Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School

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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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. Weston under Penyard Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Lane Weston under Penyard Ross on Wye Postcode: HR9 7PA

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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. John Ashford

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 13.1.98 Weston under Penyard Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

S. Dobson 18074 Registered inspector English Science Information and communications technology Design and technology Physical Education Equality of opportunity Special Educational Needs Leadership and management Standards ( results and achievements) Teaching

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responsibilities

J. Madden 13450 Lay inspector Standards (attitudes, values and personal development) Care for pupils Partnership with parents. A. Smithers 17456 Team inspector Foundation Stage Mathematics Art History Geography Music Religious Education Curriculum

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responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Glenside Education 3 Middlefield Close Weaverthorpe Malton YO17 8ES Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Weston under Penyard Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school serves the village of Weston under Penyard but also attracts some pupils from surrounding areas and from the nearby town of Ross on Wye. It is a smaller than average primary school having 68 pupils on roll. The school has a below average percentage of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and an above average percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs. Most of these pupils are in the upper part of the school. The percentage of pupils on the register of pupils with special needs is well above average in the upper part of the school but is about average in the school as a whole. On entry to school the attainment of children is as expected for their age. The school has a predominance of boys, particularly in upper Key Stage 2. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is low.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a school which is now improving steadily and which has made good progress overall in the last year. It is now an effective school. The school is soundly led and managed and there is astute leadership from the governing body. The headteacher has led the school out of a period of some difficulty and is now well placed to continue to lead school improvement. Pupils make satisfactory progress in all subjects and in their personal development and they reach appropriate standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Key Stage 2. The standard of teaching is predominantly good and the school gives pupils a well-structured curriculum. The school has improved well since the last inspection in 1998 and now gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The provision for children under five years old is very good. • The school provides all pupils with good support through the work of the teachers and the classroom support assistants. • The quality of teaching is always at least satisfactory and most often good. • The school has a well-planned curriculum which ensures that pupils’ learning builds on their earlier experiences. Assessment of pupils’ achievements is also good. • The school links well with parents and the community. • The school works very hard to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs.

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What could be improved

• The effectiveness of behaviour management. • The level of challenge given to pupils, especially the more able and in particular in recording tasks. • The school improvement plan. • The roles of the subject co-ordinators to include systematic and rigorous monitoring of standards across the school. • The role, function and responsibilities of the deputy headteacher need to be reconsidered and closely defined. 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 last inspected in January 1998. The outcome of the inspection was that this school had serious weaknesses. Since then, and particularly in the last year, there has been good improvement overall. The school now has an effective whole school curriculum framework and good schemes of work. The role of the curriculum co-ordinators has improved and they are more knowledgeable about their subjects. They are also more able to assist in subject improvement. The school now has effective assessment procedures which are beginning to inform the planning of the curriculum. Individual learning plans for pupils with special educational needs are now sufficiently detailed and useful. There is now a separate room for the pupils under five years old and this is used well for the reception class. The school development plan has improved satisfactorily and is now sufficiently detailed but is not fully costed.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Health and safety matters are now well managed. Weston under Penyard Primary School - 7

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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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Key

English A B C C well above average above average A B Mathematics A B D D average below average C D Science A C D D well below average E

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Key

Three major factors affect the school’s results. Firstly, relatively small cohorts of pupils lower the reliability of comparisons with similar schools. Secondly, the cohorts of year 6 pupils in the last two years have included a very high proportion of pupils with special educational needs which affect their learning. Thirdly, a very high number (e.g. half of the current Y6) of these pupils came to the school well after the start of Key Stage 2. Those pupils who are able to do so, reach the higher level 5 in all three subjects. Analysis of pupils’ current work indicates that they are achieving appropriate levels for their abilities in all three subjects, though the recording of work in subjects other than English and mathematics could be better. Standards at Key Stage 1 are higher and, where pupils have been at the school since the reception class, they achieve relatively high standards in reading. Small cohort sizes

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Key

means that there is considerable variation from year to year and therefore an overall trend is difficult to establish. However, at Key Stage 2 it is at least broadly in line with the national trend. Children in the foundation stage make good progress and they are likely to reach the Early Learning Goals by the time they enter Year 1 in all areas of learning.

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Key

The school is in line to reach its agreed targets by the end of the year. In the other subjects of the National Curriculum, standards are in line with the nationally expected levels at both key stages.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Most of the pupils enjoy school and are keen to get on with their work. Most of them concentrate well in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Most pupils behave well but there are a few, mostly but not exclusively older boys, whose behaviour is a cause for concern in the classrooms and in the playground. On an individual basis, most of this behaviour is dealt with effectively but overall it has a negative effect on others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. Most of the pupils are willing to help and support each other and there are some good examples of effective collaboration. Most of the pupils form satisfactory working relationships with other pupils and good relationships with their teachers.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is very close to the national average and is therefore satisfactory. Pupils are punctual at the start of the school day and to lessons.

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Aspect Comment

In the reception class children behave well and have very good relationships with each other and their Weston under Penyard Primary School - 8 teacher. They learn both independence and co-operation skills. A minority of boys in Key Stage 2 is sometimes disrespectful of other people and of what the school is offering them. The school does not effectively deal with this negative attitude.

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

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

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

Twenty-three percent of the teaching seen was very good and a further fifty seven percent was good. All of the remainder was satisfactory. There is some variation between the classes, for example the teaching of the under fives is never less than good.

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

The quality of teaching of English is predominantly good. Teachers have developed a good understanding of their literacy strategy and they teach the skills of reading and writing well. The teaching of mathematics is less secure though nevertheless satisfactory. In this subject, the teachers do not always create interesting and challenging learning tasks. The teachers are effectively adapting their teaching to incorporate the National Numeracy Strategy and this is beginning to have a positive effect on the development of pupils’ mental arithmetic skills. The needs of pupils with special educational needs are met but there are instances when the tasks set do not challenge the more able pupils and therefore learning is limited.

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

The teachers all have good routines to which the pupils respond. The planning of teaching is thorough and all of the teachers prepare lessons well. Teaching is particularly good for the under fives as the teachers’ input is always very stimulating and the activities which are provided effectively reinforce and extend their learning. At Key Stage 2 there are a few pupils who have behavioural difficulties. On an individual basis these are well managed but the teachers in the school as a whole do not have a common way of managing pupil behaviour and as a result, there are times when pupils do not pay attention or they distract others through attention seeking behaviour.

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

The quality of learning is mostly good. When the pupils are interested in the topic of the lesson or they are involved in practical learning tasks they learn well and rapidly. Pupils with special educational needs make similar progress to their peers.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The planning of the curriculum is effective and the plans and schemes indicate that there is a good broad curriculum for all pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is good overall. Pupils have individual education programmes which are well matched to their needs. The provision for pupils with statements of need is good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision is satisfactory overall.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares well for its pupils. They have effective guidance in both their personal and academic development. The school gathers a good range of information about pupils’ progress. There are good procedures to ensure pupils’ welfare Weston under Penyard Primary School - 9 The school works well in partnership with parents and parents have a positive view of the school. The curriculum has much improved in the last year but has not yet been in place sufficiently long to have made a significant difference to pupils’ achievement. Whilst the staff deal well with individual behavioural difficulties, there is not a fully effective whole school strategy for behaviour management.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership of the school is effective. The headteacher has led improvement of the school curriculum effectively in the last year. The other staff are now able to contribute to the direction of the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are well informed and fulfil their responsibilities well. They are in a good position to support rigorous school development.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There is generally good evaluation of the school’s performance though all the areas of the school’s work are not addressed systematically and the timescales for review are too short.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Resources are mostly used well. In particular, the use of resources to provide additional classroom support is very effective.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing is satisfactory to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. Class sizes are small but the current provision of four classes is a very effective organisation of the school. The accommodation is satisfactory for the needs of the pupils and is much improved since the time of the last inspection because of the provision of a classroom for the under-fives and a computer base. There is a satisfactory range of learning resources for all subjects. The role of the co-ordinators has developed satisfactorily but there is scope for further development. There is a need to ensure that the role of deputy headteacher is more clearly defined so as to better support the overall development of the school. The school has very limited finance available for development but the managers seek best value.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• the ease with which they can approach the school • the hard work their children are expected to do • children are happy, growing in maturity, and making good progress, based on good teaching • the school works closely with parents • school keeps them informed about their children’s progress • pupils' behaviour • the amount of work children do at home, • the range of activities offered by the school outside lessons

