Rockcliffe CofE School

ROCKCLIFFE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th - 7 th February 2001

p.1

ROCKCLIFFE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

p.1

ROCKCLIFFE CE PRIMARY 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. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 1

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Rockcliffe Carlisle Cumbria Postcode: CA6 4AA

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs P Mounsey-Heysham

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1996 Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 2

p.3

responsibilities

22787 M Lewis Registered inspector Mathematics What sort of school is it? Science The schools results and achievements. Music How well are the pupils taught? Religious education How well is the school led and managed? Children in the foundation stage What should the school do to improve further? 19741 T Smith Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. 30834 A Lowson Team inspector Information and communication technology Physical education Equal opportunities 26545 A Scott Team inspector English How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Art and design Design and technology Special educational needs 21666 A Margerison Team inspector History Geography Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 3 The inspection contractor was:

p.4

responsibilities

Eclipse (Education) Limited 14 Enterprise House Kingsway Team Valley Gateshead NE11 OSR

p.5

responsibilities

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

p.5

responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.5

responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 4

p.5

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

p.6

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Rockcliffe is a smaller than average sized Church of England Controlled School with 91 pupils (56 boys and 35 girls). It is situated in a small village about three miles north of the city of Carlisle. Most pupils live in the village and villages close by and some come from surrounding farms and hamlets. Of these about one third live out of the immediate area and choose to come to the school. The nearby RAF base from which the school drew pupils at the time of the last inspection has since closed but the school has maintained its pupil numbers. The number of pupils registered as having special educational needs (25.3 per cent) is close to the national average. The number of pupils with statements of special educational needs (1 per cent) is below the national average. Almost eight per cent of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals; this is below the national average. When children enter the

p.7

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

reception class, their attainment is mostly above the level expected for their age. No pupils speak English as an additional language and none come from a minority ethnic group. The school has had an unsettling period of staffing. The head teacher has been on extended sick leave for almost nine months. The acting head teacher and the new deputy head teacher began in the school at the beginning of the autumn term.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is effective overall. It is currently managed and led well by the acting head teacher and deputy head teacher who have a shared commitment for improving the school. In the most recent national tests pupils’ standards at the age of seven in reading, writing and mathematics were very high. Standards in English at 11 were very high. Teaching was good in over half the lessons seen and the teaching of children under five was consistently good. Pupils have good attitudes to school. They behave well, respect each other’s feelings and develop good relationships with other pupils and adults. The school provides satisfactorily for pupils with special educational needs and well for pupils with statements of special educational needs. Extra-curricular activities are very good. Under the current leadership of the acting head teacher the school has a sound capacity to improve. It provides satisfactory value for money.

p.7

What the school does well

• The teaching of children in the reception class is good and this gives them a good start to their education. • Pupils have good attitudes to school and behave well enabling them to develop good relationships. • The support for pupils with statements of special educational needs is good. These pupils receive specialist help and do well. • The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is good. Teachers provide good role models. Extra–curricular provision is very good and promotes good social development. • The leadership of the acting head teacher is good. In a short time she has moved the school forward.

p.7

What could be improved

• Standards in information and communication technology throughout the school. • The role of the governors in the leadership and management of the school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 6

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection although some issues have not been dealt with until very recently. The school has made good improvements in the quality of teaching and learning at Key Stage 1 and results of the most recent test results show that standards of attainment in reading, writing, mathematics and science rose to be very high. The school has partly dealt with most of the key issues identified in the last inspection in November 1996. The governors’ annual report to parents still does not meet statutory requirements despite this being raised as a matter for attention at the previous inspection. The school has guidance in place for all subjects and assessment activities are planned into lessons. Teachers who manage English and mathematics have been involved in checking the teaching and learning. The school’s behaviour policy has been very recently reviewed by the

p.8

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

acting head teacher and as a result behaviour is improved. Governors have been appointed to oversee main areas of the curriculum. Issues surrounding plans for school development and the arrangements for checking its implementation have not been carried through effectively since the previous inspection but have recently begun to be dealt with by the acting head teacher. Most recent test results for pupils at 11 show that standards were below those found in similar schools for mathematics and science. However, standards are now rising.

p.8

STANDARDS

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

p.8

Key

1998 1999 2000 2000 Top 5% of schools A* English A C A* A well above average above average A B mathematics A A B D average below average C D science A C C D well below average E

p.8

Key

Only seventeen pupils took the national tests for 11-year-olds in 2000 and there are only eight pupils in this year’s group of Year 6 pupils. This is typical of the fluctuating size of the groups of pupils in the school that makes year on year comparisons unreliable. Based on the results over the last five years, the rising trend in the subjects of English, mathematics and science was broadly in line with the national trend although results have been erratic in different subjects for different years. In the year 2000, test results in English were very high and in the highest 5 per cent nationally. Pupils’ performance in mathematics was above the national average and in science was close to the national average. In comparison with similar schools, results in English are well above average, but below average for mathematics and science. Inspection evidence indicates that the small number of pupils in

p.8

Key

the current Year 6 are attaining at the national average in English, mathematics and science. This lower standard is attributed to teacher absences at the end of the last school year and differences in the make up of the present group of pupils since more pupils have special educational needs. The school’s targets for pupils in the current Years 5 and 6 are suitably challenging. Eleven pupils aged seven sat the tests in 2000. They attained very high results in reading, writing, mathematics and Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 7 science being in the highest 5 per cent nationally for all subjects. In comparison with similar schools, mathematics results were very high and English and science were well above the average. Pupils at the ages of seven and 11 do not reach the standards expected for their age in information and communication technology. Pupils’ standards in religious education at the ages of seven and 11 are in

p.8

Key

line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus.

