Whaddon CofE School

WHADDON C of E FIRST SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: December 5 th and 6 th 2000

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WHADDON C of E FIRST SCHOOL

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

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WHADDON C of E FIRST SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Whaddon C of E First School - 3 December 2000

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Stock Lane Whaddon Milton Keynes

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr. Ferri Fassihi

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 18 th March 1996 Whaddon C of E First School - 4 December 2000

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Team members

Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport

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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 Whaddon C of E First School - 5 December 2000

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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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

Whaddon C of E First School - 6 December 2000

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Whaddon is a village school voluntarily controlled by the Oxford Diocese of the Church of England for pupils aged four to eight years. Most pupils come from Whaddon and the surrounding villages of Beachampton, Nash and Thornton. However, an increasing number travel from other Local Education Authorities such as Milton Keynes. Currently there are 48 pupils on roll, with a similar number of boys and girls. All pupils are of white ethnic origin and speak English as their main language. Two pupils are eligible to receive free school meals; this is well below average. Five pupils have been identified as having special educational needs, though no pupils have a Statement. This again is below average. Each morning the six pupils in the Reception Class and those in Year 1 are taught as separate classes, pupils in Years 2 and 3 are taught together. In the afternoon, pupils are taught in two mixed age

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

classes. The socio-economic background of many families has changed since the last inspection in 1996. Many pupils now come from one-parent families or have one parent who works away from home all week. Prior to attending the school most children have attended a nursery or a playgroup. Whilst a good number of pupils are able to read and write when they start school, an increasing number of pupils have a limited knowledge of numeracy and literacy and their personal and social skills are lower than would be expected. Though attainment on entry is variable, overall it is better than would be expected of children of this age.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school. Standards have improved since the last inspection and are now very high. The quality of teaching is very good and this is reflected in the very good progress of pupils of all ages and abilities. Pupils have a wide range of interesting and relevant learning opportunities. Relationships with parents are very good. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. The school is led and managed in a cost-effective way. Because this is a small school, the cost of educating each pupil is necessarily high. The school continues to provide good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards throughout the school are very high. • The very strong leadership of the headteacher and governors enables the school to be very effective. • The quality of teaching is very good. This is reflected in the very good progress that pupils make. • Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes well to their learning. • Strong links with parents and the community contribute well to pupils’ learning. • The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are very well behaved and keen to learn. • Pupils experience a very wide range of learning opportunities.

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What could be improved

• Though pupils achieve well in science, standards could be even higher. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good improvement since the previous inspection in March 1996. All issues identified in the report have been rectified. The school, with the help of the Parents’ Association, has provided a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books to interest pupils of all abilities. Pupils’ achievements in history, geography and religious education have improved from satisfactory and are now in line with other subjects. Standards in English, mathematics and science have improved with the school achieving its targets. The Local Education Authority has assisted the school in the provision of suitable toilet facilities and has upgraded the heating and lighting. The playground has been resurfaced and a new classroom has been built. This has improved what is taught and how it is taught. A consistent method of recording attendance has been adopted. The school has only received national funding to help buy resources and train teachers to use new technology within the last month.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Whaddon C of E First School - 7 December 2000 Nevertheless, despite having only a small number of outdated machines staff have worked hard to ensure pupils are taught all aspects of information and communication technology. There has been very good improvement in the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The quality of teaching has improved and this has had a positive effect on pupils’ learning.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

Reading A* A* A* A* Very high well above average above average A* A B Writing A* A A* A Average below average C D Mathematics A* A A* A well below average E

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Key

By the age of six children achieve the Early Learning Goals of the Foundation Stage Curriculum. Pupils’ achievements in reading are very high throughout the school. When compared to all schools, pupils achieve very high standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The results in national tests are in the top five percent in the country. Pupils’ performance in national tests is well above that of pupils from schools with pupils of a similar background in writing and mathematics and very high in reading. The school has maintained high standards over a number of years. Less than ten pupils sat national tests in the year 2000, and because the numbers are so few the results are not published. Pupils do very well in science, however they do not always achieve as well as they could in a small number of lessons, especially when undertaking scientific investigations. Standards in information and communication

