Wouldham, All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 2 nd – 5 th October 2000

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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. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Lane Wouldham Rochester Kent Postcode: ME1 3TS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Reverend E Walker

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1996 Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Mr D J Curtis Registered inspector [20893] English; Information and communications technology; Music; Physical education; Religious education; Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage; Special educational needs. How high are standards? The school’s results and achievements. How well are pupils taught?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Mrs H Barter Lay inspector [9052] How high are standards? Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with its parents? Mr D G Jones Team inspector [22578] Mathematics; Science; Art; Design and technology; Geography; History; Equal opportunities. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Wouldham All Saints C of E VC 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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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 26

Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Wouldham All Saints Church of England (VC) Primary School is situated in the village of Wouldham near Rochester in Kent and takes pupils from the ages of four to eleven. There are 100 pupils on roll in four classes, with 60 boys and 40 girls. This is a smaller than average sized primary school. Virtually all of the pupils are white (UK heritage). There is one pupil from a home where English is not the first language. There are 44 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs. This, as a proportion, is well above the national average. There are four pupils with statements of special educational need under the terms of the DfEE Code of Practice 1 . Eight pupils are entitled to free school meals. This is below the national average. Children enter school with standards which are average for the local education authority.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Wouldham C of E (VC) Primary School provides a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils. The quality of teaching is good and this contributes significantly to the improving standards in the school. Pupils show good attitudes to school and their behaviour is good. The school makes good provision for pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs. It provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics and science are improving. • Pupils’ attitudes, values and behaviour are good. • The quality of teaching is good. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Procedures for assessing pupils’ progress are good. • The quality of information for parents is good.

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What could be improved

• Standards in spelling and handwriting. • The provision for the physical development of children in the Foundation Stage. • Making the school library more attractive to pupils. • The provision for the teaching of gymnastics. • Resources for physical education, art, design and technology and music. • The development of pupils’ multicultural awareness. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection. It has addressed successfully most of the key issues. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics have improved, with significant improvement shown in the last year. However, weaknesses in pupils’ spelling and handwriting remain. More challenging work is provided for more able pupils. The governing body is much more involved in development planning. Very good progress has been made in monitoring pupils’ academic progress and linking this to planning and teaching. The roles of the co-ordinators for English, mathematics and science have been developed well. However, learning resources need improving in key areas and children in the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1 The DfEE Code of Practice gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities to ensure that all pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 7 Foundation Stage 2 do not have access to a balanced curriculum. They have insufficient opportunities for regular play as part of their physical development.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English E* E B B well above average above average A B Mathematics E* D B B average below average C D Science E* E D D well below average very low E E* Similar schools are those with more than 8 per cent and up to 20 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals.

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STANDARDS

Taking the years 1996 to 1999 together, the trend shows standards to be well below average. In mathematics, there is a significant variation between boys and girls; girls attain average standards, but boys attain very low standards, within the bottom 5 per cent of boys nationally.

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STANDARDS

The school’s results in 2000 show a significant improvement over its results in 1999. The improvement is the result of good teaching, linked to the successful introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. In addition, careful targeting of individual pupils has contributed to improving standards.

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STANDARDS

Inspection evidence confirms this improvement and by the end of Year 6, standards in English, mathematics and science are average. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) meet national expectations. In religious education, standards meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. In geography and history, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age. There was insufficient evidence to make judgements about standards in art, design and technology, music and physical education.

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STANDARDS

By the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science are average. Standards in ICT meet national expectations. In religious education, standards meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In art, geography, history, music and physical education, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about standards in design and technology.

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STANDARDS

By the end of the Foundation Stage, children meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals, with the exception of physical development which is unsatisfactory. Children have too few opportunities for outdoor play.

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STANDARDS

Pupils with special educational needs, including those with statements under the Code of Practice, make good progress and achieve well in their learning.

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STANDARDS

2 From September 2000, the term Foundation Stage refers to children’s education from the age of three until the end of the reception year. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good, pupils work hard and well.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good, pupils behave well in lessons, in the playground and when moving around the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Satisfactory, pupils relate well to each other and, in the main, with most adults that they meet.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory, unauthorised absences are higher than average.

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

Lessons seen overall 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

The quality of teaching in the school is good overall, although there are variations between the key stages. In the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching is consistently good, with very good features. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is good overall, but varies from very good to unsatisfactory. Unsatisfactory teaching was observed in two lessons taught by part time teachers new to the school. Good and very good teaching is contributing to improving standards in the school and to the good attitudes, values and personal development of pupils.

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

The teaching of literacy is very good in Key Stage 1, but satisfactory in Key Stage 2. In both key stages lesson introductions and final (plenary) sessions are used well to improve pupils’ knowledge and understanding of reading, grammar and punctuation skills. However, in Key Stage 2, pupils do not achieve as much as they should in independent and group work. Teaching of numeracy is good, with very good teaching observed in Key Stage 2. Planning, linked well to the National Numeracy Strategy, gives teachers good support for their work.

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

Teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is good. The teacher has a very good understanding of the needs of young children and of the curriculum for children of this age. Teaching of key reading and number skills is a strong feature and contributes to good learning and progress made by children.

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

Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good and makes a significant contribution to the good progress made by all pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs, including those with statements. There is a good balance of support in lessons and time taken, when pupils work individually or in small groups away from their classroom, usually in the special educational needs room.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum In the Foundation Stage, there is insufficient provision for children’s physical development. The National Literacy Strategy is being used effectively throughout Key Stage 1 and 2.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good, the special educational needs co-ordinator, class teachers and learning support assistants work well as a team and contribute significantly to the good progress made. The quality of planning and individual education plans is good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ moral development is good and contributes well to the good attitudes and behaviour of pupils. Provision to develop pupils’ understanding of multicultural awareness is underdeveloped.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good, with strengths in the procedures for monitoring and assessing pupils’ academic progress. Some work to do to improve the match of work to pupils’ abilities, and the quality of teacher assessments in some subjects.

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Aspect Comment

There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about the school’s partnership with its parents. However, the quality of information the school provides for parents is good, particularly with information relating to pupils’ standards and progress.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory, with strengths in management, particularly the analysis and interpretation of test results which are then used to set realistic and achievable targets as shown in the results of National Curriculum assessments in 2000. Some leadership aspects are still to be developed.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good, the governors are more fully involved in shaping the direction of the school and in holding the school to account for the standards it achieves.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good, the school has made a detailed analysis of its strengths and weaknesses in relation to standards achieved.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory overall, with good use made of resources to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs.

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Aspect Comment

Accommodation and resources for the physical development of children in the Foundation Stage are unsatisfactory. Resources for the teaching of art, design and technology and music are in need of improvement. The library is not an attractive or welcoming learning environment.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Behaviour is good. • Teaching is good. • The school expects children to work hard and achieve their best. • The school helps children to become mature and responsible. Insufficient responses to make comments.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Five parents attended the meeting with the registered inspector prior to the inspection and thirteen questionnaires were returned. Taking into consideration that this is a very low response, the views expressed at the meeting and through the questionnaire may not represent the views of parents as a whole. Based on the very limited response, inspection findings support the positive views of parents.

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Children enter school at the beginning of the school year in which they reach the age of five. Numbers starting school each year are small and the results of the assessments made when children begin school, vary from year to year. However, over time, standards on entry are average. Children achieve well and, by the end of the Foundation Stage, meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals 3 in all areas of learning, with the exception of physical development.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Foundation Stage children make good progress in speaking and listening. They are confident in reading to an audience. They know letter sounds and enjoy talking about pictures in books. Most write their names unaided and copy accurately sentences written by an adult. Children read, write and order numbers to 10 and know the names of common two- dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Children are happy, secure and confident. They settle quickly into classroom routines and into the day-to-day life of the school. However, in physical development, children have insufficient opportunities for regular outdoor play.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Results of 1999 National Curriculum assessments 4 for pupils in Year 2 were well below the national average in reading and below the national average in writing and mathematics. In comparison with similar schools 5 nationally, results were well below average in reading and writing, and below average in mathematics. Taking the four years 1996 to 1999 together, the trend shows standards were below average in all three subjects. Girls performed better than boys in writing and mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. The school’s results in 2000 show an improvement over its results in 1999. Improvement is stronger in reading and writing than in mathematics. The improvement is the result of good teaching, linked to the successful introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. In addition, careful targeting of individual pupils has contributed to improving standards.