p.9

Key

In art and design, and design and technology standards of attainment are below those expected by the age of 11. In all other subjects they match the levels expected.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to school are good. Attitudes of pupils in the reception class and of the oldest pupils are very good. All pupils enjoy their activities and like coming to school.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good in and out of class. Pupils respond well to the school’s new systems of discipline. This helps them to get the most out of their time in school.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is good. They act in a sensible and reliable way. Their good relationships with one another and with teachers contribute to the quality of their learning.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. It is above the average for primary schools and pupils’ punctuality is good.

p.9

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

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

p.9

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

In the 25 lessons observed, teaching was satisfactory or better in 96 per cent of lessons. It was good in 40 per cent of lessons and satisfactory in 56 per cent. There was unsatisfactory teaching in 4 per cent of lessons. Teachers are skilful in teaching different ways of working out mental strategies to pupils in mathematics lessons and this is responsible for the good levels achieved by pupils in mental arithmetic. In literacy lessons teachers introduce pupils to a range of styles for writing and select interesting texts to inspire them. Teachers have good skills in the teaching of literacy and explain new work carefully. Pupils with special educational needs are well taught. Teaching of information and communication technology is not satisfactory because the full requirements of the curriculum are not covered. All pupils respond positively to the teachers’ expectations for good behaviour which enables

p.9

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

lessons to proceed as they should and for pupils to do well. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 8

p.9

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school’s curriculum is satisfactory overall. The school works hard to enrich the curriculum with a good programme of educational visits. The curriculum for information and communication technology does not meet the requirements of the National Curriculum.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Teachers effectively support pupils with special educational needs and this promotes their learning.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school has recently placed an increasing emphasis on developing pupils’ personal growth and sense of responsibility. It provides individual targets for pupils to work towards and is good at ensuring their individual moral and social development. The school provides satisfactory spiritual and cultural development for its pupils.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school is good at making sure that pupils are safe and secure. Staff keep good checks on pupils’ behaviour, attendance and personal development. The school has good systems in place for recording how well pupils progress in their learning.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The recent staffing problems and long term absence of the head teacher mean that parents have understandably been concerned about the quality of education for their children. The school is working hard to re-establish its former partnership with its parents. Most parents actively support their children with homework and an increasing number work regularly in the school and help run thriving after school clubs .

p.10

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff The shared commitment of the acting head teacher and the newly appointed deputy head teacher is good. The school is moving forwards.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is supportive and loyal to the school. They fulfil most of their legal responsibilities. They are interested in the life of the school but have not always had sufficient involvement in planning school developments and shaping its direction.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance This is good by the acting head teacher. She has recently begun to identify appropriate priorities for the school based on its strengths and weaknesses.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Current spending is carefully and wisely planned to benefit the pupils in the school and achieve the best value. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 9 Staffing and accommodation are satisfactory overall. Resources are satisfactory overall although the school is short of outdoor play equipment and facilities for reception children. Many items of software in information and communication technology are not compatible with the hardware.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like coming to school. • The teaching is good. • They feel comfortable to approach the school with questions and problems. • The school helps their children to become mature and responsible. • The school expects their children to work hard and do their best. • Their children make good progress and the behaviour in the school is good. • Some parents felt that they were not kept well informed about how their children are getting on. • Some parents felt the school did not work closely enough with them. • Some parents felt their children did not get the right amount of homework. • Some parents felt the school did not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons.

p.11

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with most of the parents’ positive comments and views of the school and disagree with some of their criticisms. The teaching is good for pupils in the Foundation Stage and is satisfactory overall in the rest of the school. The amount of homework is similar to that found in other primary schools at Key Stage 1 although the quality and quantity expected of pupils in Key Stage 2 is good. Annual reports to parents have been incomplete for some pupils for the last year and curriculum information for parents is not consistent. The school is making a good effort to work more closely with parents and the range of activities out of school is very good. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 10

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Children start in the reception class at the age of four with skills in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literature and mathematical development that are above those usually found in children of this age. All children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. By the end of the reception year the majority reach and many exceed the goals expected of them in these areas. Early reading and writing skills are developed well and children make good progress in their mathematical development and in their understanding and knowledge of the world. Children’s physical development is good and their good listening skills ensure that they do well in physical development lessons although they have fewer opportunities for outdoor play and experiences. Children make sound progress in their creative development. Children’s personal, social and emotional development also continues well and is good by the end of the reception

