Silkstone Common Junior and Infant School

SCHOOL

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

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SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Moorend Lane Silkstone Common Barnsley South Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 st July 1996 Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members J Ann Sharpe 18101 Registered Inspector Mickie Jacobs 13808 Lay inspector Eileen Parry 2615 Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Peak Education Partnership 19 Huddersfield Road Barnsley S70 2LT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

Results of National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds rose between 1996 and 1999, and in 1999 pupils attained high standards in English, mathematics and science.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

Most of the teaching is good or very good because class teachers work hard to help pupils to do well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes to school enable teachers to concentrate all their efforts on teaching and pupils’ learning.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 13

There has not been sustained improvement with some of the key Issues in the last report.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 13

Pupils could sometimes achieve more, especially by the time they are seven.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 13

The school has been slow to respond to national guidance about the curriculum for the youngest children in Class 1.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 13

Standards in information and communication technology are not as high as they should be.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This small primary school has 61 girls and 58 boys in four mixed age classes. Many four- year-olds have good literacy and numeracy skills when they join Class 1. Most pupils who attend the school come from privately owned homes in or fairly close to the locality, and fewer pupils than nationally are entitled to free school meals. Pupils come from mainly English backgrounds and all speak English as their first language. The number of pupils who have special educational needs is lower than in most schools. Twelve pupils are on the school’s register; two of these also have statements of their special needs. Since the last inspection, two of the four permanent class teachers have left the school and have been replaced.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Silkstone Common Junior and Infant School is a very friendly and happy community where pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science by the age of eleven. Most of the teaching is good or very good because class teachers work hard and encourage pupils to behave very well and try their best. This has helped to improve National Curriculum test results for eleven-year-olds over the last few years. Results for seven-year-olds are lagging behind, and pupils do not always achieve as much as they could. The school could do more to find out why and to look for the best way to put this right quickly. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Results of National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds rose between 1996 and 1999, and in 1999 pupils attained high standards in English, mathematics and science. • Most of the teaching is good or very good because class teachers work hard to help pupils to do well. • Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes to school enable teachers to concentrate all their efforts on teaching and pupils’ learning. • Parents think very highly of the school .

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • There has not been sustained improvement with some of the key issues in the last report. • Pupils could sometimes achieve more, especially by the age of seven. • The school has been slow to respond to national guidance about the curriculum for the youngest children in Class 1. • Standards in information and communication technology are not yet as high as they should be . 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

There has been a satisfactory amount of improvement overall since the last inspection in July 1996. The standards attained by eleven-year-olds in National Curriculum tests, particularly in English and science have risen, but standards for seven-year-olds have not improved much. The results of the 2000 National Curriculum tests show a marked improvement in reading for seven-year-olds, but results in mathematics and writing show too little improvement. Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 7 Teachers have been successful with introducing the nationally recommended methods for teaching literacy and numeracy and with adopting new guidance for teaching other subjects. The school has been slow to respond, however, to the previous national guidance about the curriculum for the youngest children in Class 1. This means that it is behind many schools with planning a curriculum to reflect the recently revised guidance. Staff and governors have

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

made insufficient sustained progress with the key issues in the last report relating to the leadership, management and efficiency of the school. Responses to the inspection questionnaire show that parents’ views of the school have improved. Many of the strengths reported in 1996, including teaching, have remained areas where the school is successful.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English B B A A Well above average Above average A B Mathematics A A A C Average Below average C D Science B A A A Well below average E

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Key

Inspectors looked at test results cautiously due to the relatively small number of pupils tested. The inspection finds that standards overall are above average for eleven-year-olds and average for seven-year-olds. The table shows that standards rose between 1997 and 1999 in English and science, and pupils’ performance in tests in 1999 was high when compared to schools nationally. Test results were not as good in mathematics when compared to schools with similar intakes. This was because fewer pupils reached a level higher than expected for their age. The 2000 test results in mathematics and science are not as good as in 1999, especially when comparing them with similar schools. The school exceeded its targets for test results in English and mathematics in 1999, but the 2000 results in mathematics are below both the school’s target and the performance of pupils in similar schools. Test results for seven-year-olds are disappointing, in that, when compared with