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The school’s results and achievements

3 QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of ‘Early Learning Goals’ for children in this stage of education. These outcomes are a set of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the age of six. There are six areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. 4 Throughout the report caution is needed in interpreting the results of National Curriculum assessments, as the numbers in any one year group are small. In addition, there are significant variations from year to year in the number of pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs in each of the year groups. 5 Schools with 8 per cent and up to 20 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Inspection findings confirm this improvement and by the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are average. In literacy, pupils use their knowledge of letter sounds and picture clues to read unfamiliar words. They read with enjoyment, fluency and accuracy. Pupils write successfully throughout the curriculum, although standards in spelling and handwriting are not high enough. In numeracy, pupils order numbers to 100 and carry out simple addition and subtraction involving tens and units, setting them out in a vertical pattern. They explain what they are doing in their work and make good use of mathematical vocabulary.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Standards in science in Year 2 are average and confirm the results of the most recent teacher assessments. Pupils have a good understanding of a balanced diet, the need for exercise and how exercise affects the heart. They make a good study of plants, and list differences between plants and animals, using simple scientific language.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) in Year 2 meet national expectations. In religious education, standards meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In art, geography, history, music and physical education, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about standards in design and technology.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Results of the 1999 National Curriculum assessments for pupils in Year 6 were well below the national average in English and science, and below average in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, results were well below average in all three subjects. Taking the years 1996 to 1999 together, the trend shows standards to be well below average. In mathematics, there was a significant variation between boys and girls. Girls attained average standards, but boys attained very low standards, within the bottom 5 per cent of boys nationally.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. The school’s results in 2000 show a significant improvement over its results in 1999. The improvement is the result of good teaching, linked to the successful introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. In addition, careful targeting of individual pupils has contributed to improving standards.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. Inspection evidence confirms this improvement and currently by the end of Year 6, standards in English, mathematics and science are average. In English, pupils apply their literacy skills successfully across the curriculum. Pupils read confidently and with good expression. They show a good understanding of how to use reference books. In writing, standards in spelling and handwriting are not high enough. In numeracy, pupils have a sound understanding of the equivalence of fractions, see the links between decimals and percentages, and have a basic knowledge of negative numbers. Their work using formulae and interpreting co-ordinates is not as strong.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. Standards in ICT in Year 6 meet national expectations. In religious education, standards meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. In geography and history, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age. There was insufficient evidence to make judgements about standards in art, design and technology, music and physical education.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. Across the school, pupils with special educational needs, including those with statements, make good progress and achieve well in their learning. Progress in reading and writing is strong. Pupils have clear, detailed targets in their individual education plans and the support they receive from learning support assistants contributes particularly well to their good progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. Through the results of its 2000 National Curriculum assessments in English and mathematics, the school has shown that it can meet its targets for improving standards. Inspection evidence is consistent with the school having the quality of teaching and management systems in place in order for it to meet its future targets. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 12 14. The school has met the key issue from the previous inspection report to improve standards in Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. In science, ICT and religious education, standards have been maintained. Changes in teaching requirements for the remaining subjects make comparisons unreliable.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Since the last inspection, pupils have maintained their positive attitudes to school and learning. Older pupils in Key Stage 2 are now given more opportunities to assess how well they are doing. They respond well to taking responsibility for setting themselves targets for improvements in behaviour and in literacy and mathematics. Although pupils’ behaviour is good, there were two lessons, both taught by part-time teachers, when behaviour was less than satisfactory and the overall picture is not quite as positive as that reported at the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. A very small number of parents attended the meeting with the registered inspector before the inspection and only a small percentage of parents returned the questionnaires. However, those parents who did express their views said that behaviour is good and that the school helps their children to be mature and responsible.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Most pupils come to school regularly and on time. However, the school’s overall attendance levels are below average. Unauthorised absence levels are higher than average because the school will not authorise absences if parents have not sent a letter of explanation. There is a small number of pupils who have frequent absences which are being monitored closely by the school and the education welfare officer.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils have good attitudes to school and most are enthusiastic about their work and school life. In most lessons, they settle down quickly, pay attention and show interest and enjoyment in the activities provided for them. Most pupils concentrate well and try hard with their work. Pupils are keen to answer questions put to them by their teachers and most are confident when they wish to contribute relevant points to discussions. Pupils say that they like coming to school and enjoy lessons and activities, such as visits to the river, or sports clubs after school. Children who are under five are settling well to school routines. They are keen to share their work and show what they have achieved to adults in the classroom. They are beginning to work well independently and their behaviour is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Pupils with special educational needs play a full part in the life of the school. They show good attitudes to their learning which results in good progress. Pupils relate particularly well to the learning support assistants with whom they work closely.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Overall, pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is good. Pupils respond well when teachers are consistent in their use of the school’s systems for managing behaviour. In lessons, pupils follow instructions well, are quiet when required to work independently, and use the school’s resources carefully. They are willing to help when asked to tidy up after activities. In the playground, pupils are lively and enjoy games of football, basketball and skipping. Although pupils occasionally fall out with each other, or are too rough, most of the time they get on well and there are few incidences of bullying. There have been no exclusions in the past year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. Although pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good for most of the time, there are occasions when standards are unsatisfactory because part-time teachers do not manage pupils well. Noise levels in lessons are sometimes too high and pupils lack attention and concentration. They indulge in chatter which is unrelated to their work. In a physical education lesson, pupils were very noisy when getting changed and during the warm up session. The behaviour of a small group of boys was disruptive and pupils fussed when getting into groups. Some pupils become restless when they have to sit for too long on the carpet during the plenary part of lessons. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 13 22. Overall, pupils’ personal development and relationships are satisfactory. Pupils are learning to get on with each other and to help each other in group and paired work: for example when working together on the computer. Pupils are learning to value the work of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

others and to listen to others’ points of view. In some classes, there are very good relationships between pupils and the teacher and they are able to share feelings and ideas. Pupils carry out their responsibilities sensibly: for example taking registers to the office, acting as milk monitors or helping to tidy resources in the classroom. Although pupils say that they can approach individual teachers with any suggestions, there is too little opportunity for pupils to take initiative or to have a say in the development of the school. Older pupils in Key Stage 2 are mostly positive about their homework activities and are beginning to develop a sensible approach to organising themselves and their work. They are aware of the targets set for them in literacy and numeracy and are beginning to identify how they can make improvements to their work, their attitudes and their behaviour. Pupils in Year 6 say that they

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

are looking forward to their move to secondary school next year.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The previous inspection judged the quality of teaching for the under fives, and Key Stage 1 to be ‘good in over half the lessons and satisfactory in the remainder’. In Key Stage 2, lessons were judged to ‘have some good teaching’ but with ‘some that is less than satisfactory’ (10 per cent). Areas for improvement were identified as follows: § to match work to ability; § to use lesson time more effectively; § to develop subject knowledge particularly in English and mathematics; § to use assessment to develop the teaching programme.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Inspection evidence confirms that the school has addressed successfully these areas for improvement. The quality of teaching in the school is good overall, although there are variations between the key stages. In the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching is consistently good, with very good features. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching varies between very good and unsatisfactory. Good and very good teaching is contributing to improving standards in the school and to the good attitudes, values and personal development of pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. During the inspection the quality of teaching was very good in 13 per cent of lessons, good in 56 per cent, satisfactory in 25 per cent and unsatisfactory in 6 per cent. Examples of very good teaching were seen in the Foundation Stage, in literacy and science in Key Stage 1 and in mathematics in Key Stage 2. Teaching in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 in all other lessons was good. In Key Stage 2, examples of good teaching were seen in numeracy, science and geography. Unsatisfactory teaching (two lessons) was observed in Key Stage 2 in physical education and numeracy.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is good. The teacher has a very good understanding of the needs of young children and of the curriculum for children of this age. Teaching of key reading and number skills is a strong feature and contributes to good progress made by children. Planning is good and includes detailed planning for the learning support assistant who works in a successful partnership with the teacher to develop children’s learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teaching of literacy is very good in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. Teachers have implemented the National Literacy Strategy successfully and this has contributed well to improving standards. Across the school, whole class introductions and final or plenary sessions are used well to improve pupils’ knowledge and understanding of reading, grammar and punctuation skills. Good questioning, for example in Years 3 and 4 where pupils were asked, when reading the poem ‘The Months of the Year’, “What does ‘fleecy dams’ mean?” made a strong contribution to developing pupils’ vocabulary. In Key Stage 2, teachers do not manage group work as successfully as they should, with the result Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 14 that pupils do not achieve as much in the time as they should. There are instances of too much chatter, particularly on topics unrelated to work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Teaching of numeracy is good, with very good teaching observed in Key Stage 2. Planning, linked well to the National Numeracy Strategy, gives teachers good support for their work. They all carry out mental recall and oral work well, asking pupils to explain their responses in mathematical language. This involves pupils right from the start of the lesson and accounts, in part, for their good attitudes to work. Clear objectives help teachers to focus on the teaching of basic skills, which they do well. However, too often the follow up teaching within small groups is insufficient to establish learning, especially in the large group of lower attaining pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good and makes a significant contribution to the good progress made by all pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs, including those with statements. There is a good balance of support in lessons and time taken when pupils work individually or in small groups away from their classroom, usually in the special educational needs room. A good feature of teaching is the use of ICT, particularly the use of a spelling program which results, for example in pupils making good progress in knowing when to add ‘s’ or ‘es’ to make words plural.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. Where teaching is good, teachers plan their lessons well. A strong feature is the high quality planning for learning support assistants and this contributes significantly to the effective support they give, in particular to pupils with special educational needs. In lesson introductions, teachers show good subject knowledge which they pass on to pupils through clear explanations and demonstrations. Lesson introductions capture the interest of pupils, for example in Years 5 and 6 in an ICT lesson where the teacher was teaching the importance of using the word ‘and’ to narrow a search in a database. Here, the teacher started the lesson with a set of football cards and asked the question, “I’m looking for a team which is one word and has nine letters.” The use of these cards stimulated pupils, with the result that they became fully involved in the lesson and make good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. In good and very good lessons, teachers set high expectations for their pupils. The purpose of the lesson is explained clearly and written on the whiteboard to remind pupils of their tasks: for example in literacy in Years 5 and 6, ‘to identify the imperative form in instructional writing’. Lessons proceed at a brisk pace, with clear expectations as to what has to be achieved in group or individual work within the lesson. This was a strong feature of the literacy hour in Years 1 and 2. Pupils worked well independently and allowed the teacher to work uninterrupted with the group she was hearing read. Pupils achieved well and made good progress in applying their understanding of the use of capital letters in their writing task.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. In the unsatisfactory lessons, there were weaknesses in classroom organisation and management. Both lessons were taught by newly appointed part time teachers who are insufficiently aware of the school’s procedures for managing behaviour. Pupils are not expected to listen when instructions are given and the organisation of the class does not assist this. For example, in an outdoor games lesson, when the teacher made key teaching and learning points, the class were spread all over the playground, including some behind the teacher. This resulted in a lack of concentration and insufficient progress in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