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees that the parents are right to be pleased with the above aspects of the school and agree that in most cases pupils work hard. The behaviour of a minority of pupils is a cause for concern, particularly as it influences their attitude to work. The amount of homework given is broadly similar to most schools though thought needs to be given to giving homework more consistently. The range of activities outside lessons has very recently been extended to include computer clubs on four days a week and two sports clubs. Weston under Penyard Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and achievements

1. In comparison with other schools this school has a small cohort of pupils and therefore the outcomes of tests and teacher assessments are significantly affected by the factors such as the number of pupils who are recognised as having special educational needs and indeed statements of need. In the last two years, there has been a very high percentage of these pupils in these categories. The school’s overall results therefore do not give a reliable picture of how well the school is doing, for example in 1999 each pupil accounted for over seven percent of the cohort.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Another major factor to be considered with the school results is the number of pupils who have joined the school considerably later than the reception class. For example of the fourteen pupils in the last cohort of pupils to take the Year 6 National Curriculum tests, six had joined the school after the beginning of Year 4. Four of these six pupils were on the school’s register of special educational need.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Analysis of National Curriculum test results indicates that in English pupils achieve well in Key Stage 1, particularly in reading. Reading results are consistently good over time and a very high proportion of the pupils reach the higher level 3. The school’s results in reading at Key Stage 1 are well above results nationally and well above similar schools. In writing at the end of Key Stage 1, results are less consistently good. In mathematics school results are very similar to the national average with an above average number reaching the higher level 3. Teacher assessment of science indicates that the number of pupils reaching the nationally expected level 2 and above is about average but the number achieving the higher level 3 is well above average.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. At Key Stage 2, the school results are variable from year to year. In 1999 the school achieved above the national average in English and mathematics and close to the national average in science. Over the last four years, the school has maintained results above the national average but with very wide variations in performance, entirely due to variations in cohorts. Taken overall, the school’s trend in performance is broadly similar to the national trend in all three subjects.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. This school is not typical of those having 0-8 percent of pupils eligible for free school meals; the comparison band assigned to this school. There are considerable social and economic factors which pertain to many of the pupils in the upper part of the school and to those who left in the last two years which significantly affect the reliability of such comparisons. In comparison with more accurately similar schools, pupils’ performance is similar in English and a little below in mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. The school has agreed performance targets with the local education authority. These targets are appropriate as they match the cohorts of pupils and they are likely to be met.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. In the work seen, pupils reach good standards in reading and satisfactory standards in writing at both key stages. They use reading skills well to support their work in other subjects, such as history, and within English, they write for a good range of purposes and audiences, producing good examples of stories, accounts, letters and advertisements. They are developing satisfactory numeracy skills.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. The standard of pupils’ work in science is improving. They have good knowledge and understanding of the practical application of science and by the end of Key Stage 2 they have good experimental and investigative skills. Their recording skills are not well developed and this lets them down both in Weston under Penyard Primary School - 11 their own written work and in test situations. Pupils have produced some good work in information and communications technology both as a subject in itself and in support of other subjects. However, standards are not above those expected nationally as there are some aspects of work e.g. communication via the Internet, which they do not experience.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. In all other subjects of the National Curriculum, pupils achieve the nationally expected levels by the ends of both key stages and in most subjects there are indications that standards are rising. This is because of the improved curriculum planning which is now in place. The planning helps ensure that the pupils experience the whole curriculum and that their learning builds on what they have already done. However, in many subjects, most notably history, geography and design technology, this situation has not existed for sufficiently long to raise standards overall. In information and communications technology, progress is now rapid and although pupils are working at nationally expected levels, this is a major improvement and when the school is fully equipped to deliver the whole of the curriculum, standards are set to rise.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. There are no significant differences in the rate of progress of boys and girls and those pupils who have special educational needs progress at the same satisfactory rate as their peers. Where pupils are capable of reaching higher levels in English they are supported by the curriculum and the teaching in doing so. In some other subjects pupils work to higher levels but their recording does not reflect the standards achieved for example in history and geography at upper Key Stage 2, where all pupils produce very similar work.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. Baseline assessment indicates that children join the reception class with average levels of attainment. In all areas of learning, children are likely to achieve the Early Learning Goals and may surpass them in communications, language and literacy. There are no identifiable weaknesses in any of the areas of learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ attitudes to the school have remained good since the last Inspection. The majority of pupils is keen to participate in lessons, to answer questions, and to contribute their own ideas. This is especially apparent at foundation stage, where children are clearly motivated, and, as a result, interested and excited by their work. There are, however, times occasionally in KS1 and KS2 where the attitudes of significant groups of pupils are inappropriate. This is most often linked to low academic challenge and behavioural expectations in lessons which can lack pace and stimulation. Some pupils during the inspection admitted that they did not always try hard enough.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The behaviour of pupils is satisfactory, overall. Generally, at foundation stage and KS1, pupils’ behaviour is good or very good. Some pupils in KS2, however, and mainly boys, very often find it hard to settle, and their disruptive behaviour adversely affects other pupils’ learning. There is no consistent behaviour strategy to deal with such situations, and as a consequence, inconsistent sanctions leave pupils confused and constantly testing boundaries.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. At the last Inspection, personal development was said to be very good. During this Inspection, however, it was found to be satisfactory. With the exception of the Foundation class, there is little opportunity, throughout the school, for pupils to take responsibility for areas of school life. In the foundation class, children take responsibility for organising their own space, cleaning boards, putting away their aprons and filing their completed work. There is no evidence of this start being built on in KS1 or KS2, and few examples of pupils taking responsibility for their behaviour, using the library for independent research, or organising their learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Relationships are, in the main, satisfactory, and at foundation stage, very good. There are pockets in KS1 and KS2 where good relationships flourish, but these are not uniform throughout the school. The lack of consistently applied sanctions and rewards creates, at times, uneasy relationships between pupils and teachers. Where good relationships do exist, pupils take more responsibility for their own learning, move around quietly, and get on with their work. The school plans for discussion for the teaching of personal, social and health education. In a recent Weston under Penyard Primary School - 12 development, Y5 and Y6 pupils use this period to discuss their relationships. This session proved to be constructive, creating an atmosphere in which pupils took the discussion seriously and enjoyed the session.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. All pupils are aware that bullying can and does occur, but they also know that they should contact a teacher when it arises, and that it will be dealt with swiftly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance is satisfactory, and in line with the national average, as is the amount of unauthorised absence. Pupils arrive at school on time, and settle quickly to the new school day. There have been a number of temporary exclusions from the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching is predominantly good and during the inspection no unsatisfactory teaching was seen. 20 percent of the teaching seen was satisfactory, 57 percent was good and the remainder; 23 percent, was very good. The effect of this good teaching is that for the majority of the time, most pupils leave their lesson having made good progress and they are usually clear about what it is they have learnt.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. There is some variation in the quality of teaching and learning in different classes and in different subjects. The teaching of the children under five in the Foundation Stage, is good and very good in equal measure and never falls below this high standard. This is because the lessons are very well planned, are exciting and interesting for the children and the classroom is organised very effectively so that the children are always engaged in activities which reinforce and extend their learning. In the reception class, the children are given good start in learning many of the early skills of reading, writing and number through interesting practical activities. They are also encouraged to talk about their ideas and findings and therefore they extend their basic language skills. In addition and very importantly, they gain skills in learning independently; they are able to choose resources and equipment for themselves and they set up some of their own learning tasks.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