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Key

technology are not as high as they could be because the school has only just received the national funding which many schools have had for two years. Nevertheless a suitable plan is in place enabling pupils to make rapid progress in the subject and to raise standards. In religious education, pupils achieve high standards against the requirements of the Buckinghamshire Locally Agreed Syllabus. Pupils’ achievement in other subjects is well above that expected of pupils of this age. The school sets challenging targets taking account of pupils’ attainment on entry to the school and is successful in meeting these.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils love coming to school. They are eager to learn, being engrossed in all activities the school provides.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are courteous and polite. They are generous and open-minded and are very well behaved in lessons and when at play.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent and very good between pupils themselves. Pupils are very mature and undertake their responsibilities conscientiously.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. Pupils arrive at school in good time. This makes a good start to the day. Whaddon C of E First School - 8 December 2000

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 4 - 8 years

Lessons seen overall Very 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 4 - 8 years

The quality of teaching ranges from good to very good. Very good teaching was seen in almost two thirds of lessons and was spread across all age groups. The teaching of English and mathematics is very good overall. Teachers are very confident in teaching all subjects. They plan their lessons very well, taking care to match work to the different ages and abilities of pupils within their class. All teachers teach numeracy and literacy well and plan opportunities for pupils to improve their numeracy and literacy in other subjects. Teachers make their lessons exciting. The quality of pupils’ learning is very good because they are interested in their work. Pupils of all ages and abilities learn new skills at a very good rate. They are confident and are eager to demonstrate their knowledge in discussions.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. Though a very small school the school gives equal importance to all subjects. Pupils have far more learning opportunities than is usual for pupils of this age.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school provides well for pupils with special education needs.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Teachers plan very good opportunities for pupils to be delighted and amazed by their learning. All staff encourage pupils to show respect for others whatever their religion or way of life. Pupils have very good opportunities to appreciate their own cultural heritage.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school has successfully created a warm, caring environment. Strong links with parents and the community contribute significantly to pupils’ progress.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher is a very strong leader who despite the uncertainty of pupil numbers has a clear vision for the school. All staff and governors have a commitment that all pupils, regardless of ability will achieve their best.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors use their individual skills well to help the school. Governors are clear about their responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Governors and the headteacher spend time in classrooms observing teaching and its effect on standards. They look at results carefully and see where improvements can be made.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. There are sufficient staff and the accommodation is adequate. Resources are ample and are used very effectively. Managers apply the principles of best value effectively, for example, when comparing the school’s performance to that of other small schools. Whaddon C of E First School - 9 December 2000

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The standards their child achieves. • The dedication of staff and governors. • The close links with the community. • Their child’s rate of progress. • The size of classes. • The amount of work pupils are expected to do at home. • The range of out of school activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the strengths identified by the parents. In response to their concerns, the amount of work pupils are expected to do at home is appropriate for this age of pupil and contributes significantly to their rate of progress. Pupils have the opportunity to take part in a far wider range of out of school activities than is usual for pupils of this age. Whaddon C of E First School - 10 December 2000