33. Marking of pupils’ work is mainly good, although teachers are not sufficiently rigorous in reinforcing expectations that pupils should use and apply their spelling and handwriting skills consistently when writing in literacy and in other subjects. The results of day-to-day marking and assessment of pupils’ work are used effectively to develop pupils’ learning. Good questioning at the beginning and end of lessons allows teachers to identify what pupils know, understand and can do. In Years 1 and 2, in literacy, the teacher made a good assessment of pupils’ comprehension skills by asking, “Remind me what the story (Farmer Duck) is all about.” Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 15

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PUPILS?

34. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory, in that it does not support their physical development sufficiently. There is no separate outside facility offering a safe secure play area, neither is there sufficient indoor equipment to allow them to explore climbing activities. This was the case at the last inspection and has not been addressed. The curriculum for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils is satisfactory. It includes all the required areas of the National Curriculum, together with an introduction to French.

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PUPILS?

35. Whilst the curriculum has satisfactory breadth, it currently lacks balance in that a number of lessons last for an hour and more. It is especially difficult for younger pupils to concentrate for this length of time on one topic, in spite of good teaching. The introduction of Curriculum 2000 gives the school an opportunity to address this issue. Improvements have been made to the planning of the curriculum, criticised at the last inspection, by the adoption of nationally recommended schemes of work. As the school has only recently adopted these, their impact on learning is yet to be measured.

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PUPILS?

36. Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been adopted well by the school and are beginning to have a positive effect on standards, especially in Years 5 and 6. Work in numeracy has not been adapted enough to suit the particular needs of the school in relation to the timing of the sessions, the use of additional staff and the application of the plenary session.

p.15

PUPILS?

37. Pupils of both genders and from all backgrounds and abilities have equal access to the curriculum. Boys and girls play all sports offered by the school. However, the school has not addressed fully the problem of the achievements of boys, noted as being well behind girls in both science and mathematics, especially at Key Stage 2.

p.15

PUPILS?

38. The school’s provision for its pupils’ personal, social and health education is satisfactory. Good provision exists for sex education, but provision for drugs education is not complete. ‘Circle Time’ 6 is used by some teachers to promote discussion amongst pupils in a safe, secure environment where personal topics can be discussed. This is not used extensively through the school and is missing from the lives of some pupils.

p.15

PUPILS?

39. The school provides a good range of extracurricular activities for its pupils. Teachers and some parents manage these. Other clubs such as music, complement sporting activities such as football and netball, which are held at particular times of the year. Sporting activities regularly lead to inter-house matches, which are played at lunchtimes. These have a positive effect on the development of pupils’ skills and tactics. Activities are provided for pupils in Key Stage 2 and the very few parents who responded to the questionnaire expressed some concern about this.

p.15

PUPILS?

40. Visits and visitors provide enrichment to the curriculum at both key stages. A visit to the Science Museum in London for Year 6 pupils gave good support to their science work, at the same time it provided them with an opportunity to stay away from home overnight giving equally good support to their social development. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have visited a pinetum in connection with their science work and a local villager has brought in a collection of Victorian toys, giving equally good support to their topic work in history.

p.15

PUPILS?

41. There are well established links between the school and the local community, which support pupils and their learning. The school’s links with the local church are strengthened by the very regular visits of the local incumbent who is chair of governors. Further good links exist between Pembroke House and the school. This results in good participation at Trafalgar

p.15

PUPILS?

6 In these lessons, pupils sit in a circle and through agreed rules, have the opportunity to speak and listen to each other talking about issues, which touch them all. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 16 Day celebrations, which give good support to pupils’ historical knowledge and understanding. Regular termly meetings between local schools support teachers as they usually meet for an annual in-service training day discussing current issues.

p.15

PUPILS?

42. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall. The school provides sound support for its pupils’ spiritual development through its acts of worship and religious education. Several well planned acts of worship were seen and pupils were given good opportunities to reflect on belief in their own lives and of others. Discussions on fear and courage, pilgrims and the ideas held by Christians were all subjects for the week. Together with work on Christianity and parables seen in religious education, pupils have good opportunities to look at belief in both Christianity and Judaism. However, work in the rest of the curriculum does not give satisfactory support to pupils’ spiritual development. There is no planning for this area of work. Whilst teachers may capitalise on opportunities as they occur, they are not planned for in advance in such areas as art, music, literature and science, all of which could provide good opportunities for pupils

p.16

PUPILS?

to wonder at the beauty of God’s created world. This was the case at the last inspection.

p.16

PUPILS?

43. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. Staff, parents, governors and pupils all have high and consistent expectations of behaviour in class and around the school. Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong. In lessons, teachers make their expectations very clear and in all but two lessons, pupils responded well. There is a genuine respect shown by teachers for pupils and the contributions they make. This sets a good example for pupils to follow in their dealings with others. To this end, school rules are displayed throughout the school and pupils understand and relate to them.

p.16

PUPILS?

44. Provision for pupils’ social development is sound. Through a range of opportunities, pupils are able to contribute to the life of the school, community and world at large. The housepoints system plays a useful part in creating opportunities for pupils to feel part of a larger group and work towards joint goals. Older and younger pupils have limited opportunities to take on responsibilities. There is no school council and older pupils have few opportunities to help younger ones with paired reading schemes for example. Links with the village have already been mentioned and good links with fundraising organisations such as 'Food Aid', give pupils an opportunity to show a social conscience for people less well placed than themselves.

p.16

PUPILS?

45. Opportunities for cultural development are satisfactory. Provision is better when related to pupils’ own national and local heritage, but not as successful in giving pupils experiences which will help them relate to the multicultural nature of their own country. Pupils study Judaism and Hinduism alongside Christianity. They look at villages and towns in the area in their geography and study Victorians and Egyptians, gaining a useful picture of cultural development in those periods. However, work in art and music makes little contribution to pupils’ cultural development. There are very few examples of multicultural art in the school. Few examples of multicultural music exist and the school’s stock of musical instruments from the wider world is extremely limited.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school has maintained the good provision for the health, safety and welfare of its pupils reported at the last inspection. This has a good impact on the quality of pupils’ lives at school. Staff care well for pupils and offer them good levels of individual support. There are well established systems in place for monitoring pupils’ behaviour and attendance and for dealing with any incidences of bullying. The quality of educational and personal support and guidance that is provided for pupils is good, because teachers know pupils well and use very good procedures for assessing their attainment and progress to provide them with work which is well matched to their needs. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 17 47. The very small number of parents who expressed their views before the inspection said that the school’s behaviour policy works well and that overall behaviour is good. They

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

feel that pupils of all abilities are helped to make progress by staff who are caring and try hard to meet the needs of pupils.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school meets the statutory requirements for providing a safe place for pupils and adults to work in. The very good health and safety policy makes clear the procedures which address safety and security in all areas of school life. Regular checks of the premises and assessments of potential risks are carried out by members of the governing body, the headteacher and the caretaker. The procedures for dealing with pupils who are unwell, or hurt themselves, are satisfactory and concise records are kept of any injuries. However, although there are two named first aiders, none of the midday supervisory staff have received first aid training. The school has satisfactory procedures in place for dealing with any concerns relating to child protection and pupil welfare and has good links with outside support agencies on whom it can call to address concerns about individual pupils.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The procedures for monitoring pupils’ attendance are very good. Very detailed records are kept of each individual pupil’s attendance and any absences are followed up carefully. The school makes good use of the education welfare officer when it has concerns about individual pupils and makes a point of not authorising absences unless there is an explanatory note from parents. This has resulted in a higher than expected level of unauthorised absence, although the majority of pupils have good attendance records.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. Pupils are clear about the school’s rules and how any isolated incidences of bullying are dealt with. The six school rules are clearly displayed and referred to by staff and the staged system of sanctions is used well to warn pupils that their behaviour is not acceptable. However, there are some inconsistencies in the management of pupils’ behaviour from staff who are new to the school or who work part time, and this sometimes results in pupils’ behaviour being unsatisfactory in lessons.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. There are very good systems in place for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science. Assessments, administered to pupils on entry to the reception class are used to plan appropriate work and to assist in identification of pupils with special educational needs. Some improvement has been made in the assessment of ICT although the assessment of other subjects in the curriculum is less well developed. Since the last inspection, the school has introduced half termly tests in the three main core subjects, in addition to the compulsory national testing for Years 2 and 6 and annual standard tests at the end of Years 3, 4 and 5. The results of these assessments are analysed in detail by the headteacher to discern individual pupils’ areas for development and general trends towards raising overall standards. These are then passed to the subject co-ordinators in order to