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 In the most recent national tests, results show that by the age of seven, pupils’ attainment in reading and writing and mathematics was very high in comparison with the national average. In comparison with similar schools, reading and writing results were well above the average and mathematics results were very high. The attainment of boys and girls does not show significant differences.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 Inspection findings show that pupils in Year 2 are attaining closely in line with what is expected for their age in mathematics and in all areas of English; speaking and listening, reading and writing. In science they are achieving below the expected levels. This is very different from the test results. It is accounted for by differences in the make up of this year’s group of pupils. There is a larger number of pupils on the register of special educational needs.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 Pupils listen well but are hesitant and less confident in speaking than is typical for their age. At the age of seven pupils do well in mental arithmetic sessions and cover all aspects of the mathematics curriculum satisfactorily. They have less experience of problem solving and thinking independently in mathematics. Teachers are now developing pupils’ skills in these areas. In science, Year 2 pupils do not have independent skills in their practical enquiry work and are very dependent on the support of teachers and helpers. Although a few higher attaining pupils explain their observations in scientific enquiries and use scientific language when questioned probingly by teachers, most pupils find this difficult. They do not readily make comparisons in their practical work or record their work with the level of detail normally found in pupils of this age.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 In the national tests for 11-year-olds, pupils’ performance in English was in the top 5 per cent of schools nationally. Results were well above the average for similar schools. In mathematics, pupils attained above average levels for the expected level but were below average when compared with schools having similar numbers of free school meals. However, the small number of pupils taking the tests means that these comparisons may not be reliable. In science tests, results were average. However, in comparison with similar schools, results were below average.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6 Results in the national tests in English for the past five years, show that standards of pupils’ attainment at 11 are improving overall. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 11 7 Inspection findings show standards at the age of 11 are at the level expected for this age group in English, mathematics and science. The differences between the test results and the current findings are accounted for by significant differences in the size and make up of the current group of pupils. There are only eight pupils in the current Year 6 and a higher number of pupils have special needs. Other contributory factors are the disruptions suffered by the current group of pupils at the end of the last summer term. New staff had no available records for these pupils and had to get to know them and set up new systems for checking their progress.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 In English, pupils in Year 6 have satisfactory skills in speaking and listening. They listen and concentrate in lessons but many are reluctant to put forward their own ideas and some lack the confidence to do so. Although they read fluently and with a degree of expression, they have not developed their own opinions on books or authors that they enjoy reading. Their knowledge and understanding of vocabulary restricts their comprehension and understanding of their reading. In mathematics, Year 6 pupils rise to the challenge provided by the good teaching in their mental arithmetic sessions. They display good mental agility with numbers. They enjoy problem solving and are beginning to think out problems for themselves and tackle new work independently. It is a similar picture in science where Year 6 pupils show an increasing ability to complete their scientific enquiries effectively and work together proficiently in pairs and small groups. They make good estimations,

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

predictions and record their observations appropriately. The increased emphasis on scientific enquiry is a strength of the subject particularly at Key Stage 2.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9 Pupils make good gains in their learning in most subjects as they move though the school. This is particularly the case in the reception class and in Years 5 and 6 because of good teaching. The higher attaining pupils in Year 3 make satisfactory progress but this could be improved if they were constantly given challenging work in all subjects.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10 The school has set targets for Year 6 pupils in English and mathematics. Targets are challenging and based on what the school already knows about the groups of pupils.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11 In the absence of structured schemes of work in some subjects such as information and communication technology, art and design and design and technology, pupils have missed out on developing their skills sequentially in the past. As a result, attainment in information and communication technology is unsatisfactory at both key stages. This is compounded by the fact that the school has recently bought software which is incompatible with the machines available to the pupils. The mismatch of resources has resulted in pupils having fewer opportunities than they should have had to use information and communication technology productively over the past few years. The school is now putting this right. Standards of attainment are below those expected for pupils aged 11 in art and design, and design and technology. There are also limited resources in both these subjects. This affects the rate of progress and the sequence that pupils learn skills. It is only recently that a

