Tewin Cowper Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

TEWIN

Reporting inspector: Mr. P. R. Sudworth - 2700

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TEWIN

Dates of inspection: December 11 th -12 th , 2000

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TEWIN

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

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TEWIN

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. Tewin Cowper Primary - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cannons Meadow, Tewin, Herts Postcode: AL6 0JU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs G Forrest

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November, 1996 Tewin Cowper Primary - 4

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Team members

NES Education Services Ltd Linden House, Woodland Way, Gosfield, Halstead, Essex CO9 1TH

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Team members

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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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Tewin Cowper Primary - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The particularly good educational provision in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1;

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The leadership and management of the school, including the work of the Governing Body;

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

Pupils’ attitudes and their personal development;

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The partnership between the school and its parents, their practical support and the support for their children’s learning.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 14

The science curriculum for mixed-age classes; The development of ICT skills; The consistency of expectations in pupils’ recorded work; The use of space in the hall; Individual education plans are not reviewed on time in every case.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Tewin Cowper Primary school is situated in the centre of the village of Tewin in Hertfordshire and serves the surrounding rural area of mainly private housing. It caters for girls and boys aged 4-11 years, almost all of white European origin, and has 121 pupils on roll, smaller than the average primary school. The number on roll has remained stable over recent years. Two pupils, (1.7 per cent), well below the national average, are eligible for free school meals. Twenty-five pupils, (21 per cent), about the national average, are on the special educational needs register, of whom eight are on the later stages of assessment. Two pupils are bilingual but speak English fluently. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Tewin Cowper Primary School is a good school. The leadership and management of the school are very good. Standards of work are particularly good in English, mathematics and science in both key stages. Pupils are polite and their personal development is good. They enjoy their work and have good attitudes to it. The quality of teaching is good. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The high standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages; • The particularly good educational provision in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1; • The very good leadership and management of the school, including the work of the Governing Body; • Pupils’ very positive attitudes and their very good personal development; • The strong partnership between the school and its parents, their practical support and the support for their children’s learning.

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What could be improved

• The science curriculum for mixed-age classes; • The development of information and communication technology skills; • The consistency of expectations in pupils’ recorded work; • The use of space in the hall; • Individual education plans which are not reviewed on time in every case.

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What could be improved

The above aspects for improvement are fairly minor issues because modifications can be made speedily in most cases. Nevertheless, the areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. The school has been reminded verbally to log its fire drill practices. The school’s strengths far outweigh the minor adjustments required for improvement. Tewin Cowper Primary - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in November 1996. The school has made very good progress in addressing the issues raised in the previous report. Standards have improved in mathematics in both key stages and are now well above average. Standards in English and science have improved throughout the school from above to well above average. Subject co-ordinators take a more pro-active role in monitoring standards of teaching and learning and the Governing Body is much better informed. It has a good knowledge of the school’s work through the visits which governors make to the school. Teachers have much better systems to assess and monitor pupils’ progress. Hall space is still restricted by tables, chairs and musical equipment, which affects the quality of the internal provision for physical education.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: All schools Similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English A B A A Well above average Above average A B

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STANDARDS

Mathematics A A C D Average Below average C D

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STANDARDS

The comparatively small number of pupils in Year 6 means that results are not always statistically significant because the performance of any one pupil can sway the overall result to a greater than usual extent. Observations of lessons and scrutiny of work during the inspection shows that pupils’ standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages are very good. Standards have improved in mathematics in both key stages and are now well above average. A significant number of pupils in both Years 2 and 6 is in line to obtain the higher levels in national tests in all three core subjects at the end of the academic year. Time limits in the short inspection did not permit the inspection team to make firm judgements in the other subjects. However, scrutiny of recorded work did not reveal any weaknesses and good work was seen in religious education and history. Some good design and technology work was observed in lessons in Key Stage 1 and groups of

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STANDARDS

Years 5 and 6 pupils performed their own musical compositions to a good standard in an assembly. The school met its targets in the national tests in 2000. Tewin Cowper Primary - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very good attitudes to their work. They show a keen interest and a quiet excitement in their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour is very good. They are well mannered and courteous. They behave well around the school and at playtimes.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils are mature and sensible. They undertake any responsibility seriously and conscientiously. They relate well to one another and to their teachers.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Above the national average.