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

inform their curriculum planning. Although the school has only a part completed portfolio of samples of pupils’ work with agreed National Curriculum levels, subject co-ordinators have met to look at work samples from pupils across the ability ranges. This has helped them to get an overall picture of standards of pupils’ work.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The school has good procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development. All staff, including learning support assistants, know pupils well and offer them good support to enable them to make progress in their learning and behaviour. The housepoint system is used well to promote good behaviour and improvement in work. Pupils value the award of merit marks and certificates. Incentives such as placing marbles in a jar for a class reward or naming pupils as ‘star of the week’ are effective in encouraging pupils to try harder and to make improvements. Older pupils in Key Stage 2 are being helped to recognise the standard at which they are working in English and mathematics. Very clear systems of assessment are in place where pupils complete a piece of work at the beginning of each half term and assess the National Curriculum level at which they are working. They identify where pupils need to make improvements and then discuss and agree literacy and

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

numeracy targets with their teacher. This has a particularly good impact on pupils’ academic Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 18 and personal development and ensures that pupils are developing an understanding of their own learning.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The partnership that the school has with parents is similar to that reported at the last inspection although there has been improvement in the quality of information that is provided to parents on pupils’ progress.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Only a small percentage of parents returned the questionnaire to the registered inspector and very few attended the meeting before the inspection. As a result, it is not possible to make an overall judgement on parents’ views of the school. Those who attended the meeting were positive about their child’s progress and the small school environment which provides well for individual needs. They say that they receive good information through reports, newsletters and meetings with teachers and that the sharing of assessment information has been particularly helpful when identifying where they can help their child at home. These positive views were mainly reflected in the questionnaire, although half of those who returned it did not feel that their child gets the right amount of work to do at home and a similar number criticised the provision for extracurricular activities. A few felt that the school

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

did not work closely with parents. The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views. It finds that pupils are provided with a satisfactory range of homework suitable to their age and that, overall, the provision for extracurricular activities is good.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Overall, the school provides parents with good quality information. Pupils’ end of year reports give parents detailed information about what their child is learning in each subject of the National Curriculum. Reports for older pupils in Key Stage 2 are particularly helpful because they identify where pupils need to make improvements. Since the last inspection, the school has introduced assessment folders in which test papers are placed each half term and are sent home. These give parents a good opportunity to see how well their child is working and to identify where they can help them to improve. Communication sheets in the folders are used well by some parents to ask teachers about concerns that they may have: for example progress in reading. There are regular opportunities for parents to meet teachers at consultation meetings to discuss their child’s progress. Frequent newsletters give parents

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

good information about whole school activities and events.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The school demonstrates its commitment to a positive partnership through its home- school agreement. The new agreement replaces a similar version in the prospectus which is always signed by parents when their child starts in the school. When the school organises activities for parents which have a direct bearing on their own child – for example, concerts, meetings with teachers, sports and fundraising activities – then parents show good support. However, whole school meetings, such as for the governing body’s annual report or meetings to explain literacy and numeracy, are poorly attended. There are good links with parents of children who are starting school in the reception class, including home visits by the teacher. A programme of visits to the school for children and their parents is well supported.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. Some parents give their support to the school by volunteering to help regularly in the classroom. However, at the moment, the school has not been able to recruit as much help as it would like. A small group of parents give valuable assistance through their help in classes, organisation of fundraising activities and in their role as governors. However, the majority of parents make very little contribution to the work of the school. This is reflected in the support that some pupils receive with their learning at home, although some parents regularly hear their children read.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The general organisation and management of the school are efficient and effective and it runs well on a day-to-day basis. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 19 59. The headteacher and staff ensure that the school’s caring aims are well reflected in its work and that it is focused on pupils’ needs. The positive ethos created ensures that pupils and staff enjoy working together and that behaviour and attitudes to teaching and learning are good. The school development plan accurately reflects most of the important areas requiring improvement or development. However, there are still areas of concern from the previous report to be addressed. Resources in physical education, art, design and technology, music and outside facilities for physical development of the youngest children have not been met. There are equally some issues within the body of the last inspection

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

report, which although not ‘Key Issues’ have been missed by the school and should still be addressed. Issues such as assessment, noted as weak at the last inspection, have now been very fully addressed. The headteacher has managed this well, although he has not fully involved the team of teachers to make use of this work. One or two teachers find that their own individual records give them better value.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Whilst there is a clear commitment of all staff to meeting pupils’ needs, this commitment has not been fully harnessed by the headteacher. He does not spend sufficient time in classes seeing the way in which his staff tackle problems, such as the high number of pupils with special educational needs. Too often his management role displaces his leadership role, causing him to spend too much time on paperwork which does not always have a real impact on pupils’ learning. This does not detract from the vision he has for the school’s future, but does affect the way the staff view this vision. His work on assessment and his vision on improving standards by targeting pupils more accurately are gradually having an effect. Results are showing signs of improving over time.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Although there is no deputy headteacher in the school, the very experienced senior teacher could provide the headteacher with valuable first hand information from the classroom. As she has a full time commitment to teaching, she is unable to fulfil this role adequately and her talents are not always utilised in bringing the practical problems of classroom life to the attention of the headteacher. Subject co-ordinators have been given some time to monitor their subjects. Co-ordinators for English and science have briefly been into classes, but have not been supported sufficiently with a clear guide as to how best to spend their monitoring time. With clearer guidance and a format for observation, more use could be made of these limited opportunities. Greater opportunities for monitoring could be effected by the headteacher taking classes in order not only to release colleagues, but to gain a better picture of the learning process at first hand. The headteacher’s monitoring of

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

teaching has had more focus, using a set of criteria upon which to make judgements. These are shared with teachers and have a positive effect on their development.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school’s budget, whilst showing a high unit cost similar to most small schools, is handled well and the most recent audit gives it a high grade for efficiency. The school has made a number of improvements to its accommodation over the recent past and although there are areas that are still unsatisfactory, such as the library and the outside area for children in the Foundation Stage, significant progress has been made. Although some of the teachers are co-ordinating subjects for which they have no initial training expertise, they have attended courses and are all well equipped to take on the tasks. Equally, the small group of learning support staff are mostly very hard working and able to fulfil their duties.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. In the recent past, the governors have not been able to fulfil their roles and responsibilities effectively. This has been caused partly by a lack of governors and partly by a lack of information. Recent changes in the governing body have now meant that a full complement of governors can take on all the tasks and responsibilities set out for them. They have set up appropriate committees and have established links between individual governors and subjects on the curriculum. Plans exist for them to monitor work regularly in the classroom, but this is not sufficiently focused on what they should be looking for and how it might be best accomplished.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Staff appraisal has lapsed and the school has not yet put into place an alternative staff development programme, which takes into account the needs of the school and the individual Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 20 needs of staff. The induction of new staff into the school is well managed, although the lack of a staff handbook does mean that supply or temporary teachers do not have a clear picture of the way the school works on a daily basis.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The governors have a committee for performance management and will shortly, at its first meeting, be discussing performance policy. The chair of governors is a regular visitor to the school and feels able to take on the role as critical friend to the headteacher in creating an effective partnership. There is some concern about the regular flow of information between the school and governors. Not all governors have an accurate picture of the school’s current standards and therefore are unable to make appropriate suggestions as to the way forward. In the light of the new committee structures, this will be addressed very shortly.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. Financial resources are appropriately targeted to nominated priorities, and governors are beginning to apply the principles of best value. To aid this process, the school development plan requires a clearer picture of financial commitment to projects and a more detailed description of how the success of projects will be judged.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school spends its specific grants well. Money for pupils with special educational needs is well used, as is money for supporting literacy and ‘booster’ classes, both of which have helped school results to be more positive this year. Good use is being made of new technology. The school is making good use of its new financial systems and the headteacher has found good use for the assessment programs available with the new system. The school currently gives satisfactory value for money.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school is now at a point where it can take advantage of a new governing body and improvements in standards. As the school is being effectively managed, the staff, governors and parents now need to follow the effective leadership of the headteacher in order to make further progress. The governing body is now well placed to shape and monitor the next stage of the school’s development.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

69. To raise standards and improve the quality of education the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve pupils’ standards in spelling and handwriting by ensuring that teachers reinforce expectations that pupils should use and apply consistently the spellings they learn and the handwriting they practise in their written work. (Paragraphs: 5, 10, 33, 88, 92)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that children in the Foundation Stage receive their entitlement to physical development within the Early Learning Goals by: • Providing space and resources for regular outdoor play; • Providing children with more timetabled opportunities to use the school hall for physical activities. (Paragraphs: 1, 2, 34, 62, 70, 79, 80)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Make the school library more attractive and welcoming for pupils. (Paragraphs: 62, 91) Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 21 • Improve the provision of resources for the teaching of gymnastics. (Paragraphs: 59, 144, 149)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve resources for art, design and technology and music. (Paragraphs: 59, 120, 142)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Provide more planned opportunities through the curriculum to develop pupils’ multi- cultural awareness. (Paragraph: 45) Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.22

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.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 100

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 8

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 44

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 11

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 23

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 23

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 8 7 15

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 87 (75) 93 (75) 80 (75) at NC level 2 or above National N/A (82) N/A (83) N/A (87)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (75) 80 (94) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National N/A (82) N/A (86) N/A (87)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 6 10 16

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (50) 88 (57) 88 (57) at NC level 4 or above National N/A (70) N/A (69) N/A (78)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (57) 88 (57) 88 (57) at NC level 4 or above National N/A (68) N/A (69) N/A (75)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 24

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

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.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.5 Financial year 99/00

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 213,578

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1,795

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

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

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 11,525 Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 25

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 50 33 17 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 67 33 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 50 0 17 33 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 33 33 33 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 67 17 17 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 33 25 42 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 42 33 0 25 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 67 33 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 8 42 17 25 8

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Due to rounding percentages may not equal 100.