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

structured curriculum and scheme of work has been introduced into the school for these subjects.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12 In music, geography, history and physical education, standards match the levels expected for pupils’ ages. Standards in religious education are in line with the requirements of the syllabus adopted by the local education authority.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13 Pupils with special educational needs make sound gains in skills, knowledge and understanding. By the age of 11 they achieve standards that are below those expected for their age but are satisfactory in relation to their identified needs and specific targets.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 12 14 Pupils enjoy coming to school. Children in the reception class have particularly good attitudes to their work and already show strong enthusiasm in whatever they are doing. Elsewhere, pupils’ attitudes to learning are generally good, particularly when the work is interesting and challenging. Pupils listen well to their teachers, or when others are speaking, and usually respond sensibly to questions or when entering into discussions.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15 Behaviour is substantially good both in and out of class. Pupils respond well to the school’s new system of discipline. They know what is expected of them and usually react accordingly. No incidents of bullying or aggressive behaviour were observed during the inspection. The level of exclusions is low. The four fixed term exclusions that occurred at the beginning of the school year were dealt with properly. Pupils care for their school and show due respect for its fabric and learning resources.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16 Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and staff are good. Pupils work well together in lessons and interact sociably during the breaks. They show respect for other peoples’ feelings and beliefs, and clearly understand the impact of their actions upon others. For instance, they will not interrupt others who are speaking. Children in the reception class are developing particularly good working habits. They share and take turns, and can pursue activities productively without the need for constant direction from their teacher. Pupils willingly take on responsibility and carry out their duties well. However, opportunities for them to plan their own learning or to carry out research on their own are now much more limited than at the time of the last inspection. A school council was established briefly last year but is no longer active.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17 Attendance has improved since the last inspection and is now above the average for primary schools. Unauthorised absence remains very low. Punctuality is good. Most pupils arrive on time and are settled in class promptly at the start of lessons.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18 The teaching and learning in the school is satisfactory, with good teaching in the reception class where children make a good start to their education. It is also good in Years 5 and 6. All but one of the lessons seen during the inspection were satisfactory or better. Fifty six per cent of lessons were good and 40 per cent were satisfactory. The teaching of information and communication technology, art and design and design and technology has not been structured until recently for pupils to develop their skills and to build upon what they have already learnt sufficiently well.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19 Teaching has improved since the previous inspection when a substantial amount of teaching of the older pupils in Key Stage 1 was judged to be less than satisfactory and often poor. Monitoring of teaching by the head teacher and previous numeracy co-ordinator, particularly in literacy and numeracy and changes of staff following the previous inspection improved the quality of teaching and results in Key Stage 1. Recent guidelines for literacy and numeracy have also contributed to the improvement of pupils’ learning and rise in standards.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20 There has been a complete change of staff and the current teachers all came new to the school in September 2000. In the absence of adequate records and particularly records of assessment for pupils in Key Stage 2, it was difficult for new staff until they got to know the pupils. Teachers’ records and records of checking of pupils’ attainments are now well kept from the beginning of the year. Stability of staffing has been regained for the time being. Pupils are settled and behaviour is well managed. This enables satisfactory and often good teaching and learning to take place. However, in some subjects where pupils have missed out in their previous learning such as the development of skills in information and communication technology, art and design, design and Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 13 technology and scientific enquiry at Key Stage 1, pupils achievements in their learning are not high

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21 The teaching of English and mathematics is satisfactory with some good teaching in both subjects. Teachers effectively teach the basic skills of literacy such as letter sounds, blends of sounds and words that sound the same but are spelt differently. They explain new work and tasks carefully to pupils and select interesting texts or extracts of texts for them to study. Teachers introduce pupils to a range of styles for writing independently. Writing skills learnt in the literacy hour are developed particularly well in history and religious education. Skills of speaking and listening are developed and practised by teachers in all subjects although younger pupils at Key Stage 1 are often hesitant to speak before larger class groups and need support and confidence to do so. Pupils’ literacy skills are used across almost all other subjects satisfactorily.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22 In the numeracy hour teachers are particularly skilful in teaching pupils different ways of working out problems and number work in their heads. Lessons have a good pace. Teachers set challenges to pupils and this is responsible for the good levels of pupils’ achievements in mental arithmetic. Teachers meet the needs of different groups of pupils well in mathematics by providing work matched at the correct level to support their learning. Pupils’ skills in numeracy are used well in some subjects of the curriculum such as science but there is less evidence of this in information and communication technology and in geography.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23 Teachers subject knowledge is satisfactory. It is good in the foundation stage and in English, mathematics, science and religious education. It is satisfactory in physical education, history and geography. Teachers have all had recent training in information and communication technology and are all confident in teaching it. However, only one teacher has sufficient confidence and expertise in music. Teachers exchange classes in order to teach to their own strengths in some subjects. The school also uses well the strengths of visiting teachers in mathematics, English and science.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24 The teaching of the youngest children in the reception class is good and as a result they make good progress. It is particularly good for promoting children’s personal, social and emotional development, their skills in language and communication, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Creative and physical development are satisfactory although children have limited access to outdoor equipment and play. The teacher plans sessions well and makes good use of support assistants. The children’s work and learning are thoroughly checked and kept good track of from the beginning.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25 A strength of the teaching in the school is the good management of pupils in the majority of lessons when teachers teach their own classes. However, on rare occasions when a teacher is with an unfamiliar class, teaching is sometimes less than satisfactory due to unsatisfactory management of behaviour. Teachers generally have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and their application to learning in all lessons. By using the systems of the recently developed behaviour policy teachers succeed in managing pupils well and this ensures that lessons develop at a good pace without interruptions and that all pupils have the opportunity to learn. Pupils with special educational needs are managed and supported well. Any disruptive behaviour by pupils’ with behavioural difficulties is dealt with appropriately by teachers and support staff who are always on hand. The support staff have good relationships with these pupils and guide and support them effectively.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26 Teachers use their questioning skills effectively to direct pupils’ thinking and to encourage their responses. They have good relationships with pupils and show a good understanding of their different needs in their questioning. There are inconsistencies however, and occasionally teachers talk and question too quickly and do not give pupils sufficient time to respond to their questions. They Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 14 sometimes hurry onto the next point and provide answers for pupils. This restricts pupils speaking opportunities and does not instil the confidence in speaking that some need. In most lessons teachers direct questions sensitively to enable all pupils to play an active part in discussions whatever their ability. Questioning and the lively pace of mental mathematics sessions is a strength of all numeracy lessons. In the best mathematics lessons teachers challenge pupils further by giving them increasingly