These very important skills develop well but unfortunately these skills are not developed through the teaching methods adopted in the rest of the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. In Key Stage 1 half of the lessons are very good, one quarter are good and the remainder are satisfactory. The lessons are well planned and the learning targets are very clear to the teacher and the pupils. The teaching is well organised and resources are used well, for example in a science lesson on keeping healthy. When slight weaknesses occur, this is because expectations are insufficiently high of pupils operating independently, written outcomes of lessons being mostly prescribed tightly. Management of pupils is always very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In Key Stage 2, just over a quarter of the lessons seen were satisfactory and almost all the other lessons were good. Planning is generally good and the learning targets are clear to the pupils and the teacher. On the one occasion when teaching was very good, the teacher adopted a completely different style of teaching to that normally seen in Key Stage 2. In this situation, the teacher very clearly and rapidly gave the pupils a science task, they were then asked to work co-operatively to solve the problem given and they worked hard and with great pace. As a result, they learned quickly from their errors and successfully reached a conclusion. The pupils showed that when given this level of trust and autonomy, they respond and learn well. In the majority of lessons teaching is good, though few opportunities for independent learning were seen. When teaching is satisfactory, the main weakness is management of behaviour. There are some pupils with

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

recognised difficulties in both classes but the strategies currently adopted to manage whole class and whole school behaviour are not fully successful in keeping everyone involved and well motivated.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Literacy skills are generally taught well. There is a structured approach to the teaching of reading and the pupils learn to read independently and generally well. The teachers offer a good range of opportunities for writing and the content is usually good, though less attention is paid to presentation skills and some of the pupils do not set out their work either attractively or Weston under Penyard Primary School - 13 accurately. Numeracy skills are satisfactorily addressed by the teachers though this is one of the weaker areas of teaching throughout the school. Partly, the teachers are working with a relatively new approach to mathematics and numeracy teaching but of all the subjects, pupils find this the least motivating. There is a tendency for work to follow very familiar formats and the activities provided are often routine.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The teachers are very well informed about the needs of individual pupils and, in the main part of the lessons, these needs are met, for example in a Key Stage 1 mathematics lesson when questioning was very well matched to challenge pupils of different abilities. There is less evidence of written recording work being so well matched, for example in the recording of geography at Key Stage 2 where most of the pupils’ written work is identical.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. In the last year, the school has begun to make better analysis of the outcomes of teaching in terms of pupils’ attainment. There has been some discussion about the appropriateness of various teaching methods and the need to offer more challenge to some of the pupils. As yet, opportunities for pupils to extend their learning through independent activity have not been tried extensively and at the moment, pupils make only limited use of the library and the computer facilities available.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Most of the foundation subjects are taught well at both key stages with clear learning targets and interesting activities. No direct teaching of information and communications technology was seen other than in the extra-curricular activity where teaching was good. The main weakness in the teaching of foundation subjects is in the recording of work which is generally undemanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The quality of teaching has improved in both key stages since the time of the last inspection; there is now no unsatisfactory teaching in Key Stage 2. The quality of teaching in the reception class has been maintained at a good and very good quality since the last inspection.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. The school provides a broad and balanced range of opportunities for all its pupils. The curriculum meets statutory requirements. The well-structured curriculum has been developed recently and has not yet fully impacted on the provision for pupils or the standards they achieve. All subjects are given adequate time but some mathematics sessions are too long and the school correctly intends to revise its timetabling to address this issue. Also, the length of time pupils are allocated to learn to swim is above that expected. The curriculum prepares pupils satisfactorily for the next stage in their education

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. The curricular provision for children under five years is very good. There is a wide range of stimulating learning activities and the well-planned curriculum covers all the national Early Learning Goals.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils have individual education programmes, which are well matched to their needs. The provision for pupils with statements of need is good.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

30. The school has taken account of the national guidance for the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy and has put in place appropriate strategies. Literacy is taught well and numeracy satisfactorily. There are links across the curriculum in numeracy, for example comparing temperature in different places around the world and measuring while undertaking scientific experiments. The links in literacy are less well developed as the recording of subjects such as history and geography are limited and do not fully utilise previous learning.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

31. The school has recently introduced some extra curricular provision with games and computer clubs. These make a good contribution to learning but there is an insufficient range available. Weston under Penyard Primary School - 14 32. All pupils have an equality of access and opportunity to the curriculum.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

33. The provision for pupil’s personal, social and health education is sound. Due attention is given to health education mostly through science lessons. Sex education meets the statutory requirements. Pupils do take some responsibility in and around the school and each class has monitors but this area is not fully developed.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

34. The school has satisfactory links with the community. For example, a very successful garden festival was held and the school played a central role. There is an annual Christmas lunch and pupils sing carols within the village. The headteacher has established links with a local business that has provided resources for the school such as computers and games clothes. This link has had additional benefits through the contribution the business has made to village events for example the Millennium Trust.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

35. There are good links with partner institutions and a group of small schools effectively work together to provide experiences that may be more difficult to achieve within a small school, for example visiting story tellers and actors who perform living theatre experiences.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

36. The provision for pupil’s spiritual, moral social and cultural development is sound. The close links with the local church and the ethos within assemblies contribute to pupils spiritual development as does the excitement in learning experienced by the youngest children while they feel objects that are hidden. Pupils are able to distinguish right from wrong but the current behaviour management policy does not enable pupils to fully internalise principles and values and so always show respect for other people. Within the current expectations pupils do not always take responsibility for their own actions.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

37. Opportunities are provided for pupils to collect for charity and harvest goods are distributed in the neighbourhood. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils in both key stages to show initiative. The residential visit for older pupils makes a positive contribution to pupil’s social development. The youngest children are always encouraged to show initiative and become independent learners. The curriculum provides opportunities for cultural development; for example pupils perform mummers plays to groups within the village. They study the work of European artists and encounter music from around the world.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

38. The satisfactory provision has been maintained since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Care for pupils has improved since the previous inspection, and is now good. Child protection procedures comply with local guidelines, and training is comprehensive and regularly updated. Health and safety issues are treated seriously, contrasting with the last inspection when they were unsatisfactory. Regular checks are now undertaken, and the risk assessment documentation is kept up to date. However, the school is aware that the floor in the school hall needs replacing to ensure the safety of pupils during physical education. There are enough staff trained in first aid to deal with pupils' needs. First aid equipment is sited centrally within the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Assessment has improved and is effective in pinpointing what pupils can do. Therefore teachers know individual pupils well, including those with individual physical, educational and emotional needs. Group work is well matched and differentiated according to pupils’ needs. A pupil with special physical needs, for example, is well supported and given appropriate tasks to ensure she can take part in lessons. Displays of individual pupils’ work are well presented, indicating how well this is valued and encouraging pride in work. The use of outside agencies, including educational psychologists and the learning support service, is satisfactory.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The record of achievement kept for each pupil is beginning to create a broader picture of their strengths and weaknesses. It still lacks written evidence, however, of such important areas as a Weston under Penyard Primary School - 15 pupil’s application, ability to concentrate, and self-confidence.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Behaviour monitoring in the school is unsatisfactory; the policy recently introduced after much discussion with pupils is inconsistently applied. Whilst those pupils whose behaviour is mostly good cope extremely well, a significant minority exploits this to its advantage. Supervision in the playground is difficult as it is hard for a single member of staff to supervise the two areas.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Arrangements for children entering the foundation class are well thought out. Children visit the school with the playgroup each Friday morning, and then, in June, the school holds an induction meeting for parents, at which they buy uniforms for children to wear during the Friday visits.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The move to the secondary school is similarly well supported. The Headteacher holds termly liaison meetings at the secondary school chosen by most pupils, and at the same time, pupils spend a day in the school. During the summer term, pupils spend two days in the school, and the Head of Year 7 visits them in their school to talk to them and answer questions.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Monitoring and encouraging good attendance remains satisfactory. The manual attendance recording system is well understood by staff. Parents ring the school before 9.30 a.m. if pupils are going to be absent, and the school contacts parents who fail to notify the school. Pupils are only occasionally late. Parents collect their children from the hall at the end of the school day, ensuring every child is accompanied when they leave the building.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents are generally happy with the school. They especially appreciate the ease with which they can approach the school, and the hard work their children are expected to do to achieve their best. The majority says children are happy, growing in maturity, and making good progress, based on good teaching. They feel the school works closely with them as well as keeping them informed about their children’s progress. Parents are less sure that the school is well led and managed, and that pupil’s behaviour is good. They are not satisfied with the amount of work children do at home, and are very dissatisfied with the range of activities offered by the school outside lessons. This latter issue has been taken up by the school, which now offers activity and computer clubs after school.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The information provided for parents about their children is good. The annual report gives a clear picture of what pupils can do and what they have achieved. All subject areas are graded for the effort made by pupils, but no comments are made on specific areas where parents could help their children to improve. Parents are asked to respond to the report, but few do.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Meetings for parents with children in Key Stage 1 & Key Stage 2 are held in the Autumn and Spring terms. For those with children in the foundation class a discussion session is held after the baseline assessment has been completed in the Autumn term. The school sends out regular newsletters to parents about developments and informal meetings between teachers and parents take place when children are collected at the end of the day. However, a significant number of parents want the school to provide more information about the termly work to be done by children.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Historically there has been little parental help in the school, but this is now being addressed and guidelines for parents helping in school have recently been produced. The school’s Parent Teachers and Friends Association provides an excellent social focus for the school, as well as raising considerable funds.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. There is a home/school agreement in place which pupils do not sign until they reach Key Stage 2, when they can understand its implications. Parents of this year’s intake have yet to be asked to sign this agreement.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The partnership between home and school for pupils with special needs is good. Parents are invited to a review of pupils on the Register of Special Needs. The individual education programmes Weston under Penyard Primary School - 16 are shared with parents at each review, and there are instances when parents have a practical role to play in strategies.

