St. Oswald's CofE Primary School

JUNIOR SCHOOL

Date of inspection: 16th October - 19th October 2000

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JUNIOR 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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JUNIOR SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: The Green Guiseley Leeds Postcode: LS20 9BT

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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: Mr Roy Stevenson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 4th November 1996 St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

K J Chandler Registered inspector Science Art and design How well are pupils taught? How good are the curriculum and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well is the school led and managed? T Heppenstall Lay Inspector Support: Information and communication technology Design and technology Science How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? M G Ewart Team Inspector Maths Music The school’s results and pupils’ achievements P English Team Inspector English Geography History Special educational needs K Sanderson Team Inspector Information and communication technology Design and technology Physical education Equal opportunities Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Full Circle The Brow 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Oswald’s Church of England Junior School has a long history dating back to 1590. It became a junior school in 1944. It is housed in a Victorian building which was extended in 1966 and has been undergoing essential alterations and refurbishment since 1997. It is located in an urban residential area on the outskirts of the city of Leeds, with the majority of pupils coming from homes that are owner occupied.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

There are currently 331 pupils aged seven to 11 on roll. They are predominantly of white ethnic origin. The school is situated in the Aireborough ward where, in the last census of 1991, the number of pupils in high social class households was above the national average. Approximately 9.8 per cent of pupils are currently eligible for free school meals. This is below the national average. The majority of pupils transfer from the infant to the junior school having attained at least the average expected of seven year olds in their standard assessment tests in English, mathematics and science. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs is broadly in line with the national average. However, the percentage of pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs is above the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a highly effective school which provides good value for money. Through a combination of positive leadership and good teaching the school adds educational value and pupils progress well. In 1999 pupils leaving school at 11 achieved well above the national average in English and mathematics and above the national level in science. The school’s strengths significantly outweigh areas for improvement.

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What the school does well

 Above average standards in English, mathematics, science, physical education and art. High standards in music.  Headteacher has a clear sense of purpose and a strong commitment to raising standards.  There is a high proportion of good teaching.  The ethos for learning is very good and makes a positive contribution to standards attained by pupils.  Very good provision for promoting good behaviour and relationships.

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What could be improved

 Standards in writing.  Strategies to support school self-evaluation.  Opportunities for pupils to apply their knowledge and skills to solving problems. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was previously inspected in November 1996. It has maintained its overall good results in Standard Assessment Tests in English, mathematics and science. However standards in writing are not as high as those in reading; this is an issue the school knows it needs to address. The percentage of good, very good and excellent teaching has improved from 40 per cent to 61.5 per cent since the last inspection. The one key issue of developing assessment procedures so that curriculum planning is better informed and planning more accurately matched to individual needs, particularly for those pupils of higher prior ability, has been fully addressed and the school now has in place good systems for planning and assessment. The caring ethos, good behaviour and orderly working environment, underpinned by clear Christian values, have been maintained, as has the school’s very good musical St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

provision. Internal accommodation has been improved and extra storage space has been created. This continues to be a good school with some outstanding features.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Test results show that pupils consistently perform above national averages in English, mathematics and science. When these results are compared with similar schools they are broadly in line with national expectations. The school has recognised that attainment in English could be further enhanced by developing skills in writing. This is in line with national trends. Standards of attainment in speaking and listening and reading contribute well to the overall scores in English. Attainment in all other subjects is what you might expect, with the exception of art and music where attainment is above average.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very good attitudes to school and approach their work positively and concentrate well.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in classrooms is exceptionally good. Around the school pupils are courteous, polite and well mannered.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development and quality of relationships are a strength of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Is very good. Pupils arrive on time and lessons begin promptly.

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Aspect Comment

This is a significant feature of the school. Standards of behaviour are very high and pupils are eager to be involved in their work. Their relationships with one another are very good. Pupils accept responsibility for tasks in classrooms and around the school, but do not have enough opportunity to take responsibility for organising their own work. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 9

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching was satisfactory in 37 per cent of lessons, good in 40 per cent, very good in 17 per cent and excellent in four per cent. Less than two per cent was unsatisfactory. The very high proportion of effective teaching is a highly significant contributory factor to pupils’ progress and to their standards of attainment. However, some lessons are too teacher directed and are not meeting the pupils’ needs to gain independence and take responsibility for their own learning. This applies particularly to the more able. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good overall.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Overall the quality and range of opportunities offered to pupils are good and these make a very effective contribution to standards attained.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for special educational needs is good. Pupils are well supported and make good progress in relation to the clear learning targets set for them.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Currently the school does not have any pupils with English as an additional language.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school provides well for pupils’ personal development; spiritual development is good in collective worship and religious education. Moral and social development are very good; cultural development supports the arts but needs to be extended to develop a clearer understanding of what it is to live in a multi-cultural society.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school succeeds in its aim to be a very caring organisation. The arrangements for behaviour management are very good. Procedures for the systematic assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress are good.

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Aspect Comment

The school works hard to support and inform parents and overall has established a successful partnership with parents.

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Aspect Comment

The content of the curriculum is well planned with a high priority given to teaching literacy and numeracy. The amount of time available during the school day for teaching the National Curriculum is in line with recommendations. However, the predominant practice of using all of the available time in one long session does not always ensure best provision for all pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The school has very good procedures for encouraging good behaviour. Child protection and health and safety procedures are implemented efficiently when necessary. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher has a clear sense of purpose and vision. She demonstrates a strong commitment to raising standards and her leadership and management are very effective. She is ably assisted by her loyal deputy who has excellent inter-personal skills. Curriculum co-ordinators are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their subjects. Although their role in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning is under-developed, time is being allocated to address this issue.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors support the school very well and fulfil their statutory requirements. Because of their active participation within the life of the school they are to be congratulated on their ability to demonstrate a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher and assessment co-ordinator analyses pupils’ performance data. The headteacher also monitors teaching. In order to further promote school self-evaluation, better use is to be made of the school’s extensive performance data, and the monitoring of teaching is to be also undertaken by other members of staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of its resources and of the finances available.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing is good and the level of resources are overall satisfactory. Where there has been refurbishment of classrooms it has greatly improved accommodation. The school development plan drives the annual planning cycle. The format of the plan is to be improved to ensure the action plan contains measurable success criteria related to standards and the quality of education. The school strives successfully to apply principles of best value in its resources and activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

 Children enjoy coming to school.  Their children make good progress.  Behaviour is good.  Teaching is good.  The school expects pupils to work hard and give of their best.  The school is helping children to become mature.  The school is well led and managed.  The information they receive about how their children are getting on.  The way in which the school works with parents.  The range of activities provided outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection evidence supports the positive views of parents but does not endorse the areas for improvement. The school works well with parents and provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1. In 1999, pupils’ standards at the end of Key Stage 2 were above the national average, as measured in National Curriculum tests, in English and science and well above average in mathematics. This is based on the average points score.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The percentage of pupils reaching the national standard at Key Stage 2, Level 4 or above, was well above the national average in English and mathematics and above average in science. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 was above national average in all three subjects.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Compared with the results achieved in schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, pupils’ performance in 1999 was close to the average in English, mathematics and science, based on the average of the levels achieved. When the progress this group of pupils made from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 is compared with the progress made by pupils with similar Key Stage 1 results, progress in English and science was above average and progress in mathematics was well above average.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Taking the results for the years 1996 to 1999, the school has consistently performed above national averages and the trend for improvement in the core subjects has been broadly in line with the national trend. The performance of boys has been well above the national average in all three subjects, and the performance of girls has been above average in mathematics and well above average in English and science.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. The school’s percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals changed from 1999 to 2000 and is continuing to grow. Compared with similar schools in 2000, results in English were above average, and results in mathematics and science were well above average. Similarly, comparing pupils’ results with those in similar schools, achievement in English was above average and in mathematics and science was well above.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. The attainment of the pupils who entered the school in 1999 was above the national average in reading and writing and well above average in mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. The school exceeded the targets set in 2000 by two per cent in English and six per cent in mathematics. The targets that have been set for 2001, 79 per cent at Level 4 or above in English and 82 per cent in mathematics, are based upon analysis of the pupils’ prior attainment and are below the standards achieved in 2000.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Standards in English have not risen as fast as in other core subjects. While the school is very successful in teaching reading, writing lags behind and reduces the overall score in English. In 1999, over 90 per cent of pupils reached the national standard in reading, while just over 70 per cent reached the standard in writing. In 2000, again over 90 per cent achieved the standard in reading, but fewer than 60 per cent did so in writing. In 1999 40 per cent of pupils reached the higher Level 5 in reading with fewer than 20 per cent reaching Level 5 in writing. In 2000, the percentage had increased in reading to over 60 per cent, but with little change in writing.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. In mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2, test results in 1999 were well above average for the expected Level 4 and above average for the higher Level 5. In 2000, based on an average St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 12 across all levels, the school’s results were well above the national average. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Attainment in lessons was judged to be good in the higher attaining sets and satisfactory in almost all others.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. This progress owes much to the prompt identification of the nature of learning problems, the setting of precise learning targets in individual education plans and systematic monitoring of their progress. This is demonstrated well by the number of pupils with learning difficulties who are eventually removed from the register by the time they leave the school.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. Inspection evidence showed that overall standards of speaking and listening are above average. Most pupils listen attentively to teachers’ explanations and questions and respond appropriately. Throughout the school, teachers consistently introduce, and insist that pupils use, subject-specific vocabulary. By the end of the key stage pupils show an understanding of the conventions of standard English and are aware of when it is appropriate to use them.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. Pupils’ attainment in reading is on target to be above average by the end of the key stage. Throughout the school good progress is promoted by the systematic teaching of more complex letter strings, and the consistent provision of opportunities for pupils to talk about what they are reading with the teacher. By the end of the key stage pupils effectively read and consider the structure of an appropriate range of texts, develop their understanding of a writer’s use of figurative language and readily talk about their own reading preferences.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. Most pupils know about basic library organisation and can use tables of contents and indexes to locate, retrieve and use information. However, opportunities for pupils to become familiar with and, independently, use the library for the purposes of retrieving information are too often overlooked and this has a negative impact on the development of higher-order reading skills.