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

These views are representative of a small number of parents and may not represent the views of the wider parent body. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. Children enter school at the beginning of the academic year in which they reach the age of five. Numbers starting school each year are small and the results of the assessments made when children start school vary from year to year. However, over time, standards on entry are average. Children achieve well and, by the end of the Foundation Stage, meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning, with the exception of physical development.

p.26

Personal and social development

71. Children settle quickly into the day-to-day life of the school and into classroom routines. They quickly understand the importance of listening to their teacher and putting up their hands to ask questions or make contributions to discussions. Children are helpful and co-operative, particularly when tidying up at the end of sessions. They develop good relationships with each other and adults. They enjoy talking to adults, including visitors. Children move around the school sensibly: for example when going to assembly. In assemblies, they listen well and join in the singing of hymns with much enthusiasm.

p.26

Personal and social development

72. Teaching is good. The teacher, with good support from the learning support assistant, has established good routines. There are high expectations that children should listen to the teacher and to each other, especially in whole class sessions. Children are encouraged to become independent, particularly during ‘choosing’ time when they select their own activities: for example that only four children may be in the ‘home corner’ at any one time.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

73. Children make good progress in speaking and listening. In ‘news’ time, they stand confidently in front of the class and talk about events that happened over the weekend: for example, “I went out with my Dad on his tractor.” Children are confident in talking to the whole school as an audience in the ‘good work’ part of assembly. Good progress is made in developing reading skills. Children know letter sounds and talk confidently about pictures in books. They understand that print conveys meaning. By the end of the Foundation Stage, many children are established on the school’s reading scheme. They enjoy looking at books in the ‘reading corner’. Most children write their names unaided and copy accurately sentences written for them by an adult. More able children write their own sentences unaided: for example, ‘On Saturday I went to the best beach’. Children write successfully for a range of purposes, including ‘news’ and ‘All About Me’ books.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

74. Teaching is good. There is a very strong emphasis on teaching key reading and writing skills. Good use is made of an exciting range of activities to teach letter sounds, including the ‘letter of the week table’, alphabet rhymes and matching the initial letter sound to everyday objects. Children are encouraged to write independently and to ‘have a go’, particularly in their weekly ‘news’ writing.

p.26

Mathematics

75. Children enjoy working with numbers. They read, write and order numbers accurately to 10, with many recognising and counting to numbers beyond 10. They identify and name common two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes, including circles, triangles, rectangles, cubes and cylinders. Children explain confidently the difference between a square and a triangle. They are confident in making repeating patterns using colours, shapes or a Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 27 combination of both. More able children make complex patterns: for example ‘5 squares, 2 circles, 5 squares, 2 circles’ and so on. Speaking and listening skills and the understanding of mathematical patterns are reinforced when children explain their patterns to the rest of the class.

p.26

Mathematics

76. Teaching is very good and contributes to children’s enjoyment. In the mental session, the teacher made very imaginative use of a puppet who ‘cannot count to 10’. The children loved ‘catching him out’ and in this way their knowledge of counting to 10 was developed particularly well. Good use is made of resources: for example by using the ‘conker season’ to develop estimation skills, with the teacher asking, “How many do you think I have altogether?” Conkers are used effectively to represent digits. This reinforces, in an exciting way, children’s reading of numbers.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

77. Children are confident in the use of the computer, particular the keyboard and mouse. They use the mouse confidently to ‘click and drag’ items of clothing across the screen to ‘dress a teddy’. The arrow keys on the keyboard are used quickly to create patterns on screen. Children have good opportunities to use a range of small and large construction kits. In science, children sort food items into fruits and vegetables and they understand the importance of harvest. They recall well the story of ‘The Little Red Hen’ and the sequence from planting seeds to the making of bread. Children develop an understanding of chronology through comparing themselves now with when they were babies.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

78. Teaching is good. Resources are used effectively: for example a wide range of fruits and vegetables were available when the class discussed the meaning of harvest time. Good questions, such as “How do they grow?” and “How are they harvested?” challenge children’s thinking and create good opportunities for the teacher to assess children’s knowledge.

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Physical development

79. Children have too few opportunities for regular outdoor play and this restricts their physical development and progress is unsatisfactory. Children have no access to outdoor play: for example no climbing, tunnelling, riding tricycles and other large wheeled toys. At present, they have one timetabled lesson for physical activity in the school hall. In that lesson, children show a good awareness of space. They know why they need a warm-up, ‘so we don’t pull our muscles’. Children show good skills in planning their own sequences in which they balance a bean bag on various parts of their body whilst moving around the hall: for example on wrists, necks, elbows and tummies. In lessons, pupils develop satisfactory skills in using scissors to cut out shapes and in pasting and sticking.

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Physical development

80. In the lessons observed, teaching was good. However, more sessions need to be timetabled to ensure children have daily opportunities for developing their physical skills. In the hall, the teacher led the warm up effectively and used a tambour well as signal for children to stop and stand still. The lesson was fast and challenging, with a strong emphasis on activity which the children need. The teacher moved round the hall well to encourage and improve individual skills and techniques.

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Creative development

81. Progress is satisfactory and children have a good range of experiences using two and three dimensions. To reinforce their understanding of letter sounds, children make collages for the letter ‘b’. Collage skills using a range of seeds are developed successfully to create harvest pictures. Printing skills are used imaginatively to support children’s understanding of repeating patterns. Children enjoy working with clay to make hand prints and the individual letters to spell their own names. 82. Teaching is good. A wide range of resources is used effectively to stimulate children’s interest and learning. Group work is managed well, with the learning support assistant being Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 28 used particularly well. The planning by the class teacher for the work of the learning support assistant is a particularly good feature. There is a strong emphasis on teamwork.

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ENGLISH

83. Results of 1999 National Curriculum assessments for pupils in Year 2 were well below the national average in reading and below the national average in writing. In comparison with similar schools, results were well below average in reading and writing. Taking the four years 1996 to 1999 together, the trend shows standards to be below average. School results in 2000 show an improvement in both reading and writing as the result of the successful implementation of the literacy hour, linked to good teaching. Inspection findings judge standards in reading and writing to be average by the end of Year 2 and confirm the school’s improvement in 2000.

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ENGLISH

84. Results of 1999 National Curriculum assessments for pupils in Year 6 were well below the national average and well below those achieved by similar schools. Taking the four years 1996 to 1999 together, the trend shows standards to be well below average for boys and girls. School results in 2000 show a dramatic improvement as the result of good teaching and the successful implementation of the literacy hour. In addition, the school has shown that it has met the targets set for individual pupils in raising standards. Inspection evidence confirms this improvement and by the end of Year 6, standards are average.

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ENGLISH

85. Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening. In Year 2, during ‘Circle Time’ pupils speak clearly and confidently about, for example, things they could improve on – “I’d like to be better at swimming,” was one pupil’s joyful response. By the end of Year 2, pupils listen attentively to the teacher and to each other. They answer questions willingly and take part in discussions enthusiastically. Pupils speak confidently to an audience: for example in a class assembly where every word could be clearly heard in their explanations as to why people are Christians. By the end of Year 6, pupils contribute to discussions well. They talk enthusiastically about books they read. In the plenary part of lessons, pupils explain strategies for how they answer questions: for example in using a database to identify bird habitats and feeding patterns.

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ENGLISH

86. Progress in reading is satisfactory. By the end of Year 2, pupils use their knowledge of letter sounds and initial blends: for example ‘st’, successfully to read new words. Pupils use information from pictures well. Pupils read accurately and with confidence and understand the terms ‘author’ and ‘illustrator’ and know the difference between ‘fiction’ and ‘non fiction’. More able readers read with very good expression and express preferences for authors and titles. By the end of Year 6, reading skills develop well. Pupils recall plots successfully and describe key events and characters in stories, with more able pupils confident in predicting what will happen next. Reference skills are satisfactory. Pupils know how to use the school library and explain how to use the contents and index of reference books. Pupils read for a range of purposes, including reading to an audience: for example in reading the prayer in assembly. Skills in skimming and scanning texts are used well: for

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ENGLISH

example in searching a printed database to locate birds which live in a marshland habitat.

