Oakhill Primary School

Tamworth, Staffordshire

Reporting inspector: Mrs Pat King - 7853

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Tamworth, Staffordshire

Dates of inspection: 2 nd – 6th October, 2000

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Tamworth, Staffordshire

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Oakhill Primary - Page 2 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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Tamworth, Staffordshire

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. Oakhill Primary - Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hawksworth, Glascote Heath, Tamworth, Staffordshire, Postcode: B77 2HH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr D. Powick

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 29 June – 2 July, 1998 Oakhill Primary - Page 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs Pat King Registered inspector Art and design; English; Physical Education. School’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs.Jacqueline Darrington Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mrs Susan Cox Team inspector Design and Technology; Music; Religious Education; Science; Equal Opportunities; English as an Additional Language. How good are the curricular opportunities offered to pupils?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr.Tom Prosser Team inspector Mathematics; Geography; History; Information and Communication Technology; Special Educational needs. Mr.Peter Sudworth The Foundation Stage. Oakhill Primary - Page 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

NES Education Services Limited, Linden House, Woodland Way, Gosfield, Essex C09 1TH

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Oakhill Primary - Page 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Oakhill is smaller than the average primary school. 169 pupils are currently on roll, with an almost equal number of boys and girls overall. Children in the Foundation Stage were being educated in the Nursery and Reception class and all Foundation Stage children were still under five at the time of the inspection. The school serves an area of high social, economic and cultural disadvantage. Approximately 47 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly more than twice the national average. Two pupils have English as an additional language. 55 pupils are identified as having special educational needs, which is above the national average. Of these pupils, ten have statements of special educational need. This is approximately six per cent of the school population and is well above the national average. The children’s attainment on entry to both the Nursery and Reception class is well

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Oakhill Primary School has many good features. The leadership and management of the headteacher and governors have been very effective in establishing very good links with the community and in raising standards significantly in English, mathematics and science over the last three years. Although the standards in these three subjects are still well below the national average by the age of eleven, the gap has narrowed considerably and attainment levels are now more typical of schools in similar circumstances. Teachers promote in pupils an evident sense of pride in their school and a desire to learn and make progress. The school uses its finances well to provide good resources for learning and a high level of adult support for pupils. The value for money offered by the school is good.

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What the school does well

• The teachers promote good pupil attitudes to learning. • The school has been successful in raising standards and shows a commitment to making further improvements in pupils’ attainment. • Pupils’ behaviour is good throughout the school. • Pupils are enthusiastic about, and take a pride, in their school. • The school has a very good partnership with the local community and local businesses. • A very good curriculum enrichment programme gives pupils opportunities to benefit in their learning from visits within the community and visitors to the school. • The school has good equipment and materials and is an attractive environment for learning.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English, mathematics and science, particularly for the higher attainers. • The provision for the Foundation Stage. • Assessment and record keeping. • The procedures for checking and promoting consistent approaches to teaching and learning across the school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Oakhill Primary - Page 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress in meeting the key issues for improvement in the last inspection report. The standards achieved in the national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 have shown a marked improvement over the last three years in English, mathematics and science, although pupils’ attainment in these three subjects is still well below the national average by the age of eleven. The rate of progress has improved in Years 5 and 6 and reflects the significantly improved teaching in the upper part of Key Stage 2. There has been good improvement in teachers’ lesson planning but procedures for assessment have not been improved enough to ensure that teachers build sufficiently on all pupils’ learning from lesson to lesson. The Agreed Syllabus for religious education is now more consistently implemented and standards in both key stages are satisfactory. Progress made in improving the role of the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

co-ordinators in the monitoring and evaluation of their subjects has been satisfactory but this aspect of their work has not been developed fully. The school has been very successful in raising the standard of behaviour and in reducing the amount of unauthorised absence.

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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* E C well above average above average A

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STANDARDS

B Mathematics E* E* E* E Average below average C

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STANDARDS

D Science E* E* E D well below average E

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STANDARDS

Pupils make good progress in many aspects of their work in Years 1 and 2 which is shown in the steady improvement in the national test results at the end of Year 2 in reading and writing from 1996-9. There has been a marked improvement in the standards achieved in the national tests at the end of Year 6 from 1996-1999, although attainment was still well below the national average in English and science and very low in mathematics in 1999 when compared to all schools nationally. In comparison with similar schools the results were average in English, below average in science and well below average in mathematics. However, the national test results in 2000 showed continuing improvement in English and considerable improvement in mathematics. These rising standards reflect the good progress that the pupils make across the school with the accuracy of their reading and the satisfactory progress that they make with their number work. In all year groups pupils have poor speaking skills and

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STANDARDS

restricted vocabulary, cannot readily express their ideas and lack facility in mental calculations in mathematics. In these aspects of their work, the higher attaining pupils could do better. In Year 6 during the inspection, pupils’ attainment was well below what is expected for their age in English, mathematics and science. These pupils make mainly satisfactory progress but there is a higher proportion of pupils in the year group with special educational needs. Pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology is in line with what is expected nationally and in religious education the majority of pupils achieve the Oakhill Primary - Page 9 expectations in the locally Agreed Syllabus. During the inspection some good quality work was seen in both key stages in dance, music and art and design although pupils’ progress overall in these subjects and in history and geography is satisfactory. Pupils’ making skills

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STANDARDS

are satisfactory in design and technology but their designing and evaluating skills are not developed enough. The school set challenging targets for the pupils to achieve at the end of Year 6 in 2000 in English and mathematics. The target was exceeded in English and met in mathematics. The targets set for 2001 are appropriate.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils show an evident pride in their school and respect for the property of others. They are keen to learn and generally work hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good in lessons, around the school and in the playground. Pupils are polite, friendly and very caring towards each other.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils are able to take responsibility and show initiative within a limited range of opportunities.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance The attendance rate continues to be unsatisfactory despite very good efforts by the school to promote good attendance.

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

Lessons seen overall Satisfactory Good Satisfactory 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 Nursery and in the Reception class is satisfactory overall, although not enough time is given to teaching aspects of language and literacy, given the children’s well below average attainment on entry. The quality of teaching in half the lessons seen in Key Stages 1 and 2 was good and in just under two in ten lessons it was very good. A very small amount of teaching was unsatisfactory. In all subjects, except design and technology for which there was insufficient evidence to make a judgement, the quality was satisfactory or better overall. In Key Stages 1 and 2 the teaching of basic skills in literacy and numeracy is effective and is having an impact on standards. Some teaching in dance, in art and design and in music is very good due to the expertise of the teachers. Teachers manage pupils well so their behaviour is good and they want to learn. They plan and organise lessons

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

well so that good use is made of time and pupils know what they are expected to do. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is often good and they make satisfactory progress overall. In all key stages teachers generally meet the needs of pupils in lessons but they do not make sufficient use of assessment to match pupils’ individual needs more fully. Sometimes the most able pupils are not challenged enough. Oakhill Primary - Page 10

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum in Key Stages 1 and 2 includes all National Curriculum subjects and religious education. The curriculum for the Nursery and Reception class is not planned in enough depth to ensure that the children build on their learning appropriately over time. The range of extra-curricular activities is good and the school makes very good use of visits and visitors to give the pupils a wide range of interesting experiences relevant to their needs. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good overall. Pupils in Key Stage 2 benefit from being taught within one class, with a high level of adult support. However, they have limited opportunity to take part in activities with pupils of a similar age in other classes. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The school’s provision for the few pupils with English as an

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school promotes the pupils’ social and moral development well and their spiritual and cultural development satisfactorily.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The teachers know the individual pupils’ needs well and provide a good level of care. Procedures for child protection are one of the school’s strengths, with the school placing strong emphasis on the support of pupils and their families.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership by the headteacher is good. It ensures a shared sense of commitment by staff and governors to raising standards, involving the community in the life and work of the school and improving the environment. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors work closely with the headteacher to keep themselves informed about the work of the school. They carry out their statutory responsibilities well. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has good strategies in place for monitoring standards within the school but members of staff are not evaluating the evidence provided fully enough to determine aspects of teaching and learning in need of improvement or to set targets for pupils in order to raise standards. The strategic use of resources The school uses its financial resources well. Learning resources are

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Aspect Comment

good and staffing levels are appropriate overall. The governors give careful consideration to obtaining value for money and consult staff appropriately when making financial decisions. Oakhill Primary - Page 11

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improved

• The teaching is good. • The school expects the pupils to work hard. • The pupils enjoy school and make good progress. • Pupils’ behaviour in school is good. • Parents feel comfortable about approaching the school with problems or questions. • The amount of homework given to pupils. • The information that parents receive about their children’s progress.

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improved

The inspectors’ findings generally support the parents’ positive views of the school. With the regard to the aspects that some parents would like to see improved, they find that homework is appropriate in Key Stage 1 but is inconsistent in Key Stage 2; some pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to support and extend their learning at home. The information given to parents about their children’s progress is judged to be sufficient overall although the pupils’ annual reports for parents do not always provide enough detail in relation to their children’s achievements. Oakhill Primary - Page 12

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The school’s results and achievements

1 The children’s attainment on entry to the Nursery and Reception class is well below average. They make satisfactory progress but by the end of the Reception year their attainment in communication, language and literacy remains well below that expected for their age and in mathematical development their attainment is below the national expectation. Their speaking skills in particular are weak. In their personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world and in their physical development they make good progress to reach the national expectations by the end of the Reception year. They quickly learn how to operate the computer and make good progress in their management of writing, drawing and painting equipment. The children make unsatisfactory progress in their creative development because they have too few opportunities to develop their skills through use of their own ideas; their attainment by the end of the Reception year is well

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The school’s results and achievements

2 The results in the national tests over the last four years in reading and writing at the end of Key Stage 1 have shown a steady improvement in the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level. Attainment has moved closer to the national average whilst remaining below it in reading and well below in writing. When comparison is made with similar schools, the school’s results at the end of Year 2 were average in 1999 in reading and writing. Standards were lower in 2000 due to the higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs. At the end of Key Stage 2 from 1996-9 there has been a significant improvement in the national test results in English. The results have moved closer to the national average but remained well below in 1999. When compared to similar schools pupils’ attainment in the national test in 1999 was average in English. In 2000 the school’s results showed a further

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The school’s results and achievements

improvement in attainment in this subject.

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The school’s results and achievements

3 In the lessons seen and in work scrutinised standards in Year 2 are below what is expected nationally for the pupils’ age in reading and well below average in speaking and listening and writing. In Year 6 they are well below average in English overall. The lower standards for the current Year 6 than those achieved in 2000 reflect a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs.

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The school’s results and achievements

4 Pupils in both key stages are keen to answer the teachers’ questions. In Key Stage 1 they often have difficulty in taking turns and listening to each other. They make satisfactory progress across the school in their ability to listen and are able to listen for sustained periods of time, which supports their acquisition of knowledge and the development of their understanding in all subjects. Their speaking skills at the beginning of Key Stage 1 are weak and pupils make insufficient progress overall. By Year 6 they have limited vocabulary and their responses are often brief within the formal classroom environment. Pupils’ attainment in writing is well below average at the end of Key Stage 1. Few pupils are able to write at length and a high proportion of pupils has difficulty in structuring sentences and in using the expected range of punctuation. Most pupils make satisfactory progress with their writing

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The school’s results and achievements

during Years 1 and 2 but there is not always enough challenge for the most able pupils in expressing their ideas across the curriculum, for example in science. Progress in Key Stage 2 is satisfactory in writing but attainment remains well below the national expectation. Pupils are able to write independently for a range of purposes, such as poetry, story writing and Oakhill Primary - Page 13 recording their findings in science. Their accuracy in spelling, punctuation and handwriting whilst showing steady improvement, lacks consistency. Pupils make good progress in some aspects of their reading in both key stages. They are able to use an increasing range of strategies to recognise unknown words. By Key Stage 2, when given the opportunity, pupils are able to apply these skills effectively to carry out research in subjects such as history. Pupils’ ability to understand and discuss text is often limited by their poor control of spoken

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The school’s results and achievements

5 In the national tests over the last four years pupils’ attainment in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 has shown a steady improvement, although remaining well below the national average in 1999. In that year the pupils’ performance was below average when compared to similar schools. In 2000 standards were lower because of the higher percentage of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. Improvement has been most marked in these tests in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2. At the time of the last inspection report in 1998 only 13 per cent of pupils achieved the national standard, whilst in 2000 50 per cent of pupils achieved the national average. However in 1999 the attainment of pupils in relation to the national average was very low and no pupils achieved the higher levels. When compared to similar schools pupils’ performance was well below average. 6 Pupils generally make satisfactory progress in both key stages in mathematics. In the

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The school’s results and achievements

current Year 2, pupils’ attainment is below the level expected for their age. Pupils are beginning to understand the language of mathematics but do not have an appropriately secure understanding of place value. Their knowledge of shape and measurement is satisfactory. The attainment in the current Year 6 is well below that expected for the pupils’ age and reflects the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. Pupils’ written mathematical calculations in the four rules of number are often sound but their ability to calculate mentally is unsatisfactory. Pupils have a sound knowledge of space and shape. However, their ability to use data handling is more limited.