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The school’s results and achievements

14. Inspection evidence indicates that overall standards of attainment in writing are significantly below those in reading and this has a negative impact on the overall standard of attainment in English by the end of the key stage. As they move through the school, pupils make satisfactory progress in the systematic development of knowledge of the conventions of grammar, punctuation and spelling and extend their experience of both formal and informal writing. This progress owes much to the clearly structured programme of teacher-directed learning activities advised by the National Literacy Strategy. However, opportunities for pupils to use the knowledge and skills, built up in teacher-directed sessions, in independent, extended writing activities across the curriculum are too often overlooked and this has a restricting effect on progress. Throughout the school handwriting is systematically taught so

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The school’s results and achievements

that pupils present their work in well-formed and spaced script.

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The school’s results and achievements

15. Pupils use their literacy skills effectively in connection with other subjects such as science, geography and history.

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The school’s results and achievements

16. In mathematics, Year 6 pupils, in the lower set, can add and subtract two digit numbers mentally, multiply and divide, and order and add four digit numbers on paper. They can add decimal numbers, understand and add simple and improper fractions. Pupils in the higher set can perform standard calculations for addition, subtraction and long multiplication and use the repeated subtraction method of long division. They understand fractions, percentages, square roots, ratio and proportion. They can order and perform the four operations on decimals to two decimal places. They understand the relationship between standard units of measure. They solve problems using all four operations. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 13 17. In other areas of the mathematics curriculum, pupils study the nets of solid shapes. In Year 5 pupils are able to collect and present data as bar charts, varying the scale to suit the range of

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The school’s results and achievements

data, and as pie charts using a computer program. Very little work was seen where pupils have to use and apply the mathematics they are learning.

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The school’s results and achievements

18. Pupils use their numeracy skills satisfactorily in connection with experiments in science, and history time lines.

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The school’s results and achievements

19. In science, attainment at both the expected Level 4 and the higher Level 5 is above the national average. This is reflected in the pupils’ achievements in the classrooms where the majority of the pupils are working at levels, which meet and sometimes exceed the national expectations. Pupils learn effectively throughout the key stage. Emphasis is placed upon the development of a wide body of knowledge and understanding. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes and respond well in science lessons. However, no pupils were observed to apply their obvious knowledge of science to practical situations.

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The school’s results and achievements

20. In information technology standards overall are about what would be expected of pupils at this age, but with a significant minority of pupils displaying above average standards. Pupils are able to log on and select required software. They use the mouse and specific keys with confidence to load and select various functions. They confidently enter text, using a word processing program, and use a range of applications merging text and graphics. They change fonts, altering size and colour, and demonstrate an understanding of how to alter the size of graphics using the drag function. Pupils make sound progress in developing skills in data handling.

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The school’s results and achievements

21. Overall in design and technology the standard of attainment and quality of work is about that which is expected. Opportunities are provided for pupils to work with a variety of materials in a good range of contexts. Learning activities are well planned to engage the interest of all the pupils, who display enthusiasm and clearly enjoy the work.

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The school’s results and achievements

22. Owing to the school’s timetabling arrangements there was limited opportunity to observe geography lessons and no opportunity to observe history. However, for both of these subjects, evidence indicates that pupils make at least satisfactory progress as they move through the school and are on target to attain standards broadly in line with those expected of pupils by the time they leave the school.

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The school’s results and achievements

23. In art, standards are above those normally found. The use of a wide variety of media throughout the school and the high quality observational drawing are features of high attainment.

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The school’s results and achievements

24. Standards in music are above average. Pupils are given a very wide range of musical experiences to which they respond well. They are able to play difficult rhythms on a variety of percussion instruments and develop high quality performing skills.

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The school’s results and achievements

25. Attainment in physical education is generally good. Pupils enjoy their physical education lessons and work enthusiastically. In games, pupils demonstrate a good range of passing and catching skills. The school supports a very effective swimming programme. However, due to the limited amount of time available for gymnastics, pupils have insufficient opportunities to practise and improve the quality of their movements.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 14 26. Pupils’ attitudes to learning, and to school life in general, are very good, and make a significant contribution, both to their progress and personal development, and to the ethos of the school. Pupils enjoy coming to school where a very caring, and emotionally secure atmosphere successfully promote positive approaches to learning. Pupils listen attentively, take care to present their work carefully and sustain concentration for good periods, even when not under the direct supervision of the class teacher. They co-operate very effectively in pairs, and in small groups, in which they actively encourage and support each other. Pupils with special educational needs have positive attitudes to learning and respond very well to the additional support provided. Parents express strong agreement with the positive attitudes and values promoted by the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

27. The inspection team fully agrees with parents’ views, expressed at the pre-inspection meeting, that pupil behaviour is very good. Pupils are courteous and well mannered towards adults and each other. They respond quickly to instructions and move about the school with purpose and consideration. Pupils are thoughtful and helpful. They show respect for the school’s, and other people’s property and care for the environment. Pupils understand what is good and bad behaviour and many exercise high levels of self-discipline. The school’s positive behaviour policy is consistently applied and is effective in practice, supporting all, especially the very tiny number of pupils who do not find it easy to accede to acceptable norms of behaviour. No bullying, aggressive or anti-social behaviour was observed during the inspection. There has been no pupil excluded from the school and this rate is static.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Pupils’ very good behaviour makes a significant contribution to learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

28. Pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils enjoy taking responsibility and there is a notable rise in their self-esteem when they do. There is a good range of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility. Pupils in each class devise their own set of class rules. All of the Year 6 pupils accept monitorial duties around the school and are responsible for the games boxes used during outdoor play. All pupils have the opportunity to decide which charities should be supported during any school year. Pupils then have the responsibility of devising and managing fund-raising activities. Last year some Year 5 pupils suggested “Denim for Diabetes”, and staff and pupils raised over £100. Pupils feel, with justification, that their efforts are worthwhile. However, there are still insufficient occasions when personal initiative is encouraged in lessons and this inhibits the development of some pupils

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

29. The school has maintained a level of attendance well above the national average since the previous inspection. Holidays taken in term time form a significant proportion of the absences. There are a few unauthorised absences, less than 0.1 per cent, which are due mainly to parents failing to telephone or send a note.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

30. Punctuality is good and the start of the school day is not disrupted by latecomers. Registration periods start promptly and proceed efficiently and this allows lessons to start on time.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

31. In all of these areas the school has maintained and even improved upon the high standards found at the previous inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. Overall, teaching is of a high standard with 98 per cent of lessons being satisfactory or better. Of these, 61 per cent were good or better and 21 per cent very good or excellent. As a result pupils’ learning is generally satisfactory and often good, especially in music, art, science and St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 15 physical education. Teaching has improved since the last inspection when only 40 per cent of lessons observed were good or better.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

33. Teachers’ ability to teach basic literacy and numeracy skills are good overall. Planning for these national strategies is specific and lessons are purposeful. Pupils’ progress within lessons and over time is generally good. However, opportunities to use and apply the skills taught within literacy and numeracy lessons are sometimes missed in other lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

34. Teachers provide a clear model of language use for pupils to build on. As a result vocabulary is very well developed. Staff deliberately and correctly use terminology appropriate to the subject they are delivering, for example, pitch, tempo, duration in a Year 3 music lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

35. Very good thematic planning, such as that in art, underpins a progressive acquisition of skills, and the use of stimulating scenarios such as asking pupils if the “Spice Girls” are going to be Top of the Pops next week in a Year 6 lesson on probability engages and inspires pupils and maintains their interest.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

36. Objectives for the lesson are often shared with the pupils at the start of the lesson. When this is done in language which the pupils can understand, it greatly enhances the learning. Less often, teachers return to these objectives during the plenary and sometimes opportunities are lost here to reinforce the learning intentions of the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