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ENGLISH

87. Progress in writing is satisfactory although there are weaknesses in spelling and handwriting. Pupils learn spellings regularly and handwriting is practised. However, pupils do not apply what has been learnt consistently in their writing. This area requires improvement. By the end of Year 2, pupils write for a range of purposes, including letters, stories, book reviews and biographies of, for example, Beatrix Potter. Word processing skills are applied successfully in the writing of book reviews. Pupils write successfully across the curriculum: for example in:- § reporting the results of a science investigation into ‘does exercise make our hearts beat faster?’; § writing lists of things to be taken to the seaside as part of geography; § retelling the story of Florence Nightingale in history. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 29 88. By the end of Year 6, pupils write in paragraphs and show satisfactory application of

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ENGLISH

the use of speech marks. They respond well to individual targets set by the teacher: for example ‘always write in paragraphs’. Pupils write for a range of purposes including good letters in which they are the ‘teacher’ sending a letter home giving details of a school trip to the Science Museum, including the permission slip to be returned by parents. A pupil in Year 5 wrote the following prayer which he was proud to read in assembly, ‘ Dear God, thank you for the gift of land, food, water and all lovely things. Help us to learn that we can give gifts everyday by caring for others and sharing our lives. In the name of the Father who has given us the greatest gift of life’. Pupils write successfully across the curriculum for example: § in science, where they explain accurately the phases of the moon; § in geography, where they give clear factual accounts of the water cycle; § in history, where they write accounts of archaeological discoveries in the Indus Valley in

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ENGLISH

the style of the ‘London Illustrated News’.

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ENGLISH

89. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. They are supported well by teachers and learning support assistants in meeting the targets set in their individual education plans. Progress in reading is good, with pupils using their knowledge of letter sounds, initial blends and pictures to help them read new words. Pupils make determined efforts with their writing. They enjoy and benefit from the use of ICT: for example in the use of a program to develop spelling skills. As a result, pupils know, for example, when to use ‘s’ or ‘es’ when making plurals.

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ENGLISH

90. Teaching is good in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. It is making an effective contribution to raising standards. Across the school, the whole class parts of literacy hour are used well. There is a strong emphasis by teachers on developing pupils’ key reading and writing skills. Questions are used well to develop pupils’ vocabulary: for example in a poetry lesson in Years 3 and 4 using the poem ‘The Months of the Year’, the teacher asked, “What does ‘fleecy dams’ mean?” The plenary session is used well: for example for pupils in Years 3 and 4 to read their own poems to the class. Pupils with special educational needs are happy and keen to read their poems to an audience. However, in Key Stage 2, teachers do not manage the group work sufficiently well, with the result that pupils lose concentration and do not achieve as much as they should. Pupils waste too much time in idle chatter, often

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ENGLISH

unrelated to the work in hand. The management of group work in Key Stage 2 needs to be improved. In addition, teachers need to be more consistent and reinforce more strongly expectations that pupils should use spelling and handwriting to a much higher standard in their work.

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ENGLISH

91. The subject is effectively managed. The co-ordinator is working hard to raise the standards of writing of boys in Year 5 during the time she is released from teaching her own class. ‘Booster’ groups and the additional literacy strategy contribute successfully to the raising of standards in the subject. Teaching is monitored on a regular basis and areas for improvement are identified clearly. Resources are adequate, with sufficient books in classrooms and the library. However, the library is not an exciting or attractive place for pupils to use, particularly to sit and browse.

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ENGLISH

92. Standards in reading and writing have improved since the last inspection, with the exception of weaknesses in spelling and handwriting.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Standards achieved in National Curriculum assessments in 1999 showed pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 to be below the national average when compared with all schools and similar schools. Results of the most recent national assessments show an improvement on the previous year. Trends over the last four years have shown a steady improvement in standards year on year. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 30 94. At the end of Key Stage 2, National Curriculum assessments for 1999 showed that standards were below those of schools nationally and well below those of similar schools nationally. Results of Year 2000 assessments show there has been an improvement in standards. Steady improvements year on year are noted at this key stage.

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MATHEMATICS

95. Inspection findings confirm that currently pupils are working at the nationally expected levels in both key stages. A slight improvement since the last inspection has been noted, especially at Key Stage 2 where pupils ‘were below the national average and lacked basic skills in mental arithmetic, multiplying and dividing’. Improvements can be attributed to:- § good use made of the National Numeracy Strategy for planning lessons; § good teaching of numeracy at both key stages; § good use of ‘booster’ classes to support revision of work; § better targeting of pupils to raise their standards to the expected levels.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, especially when they are supported either individually or in very small groups. Evidence from the work saved from the previous year shows that when pupils are not receiving this type of support, work is not well planned to meet their particular needs.

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MATHEMATICS

97. Achievements of boys and girls are very different in mathematics with boys achieving below girls at Key Stage 1 and well below girls at Key Stage 2. The school has yet to address this issue fully. There is a variation in the results of teacher assessments compared to test results and this may be from a lack of previous material, levelled to the standards of the National Curriculum, being available for teachers’ guidance.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Pupils’ use and application of mathematical knowledge is sound at Key Stage 1 where pupils have an understanding of signs and symbols and can solve problems where numbers are missing from statements. At Key Stage 2, problem solving is too often teacher- led and does not always allow pupils to make best use of their own strategies, select operations and work with formulae. Pupils’ mental agility and recall are now satisfactory, an improvement since the last inspection. This is supported well by work in numeracy hour.

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MATHEMATICS

99. The school uses the National Numeracy Strategy well to support the steady improvement in number work. Pupils in Year 2 order numbers to 100 and carry out simple addition and subtraction involving tens and units, setting them out in a vertical pattern. They are often asked to explain what they are doing in their work and in this way they learn to make good use of mathematical vocabulary. By Year 6, pupils have a sound understanding of the equivalence of fractions, see the links between decimals and percentages and have a basic knowledge of negative numbers. However, their work on using formulae and interpreting co- ordinates is not as strong.

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MATHEMATICS

100. Work on shape, space and measures is satisfactory at Key Stage 1, where pupils recognise two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes and have a basic understanding of lines of symmetry. Pupils use terms such as prism, cuboid and cone with understanding. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils measure angles with accuracy and understand geometrical terms such as perpendicular and parallel. The examination of work from the previous year shows that too often pupils of differing abilities are given identical work. As a result, not all pupils achieve their full potential.

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MATHEMATICS

101. In the area of data handling, there is not enough emphasis on using ICT to support pupils’ work. Work on display and in books shows that not enough links are made between the two in order to improve both. Pupils in Key Stage 1 make use of tally charts to score their results when they carry out work with dice and dominoes, while at Key Stage 2 simple graphs are seen on temperatures. Work at above the national expectation is seen in graphical work showing how to convert Sterling to Danish Krone. However, work in probability shows less extension. Not enough use is made of the probability scale and of experimenting with data. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 31 102. Numeracy skills are applied well in some areas of the curriculum. In a science lesson in Year 6, pupils were seen using graphs to illustrate their findings in an air resistance experiment. Some work on weather shows sound links with numeracy, but no evidence was

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MATHEMATICS

seen of links with design and technology.

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MATHEMATICS

103. Of the four numeracy lessons seen, teaching was good in three and very good in one. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Planning, linked well to the National Numeracy Strategy, gives teachers good support for their work. They all carry out mental recall and oral work well, asking pupils to explain their responses in mathematical language. This involves pupils right from the start of the lesson and accounts, in part, for their good attitudes to work. Clear objectives help teachers to focus on the teaching of basic skills, which they do well. However, too often the follow up teaching within small groups is insufficient to establish learning, especially in the large group of lower attaining pupils. Pupils listen carefully to explanations and little time is wasted in lessons. Teachers manage their pupils well, with a light touch. Strong relationships within classes and with the adults around,

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MATHEMATICS

make control and discipline successful. It is only weakened when teachers do not keep to the accepted code of rewards and sanctions.

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MATHEMATICS

104. Two weaker elements of teaching were noted. In some lessons, the experienced and able support adults were not always active in the first part of the lessons. They were not taking part with pupils, neither were they all making assessments of ongoing responses. Equally, at the end of lessons, too little time is set aside to draw the lesson to a close. As a result, opportunities to review learning, involve teachers and pupils in assessment, overcome misconceptions and point to future work, are often missed.

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MATHEMATICS

105. The subject co-ordinator has only been in post three weeks and has therefore had no time to come to terms with her new position. The previous co-ordinator took on some limited monitoring of teaching in the subject, but without the necessary rigour required to make real differences to teaching and learning. Classroom displays are not all supportive of the subject and target setting for individual pupils is still at too early a stage to have an impact on standards.

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SCIENCE

106. Results of teacher assessments for Key Stage 1 at the time of the National Curriculum assessments 1999 showed that all pupils were deemed to have reached the expected level for their age, with the exception of work in investigational science. This result was very high in comparison with the national average, although the proportion achieving higher standards was well below that average. Results of Year 2000 teacher assessments are very much the same.

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SCIENCE

107. Results of National Curriculum assessments in 1999 for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 were well below the national average, when compared with all schools and when compared with similar schools nationally. The school was not able to raise the standards of the average and below average pupils in order to achieve overall higher grades. Although results of Year 2000 assessments show an improvement in standards, they are still below average against all primary schools nationally and similar schools. Evidence from the inspection supports the view that standards have risen in the subject and currently pupils in Year 6 are on track to achieve standards close to the national average.