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The school’s results and achievements

7 In science the results of statutory teacher assessment in 1999 show that overall attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 was well below the national average, and below average in comparison with pupils from similar backgrounds. At the end of Key Stage 2 the results of the national tests in 1999 show that attainment was well below the national average. The percentage of pupils achieving the expected level was average compared with pupils from similar social backgrounds. The trend over the last three years has been upwards in Key Stage 1 but in 2000 standards were lower in the national tests due to the higher percentage of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. Standards have shown a marked improvement in Key Stage 2 and they continued to rise in 2000. Attainment was found to be below the national expectation in the current Year 2 and well below average in the current Year 6.

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The school’s results and achievements

8 In both key stages pupils make satisfactory progress in science in developing their knowledge and understanding. However, their skills in investigative and experimental science are not as well developed as they should be and pupils in Key Stage 2 show lack of precision in presenting their results.

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The school’s results and achievements

9 Pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology is in line with what is expected nationally at the end of both key stages. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have appropriate keyboard skills. In Key Stage 2 pupils use a range of programmes to research information, to record data and to word-process their stories. Their use of the Internet and data handling skills are under developed. Pupils are confident and make good use of information and communication technology in subjects like history and mathematics to support their learning. Oakhill Primary - Page 14 10 Pupils’ attainment in religious education is in line with the locally Agreed Syllabus in both key stages. Pupils make satisfactory progress and have a sound knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other world religions such as Judaism and Islam. Pupils develop an appropriate ability to reflect on their feelings and to consider their opinions.

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The school’s results and achievements

11 In art and design, pupils’ progress is good in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. In Year 2 pupils produced some work of good quality for their age in painting from observation of themselves. In Year 6 the quality of pupils’ drawing of shoes was good for their age. The pupils made good progress in these lessons because the teachers had good subject expertise. Similarly, in music pupils made good progress in the lessons in performing using their voices and percussion instruments because the teacher was aware of how to move pupils on to the next stage in their learning.

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The school’s results and achievements

12 In design and technology the pupils make satisfactory progress in making skills in both key stages but their progress in designing and evaluation skills are not developed sufficiently. This is mainly due to lack of clear planning for these skills in lessons and for building on pupils’ learning across the key stages. Progress is satisfactory overall in physical education in both key stages although some good attainment was seen in dance when the teachers had identified clearly what the pupils were to learn in terms of vocabulary, skills and creating their own sequences of movement.

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The school’s results and achievements

13 In history pupils make satisfactory progress with the acquisition of knowledge but their independent research skills are not promoted fully enough because they do not have enough opportunities to undertake independent research. Insufficient evidence was available to make an overall judgement about progress in geography.

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The school’s results and achievements

14 In Key Stage 1 pupils make good progress in most lessons and in Key Stage 2 mainly satisfactory progress. However, there is not enough challenge for the pupils in speaking and listening because a clear programme for the development of this aspect of the English across the school and the curriculum is not in place. In science and English higher attaining pupils are not always stretched enough to write independently. In mathematics the pace of mental work does not always extend the most able pupils. However, where progress is good for the wide range of ability in the class, it reflects good teacher understanding of what is expected in the National Curriculum. On these occasions, teachers know the programmes of study of the National Curriculum well and are able to take the pupils forward as the lesson progresses and they demonstrate an appropriate grasp of what has been covered.

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The school’s results and achievements

15 The progress of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and pupils take part in a full range of activities. In Key Stage 2 pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress overall. Pupils with identified needs from Year 3 to Year 6 benefit from being taught by a teacher and up to two classroom assistants. In the lessons observed the good working atmosphere, the teacher’s good knowledge of the pupils’ needs, appropriate methods of control and good relationships that have been established, are the key elements that enable pupils to often make good progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

16 The progress that the pupils make with English as an additional language is similar to that of the other pupils and there is no significant difference in the progress made by boys and girls.

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The school’s results and achievements

17 The school set challenging targets for Year 6 pupils to achieve in English and mathematics in 2000. The target was exceeded in English and met in mathematics. Targets set for 2001 are appropriate, with consideration being given to the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the current Year 6. Oakhill Primary - Page 15

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18 Children in the Nursery and the Reception class have good attitudes to their work. Most children behave well but a few exhibit difficulties in their relationships with others and snatch toys from other children. However, most children are well adjusted to school, to each other and to their teachers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19 In Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils enjoy attending school. A sense of pride in their school is clearly evident, notably in the majority of pupils wearing school uniform and in the orderly, respectful manner in which pupils treat both their own possessions and the property of the school. Most pupils are punctual, entering the school and starting the day in a purposeful manner. The majority of pupils work hard, remaining on task and completing work set, particularly when undertaking teacher-directed activities. Many pupils have greater difficulty in completing work satisfactorily when working independently. Pupils with special educational needs respond well to the additional support that they are given. They gain in confidence, work hard and want to succeed.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20 The behaviour of pupils is mostly good in lessons, around the school and in the playground. They show a good level of respect for all staff and there is very little evidence of inappropriate behaviour. Pupils are polite, caring and very friendly towards each other, staff and other adults. Relationships are good and there is a strong sense of community and belonging amongst the pupils which is reflected in their positive, caring attitude towards the school. Bullying occurs very rarely and when it does there is a swift and appropriate response. There have been two fixed period exclusions during the last academic year. Older pupils are caring towards younger pupils and pupils know the difference between right and wrong. Other people’s feelings, values and beliefs are mostly respected but some pupils are not good listeners, which sometimes slows learning when pupils are working together as a

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21 In the limited range of opportunities given, pupils demonstrate that they are able to take responsibility and show initiative. Younger pupils tidy away equipment, return registers and perform small tasks within their classrooms. Older pupils set up the hall for assembly, help with younger pupils at lunchtime and are involved in paired reading with younger pupils. The planned introduction of a School Council will enable pupils to learn first-hand the process of democratic decision making and provide opportunities for showing initiative in problem-solving.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22 The pupil attendance rate continues to be unsatisfactory despite very good efforts by the school in partnership with the education welfare service to promote good attendance. In the year ending May 2000, attendance was 91.57 per cent and unauthorised absence was 0.43 per cent, whereas in the previous year attendance was 89.7 per cent and unauthorised absence was 0.6 per cent. Oakhill Primary - Page 16

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23 The quality of teaching in half the lessons seen was satisfactory. In approximately three out of ten lessons the teaching was good and in just under two in ten lessons it was very good. A very small amount of teaching was unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching in the Nursery and the Reception class was mostly satisfactory. In Key Stage 1 the quality of teaching was mainly good, with three-quarters of teaching being good or very good. In Key Stage 2 the quality of teaching was mainly satisfactory and in about four out of ten lessons it was good or very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24 In the main the teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory but it ranges from occasionally good to occasionally unsatisfactory. It is good when the teachers engage with the children in role-play and use this to extend the children’s understanding, building into it opportunities for number work and language development. It is unsatisfactory when the work is insufficiently challenging and play is repetitive. Insufficient attention is given to formal literacy sessions in the Reception class and the children do not have enough time to engage with story. As a result, the children were rarely seen to select a book independently. The curriculum is insufficiently stimulating and challenging.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25 In Key Stages 1 and 2 in all subjects except design and technology for which there was insufficient evidence to make a judgement, the quality was satisfactory or better overall. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is effective and is having an impact on standards, which are rising in both key stages. A particularly strong feature of the teaching of literacy is the way that the teachers act as very good role models in reading aloud with enthusiasm, which results in pupils reading with more expression and awareness of meaning. Teachers teach the basic skills well in literacy and numeracy. This approach ensures that pupils make good progress with the accuracy of their reading and that they develop their understanding of the four rules of number satisfactorily. However, the pace of the introduction to the numeracy lesson is often too slow to ensure sufficient challenge in mental activities for the higher

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

attaining pupils. The plenary sessions in literacy and numeracy do not reinforce learning enough or involve the pupils sufficiently in explaining what they have been doing. Literacy and numeracy are promoted well in other subjects, for example teachers use non-fiction texts well in science and pupils have opportunities to read graphs and charts in history.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26 The expertise of teachers and some subject specialist teaching is having a very positive effect in music, art and dance. Teachers have high expectations of pupils of all abilities, which are made known to them through demonstrations by teachers and regular evaluation by the pupils of their own and others’ work. Pupils are encouraged to reflect, observe and develop their opinions and ideas. They know what they have to do to improve their work and are able to make choices and decisions. This is because teachers know the next step in the pupils’ learning and are able to build on pupils’ responses during lessons, taking them forward at different rates according to their ability. The expertise that some teachers have in these subjects is not being shared enough in physical education and art to ensure that the best quality teaching is extended to all classes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27 In the vast majority of lessons the teachers manage the pupils well so that their behaviour is good and they have positive attitudes to learning and good relationships with each other. Teachers frequently provide opportunities for pupils to collaborate in their work, such as when pupils are asked to perform musical patterns, to create sequences of movement in dance or to perform puppet plays. They plan and organise lessons well so that activities are purposeful and pupils are clear what they have to do. This means that time is generally used well. Teachers give regular input to individual pupils and to groups, which helps to ensure Oakhill Primary - Page 17 that they make mainly satisfactory progress in the development of subject skills. However, sometimes the teachers’ expectations relating to the amount of work to be completed is not made explicit to pupils and they work at too leisurely a pace. Occasionally the teacher’s

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

delivery is too slow or too much time is spent asking pupils to take turns in whole-class discussions. In the best teaching, teachers set time limits and regularly comment on what has been achieved. Teachers make good use of adult support to work with groups or individual pupils. They also use resources well to motivate and interest pupils and to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. This is evident in the choice of texts used in literacy, in the resources used to support research in history and in the range of materials used to promote choice in art. Information technology is used well to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28 Some lessons, whilst satisfactory overall, have some weaker features. Sometimes the use of worksheets limits the pupils’ responses or over-directed work by the teacher means that there is not enough challenge for the highest attainers. This is most evident in science, history and in some literacy lessons. In design and technology, there is insufficient emphasis on designing and evaluating work and in games too little emphasis on using skills in the context of a game. The most significant aspect for development is the assessment of pupils’ progress during and at the end of lessons. There is little evidence of this in teachers’ planning and marking. As a result, marking is positive and encouraging but does not often indicate to pupils what they need to do to improve their work and generally targets for improvement are not set. Teachers do not always have enough information about pupils’ prior attainment to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

help them to match the work appropriately for all pupils. Consequently, sometimes the most able are not challenged appropriately to ensure the best possible progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29 The quality of teaching provided for pupils with special educational needs is often good. Within Key Stage 1, following a whole class input by the teacher, class teachers often use classroom assistants to work with and support pupils with special educational needs. Within Key Stage 2 in the special needs class, after a whole-class introduction, pupils work within year groups and are ably supported again either by the class teacher or the classroom assistants. One of the strength of this teaching approach in the special needs class is the well- briefed and skilful classroom assistants who work well with the pupils under the direction of the class teacher. As a result of this support, the teacher is able to undertake individual work with the pupils and address the issues identified within the pupils’ individual education plans. Although the main focus of support is for literacy and mathematics, substantial input is given

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

to help pupils with behavioural difficulties. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30 Teachers make appropriate use of homework in Key Stage 1 and pupils benefit from reading at home and learning spellings. In Key Stage 2 sufficient homework is given in some classes but the approach is variable and some pupils are not given enough. Where homework is given regularly, pupils gain from learning their spellings and tables and this supports their progress in lessons.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31 The school has made good progress in improving the quality of the teaching since the last inspection. This is particularly evident in the teaching of the Years 5 and 6 class in which there were significant weaknesses in the teaching. The teaching in this class was never less than satisfactory during this inspection week and was sometimes good or very good. The progress made with raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve and ensuring that they build on and extend pupils’ earlier learning has been satisfactory. In particular teachers’ planning for what pupils are to gain from lessons has shown significant improvement. However, assessment remains an aspect to be developed and this is needed to enable teachers to raise their expectations of pupils further. Oakhill Primary - Page 18

p.17

TO PUPILS?