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Standards throughout the school are very high.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. Attainment on entry to the school is generally above that expected of young children. All are eager to learn and by the age of six, children achieve the Early Learning Goals as laid out in the Foundation Stage Curriculum. Standards have improved since the last inspection from above average to very high and the results of national tests for seven-year-olds are now very high. Evidence gathered during the inspection matches national test results. Pupils with special educational needs throughout the school achieve very well taking account of their ability.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. In English, standards in reading are particularly high throughout the school. Pupils love stories and learn to read quickly. By the time they leave the school pupils have developed a good number of ways to help them read new words. Pupils read for pleasure and most read all kinds of books including information books. They use their skill well in other subjects, for example, when finding information about their village pupils research the Diocesan Archives and the Society for Education records for interesting facts.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. Because teachers were conscious that more able pupils, particularly boys, did not achieve as well as they could in writing at the time of the previous inspection they made a concerted effort to improve writing at all levels. Pupils’ writing is now of a very high standard and throughout the school they write for many different reasons, for example, riddles, poems and instructions. Following the visit of a member of the local community, pupils wrote correctly spelt letters of thanks with full stops and capital letters in the correct place. By the time they leave the school, most write using a neat joined up handwriting. Pupils are beginning to choose their words carefully to make their writing interesting, for instance after looking at gardens in the village one boy describes the garden of Whaddon House as “amazing”. When recording the Christmas story as a newspaper report, pupils use speech marks correctly as when

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

reporting “At last we have found our precious thing” said the Gold King “let’s go to Bethlehem”. In order to make their article appealing to readers, they compose eye- catching headlines such as “Three men claiming to be Kings from Royal House stopped unusually at a stable.” Pupils improve their writing by preparing a draft, then checking it before producing the final copy. A good amount of pupils’ work is word- processed and includes interesting illustrations. The high standards in reading and writing contribute significantly to pupils’ learning in other subjects.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. Mathematics is taught consistently well across the school. As a result pupils of all ages and abilities develop a very good understanding of all aspects of the subject. They establish particularly good understanding of number and are able to use their mathematical skills to solve problems such as, if two pupils are absent, how many children are in the class. Pupils have highly developed mental skills and count forwards and backwards quickly and accurately in twos, fives and tens. All are eager to demonstrate their knowledge and are desperate to be chosen to give the answer. Whaddon C of E First School - 11 December 2000

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The very strong leadership of the headteacher and governors enables the school to

5. The headteacher is a very strong, dedicated leader. She knows the staff and pupils very well and encourages pupils to achieve their best. She uses the strengths of her staff well and knows their areas for professional development, for example, in meeting the needs of pupils with specific learning difficulties. This deployment enables staff to be confident teachers and to provide well for pupils of all abilities thus raising standards.

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The very strong leadership of the headteacher and governors enables the school to

6. Governors are very supportive of the school and carry out their duties conscientiously. They are fully aware of the strengths of the school and the areas for development. All are fully conversant with the school improvement plan and measure progress against the plan at every meeting. The headteacher and governors ensure that funds are directly linked to raising standards. Governors respond well to training opportunities, for instance almost half have attended the recent training on performance management. They use their individual talents well to help the school, for example, the governor with responsibility for pupils with special educational needs uses her professional experience to meet the needs of these pupils. Governors with specific subject responsibilities such as numeracy and literacy visit classrooms regularly to check what is being taught and how it is being taught. They identify parts of the

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The very strong leadership of the headteacher and governors enables the school to

strategies that are working well and areas for improvement. This approach is contributing to standards.

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The very strong leadership of the headteacher and governors enables the school to

7. Together with the headteacher governors set challenging targets for improvement. Samples of pupils’ work are examined regularly. Each pupil’s previous performance is carefully analysed and compared to national standards before setting new targets each term to encourage every pupil to make greater progress. The headteacher and governors are aware of the problems of being a small school, and in order to get the best deal for their pupils they are members of Aylesbury Vale Federation of Small Schools. When applying the principles of best value they compare samples of the school’s work with those of pupils from other small schools and are determined to achieve the highest results in national tests.

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The quality of teaching is very good. This is reflected in the very good progress that

8. Though no figures for the quality of teaching were included in the last inspection report, improvement in teaching is evident in that at the last inspection no teaching was judged to be very good; on this occasion the quality of teaching was very good in almost two thirds of lessons. This improvement is reflected in the very good quality of learning. Staff are hard working and dedicated and present good models to pupils as to how to behave appropriately. Teachers are very confident in their knowledge of all subjects. They teach with a sense of urgency and not a moment in school is wasted. For example, during a ten-minute registration period pupils in the Reception class responded to their names in French, recognised and read the names of all the days of the week when completing the weather chart, recognised and located numbers on the advent calendar and gave answers to simple sums using numbers up to six.