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Key

results in similar schools, pupils’ performance in 1999 was well below average in reading and below average in mathematics. The 2000 results show a significant improvement in reading, but no improvement in writing and mathematics. This means that standards are not always as high as they could be, especially by the age of seven. Standards in information and communication technology are below expectation by the ages of seven and eleven, although the school is involved in staff training to try to raise standards. By the end of the reception year, children attain above average standards overall.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils of all ages have very good attitudes to work and school. They listen carefully, concentrate and try hard to please their teachers. Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 8 Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good, even on wet days when pupils have to stay inside at dinner times and play times.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships between pupils and with their teachers are very good. Pupils in Classes 1 and 2 can work sensibly without direct supervision, and pupils in Classes 3 and 4 are mature and thoughtful.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. Parents now take more children out of school for family holidays than previously. This reduces the overall rate of attendance.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ very good attitudes, behaviour and relationships are due to the hard work and commitment of class teachers. Teachers set high standards of personal behaviour and are skilled in managing large classes of mixed age pupils, with as little disruption to their education as possible.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 6 years Aged 6-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Satisfactory Good 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 up to 6 years Aged 6-7 years aged 7-11 years

There were no unsatisfactory lessons, and all but 18 per cent of the lessons were good or very good, with 27 per cent being very good. Due to the mixed age classes, judgements about teaching in Class 1 are contained within both of the first two boxes above. Although teaching in Class 1 has a lot of good features, the way that the school has chosen to organise teaching and leaning means that the needs of the youngest children are not catered for equally well all the time. Teaching in literacy and numeracy lessons across the school meets most pupils’ needs well. Teachers have adopted new teaching methods positively, and have a good understanding of what they are expected to teach and how to help pupils to learn most effectively. A particular strength of the teaching is teachers’ ability to manage pupils’ behaviour and learning successfully. This means that they can concentrate all their efforts on helping pupils and no time is wasted.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. The school provides a broad and interesting curriculum that takes good account of the National Curriculum and guidance about literacy and numeracy. Not all the valuable curriculum time is used for lessons that have a clearly defined and planned purpose, and there is too little time for information and communication technology. There are not many extra- curricular activities.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational Pupils with special educational needs are helped to make progress at the same pace as other pupils in their class, and Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 9 needs provision is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision overall, with very good provision for pupils’ moral development. Provision for pupils to learn about multi-cultural matters has been extended since the last inspection, but there is still some room for improvement.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Teachers are caring and supportive, and the school’s arrangements for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare are good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils have too little regular and planned teaching time for learning and practising skills in information and communication technology, and this means that they do not do as well as they should. The curriculum for the youngest children does not yet take enough account of past and recent national guidance. This means that there are too few opportunities for them to learn through well-planned play and to extend their talking skills.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage-ment by the headteacher and other key staff Sound leadership and management by the headteacher ensures that the school runs smoothly and improves at a steady pace. The headteacher delegates responsibility for managing some subjects to teachers; they have extended their contribution to raising standards through this work since the last inspection.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are supportive and have the best interests of pupils at heart. They have started to become more closely involved in the running of the school. They meet their responsibilities soundly and are keen to take a more active part in all aspects of managing the school, including school development planning and making sure that the school budget is spent efficiently.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory overall, but not always sufficiently thorough to make sure that governors and the headteacher deal with all weaknesses as quickly and effectively as they need to.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory overall. Governors do not always ensure that decisions about spending represent best value for money and are likely to serve a clearly intended purpose.

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Aspect Comment

Governors have already started to apply some of the principles of ‘best value’ to their work, but there is still a good way to go with making sure that the issues about efficiency from the last inspection are resolved fully. There has been insufficient sustained progress with the key issues during the four years following the last inspection, and this has prevented the headteacher and governors from taking the school forward as purposefully as they could have. The building provides a limited amount of space and some classrooms are small for the large numbers of pupils. Staff and governors have not explored fully the range of alternative ways of organising and managing teaching in order to minimise the effects of these disadvantages on pupils’ education. Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like coming to this small, friendly and caring school. It has a ‘family’ atmosphere. • Teaching is good and children are making good progress. • The school listens to parents’ concerns. • Parents welcome the changes to teaching literacy and numeracy • Children are expected to do their best and their behaviour is good. • Class sizes are too large. • The school does not do enough to stretch brighter pupils or to help those who find the work difficult. • There are too few activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors generally agree with parents’ very positive views of the school. Pupils do not always make as much progress as some parents think. Parents’ concerns about large class sizes are understandable, especially as these are continuing to grow. Class teachers do their best to try to ensure that the education of all pupils in their classes does not suffer because of this. Governors have compensated by employing more classroom assistants. They have not looked closely enough, however, at the wide range of alternative methods of making use of the school’s resources and the time available to meet the needs of all the pupils. The school has adequate plans to try to increase the small number of extra-curricular activities. Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 11