32 The curriculum in Key Stages 1 and 2 is broad and balanced and the school complies with the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and the requirements of the Agreed Syllabus for religious education. However, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in experimental and investigative science. The amount of teaching time each week is satisfactory for pupils in both key stages.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

33 The work in the Nursery and Reception class is based on the expectations for children before they begin Year 1 known as the Foundation Curriculum. The planning of the Foundation Curriculum is unsatisfactory overall. The curriculum is not considered in sufficient depth to ensure that the learning throughout the Early Years builds on children’s skills progressively.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

34 The school has implemented the national strategies for literacy and numeracy successfully. Literacy is promoted well through other subjects, for example the good use of non-fiction texts in science and the adoption of the approach of the pupils reading along with the teacher as a class. Teachers take the opportunity to reinforce work covered in numeracy; during the week of the inspection a teacher consolidated pupils’ learning of three-dimensional shapes effectively during the introduction to an art lesson. They also make effective use of information and communication technology to support the curriculum, and this is one of the strengths of the curricular provision. A positive start has been made to the introduction of the new National Curriculum, and good use is made of the published exemplar schemes produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The school has mapped out the areas of

p.18

TO PUPILS?

work to be covered by each class during this year. However a longer-term view of pupils’ experiences and the development of skills, knowledge and understanding has not yet been realised. This needs careful consideration, particularly in the mixed-age classes and special needs class, to ensure that sufficient attention is paid to building on pupils’ learning as they move from year to year.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

35 Teachers plan lessons from the school schemes of work on a weekly basis. The school has agreed planning grids on which teachers record what they intend children to learn and the activities that they will undertake with their pupils. In literacy and numeracy teachers take account of the different needs and abilities of the pupils in their class and different tasks and outcomes are set depending on pupils’ abilities. However, this is not consistently applied across the curriculum, particularly in the classes with more than one age group. Generally, insufficient attention is paid to pupils’ prior learning and this is reflected in the absence of assessment opportunities or strategies for assessment on teachers’ planning.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

36 The curriculum arranged for pupils with special needs meets the requirements of the Code of Practice. Within Key Stage 1 pupils’ special educational needs are met within the classroom with additional adult support for pupils with significant ‘special’ needs. Liaison between the co-ordinator for special educational needs and classroom teachers in Key Stage 1 ensures that support within the class is well directed with little, if any, disruption to continuity. Within Key Stage 2, the co-ordinator for special educational needs takes responsibility and teaches all the pupils with identifiable educational needs in a special needs class. There is a high awareness of the needs of pupils with special educational needs amongst all the teaching and support staff, which has been enhanced by some in-service training. However, within Key Stage 2 as soon as pupils with special needs are identified, they are

p.18

TO PUPILS?

transferred to the special needs class and can remain with the same teacher within the same Oakhill Primary - Page 19 class for four years. They benefit from being taught by a teacher and up to two classroom assistants. However, they only have a limited opportunity to integrate and take part in activities in parallel classes that contain their peers, and their social, as well as their educational skills, would benefit from regular and prolonged interaction with a wider range of pupils.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

37 Satisfactory arrangements are in place for the teaching of personal and social education. The school teaches health education through science and sex and drugs education to older pupils. Teachers make good use of outside agencies to support this work, including the police and local health care professionals. Within classes, there are sufficient planned opportunities for pupils to discuss personal or social issues.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

38 Pupils generally have equal access to, and opportunity, within the curriculum. However, there are some serious shortcomings in the arrangements made for the special needs class with respect to social development because of the more limited opportunities for social interaction.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

39 The school provides a good range of extra-curricular opportunities that enrich and support the curriculum. During the week of the inspection the school held orchestra, football and history clubs and a dance and music club usually takes place weekly. However, over the course of the year a wide range of opportunities is offered to the pupils. The school is well supported by members of the local community and visitors who make a very positive contribution to the provision, such as the police, fire and health services. A very good curriculum enrichment programme is offered to pupils, which covers a wide range of subjects. Last year this programme included poetry, art, numeracy, history, science, technology and music. A visit to the school by a local Member of Parliament provided clear insight into the lifestyle and career pathway of a member of parliament and a very good opportunity to reinforce concepts of good citizenship whilst providing information on the nature of

p.19

TO PUPILS?

democratic leadership. Regular visits are organised to places of local interest and good links with the community support this work. The school has been very successful in gaining outside sponsorship and funding to support these activities, thus enabling opportunities to be provided to all children. The school runs a residential visit to a Local Authority outdoor pursuits centre where children participate in climbing, archery and problem solving.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

40 Very good links with neighbouring schools include those with the secondary school to which most pupils transfer at the end of Year 6. The school participates in dance and music festivals in which pupils from neighbouring schools perform together to a wide audience. During the week of the inspection the school took part in a cross-curricular initiative using puppets which the children had made. This involved all the schools in the secondary ‘pyramid’ group. The headteacher from the secondary school visits the school regularly to take assemblies and meet staff and pupils.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

41 The school continues to maintain and build upon its very strong links with the immediate and wider community. The former nursery building has been used for the benefit of the local community in the creation of a centre for life-long learning. The school has accessed tirelessly grants and funding from local, national and charitable institutions, in addition to contributions made by local business and industry. It uses these funds to provide the opportunity for access to key skills for all members of the local community in the centre and to enhance curriculum provision for all pupils within the school. For example, pupils will use the computer suite, due to open shortly within the centre, as well as members of the community. The Breakfast Club, which is to open after the autumn half-term holiday, will be housed within the centre and staffed in partnership with a national children’s charity. A local

p.19

TO PUPILS?

playgroup uses these premises, providing a very good opportunity for further community Oakhill Primary - Page 20 links to be forged by the school and facilitating access and progression to the school nursery. A local group of senior citizens using the centre have also contributed to the enrichment of the history curriculum at the school by talking to pupils about the changes that they have seen during their lives. This, in turn has resulted in a few senior citizens volunteering to hear pupils read.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

42 The community teacher who shares her time between the community provision and the school provides a very good opportunity for facilitating greater parental understanding of the importance and relevance of education. Work experience and students training to be nursery nurses are placed regularly in the school.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

43 Since the previous inspection the school has made satisfactory progress in addressing the weaknesses identified in aspects of mathematics, English, history and science. There has been good improvement in teachers’ understanding of, and planning for, what pupils are to gain in their knowledge, understanding and skills in lessons. The school has made a positive start to introducing the new National Curriculum and has set out a curriculum plan for this year. However a longer-term overview of the whole school curriculum which covers pupils’ experiences across each key stage is still needed.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

44 The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. It is promoted through daily assemblies, when pupils meet together, or in smaller groups in class. The school meets fully its legal requirements for a daily act of collective worship, providing pupils with opportunities for prayer and reflection. Assemblies also include stories and opportunities to listen to music, both of which encourage pupils to reflect upon meaning and mood.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

45 Moral development is promoted well throughout the school and provision is good. The religious education unit of work on belonging and rules gives pupils an opportunity to reflect on moral issues and gain an understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Moral education was also promoted well during the week of the inspection in a lesson on drugs education to a group of older pupils. Teachers and other adults at the school act as positive role models to the children in their relationships with them and in the opportunities that they provide for pupils to share their ideas and opinions.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

46 The provision for pupils’ social development is good and is one of the school’s strengths. It includes good opportunities for pupils to share and co-operate and pupils’ opinions are valued and respected. Pupils’ social skills are promoted effectively during the lunchtime when they come to the hall to have their lunch; the good behaviour of pupils during this time is a reflection of the effectiveness of this provision. Pupils welcome visitors.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

47 The quality of the relationships in lessons and around the school reflects pupils’ clear awareness of what constitutes acceptable social behaviour. Pupils enjoy working with a partner or in a small group and there were many examples of pupils helping each other during the inspection. There are some opportunities for pupils to take responsibility; for example pupils prepare the hall for assembly and assist in the hall during the lunchtime. However, during the week of the inspection there were few opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning or to take initiative during lessons.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

48 The provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. The school makes use of outside visitors from the local community, including a regular link with the Greek Orthodox Church. Cultural development is promoted through religious education where the significant festivals in other religions are acknowledged within the school. Last year, a multicultural musician undertook work in the school as a ‘musician in residence’; children benefited from having a professional musician working with them in their music lessons. Oakhill Primary - Page 21 49 The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and makes a positive contribution to the educational standards achieved. The quality of the provision overall is similar to that found at the time of the last inspection. The provision for social development is one of the school’s strengths and is reflected in the significant

p.20

TO PUPILS?

improvement that there has been in pupils’ behaviour. Oakhill Primary - Page 22

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50 The school continues to provide a very caring, learning environment for all its pupils. The general welfare of the pupils is the responsibility of class teachers with very good support from classroom assistants, midday and administrative staff who know the pupils well. Adults show a good level of care for children in the Nursery and Reception class, taking an interest in the children as individuals. Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 are well supervised throughout the school and a high standard of pupil care is evident. Adults show a good awareness of pupils’ individual social and emotional needs and this knowledge is based on good procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51 Some of the systems and subsequent action taken for the regular monitoring and maintenance of general health and safety requirements are very good. Standards, on the whole, of the school premises and grounds are good. The fire fighting equipment is regularly maintained and all portable electrical and physical education equipment have undergone an annual check. Safe storage areas are provided for hazardous substances and equipment, and pupils are made aware of safe practice and safe working procedures. Pupils practise emergency evacuation from the school building each term.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52 Procedures for child protection continue to be one of the school’s strengths, with the school placing strong emphasis on the support of the child and its family. The recent introduction of a community link worker, shared with the local comprehensive school, has enabled the school to extend its support for pupils and their families. The school makes very good use of support from the education welfare service and social services.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53 The whole-school approach to discipline and positive behaviour is very effective and a good standard of behaviour is evident in almost all pupils. The introduction of ‘first day contact’ for pupil absence, in partnership with the education welfare service, coupled with the introduction of attendance and behaviour reward systems have resulted in an improvement in the attendance figures over the last academic year, although the attendance rate remains unsatisfactory. Rigorous systems are in place for the overall monitoring of attendance, but monitoring of holidays taken during the school term is insufficiently detailed.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54 The school has appropriate procedures for identification and assessment of pupils with special educational needs. Members of staff know their individual needs through detailed and specific education plans. These pupils receive a high level of support from teachers and support assistants within the classrooms. The co-ordinator for special educational needs makes good use of outside agencies to gain advice in the assessment of, and provision for pupils, with special educational needs.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55 Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and monitoring progress are unsatisfactory overall. There are a few good examples of teachers using assessment within their own classes, particularly in the younger class in Key Stage 1. In the school as a whole there is significant inconsistency in assessment practice, particularly at the planning stage. An assessment policy is in place but it is not sufficiently prescriptive to ensure that assessment is used uniformly throughout the school as a tool to help establish individual targets for pupils and to match the delivered curriculum to the needs of all pupils. Work is not always differentiated sufficiently to meet the needs of some of the more able pupils. Oakhill Primary - Page 23 56 In subjects other than literacy and numeracy there are no whole-school systems to record the acquisition of skills and knowledge. Many pupils have been or are in mixed-age