p.15

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The leadership and management of the school has improved considerably since the last inspection. The day to day administration of the school continues to run smoothly, but in addition the school now has a vision of improvement and is showing clearly that it has improved and has the potential to improve further. Most noticeable in the improvements in the last year since the appointment of the new headteacher, have been very significant improvements to the curriculum. The school now has clear policies and schemes of work for all subjects of the National Curriculum and has made a good start on developing the subjects in line with the new curriculum for 2000. In addition, the school is planning for the Foundation Stage and with some very minor exceptions, this planning is entirely appropriate. This has been well managed by the headteacher, who has developed a team commitment to improvement from the teaching staff.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. In developing a new style of leadership and management the new headteacher has focused on a collegiate management approach, but this has left much of the overall responsibility with the headteacher and the role of the deputy is unclear and not particularly effective. In this small school with many tasks facing it, the post of deputy head is not currently efficient. The role of the curriculum co-ordinators has improved and although they do not systematically monitor the standards in the foundation subjects, they do have a good overview of strengths and weaknesses in each subject. This is helping to raise standards, as areas for improvement can now be targeted. All of the staff, led by the headteacher, are concerned that each pupil should benefit fully from the curriculum and there is a developing focus on inclusion. This is a good feature of the school and there have been occasions in the last two years when the easy options have not been taken when

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

dealing with difficult pupils and this is very much to the credit of the school.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities well and through the expertise of governing body members is in a very good position to give advice and support to the headteacher, especially on aspects of management. The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities. Recently, and in particular since the appointment of the new headteacher, the governors have increased their awareness of what happens in the school through more visits and regular liaison.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. In the last year the school has begun to more closely monitor its own performance, in particular looking at the effectiveness of the curriculum. Suitable actions have been taken which have brought about improvement. The school improvement plan contains appropriate targets which are mostly clearly stated and which guide the school effectively towards real improvement. However, the school has attempted to address too many issues too rapidly and without due attention to what is realistic, effective or affordable. There is a need to look at the school improvement items over a longer period.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school makes generally good use of both the annual funding of the school and specific funding for school improvement. One major issue for the school is the current high cost of staffing, but this has been considered and the provision of four classes firmly indicates the educational spending priority for the school. The governors are aware that there is a need to attract additional pupils to the school in order to maintain the current levels. In general terms the available finance is linked to school development and this works satisfactorily. The governing body is aware of the need to apply best value principles to their decisions and have begun to do this, though spending on items other than staffing is very limited.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The current teaching staff level is generous for the number of pupils and the average class size is small. The recent organisation of the school into four classes is effective, in particular being able to offer a separate foundation stage class. The school also has additional classroom support assistance and this is a very valuable resource especially in giving additional support to pupils at the upper end of the school. The presence of the classroom support assistants is of benefit to all Weston under Penyard Primary School - 17 the class.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The accommodation is well presented and well organised and is used well by the school, with the exception of the library and computer area that could be used more. There are sufficient learning resources for the delivery of the National Curriculum. The only major weakness is the lack of access to the Internet.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

59. In the last year the school has effectively begun a major programme of improvement, in particular to the curriculum offered and the assessment of it. In order to improve and raise standards further, the headteacher and governing body should:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Improve the effectiveness of behaviour management by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Agreeing the rewards, sanctions and procedures which will be applied by all staff in all classes and situations in school. Informing parents and pupils about the ways in which the school is going to improve behaviour. Applying the agreed behaviour management systems rigorously. (paras 12,13,16,42)

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Improve the level of challenge given to pupils, especially the more able by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Having the teachers expect higher standards from those pupils who are capable. Expecting pupils to continue to develop their independent learning skills after the reception class and to take responsibility for their own actions and some of the direction of their own learning. Demanding more accuracy, quantity and individual quality when pupils are asked to record their work. (paras 10,30)

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Improve the school improvement plan by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Setting more realistic timescales for the targets which are included. Making a more realistic and detailed projection of the developments which the school has the financial capacity to support. (para 55)

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4. Improve the roles of the subject co-ordinators by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Including systematic and rigorous monitoring of standards across the school in the requirements for each post. This monitoring should be linked to items in the school improvement plan. Providing suitable training for each co-ordinator. (para 53)

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

5. Reconsider and closely define the role, function and responsibilities of the deputy headteacher so that:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

There is a clear and shared view of the roles and responsibilities of the post holder. The post holder shares some of the responsibilities of leadership and management and is accountable for their effective delivery. The post holder can make an effective and supportive contribution to the management of the school. (para 59) Weston under Penyard Primary School - 18

p.17

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 9

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.18

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.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 66

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 2

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 16

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 0

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

p.18

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.18

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Weston under Penyard Primary School - 19

p.18

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

No figures are included in the report as there were less than 11 pupils in the cohort. This is to avoid the identification of individual pupils.

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 9 5 14

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 6 5 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 5 4 4

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 78 (78) 64 (78) 71 (78) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 5 5 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 6 6 6

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 79 (89) 79 (89) 79 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Weston under Penyard Primary School - 20

p.19

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups

p.20

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.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.2 Financial year 1999-2000

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 173012

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 2046

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 70 Balance brought forward from previous year 7060

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 255

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Weston under Penyard Primary School - 21

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 38 46 4 4 8

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 15 58 8 4 15

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 15 42 20 8 15

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 38 8 0 4

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 69 27 0 0 4

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50 42 4 0 4

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 42 46 4 0 8

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 27 46 15 0 12

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 46 38 8 4 4

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 15 23 35 19 8 Weston under Penyard Primary School - 22

