 23

p.24

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 19 17 36

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 89% (85%) 97% (88%) 97% (100%)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

at NC level 2 or above National 83% (82%) 84% (83%) 90% (87%)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97% (96%) 97% (100%) 97% (100%)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

at NC level 2 or above National 84% (82%) 88% (86%) 88% (87%)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.25

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 16 18 34

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 13 13

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 76% (62%) 71% (58%) 74% (69%)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

at NC level 4 or above National 75% (70%) 72% (69%) 85% (78%)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 15 16

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 79% (62%) 76% (54%) 82% (69%)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

at NC level 4 or above National 70% (68%) 72% (69%) 79% (75%)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Richmond Hill Primary School - 24 Richmond Hill Primary School - 25

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Afro heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.27

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.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.6 Financial year 1999 - 2000

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.4

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 359,084

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2.2 Expenditure per pupil 1,833

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 64 Balance brought forward from previous year -12,511

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 23,751

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 64

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Richmond Hill Primary School - 26

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

Number of questionnaires sent out 191 Number of questionnaires returned 100

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know My child likes school. 49 46 2 1 1

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 40 51 6 1 2

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 17 67 9 3 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 51 14 3 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 24 56 12 7 1

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 35 45 10 10 0

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 44 47 2 2 5

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 12 54 17 10 7

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 12 49 18 9 12

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 26 58 3 2 11

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 9 41 25 10 15 Richmond Hill Primary School - 27

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44 C hildren in the Foundation Stage are taught in a part time nursery class and in the reception class. They follow a broad and interesting curriculum. Many children enter the nursery with standards of attainment which are below those normally seen in children of this age, particularly in communication, language and literature, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and personal, social and emotional development. All children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in all of the areas of learning. By the end of the Foundation Stage most of the children have attainment which is in line with that expected for their age although a significant minority are still below what is expected. The teaching and provision for children in the nursery and reception class has improved considerably since the last inspection.

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45 Children’s attitudes to learning are good. They work and play with enthusiasm and enjoyment. They use resources carefully and begin to develop independent skills. Children learn to share and take turns and they begin to work co-operatively. Most listen carefully and often levels of concentration are good. Children persevere for lengthy periods to complete a task. For example, a small group of children played with the wooden tracks making more complicated “lines” for their trains to run on. Children respond very well to teachers and other adults and most are keen to share their ideas. In the reception class a group created special pictures using paint dripped onto icing sugar. They were fascinated by the shiny finish and the teacher skilfully turned the discussion to what fireworks look like in the night sky. This work enriched children’s language and communication skills very well. Behaviour is good, children

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are well mannered and take care of each other, their environment and the resources provided for them. They understand familiar routines and are helped to understand the structure of the day when the staff explain the morning activities available to them in the nursery class.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

46 Skills in language and literacy develop through many activities such as purposeful imaginative play, consistent routines, supplying the rhymes in poems and through opportunities for children to take part in role play and talk in front of the class. From their first days at nursery children share Big Books with the teacher and learn how a book is used. Older children in the reception class know that print is different from pictures, that it carries meaning and that it is read from left to right. Most children recognise their name and some letters of the alphabet, usually letters found in their names. Letter sounds are carefully taught and children use their voices to play with sounds. They use computer programs to reinforce their recognition of letters. Higher attaining children begin to use sensible strategies such as picture clues, for example one child explained how “Spot” the dog could not find his home and found the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

different pictures amusing as Spot searched through the farm. Children enjoy aspects of the Literacy Hour which reinforces their early development of reading skills and develops an understanding of books. Using the big book “Owl Babies”, the children and their teacher shared the text together. Children listened for the initial letter sounds in the words and enthusiastically joined in reading the key phrases. Speaking and listening skills are carefully taught and children listen to instructions, stories and each other. In the reception class, children extend their speaking and listening skills well within imaginative activities such as playing with a finger puppet and when asked said it was a “pecky bird from the story”. Children are encouraged to engage in many “mark making” activities such as “writing” letters and drawing pictures before steadily acquiring writing skills.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

47 Children play number games and every opportunity is seized in normal, daily routines to develop their number concepts and skills. For example, when playing a game with dice, children passed on the correct number of cubes that represented the number on show. In the reception class, children learn the value of numbers in a variety of ways, for example, the higher attaining children feel the shape of Richmond Hill Primary School - 28 numbers and then write them in their books. A few of the older children count accurately up to ten. As a group, they count on from a given number to ten and order number cards to six. Children develop simple ideas of size and weight and use associated vocabulary such as small, large, heavy, thick and thin accurately. They recognise a range of shapes such as circle, square, triangle, rectangle and, in the nursery, place the shapes through the correct holes in a “letter box”. They recognise and name colours.

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They extend their learning in response to focused questions, for example, in a group activity children counted round the circle and only two missed out their number in a sequence to sixteen. They become competent with basic skills and use simple computer programs confidently to support their learning in mathematics.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

48 Children develop knowledge and understanding of the world through a variety of practical experiences. They talk about the weather, keep a weather chart and consider the effect of the weather on people and animals. They develop an understanding of living things when working on topics such as making a home for an animal. Their limited knowledge of the world is shown in the short answers given when the teacher asks questions round the group to find out which other member of their family they would like to be. A few children answer and show a good awareness of the world outside by saying “My dad because he works in a factory” but many simply answer with one word such as “mammy” and are not able to explain why. Their scientific awareness is developed when investigating changes that happen in autumn. They collect leaves during a walk locally and discuss why they change colour. This work is extended well when discussing hibernation and how winter affects different creatures. Children in the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

nursery were shown the importance of hygiene when making biscuit dominoes. They knew that they had to wash their hands before handling food and enjoyed the session when spreading icing sugar and using chocolate chips to make numbers on either side of the middle line. Children use the computer to support their learning, they use the mouse to select and drag items into place on the screen.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