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Results of National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds rose between 1996 and

1999, and in 1999 pupils attained high standards in English, mathematics and science.

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Results of National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds rose between 1996 and

1 Since 1996, standards in National Curriculum tests have risen faster than the national picture in English and science, and about the same in mathematics. The results of the 1999 tests for eleven-year-olds were well above average in all three subjects, and well above similar schools in English and science. In mathematics, standards have been consistently well above the national average, although in 1999, pupils’ performance was average in relation to similar schools, due to the fact that fewer pupils attained a level higher than expected for their age.

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Results of National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds rose between 1996 and

2 Pupils do well because teaching is often good. During the inspection, consistently good or very good teaching motivated pupils to want to learn and to enjoy being challenged to think for themselves. In mathematics, for example, pupils in Class 4 enjoyed being asked to calculate mentally and quickly. They explained their answers using advanced terms such as ‘decimal point’ and ‘square root’. The teacher made sure that pupils all had work at their own level, but used her teaching time to help them all to do as well as they could. In English, pupils read and studied an autobiographical text, showing above average fluency and understanding. The teacher gave them feedback that helped them to know how they could improve even further. Pupils’ previous work in science shows that they carry out their own experiments and record results in a variety of ways, including using what they have learned about line graphs in mathematics.

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Results of National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds rose between 1996 and

3 Teachers in Classes 3 and 4 make very good use of the nationally recommended teaching plans for literacy and numeracy, and lessons are interesting and worthwhile. They prepare thoroughly and set high expectations of themselves and their pupils. This, along with teachers’ hard work and skills in managing large classes, makes a considerable contribution to pupils’ successful performance in National Curriculum tests.

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Results of National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds rose between 1996 and

4 National Curriculum test results for eleven-year-olds in mathematics and science in 2000 were not as good as in 1999, however, and pupils’ performance in relation to both national averages and similar schools slipped back. The pupils tested had several changes of class teacher in their final year at the school, and this could have influenced the results.

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Most of the teaching is good or very good because class teachers work hard to help

5 During the inspection, there were no unsatisfactory lessons, and nine of the eleven lessons were good or very good. In classes 3 and 4, all the teaching was of this high quality. The good features of teaching, reported following the last inspection, are still evident, even though there have been several changes of teachers. Parents are right to think that teaching is good.

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Most of the teaching is good or very good because class teachers work hard to help

6 All teachers work hard; as well as having responsibility for the education of the pupils in their classes, they also support other teachers by managing areas of the curriculum. They are positive and enthusiastic about their teaching and are caring and supportive towards their pupils. They have a good knowledge and understanding of most of the subjects they teach, especially literacy and numeracy, and make sure that they teach the basic skills well. The strong focus on helping pupils to understand their work by learning to use the language of each subject is seen in many lessons. In Class 3, for example, pupils do well with learning to Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 12 add larger numbers together in their heads by using different methods and explaining how they have reached their answers. Teachers plan interesting lessons that take good account of the National Curriculum. An example was seen in Class 4 music lessons when pupils

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Most of the teaching is good or very good because class teachers work hard to help

extended their skills in listening, appraising music, composing and performing, through a balanced and enjoyable series of lessons. Teachers also motivate pupils well by varying their style of teaching. In a Class 2 numeracy lesson, for example, pupils enjoyed putting thumbs up and down to show right or wrong answers, as well as using their ‘show me’ cards to answer the teacher’s questions.