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. Children enter the Reception class at the beginning of the academic year in which they have their fifth birthday. When children enter the school their abilities are as would be expected nationally for their age and they are in line to reach the nationally prescribed early learning goals by the end of the year. Currently, there are twelve children in the class. The learning is very good overall and children are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. The children are confident and feel secure in their environment. They understand the routines of the school day and are able to adapt their behaviour to its differing demands. They line up in the classroom and move sensibly to the hall. They are able to dress and undress for physical education lessons and when going out to play. They show increasing independence in selecting and carrying out activities from a range available within the classroom. They are beginning to have the confidence to link up with others for support and guidance for example while working on the computer. They share and take turns while playing card games of mathematical snap. Children display good levels of involvement in activities and persist for extended periods of time at an activity of their choosing, for example using the dry sand and pouring water through different size containers.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. The provision for the personal, social and emotional development of children is good and children reach good standards. Adults act as positive role models through what they say and do. Praise is used effectively and children are encouraged to take risks while exploring new learning. The classroom organisation and management enables children to access resources independently and make choices. For example, children select the games and jigsaws they wish to use from well- labelled storage. The role play area encourages individual and co-operative play and enables them to begin to make sense of their world through acting out scenes; for example, in the post office. They are provided with displays that enable them to show an interest in cultural and religious differences.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. Attainment in communication and language skills is what would be expected nationally. Children listen attentively and are able to talk about their experiences. They respond well to stories and poems and make up scenarios during role-play using an extending vocabulary that they have encountered through class discussion. They enjoy books and understand that words and pictures convey meaning and that in English, print is read from left to right and top to bottom. For example, they are beginning to recognise words such as “Can I help you?”. Higher attaining children recognise speech bubbles and know their purpose. The majority can name some letters and recognise the associated sound. For example the letter and sound of “l” and children bring objects such as Lego bricks and toy lambs from home to support their learning. Children are beginning to form recognisable letters and write their own name with support.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The provision for developing communication, language and literacy is good. The modelling of language as a tool for thinking is developed effectively through very good questioning techniques. Staff read stories expressively and use stimulating and lively language that motivates children. There is a good balance of direct teaching and stimulating activities, which supports learning. Resources are good and used effectively for example the big books that can be shared with the whole group. The classroom organisation and management enables children to be independent and to find support when they feel it is necessary. For example, children collect their own name card when they are insecure as to the correct formation of the letters of their name. The quiet book area provides a good range of interesting material. Children are encouraged to listen to tapes of stories, rhymes and poems. The role play area is set up as the local post office and supports

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

learning very well. Also, parents have been asked to take children to the local post office and this has made a positive contribution.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The children’s mathematical development is as expected for their age. Children use mathematical Weston under Penyard Primary School - 23 language to describe size, for example while talking about the three bears. They are beginning to count and recognise numbers and enjoy counting how many eyes, ears, teeth and hair to give Boris the giant. They consolidate their understanding of the number three by moulding three trees and three bears of differing sizes from malleable material and are able to use the correct mathematical vocabulary relating to the size. They are familiar with number rhymes and enjoy playing snap where they recognise numbers to ten. They match symbols while using the computer.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Provision for mathematical development is good. There is a stimulating environment that makes good reference to mathematical vocabulary. The role-play area includes opportunities for mathematical development for example, scales for weighing letters and parcels. Tasks selected to support mathematical understanding are relevant and interesting. Children can access mathematical resources when they have opportunities to choose the activity they undertake. Direct teaching is very good and expectations ensure that children work hard and do the very best they can.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is appropriate for their age and they make good progress. They can talk about where they live. They have collected photographs of themselves and their families for discussion. They are beginning to recognise changes that occur in the different seasons through looking at the characteristics of autumn. They explore the similarities and differences in individual homes today as well as begin to understand that many objects, such as cooking stoves, have changed over time. They explore and select materials to make models of houses and cut and build to support their work. They are able to use computers and tape recorders. They use their senses and learn about smell, hearing and touch; for example they feel objects hidden within a box and they learn about touch, they hear and identify sounds on a tape and they smell substances such as onions and coffee.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. The provision is good. Although planning makes some reference to the subjects of science, history and geography and this is superfluous the learning objectives relate directly to an area of learning and take into account the guidance for the foundation stage in education. Stimulating, practical, first hand activities are evident and support children well in developing their knowledge, understanding and skills.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. Physical attainment is average. Children move confidently. They run, jump, climb and balance. They are beginning to handle pencils and other tools competently. They control the mouse at the computer accurately. They have leant to manipulate construction kits and malleable materials with appropriate skill.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. Provision for physical development is sound. There is no designated outdoor area due to the lack of space. Children have access to the hall and join with the older pupils for some sessions. There are opportunities to develop fine motor control skills through using ‘small world’ toys, construction sets and threading toys as well as pencils, crayons and other mark making resources.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. Children’s attainment in the creative area of learning is sound. They explore what happens when they mix colours and experiment with making colours, which suggest autumn. They combine different media to make shapes such as hedgehogs. They learn about different techniques such as leaf printing and bark rubbing. They use musical instruments to explore how sounds change and can sing simple songs from memory. They play alongside other children who are engaged in imaginative scenarios within the post office role-play area.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. The provision for children’s creative development is sound. A range of activities is planned and children are given opportunities to develop their own ideas. Ideas are valued and interaction is supportive and helps children to develop confidence and independence in making choices and responding to all their senses. Resources are well cared for and well organised.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. Children’s attitudes are very good overall. They enjoy the stimulating learning environment and respond well to the activities. They always try hard to do their best. They are confident, Weston under Penyard Primary School - 24 independent learners. Behaviour is very good.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. The quality of teaching is very good overall. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the curriculum requirements relating to the areas of learning and also how young children learn. There are high expectations throughout. Teaching methods are effective. Children are managed well at all times. There are good opportunities provided to enable children to become independent learners. Relationships are very good, staff are warm, caring and value the children as individuals. Support staff make a positive contribution to the ethos. Homework is used well to support developments within the classroom.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. There has been good improvement in the provision since the last inspection.

p.24

ENGLISH

76. From the work seen in school, pupils achieve appropriate levels for their abilities and those who are capable reach levels higher than the nationally expected level 4 by the end of Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1, pupils reach standards higher than expected for their age in reading and similar to those expected in writing. In speaking and listening, pupils reach a good standard of competence using vocabulary well and speaking with confidence by the end of the key stage. In Key Stage 2, pupils continue to grow in confidence in speaking and when closely involved in the lessons or other learning situations, they listen well. Their reading continues to develop well and they make good gains in reading a wide range of books, poems and articles. In writing, they develop an appropriate range of skills, but they do not use writing extensively to record their work in other subjects. They reach age appropriate standards in writing by the end of the key stage.

p.24

ENGLISH

77. Analysis of National Curriculum test results indicates that in English pupils achieve well in Key Stage 1, particularly in reading. Reading results are consistently good over time and a very high proportion of the pupils reach the higher level 3. The school’s results in reading at Key Stage 1 are well above results nationally and when compared with similar schools. In writing at the end of Key Stage 1, results are less consistently good; mostly pupils achieve in line with nationally expected levels.

p.24

ENGLISH

78. At Key Stage 2, the school results are variable from year to year. In 1999 the school achieved above the national average in English. Results were similar but slightly lower in the current year. However when compared with similar schools, the school results are average.

p.24

ENGLISH

79. The school has adopted a useful strategy for the teaching of literacy. All of the pupils have a daily literacy lesson and many of them are becoming very knowledgeable about the structure of language. However, their application of this knowledge in other subjects and at other times is somewhat restricted and often careless, for example pupils’ work in history and geography in upper Key Stage 2.

p.24

ENGLISH

80. At both key stages, most pupils enjoy reading and they are very successful in developing reading skills. As a result of good, systematic teaching of reading at Key Stage 1, pupils in Key Stage 2 have a good range of skills to use when approaching new learning materials. Some of the pupils are able to read some very complex historical items in lower Key Stage 2. Throughout Key Stage 2 this learning is extended and skills are used regularly to support a range of subjects.

p.24

ENGLISH

81. Standards in writing are more variable but are generally satisfactory. Some pupils write neatly with well-formed letters and good spacing whilst others are slapdash in approach sometimes using inappropriate writing materials. This makes their work look untidy and detracts from the quality of the content.

p.24

ENGLISH

82. The quality of teaching of English is predominantly good throughout the school. The teachers planning, based on the National Literacy Strategy, is matched well to the mixed ages and abilities of the classes and clear individual education plans help teachers to focus appropriately on pupils with special educational needs. Teachers plan interesting English activities at both key stages and Weston under Penyard Primary School - 25 pupils are encouraged to write for a good range of purposes and audiences. Writing is often thoughtful and interesting for example when Year 2 pupils write their ‘Thoughts about Autumn’ or when Year 5 and 6 pupils write gothic styled poems about ‘ Up in the attic and down in the cellar’. Older pupils learn to select forms of writing for particular purposes, for example formal letters carrying information, suggestions and ideas. A few of the older pupils regularly use grammatically

p.24

ENGLISH

complex sentences in both writing and speech. However, some of the pupils continue to write as they speak when it would be more appropriate to use Standard English.