49 In both nursery and reception class children enjoy a wide range of activities, equipment and materials, which allow them to practise and improve their manipulative skills. They pour water into large and small containers, they squeeze and squash, cut and glue. They complete jigsaws and they use a range of construction materials which require increasing dexterity. The outdoor environment is good and promotes children’s physical development well. There is a range of wheeled toys, there is an exciting and interesting set of fixed apparatus to physically challenge children’s large-scale movements such as climbing and balancing.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50 Children experience a wide range of activities which include art, dance, music and imaginative play. They draw, paint, mix colours, use pencils, brushes and materials to create pictures of good quality. For example, when children created a picture linked to fireworks one child explained that his blob of paint “exploded” when it hit the paper. This combination of practical activities coupled with very good interaction with teachers and adults helps to develop children’s language skills as well as their practical skills. Their attention was skilfully directed by the teacher to look at shades of colour used and what fireworks looked like in the night sky. Children make observational drawings and paintings, for example painting a circular piece of card with black patterns on the white card after watching how a spinning top works. Children’s creative development and communication, language and literacy skills are usefully

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

linked when they make their own top and say that the colours “slide” together when it spins.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51 The quality of teaching for children in the nursery and reception class is consistently very good. Staff are skilled in switching strategies to secure attention and interest, without fuss. Their good use of praise, expressive voice and actions capture children’s interest and ensure their continued participation. These very good lessons are supported by detailed planning for each area of learning. An assessment of children’s abilities is made in the first few weeks in school and is used effectively to plan work that builds on their previous experiences. Day to day assessments are made and are used to inform the next stage of planning for each child. Activities are well prepared, stimulating and carefully organised. They are appropriate for children of this age, they are used effectively and a careful watch is kept in the nursery to Richmond Hill Primary School - 29 make sure children experience all the different activities sometime during the week. The interaction

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

between staff and children and between the children themselves makes a positive contribution to their personal, social and emotional development. Teaching and support staff work extremely well together and this has a positive effect on the quality of education provided. All staff know individual children very well and are knowledgeable about their needs. There is a good balance between direct teaching of the whole class or groups and independent activities. Staff know the value of structured play in early learning and make good provision for it. Resources are carefully selected and very well organised, ensuring that children are well supported in particular lines of development, for example, the use of computers to stimulate children’s imagination when painting different pictures on the screen. Areas of learning are usually linked and daily routines are used to reinforce children’s knowledge and skills. The

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

skilful questioning by staff prompts children to think about new concepts and to develop new ideas. Each day is well structured, lessons proceed at a good pace and changes in activities take account of young children’s concentration span. All staff develop very good relationships with the children and know them very well. They create a very positive climate for learning which results in most children making good progress by the end of their time in the nursery and reception class.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52 The Foundation Stage was introduced in September 2000. It is based on developing key learning skills such as listening, speaking, concentration, persistence and learning to work together and co- operate with other children. It is also about developing early communication, literacy and numeracy skills that will prepare young children for Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. The Foundation Stage represents children in nursery and the reception class. In order to be able to implement the new requirements the teacher and staff in the nursery have worked together to rewrite the school’s early years policy. They meet weekly to plan and review and they have revised all planning sheets. As a result, children are given a wide range of interesting activities that ensure their learning is improving. The Foundation Stage co-ordinator is knowledgeable, very enthusiastic and a good role model for colleagues.

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53 Pupils’ attainment by the age of seven is in line with national expectations. This represents a slight lowering of standards since the most recent National Curriculum tests, when attainment was above national expectations. This is because fewer pupils in the present Year 2 are likely to reach the higher levels of attainment and because of a significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Pupils’ attainment since the previous inspection, has improved slightly better than the national trend. Pupils’ attainment by the age of eleven is broadly in line with national expectations. This is similar to the results of the most recent National Curriculum tests. There is also a sizeable proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the present Year 6, but their current progress is such that most pupils are likely to achieve their expected levels. Since the previous inspection, pupils’ attainment has improved

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slightly faster than the national trend.

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54 Pupils have sound speaking and listening skills. In Key Stage 1, they listen well to their teachers when they explain new learning or support them during their group activity. Pupils showed good listening skills when understanding the different sentiments in greetings cards, although they found it hard to suggest their own greetings. Pupils’ speaking is satisfactory. They talk reasonably well about everyday issues but they lack a wide vocabulary which would enable them to describe actions and feelings accurately. For example, many pupils find it hard to speak effectively about books they may have read. While pupils are often coherent and use proper sentences in discussion, they do not always pronounce words properly. In Key Stage 2, pupils maintain sound progress in speaking and listening. Their listening can be good, but this depends on the interest of the lesson. Their concentration was very

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strong in a guided writing lesson, with the result that they produced the structured and descriptive prose that was being suggested. In other lessons, however, pupils lose interest and do not absorb what is required of them. Their speaking skills become stronger yet many pupils lack the confidence to speak openly in front of others. This is largely due to the difficulty many pupils have in articulating their Richmond Hill Primary School - 30 thoughts, their restricted knowledge of the world at large and the moderate breadth of vocabulary. For example, in a design and technology lesson, pupils found the concept of safety factors in a shelter design too difficult to discuss readily; only brighter pupils suggested useful ideas.

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55 Pupils’ attainment in reading is sound. In Key Stage 1 slower learners find it hard to develop reading skills and struggle over even simple words. Most pupils read familiar words but still lack the confidence to read sentences fluently and with meaning. They sound out letters to help them decipher words, but they are slow at this and not yet always successful. Reading can be quite ponderous. Brighter pupils have much greater confidence and read quickly and accurately. However, their speed of reading can sometimes undermine clarity and make them less aware of where sentences start and finish. Many read with expression and are developing the right skills to help them interpret new words. The range of reading for most pupils is still confined to simple reading books; they have not yet learned the library skills which will enable them to use reference books effectively. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ reading

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develops appropriately. They become more accurate and they deal with unfamiliar words fairly well, although they sometimes find words like ‘saliva’ hard to pronounce. Most pupils are not wholly confident, since they do not understand all that they read. For example, they may be able to read the word “disentangle” but not know its meaning. Slower learners are slightly less secure but have some fluency and have enough confidence when tackling new words. Higher attaining pupils read words at will, although sometimes they do not put enough expression into their reading. Overall, pupils do not read a wide enough range of literature. Their experience tends to be focused on fiction and there is too little reading of poetry and reference books, for example.