37. Teachers’ management of pupils is very good. Good pupil teacher relationships are generally the norm in classrooms and pupils are often encouraged to persevere and improve. Teachers manage pupils well by finding the right balance between giving praise and reward when it is deserved, and helping pupils understand how to improve. As a result, pupils respond well. In some classes teachers even challenge pupils to evaluate their work and the children’s honest responses are often very self-critical. This approach helps to ensure that pupils have the opportunity to amend and adjust their work until they produce something of which they are justly proud.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

38. Overall, the match of work to pupils’ needs is good. The grouping of pupils into sets of like ability for literacy and numeracy is proving beneficial to learning and the implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

39. Pupils with special educational needs are well catered for and support from assistants is consistently good and promotes inclusion in the life of the school. These staff work sensitively and creatively alongside teachers to make sure lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs receive the support and guidance they need to take part fully in their lessons. Teachers demonstrate a good understanding of their pupils’ particular needs and use a range of appropriate strategies and resources to help them overcome some of the more obvious barriers to learning. 40. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of their subjects is generally good, for example in a Year 6 lesson where the workings of the heart and circulatory system were explained in detail, but in a manner which the pupils could understand. However, as on the previous inspection, occasionally teachers are insecure in their subject knowledge and display a lack

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

of confidence, which is transferred to the pupils. This was evident in a Year 5 lesson, which was trying to explain the orbit of the moon.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

41. Staff make good use of homework to support the learning which goes on in the classrooms; for example in Year 5 science where pupils were asked to keep a diary of the phases of the moon. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 16 42. There are good examples of ongoing assessment of pupils’ progress, and questioning is well used to check for understanding. Staff are adept at amending situations and adjusting planning within a lesson in response to evaluations made of pupils’ levels of understanding. Teachers are generally well organised and ready to deliver the content, knowledge and skills of a subject. However lessons are often too teacher directed and are not meeting the pupils’ need to develop ideas, to gain more independence and take responsibility for their own learning. This applies in particular to the more able pupils. For example, in English they are taught the mechanical skills of writing but there is little evidence of pupils being stimulated

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

to write extensively with flair and creativity. Mathematical skills are taught well but there are few opportunities for pupils to apply these to solving problems. Learning often takes place within a narrow framework of teacher direction, with few opportunities to develop essential thinking or reasoning skills. Overall pupils show an interest in their work and sustain concentration, they understand what they are doing, are productive and work at a good pace.

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PUPILS?

43. Overall the quality and range of opportunities offered to the pupils are good and these make a very effective contribution to the standards attained. The breadth, balance and relevance of the curriculum are good. There are strengths within the curriculum especially in art, music, physical education and science.

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PUPILS?

44. The school provides a socially inclusive programme which meets all statutory curricular requirements, including provision of religious education. Emphasis is placed upon effectively teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. The provision for pupils having special educational needs is a strength of the school. There is regular communication with the feeder infant school and pupils are well prepared for transition to the nearby comprehensive school.

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PUPILS?

45. Sports day and the annual swimming gala are well organised and appreciated by those who attend. A varied and innovative programme of extra-curricular sporting and musical activities is well supported by the pupils. These help to enhance their mental and physical skills.

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PUPILS?

46. The school works hard to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its pupils. The ethos of the school is a strength and provides a secure environment in which children work and learn.

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PUPILS?

47. Provision for the spiritual development of pupils is good in worship but needs to be further developed in other areas of the curriculum so that pupils appreciate more fully the awe and wonder of the world. There is a regular pattern of collective worship within the school which meets statutory requirements. The strong link with, and weekly visits to, the nearby St Oswald’s Church make a valuable contribution to the spiritual dimension of the school. The rector is a regular visitor and often leads acts of collective worship. There are planned opportunities to discuss achievement and feelings within personal and social education as well as in other lessons, for example Year 6 pupils were considering the feelings of Anne Frank in their history topic related to World War II.

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PUPILS?

48. Through their lessons in religious education children are given an understanding of different religions, beliefs and customs such as Judaism and Hinduism, and pupils are offered time to reflect during collective worship. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 17 49. Provision for moral development is very good. There is a strong emphasis on learning the difference between right and wrong, and the pupils respond positively. Opportunities are used well in the daily life of the school for pupils to consider moral values such as caring for others. This is typified by the active involvement of pupils in raising funds for a wide variety of charities. Pupils and staff of the school generally live up to the school motto of, “To serve one another”.

p.16

PUPILS?

50. The school is very good at promoting respected social values which develop citizenship. Pupils are encouraged to be responsible for their own actions, are polite and well mannered. This makes for a well-ordered community which sets clear expectations of good behaviour. The school encourages the pupils to relate effectively to each other and other people. This school is very much regarded as part of the community. In this capacity harvest gifts are distributed by the children to local elderly people and at Christmas pots of bulbs are also taken to them, as gifts. The pupils also entertain the residents of local old people’s homes by singing carols.

p.17

PUPILS?

51. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. Cultural awareness is encouraged through the teaching of many of the curriculum subjects, but in particular art, where pupils are taught appreciation of artists such as Paul Klee and Picasso, history and especially music, which is a strong feature of the school with its choir and orchestra. Visiting groups and people and school themes such as ‘The same but different’ help to develop pupils’ understanding of their own and other cultures. However, cultural teaching needs to be extended to develop a clearer understanding of what it is to live in a multicultural society. There are regular educational visits for all children including a residential visit for Year 6 to Whitby. These significantly enhance their social and cultural development.

p.17

PUPILS?

52. Personal, social and health education is included within the timetable, and teaching about sex education and the danger of drug abuse is delivered as part of this programme and is set within a moral, family orientated and Christian framework.

p.17

PUPILS?

53. Student teachers who come from all local training institutes benefit from being placed in this well-organised and motivating school.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. The school is a very caring organisation. A pupil likened it to a supportive family. Welfare provisions which have a direct impact on pupils’ safety are good overall. There are appropriate health and safety procedures which are conscientiously implemented. The governing body is involved and all statutory requirements are fulfilled. No significant health and safety issues were identified. A Child Protection Policy provides advice for staff and there is a designated teacher. However, no member of the staff has received any training in recent years. Arrangements for the administration of medicines and for first aid are in place.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. Supervision arrangements are good. Supervisors are familiar with, and confident in, their roles. They are trained in behaviour management and use systems which are compatible with those used by the teaching staff. Supervisors feel to be fully part of the school community and the efforts which have been made to integrate them into school life are noteworthy.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. Behaviour management arrangements are very good and they help to maintain good behaviour despite the presence of some challenging pupils. The scheme is based on rules which are reinforced by a thoughtful set of rewards and sanctions. For example, certificates or entry into the ‘Golden Book’ can be used to acknowledge good behaviour but the criteria St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 18 are different. This allows rewards to be genuinely accessible to all the pupils. Clear and comprehensive procedures for recording behaviour issues are also fundamental to the scheme. Pupils are aware of the school’s high expectation of good behaviour and they are familiar with, and influenced by, the rewards and sanctions.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. There are appropriate and well managed systems for recording and monitoring attendance, including the liaison with parents who are mostly very co-operative. Regular contact with the education welfare officer is not necessary but effective support has been provided when required. Registers satisfy legal requirements and temporary absence during the course of the school day is recorded. However, there is no clear procedure if a pupil is absent without a known cause. The school intends to attend to this matter. A class based reward system is used to promote attendance.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. There is no formal procedure to monitor personal development. However, the school’s caring ethos, good relationships and the confidence which pupils have in the staff contribute to a high level of effective personal support.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

59. The school has good procedures in place to assess pupils’ attainment and progress. Statutory tests are carried out as required at the end of Key Stage 2 in Year 6 and, two years ago, the school introduced further national assessments (Optional Standard Assessment Tests) at the end of other years. Pupils also have regular reading tests. All data is kept in ‘Cohort Files’ so that teachers and subject leaders can track the progress of individual pupils throughout their years in school. Only in recent years has full data on prior attainment in Key Stage 1 been available to allow the school to evaluate the overall progress that pupils make.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

60. Detailed analysis of the end of Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests is carried out by core subject leaders and the assessment co-ordinator to monitor the performance of boys and girls and to highlight strengths and weaknesses, which the school subsequently addresses in its curriculum planning. The Year 6 team has identified the improvement in science results as a direct effect of previous analysis of science test papers.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

61. Pupils complete writing tasks twice yearly to provide samples of work which are moderated by teachers to ensure consistency of assessment against national standards. The difference between teacher assessment and test results over the last two years in Key Stage 2 statutory assessment has been investigated through the careful analysis of test papers. One probable explanation for the discrepancy is that a wider range of writing is sampled in teacher assessment.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

62. Year group teams meet weekly and share information on pupil progress as setting arrangements for English and mathematics mean that teachers meet different pupils in the course of a week. At the end of each year, teachers, the mathematics, English and the special needs co-ordinators engage in detailed discussions as they pass cohort data and individual pupil records from one year group team to the next. This allows adjustments to be made to the sets pupils are in. In general the lower set follows the previous year group’s curriculum, but assessment information is increasingly being used to judge when pupils are ready to tackle an age appropriate curriculum. For example, in Year 6, the teacher of the lower set now uses a combination of Year 5 and Year 6 plans from the numeracy framework. At present only the Year 6 higher attaining set is following a higher level curriculum. In this set the teacher has identified two gifted pupils, for whom support is being sought from the local