p.25

ENGLISH

83. A very good emphasis on vocabulary in Key Stage 1 supports pupils in developing their speaking skills. In other situations, for example in personal, health and social education lessons in upper Key Stage 2, pupils use spoken language well to express their ideas and concerns.

p.25

ENGLISH

84. Almost all of the pupils interviewed indicated that they enjoy English lessons and most of them enjoy reading in particular. Many of the pupils are proud of their work and they enjoy seeing it displayed around the school.

p.25

ENGLISH

85. The school has maintained its standards in English since the last inspection and standards in reading have improved. The subject is monitored appropriately and any difficulties are identified.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

86. Attainment in the national tests in 2000 show that at the end of Key Stage 1 pupils attainment is in line with national averages and at Key Stage 2, pupils’ achieve standards that are slightly below the national average. The small number of pupils’ involved in the cohort and the significant number of pupils with special educational needs at upper Key Stage 2 make comparisons with other schools generally and similar schools unreliable. When the comparisons are made; pupils at the end of both key stages are below those in similar schools. Overall the school is improving in line with the national trend. The inspection evidence confirms these findings for the current cohort.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

87. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils are confident and competent at working with numbers up to 100. They recognise numbers that come before and after other numbers. They are aware that subtraction is the inverse computation to addition. They can use non standard and standard units to measure length, mass and capacity. They know and use features of simple two dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. They can use graphs to record data. They explain simple strategies that they use while undertaking calculations using the appropriate vocabulary.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

88. Learning is effective and pupils make satisfactory progress through the school. Pupils with special educational needs make steady progress. Pupils at Key Stage 1 learn about odd and even numbers and at first have the support of resources but as their understanding increases they are able to identify the numbers without help. They are able to explain why a number is odd or even. Higher attaining pupils at Year 1 can count back in two’s from twenty. Year 2 pupils can mentally calculate two more than numbers up to 1000 for example 402 +2 = 404.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

89. In Year 3 and Year 4 pupils progress to counting in two’s and three’s and recognise the pattern of odd and even numbers that are produced. They learn about the patterns that multiplication by three makes in its totals. Year 4 pupils learn that division is the inverse operation to multiplication. They are insufficiently secure in their knowledge of multiplication tables by rote so that they have quick recall of the products. Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 learn about the properties of triangle. They know that a straight line measures 180 degrees and that by adding the angles of a triangle together, they also total 180 degrees. They are able to demonstrate this practically. They learn the vocabulary of scalene, equilateral and isosceles to describe triangles. They practise measuring angles with a protractor.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The school’s strategies for teaching numeracy are sound, having adopted the national guidance. There are links across the curriculum, for example comparing temperature in different places around the world and measuring while undertaking scientific experiments. Pupils produce graphs of data and link this with information and communications technology by using appropriate Weston under Penyard Primary School - 26 programs. They make use of time lines in history and shape while engaged in art and physical education. 91. Pupils’ response to their learning is satisfactory. Pupils are keen to learn and the majority responds well to questioning. Pupils complete the tasks set for them but some younger pupils spend too long on inappropriate tasks such as sharpening pencils. At both key stages some of the tasks require pupils to spend too long colouring in rather than practising mathematics. At Key Stage 2 pupils take insufficient pride in undertaking the task nor do they always try their best

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MATHEMATICS

when recording their work. Some of the tasks provided such as tearing the corners off triangles are inappropriate and do not allow pupils to feel satisfied with their efforts.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Learning objectives are articulated and mostly pupils know the expected outcome of the session. Planning takes account of the national guidance. The teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject does not always enable them to provide clear explanations of the concepts, nor devise stimulating activities that fulfil the learning objective sufficiently successfully for the wide range of pupils. Where teachers are unclear as to a definition themselves pupils are not provided with accurate information, for example while explaining the properties of specific triangles. Initial mental strategies sessions have structure and are developmental, however they lack a brisk pace. Small groups of pupils are allowed to dominate within each classroom and there is insufficient use of praise and sanctions to enable pupils to fully understand their responsibilities in managing appropriate behaviour. This restricts their

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MATHEMATICS

development as self-motivated, independent learners who are aware of the needs of others. Differentiation is evident both within tasks set and by informed use of questioning techniques. However on many occasions, too many pupils start at the same point and differentiation is provided with extension work. Marking is for correctness and does not provide written guidance to pupils as to how they can improve, and so encourage them to take a pride in the gain in their skills over time. All staff interact well to support learning orally during the sessions.

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MATHEMATICS

93. The curriculum takes full account of the national guidance and enables pupils to have access to breadth and balance within the subject. However, some sessions are too long and the school correctly intends to review its timetabling arrangements. The new assessment and tracking of individual pupil procedures are good and staff know pupils’ strengths. This is gradually impacting on planning and greater differentiation. Monitoring of the curriculum and standards is insufficiently systematic and rigorous. Resources are appropriate in quality and quantity. Recently, the school has introduced a published scheme for the younger pupils and has rightly identified that this should be reviewed rigorously before further resources are purchased. Support staff make a good contribution to learning.

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MATHEMATICS

94. The school has improved its curriculum and assessment procedures since the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

95. Teacher assessment at the end of Key Stage 1 indicates that an average proportion of pupils reach the nationally expected level 2 and above with a particularly high number reaching the higher level 3. In tests at the end of Key Stage 2, a below average number of pupils achieved the expected levels but a relatively high number reached the higher levels. Small numbers of pupils in the cohort and a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs make comparison with both national averages and similar schools unreliable. The school results are below the average for similar schools.

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SCIENCE

96. Inspection findings are that the majority of pupils at both key stages have knowledge and understanding of science which is appropriate for their age and capability; most of the pupils making at least satisfactory progress at both key stages. They develop an appropriate understanding of materials, and of physical processes, for example doing some good work on friction in Years 3 and 4. In all aspects of science they gain a sound knowledge base. They enjoy the subject especially when they are given practical situations to investigate and problems to solve. Their main weakness is in their independent recording of science work which is too often Weston under Penyard Primary School - 27 limited in scope.

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SCIENCE

97. In Key Stage 1 the pupils use their existing knowledge well, for example when working with the teacher on ‘Keeping Healthy, Keeping Safe’. They understand that some foods are healthy foods and that some pieces of equipment can be dangerous. They learn that inappropriate use of items is potentially dangerous and work particularly hard when trying to decide whether medicines are safe. The teachers used the lesson very well to teach about safety with medicines.

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SCIENCE

98. In Key Stage 2 pupils further develop their knowledge of science. For example in a good lesson on friction, they not only learn how friction works but also learn something of the application of friction in daily life. In upper Key Stage 2, the pupils have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of science. They apply their knowledge well when creating circuits and most of them are able to construct an electrical circuit which fulfils a particular function. Pupils have developed particularly good knowledge of earth and space and can recall a large number of facts correctly. Much of the work on earth and space was based on individual research.

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SCIENCE

99. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and good in equal measure. And the approach to science has a direct bearing on the pace and depth of learning. When teaching is over-prescriptive, for example in one lesson on circuits, pupils’ thinking was not challenged and they were merely recalling facts that they had learnt earlier. In this situation, pupils became rather restless and their attention waned. By contrast, when they are set a challenge, they work hard, co-operate and learn from their own mistakes. This was clearly seen when the pupils were asked as small groups to create a circuit incorporating a working buzzer, a bulb and a switch. In this situation, leaning was rapid, and all of the pupils learnt something about the requirement for different levels of power. All of the teachers prescribe the recording of science too tightly and because of this, assessment opportunities are lost.

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SCIENCE

100. There is a satisfactory range of resources for the subject which is increasingly well managed. There is a good scheme of work which helps the teachers to ensure that learning builds on existing knowledge. However, this scheme, which is a major improvement since the last inspection, has not been in place long enough to have raised standards overall. There has been some monitoring of the subject and the coordinator is gaining an appropriate knowledge of standards across the school.