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56 Pupils’ attainment in writing is sound. Most pupils in Key Stage 1 do not have the skills yet to write coherent sentences in sequence. They write suitable words and phrases in response to given prompts and they are starting to write about their own actions and activities. They understand the structure of sentences and are starting to use punctuation to show this, such as capital letters and full stops. Their spelling of simple familiar words is not yet strong and some pupils are inaccurate with words like “river” and “went”. Their handwriting is developing well; they form their letters well but are unsure sometimes about how to position them on the line. Slower learners have difficulty in writing properly. They write out individual words but tend to rely on help from a teacher. They have little awareness of punctuation, although their handwriting is good for their age. Higher attaining pupils write at some length

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and understand how to use different language for different purposes. For example, they appreciate the need for commands when writing a recipe. In Key Stage 2, pupils write at considerable length, using simple and complex sentences. They tend to be descriptive in much of their writing, rather than interpret, for example, feelings or opinions. Their formal use of language is strong and pupils use commas well, are aware of correct grammar and divide their work into paragraphs. Their creativity, however, is underdeveloped. Only more able pupils use imaginative words to create an impact; many pupils rely on bland statements of fact. Slower learners have difficulty writing coherent accounts, but can write good sentences. Sometimes their weak spelling undermines their success.

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57 The quality of teaching is good, especially in Key Stage 2. Teachers plan their lessons well, sometimes very well and this gives them the confidence to cater for the needs of all pupils in lessons. They set a very distinct focus for a lesson and reinforce this with activities which will challenge all pupils. For example, in a Year 1 lesson on rhyming words, while the teacher helped many pupils to match pictures with words, more able pupils had to think up their own rhyming words, that might involve nonsense words. They teach basic skills well, by repeating concepts like punctuation consistently and support it with ample consolidation. However, this is not always the case and, sometimes in Key Stage 1, teachers do not allow pupils to practise enough of what they have just learned. This tends to hamper effective learning.

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58 Teachers monitor pupils’ progress within the lesson and offer sensible advice to help pupils who are experiencing problems. They do not, however, always use the results of any assessment to guide Richmond Hill Primary School - 31 future planning or to set challenging targets for all pupils. They generally deploy support staff well. For example, in one large class, a support assistant was very vigilant about inattention and succeeded in keeping pupils on task. However, teachers do not always specify the exact role of support assistants in their planning and this can lead to an unproductive use of their time. Teachers use time well throughout the Literacy Hour and, in one class in particular, a teacher challenged pupils by giving them a rigid countdown to the completion of tasks. On occasions, though, the pace of lessons can become sluggish, especially when pupils struggle to respond in discussions.

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59 Teachers have a good relationship with their pupils. In the better lessons, teachers are firm, yet tolerant and willing to see the funny side of things. This, in turn, not only encourages pupils to relax but also to concentrate and participate easily in all activities. The atmosphere in many classrooms is purposeful and only rarely do teachers allow too much noise and movement. Because they know what is expected, pupils respond well and do not need constant supervision when working. Teachers value pupils’ work and use better examples of creative writing, for example, to motivate other pupils. Teachers use questions well, especially in the early phase of lessons to ensure that pupils fully understand the new concept. For example, after reading a shape poem, one teacher asked why they had read the poem in that way. These discussion sessions are also useful in stimulating pupils’ speaking and listening skills.

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60 Teachers have good expectations of their pupils. The teachers are good role models and the pupils respond by acting responsibly and trying to produce useful work. Many teachers are knowledgeable about the subject and the pupils respect this. Some pupils tried very hard to locate Indian words in an extract from “The Secret Garden”, even though it was a difficult exercise. Although there is some literary influence, such as a study of Macbeth in Year 6, teachers do not surround the pupils with enough variety of genres for pupils to acquire a wealth of vocabulary and understanding.

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ENGLISH

61 The school has implemented the Literacy Hour very successfully. The extra training has improved staff expertise and confidence, which in turn has improved learning. The school is already adapting its curriculum further. Having recognised the need for greater emphasis on reading and writing, it is replacing one Literacy Hour a week with specific workshops on these topics. The school has also worked hard to improve teaching, through a programme of monitoring by senior staff. This honest appraisal and sharing of experiences has made a good impact on teachers’ skills. Teachers assess pupils’ ability in reading, writing and spelling on a regular basis and make use of national tests to check on pupils’ progress over time. These results are well stored and the co-ordinator ensures that teachers receive the necessary information to guide their teaching. However, much of the information is still too

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vague and not tailored enough to cater for the needs of individual pupils or groups. The school recognises this situation and is already tracking pupils’ progress through the school. It is beginning to set more exact and achievable targets.

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62 Literacy is effectively used in other areas of the curriculum. There are examples of good practice by introducing specialist vocabulary to pupils when working in art and design, or music, for example, but this does not yet happen enough to broaden pupils’ language. Owing to the introduction of the Literacy Hour, the school has improved its resources, and now has a good range of reading material, especially in Years 5 and 6. The school has also begun to develop its library. However, the design of the library does not permit easy access for classes to use it for reference purposes. Furthermore, the stock of books is still quite limited and many books are not catalogued.

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MATHEMATICS

63 By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment in mathematics is in line with the level expected for their age. Average and higher attaining pupils in Year 6 are attaining above this standard but there is a large proportion of pupils with special educational needs in this year group and so the overall results are nearer the expected level. Richmond Hill Primary School - 32 64 A different situation is shown by the results of the National Curriculum tests in 1999. Pupils who were seven years old achieved results that were very high although the pupils who attained the higher levels were below the national average. Results for the year 2000 were again very high and the number of pupils who attained the higher standard was almost at the expected level. This was a result of a large year group being separated into two relatively small teaching groups. The weaker results at the higher standard are confirmed by inspection evidence of restricted opportunity for higher attaining pupils

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in Key Stage 1. The 11-year-old pupils achieved results that were well below the expected standard in 1999 but results for the year 2000 show pupils’ attainment that was close to the level expected. However, the number of pupils who attained the higher standard was still below the expected level. These standards are about the same as those of similar schools. Standards are improving in both key stages largely as a result of pupils’ very good attitudes. Since 1996 there has been steady improvement throughout the school. There is no clear difference between the performance of girls and boys. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress as a result of the well organised teaching. This makes sure that they receive the same learning experiences as other pupils at a level that is suitable to their needs.