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

63. While the assessment co-ordinator provides very good guidance to each year group on how to use the data that is provided, teachers report that there is little time to make use of the wealth St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 19 of data that exists. Similarly, subject leaders do not make full use of annual assessments to gain an overview of the progress of pupils in core subjects. A simplified system of presenting data would assist teachers in understanding them more easily.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

64. A medium-term assessment system has been introduced to link with the new National Curriculum and with the National Numeracy Strategy. All medium-term plans contain assessment guidance and pupils’ achievements in each topic are recorded. At the time of the inspection the system was too recent to allow a judgement to be made as to its effectiveness in providing information for future planning.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

65. In short-term planning there is space for teachers to record assessment and evaluation notes on the back of planning sheets. This space is used most frequently for lesson evaluations, which inform the next round of planning. In practice, teachers keep personal notes on individual pupil assessments, so it is not possible to track how these assessments inform planning.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

66. The school is trialling an individual target-setting system to help pupils improve their literacy skills. Further work is needed before the practice can spread throughout the school. As part of the school’s target setting process, individual pupils have targets set for them for the end of Year 6.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

67. Suitable procedures are in place to identify those pupils who have learning difficulties. Subsequent to identification the outcome of supplementary tests support the preparation of individual educational plans, where appropriate links are made with outside support agencies. Parents are informed at all levels and involved in the support prescribed. This makes a significant contribution to the progress these pupils make.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

68. At the last inspection, further development of assessment procedures was noted as a key issue for action. Much work has been done by the assessment co-ordinator and year group teams now make better use of assessment information to plan for individual needs. Changes in the curriculum have delayed the full implementation of improvements in assessment procedures, but the school is now well placed to ensure that assessment informs planning for pupils of all levels of attainment. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 20

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

69. Evidence from the parents’ survey and a range of meetings indicate that parents are very satisfied with the academic and pastoral performance of the school. For example, based on the survey, 97 per cent of parents believe that the school has high expectations for their children and 96 per cent believe that the teaching is good. However, the survey also reveals that parents have some serious reservations about the school’s relationship with them. Only 69 per cent of parents thought that the school worked well with them and only 68 per cent thought that it kept them well informed. About 15 per cent of parents noted some difficulty in approaching the school. In addition, 22 per cent of parents had some dissatisfaction with the range of out-of-lesson activities. The inspectors agreed strongly with the parents’ perceptions about the strengths of the school but, with one exception noted below, they could

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

find no evidence to support the concerns. The provision for extra-curricular activities was judged to be very good.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

70. The information provided by the school is good, for example, newsletters are frequent, informative and well presented. There are meetings about the curriculum, information is provided about forthcoming topic work and there is guidance about helping with homework. The prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents are both useful but they do not fully comply with Department for Education and Employment regulations. However, the issues are slight and they have been acknowledged by the school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

71. Information about pupils’ progress is also good. Progress reports on pupils satisfy Department for Education and Employment requirements. They are consistently well presented and contain constructive remarks. The report format includes sections on advice about how to improve. There are two, with an optional third, parents’ consultation evenings which have attendance levels of about 90 per cent. However, because of setting in English and mathematics it is not always possible for parents to see their child’s teacher in these subjects. This is a specific parental concern which is known to the school. The arrangements will be reviewed to try and improve the situation. The school does operate an open-door policy but access to teachers is restricted at the start of the school day. Discussions with parents suggest that they do not regard this as unreasonable. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept informed at all levels and are involved in any recommended

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

72. There is a useful level of direct parental help in the school, mainly in Years 3 and 4, and a high level of help for particular events such as school visits. The parent teacher association is very active following a revival in recent years. It makes a substantial contribution to school funds; recently, £5000 was provided to re-stock the library. The parent teacher association also organises social events.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

73. Parents assisted in the formulation of the home-school agreement and they are encouraged to help their children at home. Discussions with pupils and reading records indicate that this does occur. However, there is evidence to suggest that a substantial minority make no contribution in this area.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. The headteacher has a clear sense of purpose and vision of what has to be done to improve the school further and, although there has been a change of headteacher since the last inspection, the leadership and management of the school remain very effective. She demonstrates a strong commitment to raising standards through improving the quality of teaching. Through careful analysis of data arising from National Curriculum test results, the St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 21 headteacher and assessment co-ordinator have supported staff well in identifying areas where pupils’ performance might improve. This has been effectively demonstrated over the past year where efforts were directed toward improving the results in science. Plans are now in place to concentrate on improving the scores for writing. Targets have been set for pupils’ performance in national tests and have been modified on the basis of previous testing for

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. The high value the headteacher places on all members of the school community – pupils, teachers, support staff and parents, is evident in the quality of the environment she is attempting to create and the emphasis she places on respectful, supportive relationships. The headteacher has established very effective systems for the day to day management and organisation of the school. The deputy headteacher has excellent inter-personal skills. She is a loyal confidante of both the headteacher and the staff. She is an able assistant to the headteacher but now needs to involve herself more in the financial management aspects of the post.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

76. The headteacher has delegated responsibilities to subject co-ordinators for all areas of the curriculum. There are clear job descriptions in place. These are to be reviewed to take account of extra managerial responsibilities for some staff in implementing performance management.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

77. Responsibility for monitoring the standards of teaching across the school has mostly been undertaken by the headteacher. For the most part she has concentrated classroom observations upon the monitoring of literacy and numeracy. Following these observations she has provided staff with useful advice for further improvement. As a result of her monitoring, the co-ordination of literacy was moved from one member of staff to another to secure the implementation of the strategy.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

78. Co-ordinators are very enthusiastic and knowledgeable in their subjects. They have worked hard and successfully to produce policies and schemes of work and are ready to provide valuable advice to colleagues. The responsibilities of co-ordinators are not as yet well developed and are at present restricted to ensuring planning covers appropriate topics and managing resources. In order to further promote school self-evaluation, there are plans outlined to extend the role of curriculum co-ordinators to include work moderation and observation of teaching.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. The school development plan is a working document which drives the annual planning cycle. It contains contributions from all curriculum co-ordinators. These evaluate the work of the previous year and set a development plan for each curriculum area. The headteacher is currently reviewing the format of the school development plan to ensure there is a detailed action plan containing measurable success criteria related to standards and the quality of education, to support the implementation of key areas of school improvement. She recognises the value of school self-evaluation and the need to outline clear monitoring and evaluation strategies.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

80. The school fulfils all statutory requirements in relation to the Code of Practice and provision for special educational needs. The overall management of special educational needs is very good, with an effective balance between responsibilities at class teacher, co-ordinator and headteacher level. The governing body has a member responsible for special educational needs, and discharges its responsibilities in this area fully.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

81. The school’s fulfilment of its aims and motto of “To Serve One Another” is very good. The headteacher sets high standards in her own work and expects the same from her staff. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 22 Generally staff produce high standards in the work of their pupils. The very good relationships, the quality and range of display, the organisation of resources and the impeccable cleanliness of the school both inside and out, all demonstrate to pupils how they are valued and the high standards the school expects of them.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

82. The headteacher and governing body have worked hard to secure funding to convert the interior of the Victorian building into a work area more suited to the needs of the curriculum in the 21 st century. Where work is completed, the interior environment is greatly improved. The headteacher and governors need to continue their efforts to acquire funding to complete these conversions.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

83. Governors support the school very well and overall fulfil their statutory requirements. They discharge their functions effectively through committees covering buildings, finance, personnel and curriculum. There are governors to oversee the implementation of National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and the provision of special educational needs. All governors are linked to an area of the curriculum and co-ordinators make presentations to them when introducing new policies or guidelines. The headteacher regularly reports the evaluation of statutory and non-statutory test results. The governing body includes the school superintendent and administrator. The parent governor is a regular helper in the school and the chair of governors teaches brass instruments to the children. Because of this active participation and support of many of the governors within the life of the school they are to be

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

congratulated on their ability to demonstrate a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

84. The governing body is careful to evaluate the tenders for work in the school in order to obtain best value for money and the recent contract for re-roofing one of the classrooms is an example of the school’s cost-effective use of its resources.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

85. The school maintains a good level of staffing. Staff members are suitably qualified, and provide a level of subject expertise. There have been two new appointments since the last inspection. Staff work well together within a team ethos. The induction of new staff into the school is effective, providing very good support and opportunities for newly qualified and established staff.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

86. Learning resources are satisfactory overall. In music they are very good and well used and this contributes to the good standards achieved. Resources are good in physical education and history and are used well, and in information technology resources are developing well and are used very well. In English, design and technology, mathematics, art and science resources are satisfactory. In the library, stock is generally up to date but is underused.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