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

classes and it is a complex task to track what they have been taught and even more difficult to identify what individual pupils know, understand and can do in all subjects. Teachers lack this information when planning for learning, which leads to time being wasted and progress being uneven, with work being repeated in a number of subjects. 57 The school monitors the results of the national tests successfully and uses the information to project attainment levels for future years. They do not use both this summative assessment and class teachers' on-going assessment to set individual targets for pupils to achieve. Oakhill Primary - Page 24

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58 The school continues to work hard to involve parents in the life of the school. There is a policy of welcoming parents, which parents recognise and appreciate. Home visits are made to every prospective pupil prior to the children starting school and these help to ensure a happy, settled introduction to school life. The school shows a high level of commitment to involving parents in as many ways as possible. This is very clearly evident in the high investment of energy, time and resources put into the community provision, such as family learning, community craft and the community teacher.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59 Parental responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire and at the pre-inspection meeting demonstrate good support for the school. Most parents feel that the quality of teaching is good, that pupils are expected to work hard and that pupils enjoy school, behave well and make good progress. Some parents would like the amount of homework given to pupils to be improved and not all parents are satisfied with the information received concerning their children’s progress. Parents feel comfortable about approaching the school with any problems or concerns.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60 Regular letters and newsletters are written in a friendly style and in plain language and provide information on many aspects of school life. Notices in the entrance foyer to the Nursery and the Reception class keep the parents informed in broad outline of what the children are to study. However, there is insufficient information for parents relating to taking family holidays during the school term in the school prospectus and in the home school partnership document on attendance. Parents of children with special educational needs are encouraged to work with the school to help their children but they do not always respond to the school’s requests for meetings to discuss progress. Annual reviews are carried out according to the Local Education Authority procedures. Parents are informed of these reviews and many attend. Those who do not come are told about the individual education plans for their children

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61 Annual reports comply with statutory requirements, but rarely include individual pupil targets. They are variable in quality and some do not provide sufficiently detailed information on pupils' progress. Formal consultation evenings are held each term and informal contact is encouraged. Parents have regular opportunities to discuss progress, both formally and informally. The provision of homework is not always consistent throughout the school and the homework policy provides insufficient guidance for teachers and parents regarding the frequency and pattern of homework. A few parents offer regular support for their children’s homework, such as with hearing their children read.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62 Parents are supportive of school productions and events. A few parents and volunteers help regularly in the school, and the number is increasing due to the efforts made by the school to involve them. Oakhill Primary - Page 25

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63 The headteacher’s leadership is effective in promoting good relationships within the school and with parents and the local community, good standards of behaviour and good moral and social development of pupils. It ensures a shared sense of commitment by the senior management team, staff and governors to raising standards, involving the community in the life and work of the school and to improving the learning environment.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64 The governors work very closely with the headteacher to keep themselves informed about the work of the school. They carry out their statutory responsibilities well. They have been very active in decision-making in relation to improvements to the accommodation and in the development of the Face Centre for the community. Their involvement in, and understanding of, the curriculum and standards achieved is increasing through visits to the school and observations of lessons, such as literacy and numeracy and through the discussion of policies.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65 The headteacher governors and staff produced an effective action plan following the last inspection that enabled them to make good improvement overall in meeting the key areas for improvement. The current school improvement plan is an effective document for planning school developments. It summarises appropriate areas for improvement well but the actions to be taken are not specific enough in the priorities for development, such as literacy and science. This means that there is not a sharp enough focus for all staff on what is to be improved in the short term and how that is to be achieved. The plan has clear success criteria but no strategies or identified persons for monitoring and evaluating progress towards the targets.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66 The school has made very good improvements in raising standards in English and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2 and in improving the quality of teaching and learning since the last inspection. This has been achieved by some teaching staff changes and by setting challenging targets for pupils to achieve at the end of Year 6. Future targets for 2001 and 2002 are appropriate and the school is well placed to make further improvements. However, the target setting is not yet based on comprehensive assessment procedures or carried out fully enough across the school to enable the headteacher, staff and governors to monitor and evaluate progress made by pupils in meeting targets set for attainment. Satisfactory progress has been made since the last inspection in monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning and attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy. This has an impact on the successful implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and on the

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

provision of resources. The headteacher and senior staff analyse test data well to aid their understanding of the performance of pupils in different aspects of subjects and of differences in the attainment of boys and girls. However, the information gained from the monitoring and evaluation is not yet used enough to inform the planning of specific areas for improvement in the curriculum. Curriculum co-ordinators have much subject expertise to offer to other staff. However, their roles in promoting improvements in the teaching, learning and standards in the subjects for which they have responsibility are under-developed. This means that pupils do not always build on their learning systematically from year to year.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67 Leadership of the provision for the under-fives is unsatisfactory and the unit does not work cohesively enough to develop children’s learning continuously. The leadership and management of the provision for special educational needs are good. The governing body attaches a high priority to supporting the school in its work with these pupils. A governor has been appointed to liaise with the teacher with responsibility for special educational needs and to monitor the provision. He now provides the governing body with regular reports. Oakhill Primary - Page 26 68 Financial planning is good. The governors are very active in managing the school’s finances and, with the headteacher, have given careful consideration to matching the money available to meet the school’s identified priorities. For example, they have continued to provide additional teaching assistance in Key Stage 1 since the support from the Local

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Education Authority through the Early Education Initiative finished two years ago. This support is effective and has a positive impact on pupils’ progress. One of the strengths of financial planning and management is the very good use that the headteacher and governors make of sponsorship from local businesses and the community. This has enabled the school to improve the learning environment of the school and in particular the Early Years unit and to improve the links with the community through the Face Centre.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69 The school makes good use of all grants available, such as the Family Learning Project. The funding for special needs provision is being directed to providing a class in Key Stage 2 for pupils with special educational needs. The additional finance provided for pupils with statements of special educational need is used to provide effective adult support.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70 The governors give careful consideration to obtaining value for money when purchasing services. When planning changes to the reception area, they discussed a number of alternative arrangements and evaluated very carefully the advantages and disadvantages of each. They consult with staff through linking expenditure to the school improvement plan and giving all curriculum co-ordinators a subject budget. Administrative procedures are good and support the smooth running of the school. The secretary manages the finance well on a daily basis and provides the governors with regular information about expenditure, which they monitor carefully. Good use is made of technology, such as the Internet.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71 All current members of the teaching staff are suitably experienced by their training and qualifications to teach in a primary school. However. there is no trained teacher working sufficiently closely with the pupils in the Nursery. The arrangements for the professional development of staff are well organised and include both school-based training and external courses. They are linked closely to priorities in the school development plan. The level of teaching staff is appropriate to meet the school’s organisational arrangements, but the current organisation of staffing in the Foundation Stage unit does not allow the co-ordinator to have an appropriate overview of the provision. Members of the learning support staff are well qualified and suitably experienced. These members of staff are suitably deployed to meet the needs of the youngest pupils and those who have special educational needs.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72 The quality, range and quantity of learning resources are good. They are very good for literacy and very well organised. A very good feature of these resources is the wide range of big books and books for guided reading. The central library has a good collection of books, which are made available to pupils in planned library lessons and in classroom displays. Resources for mathematics, information and communication technology, history and physical education are good. Resources for art and design, design and technology, the Foundation Stage, geography, music and religious education and science are satisfactory overall. In music, there is a limited range of tuned percussion instruments and of equipment to support multi-cultural awareness.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73 The quality of the accommodation is one of the strengths of the school. It is spacious, light and airy and is used effectively and efficiently. The building is well decorated and well maintained. The toilets for Year 1 boys are the exception to this and are in need of maintenance. Teachers display pupils’ work attractively both in classrooms and in areas such as the hall and reception, providing an attractive and stimulating environment for learning. Oakhill Primary - Page 27 74 The accommodation is good in the Nursery but space is more restricted in the Reception class. The classroom for pupils with special educational needs is spacious and well equipped.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75 The conversion of the old nursery accommodation into a building which is primarily for community education, but incorporating a shared computer suite and a before and after school club, is an imaginative use of a redundant building, benefiting both the school and the local community. Oakhill Primary - Page 28

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

77 In order to build on the very good progress made with raising standards, the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise attainment further in English, mathematics and science by: § providing a structured programme of opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening across the curriculum; § ensuring that the approaches to teaching all aspects of writing build consistently on pupils’ learning across the school; § improving the rate and pace of working in both written and oral work in mathematics § providing more opportunities for pupils to develop skills in experimental and investigative science. (paragraphs 4,6,8,13,14,25,28,32,91,93,95,97,103,105,106,107,110, 111,113,148)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) improve the provision for the Foundation Stage by: § reviewing how the learning is structured; § providing comprehensive assessment and record keeping procedures. (paragraphs 24,33,81,83,84,88)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) improve the assessment and record keeping procedures in Key Stages 1 and 2 by: § implementing effective assessment and recording procedures both within and at the end of lessons; § using assessment data more effectively to match work within lessons to the needs of pupils, particularly the higher attainers; § using marking and assessment to ensure that pupils are aware of the steps that they need to take to improve their work; (paragraphs 28,31,35,55,56,94,95,96,107,116,117,125,145,161)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) improve the impact of monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school by: § putting in place a whole-school approach to ensure that there is a systematic review of standards and the quality of teaching and learning; § ensuring that evidence from monitoring and evaluation is used by curriculum co-ordinators to inform their planning for future school development. (paragraphs 65,66,130,162,170)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

78 In addition to the key issues, the school should consider the inclusion of the following less important weaknesses in the action plan:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ improving the opportunities that the pupils have for designing and evaluating their work in design and technology; (paragraphs 12,25,128,129)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ making the approach to homework more consistent in Key Stage 2. (paragraphs 30,61,106)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ improving the quality of the annual reports to parents so that they address pupils’ achievements in more detail. (paragraph 61) Oakhill Primary - Page 29

p.28

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 46 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 32

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 17.39 30.43 50.00 2.17 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25.5 143 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/a 65

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

FTE means full-time equivalent . Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0.0 10.0 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5.0 50.0

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1.0

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10.0 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving [46] 9.0

p.29

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 8% School data 0.43% National comparative data 5.9 National comparative data 0.5 Oakhill Primary - Page 30 * In the tables below the numbers of boys and girls have only been included if there are eleven or more in a year group .

p.29

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year. Year Boys Girls Total

p.30

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Number of pupils at NC Boys * * * level 2 and above Girls 11 (11) 10 (11) 10 (11) Total 16 (18) 15 (18) 15 (17) Percentage of pupils School 80 (72) 75 (72) 75 (72) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (77) 83 (81) 87 (86)

p.30

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils at NC Boys * * * level 2 and above Girls 11 (11) 12 (11) 12 (12) Total 16 (18) 19 (18) 15 (19) Percentage of pupils School 80 (72) 95 (72) 75 (76) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest report year. Year Boys Girls Total

p.30

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils at NC Boys (2) (2) (4) level 4 and above Girls * * * Total 7 (2) 5 (2) 9 (4) Percentage of pupils School 50 (16) 36 (36) 64 (20) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

p.30

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils at NC Boys (2) (5) (3) level 4 and above Girls * * * Total 6 (4) 6 (9) 8 (5) Percentage of pupils School 43 (16) 43 (36) 57 (20) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year . Oakhill Primary - Page 31

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 167 White 2 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 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.31

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.0 Financial year 1999-

p.31

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.14

p.31

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Average class size 28.16 £ Total income 403,736 Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 388,632 Total number of education support staff 7.0 Expenditure per pupil 1,842

p.31

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 190.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 25,090

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Balance carried forward to next year 40,194

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nursery

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0.0

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nursery

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A

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nursery

Total number of education support staff Total aggregate hours worked per week 67.5

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nursery

Number of pupils per FTE adult 8.5 FTE means full-time equivalent. Oakhill Primary - Page 32

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.32

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 61 37 2 0 0

p.32

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 41 49 7 2 0

p.32

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 42 22 5 2

p.32

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 61 20 15 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 59 37 0 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 56 41 0 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 49 37 10 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 56 27 5 5 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 29 10 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 54 37 7 0 2 Oakhill Primary - Page 33