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Most of the teaching is good or very good because class teachers work hard to help

7 A particular strength for all teachers is the natural and purposeful way in which they handle class discipline. Teachers establish positive relationships with their pupils, and make sure that pupils know and understand what is expected of them. Consequently, pupils are keen to please their teachers and work hard; no time at all is wasted on disciplinary matters. The teacher in Class 1 ensures that the youngest children come happily to school and settle quickly into school life and routines. Classes 3 and 4 are particularly large, especially considering the limited space available in classrooms. Teachers are so well organised, however, that this causes no disruption to lessons. This good teaching enables pupils to attain high standards by the time they leave the school.

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Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes to school enable teachers to concentrate

all their efforts on teaching and pupils’ learning.

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Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes to school enable teachers to concentrate

8 In almost all the lessons, pupils’ attitudes to their work and their behaviour were very good. Pupils in all classes listen carefully to their teachers when they are explaining things and listen politely to their friends when it is their turn to answer questions. When told what to do, pupils tackle their work with enthusiasm, often working co-operatively with others in their group. They look after the equipment, often getting it out and putting it away carefully themselves. When a musical instrument accidentally fell on the floor, a pupil was quick to express concern that it was not broken. Pupils work and play together very well, even on wet days when they do not get outside at all. They move around the school very sensibly and quietly, and can be trusted to behave well without close supervision. Some pupils have made their own class rules, but there is little sign that teachers need to refer to these. This is

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Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes to school enable teachers to concentrate

because pupils know what is expected of them and want to please their teachers. Older pupils, particularly, enjoy taking on responsibilities such as selling crisps and attending to the music centre, although girls appear to be keener than boys to do this. Pupils spoke with inspectors in a friendly, mature and very polite manner; they were happy to explain their work and to talk about school life. Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes contribute greatly to the standards they achieve and to the smooth running of the school.

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Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes to school enable teachers to concentrate

Parents think very highly of the school.

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Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes to school enable teachers to concentrate

9 Only a small minority of parents attended the inspection meeting or returned the questionnaire, but inspectors spoke with many more parents during the inspection. Parents are pleased that their children attend this small, friendly and caring school. Even though some parents have concerns about large class sizes, they still think that teaching is good. Parents particularly like the fact that everyone knows everyone else and they take care of each other. Parents are pleased that the headteacher and class teachers are so approachable, and that any concerns, such as arrangements for collecting children at the end of the school day, are listened to. The results of the questionnaire indicate that parents think more highly of the school than at the time of the last inspection, and inspectors judge that parents’ positive views are mainly justified. The good relationship between parents and the school encourages pupils to want to come to school and to try their best.

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Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes to school enable teachers to concentrate

Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 13

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There has not been sustained improvement with some of the key issues in the last

10 Governors prepared an action plan to address both the key issues and all other reported weaknesses. In the last four years, there have been changes to the governing body, as well as a lot of national and local educational initiatives for the school to respond to. Governors have not continued to tackle rigorously enough the previous key issues concerning the leadership, management and efficiency of the school.

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There has not been sustained improvement with some of the key issues in the last

11 The current school development plan does focus on raising standards and setting targets, but it is not a sufficiently detailed, precise or longer term view of the school’s intended progress. The plan is still sometimes too vague, and it is not very helpful in making sure that everyone always has a clear sense of purpose and knows what needs doing next. Arrangements for checking and assessing progress are still too imprecise. The activities suggested in the priorities are not necessarily, by themselves, going to address the weaknesses and raise standards; indeed the school has not met its own target this year in the mathematics test results. The plan does not take enough account of the several areas where pupils appear to be consistently under-performing in National Curriculum tests and teacher assessments for seven-year-olds. Staff have not looked closely enough at the strengths and weaknesses in the test results and teacher assessments, in order to spot

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There has not been sustained improvement with some of the key issues in the last

exactly what needs to be done about their concerns.

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There has not been sustained improvement with some of the key issues in the last

12 Governors do not yet have regular access to the kind of information that would help them to know what questions they should be asking the headteacher about standards and the curriculum. Their direct involvement with planning for improvement and keeping a constantly watchful eye on how well things are going is limited. This makes it difficult for them to be able to target all the school’s financial and human resources where they are most needed at any given time. Governors sometimes sanction additional spending that is not part of the school development plan without considering all alternatives or asking seriously if this is best value for pupils’ education. Since the last inspection, assessing the school’s progress and judging the value for money of spending decisions has not improved much, and this has held the school back. This weakness is closely related to the following section.