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SCIENCE

108. Over time, standards in science have shown a steady improvement in each key stage. Teaching in Years 5 and 6 has had a strong impact on standards, together with good teaching in Years 1 and 2. At the same time, the use of a nationally accepted scheme has had a positive effect on planning, both in the short and long terms.

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SCIENCE

109. Pupils develop good levels of scientific understanding, knowledge and skills by the end of Key Stage 1. They begin to predict the outcomes of some of their experiments: for Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 32 example when they push vehicles along and measure how far they travel. In this experiment, they understood the idea of a fair test, realising that different types of pushing will give them unrepresentative results. Following an investigation in Year 6, with paper parachutes, pupils wrote out their experiments to an acceptable format, whilst collecting accurate information. This was presented in both chart and graphical form, making access to it easier. This type of presentation of work was not as clear in work from the previous year. A previous lack of use of ICT is gradually being addressed, but it is currently still insufficiently used across the school to support science.

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SCIENCE

110. In their studies of healthy life styles, pupils at Key Stage 1 have a good understanding of a balanced diet, the need for exercise and how exercise affects the heart. They make a good study of plants, being able to list differences between plants and animals, using simple scientific language. Later at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils build well on this knowledge as they look more closely at protein, fibre and carbohydrates. This better planned way of building upon previous experiences has a very positive effect on the progress pupils make.

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SCIENCE

111. While studying materials, younger pupils show a sound understanding of those which are man made and those which are naturally found. They know that some materials can be mixed with others, as in their scone making activity. Work in this area by the end of Key Stage 2 is of a good quality, but of insufficient quantity. Investigations of the conductivity of different materials are good, whilst there is not enough evidence of pupils working with solutions, filtration and the understanding of what constitutes solids, liquids and gases.

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SCIENCE

112. Work studying forces, at Key Stage 1, shows that pupils are making good progress in their learning. Pupils understand that pushing and pulling are forces and note this in everyday objects and actions. They know that electricity can be dangerous and make a circuit in order to light a bulb in their lighthouses. Work by the end of Key Stage 2 has concentrated rather more on the Solar System and on sound. Work in both of these areas is satisfactory, but work from the previous year shows that higher attaining pupils are not being stretched or challenged enough by the work. Few instances of work at a higher than expected level are seen.

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SCIENCE

113. In the three lessons seen, teaching was never less than satisfactory, with good and very good teaching seen in lessons in Year 6 and Year 2 respectively. All lessons are typified by good questioning techniques, used to recap on previous work and explore pupils’ current levels of understanding. Pupils respond well to questioning and confidently answer questions, where possible using the correct scientific vocabulary. Lesson objectives are often shared with pupils who then have a good idea of what they will be learning and doing. This motivates them and starts the lesson positively. Clear explanations of tasks are given, enabling pupils to get on with them quickly and without having to refer regularly to the teacher. In this way the teacher is then available to give support to individuals and groups where appropriate. In some lessons, support adults are not always as active as they might be, although this is certainly

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SCIENCE

not always the case. There is room for some support adults to sit alongside the pupils they support and help them through the introductions and setting of tasks.

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SCIENCE

114. The well qualified and experienced co-ordinator gives a good lead to work in science, but has not had enough opportunities to observe her colleagues at work in order to help improve teaching and ultimately improve standards of achievement. Equally, time to monitor the outcomes of learning has not been given to the co-ordinator, who is not aware of standards at the end of Key Stage 2. A portfolio of work levelled against the requirements of the National Curriculum has been started. When finished, this will make a useful guide against which teachers can check progress of their pupils and see how they might extend learning further.

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ART, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. As it was not possible to observe any art lessons and only one lesson of design and technology was seen, it is not possible to give an overall judgement on the standards pupils Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 33 reach in either subject. Very little evidence from the previous year’s work had been saved, thus making judgements about work already completed, very difficult. Discussions with pupils gave limited extra information.

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ART, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. As planning for these subjects has recently been changed to incorporate the nationally recommended schemes of work, this does not give a clear picture of how the school previously planned its work in these areas.

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ART, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. Two elements of design work seen in books in Key Stage 1 showed pupils designing a spring garden. Whilst no end product was seen, the designs showed a labelled diagram, ideas of what materials to use and a feel for designing for a specific purpose. A similar design for a park illustrates pupils’ understanding of designing with specific purpose in mind. Drawings show details of soft surfaces, a ‘doggy bin’ and aspects of safety being considered.

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ART, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. In the single lesson seen in Year 6, the teacher had arranged a good selection of recycled materials in order that pupils might have a wide choice for making musical instruments. They experimented freely with the materials on offer, gaining a good idea of their characteristics and how they might be used and combined. Good design ideas were generated and pupils worked well together, sharing ideas and equipment. Pupils concentrated well on their tasks, and through good encouragement, were able to sustain this for an hour. End products were evaluated and compared.

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ART, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. Art work around the school and discussions with older pupils, suggest a lack of development of skills and techniques. Pupils have little recall of printing, three-dimensional work or work with textiles. The school’s store of work by famous artists is very limited and contains virtually no work from the wider world community. No evidence of work from native Australians, Americans or Africans was seen in store.

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ART, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. For both subjects to flourish, the school needs to look very closely at its new schemes and plan better support for them with resources, which underscore the skills, techniques and understanding implicit in the planned work.

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GEOGRAPHY

121. The school has only very recently changed its planning to that recommended in the nationally accepted scheme of work for geography. As a result, work from the previous year, whilst of a sound standard, did not address well enough the development of skills, knowledge and understanding in geography but the new scheme does. This was a similar situation to the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

122. Current plans and the teaching observed during the inspection, point to progress both in planning and teaching, which will lead to better progress being made over time.

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GEOGRAPHY

123. By using literature from literacy hour, pupils in Years 1 and 2 study an imaginary island from the Katie Morag story. They show that they recognise differences between the island and Wouldham pointing to the islands’ mountains. They recognise similarities in the river, with a small number of pupils knowing that the river is the Medway. They recognise features on a map and on photographs. The older pupils in the class understood the differences between man made and natural features.

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GEOGRAPHY

124. Previous work seen for this year group shows further comparisons being made between their own village and the seaside. Pupils make graphs of their holidays showing sound links with numeracy, whilst descriptive writing about an imaginary day at the seaside supports literacy work well.

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GEOGRAPHY

125. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ previously completed work shows standards in line with expectations in individual topics, but once again a lack of overall development in all required areas. The new topic plan addresses this issue. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 34 126. Previous work shows a sound development of mapping skills. Pupils map a route from Wouldham to Sevenoaks, then draw detailed maps of both locations. However, the absence of scales and keys reduces the value of some of the mapping work. In a lesson observed in Years 5 and 6 pupils went on a very local field trip to observe the River Medway. The visit was well prepared and pupils gained a good deal of information about the current, erosion and deposition of the banks and what has been done locally to try to contain the river. Good questioning encouraged pupils to respond while observing the river and simple but effective sketching and note taking supported the work well.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. As most classes work on a two year cycle of topics, due to the mixed age groups in the class, it will take a further two years before the complete programme of work has been accomplished. This work will encompass the study of more distant locations, weather and further investigations of the local area. During that time, it will be very important for someone to take responsibility for oversight of this area of the curriculum and have sufficient time and opportunities to monitor progress, both in teaching and learning, and in the way displays support learning.

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HISTORY

128. Standards in history reach the expected levels at both key stages. Pupils make steady progress in their learning. Pupils with special educational needs make similar progress. They make better progress when supported by extra adult staff and when their work is specifically set to suit their needs. This, however, does not happen often enough.

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HISTORY

129. The school has very recently taken on the nationally recommended scheme of work for the subject. This has been adapted so that pupils in mixed age classes work on a two year cycle of topics, making sure there is no unnecessary repetition of work. The overall scheme has not been in place long enough to have sufficient impact on standards, but the initial results are encouraging.

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HISTORY

130. Previous work in Year 2 shows pupils studying the lives of famous people such as Florence Nightingale. Pupils examine pictures and photographs of the period, gaining an understanding of what life was like. They gain a sense of chronology as they trace the story of the Plague and the Great Fire of London. They note the differences between houses then and houses now. Pupils select facts and produce a short piece of factual writing, giving good support to their literacy skills. In a theme on transport, pupils compared cars from the past and carried out a survey at home on the subject. Their information was collected and shown in graphical form, illustrating a link with numeracy. 131. A scrutiny of previous work in Year 6 shows a comprehensive study of ‘The Greeks’. Pupils sequence pictures and captions showing a sound grasp of the main events of the period. They put some of their skills to good use as they take on mini-topics in groups. They

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HISTORY

look at the Greek alphabet, Greek gods and the Olympics. However, pupils do not have enough opportunities to use different types of material to gather information. Not enough access is given to CD Roms, the Internet or the library in order to improve research skills. Too often pupils work from books within their classes. In talking to pupils, there seems to have been a similar lack of opportunities to handle artefacts or gain other first hand experience about the topics under discussion.