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

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

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

The teaching of English and mathematics lessons observed during the inspection was good overall. All teachers have good relationships with their pupils. Lessons are well structured and sufficient time is given to allow pupils to take up the good level of challenge which lessons frequently offer. Teachers give an appropriate amount of time to the different subjects of the curriculum, ensuring that pupils have a broad range of experiences. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 is a particular strength but work is well planned throughout the school and usually matches the pupils’ capabilities. As a result, they make good progress. Effective arrangements are made for those who have special educational needs. Overall, 96 per cent of lessons were satisfactory or better, 46 per cent very good or better and only one lesson was unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Pupils experience a broad range of activities and there is a good balance between the more practical subjects and those which require a greater amount of written recording.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Effective arrangements are made for pupils with special needs and they are well supported. Tewin Cowper Primary - 9 Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Not applicable.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Overall provision is very good. It is very good for their spiritual, moral and social development and good for their cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils are well cared for. Record keeping of pupils’ progress is generally strong but could be developed further in information and communication technology. Good observations and comments are often made on pupils’ workbooks and individual portfolios help to track pupils’ progress in an imaginative way.

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Aspect Comment

The school fulfils statutory requirements with regard to the curriculum. Pupils have appropriate opportunities for extra-curricular activities. Parents are very supportive of the school and of their children’s progress

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The new headteacher has settled in well and is leading the school to very good effect. Other colleagues are very supportive, fulfil their individual responsibilities effectively and contribute to the good teamwork.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The Governing Body has good expertise and manages its affairs very well. It is very involved in the school’s work.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has good systems to monitor its progress. It analyses test results carefully. It reviews frequently the progress it is making on its priorities for development.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school carefully costs its priorities and monitors its spending regularly. Any specific grants are used for their intended purposes. The school applies the principles of best value. The school provides good value for money. Tewin Cowper Primary - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school and make good progress; • The teaching is good and they are kept well informed about their children’s progress; • The school works closely with parents and they feel comfortable about approaching the school with any concerns; • Pupils’ behaviour is good and the children are being helped to become mature and responsible; • The school expects the children to work hard and do their best. A very small number of parents feel that: • The school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons; • Pupils do not get the right amount of homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the large percentage of parents who responded so favourably about the school. The team could find no evidence that the amounts of homework were inappropriate for the ages of the children. The range of extra-curricular activities is similar to those in most schools. Tewin Cowper Primary - 11

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

1. Standards in English, mathematics and science are particular strengths in the school and a very significant proportion of the pupils regularly obtains the higher levels in national tests at the end of both key stages. Of the three subjects, all aspects of English are particularly strong.

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

2. Pupils have very good speaking and listening skills. They enter school with good skills in speaking and listening but teachers develop these further, as when the Foundation Stage teachers interact regularly with the children in their rôle play. In lessons they ask them challenging questions. In a Reception class design and technology lesson the pupils were asked to explain how they were going to make Incy Wincy climb up the spout. This required children both to think and also to develop their thoughts through speech. On a different occasion the nursery nurse read the Christmas story with good expression that helped the children to tone in to the wonder of the story. She listened to the children’s comments about the book illustrations, modeling good listening skills herself, as she valued the children’s contributions. There is a deliberate attempt to develop the art of speech and listening from the moment pupils enter the school. The Reception teacher was developing

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

the children’s confidence by getting them to stand in front of the class to talk about their news. The other children were being taught to ask good questions beginning with ‘how?’ and ‘why?’ so that the child who was delivering the news had to expand further.

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

3. Pupils are attentive to their teachers in lessons and to each other and they speak with an increasing register of appropriate language as they progress through the school. By the time pupils are in Year 6, they are very articulate and confident. Pupils are encouraged to contribute to discussion in a broad range of subjects, as they talk about sources of evidence in history and explain their thinking in mathematical investigations. In a Year 6 science lesson, pupils talked with much authority about the chaos theory of butterfly flight.

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

4. Pupils’ reading and writing skills in both key stages are equally as strong. Pupils write with ease and clear thought and many write with a good handwriting style. From the time the pupils enter school, they are taught to join their letters into cursive script. A fairly recent and successful initiative is the use of spelling journals in which all pupils from the youngest class upwards keep personal lists of words which they use frequently, as well as lists of spellings which follow particular rules or patterns. These journals help the pupils to memorise the words and to write at length. Through their use they are also boosting their reading skills. Pupils throughout the school write for many different purposes, including letter writing, imaginative stories and factual reports. Their written work is often of a good quality. In one imaginative story, a Key Stage 2 pupil had written, ‘Everyone on the plane

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

screamed as the fuselage sank into the ground like a log into quicksand.’