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

difficult mental arithmetic problems to solve.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27 Teachers plan and prepare their lessons effectively. They have clear ideas of what they want pupils to learn. In the best lessons they share these with the pupils at the beginning of the lessons and give good reminders of work they have done previously. In science lessons teachers are developing pupils’ scientific enquiry well and they make effective use of equipment such as bulbs and batteries, for making circuits and force meters to measure the force of gravity. Teachers prepare interesting activities and use artefacts well in religious education lessons to allow pupils to develop what they have learnt previously. In some lessons however, particularly in art and design, and design and technology, the breadth of resources used and undemanding tasks do not challenge pupils sufficiently. The marking of pupils’ work is mostly satisfactory but this is not done consistently well in all subjects.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28 Teachers give pupils frequent opportunities to work in pairs and small groups as well as independently. The acting head teacher has targeted pupils’ personal development as a priority area for improvement and teachers are working successfully to raise pupils’ confidence, self esteem and motivation. Older pupils in particular are now taking more responsibility for their own learning. They have individual targets which they know thoroughly and are working towards. Teachers provide homework regularly and in accordance with the school policy. The quality and quantity expected of pupils in Key Stage 2 is good.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29 The school’s curriculum is sound overall. It successfully includes the national initiatives in literacy and numeracy, together with the new guidance for all other subjects. This has given a greater structure to the teaching, especially in English and mathematics. It is too early to judge the impact on other subjects. However, it does not fully meet the requirements of the National Curriculum in information and communication technology. The school works hard to ensure that all subjects are taught regularly and give pupils balanced curricular experiences. It also ensures that all pupils receive equal access to the curriculum. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. It is good for those pupils with statements of special educational needs. The school has established a comprehensive policy that is reflected in the everyday life of the school. Individual educational plans