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65 Pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Pupils in Year 2 have a sound knowledge of place value that enables them to count in 10s to 100. Workbooks show most pupils adding numbers to 20, measuring in centimetres and adding coins to a value of 50p. Most pupils count accurately to 20 but cannot add 10 to 37 without “counting on”. They use their fingers but arrive at an answer of 46. They name three dimensional shapes such as cube, cuboid, cylinder, cone, pyramid and sphere and they recognise these shapes as they are used in real life for packaging and containers. Pupils in Year 6 count quickly in large numbers and use place value of digits to give the value of the 3, the 4, or the 6 in numbers such as 436,275. They know that the angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees and measure angles in triangles to test this knowledge. Higher attaining pupils use their

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knowledge to identify special triangles such as isosceles, equilateral and scalene and to prove the properties of these triangles. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that all pupils have knowledge of the same topics but that lower attaining pupils work at a simpler level of difficulty. For example, lower attaining pupils identify 1 6/7 = 13/7 whilst higher attaining pupils show that 6/30 = 1/5 and that 1/5 is the same as 20 per cent. All pupils have knowledge of all aspects of the mathematics curriculum. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to apply their knowledge and skills to solve problems in “real life” situations. Such activities would strengthen the knowledge for all pupils and challenge the higher attaining pupils to deeper levels of understanding.

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66 The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and very good at Key Stage 2. The majority of teachers plan their lessons well and have clear class learning objectives for the pupils. Work is completed at a good speed and time limits are frequently set. Questions are directed to pupils at a suitable level of difficulty and all teachers prepare work at a different level of difficulty for different groups of pupils. Pupils in Year 1 responded to the brisk questions of the teacher as they learnt to count sets of objects up to 20. They listened well and were keen to show their knowledge. Pupils in Year 3 identified patterns of odd and even number associated with addition as their teacher carefully structured questions to challenge pupils at a suitable level of difficulty. Learning activities for pupils in Year 5 are at different levels of difficulty so that some pupils identify types of triangle whilst others are measuring sides

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or measuring angles. The less successful teaching showed lower expectations of pupils and used activities that were easily completed by most pupils and that did not stretch the higher attaining pupils. During mental number work the pace of questions did not require quick answers and the level of difficulty was not raised in order to “test” the higher attaining pupils. As a result the lower attaining pupils in Year 2 offered answers to most questions whilst higher attaining pupils were not challenged to answer quickly or to think hard about larger numbers. Learning activities on three dimensional shapes were at different levels but did not require the higher attaining pupils to do more than identify and colour shapes in a construction that used a variety of shapes such as cylinder, cone, cube and sphere. Richmond Hill Primary School - 33 67 All teachers use the structure of the Numeracy Hour well. Lessons have clear class but not

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individual objectives that are shared with the pupils. Most use a brisk question and answer session for mental work and then follow with well-organised direct teaching of mathematical ideas that reflects good planning. Pupils of all levels of attainment respond enthusiastically to this approach and take a full part in the lesson. Most persevere with their work, concentrate, show a respect for accuracy and an enjoyment of mathematical ideas. However, the learning activities that follow depend too much on commercial workbooks and this restricts the learning opportunities for all pupils and particularly for higher attaining pupils. This situation is present in all year groups up to Year 4.

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MATHEMATICS

68 Since the last inspection a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator monitors the work of the teachers and has supported them well in the introduction of the Numeracy Hour. Very good improvement has been made. The provision for pupils with special educational needs has been improved and is now good. Standards have been raised in reception and Year 1 and are now very good and good respectively. There is no unsatisfactory teaching in the school for mathematics. Standards have improved at the end of each key stage but there is still insufficient challenge in work planned for higher attaining pupils. Assessment records are kept of individual attainment and pupils are now being tracked throughout the school. Although general learning targets are set for lessons there are no targets for individual pupils that focus on specific learning needs and that are short term and achievable. As a result,

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pupils have less awareness of their own learning and so do not always benefit from the regular success that would increase their enthusiasm and appetite for learning in the subject.

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SCIENCE

69 By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment in science matches the level expected for their age. The school has maintained standards since the previous inspection. The Key Stage 1 teacher assessments of pupils’ attainment in science in 2000 show that pupils’ attainment is above the national average and well above that of similar schools. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is below the national average and about the same as that of similar schools. The school’s most recent Key Stage 2 National Curriculum test results show that standards are improving but they are not improving as much as is the case nationally and therefore pupils’ results are below the level expected nationally. The co- ordinator, following close analysis of these results, has identified investigative and experimental science as the weak area and has already begun to prepare an action plan to improve these aspects of the

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SCIENCE

70 The school has done well to maintain the standards found in the last inspection because of the high number of pupils, thirty per cent, with special educational needs in the present Year 6. There is no significant variation noted in the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and they make steady progress in both key stages. The school has adopted the new national guidelines for science and is using the local environment well to provide practical activities for pupils. The head teacher and science co-ordinator are aware of the need to monitor the teaching of science and have good plans in place for this to be undertaken in the near future. As a result, there is a good capacity for improvement.

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71 In Key Stage 1, pupils are aware of their senses. In a Year 1 lesson a range of activities helped pupils to understand the value of sight in their lives. A group working with a parent had great fun trying to find objects in the blacked out space under a table. They explained how they used their sense of touch to find up to ten objects. They understand that plants need sun and water to grow and a few pupils explain how seeds grow into a new plant. Pupils’ work shows that they have a good understanding of the changes that occur when materials are heated. They recorded their work and noted which ones could not be changed back again, such as, clay because it was now solid. In Year 2, pupils recognise that pushes and pulls change the shape of materials and that some stay in the new shape while others do not. Richmond Hill Primary School - 34 For example, in a lesson experimenting with blue tac, play dough, sponges and elastic, pupils

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experimented and produced ball and sausage shapes and explained that the sponge and elastic did not keep the new shape. In a different experiment showing the effects of heat on ice, pupils noted that the ice melted at different rates according to where it was placed in the classroom. They drew the correct conclusion that ice melts more slowly in the coolest situation. They record their simple experiments, make predictions and indicate why the test is fair.