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The quality of teaching is very good. This is reflected in the very good progress that

9. Teachers plan their work meticulously. Joint planning between teachers and with support staff provides pupils with a systematic build up of skills. Because pupils are taught in classes of more than one age group, teachers’ planning includes different activities for different ages and also tasks for pupils of differing abilities. All staff plan their lessons taking account of pupils’ individual targets, for example, including specific letter sounds as words are spelt. The morning teacher for pupils in the Reception class often plans for individuals because there are only six children in the Whaddon C of E First School - 12 December 2000 group. This targets their learning even more effectively and improves their rate of progress considerably. Pupils with identified learning difficulties and those who are particularly able have individual education plans to ensure their needs are met and that they achieve standards commensurate with their ability.

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The quality of teaching is very good. This is reflected in the very good progress that

10. Teachers use a range of strategies to make sure pupils understand their work and to maintain their interest. For example, in a mathematics lesson where pupils were counting in fives and tens the teacher encouraged pupils to use “flashing hands” to work out and check their response. Pupils are expected to be “active learners” as when in the whole class part of a literacy lesson, they were each given a dry-wipe board to try out their spelling. In addition to maintaining pupils’ interest this allowed the teacher to quickly assess how well pupils were achieving. Teachers provide “wordbanks” so that pupils write without guidance or supervision and also to encourage more able pupils to use dictionaries to improve their spelling and to find adjectives to make their writing more interesting and descriptive. Teachers have successfully taught pupils to use their observational skills well and to make use of all

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The quality of teaching is very good. This is reflected in the very good progress that

available resources. This was evident in a history lesson where older pupils used a high quality display of old maps, photographs and other information when finding out facts about their village.

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The quality of teaching is very good. This is reflected in the very good progress that

11. All staff provide very good opportunities for pupils to use their reading, writing and mathematical knowledge in other subjects. As part of their study of Arizona in geography, older pupils use their knowledge of symmetry to design colourful Navajo rugs in the style of the Hopi Indians. In an art lesson pupils are expected to use their information retrieval skills to research information about pressed flowers. Pupils are delighted to demonstrate their knowledge as they confidently explain how to use an index and contents page. Younger pupils improve their knowledge of new technology in a literacy lesson when the teacher demonstrates changing the “font” to make the text more legible.

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The quality of teaching is very good. This is reflected in the very good progress that

12. Teachers are rigorous in assessing pupils’ work by a review session at the end of each lesson as well as marking work. The use of tracking sheets in all subjects means that teachers are aware exactly of what each pupil does well or where help is needed. Pupils continue to make very good progress because staff make use of this information when planning further work and when setting new targets.

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The quality of teaching is very good. This is reflected in the very good progress that

13. Pupils of all ages and abilities make very good progress in acquiring knowledge and new skills. They know what they are expected to do because staff give clear instructions at the start of each lesson. For example, older pupils made very good progress when writing a playscript for the first time because the teacher gave clear explanations drawing their attention to the bold type and the role of the narrator. Pupils are keen to learn and concentrate for long periods because lessons are interesting and often humorous. For example, teachers use interesting objects such as an iron, a toaster and a “clothes dolly” from over fifty years ago to gain pupils’ attention in a history lesson. Pupils achieve high standards because teachers expect them to give of their best at all times.