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

79 Children in the Foundation Stage were being educated in the Nursery and Reception class and all Foundation Stage children were still under five at the time of the inspection. Not all the children who attend the Nursery proceed to the Reception class when they are approaching their fifth birthday because the Nursery serves a wider area than the school’s traditional catchment area. Fifty-one children attend the Nursery on a part-time basis and 19 children, all still under five are in the Reception class. Children whose fourth birthdays are between September and April begin the Nursery in September and those, whose birthdays are between April and August, begin in January. Transfers to the Reception class take place under similar arrangements but precede the children’s fifth birthday. The children’s attainment on entry to both the Nursery and the Reception class is well below average.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

80 The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall, with some teaching that is unsatisfactory. However, the leadership of the Foundation Stage does not ensure that the unit works cohesively to develop children’s learning continuously, which results in some play activities being repeated at a similar level, which limits children’s progress.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

81 The work in the Nursery and Reception class is based on the national expectations for children before they begin Year 1 known as the Foundation Curriculum. The planning of the Foundation Curriculum is unsatisfactory overall. There is a broad outline of what the children will study but there is not yet thorough planning of the range of experiences that the children might undertake. For example, similar experiences were being undertaken in the sand and water trays in both the Reception and Nursery classes and no guidance was seen which would raise the level of learning in these particular activities with children’s increasing age. Members of staff make periodic assessments of children’s progress but regular day-to-day observations are not recorded systematically. As a result, members of staff do not always know what individual children need to learn next. Consequently, the curriculum provided

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

does not always match individual children’s needs, particularly for the more able children, and some of the activities are not challenging these children enough.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

82 The accommodation is good in the Nursery but less spacious in the Reception class. Both areas are well furbished and bright, attractive areas for children to work in. The outside play area is barren and it is cramped, particularly when the Reception children join in play activities with the Nursery children. The school has specific plans to extend and develop the external environment for the children.

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Communication, language and literacy

83 The children’s attainment by the end of the Reception year in this aspect of their learning is well below average. About one half of the children can write their name, although almost all can recognise their name. Few children can write decipherable words. Most children can recognise a few letter sounds but only a minority of children knows all their sounds. Just over half can read a few words and simple books and less than half can write with any identifiable meaning. They listen well to story but do not readily select a book to enjoy when working independently. Their speaking skills are poor. Several children have speech impairments and few children can speak in sentences and at length. The teaching of this aspect is generally unsatisfactory because not enough time is devoted to teaching the children about books and developing their language, writing and reading skills given the Oakhill Primary - Page 34

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Communication, language and literacy

attainment of the children on entry and their weakness in language. Members of staff develop language as they play with the children and make good use of role-play activities, for example, in the grocer’s shop and at the clinic but questioning techniques are not consistently used so that the children have to think for themselves and respond in their own sentences. Overall, the children make mainly satisfactory progress when considering their attainment on entry.

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Mathematical development

84 By the end of the Reception year the large majority of children can recognise and say numbers up to ten but a minority know their numbers to 20. About half the children can write numerals to ten but very few can do so to 20. In one lesson observed the children had difficulty in counting backwards from five and in remembering the number they had been allocated in a whole-class number game. Several children have difficulty with the concept of more or less. Their knowledge of shape is limited to recognition of a few common two- dimensional shapes such as a circle and square but they cannot talk freely about properties of shapes. Many children can count objects accurately to ten but very few can do so to 20. About one half of the children can add and subtract two numbers mentally to ten. They understand ‘long’ and ‘short’ and can say which of two objects is shorter. Their attainment in this aspect of their learning is below average but their progress based on their attainment on

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Mathematical development

entry is satisfactory. The quality of teaching in this aspect is mostly satisfactory but on occasion the teaching is unsatisfactory and not enough demands are made of the children. As a consequence, they do not engage in sufficient depth with mathematical activity. For example, during a brief mathematical activity in the Reception class, more able children could copy accurately the number of carriages represented by a row of plastic cubes and transfer this accurately to paper. They had been confined to identifying which was the longer or shorter train by comparing them side by side and drawing a long and a short train.

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Personal, social and emotional development

85 Most children relate well to one another and to their teachers but a small number of children exhibit minor behaviour problems and do not relate well to others. Generally, however, the children’s behaviour is good and many are confident to approach adults. Their attitudes to work are satisfactory and sometimes good. They particularly enjoy role-play and their levels of concentration during such activities are often good, particularly in the home corner. Most children share well and take turns, for example on the computer and in the sand and water trays and when sharing crayons in seated group situations. They can sit quietly and concentrate when watching educational programmes on television. Many are not yet independent in dressing and undressing themselves and the children expect adults to do things for them. Many parents were observed to take off their children’s coats and to change their

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Personal, social and emotional development

footwear for them when they arrived at school in the morning. Most can use the toilet properly and are being trained to wash their hands by the teaching staff after using the toilet and before snacks. The teaching of this aspect of the children’s learning is sound. Sometimes opportunities are lost to develop pupils’ skills further, for example getting the children to set out plates before snack time and serving the snacks. Pupils make rapid progress in learning good habits related to their general well-being and awareness of the needs of others. By the end of the Reception year most reach the expected standard.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

86 The children make good progress in learning about the world through activities that develop their understanding of science, the environment and the world around them. They know that seeds produce plants and they examine their rate of growth. They put them into pots and re-measure them. They predict which boats will travel fastest when blown by fan power. They learn something about the property of magnets. They know that the body has Oakhill Primary - Page 35 senses and they understand that different materials have different properties. They look for changes in the weather and record their results. They know something about the sources of light and understand that some sources are natural and others are man-made. They learn about the needs of babies and appreciate the progress children make in the first few years of life. They become more familiar with the names of fruit and vegetables through the

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

interaction of the teachers in role-play situations, which are carefully organised to offer learning experiences such as the grocer’s shop. Pupils quickly learn to operate the computer and to manipulate the mouse control. Overall, pupils make good progress in this aspect of their work and by the end of the Reception Year many children reach national expectations. The teaching of this aspect is good and the staff plans a range of good learning activities that enable the children to learn from first-hand experiences. A key element in this good teaching is the planned opportunities that adults provide for children to develop reading, writing and mathematical skills through creative play.

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Physical development

87 The provision for and the quality of teaching of physical activity are sound. Whilst the children benefit from activity in the school hall, the external environment can become cramped and restrict movement, particularly when the Reception class and the Nursery join together. Children manoeuvre their wheeled toys with suitable accuracy and generally avoid collisions and other children. The children’s attainment in this aspect of their development is appropriate and meets national expectations by the end of the Reception year. They make good progress in their management of writing, drawing and painting equipment and develop correct holding techniques. They enjoy practical activity and learn to control pouring liquids and the amount of glue on their paste spreaders. Overall progress in their physical development is sound.

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Creative development

88 The children make unsatisfactory progress in their creative development and by the end of the Reception year their attainment is well below national expectation. Their drawings are often very immature, for example their representations of trains and of people. They miss out parts of the body and the body parts do not show much degree of accuracy or proportion. The enjoyment of putting paint on paper is still very much to the forefront of pupils’ work and their paintings often display a lack of detail or meaning. They make simple three-dimensional models such as houses out of junk boxes and they stick on windows and a photocopied door, which they colour in. Too often their representations are very similar and the children are not required to think for themselves. For example, they merely coloured in or stuck pieces of paper on to the drawings of people and some simple models, which were all identical. The

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Creative development

quality of their work with monoprints was poor, particularly in the Reception class. Overall, the quality of teaching in this aspect of the children’s development is unsatisfactory because too much is done for the children. Discussion and questioning are not focused on developing the children’s thinking. Too few opportunities are provided for the children to draw from observation, although the range of different media that the children use in their creative work is satisfactory overall. The children enjoy singing and playing untuned percussion to recorded music. Many can sing in tune and they do so with enjoyment, although their knowledge of nursery rhymes is often poor, which affects the volume of singing on occasions. Oakhill Primary - Page 36

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ENGLISH

89 At the end of Key Stage 1 in the national tests from 1996-9 there has been a steady improvement in the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level, although very few pupils have achieved the higher level. The results have been moving closer to the national average whilst remaining below it in reading and well below in writing. When comparison is made with similar schools, taking account of the percentage of free school meals, the school’s results at the end of Year 2 were average in 1999 in reading and writing. Standards dropped in the national tests in the Year 2000 due to the very high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. Standards in Year 2 in the lessons seen and in work scrutinised are below what is expected nationally for the pupils’ age in reading and are well below in speaking and listening and writing but typical of standards found in similar schools.

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ENGLISH

90 At the end of Key Stage 2 from 1996-9 there has been a significant improvement in the national test results. The percentage of pupils achieving the expected level rose from 16 per cent in 1998 to 55 per cent in 2000, although the percentage achieving the higher level has been very low. The results have moved closer to the national average but remained well below in 1999. The national average is not yet available to enable comparisons to be made for the Year 2000. When compared to similar schools pupils’ attainment in the national test in 1999 was average in English. Standards in Year 6 in the lessons seen and in work scrutinised are well below average but typical of standards found in similar schools.

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ENGLISH

91 In Years 1 and 2 pupils are keen to respond to the teachers’ questions but a significant number find difficulty in taking turns and listening to each other and the teacher for a sustained period of time. When discussing the story of 'Fussy Freda' and 'The Pizza Princess' pupils often responded in single word answers and had a limited vocabulary and sentence structure to describe the characters and their actions, despite very good questioning techniques by the teachers. Few pupils are able to write at length and a high proportion of pupils has difficulty in structuring sentences and in using the expected range of punctuation. Pupils are beginning to use initial and final letter sounds to help them with their spelling of simple words. They have a limited range of vocabulary to use when writing. Most pupils in Year 2 make their letters of a consistent size when writing but many mix upper and lower

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ENGLISH

case letters. Many pupils read with appropriate accuracy and use a satisfactory range of strategies to recognise unknown words. They can talk about favourite parts of a story but their ability to give their views about characters and an underlying theme is limited by their poor control of spoken language.

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ENGLISH

92 In Year 6 pupils’ speaking skills continue to be weak. They listen attentively to the teachers and each other but their spoken vocabulary remains limited and their responses are often brief within the formal classroom environment. Many pupils read accurately and are able to use a contents page and index satisfactorily to support work in other subjects. Their knowledge and understanding of the library classification system are unsatisfactory for their ge. They have a limited knowledge of authors and have difficulty in expressing their reading preferences. Pupils are able to write for a range of purposes, such as stories, poems and play scripts. This was particularly evident during the inspection when pupils were writing and performing plays for puppets, which they had made. However, most pupils do not make consistently accurate use of punctuation, spelling and letter formation and joining.

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ENGLISH

93 The quality of teaching is good in Key Stage 1 and mainly satisfactory in Key Stage 2, with some that is very good. The quality of teaching is good in the Years 5 and 6 class, which shows marked improvement since the last inspection when it had some serious weaknesses. Teachers use questioning effectively to promote pupils’ thinking and encourage pupils to listen attentively. Sometimes they accept answers that are too brief and pupils are Oakhill Primary - Page 37 not expected to respond in detail. In Key Stage 1 on occasions over-emphasis on getting pupils to take turns in whole-class introductions slowed the pace of lessons and therefore pupils’ progress. In most lessons the final part of the session that involves the whole class, provides too few opportunities for pupils to talk independently about what they have been doing in order to develop their speaking skills. Too few activities, both within the literacy

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ENGLISH

hour and across the curriculum, have explicit planned objectives to develop pupils’ speaking to ensure that pupils make satisfactory progress in a range of different situations. Some good opportunities were given spontaneously for pupils to discuss in small groups, for example in religious education when pupils were discussing the feelings of Jewish children when involved in the Bar Mitzvah.