87. Financial planning is good and all available funding, including specific grants, is appropriately targeted towards raising standards of achievement and meeting the school’s other identified priorities. Spending is accounted for appropriately. The budget is scrutinised by the governors and the best value principles of challenge, comparison and competition are applied. The school benefits from the extensive experience of the school superintendent in these areas. The school has some high maintenance costs due to the nature of the site, but recent decisions, such as the provision of perimeter security fencing, are proving good value for money. The smooth and effective day to day management by the office staff supports teachers well and is carried out with the minimum disruption to teaching. Effective use is made of information technology to support school administration. The school’s financial systems have recently received a full audit. The report stated that:

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

“Overall we have found that the school and governing body have implemented very good St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 23 controls within the school’s financial systems”. Minor recommendations have been acted upon.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

88. In order to further improve standards and the quality of provision, the staff and governors should continue to address the following issues:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The standards of attainment in writing by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 analysing the reasons for lower attainment in writing;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 developing and implementing strategies to address the low attainment in writing;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 providing time for the development of independent extended writing through all areas of the curriculum. ( see paragraphs 8, 14, 89, 93, 137)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Further develop strategies for school self-evaluation by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 using collected data to better inform curriculum and development planning;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 extending the role of subject leaders to include regular work scrutiny and classroom observations to monitor the quality of teaching and learning.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

( See paragraphs 63, 97, 117, 123, 134, 138)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Develop opportunities within the curriculum for pupils to apply their knowledge and understanding to practical problem-solving activities which will promote thinking skills and challenge all pupils but especially the more able.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(See paragraphs 14, 17, 19, 33, 42, 102, 114, 131, 133) St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 35

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 Y3 – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) n/a 331

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals n/a 24

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y3 – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs n/a 7

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register n/a 50

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 23

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

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

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. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 25

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 49 46 95

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

Boys 40 41 42 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 42 40 41

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 86 (79) 85 (69) 87 (78) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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

Boys 48 37 40 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 40 35 38

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 87 (73) 76 (81) 82 (83) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 26

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.26

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.26

Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 20,580

p.26

Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 23,418 St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 27

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 45 45 4 1 4

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 53 0 0 4

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 52 10 4 1

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 25 43 19 3 11

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 44 39 11 4 3

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 36 2 0 1

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 25 44 19 3 9

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 45 42 4 1 8

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 42 46 3 0 9

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 18 47 18 4 14 St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 28

p.27

ENGLISH

89. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils’ attainment in English at the end of the key stage is in line with what might be expected for pupils at this early stage in the school year. Attainment in reading is judged to be above average and reflects the findings of the previous inspection. Attainment in writing is judged to be below average. This represents a decline since the previous report. However, the present attainment reflects the difference between standards of reading and writing currently observed nationally. Throughout the school pupils make at least satisfactory overall progress and a significant minority, which includes those pupils who have some degree of special educational needs, makes good progress.

p.28

ENGLISH

90. The statutory test results of 1999 showed standards in English to be above the national average for that year and average when compared with schools of a similar context. The results of national tests for 2000, although not yet compared with national averages, indicate that the proportion of pupils attaining at or beyond the expected level for pupils of this age fell by, approximately, five per cent from the previous year. The cause of this may well be related to the fact that the proportion of pupils presenting with some degree of special educational needs in 2000 had risen by five per cent. The discrepancies between the test results and inspection judgements are related to the broader base of enquiry and evidence used in the inspection process.

p.28

ENGLISH

91. Overall standards of speaking and listening are above average. Most pupils enter the key stage with appropriately developed skills and make good progress. This is particularly so with the development of listening habits. Most pupils listen attentively to teachers’ explanations and questions and respond appropriately. This is clearly illustrated when, after whole class sessions, pupils of all ages disperse to their groups and clearly know what they must do so that they are able to start tasks promptly. Pupils in Year 3 make appropriate responses to questions, carry out sequences of instructions confidently and ask questions to clarify their understanding. Year 6 pupils respond to open questions with increasing readiness. They provide answers that are usefully extended to help the listener more clearly understand the ideas and opinions being expressed. By the end of the key stage pupils are

p.28

ENGLISH

attending more closely to the views of others when discussing topics. Throughout the school, teachers consistently introduce, and insist that pupils use, subject-specific vocabulary. By the end of the key stage pupils show an appropriate understanding of the conventions of Standard English and are aware of when it is appropriate to use them. The progress pupils make owes much to the value teachers place on oral contributions and the emphasis all staff place on extending pupils’ working vocabulary. This is particularly so for those pupils who have special educational needs. However, the development of skills associated with speaking to a variety of audiences for an increasing range of purposes is not sufficiently structured and too often opportunities to do so across the curriculum are overlooked.

p.28

ENGLISH

92. Pupils’ attainment in reading is on target to be above average by the end of the key stage. Most pupils enter the key stage with an appropriate range of phonic knowledge and basic strategies for decoding unfamiliar words. Throughout the school good progress is promoted by the systematic teaching of more complex letter strings, a wider range of strategies and the consistent provision of opportunities for pupils to talk about what they are reading with the teacher. Most Year 3 pupils recognise punctuation conventions and use these effectively to support fluency and understanding. They talk about the characters and plot and conjecture what might happen next. Pupils are introduced to a range of genres. For example, when reading a selection of poems, Year 4 pupils identify the similarities and differences in the St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 29 structures used and begin to make personal responses, and Year 5 pupils discuss the features

p.28

ENGLISH

of play scripts. By the end of the key stage pupils effectively read and consider the structure of an appropriate range of texts, develop their understanding of a writer’s use of figurative language and readily talk about their own reading preferences. Most pupils readily use the opportunity to borrow fiction books from the library. They know about basic library organisation and can use tables of contents and indexes to locate, retrieve and use information. However, opportunities for pupils to become familiar with, and independently use, the library for the purposes of retrieving information are too often overlooked and this has a negative impact on the development of higher-order reading skills.

p.29

ENGLISH

93. Inspection evidence indicates that standards of attainment in writing overall are significantly below those in reading and this has a negative impact on the overall standard of attainment in English by the end of the key stage. Most pupils enter Year 3 with writing skills appropriate to pupils of that age. As they move through the school pupils make satisfactory progress in the systematic development of knowledge of the conventions of grammar, punctuation and spelling and extend their experience of both formal and informal writing. This progress owes much to the clearly structured programme of teacher-directed learning activities advised by the National Literacy Strategy. Most pupils in Year 3 demonstrate that they know about the basic rules of punctuation and the structure associated with, for instance, a shape poem or an argument for staying up late. Higher attaining pupils use interesting descriptive words and

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ENGLISH

phrases such as, ‘the rough crunchy edge of a leaf…’ in order to add interest for the reader. Year 4 pupils plan a story framework in paragraphs and higher attaining pupils use varied sentence structure to good effect as in, ‘I wake from my unconscious terror to find…’ Teachers consistently make strong links between reading and writing so pupils confidently experiment with the styles and techniques used by established writers. For example, in creating poems using the technique of personification, a set of Year 6 pupils developed such lines as, ‘The hurricane smashed and crashed, chasing the shore-line, driving the waves.’ … and the same hurricane … ‘Plays with houses as if they were toys.’ However, opportunities for pupils to use the knowledge and skills, built up in teacher-directed sessions, in independent, extended writing activities across the curriculum are too often overlooked and this has a restricting effect on progress. The school has already identified the need to

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ENGLISH

improve provision for writing in the current school development plan and has arranged for time in addition to the literacy hour to be devoted to this aspect. It is too early to judge the impact of this initiative but, in examining a small sample of work where pupils had opportunity to develop and refine extended writing, improvement was indicated. Throughout the school handwriting is systematically taught so that pupils present their work in well- formed and spaced script. However, where pupils in Year 3 have already established a good print script the development and regular use of joined script is unnecessarily delayed.

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ENGLISH

94. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to the appropriately challenging targets identified in their individual education plans. The progress they make owes much to the flexible use of the National Literacy Strategy, specific programmes to develop phonic knowledge and the consistent and sensitive support of teaching and support staff.

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ENGLISH

95. Pupils, throughout the school, have positive attitudes to this subject. They listen attentively to teachers and readily involve themselves in whole-class sessions. They confidently answer questions, exchange ideas and opinions and respect each other’s contributions. Most pupils settle quickly to learning tasks and sustain interest for appropriate periods of time, taking care with the presentation of their work.

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ENGLISH

96. Overall the quality of teaching is good. It is never less than satisfactory. In seven of the 13 lessons observed teaching was judged to be good and in two it was judged to be very good. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 30 Teaching of this quality makes a significant contribution to the attainment and progress all pupils make. All teachers use the advice of the National Literacy Strategy effectively so that lessons have a good balance of whole-class, group and individual activities. They use this organisation to maximise opportunities for direct teaching of skills and knowledge and to encourage pupils to share their ideas. In the most successful lessons the planning identifies exactly what the pupils should understand and be able to do by the end of the lesson. This is shared with the pupils so that their activities have a clear focus, their work is purposeful and a brisk pace is maintained. Knowledge of the subject is good and appropriate links between

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ENGLISH

speaking and listening, reading and writing are consistently made. Questioning is used well to initially encourage all pupils to share their ideas and then specific questioning is devised to further develop the responses of individual pupils. The value teachers show when responding to pupils’ contributions and the calm and discrete approach to behaviour management make significant contributions to the raising of pupils’ self-esteem and their readiness to be actively involved in learning. Weaknesses occur where the learning activities do not appropriately challenge all pupils and where opportunities to use learned literacy skills in other areas of the curriculum are overlooked.