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ART

101. At Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 standards are what would be expected nationally and pupils, including those with special educational needs, make steady progress.

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ART

102. At Key Stage 1 pupils explore ideas. They investigate and use a variety of materials and processes to communicate their ideas. For example, they weave with paper and ribbon. They look at patterns and designs on material and reproduce their own ideas using charcoal, painting sticks, and printing resources. They make three-dimensional puppets from collage and hand puppets decorating them with their own designs. They are given opportunities to comment on and adapt their own work. At Key Stage 2 pupils continue the theme they are studying in history and collect ideas to make jewellery. They learn the symbolism of colours and shapes to the Ancient Egyptians. They practise drawing designs and patterns of chairs, and paint pictures of sunflowers. Older pupils work in the style of Cezanne and put together still life compositions similar to the examples they are shown, before drawing them using appropriate techniques. They draw and use

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ART

a variety of media to produce examples of life in the 1930’s by copying illustrations they have seen.

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ART

103. Pupils have positive attitudes. They listen attentively to the teacher’s input before enjoying experimenting with designs on material. They try hard and do their best. Key Stage 2 pupils benefit from opportunities to work collaboratively while designing jewellery for one another and working as a group on their still life picture. Pupils’ attitudes to one another are not always Weston under Penyard Primary School - 28 appropriate and they do not take sufficient responsibility for their own behaviour and the effect it will have on others.

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ART

104. The quality of teaching is sound overall. Where teaching is good, lessons are effective in developing pupils own ideas and giving support to these so that pupils achieve success, for example in making a necklace in the style of the Ancient Egyptians. All staff use resources appropriately. Although planning is supportive, sometimes the specific learning objective is too general which results in pupils being provided with overlong explanations rather than opportunities to engage in the exploration as a first hand experience. Where behaviour is inappropriate there is insufficient use of behaviour management strategies, to curtail the behaviour without interrupting the flow of the session.

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ART

105. Recent long and medium term planning has put in place a broad and balanced curriculum but currently this has not fully impacted on the experiences that pupils receive. Resources are appropriate. The school makes appropriate use of the works of other artists, including local artists, in the displays around the building.

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ART

106. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. The school has put in place a scheme of work based on the national guidance. Recent long and medium term planning provides support for a broad and balanced curriculum. Although these are new initiatives and have not impacted on standards the school is now in a position where it can develop the subject and raise standards.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Only one lesson was seen during the inspection. Scrutiny of other work indicates that standards are at least in line with nationally expected levels at both key stages.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have made glove puppets and have planned the work well. They have made good products using materials and fastenings to good advantage. They have also evaluated their work and can talk about what went well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. In lower Key Stage 2 the pupils have made Egyptian style jewellery. They are able to make use of their previous knowledge and the good teacher input on fastenings to join necklaces, arm and leg bands in a range of effective ways. In this lesson, pupils were encouraged to experiment and through this they refined their work. Through using reference pictures, pupils also added to their historical knowledge and understanding.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. There is good subject planning which indicates that pupils have an appropriate range of learning opportunities using a range of media including food, fabrics and resistant material. Work at upper Key Stage 2 shows increasing accuracy especially in measuring as seen in the production of book covers. Standards have improved since the last inspection especially at Key Stage 2 where they were unsatisfactory. There is however, little evidence of pupils considering the needs of the user when they are designing and making.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. The teachers’ planning indicates an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the subject and a willingness to use a range of materials and techniques. There is no evidence of systematic monitoring of standards in the subject. Since the last inspection there has been good improvement especially in the planning of the curriculum and provision at Key Stage 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. Most of the pupils comment that they enjoy the subject and they have good recall of the work that they have done.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. Pupils’ attainment at the end of both key stages is what would be expected nationally and they Weston under Penyard Primary School - 29 make steady progress. In upper Key Stage 2 discussion with pupils shows an appropriate knowledge of the subject but recording skills are unsatisfactory and do not indicate their level of understanding. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. At Key Stage 1 pupils recognise and make observations about physical features of places, recognising those features that give places their character. They express their views on features of the environment in their own locality. They use their own observations to respond to questions about places. At Key Stage 2 pupils use appropriate vocabulary e.g. scale and land use. They use maps of various scales and can identify symbols that depict specific features such as contours, woods and churches. They study the locality of the school and nearby towns. Older pupils are able to recall an appropriate range of factual knowledge about places around the world and know some of their main characteristics. They know the continents and can name the countries that constitute the United Kingdom.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. Key Stage 1 pupils learn about dangers in the immediate locality around the school. They discuss the features that make places dangerous and consider ways that they could be made safer. They use photographs to support their understanding. At lower Key Stage 2 pupils use and interpret maps and plans with different perspectives. They learn the difference between a ‘bird’s eye’ and aerial view. They are able to correlate the symbols used for a variety of purposes to one another. Older Key Stage 2 pupils are able to offer sensible suggestions as to what constitutes the centre of their village and use this information to make suggestions about the centre of the nearby town. They use maps of the locality to identify places and are beginning to understand land use and why buildings are located as they are.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Pupils' attitudes to learning are good at Key Stage 1 where they respond well to the direct questioning and are confident and contribute ideas of their own. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements about the quality of the recorded work. At lower Key Stage 2 pupils are interested and keen to contribute orally. However, a small group of pupils dominate the discussions. At upper Key Stage 2 the recording of work is undertaken with insufficient care and pride in their efforts. A significant group of boys take time to settle and listen appropriately, and most pupils are very restless and disruptive before working at the task.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. The quality of teaching is good overall. The majority of planning is well structured and relevant with stimulating tasks to support learning. Questioning is used very effectively at Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2 to establish prior knowledge and then to develop further understanding. Resources are used effectively. At upper Key Stage 2 pupils are made aware of the lesson objectives which are set in the context of the work for the half term. Good examples from the immediate vicinity are used to illustrate why there is a need to consider land use very carefully in future planning. Teachers use insufficient strategies of praise and sanctions to encourage all pupils to fully understand their responsibilities in managing appropriate behaviour. This restricts their development as self-motivated, independent learners who are aware of the needs of others.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. The curriculum follows national guidance. The planning is well structured and supportive and enables pupils to access an appropriate curriculum. The monitoring of the curriculum is informal and insufficiently rigorous. Resources are adequate in quality and quantity. Educational visits take place to support the subject but are infrequent and are not always directly relevant to the current study. Residential educational visits make a positive contribution to the curriculum.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. The school has put in place a scheme of work based on the national guidance. Recent long and medium term planning provides support for a broad and balanced curriculum. Although these are new initiatives and have not impacted on standards, the school is now in a position where it can develop the subject and raise standards.

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HISTORY

120. Pupils’ attainment at the end of both key stages is what would be expected nationally and they Weston under Penyard Primary School - 30 make steady progress. In upper Key Stage 2 discussion with pupils shows an appropriate knowledge of the subject but recording skills are unsatisfactory and do not indicate their level of understanding. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress.

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HISTORY

121. At Key Stage 1 pupils show their developing sense of chronology by using terms concerned with the passing of time by sequencing a few events. They are able to make distinctions between aspects of their own lives and past times. They demonstrate factual knowledge of the past through the people and events they have studied. They are beginning to recognise that there are reasons why people in the past acted as they did. They are beginning to find answers to questions about the past from sources of information.

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HISTORY

122. At Key Stage 2 pupils demonstrate factual knowledge and understanding of aspects of the history of Britain and other countries. They are able to use this to describe the characteristic features of past societies and periods. They are able to describe some of the main events at different periods of time.

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HISTORY

123. Key Stage 1 pupils learn about the plot to try and blow up the Houses of Parliament by Guy Fawkes and his friends in order to kill the King. They use pictures to identify features of King James and compare and contrast his appearance with how he may have looked today. They recognise the Houses of Parliament in photographs to reinforce the understanding that the plot was unsuccessful. They develop their vocabulary by learning to use the words “commemorative” and “treason”. They are beginning to develop an understanding of why there were people who wished to kill the king.