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ENGLISH

94 The teaching of reading is good in many respects. Teachers place emphasis on hearing pupils read regularly and recording progress through the reading schemes. This has a positive impact on the good progress that pupils make in reading accurately. In Key Stage 1 and in some classes in Key Stage 2 pupils are encouraged to take their books home to read but this approach is not consistent across Key Stage 2. The focus for guided reading within groups is not always explicit and assessment in this context is not used effectively enough to build fully on pupils’ appreciation of literature so that they do not make enough progress in this aspect of reading. In both key stages teachers use a good range of fiction and non-fiction texts which they read in an enthusiastic manner to motivate pupils. In Key Stage 1 pupils joined with the teachers in reading the story of ‘The Pizza Princess’ and showed increasing

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ENGLISH

recognition of the importance of the exclamation mark and bold print in conveying feelings. In Key Stage 2 pupils read their play scripts more expressively as a result of the teacher acting as very good role model.

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ENGLISH

95 All teachers give appropriate emphasis to the teaching of writing. In Key Stage 1 pupils make satisfactory progress in writing, with some progress being good within the literacy lessons. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ progress is satisfactory overall in this aspect of English, with much progress that is good in Years 5 and 6. Some teachers in both key stages provide a good range of opportunities across the curriculum for writing, such as science when pupils record their investigations. Others are too reliant on worksheets, and they limit pupils’ learning in ordering and expressing their ideas, particularly for the most able pupils. The approach to pupils planning and redrafting their work in Key Stage 2 is insufficiently systematic to ensure maximum progress. However, they are beginning to use the computer to edit their work. Marking in both key stages is thorough and positive but does not always

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ENGLISH

make clear to pupils what they have to do to improve their work. In all classes homework is given for pupils to learn spellings and this is helping pupils to focus on improving the accuracy of their written work.

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ENGLISH

96 The Literacy Framework has been introduced effectively and has a positive impact on pupils’ progress overall. Teachers plan carefully and lessons are well organised and purposeful. Pupils know what they have to do and use the time well as a result, although very occasionally the group work is too noisy in lower Key Stage 2. Relationships are good and teachers manage pupils very effectively so that behaviour is good and pupils concentrate and persevere to complete tasks, particularly when they have additional adult support. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory overall in Key Stage 2. They generally match work appropriately to the needs of individual pupils but sometimes expectations are too low, particularly of the most able and delivery of the lesson is a little slow. Teachers’ expectations are not sufficiently supported by systematic systems for assessing pupils’ work so that they do not have a clear picture of how to build on pupils’

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ENGLISH

progress over time through careful target setting. The very good level of classroom assistant support helps pupils with special educational needs to make satisfactory and sometimes better progress. Oakhill Primary - Page 38 97 The subject co-ordinator has supported the introduction of the Literacy Framework through an appropriate programme of staff training. She is knowledgeable and keen to develop the subject further. Satisfactory progress has been made with monitoring and evaluating the subject since the last inspection. The co-ordinator has made observations of teaching and learning and used them effectively to gain an overview of the provision. Good analysis has been undertaken of test and national test results. This very valuable information is not yet used enough to plan clear actions for improvement for each year. A programme of monitoring is planned for this educational year but the focus and the strategies are not yet

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ENGLISH

linked fully to intended targets for improvement and precise success criteria for learning and attainment. The co-ordinator has put in a place a good curricular programme based on the Literacy Framework to ensure coverage to meet the requirements. This is generally appropriately applied to the mixed age classes, although on occasions a few pupils in the older year group of Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6 need to be stretched more. There are agreed approaches to teaching most aspects of English but some of these are interpreted differently across the school and this needs to be addressed to ensure further development of the subject.

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ENGLISH

98 The previous report stated that there was a need for the school to improve the standards of attainment and rates of progress within the school but particularly in Years 5 and 6. From the evidence seen during this inspection the school has addressed these issues successfully and standards have shown a marked improvement at the end of Key Stage 2 and progress is satisfactory.

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MATHEMATICS

99 In the national tests over the last four years, pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has shown a steady improvement. It remained well below the national average in 1999 when the proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels was very low in comparison with the national average. In that year the pupil’s performance was below average when compared to similar schools. In 2000 standards were lower in mathematics because of the higher percentage of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. 100 The test results record the most marked improvement at the end of Key Stage 2. At the time of the last inspection report in 1998 only 13 per cent of pupils achieved the national standard, whilst in 2000 50 per cent of pupils achieved the national average with, for the first time, five per cent achieving standards above the national average. In 1999 the attainment of pupils in relation to the national average was very low and no pupils achieved the higher

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MATHEMATICS

levels. Pupils’ performance was well below average when compared to similar schools. 101 Overall, progress is judged to be satisfactory due in part to the implementation of the numeracy hour and the quality of the teaching, which, during the inspection, showed some very good features. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress overall. Within the Years 3 to 6 special needs class the good teaching combined with the very good level of classroom assistant support helps to ensure that the pupils are able to often make good progress. 102 By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in mathematics is below the level expected for their age. The majority of the pupils are beginning to develop a secure understanding of basic skills and solve problems with money using coins up to £1. They learn to add and subtract using tens and units and can count on and back using a number line. However, they are not secure in their understanding of place value and this is recognised

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MATHEMATICS

within Key Stage 2 where appropriate emphasis is given to reinforcing this aspect of mathematics. Pupils are beginning to understand the language of mathematics and for Oakhill Primary - Page 39 example, they double and halve numbers and use signs for greater and less than. Pupils have a sound knowledge of shape and measurement and they recognise and identify the properties of two and three-dimensional shapes. Within Year 2, pupils are developing their understanding of time, using analogue and digital clocks and are often able to tell the time in quarter, half- hours and hours. Pupils are also beginning to use information technology to support their work within the field of mathematics. 103 By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is well below average in lessons seen. They use their knowledge and skills satisfactorily to solve problems. They are generally developing a sound understanding of place value and are competent in using the four rules.

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MATHEMATICS

Although their ability to calculate mentally is developing, it remains unsatisfactory. When challenged, the pupils take far too long to provide the required answer. Pupils have a basic knowledge of fractions, using the terms numerator and denominator with understanding, are able to order fractions and find their equivalent, and change improper fractions to mixed numbers. Lower attaining pupils who are taught within a special needs designated class in Key Stage 2 are still not secure in the basic skills of addition and subtraction and the class teacher is giving significant emphasis to this area of their work. 104 Pupils have a sound knowledge of space and shape. Although only limited evidence of data handling is found in pupils’ books or on the walls, pupils in a history lesson demonstrated their good skills in reading graphs and charts. They are very competent in accessing mathematical programmes on the classroom computers and the challenging

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MATHEMATICS

assignments available to the pupils are valuable aids to the work being undertaken. 105 The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory overall, with some very good teaching observed in the Year 1 class. Teachers have good subject knowledge, good classroom management skills and use resources well to support the work. Lessons are planned well and basic skills are taught effectively based on the National Numeracy Strategy. There is, however, a lack of pace in the introduction to the lessons and pupils are not always challenged sufficiently by the mental activities being provided. The plenary session makes a significant contribution to reinforcing pupils’ understanding of their work. The pupils have a very positive attitude towards mathematics, make considerable effort and are keen to succeed. They are willing to answer questions and enjoy practical activities in which they often support each other. Classroom assistants are well briefed and the valuable contribution they make to

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MATHEMATICS

pupils’ learning is one of the strengths within the teaching of mathematics. 106 The quality of teaching within Key Stage 2 is also satisfactory overall with some elements of good practice observed in all classes. The standard of teaching within the Years 5 and 6 class is never less than satisfactory. This shows a marked improvement since the last inspection when teaching within this class had some serious weaknesses. The quality of learning in individual lessons varies in direct relation to the differences in the quality of teaching. Learning is most successful in lessons where planning is clear, tasks are purposeful for all pupils at all levels of attainment and the pace of the lesson is brisk. In the more successful lessons at the lower end of the key stage the pace at which the curriculum is delivered is crisp and challenging. Unfortunately, some lessons lack pace which results in some pupils, especially the more able, being under challenged. Standards of behaviour are

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MATHEMATICS

high in lessons as a result of very effective management of pupils. Homework is regularly set for pupils and is beginning to have a positive effect on pupils’ learning of multiplication tables. 107 Assessment for mathematics is under developed. Pupils’ progress in national and school based assessment tests are analysed and the results used to set targets for the pupils to achieve as a year group. However, individual pupils are not set targets to work towards. The overall management of the subject is strong and the teaching of mathematics has shown a significant improvement since the last inspection. Oakhill Primary - Page 40 108 The previous report indicated that there was a need for the school to improve the standards of attainment and rates of progress within the school. From the evidence seen during this inspection, the school has addressed these issues successfully and standards have shown a marked improvement and progress is satisfactory. However, pupils’ mental agility is

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MATHEMATICS

not yet developed fully enough because the pace in the delivery of the lesson is not always brisk enough and the working rate of the pupils throughout the school is often too slow. 109 The setting of short-term targets for pupils has been less successfully addressed. The pupils are not always clear what is expected of them and what targets they are to attempt to meet.

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SCIENCE

110 The results of statutory teacher assessment in 1999 show that overall attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 was well below the national average, and below average in comparison with pupils from similar backgrounds. No pupils achieved the higher Level 3. Pupils’ attainment in these assessments has been very similar over the last four years, with standards being lower in 2000 due to a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs. In the statutory assessment in 1999 pupils’ performance in Life and Living Processes and Materials and their Properties was well above average, in contrast to performance in Investigative and Experimental Science and Physical Processes which was well below average. Overall performance at the end of Key Stage 1 in the lessons seen and work scrutinised is below what is expected nationally.

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SCIENCE

111 In Key Stage 1 the rate of progress in learning is satisfactory in their acquisition of knowledge and in their understanding of Life and Living Processes and in Materials and their Properties. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils know the names of common animals and can identify the main stages of life cycles. They can sort living things into broad groups such as plants and animals, and they know the difference between living and non-living things. By the end of the key stage pupils can identify the main parts of a flower, such as stem, root, petal and leaves, and they are developing their understanding of forces by identifying pushing and pulling actions. Pupils know the difference between man-made and natural materials. Pupils do not improve their skills sufficiently in investigative and experimental science. The more able pupils are not always challenged sufficiently to enable them to progress and

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SCIENCE

achieve higher standards. This is largely due to the over-prescription of worksheets which limit pupils’ response and which do not always provide sufficient challenge.

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SCIENCE

112 At the end of Key Stage 2 the results of the national tests in 1999 show that attainment was well below the national average. The percentage of pupils achieving the expected Level 4 was average compared with pupils from similar backgrounds; it was below average with respect to attainment at the higher Level 5. The trend over the last three years has been upwards, and there has been a marked rise in standards. In 1996 only seven per cent of pupils attained the expected level and in the most recent test results in 2000 59 per cent reached the national expectation. The school has also been successful in improving significantly the number of pupils gaining at least Level 3. In 1996, 39% of pupils achieved less than Level 3, compared with only 7% in 1999.

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SCIENCE

113 The attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 observed during the inspection was well below what is expected nationally for the pupils’ age and below that found in similar schools. The rate of progress in learning is satisfactory in relation to the acquisition of knowledge but is unsatisfactory in experimental and investigative science. In the early part of Key Stage 2 pupils learn how to make simple electrical circuits, they learn about sources of light and the Oakhill Primary - Page 41 way light travels, and extend their knowledge of magnetism by identifying magnetic and non- magnetic materials. Pupils can identify the conditions that a plant needs to be able to grow and they extend their knowledge of living things. Some of the work in the early part of Key Stage 2 is untidy and poorly presented; some pupils’ written work lacks precision and rigour. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils can name the main organs in their body and can explain the

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SCIENCE

function of the heart. They know how to make circuits and more able pupils are developing an understanding of resistors. Pupils increase their knowledge and understanding of scientific vocabulary satisfactorily and their written explanations increase in quality and quantity. The link, however, is not always made between cause and effect. There is also little evidence of pupils’ learning in experimental and investigative science. They do not make sufficient progress in interpreting information presented in graphs or in presenting findings accurately in graph form. There is little evidence of pupils increasing their understanding of the principles of fair testing or devising an experiment, predicting the outcome and comparing and analysing their results.

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SCIENCE

114 Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress, and teachers modify work appropriately to support them. During the week of the inspection pupils were observed being supported well by the effective deployment of teaching assistants, who made valuable contributions to pupils’ learning.