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There has not been sustained improvement with some of the key issues in the last

Pupils could sometimes achieve more, especially by the time they are seven.

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There has not been sustained improvement with some of the key issues in the last

13 Whilst standards in National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds rose markedly between 1996 and 1999, standards in tests for seven-year-olds dipped. Test results presented in percentage terms are looked at cautiously when year groups are relatively small. Nevertheless, in both the 1999 results and the 2000 results, there are too many pupils who fail to reach the expected standard (Level 2), only just reach it or do not achieve a good Level 2. Even when taking account of the numbers of pupils with special educational needs, pupils are not doing as well overall as pupils in similar schools. This gives rise to concern because many children start school with above average literacy and numeracy skills and have already attended nursery schools. The 2000 test results in reading show a significant improvement, but this is not the case in writing and mathematics.

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There has not been sustained improvement with some of the key issues in the last

14 Staff are concerned about this low performance and have sought outside help to tackle it. There are a few brief and vague references to weaknesses in the school development plan, but the action planned is unlikely to address fully any low achievement. The subject manager for English thinks that pupils’ difficulties with writing stem from the weaknesses in speaking and listening, spelling and style of writing, but there is nothing in the Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 14 school development plan to show what direct action is to be taken by the school. All teachers have made a very positive start with setting targets of achievement for individual pupils. They talk about these with their pupils and their parents, and are mindful of the targets when teaching lessons. The school does not yet, however, look for and analyse the finer detail of the strengths and weaknesses in the school’s performance. This means that it does not

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There has not been sustained improvement with some of the key issues in the last

pinpoint specific weaknesses to be addressed through curriculum planning and through directing the school’s financial and human resources to where they are most urgently needed. Setting targets for individual pupils without a clear and planned view of how they are to be met is not working.

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The school has been slow to respond to national guidance about the curriculum for

15 The last inspection did not report on provision for the youngest children in the school. Since that time, all schools have been asked to respond to national guidance about how best to cater for the wide ranging needs of young children. The recently published guidance builds on earlier guidelines, and sets out clearly the ‘stepping stones’ that children should achieve if they are to attain the ‘early learning goals’ by the end of their reception year. The school has not yet acknowledged the importance of this area of provision by planning for the necessary changes to teaching and the curriculum as part of the school development plan. Also, there is no member of staff with a clearly designated responsibility for managing this important phase of children’s education. There is insufficient knowledge and understanding amongst senior staff and governors to point the correct way forward for the school or to support the

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The school has been slow to respond to national guidance about the curriculum for

class teacher with planning her teaching to match the new requirements.

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The school has been slow to respond to national guidance about the curriculum for

16 The class teacher has written a useful statement about the curriculum, and has listed some suitable activities, such as learning by talking during role - play. She has started to consider the national guidance when writing down plans for lessons, but the school does not yet have a clear overall curriculum plan to show how children will achieve the ‘stepping stones’ and make progress in all areas so that they move gradually into the National Curriculum. Whilst the school is not expected to have full plans in place, it is well behind many schools with putting previous guidance into practice, and there is still much work to be done to get ‘up-to-date’ with curriculum plans.

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The school has been slow to respond to national guidance about the curriculum for

17 Children in the Foundation Stage are taught in Class 1 alongside some Year 1 pupils. The children vary considerably in age and length of time in school; more young children will join the class in January. This makes it very difficult for the class teacher to plan to meet all their needs in the same room, especially when she tries to follow the nationally recommended programme of work intended for pupils in Year 1. A capable classroom assistant provides an extra pair of hands, but the teacher does not always use this time to very best advantage. There are times when the youngest children could be catered for better by having their own time with an assistant or teacher who engages them in purposeful play, challenging talk or activities outdoors.