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

5. The early introduction to phonics and the close co-operation between the school and the village pre-school group ensures that the pupils get off to a good start with their reading and writing development. This very good base is a significant factor in the very good progress, which the pupils make in English throughout the school. Tewin Cowper Primary - 12 6. Pupils develop good reading habits and many are keen readers. Reading skills are above average throughout the school. Pupils read aloud with good intonation and expression, observing the punctuation as they read. Pupils, whose reading skills are not as good as others, have good techniques to decipher unknown words. Pupils have a good understanding of the plot and can recall the events of the story in detail and discuss the characters. Most have favourite authors and many read regularly at home for pleasure. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils know that reference books have an index and contents and

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

they know how to find information in a book. Pupils learn strategies at an early age for choosing a book so that its level of difficulty is appropriate and the content interesting.

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

7. Pupils’ skills in mathematics are good. They are taught mathematical language from entry. They are able to reproduce this language in context with increasing skill as they progress through the school. Teachers take every opportunity to use mathematical language. The Year 2 teacher used the term ordinal number before releasing the children out for playtime one by one by using ‘first’, ‘second’ and so on as she called out the children’s names. Reception children can count forwards and backwards in tens, and some can find a number ten more than a given number. Most Reception children know the terms ‘more than’ and ‘less than’ and by Year 1 they are already noticing patterns in the 100 square. Year 2 pupils were showing good understanding of the difference between analogue and digital clocks and in one lesson were learning successfully how to write times for the digital clock for ‘o’clocks’ and ‘half-past’. The plenary was used well to challenge the

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

class to write twenty past nine on the digital clock and a few, by inference from the earlier work in the lesson, were able to do it correctly.

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

8. By Year 6 pupils are adept at adding and subtracting figures in their heads with a high level of competence. They can make up the difference to one hundred mentally with ease and are very competent in holding numbers in their minds, for example to give the difference from one thousand. Some can mentally calculate differences from ten thousand. They have a good knowledge of number. They are taught about and understand divisibility tests. They are very familiar with terms such as product, factors and multiples. They enjoy a challenge and are taught to predict and then discover. Year 6 pupils had been working on prime numbers and numbers up to 100. The teacher then challenged them to predict and find the next few prime numbers after one hundred. They were also asked to determine, in an extension to the 100 square, the numbers that had the most factors and to look for mathematical patterns and sequences. One of the major strengths of the mathematical work

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Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in both key stages;

9. Pupils show good levels of interest in science. They are knowledgeable and keen to undertake investigations. They retain information well. Year 6 pupils could remember and name the bones in the ear, which they had learned about previously. They undertake investigations sensibly and understand the concept of a fair test. They work together well in pairs and in small groups and show good levels of maturity in discussion, coming up with ideas and discussing the relative merits of pursuing particular lines of inquiry. A significant feature of the science curriculum is the attention given to experimentation and investigation. This approach is helping the pupils to have a broad view of the subject and to gain knowledge from practical approaches. Scrutiny of pupils’ previous work indicates a good range of work and a thoroughness in its detail. Tewin Cowper Primary - 13

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The educational provision in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 is particularly

10. The pupils have consistently very good learning experiences in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 in both of which the quality of teaching is particularly good. The well thought through learning experiences for the very youngest children, which combine rigour with fun, encourage good learning habits and interest in their work, which then continues with the pupils throughout the school.

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The educational provision in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 is particularly

11. The nursery nurse and Reception teacher work very well together and plan activities, which are appropriately matched to pupils’ stages of development. The expectations of a good work ethic are clearly laid down in the early years. The children are given targets relating to the work which they should complete for each lesson and they have to sign at the end of the lesson that they have completed them. Pupils were seen conscientiously adding their signatures to the targets at the end of lessons.

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The educational provision in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 is particularly

12. The excellent and exemplary quality of assessment in the Foundation Stage is a particularly good feature. The teachers write a brief contextual comment at the end of every piece of recorded work to detail the aim of the work, the context in which it was done and then add comments about the quality of the child’s response. At the end of each week the nursery nurse and the Reception teacher assess together the progress, which each child has made during the week. As a result, the teachers quickly get to know what the children are capable of doing and the teachers then use this knowledge to ensure that the children are really stretched in work which follows.