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72 In both key stages, progress in science is satisfactory for all pupils and it is good for those with special educational needs. Pupils in Year 3 study the effects of light on different objects. They explained how shadows were formed and made careful and accurate notes of their experiments. In discussions at the end of the lesson pupils identified different light sources and how useful they are especially during the hours of darkness. In Year 4, pupils conduct a survey of noise around the school. In a good link with their computer studies, they recorded their results in graphs and charts that clearly showed their understanding of one type of pollution. They study different habitats and the type of creatures found there. They name parts of the skeleton and identify how muscles are used in different types of movement. Pupils in Year 5 know that the heart is a muscle and they understand the need for a healthy

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diet. When discussing a crossword puzzle on nutrition they knew that too much sugar, chocolate, sweets and biscuits is not good for the body and they clearly identified healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables. In Year 6 this work is developed well. For example, in a lesson on micro organisms the teacher pretended to be Dr Edward Jenner, the inventor of the smallpox vaccine. Pupils “interviewed” the teacher and asked relevant questions that showed their understanding of the process of testing the vaccine. One or two expressed the view that they would be very unhappy being a guinea pig as part of the testing process. Pupils in Year 6 understand the concept of a fair test and explain that only one element in an experiment is changed to make the test fair. For example, they conducted an experiment into plant growth, predicted the effects of changing just one element that plants need for life and then

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wrote a detailed diary of the effects of depriving the plant of light over a three week period. Homework is given regularly and this contributes effectively to pupils’ learning.

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73 The good science teaching, in both key stages, and the range of stimulating scientific activities contribute significantly to the improving quality of pupils’ learning. Pupils’ attitudes and their behaviour during lessons are prime reasons why their learning is improving. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject contribute to the well planned provision for pupils, such as the improving use of investigations to encourage pupils to use scientific skills in a practical way. Good use is made of the basic skills of writing and measuring in experiments on reversible and irreversible changes. A strength of subject planning is the emphasis placed on the correct use of scientific vocabulary, such as “artery” and “vein” when describing the circulatory system. Lively and enthusiastic teaching styles often encourage pupils to think of the effect of discoveries on others. For example, in the Year 6 class pupils eagerly used

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text books to further their research on micro organisms by finding out about the work of Louis Pasteur. Teachers’ management and control of individual or paired activities are good and pupils become involved in their work, for example, identifying the importance of the senses in our daily lives. In good lessons the quality of teaching and learning are closely matched. For example, Year 5 pupils use computers to create a data base on the characteristics of pupils in the class. They explained how they intended to use the information, once it was all entered, to answer such questions as “how many pupils have blue eyes?” or “what percentage have brown hair?”. Most teachers include positive comments when marking but do not consistently provide precise comments on what pupils need to do in order to improve. This makes it more difficult for some teachers to assess how well pupils are learning from their mistakes.

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74 The school has responded to the issues in the previous inspection well and produced a good policy and scheme of work that shows the skills to be taught in each year group. This is supported by good subject management by an enthusiastic and committed co-ordinator, who has established good liaison with staff. However, the monitoring of teaching and learning has been undertaken by the head teacher, the skills learned from this have been shared with all co-ordinators who are now ready to extend Richmond Hill Primary School - 35 their management role further by including this element in the near future. Resources for the subject are good and are used well to improve pupils’ learning, for example, when testing circuits, magnetic fields or how forces affect objects. The school has sufficient programs for computers to support pupils’ research skills, especially in the developing use of the very good computer suite. The curriculum for science is

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broad, with balanced coverage being given to all areas. The breadth of the curriculum ensures that pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make steady gains in learning as they move through the school. The good attention to the use of appropriate scientific language and the use of charts and graphs ensures that the work makes a positive contribution to the development of basic literacy and numeracy skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

75 Pupils’ attainment in art and design is in line with that expected for their age in both key stages. By the age of seven, pupils draw and paint simple pictures with some awareness of proportion and use of colour. By the age of 11, pupils have skills that enable them to portray people in action and design simple settings for a stage layout. This shows a satisfactory improvement in attainment since the previous inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

76 The teaching of art and design is satisfactory. As it was only possible to observe one lesson during the inspection, judgements have been made on the evidence of pupils’ work on display. Pupils learn satisfactory basic skills, such as colour blending and contrasting. Teachers give them a reasonable opportunity to experience and use different materials and media but, overall, they do not provide a rich enough curriculum in which pupils can be really creative. Much work centres on drawing and painting and this is useful, especially when it is consolidated in other subjects like history and mathematics. For example, when folding a painted piece of paper, pupils discover not only how paint coalesces but also how reflective symmetry works. Nevertheless, there is too little evidence of pupils working in other areas of art and design, such as three dimensional work or using information and communication

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ART AND DESIGN

77 Where teaching is effective, teachers use the world around them to inspire the pupils. Pupils concentrated very hard to work out how best to lay out a still-life prior to drawing it, even though their selections for the original artefacts were rather blinkered. Teachers encourage pupils to think about reasons for their creativity and they sometimes insist that they use their sketch books to plan out their designs. However, this is not done with sufficient rigour or frequency to make the practice effective. Too often, pupils’ pictures and designs show signs of haste and carelessness, especially when pupils are colouring in patterns or copied pictures. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to experience various media. For example, pupils make simple collages using different textures of paper or fabrics. They use the work of famous painters to motivate the pupils and this successfully enriches the curriculum. Pupils

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ART AND DESIGN

in both key stages painted good architectural pictures, using perspective well, in the style of Lowry. In both key stages, pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in the development of their knowledge, skills and understanding.

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ART AND DESIGN

78 The curriculum is satisfactory. The school is in the process of adopting a nationally approved scheme of work which will ultimately broaden the structure of the curriculum. For the present, too much of the teaching focuses on basic art and design, and there is not enough use of other disciplines like sculpture and printmaking. Although the curriculum is enriched with the awareness of artists like Lowry and Monet, the range of influences is limited and does not include, for example, many examples of non- Western cultures. The school has an enthusiastic co-ordinator who has ensured a good stock of resources to support the subject. However, there is an insufficient overview of the subject’s progress and little vision to develop it further.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Richmond Hill Primary School - 36 79 The evidence available during the inspection was insufficient to enable a judgement to be made about pupils’ attainment. There were only a few examples of pupils’ work, since several classes alternate the subject with art and design, and they are only just beginning their course of study. It was possible to observe three lessons but these did not yield enough information to make an informed judgement on the whole school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

80 The quality of teaching seen was satisfactory. Teachers encourage pupils to develop their skills in making objects, although they place less emphasis on the design factor. When making simple levers to allow them to wag a paper dog’s tail, pupils in Year 1 tended to cut and punch holes with gusto and much trial and error, rather than forethought. Pupils are taught to use tools properly but teachers do not insist on sufficient precision in the final production. For example, pupils in Year 2 made simple cars with axles and wheels, which were not very effective. Wheels were very uneven because cutting was casual and some pupils had simply broken off lengths of wood to make an axle. Teachers encourage pupils to evaluate their creations, but they do not ensure that pupils exercise enough freedom of thought and experimentation. For example, there was no evidence to show that pupils making biscuits modified their