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HISTORY

132. In the one lesson seen in Key Stage 2, work was well planned for a lesson on ‘The Blitz’ giving pupils a good understanding about what life was like at that time in Britain. The teacher was well prepared and knowledgeable, but tended to spend a little too long on her explanations. Good use was made of the school’s air raid shelter and through some impromptu drama, pupils re-enacted the feel of an air raid. They responded well to this, showing that these types of experience not only enliven lessons, but give pupils much motivation to continue and succeed in their work. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 35 133. Overall, the scheme of work addresses the issues of content and knowledge well, which all pupils should acquire. The school must now extend its resources in order that it can give pupils a wider range of first hand experiences so that their skills of research can be extended beyond simple observations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

134. By the end of both key stages, standards in ICT meet national expectations and pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in learning new skills, knowledge and understanding. Pupils use their literacy skills successfully in a range of word processing, including factual and imaginative writing. Numeracy skills are applied well, particularly through handling data and the use of spreadsheets.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

135. By the end of Year 2, pupils know how to load, save and print their work. They use word processing skills successfully to write factual accounts of the places they visited during the summer holidays. Pupils use a graphics program well to ‘paint’ pictures and they show good skills in selecting thick and thin ‘brushes’. In pictures to represent islands, in work linked to geography, pupils use the ‘fill’ techniques together with the careful selection of shades of colour to show the island and the surrounding sea. In handling data, pupils enter information accurately into the computer to create graphs showing, for example, favourite colours. Pupils interpret graphs accurately: for example by recording how many more children like red than green. In work with a programmable toy, pupils enter commands correctly in order for it to follow a pre-planned route.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

136. By the end of Year 6, pupils develop word processing skills well. They write good ‘mini-biographies’ in which spelling and punctuation skills are used accurately. Pupils record their personal targets on the same printout. They merge successfully photographs taken with the digital camera to their ‘biographies’. There are good examples of imaginative stories written with the word processor, together with topical persuasive writing on the arguments for and against the recent petrol crisis. Pupils use spreadsheets accurately: for example to compare the values of brands of ‘colas’ by calculating the cost per millilitre and the cost per litre. They use the skills of control well: for example in a program where pupils have to clear a minefield in order for a helicopter to land.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

137. Teaching in the two lessons observed was good. However, the use of ICT to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum is not a secure feature of teachers’ planning. Where teaching is good, teachers show secure subject knowledge. For example in Years 5 and 6, the teacher’s own skill and knowledge of ‘search engines’, resulted in pupils making clear gains in understanding in the lesson. In particular, they listened to and then applied their learning of how ‘and’ can narrow a search: for example by finding a bird ‘whose habitat is marshland and whose flight pattern is strong and powerful’. Whole class teaching is effective in introducing the work to be covered during the week, with the result that when pupils have their own time on the computers, they know and understand what to do. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher made very effective use of the information technology consultant to support the learning of a group of pupils on using ‘fill’ techniques as part of a graphics program.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

138. The information technology consultant has a very clear knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject and he is making a determined effort to improve teachers’ confidence and the standards achieved by pupils. There is a good scheme of work to identify what is to be taught and when. This is supplemented by a good assessment sheet which identifies what pupils have learned. Further improvement is required in ensuring that all teachers use ICT as an integral part of their teaching. The school has maintained the standards from the previous inspection which were judged to be ‘sound’.

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MUSIC

139. By the end of Key Stage 1, standards in music meet expectations for pupils of this age. There was insufficient evidence to judge standards in Key Stage 2 as lessons are taught Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 36 on a Friday when the inspection team was not in the school. Evidence from assemblies shows that pupils’ standards in singing are satisfactory, although pupils from reception to Year 4 are more enthusiastic than those in Years 5 and 6. In assemblies, pupils accompany the hymns well when playing xylophones and keyboards.

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MUSIC

140. By the end of Year 2, pupils show a good appreciation of music. They applauded spontaneously and showed ‘awe and wonder’ when the volunteer teacher played a selection of Scottish folk tunes on the fiddle. Pupils sing ‘Harvest Time’ with enjoyment and gusto. They sing well and keep in tune unaccompanied. They play instruments well to represent ‘short’ and ‘long’ sounds and follow a score accurately when composing.

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MUSIC

141. In the one lesson observed, teaching was good. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher works successfully with a volunteer parent helper who is a specialist musician and he leads the lesson. Pupils clearly benefit from this, particularly in learning key musical skills and knowledge. Good teaching makes the lesson fun. Emphasis on teaching composing, appreciation and singing in short sharp bursts holds the attention and imagination of pupils well.

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MUSIC

142. Resources are unsatisfactory. There are insufficient instruments for a class to have one each, with the result that they are passed amongst pupils which wastes valuable teaching time in lessons.

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MUSIC

143. The previous inspection judged music to be a strength of the school and standards to be ‘above expectations’. There was insufficient evidence from the current inspection to make a comparative judgement.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. By the end of Key Stage 1, standards in physical education meet expectations for pupils of this age. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about standards at the end of Key Stage 2. By the end of Year 6, 50 per cent of pupils meet the national expectation of being able to swim 25 metres unaided. This is below average. At present, pupils receive six terms of swimming lessons during their time in Key Stage 2. Opportunities for gymnastics are limited by the lack of apparatus, particularly for working high off the ground. During the inspection, lessons were observed in dance and outdoor games. 145. By the end of Year 2, pupils know the importance of a warm up and cool down at the start and end of lessons. They are aware of the need for exercise to keep fit and healthy. Pupils understand the importance, for their health and safety, of obeying the teacher’s ‘stop’ command. In the warm up, pupils show a good awareness of space when moving around the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

hall and they change direction well. In dance, pupils show good imagination in planning and performing sequences to tell extracts from ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. Their actions to show a ‘slow, plodding cow’ and a ‘smart, posh chap’ are particularly good. They use stretches, twists and turns well to show the ‘growing beanstalk’. Pupils hold their stretched shapes well in ‘moments of stillness’.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146. In Key Stage 1, pupils enjoy lessons. They work quietly and listen to instructions from the teacher and the presenter on a taped broadcast particularly well. This makes a strong contribution to the development of speaking and listening skills. Behaviour in lessons is very good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. By Year 6, pupils show satisfactory skills in throwing and catching large balls. Passing skills are used successfully in small team games involving four against two. Skills in attacking and defending are applied well in team games. In warm ups, pupils show a satisfactory awareness of space, but noise levels are high and pupils do not always respond immediately to the teacher’s ‘stop’ command. In addition, pupils do not listen attentively when the teacher gives instructions. Behaviour in Years 3 and 4 is poor, but satisfactory in Years 5 and 6. Wouldham All Saints C of E VC Primary School - 37 148. Based on the lessons observed, teaching is good in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2, with one unsatisfactory lesson observed. Where teaching is good, there are high expectations that pupils should work quietly and sensibly. Lessons proceed at a brisk pace, with a strong emphasis on activity. Teachers move round well and support individual

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils successfully in improving skills and techniques. Through asking questions such as, “What does ‘plod’ mean?” the teacher takes good opportunities to develop pupils’ vocabulary skills. In the unsatisfactory lesson, pupils were not managed successfully. When the teacher made teaching points, the class was spread out too far across the playground, with the result that very few pupils paid any attention to what was said. Behaviour was not managed well. Improvements are needed to raise the teacher’s awareness of pupil management, particularly in Years 3 and 4.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. Pupils enjoy and benefit from an inter-house football competition which is run once a week at lunchtime. In addition, they take part enthusiastically in the after school football club. There is an annual sports day and an annual swimming gala which is enjoyed by pupils and parents. Resources for the teaching of the subject are limited and restrict pupils’ learning opportunities, particularly in gymnastics.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. The school has maintained the standards reported at the previous inspection when they were judged to be ‘satisfactory’. Weaknesses in the management of pupils, particularly with regard to listening to instructions, remain.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

151. By the end of both key stages, standards meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus and pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in their learning. Pupils use their speaking and listening skills particularly well in discussions. Literacy skills are used successfully when pupils have opportunities to write in the subject: for example in Years 5 and 6 in the study of the life and work of Guru Nanak.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

152. By the end of Year 2, pupils show a good understanding of Christianity and the importance of Jesus to Christians. They know and explain the Christmas and Easter stories, including Mary being the mother of Jesus and that He died on a cross. Pupils understand that Jesus is God’s son. They talk confidently about things which are ‘precious’ to them, for example, “My dog, a gift from my grandad when he died”.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

153. By the end of Year 6, pupils know that Jesus was a healer, preacher and teacher. They know that he taught through parables and performed miracles. Pupils recall particularly well the story of ‘The Good Samaritan’. They show real fascination and interest in the miracle when Jesus turned water into wine. Pupils show a satisfactory understanding of other faiths. They know about the key features of the Jewish and Hindu faiths. Pupils recall a visit to a synagogue and they know the story of Guru Nanak.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

154. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ speaking and listening skills as they enjoy discussions on beliefs. In addition, the subject makes a clear contribution to the development of pupils’ spiritual awareness.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155. Teaching is good in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. Good teaching encourages pupils to discuss their own feelings and beliefs. Through careful guidance and questioning, pupils develop a greater understanding of Christian beliefs: for example how hard it must have been for God to give up his only Son. All pupils are expected to contribute to discussions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156. There are effective links between the subject and acts of collective worship. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 show their good knowledge of Christian beliefs when they take part in a class assembly. Resources are good, with sets of new Bibles being a particularly good feature in supporting pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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