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The educational provision in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 is particularly

13. The purposes of the work are clearly explained to the children in all lessons in Key Stage 1. The nursery nurse types up the learning objective for each activity the children engage with in their structured play activities. As a result, a culture of pupils knowing what they are learning about is developed from an early age.

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The educational provision in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 is particularly

14. Pupils are quickly taught phonics through a planned programme of work, which begins as soon as the children enter school, and before in the case of those who attend the village pre-school group, which works in tandem with the school. As a result, children of those parents who decide not to send their children to school early are not disadvantaged. Pupils clearly use this knowledge to assist them in their early reading and writing skills and it is a major factor in the good progress which they make and the confidence they acquire in their work.

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The educational provision in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 is particularly

15. The teachers commence a portfolio of work as soon as the pupils begin school and this good practice is continued throughout the school so that teachers, parents and pupils have visual proof of the progress that each child has made.

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The leadership and management of the school, including the work of the Governing

16. Leadership at all levels in the school exhibits good strengths. Since the previous inspection four years ago, subject co-ordinators and the Governing Body have taken on a more critical approach to the school’s work, particularly in the analysis of standards and in the quality of teaching and learning. Written ground rules have been agreed for such monitoring work so that all are clear of the purposes for such work and of the procedures. For example, ‘Dialogue must be two-way and supportive being based on evidence gained Tewin Cowper Primary - 14 from the observation’. ‘Any initial observations must be viewed as an area of improvement and must be given honestly and sensitively. There must not be any personal criticism’. ‘Issues of professional development will be managed by the headteacher, either personally or through carefully and sensitively structured delegation.’

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The leadership and management of the school, including the work of the Governing

17. The newly appointed headteacher has settled in well and is giving a very good lead and developing further the good tone in the school, achieved previously and remarked upon by parents. The school’s ethos is very good. Each pupil and each member of staff is valued and each is expected to do their best. There is a whole-school commitment to good standards achieved by matching work well to the pupils’ prior attainment and furthering it through a good level of challenge in the work set. The headteacher has established a very good partnership with the deputy headteacher and they work very well together. She has a good vision of future developments. All members of staff are very committed to the work of the school and to the children. Each carries several subject co-ordinator roles, as well as other duties. Staff meetings are regular and there is a good focus on curriculum development. Members of staff frequently attend courses to keep up to date with their

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The leadership and management of the school, including the work of the Governing

various roles. Monitoring of standards and teaching is good and there is a good culture of being the critical friend. Members of staff work very hard and their planning is very thorough. Members of staff meet together to ensure that ideas are shared and there is good progression in the range of experiences offered to pupils, although some review of the experiences offered in science would be appropriate and this is discussed later in the text. They remain alert to improving their systems if these will be helpful in practice.

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The leadership and management of the school, including the work of the Governing

18. The Governing Body works effectively and has a good level and range of expertise. The progress of priorities on the school development plan, which in itself is of good quality, is monitored regularly. Each member of the Governing Body has a particular link role with regard to the curriculum. Members visit the school at intervals and the Chair of the Governing Body is particularly enthusiastic about her role and is a regular visitor. The Governing Body has structured its own formats to record its monitoring of lessons and discussions with subject co-ordinators and visits for other purposes and these are signed by both the teacher and the visiting governor. The governors are well informed about the work of the school. The quality of the annual report for parents is good and fulfils statutory requirements. .

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Pupils’ attitudes and their personal development

19. Throughout the school, the pupils are mature and responsible. Pupils enjoy their lessons and work with enthusiasm and good levels of concentration and interest. In the very odd instance where a pupil has a particular emotional problem, most pupils ignore the inappropriate behaviour when it occurs and understand that such behaviour is not acceptable or normal. They do not encourage the behaviour by giving it their attention and are not dissuaded from their interest in the lesson. They enjoy a challenge and will persevere with a problem, which is given to them, until they are satisfied with the conclusion. Reception and Year 1 pupils pursued the problem of getting ‘Incy’ to climb up the spout, which they had first designed on paper and were making out of cardboard tubes and egg cartons with much determination. Years 5 and 6 pupils maintained their interest for a long time when exploring the sound made by different elastic bands over a cardboard sound box