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Standards in information and communication technology are not as high as they

18 The last report judged standards to be in line with national expectations. Since that time, however, there have been a lot of technological advances in society, and expectations for all schools have been raised and clarified. Many pupils in Year 6 have a good understanding of the uses of technology in our society, and know how to make use of it as part of their learning. They use CD-ROM, for example to research in history, know how to use the Internet, record their writing by word processing and create pictures with drawing programs. The things they are unable to do are mainly those where more specialist Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 15 equipment and expert teaching is needed. The school has, rightly, identified the need to keep up with national developments through staff training, and governors have upgraded and increased the number of computers in each classroom. Teachers have adopted the national

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Standards in information and communication technology are not as high as they

guidance for teaching the subject, but find it difficult to set aside enough lesson time to make sure that all their pupils have the right amount of opportunities to learn new skills and practise these in other subjects. Consequently, pupils do not cover fully all the work they need to do to in order to attain the standards expected by the time they are seven and eleven. Pupils’ progress is further hindered by a lack of availability of suitable software to help them to learn all the necessary skills. During the inspection, computers were not always used when they could have been. When computers were used, however, they were used appropriately, as seen in Class 1 when younger children used a program to help them to learn to match letter shapes. The school’s co-ordinator does not teach the subject, and this means that other teachers do not have a role model or expert help in classrooms. There are plans to train

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Standards in information and communication technology are not as high as they

assistants to work directly with pupils, but this may not be enough to raise standards, especially in large classes. The issues that prevent pupils doing as well as they could centre on the management of provision and the efficiency of the use of computers. Governors have sanctioned spending, but their expectations about how this must benefit pupils and raise standards are not set out clearly enough. Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

19 Governors, the headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the leadership, management and efficiency of the school by:-

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Making sure that governors are kept fully informed about school matters and closely involved in all decisions that effect pupils’ education and the standards they achieve;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improving the school development plan to make this a sufficiently detailed, precise and longer term view of the school’s intended progress. This should have a clearer and stronger focus on raising standards through careful budget planning and constant checking and reporting back about progress to date.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improving arrangements for finding out how well the school is performing by looking more closely at test and assessment information to identify exactly what improvements are most urgently needed;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Following best value principles when considering and agreeing important decisions about the use of the school’s budget and the deployment of all staff.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Raise standards in the school, especially by the end of Key Stage 1 by:-

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Making sure that strengths and weaknesses in the school’s performance are fully analysed to find out where individuals or groups of pupils need most help, and making certain that pupils achieve the National Curriculum targets set for them.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve the provision for children in the Foundation Stage by:-

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Identifying a member of staff with overall management responsibility for this major area of the work in the school;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Increasing the knowledge and understanding of governors and senior staff to enable them to be able to guide and support developments in the school;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Taking more account of the national guidance in order to plan a curriculum that meets fully the needs of children of this age and leads them gradually into the National Curriculum.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Considering how best to deploy staff in order that children have more time for taking part in purposeful play, challenging talk and activities outdoors.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Raise standards in information and communications technology by:-

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Setting aside enough regular lesson time for pupils to have sufficient opportunities to learn and practise new skills as part of their work in all subjects.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Involving the school’s subject manager in planning lessons and in teaching, so as to provide a good role model for class teachers to increase their own expertise and confidence.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Extending, as soon as is practicable, the software resources needed for pupils to be able to cover the full National Curriculum and attain the required standards. Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

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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

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/a 114

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/a 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/a 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s 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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 3

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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. Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 18

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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 8 8 16

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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 * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 81 (84) 81 (88) 88 (84) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (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 * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 81 (88) 81 (87) 88 (87) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 86 (85) 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 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 10 6 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 94 (71) 94 (85) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 81 (86) 81 (100) 93 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

* Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 19 Results for girls and boys separately have not been included above because the numbers of pupils tested fall below the minimum requirement to do this. Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

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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) 5 Financial year 1999 /2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 204,627

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 1,827

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 67.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 12,800

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 13,174

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Silkstone Common Junior & Infant School - 21

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 50 40 10 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 50 50 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 30 53 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 37 50 13 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 30 7 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 60 37 0 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 47 40 3 0 10

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 50 33 10 0 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 40 7 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 30 37 20 0 13

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Many parents who did not attend the inspection meeting were spoken to during the inspection, and seven parents added additional comments to the questionnaire. They confirmed the positive views of the school already expressed, but the matter of large class sizes was again raised. Parents welcome the opportunities to talk to teachers at ‘surgeries’, but some are not sure that these are working as intended.

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