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

are prepared for each pupil on the school’s register of special educational needs with targets that are realistic, but are not consistently specific or measurable. Plans are reviewed each term with parents or carers. This provides guidance for class teachers and parents to plan individual work for pupils.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30 The school has elected not to teach sex education and it reviews this decision each year. It has a policy for drugs education.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31 The school makes a good effort to enrich the curriculum for the pupils. There is a good programme of educational visits to places like the Buddhist Centre at Eskdalemuir and to the Tullie House Museum in Carlisle. Teachers place suitable emphasis on the locality in history and geography to broaden pupils’ awareness of the immediate locality. Teachers expand pupils’ horizons with multi- cultural folk–tales. The school offer a wholesome range of extra-curricular activities, including choir, Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 15 Lego and netball. These are well supported by pupils. Teachers also set homework that consolidates pupils’ learning.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32 However, some areas of the curriculum are limited. There is not enough use made in English, for example, of literary influences to develop vocabulary and inspire reading. Similarly in art and design, too little use is made of the work of major artists to provide examples of good practice and to encourage creativity. Pupils do not have enough opportunity for independent learning.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33 Teachers’ yearly and termly planning is good, because they have recently begun to use the national guidance as a framework for teaching. Within these, teachers allow for the different year groups in each class through a two-year cycle of topics.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34 The school makes satisfactory provision for the spiritual development of its pupils. Pupils benefit from visits by the local parish vicar and from trips out to visit different places of worship, including a mosque and a Sikh temple. In classes, teachers encourage pupils to reflect on their own experiences in whole class activities.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35 The school has worked effectively to develop pupils’ sense of right and wrong. Teachers present good role models and set good examples of behaviour. They establish a clear code of conduct within classrooms and this has a beneficial effect in the playground. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 produced a set of their own ideas of world rules for the new millennium. These showed a strong sense of morality in their awareness of under-age drinking and homelessness.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36 The school offers good support for the social development of the pupils. Teachers encourage pupils to work productively in pairs or small groups. For example, groups of Year 3 and 4 pupils had to work out how best to perform a rap poem. During school activities at lunchtime, pupils share Lego and Duplo with equanimity and mutual interest. Sometimes older pupils work with younger pupils, such as in the construction of bird feeders. Pupils also benefit from an annual residential visit.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37 Cultural provision is satisfactory. Teachers encourage pupils to have regard for their own local culture but they are acutely aware of the need to acquaint pupils with culture from further afield. A series of folk-tales from such diverse places as Nigeria and California has recently helped to do this. Pupils also gain considerably from access to brass and woodwind music tuition, as well as involvement in the choir. However, the school also misses some opportunities to broaden pupils’ cultural experiences. For example, little time is spent exploring different types of music. Too few examples of literary, artistic and musical influences are used to inspire the pupils.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38 The school has good links with the local community. Organised visits are used well to widen the curriculum, particularly in history and geography, and residential visits help pupils to gain confidence as well as developing their social skills. Pupils attend the church to commemorate festivals such as Easter and Christmas and, with its help, have raised money to support good causes. The auction of harvest gifts to support a child in Africa is a good example of this. Other visitors, however, are limited. The school continues to take an active part in various community celebrations and has received some donations from local business towards the cost of the football strip and curtains in the hall.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39 Links with other schools and partner institutions remain satisfactory.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 16 40 The school’s arrangements for ensuring the care and general welfare of its pupils are good and have improved since the last inspection. Regular health and safety checks are carried out around the building and grounds, although a few concerns were identified during the inspection and raised with the head teacher. Child protection procedures reflect local guidelines and are used effectively but all staff would benefit from further training, particularly those new to the school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41 Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development remain satisfactory but also include some good features. The new system for raising standards of behaviour, for instance, is one of them. This is already proving very effective and the staff have identified that behaviour is now much better than at the start of the academic year, with the vast majority of pupils responding positively to the measures now in operation. Setting individual targets to help improve pupils’ general conduct is another good example. These targets are made well known to parents and displayed prominently in the front of homework diaries or home reading records. Bullying is not a problem, but clear guidelines are in place to deal with any incidents that do arise, and parents feel they are used well.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42 At the time of the last inspection, the development of procedures for assessing pupils’ progress was a school priority. Since then assessment procedures for checking pupils’ academic progress have been effectively restructured so they are now good. The school has introduced good procedures for assessing for children entering the foundation stage and uses tests in Years 3, 4 and 5 to supplement the national tests at seven and 11. Some improvements in assessment of pupils’ progress have been introduced very recently by the acting head teacher. There are annual reading tests for all pupils and a whole school writing task is set in September. Within subjects, the school uses end of unit tests in mathematics and key word lists from the national literacy strategy to check on- going progress. In addition, the school is piloting the assessment tasks from the recent national guidelines in science and history with some classes.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43 The pupil portfolios established at the time of the last inspection have been refined so that the examples of work are now annotated and linked to National Curriculum levels. Although the school is very aware of the need to be clear about what pupils have learnt and need to improve upon, the procedures are relatively recent so the amount of information available for each pupil is limited. The use of the data, beyond the establishment of groupings for literacy and numeracy lessons and to plan activities in lessons that match pupils’ abilities, is at an early stage of development. More recent developments include discussions between teachers and each pupil about their work. Together, they set individual targets for English, mathematics and personal development at the start of the year. These are reviewed during the year, but generally the use of these targets to guide marking and planning is informal and insufficiently explicit for pupils. Full teacher assessments were not reported to

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

the examining body for Year 6 pupils in the last reporting year.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44 The school provides effective support for pupils with special educational needs and this has a positive effect on their learning. Support staff have good relationships with pupils and use these effectively to encourage, guide and support their academic and personal development. They have a good awareness of the personal as well as the academic needs of their pupils and help to create a safe and secure environment for them. Close links have been established with a range of external support agencies so the school makes good use of the support available from the external services for pupils with specific difficulties. Specialists meet regularly with the school management, work with pupils, conduct assessments and provide advice and support.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45 The procedures for assessing pupils with special educational needs are limited. The school relies on external advisors to provide this element of the special needs provision. There are no whole school approaches to systematically evaluate the learning needs of pupils with learning or emotional Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 17 and behavioural difficulties. This limits the class teachers capacity to effectively set measurable targets and to measure pupils’ progress towards them.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46 Attendance is monitored thoroughly. Registers are completed properly, and there are suitable arrangements to follow up any unexplained absence. However, this was not the case in the year prior to the inspection. Pupils are encouraged to come to school regularly and the school rewards them for regular attendance. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 18