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ENGLISH

97. The management of provision for this subject is good overall. The National Literacy Strategy planning model has been successfully implemented and monitored and the advice suitably adjusted to meet the specific needs of the school. The co-ordinator, after a short term in office, has a relatively clear understanding of the major strengths and weaknesses through the monitoring of teachers’ planning and has developed an action plan to meet perceived needs. Although the lack of opportunity to monitor classroom practice limits the information on which the co-ordinator can effectively evaluate the provision, time is being allocated to address this issue. The recently revised policy ensures the requirements of the National Curriculum are met and supplementary guidance has been developed to support the work in drama. However, guidance for the development of speaking skills is currently insufficiently detailed. Appropriate assessment procedures are in place to track pupils’

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ENGLISH

attainment and progress. However, in assessing writing in relation to the National Curriculum criteria the portfolio of moderated samples of work is insufficiently detailed to effectively support all teachers. The outcomes of assessment procedures are insufficiently analysed and used to identify detailed targets for improvement at all levels. Available funding has been used well to provide a suitable range of resources. Insufficient use is made of the library to promote the development of independent research skills.

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MATHEMATICS

98. At the end of Key Stage 2, test results in 1999 were well above average for the expected Level 4 and above average for the higher Level 5. The performance of boys and girls relative to national averages was similar. In 2000, based on an average across all levels, the school’s results were well above the national average. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

99. Pupils are grouped according to prior attainment into three sets for all mathematics lessons. Attainment in lessons was judged to be good in the higher attaining sets and satisfactory in almost all others.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The National Numeracy Framework is used as a planning framework for the daily mathematics lesson. In general, the lower attaining sets follow the framework for the year below, although by Year 6 the teacher uses both Year 5 and Year 6 frameworks in parallel. The progress made by the lower set in both Year 3 and Year 4 is good, so teachers should be able to follow the example of using an age appropriate curriculum at an earlier stage. The top set in each year group shows attainment well above what would be expected, for instance, St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 31 optional Standard Assessment Tests at the end of Year 4 showed that 37 per cent of pupils had reached the standard expected of pupils at the end of Year 6. This would suggest that more difficult work could be attempted earlier by the top set in each year group, for instance as a trial this year, the top set in Year 6 is following the Year 7 framework. This could well

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MATHEMATICS

be a useful model for other year groups in future.

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MATHEMATICS

101. As samples of pupils’ work from the previous year were not available, only a limited range of work produced during the first half term of the year was inspected. Pupils in Year 6 are able to perform all four operations. In the lower set pupils can add and subtract two digit numbers mentally, multiply and divide to 10 x 10 and order and add four digit numbers on paper. They can add decimal numbers and understand and can add simple and improper fractions. Pupils in the higher set can perform standard calculations for addition, subtraction and long multiplication and use the repeated subtraction method of long division. They understand fractions, percentages, square roots, ratio and proportion. They can order and perform the four operations on decimals to two decimal places. They understand the relationship between standard units of measure. They solve problems using all four operations.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Given the heavy weighting placed by the school on developing pupils’ understanding of, and mental agility with number, by virtue of adopting the National Numeracy Strategy, less work was seen in other areas of the mathematics curriculum. In Year 4 pupils study the nets of solid shapes. In Year 5 pupils collect and present data as bar charts, varying the scale to suit the range of data, and as pie charts using a computer program. Very little work was seen where pupils have to use and apply the mathematics they learn. This is an area that is recognised by the school as being in need of development now that teachers are becoming more confident with the Numeracy Framework.

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MATHEMATICS

103. The quality of teaching in mathematics lessons is good overall. This is an improvement since the last inspection. In 12 out of 13 lessons it was satisfactory or better, while in four of the lessons teaching was very good. Weekly planning is thorough and some teachers are using space on planning sheets to record their assessments of pupils’ work and lesson evaluations. These are used to inform the next round of planning.

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MATHEMATICS

104. Teachers use correct mathematical vocabulary and pupils’ responses show how well they are learning the correct terms. Mental starters to lessons are generally brisk and allow pupils to rehearse and build on their skills effectively, either through answering the teacher’s questions or framing their own. Pupils are often asked to explain how they have worked out their answers, which helps to establish good mental strategies. In some classes all pupils have simple equipment to enable them to answer questions at the same time, instead of having to wait their turn. For instance in one class, pupils all wrote answers on wipe clean sheets and held them up for the teacher to see.

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MATHEMATICS

105. In the main section of the lesson, most teachers give a good explanation of what pupils are to learn, and teach the mathematical sequence of ideas with clarity, so pupils make good progress in their learning. Occasionally, when teachers do not teach with such a clear focus, or when the activities provided by the teacher are not directly related to the mathematical objectives of the lesson, pupils make little progress.

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MATHEMATICS

106. In the best lessons, with both high and low attaining pupils, the teacher makes quick assessments of the pupils’ understanding and judges exactly when to move on to the next step in the lesson. This develops a brisk pace and at the same time generates an enthusiasm for learning as pupils gain in confidence from their success. Pupils, throughout the school, show very good concentration and perseverance in the tasks they undertake. Their attitudes have improved since the last inspection, attributed by staff to their enjoyment of numeracy lessons. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 32 Particularly in lower sets, teachers take great care to build pupils’ confidence. At the beginning of a lower set Year 3 lesson, pupils were convinced that adding nine by adding ten first was hard, but by the end of the lesson they were delighted that they had not only achieved this, but could also see for themselves how to add 11.

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MATHEMATICS

107. Books are regularly marked and in most cases this marking is followed by corrections. Sometimes marking is discussed with pupils so they can understand and learn from their errors. In one lesson the teacher discussed the common errors found in their work with the whole class. Pupils then had to follow the specific guidance in their books to make individual improvements.

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MATHEMATICS

108. Pupils with special educational needs are integrated very well into lessons. Support staff sit through the main teaching sections, often offering help to individuals to make sure they understand as the lesson proceeds. They then work with the lowest attaining groups, often with specially adapted materials to keep those groups as close as possible to the rest of the class.

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MATHEMATICS

109. Mathematics appears in several other areas of the curriculum as pupils measure the growth of plants or the length of shadows in science; as they construct databases and print graphs in information technology lessons; and as they create turning and reflecting patterns in art.

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MATHEMATICS

110. The subject is well led by the co-ordinator, who has excellent subject knowledge. She has been instrumental in the smooth introduction of the Numeracy Strategy. She conducted an audit of provision and drew up a numeracy action plan. She has delivered training to all teachers and offers advice in regular consultations with year group teams. This year she is being released to monitor teachers’ planning and lessons and to look at samples of pupils’ work. There is a large amount of data from end of year tests which is used to track individual pupil progress, and the co-ordinator recognises that this data could also provide useful management information to help in developing the subject. She has already analysed end of Key Stage 2 statutory tests and this has helped to refine the teaching in Year 6. She has responsibility for resources for the subject, which are adequate to teach the full mathematics

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SCIENCE

111. On the basis of Standard Assessment Tests at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment at both the expected Level 4 and the higher Level 5 was above the national level in 1999. These results have been further exceeded within the 2000 results where 95 per cent of pupils have attained Level 4, with more than 50 per cent of these attaining at the higher Level 5. Results build upon the good results reported during the last inspection, and are reflected in the pupils’ achievements in the classrooms where the majority of the pupils, including those with special educational needs, are working at levels which meet, and sometimes exceed, the national expectations.

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SCIENCE

112. Coverage of the National Curriculum is planned for using the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority schemes of work. Pupils learn effectively throughout the key stage. Emphasis is placed upon the development of a wide body of knowledge and understanding. Pupils learn progressively through a series of well-planned topics, for example within Year 3 pupils were discovering the need for a balanced diet to ensure good health, Year 4 pupils were investigating the conditions needed to develop healthy plants, Year 5 were investigating the orbit of the moon and in Year 6, pupils were understanding the functions of the heart and circulatory systems. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 33 113. Pupils learn the correct terminology within the topics and happily discuss with understanding the terms carbohydrates, vitamins and protein in Year 3 and aorta and ventricle in Year 6.

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SCIENCE

114. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes and respond well in science lessons. They are very well behaved and are able to follow instructions. They are generally attentive and keen to contribute. Attention in the younger classes wains a little when lessons are extended over a double period which covers the whole afternoon session. Pupils generally concentrate and listen carefully. They show an interest and are often able to sustain their efforts. They are willing to co-operate with each other and readily discuss the task in hand. No pupils were observed to apply their obvious knowledge of science to practical situations, although there was evidence in a Year 4 class of pupils having been engaged in experimenting with plants.