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HISTORY

124. At lower Key Stage 2 pupils learn about the Ancient Egyptians. They are able to set the civilisation within an appropriate time line. They are able to compare and contrast the attributes of these ancient people to how it was in Britain at that time. They learn about the hierarchical structure of the Ancient Egyptian society and reinforce their learning by setting it in the context of a pyramid. Year 4 pupils learn to use CD-ROM’s as a resource for their research. At upper Key Stage 2 pupils learn about Britain since the 1930’s. They compare and contrast the types of entertainment people preferred and transport that was used. They learn historic facts about the nearby city of Gloucester.

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HISTORY

125. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good at Key Stage 1 where they respond well to the direct questioning and are confident and contribute ideas of their own. They are totally engrossed in the story of Guy Fawkes. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements about the quality of the recorded work. At lower Key Stage 2 pupils are interested and keen to contribute orally. However, a small group of pupils dominate the discussions. While recording the work, pupils take insufficient care to present their work to the best of their ability and there is insufficient expectation that words, which are written on the blackboard, are copied correctly by pupils. At upper Key Stage 2 the recording of work is very limited and pupils take insufficient care and pride in their written work. Illustrations are undertaken with more careful application to the task.

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HISTORY

126. The quality of teaching is good overall. The majority of planning is well structured and relevant with stimulating tasks to support learning. Questioning is used very effectively to establish prior knowledge and then to develop further understanding. The telling of the story of Guy Fawkes used interesting vocabulary and clear explanations based on the age and ability of the pupils. Poems are used well to reinforce learning. Early research skills are taught directly as pupils are shown how to access information from CD-ROM’s. The expectations of the written work that pupils undertake at upper Key Stage 2 is insufficiently demanding.

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HISTORY

127. The curriculum follows national guidance. The planning is well structured and supportive and enables pupils to access an appropriate curriculum. The monitoring of the curriculum is informal and insufficiently rigorous. Resources are adequate in quality and quantity. Educational visits take place to support the subject but are infrequent and are not always directly relevant to the current study. The school combines with other small schools in the area and is able to invite visitors such as “Factory Flo” to talk about industry and have living theatre presentations such as Ancient Weston under Penyard Primary School - 31 Egyptians, which enhance the provision.

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HISTORY

128. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. The school has put in place a scheme of work based on the national guidance. Recent long and medium term planning provides support for a broad and balanced curriculum. Although these are new initiatives and have not impacted on standards the school is now in a position where it can develop the subject and raise standards.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

129. Standards of achievement are as expected nationally for the age of the pupils at the end of both key stages. This is a similar judgement to the last report. There have nevertheless been many improvements, the main ones being the provision of an appropriate scheme of work and much improved resources. The teachers plan good use of information and communications technology to support other subjects of the curriculum.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

130. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are able to organise much of their work on computers. They can load programs, edit, print and store their work. They use a range of formats to enhance their work for particular purposes. Some but not all of the pupils are familiar with spreadsheets and their uses and some understand the need for clear criteria when selecting data. Most of the pupils in Key Stage 2 can retrieve saved work and can add to it, for example by adding illustrations to text.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

131. Because the school does not currently have Internet access, pupils do not experience information exchange and access on the wider scale.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

132. At Key Stage 1, pupils build on the good start that they have had in the reception class and develop satisfactory skills in using programs to store and manipulate information. They use drawing programs well.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

133. Good displays help pupils to understand the importance of information and communications technology to modern industry and commerce and to the community. Even some of the youngest pupils speak knowledgeably about this.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

134. The main weakness is pupils’ confidence with computers and programs. In the main this is a result of under use of computers in the past to support a range of other subject. There is a very useful bank of computers in the library area but they are rarely used independently by the pupils. There is tremendous potential for the independent use of this area to support some lessons.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

135. A major factor in the progress which pupils make at Key Stage 2 is the lunchtime computer club which a teacher organises on four days a week. Here the pupils have the chance to practise what they know and to develop new skills. The quality of teaching seen at the computer club was good. No other direct teaching was seen.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

136. The school has a good information technology development plan. Staff development needs in particular, must be met if the current progress is to be maintained. In the near future the school will have Internet access and there are plans to incorporate this new resource into the curriculum. The subject is managed well.

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MUSIC

137. Attainment at Key Stage 2 is that which be expected nationally and pupils make sound progress. No lessons were observed at Key Stage 1. Pupils with special educational needs make steady progress.

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MUSIC

138. At lower Key Stage 2 pupils recognise and explore the ways sounds can be combined and used expressively. They sing in tune. They improvise repeated patterns and combine several layers of sound with awareness of the combined effect. For example after listening to Riders in the Storm Weston under Penyard Primary School - 32 and Beethoven’s 6 th Symphony which includes The Storm, they improvise sounds to depict the rain, wind and thunder and lightening and build up a repeated pattern to develop their own ‘storm’. They know that a repeated pattern is called an ostinato, and repeat four water words three times to demonstrate their understanding, for example pitter, patter, trickle, splosh. At upper Key Stage 2 pupils sing in tune and with good timbre. They have good diction and hold notes well. They learn about tempo and are able to clap complicated rhythms following the teacher. They learn that good

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MUSIC

posture and developing breathing techniques improves their singing. 139. Pupils’ attitudes to music are positive during lessons. They try hard and do their best to succeed while clapping the rhythms. They concentrate, follow instructions and really enjoy learning a new song, ‘Listen Out’, which has good pace and beat. They sing beautifully to the guitar accompaniment. They listen attentively to the video and tape. They are less joyful and enthusiastic when singing during some assemblies and a small group of pupils dominate most of the discussion.

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MUSIC

140. The quality of teaching is good. The BBC broadcast Time and Tune is taped and used effectively. Staff are well prepared and provide support throughout the programme, and follow up with direct teaching that is progressive and purposeful. Good questioning techniques enable pupils to identify sounds made by the orchestra and compare and contrast them with the recording of a real storm as used by the rock group in Riders in the Storm. At upper Key Stage 2 good expectations and challenging tasks enhance learning. Staff use their skills with the guitar and their voice to give pupils good support. Resources are well chosen and used effectively. Expectations are higher in class sessions than in some assemblies.

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MUSIC

141. The planned curriculum has recently been put in place and is a useful tool for the delivery of the national guidance. Resources are appropriate in quality and quantity. The school enhances the provision by occasional productions such as Joseph and his Technicolor Dream Coat. Pupils have opportunities to learn to play instruments during the school day.

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MUSIC

142. The provision and standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. Pupils reach the standards expected for their age by the ends of both key stages. In Key Stage 1, pupils develop good games and gymnastic skills. Some of the Year 2 pupils show good control and co-ordination when using bats and balls, some showing that they can anticipate and trap a ball. They know that there is a need to warm up before exercise and have begun to notice the effects of exercise on their bodies. Just occasionally, especially at playtimes, pupils do not show good awareness of space when involved in energetic activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. In Key Stage 2, pupils continue to develop games skills and, during an extra-curricular games club, some show that they have developed quite advanced ball control skills, trapping and passing with great accuracy. Their understanding of tactics is not advanced. In gymnastics, standards are variable, some of the pupils show excellent balance and control of movement whilst others do not concentrate sufficiently on body control.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. The standard achieved in Key Stage 2 has improved since the last inspection and standards have been maintained in Key Stage 1. The quality of teaching is uniformly good. Lessons have a clear purpose and are based on the improvement of skills, for example, most pupils improved the control of a forward roll when the teachers described the correct position of legs and feet. In games lessons at Key Stage 1, the teacher gave very clear instructions, supported small groups through demonstration and pupils’ skills improved.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146. Just occasionally at Key Stage 2, the teachers require pupils to complete over-complex tasks and then completion of the task becomes a goal rather than quality of movement.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. The school provides for all pupils to be able to swim. The school has an adequate range of equipment and good access to nearby playing field. The school hall is used for physical education Weston under Penyard Primary School - 33 lessons but it is very small, has too many other items stored in it and the loose carpeting makes part of the floor unsafe.

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