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The quality of teaching is very good. This is reflected in the very good progress that

14. Homework is given regularly in all subjects and this is helpful in ensuring pupils make very good progress. Whaddon C of E First School - 13 December 2000

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Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes

15. There has been very good improvement in the provision for pupils’ personal development since the last inspection. The school is successful in meeting its aims “to become aware of and enjoy the beauty of the world” and to “foster moral values, consider others, be tolerant of race, religion and other ways of life”. It is the teachers’ intention that pupils will be excited by their learning, for example, by seeing the beauty in patterns in art and in numbers and in awe of the miracle of growth in science. As a Church of England school pupils are taught the principles of the Christian faith and are familiar with Bible stories such as those of Noah, Daniel and David. They share their Monday worship with the local playgroup and take part in the Christingle service in church, confidently discussing the meaning of the orange, the cloves and the sweets.

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Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes

16. Though the school has an all white population, staff use every opportunity to prepare pupils for life in a multi-cultural society. As a result, pupils are familiar with festivals of other faiths and quickly recognise a “diva” in an assembly discussing candles and describing its use in the Hindu festival of Diwali. An Israeli mother gives pupils an awareness of Jewish festivals as she discusses her preparations to celebrate Hanukah. Pupils studying the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians dance authentic Greek and Egyptian dances as part of their topic work. An appreciation of music is fostered through the music curriculum, and through the wide range of music played as pupils enter and leave collective worship. Older pupils produce impressive pots and high quality observational drawings in the style of the Hopi Indians as they compare the towns of Winslow in the United Kingdom, to that of Winslow in Arizona.

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Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes

17. Pupils are proud of their cultural heritage and eagerly engage visitors in conversation about the history and geography of their village. Upon discovering that a member of the inspection team was staying at the local pub, pupils were quick to tell her that this was once called “The Haunch of Venison”. Older pupils were delighted to plan an itinerary of places of interest for the forthcoming “royal visit” by Queen Cleo. As part of the Millennium celebrations pupils used their local knowledge well making a significant contribution to the Millennium issue of Whaddon Quarterly magazine.

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Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes

18. Pupils have very good opportunities for moral and social development. Because of the close links with the village they are taught to understand the benefits of belonging to a local community. Very good links with Thrift Farm, a centre for adults with learning difficulties, contribute to pupils’ understanding of citizenship. Pupils are encouraged to think of the needs of others and as a result choose where charity collections should go. For example, collections following Christmas Concerts have been donated to Mozambique and to the care of children with cystic fibrosis. Pupils understand that even though they may not have money they can still help others, for example, by “signing” to those who have communication difficulties. Pupils of all ages regularly “sign” in collective worship. An understanding and appreciation of the difficulties of others is gained as pupils produce creditable work in the style of artists who paint with

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Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes

their feet or using their mouth to hold the brush.

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Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes

19. Pupils of all ages and abilities make very good progress in their personal development through the setting of personal targets and in their endeavours to win bronze, silver and gold improvement awards. Pupils who need additional support and those with individual education plans are helped in their personal development, for example, one pupil who has a target to improve his confidence is often chosen to take messages to other parts of school. This he carries out with increasing success and beams with delight upon completion of the task. Whaddon C of E First School - 14 December 2000 Strong links with parents and the community contribute well to pupils’ learning.

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Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes

20. Parents and the local community hold the school in high esteem. Parents are able to help their child learn at home because of the very good information they receive. At the start of each new term parents are given details of the topics that their child will be studying in all subjects. As a result parents become involved in their child’s learning and provide books and useful objects to help the school. For example, when discussing sight as part of “the body” topic, parents of one pupil carried out a study as to who in the family was long sighted or short sighted. The home to school reading record contains guidance to help parents when listening to their child read.

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Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes

21. Almost all parents share books or hear their child read daily and are comfortable using strategies such as initial letter sounds to help their child read new words. This contributes to pupils’ very good rate of progress.

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Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes

22. Each term parents, pupils and teachers agree numeracy and literacy targets to challenge pupils to progress at a more rapid rate. Parents support these targets well, for instance one parent reported that her daughter’s target was to count to 20, as part of this objective they count the number of stairs to bed each evening. Where appropriate suitable social targets are also set. An analysis of national test results revealed that more able pupils, particularly boys, did not achieve as well as they could in writing. Parents were consulted as how regularly their child writes at home. Following this useful guidance was given to parents to help pupils, for example, by letting them write “shopping lists”. As a result of work in school and parental support, standards in writing have improved.