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SCIENCE

115. Teachers are good at introducing the pupils to the learning objectives at the beginning of the lesson. Some take care to ensure these are delivered in ‘child speak’ such as in the Year 3 lesson where pupils were told ‘today we are going to find out what we need to have a healthy meal’. In the best of lessons these objectives are then returned to in the plenary.

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SCIENCE

116. Teachers generally have good questioning skills which allow pupils the opportunity to express their ideas knowing that what they are going to say will be valued and not ridiculed if wrong. Year groups plan together and this should ensure all three classes within the same year group have access to a similar educational diet. However, some members of staff are more confident in their knowledge and understanding of the scientific content of the lesson than others. For example, in Year 5, one teacher proved to be more adept in teaching a lesson about the orbit of the moon than another. This resulted in greater pupil understanding of this concept in one class than the other.

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SCIENCE

117. The management of provision for this subject is good. A suitable policy is in place to ensure the requirements of the revised National Curriculum are met. A useful curriculum framework effectively plots when topics are to be taught and the scheme of work, which is in the early stages of review, already gives useful guidance on how the skills, knowledge and concepts associated with this discipline are to be developed. This makes a major contribution to the quality of provision in this subject. Although the procedures for the monitoring of attainment and quality of teaching are underdeveloped and this limits the quality of information on which the co-ordinator can effectively evaluate the provision and plan developments. Time is being allocated to address this issue. Resources are good, overall. The time allocated to the subject is appropriate but the predominant practice of using all of the available time in one long session does not always ensure best provision for all

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ART AND DESIGN

118. During the inspection, due to timetable arrangements, only limited art teaching was observed. Additional evidence was gathered from pupils’ work, displays, portfolios, exhibition work, documentation and teachers’ plans. Evidence shows that the school meets the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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ART AND DESIGN

119. Standards of attainment are good within a wide range of experiences. Progress, both within lessons and within each year group, is also good. This is an improvement on the satisfactory progress noted in the last inspection. This is substantially due to the clear planning within the scheme of work, which takes a topic, such as people in action in Year 6, and builds upon it, for example, pupils start by sketching a figure, this then leads to the making of a template. The template is then used for rubbings which are moved down the paper to create a sense of St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 34 movement. Pupils then looked at cubist pictures of movement and tried to emulate one of these using tissue paper as collage.

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ART AND DESIGN

120. Pupils are particularly adept at observational drawing as illustrated by the sketches of hands displayed in the hall. They are also taught to emulate the works of artist, such as Year 4 pupils emulating the styles of Cezanne and Seurat.

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ART AND DESIGN

121. Pupils engage in their activities well, concentrate well and are willing to discuss and evaluate their work.

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ART AND DESIGN

122. Where teaching was observed within Year 6 the teacher provided good explanations of the task, had all materials to hand, demonstrated techniques and used the plenary well to recap upon what had been achieved over the half term’s topic.

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ART AND DESIGN

123. There is a wide range of resources and the subject is well managed by an enthusiastic co- ordinator who displays a love of the subject. Although the procedures for the monitoring of attainment and quality of teaching are under-developed and this limits the quality of information on which the co-ordinator can effectively evaluate the provision and plan for developments. Time is being allocated to address this issue.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. As only one lesson in design and technology was observed during the inspection so it is not possible to make an overall judgement on teaching. Other judgements are based on scrutiny of pupils’ work, displays around school, photographs and discussions with staff and pupils. Overall, the quality of work is about the standard expected and pupils make sound progress. This is a similar position to that at the time of the previous inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

125. Opportunities are provided for pupils to work with a variety of materials in a good range of contexts. Pupils investigate how simple mechanisms, such as levers, can be used to produce movement. They develop ‘design and make’ skills when using re-cyclable materials to construct a vehicle that moves. They learn how to evaluate commercial products, such as Year 4 pupils looking at commercial seed packets. They examine the purpose of the packet, the materials used, the information displayed and the suitability of materials used. When designing their own seed packet, pupils develop further understanding of the links between design, materials and intended purpose. Food technology is developed through designing and making a gingerbread figure, and making a vegetable curry as part of work on India in geography. Pupils have opportunities for weighing and mixing and discuss issues connected with hygiene. The Year 6 pupils are able to use control mechanisms in conjunction with

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

models made as part of their ‘Fairground’ topic and in this area the local high school is very supportive.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. Attitudes to learning are positive, pupils display enthusiasm and they clearly enjoy the work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

127. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and keen to develop the subject. The recently developed scheme of work makes good use of exemplar guidelines, and clear guidance is given to teachers on how skills and understanding are to be developed. Resources are adequate and support the learning activities which are well planned to engage the interest of all the pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. Only two lessons in one year group were observed during the inspection. From the examination of pupils’ work, planning documentation and discussions, evidence indicates St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 35 that pupils make at least satisfactory progress as they move through the school and are on target to attain standards broadly in line with those expected of pupils by the time they leave the school. This reflects the findings of the previous report.

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GEOGRAPHY

129. Pupils in Year 3 make good progress in developing technical vocabulary and mapping skills as an integral part of the topics they undertake. For example, in studying their own locality they graduate from recording a plan view of the classroom and school to recognising the relation of Guiseley to the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe. Progress in understanding physical features of the region is significantly supported by educational visits, for example, to Malham to investigate the source of the River Aire and the features common to the development of rivers. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 use their knowledge of Guiseley and the region in order to compare and contrast the physical and human geographical features with those of St Lucia and the Indian village of Chembakolli. Experience of using a range of sources of information is appropriately extended, for instance Year 5 pupils use texts, photographic evidence and navigate through a CD-ROM for appropriate information.

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GEOGRAPHY

130. Pupils with special educational needs are given sensitive support so that they are enabled to make suitable progress in relation to prior attainment.

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GEOGRAPHY

131. Geography supports numeracy skills through the work done in developing mapping skills and data collection but there is no evidence of structured planning to do so. Pupils are provided with good opportunities to develop and use subject-specific vocabulary and read texts within geography. However, too often the opportunities for pupils to use an appropriate range of independent recording activities are overlooked.

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GEOGRAPHY

132. It is inappropriate to make an overall judgement on pupils’ attitudes to geography but, in the year group observed, pupils attended closely to teachers’ exposition and readily answered open questions. They promptly settled to learning tasks and most were concerned to present their work carefully.

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GEOGRAPHY

133. It is not possible to make an overall judgement on teaching. In the lessons observed it was judged to be satisfactory. However, teachers’ planning does not always identify the learning expectations for the range of ability in their classes. The planned recording activities do not consistently challenge pupils of all abilities appropriately. This has a negative impact on progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

134. The management of provision for this subject is satisfactory. A suitable policy is in place to ensure the requirements of the revised National Curriculum are met. A useful curriculum framework effectively plots when topics are to be taught and the scheme of work, which is in the early stages of review, already gives useful guidance on how the skills, knowledge and concepts associated with this subject are to be developed. This makes a major contribution to the quality of provision in this subject. Although the procedures for the monitoring of attainment and quality of teaching are underdeveloped and this limits the quality of information on which the co-ordinator can effectively evaluate the provision and plan developments. Time is being allocated to address this issue. Resources are satisfactory overall and significantly enhanced by the use of educational visits and visitors. The time

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GEOGRAPHY

allocated to the subject is appropriate but the predominant practice of using all of the available time in one long session does not always ensure best provision for all pupils.

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HISTORY

135. No lessons were observed during the inspection. Overall judgements on attainment and teaching are inappropriate. However, evidence from teachers’ planning, examination of St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 36 pupils’ work and discussions indicate that pupils make at least satisfactory progress as they move through the school, with good progress being made in the development of enquiry skills and understanding of chronology. Evidence from the previous year indicates that by the end of the key stage standards of attainment are broadly in line with those expected.

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HISTORY

136. The outcome of school assessment tasks indicates that pupils leaving Year 3 have an appropriate knowledge of life at the time of the Roman invasion. They effectively use photographs of original artefacts when investigating the way ordinary people lived at the time. Year 4 pupils are able to place the early invaders in chronological order. By the end of that year they use the work of Tudor artists to demonstrate what they know and understand about important historical characters and the social life of the period. Evidence found within the town and the school building itself is used effectively by Year 5 pupils to investigate the history of their own locality and the Victorian period in particular. They compare and contrast the changes in educational provision, houses and social conditions. By the end of the key stage pupils can place the historical periods studied in chronological order from the

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HISTORY

coming of the Saxons through to the present. They use text, artefacts, visits to museums and photographic evidence in their research into the causes and impact of the Second World War. For example, they handle gas masks and ration books and diary entries to find how individuals were affected and organise the wide range of evidence from a visit to Eden Camp to establish an understanding of life at the time.

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HISTORY

137. It is inappropriate to make an overall judgement on pupils’ attitudes to the subject and the quality of teaching. Teachers’ planning indicates that the required programmes of study are taught and skills and concepts are systematically developed as pupils move through the school. However, in short-term planning there is little evidence of planning to meet the needs of mixed ability groups and too often the recording tasks devised overlook opportunities for pupils to develop their independent writing skills.