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47 The views expressed by the 57 parents who responded to the inspection questionnaire are very mixed and much less positive than at the time of the previous inspection. However, the vast majority of those who attended the parents’ meeting (21 parents) before the inspection were generally happy with the quality of education now being provided and felt there had been significant overall improvements since last September. Most parents actively support their children with homework and an increasing number of them now work regularly in school. Several parents help to run thriving after school clubs, such as art and football. Many others accompany outings or support special events. The Parent Teachers’ Association remains very active and continues to give generous support to the school through a variety of fund-raising and social events.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48 Concerns raised by some parents about the information they receive in connection with their children’s progress are partly supported by inspection findings. Pupils’ annual reports do not report on all subjects taught, or contain attendance figures, and last year’s reports for the pupils currently in Year 6 were substantially incomplete. This was a matter recommended for attention at the previous inspection. However, the overall quality of comments contained in reports is generally good. Parents are kept sufficiently well informed about life in school through regular newsletters and on-going correspondence, but details of work covered in lessons are not consistently supplied.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49 The involvement of parents of pupils with special educational needs is good. They are invited to review meetings, kept fully informed of what is being done in school to help their child and, on occasions, have particular roles to play in the individual education plans.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50 The prospectus is satisfactory but the governors’ annual report to parents still does not meet statutory requirements, despite this matter being raised as a key issue at the last inspection. It lacks information about the election of parent governors, full attendance figures and progress being made to meet the targets set in the action plan arising form the previous inspection.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51 The acting head teacher and deputy head teacher work together very well as a team and lead the school effectively. The acting head teacher has accelerated improvements in the school since her temporary appointment and dealt well with some of the key issues outstanding since the previous inspection. It has been a difficult task to take on the leadership of the school in the absence of adequate past records or any staff, including administrative staff, who are familiar with the previous systems and informal knowledge of the school. The acting head teacher and deputy head teacher are to be commended for the systematic approach they have taken to move the school forward during the insecure staffing situation in the school at the same time as sustaining their 90 per cent teaching loads so well.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52 There is a shared commitment by the acting head teacher and the staff to succeed and do the very best for the pupils in the school. The acting head teacher has carefully analysed what needs to be done. This has been documented in a sound interim plan with key improvements prioritised together with clear criteria for reviewing their success in the current year. Most school management policies have been reviewed, brought up to date and rewritten. New curriculum schemes of work have been put into place. All staff know what needs to be done and there is a determination to raise standards in teaching and learning.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53 The acting head teacher has tackled a number of important areas such as raising the standard of pupils’ behaviour and motivation for learning which had deteriorated and was considered Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 19 intolerable by staff at the beginning of the autumn term. Pupils’ behaviour had been a key issue at the time of the previous inspection. The acting head teacher has raised the confidence of parents in the school following the turbulence in staffing experienced at the end of the summer term. She has raised pupils’ self esteem, confidence and social development by increasing the amount of extra-curricular activities available to all pupils from the youngest upwards. The acting head teacher has a heavy teaching commitment of 90 per cent and her presence around the school is felt everywhere. Teachers are encouraged to teach to their strengths and staff have been given management responsibilities. All

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

staff including support staff and part time teachers know their role in the day to day work of the school and are committed to further improvement

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54 The acting head teacher is in the process of developing the expertise of the special educational needs co-ordinator. Significant progress has been made in recent months in developing special educational needs, particularly the consistency and effectiveness of individual education plans. Day-to-day management of the school’s provision and the comprehensive administrative procedures are secure so that statutory requirements as they relate to pupils with statements of special educational needs are met.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55 The governing body supports the acting head teacher well. It consists of some long term and some new members. The recent upheaval in staffing and the just concerns of the parents has given governors a common cause on which to work together. They have dealt with this successfully and the school has been fully staffed and performing effectively since the beginning of the autumn term when the new staff took over the teaching and management of the school. The majority of governors have recently taken part in governor training. Several have taken on roles as literacy, numeracy, special educational needs, and information and communication technology governors and are becoming aware through their work of the strengths and areas in which the school needs to develop. Some governors have observed lessons by staff new to the school and recommended committees for governors are in place. However, governors do not fulfil all of their statutory duties. For instance; the governors’

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

annual report to parents is not in accordance with requirements, and teacher assessments for English and mathematics at Key Stage 2 were not reported to the examination board in 2000. Annual reports for pupils are incomplete. This was a recommendation for improvement at the last inspection. Registers in the school have not been properly completed over some past years.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56 The involvement of the governing body in identifying the priorities for school development and arrangements for the monitoring and evaluation of its implementation were key issues at the previous inspection. These are areas which still need improvement.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57 Over the past four years the governing body has not played as full a part as it needed to in planning areas for the school’s development and helping to shape the direction of the school. The school’s development plan that was in existence at September 2000 is an inadequate document. It is incomplete in many important areas although there is evidence of governors having contributed to areas of staffing and buildings development. The school plan has not been rigorously checked, monitored and reviewed in many areas. Not all governors are fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Some other important key issues from the previous inspection were still outstanding or incomplete when the acting head teacher took over, most of these have now been dealt with effectively.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58 The school is spending its specific funds and grants appropriately and this is handled satisfactorily by the deputy head teacher. Additional funding is used well for extra teaching of science in Years 3 and 4. Year 6 pupils benefit from small group teaching in English and mathematics. This is well targeted to raise standards. The new school administrator is efficient and has improved the Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 20 school’s systems of financial administration. These are now computerised and are more manageable and easier to access than the previous manual accounting systems.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59 The school budget has been presented and agreed with governors each year. The school has maintained a tight budget successfully.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60 Since the end of the summer term, the school has suffered changes in management due to the long-term illness of the head teacher and promotions of senior teaching staff. Despite this at the beginning of September, the school opened with full staffing including an experienced acting head teacher and newly appointed deputy head teacher. The present team of teachers and support staff are caring, effective, appropriately qualified and match the needs of the school well. They have worked very hard to allay the concerns shown by parents and to regain stability in the school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61 The school has a good induction policy for new staff and newly qualified teachers. This is used well for mentoring and monitoring new staff with a 90 per cent workload.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62 An appraisal system is in place for the head teacher although this is necessarily on hold during his absence.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63 The accommodation provided by the school building remains satisfactory. It is well maintained and cleaned to a high standard. Classrooms are suitably furnished and just adequate in size for the number of pupils in them. Teachers make good use of shared areas whenever activities require more space. Displays contain a good mixture of pupils’ own work and teacher-produced material. The school grounds are spacious and attractively laid out. They are significantly enhanced by the provision of a community funded adventure playground and a large wild life area that parents help to maintain.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64 The school’s learning resources are sound overall. Resources of large outdoor play equipment in the foundation stage, are unsatisfactory. Resources for information and communication technology are unsatisfactory because the school has many items of hardware and software that are incompatible and as a result, the full National Curriculum programme of study cannot be taught. Resources for art and design and design and technology are also unsatisfactory. Resources for all other curriculum areas are satisfactory. The school makes good use of the local area to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding in both history and geography. The school library is stocked with sufficient books to promote learning in all curriculum areas. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 21