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Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. This contributes

23. Very good links with people in the village contribute to pupils’ learning. A Methodist local preacher and the vicar make an excellent contribution to work in religious education. For instance, during one act of worship during the inspection, the preacher extended pupils’ understanding of “special lights” through an illustrated talk to which pupils listened totally engrossed. A talk by an older resident in the village provided pupils with an opportunity to compare life at school now with life at school a long time ago. Pupils recall the lessons she studied, how the school was heated by a central fire and are amazed by the fact that they were able to sit in the same headteacher’s chair where Evelyn sat over 60 years ago to have her photograph taken.

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The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are well

24. The school places great emphasis on providing a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities can make progress. Staff use a range of formal and informal tests to identify pupils who may be experiencing difficulties in their learning and those who are particularly bright early in their school life in order to provide for their needs. Learning support staff are used very effectively to support pupils who lack confidence or who may need further help with their work. For example, one support assistant helped less able pupils make good progress in their writing by listening to what they wished to write then writing the sentence for the pupil to copy. Very good arrangements are made for pupils who are identified as more able. Additional resources have been purchased to enable such pupils to be challenged by studying topics designed for the next age group. Where appropriate, the most able pupils are

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The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are well

entered for the higher levels in national tests. Whaddon C of E First School - 15 December 2000 25. Induction procedures for young children who are starting school are very good. Children join the school in the term in which they have their fifth birthday. The school provides a helpful leaflet to reassure parents. Visits to the school for half a day a week for three or four weeks familiarises children with school routines, gives them self confidence and is successful in making them eager to start their full time education. The school communicates very well with the unusually high number of primary schools to which pupils transfer at the end of their first school career.

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The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are well

26. Because teachers have very high expectations of behaviour, pupils in turn are very well behaved. They are polite and courteous and this ensures a good atmosphere for learning. Relationships are excellent. There is mutual respect between all staff and pupils. Pupils are very mature for their age and show great consideration for others. For example, pupils ensure that a boy who has difficulty organising his work and his time has all the resources he needs prior to starting an activity. Pupils are eager to learn. In most lessons they sit wide-eyed, concentrating intently and hanging on to their teacher’s every word. As they are so keen to learn and complete their work conscientiously they make very good progress. This enthusiasm was demonstrated when pupils groaned when a religious education lesson about St. Nicholas and other Christmas customs ended because it was playtime. They were totally engrossed

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The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are well

and were quite prepared to miss their break in order to learn more. Teachers give pupils numerous planned opportunities to work in pairs or as a group, for example, reading and computer pairs or when writing a play script. Pupils respond very well to the trust that is placed in them on these occasions and listen and respect the contributions of their class-mates, helping each other where necessary. These relationships enable pupils of all ages and abilities to make very good progress in their personal development.

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The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are well

Pupils experience a very wide range of learning opportunities.

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The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are well

27. Though at times there are only two teachers working in school, staff have worked extremely hard to provide a very wide range of learning opportunities. This is no mean achievement for a small school and has resulted in pupils achieving standards which are very high for pupils of this age in almost all National Curriculum subjects. The Foundation Stage curriculum is firmly in place for younger pupils with the same strong emphasis on numeracy and literacy as in the main school. This is reflected in the high standards pupils achieve in English and mathematics.

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The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are well

28. Though the school has only received the national grant to improve resources and provide training in information and communication technology within the last month, staff have persevered with a small number of out-dated machines to ensure pupils have a good understanding of all aspects of information and communication technology. As a result of their teachers’ perseverance, pupils use new technology well to support their work in other lessons. For example, they word process and illustrate their English work, use programs to collect data and produce a block graph and to control a carpet robot.