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HISTORY

138. The provision for this subject is managed effectively. A recently revised policy document ensures the requirements of the National Curriculum are met and provides good guidance for all staff. A useful curriculum framework assures an appropriate balance of Programmes of Study is achieved. The scheme of work provides clear advice on how the knowledge, skills and concepts are to be systematically developed so that teachers can identify what pupils will know, understand and be able to do by the end of a planning period. This makes a major contribution to the quality of provision. Assessment procedures are being developed and to date are providing useful outcomes. The co-ordinator effectively monitors attainment through regular sampling of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning documents. However, monitoring of teaching has not yet been implemented and this limits the quality of information on which the co-ordinator can evaluate provision and plan developments.

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HISTORY

Overall, resources are good and well organised and both educational visits and visitors are used very well to stimulate interest and provide practical experiences of being an historian. However, the practice of using all the time allocated for the subject in one long session does not always ensure best provision for all pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. Overall, standards are about what would be expected of pupils at this age but with a significant minority of pupils displaying above average standards. Although this is a broadly similar picture to that at the time of the previous inspection, there are now some distinct strengths within the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. Pupils are able to log on and select required software. They use the mouse and specific keys with confidence to load and select various functions, for example adapting and modifying St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 37 pictures when using a clip art package. They confidently enter text, using a word processing program, and use a range of applications merging text and graphics to create products such as invitations to a party, or a poster advertising a local carnival. Pupils change fonts, altering size and colour, and demonstrate understanding of how to alter the size of graphics using the drag function. Pupils make sound progress in developing skills in data handling, for example through creating databases to analyse and present information. The oldest pupils have the opportunity to make a model that can be controlled using the computer and sensors, developing effective links with other areas of the curriculum, such as science and design and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. Pupils’ attitudes are good. They show high levels of interest and concentration and work well both in pairs and groups, and when working independently. Almost 75 per cent of pupils have access to a computer at home, with many having access to the Internet, and they are enthusiastic about using the technology. Pupils also happily support each other and share their skills. Many happily acknowledge the higher level skills that some of their peer group possess, without being envious.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. Only two lessons were observed, although pupils in small groups were seen using computers, with guidance provided, on many occasions. Staff expertise is growing and many teachers have a good understanding of the use of information technology. Staff and pupils enjoy working together and form very constructive relationships that enable pupils to progress well on common tasks.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143. Management of the subject is very good. The co-ordinator, and the staff as a whole, decided that as no suitable space existed to effectively develop a computer suite, they would develop the provision and use in classrooms and around the school. This is developing very well. The co-ordinator has worked very hard to set up a networked system, and effective use of modified older systems, and the introduction of personal computers into each teaching area and the library leads to good use of computers within individual classrooms and shared areas. Immediate access to a computer for the development of a pupil’s or teacher’s idea, in a range of curriculum areas, is invariably possible, and this is a strength of the system. The school is developing a very effective programme of learning activities with clear targets. A programme of training is in place for staff, and using National Opportunities Fund money,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

will extend further. Information technology is a priority in the school development plan. This provision, and the enthusiasm and hard work of the co-ordinator and staff are contributing to the good progress now being made by many pupils.

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MUSIC

144. The standard of music in the school is good and is on course to improve still further as the progress that pupils make in lessons is very good.

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MUSIC

145. Pupils of all ages are able to sing in tune and with expression, learning new songs with ease. Pupils at the lower end of the school can beat time, play tuned percussion instruments to accompany singing and are knowledgeable about the pentatonic scale. They are able to identify the features of music they listen to and can explain why the composer chose those features to represent his ideas. For instance, pupils could identify birds in Saint-Saens’ ‘Carnival of the Animals’ because they could hear, ‘Lots of short notes’, and, ‘Music going up then down like wings.’ Year 6 pupils are able to read simple notation and can maintain a difficult syncopated rhythm as an accompaniment to singing. They can compose, write and perform a rhythm on percussion instruments. St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 38 146. Pupils’ attitudes to music are excellent. They listen attentively, both to recorded music and as others perform, and are able to express their feelings about the music they hear. They

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MUSIC

show obvious enjoyment for their music making, working well in groups to compose music and treating instruments with respect.

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MUSIC

147. Teaching is good, and in some cases excellent. Even though lessons are short, they are well organised so that little time is wasted. Teachers reinforce technical vocabulary and pupils use it appropriately, which enhances their levels of literacy skills. Well-planned sequences of lessons and very good direct teaching give pupils a firm grasp of the principles of music. For example, even in Year 3, pupils are able to analyse the structure of a simple song. Questioning is used very well to support pupils’ responses to music. Their excellent subject knowledge enables teachers to adjust their teaching to the needs of pupils in the course of lessons.

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MUSIC

148. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority scheme of work has been adopted to provide consistency and progression across the school and ensure coverage of the new National Curriculum. Medium-term planning identifies teaching objectives, activities and assessment opportunities and a new recording system has been introduced to allow assessment information to be carried forward from one topic to the next and from one teacher to the next. While this planning and assessment system is new, there are clear signs that it is benefiting pupils’ learning.

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MUSIC

149. As well as the music co-ordinator, the school has several well-qualified musicians on the staff and has made the sensible decision to treat music as a specialist subject taught only by those members of staff. The effect has been to raise the standard of music teaching in the school to a high level and provide pupils with a very good quality of musical education. This is already having an impact on standards, which are set to rise still further over the year. Overall, this is an improvement since the last inspection. The music co-ordinator has begun to monitor the implementation of the new scheme of work by observing teaching and a regular time allocation is being made for her to continue this.

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MUSIC

150. Many pupils have access to extra-curricular music lessons through daily lunchtime recorder clubs and peripatetic tuition in strings, woodwind and brass. There is a school orchestra, which plays to a high standard given the age of its members. Pupils perform both in school, for instance during some assemblies, and out, when the school entertains old people in a local nursing home at Christmas.

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MUSIC

151. Pupils perform and respond to music in assemblies which deepens their spiritual experience. They use a good range of multicultural instruments and have taken part in sessions led by African and Indian visiting musicians.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. It was not possible to see all aspects of the physical education programme during the week of the inspection. Evidence is taken from lessons observed in games and gymnastics, from scrutiny of the school’s planning and from discussions.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. At the end of the key stage standards are generally above those usually found in those aspects seen during the inspection and progress is good. This is a similar position to that at the time of the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. In gymnastics, pupils appreciate the importance of warm-up activities. They are able to plan sequences of movement, including jumping, rolling and balancing, and can demonstrate these St Oswald’s CE Junior School - 39 at different speeds and levels. They work with due regard for safety, handle apparatus with care and co-operate effectively when using space. Pupils’ work shows agility, extension and control, but due to the limited amount of time available for gymnastics, they have insufficient opportunities to practise and improve the quality of their movements. In games, pupils move with increasing control and demonstrate a good range of passing and catching skills. In competitive situations they show appropriate understanding of attacking and defending techniques in games such as soccer and netball. The school supports a very effective swimming programme, and by the end of the key stage practically all pupils achieve the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

required distance. Many go on to exceed this and also become proficient in water safety techniques.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. Pupils enjoy their physical education lessons and work enthusiastically. These very good attitudes enhance their learning. Without exception, in the lessons observed, pupils took the trouble to change in to smart, appropriate clothing. They take pride, not only in their appearance, but in their performance. They co-operate well, share ideas and make good use of opportunities to practise skills. Apparatus is used safely and responsibly.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156. The quality of teaching seen was never less than satisfactory, and in half the lessons seen was good or very good. Teachers set a good example by dressing appropriately for lessons and demonstrate enthusiasm for the subject. This has a positive effect on pupils’ attitudes. Clear learning objectives are conveyed and lessons move at a brisk pace. Good use is made of demonstration to draw out pupils’ ideas and understanding. In one very good Year 4 gymnastics lesson, the teacher displayed confidence and clarity in giving opportunities for pupils to demonstrate “good practice”. In asking such questions as “What was good about that sequence?” or “Why did I choose that movement to look at?”, the teacher gave pupils opportunities to evaluate their own and others’ performance, and was constantly trying to move learning on. The good use teachers make of praise, noted in lessons, has a positive effect on the motivation of pupils and contributes to the good progress achieved.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

157. The management of the subject is very good. The co-ordinator has very good subject knowledge, has overseen the production of an appropriate policy and has a clear view of the future direction of the subject, including the development of an assessment programme. A wide range of extra-curricular activities, including soccer, swimming, netball, cross-country, athletics, rounders and cricket, enhance physical education provision. The school makes good provision for team games and inter-school competitions, and has enjoyed some success in these. Importantly the school also organises events where all the children take part, such as Sports Day, Swimming Gala and sponsored events. Good links are established with Guiseley Infants and Guiseley Fieldhead Schools, and opportunities are provided for further active participation in sport. Facilities for physical education are good and well used, with a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

hall, large outdoor play areas, recently re-surfaced, and a school field. Equipment is varied, plentiful and in good condition.

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