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

own ingredients or selected their own utensils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

81 Teaching is more effective when it is linked to prior learning, for example, the shelter topic, which involved the use of digital cameras and a “site visit” and was intended to lead to the construction of shelters for the Christmas display. Teachers work hard to prepare their lessons and bring elements of other subjects into their topic. This is good practice. Teachers’ good planning ensures that pupils enjoy the sessions. The use of puppets in one class, for example, was guaranteed to hold pupils’ interest, although some pupils were more interested in handling the puppets than speaking constructively about how they were made.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

82 The school provides a satisfactory curriculum. It has improved the subject since the previous inspection by ensuring that the design element is present in pupils’ work, but it has still some way to go in making it a vital part of the process. Teachers tend to combine design and technology with art and design plans and as a result, art and design on occasions receives more of its fair share of the timetable than design and technology. The limited amount of pupils’ work on paper and on display is evidence of this. The co-ordinator is skilled and has attended many courses to improve further but most teachers have not received enough recent training to strengthen their skills and confidence. As with art and design, there is not enough perception of how the subject is progressing and so further drive up standards.

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GEOGRAPHY

83 During the inspection, only three geography lesson were observed. Judgements are based mainly on scrutiny of work, examinations of planning and discussions with pupils and staff. By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment is in line with that expected nationally for pupils’ ages. The school has maintained the standards found in the previous inspection. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress throughout the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

84 By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are aware of their own locality, they follow a route accurately on a simple map. They name and locate familiar features in their own locality and recognise different types of housing in their immediate vicinity. Pupils in Year 1 develop an awareness of other countries outside Britain and follow the adventures of “Barney Bear” when he is taken on holiday by pupils. For example, there are informative displays of his visits to Wales and Florida. Pupils study the local area and make their own judgements as to whether they are “nice” or “nasty”. For example, the park is nice because of the lovely colours and it is fun playing there. On the other hand, the road is nasty because it smells. Pupils know the effect that weather has on their lives, they know that they need different clothes in summer and winter. Richmond Hill Primary School - 37 85 By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have an increasing awareness of the world around them.

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GEOGRAPHY

Teachers used a very good link to the Olympic Games and pupils linked the competitors to their country and illustrated it with the respective national flag. In Year 4, pupils study the local area and make good use of computers to show how noise can be a type of pollution. They develop this work when studying the types of pollution in their locality, such as litter. This local study is developed well in Year 5 when pupils examine the problems of traffic on the main road through the town. They offer good suggestions on how a bypass would be beneficial and make the main road much safer for local people. By Year 6, pupils are using some geographical enquiry skills by using given facts to draw conclusions. For example, pupils study maps of the town in Victorian times and make good observations when comparing the geography of the town now. Pupils in Year 6 study the mountain environment of the Lake District and

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GEOGRAPHY

understand how to read the contour lines to give the heights at different points. They compare this area with the Himalayas and recognise that Mount Everest is the highest and is in a very different environment to their own. Pupils use given data such as temperature and rainfall to accurately describe a particular climate.

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GEOGRAPHY

86 In discussions, it is clear that teachers have a good relationship with pupils and develop a good, positive atmosphere in classrooms. Teachers’ planning is effective and there is clear reference to the requirements of the National Curriculum. A very good lesson in Year 6 on changes in the local environment over a period of time led to very good learning because pupils put forward their own views on the effect of knocking down houses to enlarge a car park. Teachers manage lessons well and have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and effort. As a result, pupils’ learning is often good, they listen attentively and make sensible contributions to discussions. For example, in a lesson using atlases, pupils worked in small groups to identify mountain ranges, they correctly identified changes to the vegetation for places at different heights on the mountains and how the climate changes due to altitude. Visits to places

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GEOGRAPHY

of interest locally and two residential visits enhance pupils’ geographical knowledge and interest in the subject. The geography co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning to ensure a balanced curriculum. The most recent guidelines for the geography curriculum are being implemented and the co-ordinator has good plans to review their successful implementation after the first year. Teachers regularly mark pupils’ work, however there is little evidence of comments that guide pupils in their next stage of learning. Teachers’ comments in the annual reports to parents do not always give sufficient information on pupils’ progress in the subject.

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HISTORY

87 Since the last inspection the school has improved the time allocation for history which has had a positive impact on pupils’ attainment and learning. The scheme of work has been reviewed and follows the recently issued guidelines for the curriculum and this ensures that pupils build effectively on their previous learning. This is good improvement. Due to the topic cycle used by the school it was not possible to see any lessons at Key Stage 2 and only one at Key Stage 1. Judgements are based on discussion with pupils and teachers and analysis of pupils’ work both in class books and in displays around the school. By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment in history is in line with the expected level for their age. However, work seen in Years 5 and 6 shows some pupils reaching a good standard. The benefits of the better curriculum organisation are clearly seen in the quality of the pupils’ work that is

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HISTORY

displayed around the school. It shows the full range of curriculum opportunities and a developing use of historical skills as well as increasing factual knowledge.

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HISTORY

88 Lesson observation and discussions with pupils in Year 2 show they are aware of the past and present and able to sort pictures about fire fighting into old and new methods. During discussion pupils identified the wooden houses and narrow streets as key factors in the rapid spread of the Great Fire of London. Higher attaining pupils explained these events in simple terms. However, the potential for explaining cause and effect was not fully explored with the higher attaining pupils. Analysis of pupils’ Richmond Hill Primary School - 38 work in Year 6 shows their knowledge of Victorian Times and use of study skills to be good. They explain a point of view when responding to a statement that “Everybody loved the railways” and use evidence from their studies in support of this statement. Reasons are explored for change in Aspatria as a result of the railways and mining. The growth of leisure facilities, shops and wealth as a result of trade

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HISTORY

89 In the majority of classes pupils are offered some opportunity to use study skills but mainly this is by the use of worksheets. This reduces the quality of the pupils’ work and does not develop the skills of research well. Year 3 pupils used worksheets when studying the Hutton Soo ship burial as part of their work on Anglo-Saxons. But the challenge of written explanation would have given opportunity for all pupils to use their knowledge at their own level of attainment and develop the use of literacy across the curriculum.