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SCIENCE

115 Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to science. They listen carefully to instructions and most make appropriate contributions during discussions. Pupils value each other’s answers and when working within groups or pairs, they share tasks well and take good care of resources. During the week of the inspection behaviour was never less than satisfactory.

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SCIENCE

116 In addition to the teaching observed judgements have been made on the basis of analysis of pupils’ work, discussions with teachers and pupils and the examination of planning documents. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages, and two lessons observed during the inspection week were judged to be good, one in each key stage. Lessons were characterised by effective questioning, good management of pupils and effective use of resources, including the use of support time from classroom assistants. Resources were appropriate to the learning objectives and the age and maturity of pupils. Teachers, however, do not always pay sufficient attention to pupils’ prior learning, and as a consequence there is some insufficient challenge for the most able pupils. Worksheets are used extensively at Key Stage 1, many of which limit pupils’ response and provide insufficient challenge for the higher attaining pupils. Pupils’ work is marked regularly,

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SCIENCE

although teachers do not consistently provide clear written guidance and set targets for pupils to make progress in their learning.

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SCIENCE

117 A policy for science and an appropriate scheme of work based on the nationally published exemplar scheme of work are in place. The scheme provides a good basis upon which teachers can plan their weekly lessons. At present a two-year rolling programme operates for pupils in Years 3 and 4, and pupils in Years 5 and 6. Consideration needs to be given to ensuring that the older pupils in these mixed-age classes are challenged sufficiently and work is set according to prior attainment. The statutory requirements for assessment at Key Stages 1 and 2 are met. However, assessment is at an early stage of development; an issue recognised already by the school. Scrutiny of planning reveals that at present teachers do not identify how they are going to assess what children have learned. The headteacher and members of Local Authority advisory staff have monitored and evaluated lessons and this has been supportive and effective in improving the quality of teaching. In addition, the

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SCIENCE

headteacher analyses the results of the Key Stage 2 national tests to identify strengths and weaknesses. Oakhill Primary - Page 42 118 The school is effective in promoting literacy through science, by the use of high quality information books. Pupils are encouraged to read texts along with the teacher, and this ‘shared reading’ model was observed taking pace in science during the week of the inspection. The school has very good resources for promoting literacy through science, and high quality ‘big books’ are used well to promote pupils’ reading of non-fiction texts.

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SCIENCE

119 Resources are mainly satisfactory, but there are insufficient good quality microscopes. A conservation area is available in the school grounds. However, the potential of this is at present under-developed and its location makes it difficult for pupils to undertake independent work.

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SCIENCE

120 Since the previous inspection standards have improved considerably in Key Stages 1 and 2. The overall quality of teaching has remained the same. However, there is less variation in the quality of teaching and no unsatisfactory teaching was observed during this inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

121 Judgements about art are based on observations of the three lessons that took place during the days of the inspection and from past work that had been retained for scrutiny or was displayed around the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

122 In Year 1 pupils made good progress with printing within the lesson and were able to print with a range of large shapes with increasing precision. Their attainment was appropriate for their age. In Year 2 pupils had worked for several lessons on drawing self-portraits, starting with pencil sketching and progressing to using paint. They made good progress in their observational skills over this period of time, and within the lesson they improved their ability to mix colours to create lighter and darker shades. The higher attaining pupils showed a good sense of proportion when drawing and were able to mix colours with some accuracy to match their observations of themselves. The lowest attaining pupils made good progress in paint mixing skills but drew and painted mainly from their imagination. However, overall the pupils demonstrated satisfactory control of the paint and brush. This indicates good progress

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ART AND DESIGN

from when pupils enter the school with creative skills that are well below average.

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ART AND DESIGN

123 Pupils’ attainment in Year 6 is in line with national expectations overall. However, attainment is sometimes unsatisfactory in lower Key Stage 2. In Year 6 pupils made good progress in the lesson with using thumb pots and slab and coil techniques when using clay. Their attainment was in line with what is expected nationally in this aspect of their work. In work displayed, they showed a good ability to draw shoes from close observation, with good use of shading to convey texture and tone, inspired by the work of Van Gogh. In Years 3 and 4 pupils’ progress and attainment in past work were more variable. In one task, progress in colour mixing was just satisfactory in an unchallenging activity, which involved all pupils painting the same outline shape. Progress overall in Key Stage 2 was satisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

124 The quality of teaching was good in the lessons seen in both Key Stage 1 and 2. Teachers have good subject knowledge, which they use well to plan carefully what pupils are to gain from lessons in terms of their skills, knowledge and understanding. They demonstrate skills effectively so that the pupils have a good role model from which to learn. Lessons are well structured and purposeful so that pupils work at a good pace. Occasionally, the whole- class introduction is too slow when the teacher spends too much time emphasising the need to take turns in discussion. Teachers plan resources well and enable pupils to make choices and decisions in their learning. In Year 2 and Year 6 the teachers build on the pupils’ learning Oakhill Primary - Page 43 over a series of lessons and use questioning very skilfully to promote reflection, observation and the development of opinions and ideas. This results in some good progress within the

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ART AND DESIGN

lesson and over time. In all lessons seen discussion with the class and individual pupils helped them to know how to improve their work. Teachers manage pupils effectively so that they listen attentively to explanations and concentrate and behave well when working individually. They promote very positive pupil attitudes to the subject. By valuing pupils’ contributions, they encourage confidence and an enthusiasm for learning. They make good use of teaching assistants to support pupils when they work individually. Teachers make good links with other subjects so that art supports the development of history when pupils make and design pots in the style of the Ancient Greeks and literacy and numeracy when pupils use a non-fiction book to find mathematical shapes for printing.

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ART AND DESIGN

125 The quality of provision and standards of attainment in the subject have been maintained since the last inspection. The pupils have access to an appropriate range of experiences and in some classes these are appropriately challenging and of good quality. The school has recently introduced the nationally produced scheme of work for art which should help to ensure that all pupils in the same year group have access to a similar curriculum. However, at present the quality of the experiences that the pupils have varies across the classes and does not always build sufficiently on pupils’ skills from year to year, particularly in the lower part of Key Stage 2. This is due to variation in teachers’ subject knowledge and understanding of what is required in the curriculum and to insufficient assessment of pupils’ progress to inform teachers’ planning for their needs. Sketchbooks are used well in some

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ART AND DESIGN

classes to build up pupils’ skills and as a means of assessment, but their use is inconsistent. The curriculum co-ordinator is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic but is not yet sharing this expertise sufficiently with other staff. Opportunities are planned for monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning during this educational year but specific strategies for analysing and reporting findings are not yet in place. Some monitoring of planning has been undertaken but as yet has not been related to a planned focus. Resources are satisfactory to support the range of activities in the curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126 During the week of the inspection it was only possible to observe one design and technology lesson. There is therefore insufficient evidence upon which to make soundly based judgements about attainment at the end of each key stage, or about the quality of teaching in design and technology. The following judgements have been made on the basis of observations of work displayed in the school, discussions with teachers and pupils, and observations from photographs of work across the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

127 Pupils in Key Stage 1 use construction kits to make simple models. They make simple moving mechanisms with card, such as animals with moving parts. Younger pupils make stitching patterns on card and paper using wool. Pupils develop their skills satisfactorily with fabric by making simple sock puppets and decorating these using stitching and collage techniques. They develop their ability to manipulate materials such as card and improve their techniques of cutting and sticking.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

128 Pupils in Key Stage 2 use a wider range of construction kits to build more complex models. The use of these kits was demonstrated by a display of fairground models with moving parts. When pupils made puppets to use in a puppet show, this was a good example of a cross-curricular project and gave pupils the opportunity to develop their speaking and listening skills. However, the puppets made by many pupils were not well finished and showed that their skills in finishing were weak. Pupils make models from card with simple Oakhill Primary - Page 44 moving mechanisms, which are then painted. During the week of the inspection pupils in Years 3 and 4 were given the opportunity to design a light for a particular purpose. The work undertaken by these pupils shows weaknesses in their understanding of the design process and their knowledge of the properties of materials. As a result, some pupils produced designs

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

with little understanding of how their design might be made into a finished model and with little knowledge or understanding of how they might cut or fix pieces together.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

129 There was little evidence of pupils’ work in design and evaluation and the examples of work seen during the week of the inspection were of poor quality and progress was unsatisfactory overall in both key stages. Pupils’ designs were sometimes no more than pictures showing what their models would look like, and they lacked precision and accuracy. There is little evidence of pupils using a wider range of materials such as wood and rigid materials, and this aspect of design and technology is under-developed. In the one lesson observed during the week of the inspection pupils behaved well and displayed positive attitudes to their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

130 Resources for design and technology are satisfactory and the school has recently increased its range and quality of construction kits. There is a policy for design and technology and the school is currently using a nationally published exemplar scheme of work, which provides a useful basis for teachers’ planning. The co-ordinator has produced an action plan for design and technology which outlines planned future developments. She acknowledges that monitoring and evaluation and assessment are in an early stage of development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

131 At the time of the last inspection the design element of the subject was found to a weaker aspect of the programme of work. There has been no change to this position and both design and evaluation are weak in the school. The potential for links with information technology control remains under-developed. However, the co-ordinator has plans to develop this aspect of the subject. In the previous inspection inspectors found there to be no clear demarcation between art and design and design and technology which share timetable time. There has been insufficient improvement in this and the distinction between art and design and design and technology is not well defined. However, the implementation of a scheme of work for the subject is a positive move and sets out clearly the skills and aspects to be covered within each unit of work.

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GEOGRAPHY

132 No lessons were observed during the inspection because geography was not the subject focus for this half term. It is not possible to make an overall judgement regarding standards because the scrutiny of work and planning did not provide sufficient evidence. 133 Resources within the school for the delivery of the curriculum are good and effective use is made of visits to locations outside the school as well as visitors to the school. The co- ordinator is knowledgeable about the subject and is in the process of developing a whole- school curriculum document to ensure coverage of the curriculum without repetition in the mixed-age classes. 134 In discussion with pupils it is clear that they have a great deal of interest in this curriculum area and are enthusiastic about the work they have undertaken in the previous year. Oakhill Primary - Page 45

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HISTORY

135 In both key stages pupils make satisfactory progress in their learning and attain standards similar to those expected nationally for pupils of their age. Most pupils make satisfactory progress in the acquisition of historical knowledge and in developing a sense of chronology but their enquiry skills are under-developed. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress during lessons in the range and depth of their knowledge and understanding. 136 By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils are developing an understanding of chronology, in part through studying the lives of well-known people such as Samuel Pepys and Guy Fawkes, and they can recall and explain incidents such as the Fire of London and the Gunpowder Plot. In Year 1, a good collection of artefacts is used successfully to encourage pupils to understand how life has changed over a period of time and how, although there are many differences, many similarities are to be found. In Year 2, good use is made of the pupils’ own

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HISTORY

holiday experiences to compare and contrast the holiday activities of the Victorians with those of their own. 137 By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils are aware of how sources of evidence inform them of the past and they use photographs, maps and pictures to find out about the life and culture of the Aztecs and the Ancient Greek civilisation. Pupils in Year 6 are able to use information and communication technology to help them to gather information for their areas of study. They also make good use of the library to research information on their topics. The value of this research work is seen in the lower Key Stage 2 class where, after a period of information seeking in books, the pupils share the results of their activities. This results in a high level of interest being shown by the pupils and in an increased understanding of the historical period being studied. 138 The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages. Teachers’ subject

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HISTORY

knowledge is secure. In most lessons there is good use of questioning about previous work and good use of resources such as literature, pictures and artefacts. A scrutiny of pupils’ completed work shows a reliance on worksheets and this, in most classes, restricts the opportunities to conduct independent research. 139 The school makes good use of educational visits and historical actors to help develop pupils’ historical understanding. Resources in the subject are good. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and keen to develop this curriculum area. A detailed scheme of work and a curriculum map are in place to ensure complete coverage of the programmes of study. The school needs to revisit this curriculum map and consider the coverage in relation to the mixed-age classes, for unless there is an adjustment to the proposed delivered curriculum, some pupils will be repeating work. 140 Standards of attainment in Key Stage 2 show an improvement since the last