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Pupils’ attitudes and their personal development

and tried out an imaginative range of procedures in their analysis. In a very good Year 2 literacy lesson about a poem on colours pupils were most polite and courteous. They worked on group tasks quietly and with very good concentration. They stayed on task without direct supervision. They supported one another informally very well. They were very willing to have a go at creating their own poem and read out their poems to the rest of the Tewin Cowper Primary - 15 class which included such phrases as ‘clean as water dripping’. In all classes pupils work well together both formally and informally and they are very keen to answer questions in lessons. They listen to one another’s suggestions and responses very politely and have been taught not call out or interrupt, which adds to the well controlled classes in each year group.

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Pupils’ attitudes and their personal development

20. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall. It is very good for their spiritual, social and moral development and good for their cultural development. Whilst some suitable opportunities are provided for their cultural development, such as Jewish and Sikh visitors to the school, and good provision for musical development, not much evidence was seen of pupils being exposed to non-western works of art. Their social development is encouraged through the range of extra-curricular activities, residential visits and through participation in County music events which occasionally include a performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Pupils have a very good sense of moral values, which are strengthened by the school’s religious tradition and occasional services in the village church. Pupils are involved in selecting members to represent them on the school

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Pupils’ attitudes and their personal development

council, which meets at frequent intervals to make suggestions about improvements to the daily life of the school. Their involvement in this arrangement contributes much to the pupils’ levels of maturity.

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give to the school and their support for their children’s learning;

21. Parents are very interested in the school and in their children’s learning. The strong Parents Association has raised many thousands of pounds for the school over the years and testimony to their good efforts is the excellent open-air swimming pool, which the parents maintain. During the registered inspector’s preliminary visit to the school, a parent was observed cleaning the pool as part of the procedures in readiness for winter. During the summer holidays they organise swimming times for the village community and the district surrounding the school. The Association is adventurous in its fund-raising and is well supported in its efforts. In the past year they raised £7,000 for the school’s benefit.

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give to the school and their support for their children’s learning;

22. Parents think highly of the school. Approximately half of all parents returned the questionnaire. Responses to the inspection questionnaire were very favourable. High percentages of those who returned the questionnaire were strongly in agreement or in agreement with the statements on the questionnaire. A copy of the total responses is included at the end of the report. Most importantly, parents stated that their children like school and make good progress; the teaching is good and they are kept well informed about their children’s progress; the school works closely with parents and they feel comfortable about approaching the school with any concerns; the school expects the children to work hard and do their best.

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give to the school and their support for their children’s learning;

23. The parents are very supportive of the school in ensuring their children do their homework, which is a regular feature of the school routine. They help their children at home and hear them read and discuss what they have been doing. Parents of the youngest children help their children to commit to memory the sounds that letters make. Parents had researched within their families and sent in contributions so that Year 2 could produce a booklet of memories about war-time and assist the pupils’ understanding of Remembrance Day. Tewin Cowper Primary - 16

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The science curriculum for mixed-age classes.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

24. The school is forced into a position of mixing up different aged pupils in most classes, because funding does not allow the school to form classes otherwise. The only class, which had similar aged pupils at the time of inspection, was Year 3. The teachers discuss at length and in great detail before the start of any new term to try and avoid any repetition of work. However, the arrangement of the science themes does not ensure that some pupils will not repeat elements of work in the following year or miss out on aspects of work.

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The development of information and communication technology skills

25. The school is in the midst of planning better provision for information and communication technology with the installation of a computer suite consisting of eight networked computers. It uses national guidance as the basis for its information and communication technology scheme of work, which provides a sound basis for curriculum coverage. However, the recording of pupils’ skills in information and communication technology is not sufficiently well structured at the current time and does not easily permit teachers to plan assignments which build on pupils’ existing skills. It has limited software for special needs pupils and for mathematics work.

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The consistency of expectations in pupils’ recorded work

26. In most classes pupils’ presentation of work is good and pupils write in their own words. However, it was noted in the scrutiny of work, which the inspectors undertook, that some examples of work in lower Key Stage 2 were copied from other text. As a result all pupils, irrespective of their capabilities, had written exactly the same, for example in the very detailed work on the ear. This did not challenge pupils to compose their own wording or enable the teacher to know whether the pupils had really understood the work. Furthermore some other work in history in lower Key Stage 2 contained too much printed and photocopied material for instance when they had studied the Romans. This style of activity had not challenged the pupils to think enough for themselves.