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HISTORY

90 The quality of teaching is good. The majority of teaching is conscientious in planning for the full history curriculum whilst also encouraging the development of pupils’ study skills. Pupils’ attitudes are very good and they are interested and proud of the presentation of their work. In the one lesson seen the teaching and learning were good. Planning and visual illustrations were good. Fire fighting techniques at the time of the Great Fire of London were well illustrated and this stimulated effective discussion between teacher and pupils. They learnt about various techniques such as demolition and about people finding safety in stone buildings or the river. As a result, pupils described the features of the seventeenth century houses, explained how the fire spread so quickly and where the best places of safety could be found.

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HISTORY

91 The co-ordinator for history is enthusiastic. Lesson plans and the delivery of the curriculum are monitored and the co-ordinator gives good advice to colleagues. A portfolio of good examples of pupils’ work is developing well. Teacher assessments at the end of units of work, together with samples of pupils’ work, illustrate the performance of pupils at all levels of attainment. This procedure is working, the benefits can be seen in the quality of pupils’ work and in the teachers’ growing awareness of the use of study skills in the history curriculum. The annual reports to parents on pupils’ progress do not give sufficient detailed information of their knowledge and skills in history.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

92 Very few lessons in information and communication technology were observed during the inspection. However, the scrutiny of pupils’ work, displays and discussions with pupils and teachers allow judgements to be made. By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology is at the level expected for their ages. Standards have improved since the previous inspection because of the change to different computer systems, the introduction of a computer suite, improved programs, the adoption of a good policy and scheme of work and the leadership of the co- ordinator. Information and communication technology is valued as an essential part of the curriculum, although the time given to it still varies from class to class. For example, the class based computers are still not used sufficiently consistently by all teachers to support pupils’ work in other subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

93 Pupils in Key Stage 1 use their keyboard skills to support work in mathematics when solving addition and subtraction problems on the screen. A good example of the use of the computer and how pupils in Year 2 control the mouse is when pupils click on clothes items for a teddy bear and decide which ones to use. Their written descriptions showed their intentions for the bear, such as “I want to be a nurse”. Pupils use computers well to improve their language skills. For example, they answer set questions on the screen and effectively use the delete, enter and space bar keys to type in their own answers. They explain how they use the different keys on the computer to edit their work when they make a mistake, for example, when writing rhyming words to complete a poem. In discussions, pupils explain how they used a floor robot and entered simple instructions to make it go forward or turn left and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Richmond Hill Primary School - 39 right. In a Year 2 session in the computer suite, pupils created graphs by selecting different numbers of pictures and quickly learned that to remove a picture meant clicking on the left hand button on the mouse.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

94 Pupils in Key Stage 2 build effectively on their skills and knowledge with more frequent use of the new computers and programs in school. Several pupils in the Year 4 class showed their understanding of how to create repeating patterns by “cutting” out the part they wanted from a large picture and “pasting” the section into place on the screen. By doing this a number of times they built up interesting patterns of their own design. Pupils obviously enjoyed the session and were particularly pleased with their results. During the lesson they learned new methods of creating images on the screen and, if they did not like the effect, took great pleasure in “burning” their picture and starting again. In discussions, pupils explained how they load and save their work, they were confident using the computer and understood how to bring up the various menus available, for example when changing the size or

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

colour of their work when writing stories straight onto the screen. In Year 6, pupils use more sophisticated techniques, such as replacing or amending text. Some pupils in Year 6 are very confident and have a good understanding of how to set up and load computers and how to use e-mail for sending and receiving messages. Their skill has been greatly enhanced by the use of the new resources and the link to the Internet. For example, in a Year 6 lesson pupils were writing their own short story and using the microphone to add sound effects. They experimented with the functions available in the program to create different effects, such as echoes. Computers are used effectively to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs in both key stages.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

95 When computers were in use during the inspection, the quality of teachers’ support for pupils was good. In the two lessons seen in the computer suite teaching was very good. This leads to very good learning by all pupils, including those with special educational needs, because the quality of the teachers’ management of the lessons and very good subject knowledge were used effectively to improve pupils’ skills in the use of different computer programs. All teachers follow the new policy and scheme of work and, following training by the co-ordinator, are more confident in their use of the equipment. Pupils respond enthusiastically to opportunities to use computers to improve their knowledge, skills and understanding. There are very good relationships between pupils, teachers and adult support staff, which mean that pupils feel confident when using computers to try different activities, knowing their efforts will

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

be appreciated. For example, a parent helper in the Year 6 lesson had prepared her own short story with sound effects to show the pupils the possibilities. They responded very enthusiastically to this lead and created some fascinating sounds to accompany imaginary aliens landing on Earth. Good management and well-organised lessons ensure that pupils’ time on the computer is used to best effect. However, the use of classroom based computers is inconsistent across the school and teachers do not always use them to support work in other subjects as much as they could. When in use there are usually two pupils working on each computer taking turns and working effectively together to put in information. As well as improving their knowledge of information and communication technology, sensible co-operation makes a positive contribution to their moral and social development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

96 The school has a good policy, scheme of work and detailed action plan to guide its work. The subject is well managed by an enthusiastic and well organised co-ordinator who is keen to keep moving the subject forward. The scrutiny of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work, as well as observing and helping other teachers in the use of the computer suite, forms an integral part of the evaluation and development system. The planned curriculum takes into account all the required aspects of information and communication technology. The school is now making good provision and has used the national grant to improve resources for the subject. These improvements in provision have been made since the previous inspection and the school is now well placed to further develop the subject.

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MUSIC

Richmond Hill Primary School - 40 97 Pupils’ attainment by the age of 11 is in line with the level expected for their age. There was too little evidence to judge the attainment of pupils in Key Stage 1 as it was only possible to observe one lesson. The level of attainment has been maintained since the previous inspection.

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MUSIC

98 The teaching of music is satisfactory and sometimes good. Teachers select music carefully and this encourages good levels of concentration and behaviour. They introduce to the pupils both traditional and contemporary music, as well as enabling them to sing songs from favourite singers, like Celine Dion. This heightens the pupils’ pleasure and, as a result, pupils sing happily and positively. They sing not only tunefully but also melodically, and this is clear in assemblies, for example, when the whole school is present. They sing in rounds and sing well as a cohesive group. Most pupils are sensitive to variations in pitch, but are less conscious of the need for phrasing and resonance. Teachers also encourage pupils to appreciate music by playing simple percussion instruments and responding to rhythms. Pupils’ attitudes are very good and they enjoy playing the instruments and, such are the positive relationships within the

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MUSIC

classrooms, they play sensibly and sympathetically with each other. They are patient while waiting for their turn to play and appreciate other pupils’ performances. Pupils with special educational needs are equally involved in the music curriculum and make satisfactory progress.