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HISTORY

inspection. This is the result of the school focusing on the development of historical skills and the recording of work, especially in Years 5 and 6.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141 Only one direct teaching lesson was observed during the week of the inspection. However, the scrutiny of pupils’ work, displays and discussion with pupils and teachers allows judgements to be made. By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment in information technology is in line with what is expected nationally for their ages. Oakhill Primary - Page 46 142 Pupils in Year 1 have knowledge of parts of the computer and can use wordbooks to help them to produce sentences in the form of a letter. They can create pictures successfully by highlighting and dragging icons. Within Year 2 the work is being developed, with pupils beginning to become confident in using the space bar and return when developing text. They are confident in using the program ‘Phonics Alive’ and read along with the program shown. The more able pupils are able to use the return and delete bar, shut down the computer and log on. They double click to close a programme.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143 In Key Stage 2 pupils continue to make satisfactory progress. In Years 3 and 4 the pupils learn how to send e-mails within the school and they have knowledge of the Internet. This is an aspect of information and communication technology that is under-developed for the school has not yet started to access the resources available on the Internet. Throughout Key Stage 2 pupils are using a mathematics program independently to improve their skills in number work. In the Year 3 and 4 class the use of information and communication technology, in combination with mathematics, provides the pupils with the opportunity to re- enforce their knowledge of shapes by using the Roamer World program to produce commands on the screen as well as controlling and instructing the Roamer. The pupils are also able to use text and graphics to produce mathematics folders. Pupils in the older classes are able to access programs to help them research for their studies of the Romans and Greeks.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

They are confident in accessing and using the computers to record information and data and are able to produce graphs. The progress that pupils make in handling data is unsatisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

144 The teaching of information and communication technology is satisfactory overall in both key stages, with some good features. Most pupils make at least satisfactory progress in their learning skills and this progress is better where teachers are more confident in their subject knowledge and where work is closely matched to the needs of the pupils 145 All pupils show interest in information and communication technology. They demonstrate obvious enjoyment when accessing the equipment and they work collaboratively; supporting each other and taking turns. Within the older classes pupils access the programs as a standard activity, which has already become part of their learning opportunities. Teachers’ planning provides clear objectives for what pupils are learn in lessons and due attention is paid to the development of skills. The use of day-to-day assessment and the recording of pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory and teachers tend to make an assessment of the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

work covered rather than pupils’ understanding. 146 The school is benefiting from the commitment of the staff in using their own time to undertake an initial five-day training course and in continuing with this training throughout the school year. A pool of interested and qualified teachers is available on the staff as a valuable resource to help develop information and communication technology. In the near future pupils will have access to a new computer suite of ten new machines. The school is very well placed to develop this curriculum area.

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MUSIC

147 During the week of the inspection, it was only possible to see a small number of lessons of music being taught. The judgements made are therefore based on these observations, discussions with teachers and pupils and scrutiny of work.

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MUSIC

148 Attainment in music in Key Stage 1 is in line with national expectations for pupils of this age and pupils make good progress. Pupils know a number of songs by heart, and with support can maintain the pitch without accompaniment. They know the names of simple percussion instruments such as maracas, tambourine, triangle and drum, and know how to play these. Pupils can perform simple actions to accompany songs and some are able to keep Oakhill Primary - Page 47 a steady beat with these. They can identify different recorded sounds and are developing their ability to describe these sounds. Pupils know how to produce a range of sounds on instruments by changing the way they tap or shake them, and are developing their ability to control sounds. The opportunities provided for pupils to describe sounds and listen carefully makes a good contribution towards developing speaking and listening skills.

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MUSIC

149 Attainment in Key Stage 2 is appropriate for pupils of this age. However, there is evidence to indicate that standards are rising because of the good progress that pupils make in lessons due to the specialist teaching arrangements that are now in place. Pupils in Key Stage 2 sing confidently and tunefully, and they know a wider range of songs. They can improvise simple rhythms and they are developing a wider range of musical terms and concepts such as dynamics, beat and rhythm. Pupils can clap a repeated rhythm and maintain a steady pulse, and some are able to read simple rhythmic notation, including rests. Attainment of pupils in a special vocal group that meets each week is very good, and the provision of specialist teaching for this group makes a very good contribution to the standard of singing. Pupils in this group sing very tunefully and can sustain a simple two-part song.

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MUSIC

150 Pupils’ attitudes to music are good. They enjoy singing and talk with enthusiasm about the introduction of visiting teachers to the school. Pupils behave well in lessons and use instruments with care and respect.

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MUSIC

151 The small amount of teaching observed during the week of the inspection was very good. This teaching was characterised by very good management of pupils, briskness of pace and enthusiastic delivery. In one lesson in Key Stage 2, a teacher with very good subject knowledge was able to extend pupils’ knowledge of rhythm effectively with the introduction of ostinato patterns. The school has recently reviewed the teaching arrangements for Key Stage 2 and a teacher in the school with musical expertise is now teaching music to a number of classes. This teacher’s musical expertise and enthusiasm are having a very positive effect on the standards of music in the school. The school has visiting specialist teachers in singing, brass and strings and these also make a very positive contribution to the provision and standards. There is good provision for extra-curricular activities by way of a recently set up

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MUSIC

school orchestra and a dance and music group, both of which meet weekly. The school also participates successfully in dance and music festivals involving neighbouring schools.

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MUSIC

152 The resources for teaching music are satisfactory. However there are gaps in the provision of ethnic instruments and recorded music, and the quality and range of tuned percussion instruments could be improved.

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MUSIC

153 The school has adopted a published scheme for music and this provides a good basis for teachers’ planning. Since the time of the last inspection standards have remained satisfactory. However, the appointment of a teacher with musical expertise, and the additional specialist teaching provided by the Local Authority is having a very positive impact in the school, and indications are that standards are rising.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154 Lessons were observed in dance and games in Key Stages 1 and 2 and therefore judgements are made about attainment, progress and the quality of teaching and learning in these aspects of physical education. It was not possible to observe pupils swimming because of timetable arrangements. Oakhill Primary - Page 48 155 Pupils’ attainment in physical education in Year 2 is in line with what is expected for their age. They are able to throw and catch a ball appropriately. They are beginning to understand that they need to jump high to intercept a ball. In dance pupils are able to communicate their ideas well for their age when working in pairs to move like a tortoise. They are able to observe and copy each other and give their opinions about the work of others. They express themselves creatively in response to the music of 'The Carnival of the Animals'. Pupils show some awareness of the effect of exercise on their bodies when they

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156 In Years 3 and 4 in dance, pupils build on previous work effectively and practise and repeat simple routines to a good standard for their age. They respond to the stimuli of music and simple rhymes. No dance lessons were observed in upper Key Stage 2.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

157 In Years 5 and 6 pupils’ attainment in games is unsatisfactory. They demonstrate satisfactory skills when dribbling and passing with a hockey stick on a hard surface. Their understanding and use of attacking and defending skills are unsatisfactory. They are aware of the need to warm up and down before and after physical activity.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

158 The quality of teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 in dance was good or very good in the two lessons seen. Teachers had good subject knowledge and planned and prepared lessons carefully so that activities built on pupils’ previous learning and were appropriately challenging. They used the vocabulary of dance effectively, such as unison and transference of weight. Pupils were encouraged to evaluate their work and the teachers made clear to them how they needed to improve their performance. Lessons had a good pace and pupils were active throughout the session. These teaching strategies ensured that the pupils made good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

159 The quality of teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 was satisfactory overall in games, with some lessons having weaker features. The strong features of this teaching were emphasis on the teaching of skills by demonstration and explanation given regularly to the whole class or to individual pupils. In this respect pupils were enabled to make satisfactory progress with aiming, throwing and striking a ball with a hockey stick. However, there was lack of clarity in the planning of lessons which led to pupils not always building on their experiences enough. For example, pupils were sometimes asked to move on from practising individually to defending and attacking in a large group, without the opportunity to practise passing in small groups. As a result, the pace of the lesson slowed and pupils made unsatisfactory progress in this part of the lesson. Generally, in these lessons pupils have too few opportunities to apply their skills to small games activities that involve collaboration.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

160 Teachers’ management of pupils is good overall and consequently pupils behave well and co-operate effectively with the teacher and each other. They are willing to practise and have positive attitudes to the subject. Teachers make good use of adult support, where it is available, to maintain pupils’ level of activity. Parental support for pupils with special educational needs assists these pupils to make satisfactory progress in games skills. Teachers act as good role models for pupils when they change their clothing for physical education. However, a significant number of pupils dress inappropriately for games lessons and this sometimes limits their physical activity. Despite regular reminders from the teachers, some pupils frequently miss lessons because they do not bring suitable footwear.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

161 The quality of the provision and the standards of attainment in the subject have been largely maintained since the last inspection. Pupils have access to an appropriately broad curriculum, with all required aspects being covered. Residential visits are organised to ensure that pupils in Key Stage 2 have opportunities for outdoor pursuits. Pupils have the opportunity to participate in competitive sport with other schools, such as athletics within the Oakhill Primary - Page 49 local area. The school has recently introduced the new nationally produced scheme of work for physical education but at present the quality of the experiences that the pupils have varies across the classes and does not always build sufficiently on pupils’ skills from year to year, particularly in upper Key Stage 2. There is considerable variation in teachers’ subject knowledge and expertise is not yet shared sufficiently. This is particularly evident when all

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Key Stage 2 pupils have games at the same time and yet pupils from the same year group have different programmes of work. Assessment of pupils’ progress is not used systematically to help teachers when planning for pupils’ learning needs.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

162 The curriculum co-ordinator is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and is keen to promote the subject. Opportunities are planned for monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning during this educational year but specific strategies for analysing and reporting findings are not yet in place. Some monitoring of planning has been undertaken but as yet has not been related to a planned focus. Resources are good to support the range of activities in the curriculum.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

163 During the week of the inspection it was not possible to observe teaching at Key Stage 1. Judgements about standards are therefore based on scrutiny of pupils’ work and photographs of religious education activities. By the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils attainment is satisfactory in religious education in relation to the requirements of the locally Agreed Syllabus. They make satisfactory progress overall.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

164 In Key Stage 1 pupils are gaining an understanding of the life of Jesus through important events such as the nativity. They increase their knowledge satisfactorily of some of the important celebrations recognised in major faiths including Hanukka and Harvest. In Year 2 pupils’ work extends to learning about The Creation and a wider range of religious stories such as Rama and Sita.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

165 During Key Stage 2 pupils extend their knowledge of the life of Jesus and the work of the disciples. They know about the significant factors in major religions adopted for study by the school – Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Pupils also develop their ability to reflect upon their own feelings and explain why they feel as they do.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

166 The quality of teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Teachers use appropriate organisation and plan lessons based on the school’s scheme of work. Classes are managed effectively and questioning is used well to introduce lessons and remind the pupils of prior learning. A lesson on ‘rules’ with a class in Year 6 was used successfully to promote the importance of living in society and the need for rules.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

167 Pupils respond well in lessons and their behaviour is generally good. They usually listen well, share resources sensibly and show respect for the opinions of others.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

168 Religious education makes a good contribution to the promotion of social and moral values in the school. During the week of the inspection the theme of belonging was promoted well through assemblies and religious education lessons, and pupils were encouraged to feel part of the school community and recognise the benefits and responsibilities that go with belonging to a community. Oakhill Primary - Page 50 169 The resources for the subject are satisfactory in range and quantity and there are some good quality artefacts to support the teaching of different religions. The school makes good use of visitors from the community and regular visits are undertaken to churches in the local area. These make a good contribution to the teaching of religious education in the school. The co-ordinator has developed a scheme of work which provides a good basis for teachers’ planning, and ensures that the curriculum meets requirements. The co-ordinator has produced

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

a policy and an action plan that sets out planned developments for the subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

170 At the time of the last inspection inspectors found the implementation of the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education to be weak and the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning to be insufficient. The school has made good progress in addressing the weakness in the curriculum provision and the syllabus is now fully in place supported by a scheme of work. Satisfactory progress has been made with monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning, which remains in an early stage of development.

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