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The consistency of expectations in pupils’ recorded work

The hall facility is not being used to best effect.

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The consistency of expectations in pupils’ recorded work

27. The school hall has a good surface and is well maintained by the school’s cleaner-in- charge, as is the rest of the school. The hall’s dimensions are a suitable size for curriculum and other purposes. However, a large amount of the space is taken up by stacks of chairs and tables, some on top off each other with legs upturned, constituting a health and safety problem. Further space is taken by a well displayed range of musical instruments and stage equipment. These storage arrangements, as well as presenting the possibility of accidents, severely curtail the space for physical education lessons and result in cramping and overcrowding. At the time of inspection access was prevented to the already limited range of climbing equipment by the piano and the musical equipment. The school does not have any fixed wall apparatus and is limited to two ceiling fixed climbing ropes and free-standing equipment which serves all ages.

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The consistency of expectations in pupils’ recorded work

Individual education plans are not reviewed on time in every case.

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The consistency of expectations in pupils’ recorded work

28. Most education plans for pupils on the special education needs register are well written and reviewed at regular intervals. Examples were seen where this was not the case. In some, there was no written evidence that a review had taken place to report progress and in order to plan the next appropriate targets. Tewin Cowper Primary - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to build on the above average standards which the pupils already attain, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• review the science curriculum arrangements for pupils throughout the school to ensure that pupils do not miss out or repeat work; (Para. 24)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• record pupils’ developing skills in information and communication technology in a consistent way, so that teachers can build more easily on existing skills; (Para. 25)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensure that there is a consistency of expectation in the way pupils record their written work; (Para. 26)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the amount of space in the hall for activities and reduce the possibility of accidents by re-organising storage arrangements; (Para. 27)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensure that all individual education plans are reviewed on time. (Para. 28) Tewin Cowper Primary - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 22 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 17

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 5 41 23 27 4 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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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) 121 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 2 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 29

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language Nursery No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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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 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 11

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 4.5 School data 0.1 National comparative data 5.9 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Tewin Cowper Primary - 19 * indicates figures are not statistically significant because of the low numbers.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Year Boys Girls Total Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 00 [99] 7 [11] 8 [11] 15 [22]

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Number of pupils at Boys * [10] * [9] * [11] NC level 2 and above Girls * [11] * [11] * [11] Total 13 [21] 14 [20] 14 [ 22] Percentage of pupils School 88 [95] 94 [95] 94 [100] At NC level 2 or above National 83 [82]) 84 [ 83] 90 [ 87]

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils at Boys * [*] * [*] [*] NC level 2 and above Girls * [*] * [*] [*] Total 13 [21] 14 [20] 14 [21] Percentage of pupils School 88 [95] 94 [91] 94 [ 95] At NC level 2 or above National 83 [82] 84 [86]) 88 [87] Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Year Boys Girls Total Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 00 [99] 3 [11] 6 [7] 9 [18]

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils at Boys * [*] * [*] * [*] NC level 4 and above Girls * [*] * [*] * [*] Total * [15] * [16] * [17] Percentage of pupils School * [83]) * [89] * [94] At NC level 4 or above National 75 [70] 72 [69] 85 [78]

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils at Boys * [*] * [*] * [*] NC level 4 and above Girls * [*] * [*] *[*] Total * [16] * [15] * [17] Percentage of pupils School * [89] * [83] * [83] At NC level 4 or above National 70 [68] 72 [69] 79 [75] Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Tewin Cowper Primary - 20

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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 100 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 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.

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Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.4 Financial year 99/00

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Y6

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.9

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Y6

Average class size 24.2 £ Total income 269,941 Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 263,400 Total number of education support staff 2 Expenditure per pupil 2,116

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Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 63 Balance brought forward from previous year 27,217

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Y6

Balance carried forward to next year 33,758

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Y6

FTE means full-time equivalent. Tewin Cowper Primary - 21

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 75 18 2 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 65 33 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 41 12 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 65 29 6 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 75 20 6 0 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. 65 33 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 49 43 6 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 60 24 4 0 12

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 73 20 6 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 16 67 2 8 8

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