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The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are well

29. Staff are conscious of their lack of musical expertise and to this end have joined with other small schools in the area to plan and work towards a musical festival. Despite the lack of staff expertise, pupils reach a high standard and have the opportunity to take part in many creative arts projects. All pupils take part in annual productions, performing in front of large audiences, singing and dancing to a high standard. A number of pupils accompany songs on their recorder, some playing two part tunes, because a member of the governing body spends one lunchtime each week teaching them to play. Staff provide very good opportunities for pupils to experience all forms of art including observational drawing, textiles and three-dimensional work. Whaddon C of E First School - 16 December 2000 30. Seven and eight year old pupils have the opportunity to join the weekly French Club and those who do are making very good progress in extending their vocabulary and in

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The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are well

improving their French accent. Pupils greet each other in French, play games, answer simple questions and complete simple written exercises. All thoroughly enjoy the experience and make excellent progress in their understanding of French through activities such as “le picnic”. Some pupils further develop their linguistic ability as they sing Silent Night in German at their carol service.

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The school provides a warm, caring environment where pupils of all abilities are well

31. Pupils throughout the school take part in a number of out of school visits to enrich the curriculum. For example, visits to a museum to experience life as lived in Roman times and geography field-work carried out in Winslow make learning more meaningful to pupils. The very wide range of learning experiences is unusual for pupils of this age.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Though pupils achieve well in science, standards could be even higher.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

32. Whilst standards in science are well above those expected of pupils of this age, pupils could achieve more. Staff work hard to ensure pupils are taught all aspects of the science curriculum and endeavour to provide a wide range of science investigations. However, not all investigations are as interesting as they could be. Where investigations are particularly successful, the activities are meaningful to pupils. For example, following work in design and technology when pupils made sandwiches, as part of their scientific study of materials pupils investigated which wrapping would keep the food fresh. Pupils explained in detail how they used greaseproof paper, foil and cling film then “hid” their sandwiches until after the half term break. Pupils recalled their findings clearly because they were interested in the activity. However, not all investigations are as interesting as this and some pupils

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

have difficulty recalling their investigation as to how things move and work about “floating and sinking” because the activities were not as appealing.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

33. Pupils’ writing is not always as good in their science books as it is in books for other subjects. Whilst on some occasions it is necessary to record information quickly in science, where pupils have more time they have to be reminded to form their letters more carefully and still remember to use full stops and capital letters.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

34. In almost all other subjects teachers provide different work sheets for pupils of different abilities. More often than not in science, pupils of different ages and abilities are all given the same worksheet. Though this is suitable on some occasions, at other times the work is too easy for more able pupils or too difficult for less able pupils so they do not achieve as well as they could.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

35. In order to improve standards further, whilst maintaining the many strengths of the school, the headteacher, staff and governing body should: ♦ improve standards in science by : - planning investigations which are of greater interest to pupils; - encouraging pupils to use the skills they have acquired in English when writing in their science books; - providing worksheets to match the differing abilities of pupils. (paragraphs 32, 33, 34) Whaddon C of E First School - 17 December 2000

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 13

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 48

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Whaddon C of E First School - 18 December 2000

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999* 7 6 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 7 7 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 6 6 6

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (100) 100 (100) At NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (80) 86 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 7 7 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 6 6 6

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (100) 100 (100) At NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (84) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

* Because there was fewer than 10 pupils in the cohort, the results for the year 2000 are not published. Whaddon C of E First School - 19 December 2000

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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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.8 Financial year 1999-2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y3 Total expenditure 112,159

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Expenditure per pupil 2,337

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 31 Balance brought forward from previous year 22,234

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 20,150

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Whaddon C of E First School - 20 December 2000

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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. 70 30 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 78 22 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 56 41 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 52 4 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. 74 26 0 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. 67 33 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 52 48 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 93 7 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 26 33 15 11 15

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