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MUSIC

99 The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Where teaching is especially effective, teachers show good musical ability, enthuse about the music and set high expectations. In Year 6, for example, the teacher threw out odd phrases for the pupils to clap rhythms to, which caused eager participation and anticipation. This also ensured a brisk pace to the lesson and kept pupils focused when they had to devise their own compositions. This lesson showed, however, that pupils were relatively unused to composing simple music, since their creations were safe rather than imaginative. However, some pupils showed an adventurous spirit. Teaching is not so strong when teachers do not give pupils enough opportunity to think through their music and practise before performing.

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MUSIC

100 Music is important to the school. As well as staging occasional concerts, there is a pantomime every two years which involves all the pupils. There is a sizeable choir led ably and enthusiastically by a former parent, who generates keenness whilst teaching different musical techniques. The head teacher leads by example and inspires the pupils to sing well in assemblies by his own playing and singing. However, there are missed opportunities for broadening the pupils’ knowledge of music at assembly times by sharing the music in the background with the pupils. The music curriculum is satisfactory and the subject receives an appropriate share of the timetable.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

101 It was not possible to observe any physical education lessons at Key Stage 1. Observations of lessons in Key Stage 2 show pupils’ attainment to be in line with that expected for their age, these standards have been maintained since the previous inspection. The school has made satisfactory improvement however, because the scheme of work is carefully organised to place lessons in units of work for each term that cover all aspects of the physical education curriculum. As a result, pupils enjoy their lessons and are conscious of their performance in movement and aware of the shape that their bodies make as they respond to the instructions of the teacher.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

102 Pupils in Year 3 show satisfactory control as they complete three point balances and move from one position to another with stretch and control. Their control and quality of movement is in line with that expected for their age. They point their toes as they stretch and take up good body shapes as they develop different points for supporting their body weight. Pupils in Year 5 have confidence in the swimming instructors and respond well. Many pupils swim the required 25 metres and the instructors are confident that the majority will achieve this standard by the end of the year. More proficient swimmers work towards personal survival awards and develop the variety and quality of their strokes. Richmond Hill Primary School - 41 103 The quality of teaching is good. Teachers dress appropriately for physical education and lead the pupils well in demonstrating what is required. Good use of encouragement enables pupils to try new

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

balances and supports the development of greater awareness of body shape and position. However lessons could proceed more effectively without the restriction of limiting two pupils to a mat when many are happy to use the floor. The instruction at the local pool is also good. Challenge is given to the more accomplished swimmers and support is given to those pupils who are hesitant or apprehensive.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

104 The co-ordinator for physical education has organised the curriculum into a good scheme of work. Teachers’ planning is monitored with an emphasis on the structure of skill development, building well on pupils’ previous attainment. Pupils receive their full entitlement to physical education and, as a result, they develop greater confidence and control as they explore movement and develop other skills of physical activity. However there is still no clear system of assessment in place.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

105 The knowledge and understanding of pupils in Year 2 is at the expected level for their age. They know about the minister’s day and write about church furniture such as the font, the altar, the pulpit and the lectern. During inspection they learned about the Jewish festival of Sukkot in which God’s care during the 40 years spent in the wilderness after the flight from Egypt is remembered. Pupils in Year 6 are also at the expected level of knowledge and understanding. They consider ideas such as forgiveness in response to a talk from a visiting speaker and know of the Bible as a library of religious beliefs. They have used illuminated script and discussed proverbs. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in religious education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

106 Improvement in religious education since the last inspection is good. The school now has a scheme of work that is planned well and is taught to the pupils on a weekly timetable. Teachers are conscientious in following the scheme and standards of knowledge and understanding are now satisfactory. Pupils make satisfactory progress through the units of study in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. However the religious element of lessons is still not always clearly defined and there is a need to develop opportunities for pupils to consider the major ideas of religion in an open context that allows them to develop their own opinions and beliefs. The target of learning about religion is being met but the target of learning from religion is not yet fully developed.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

107 It was not possible to observe more than two full lessons but sufficient evidence is available through scrutiny of teachers’ planning and analysis of pupils’ books to enable judgements to be made. Teaching and learning is satisfactory. Very good teaching was observed in Year 5 when the parable of the wheat and the thistles was dramatised in order to demonstrate the idea of not destroying the good whilst trying to remove the bad. Planning was thorough and the discussion was moved along at a good pace. As a result learning was very good. The pupils listened well. They showed good thought and interpreted the story with perceptive ideas about good qualities in people and the results of harsh actions. They recognised the barn as heaven and the burning of the weeds as hell. Other teaching was less successful but still satisfactory. The teacher used a video recording effectively and interrupted to remind

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

pupils of their previous knowledge and explain important points in the programme. This focused pupils’ attention on the facts about the religious festival. However, the opportunity was missed to develop a deeper understanding of the enormous difficulties that must have faced a group of people in a desert land for forty years and what it was that kept them together.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

108 There is satisfactory leadership of religious education by the co-ordinator. The agreed syllabus is organised into teaching units and is taught to all year groups. Personal and social education is taught when teachers and pupils discuss and simulate difficult situations and develop useful behaviour with which to solve problems without conflict. School assemblies reflect a strong Christian ethos and provide pupils with opportunities to consider religious issues such as love for others, listening to others and to Richmond Hill Primary School - 42 special ideas. There is a spiritual content with songs such as “Love is something if you give it away”, pupils understood the concept that by giving it away you end up with more love and this is well linked to the idea of God caring for the world. The idea of giving love was developed to introduce the idea of preparing gifts for the children of Rumania. However analysis of pupils’ work does not always show the

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

pride of presentation that comes when pupils are interested and enthusiastic in their studies. Marking is mainly concerned with the use of language and does little to encourage greater awareness of the ideas and beliefs that are studied. This reflects the factual nature of the teaching. Opportunities are missed to develop pupils’ understanding of religious ideas and so develop their own opinions about faith and religious belief.

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