p.22

and head teacher should;

(1) Raise pupils’ standards in information and communication technology by:

p.23

and head teacher should;

• ensuring that the recently introduced subject guidance is fully implemented; • making sure that teachers give pupils the full range of experiences in order to develop their learning and overcome gaps in their knowledge; • improving the compatibility and quality of the software and hardware across the school. (Paragraphs 11, 18, 20, 22, 29, 81, 86, 92, 110 - 113)

p.23

and head teacher should;

(2) Improve the leadership and management of the school in order to raise standards, by increasing the involvement of the governors in:

p.23

and head teacher should;

• all areas of the strategic planning and decision making of the school; • checking and monitoring the progress and success of the work in the school ; • fulfilling the statutory duties reported during the inspection. (Paragraphs 50, 55 - 57)

p.23

In addition to these key issues for action, the following less significant issues should be

considered for inclusion in the action plan.

p.23

In addition to these key issues for action, the following less significant issues should be

• Find ways to improve the opportunities for outdoor physical development for children in the reception class. (Paragraphs 24, 64 and 71) • Ensure all staff are trained in child protection procedures. (Paragraph 40) • Improve the learning resources in science, art and design and design and technology. (Paragraphs 64, 93, 99 and 104) Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 22

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 91

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 7

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 23

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 23 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 24

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 9 2 11

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 91% (100%) 91% (92%) 100% (92%) at NC level 2 or above National 84% (82%) 85% (83%) 90% (87%)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 91% (100%) 100% (100%) 100% (100%) at NC level 2 or above National 84% ( 82%) 88% (86%) 88% (87%)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Where the number of pupils in a year group has a total of eleven, but either or both the total of boys and girls is ten or fewer, only the percentages in the total column is shown.

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 11 6 17

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 94% (79%) 88% (93%) 94% (80%) at NC level 4 or above National 75% (70%) 72% (69%) 85% (78%)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys N/A N/A Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls N/A N/A

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School N/A (80%) N/A ( 80%) 76% (93%) Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 25 at NC level 4 or above National 70% ( 68%) 72% (69%) 80% (75%)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Where the number of pupils in a year group has a total of eleven, but either or both the total of boys and girls is ten or fewer, only the percentages in the total column is shown. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 26

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.4 Financial year 1999 - 2000

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.7

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 175247

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1865

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 55 Balance brought forward from previous year

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 1266 Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 27

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 40 44 9 4 3

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 20 64 9 4 3

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 47 11 10 0

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 30 29 4 1

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 37 7 2 1

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 45 42 5 4 4

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 35 35 28 2 0

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 39 39 20 2 0

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 37 54 4 2 3

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 45 24 2 4 Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 28

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66 At the time of the inspection the school had 12 pupils in the foundation stage taught in a reception class with eight Year 1 pupils. Children are carefully assessed on their start in the reception class and their progress is continually checked. Most children begin their reception year with good skills in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literature and sound skills in mathematical understanding. By the time they reach the end of the reception year they are attaining standards that are above the average for children of their age in these areas and so the majority exceed the goals they are expected to achieve.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

67 Reception age pupils settle well into school and their progress in this area of their learning is good. Relationships between children and adults and children and each other are good. They develop friendships readily and work co-operatively, take turns and share tools and activities well. Staff create a calm and purposeful working atmosphere. Although the teacher at the time of the inspection had only been in the class for a short time children’s routines were well established. Children are confident and friendly and discuss their displayed work proudly together with visitors. Pupils are very independent. They change quietly, quickly, sensibly and independently for lessons in physical education.

p.30

Communication, language and literature

68 Children’s attainment in this area of learning is above the average expectation for their age and most are likely to exceed the learning goals for this area by the time they leave the reception year. Teachers provide well for language and literacy. They talk to children as they do practical activities and intervene well, using and developing their use of language and vocabulary. Aspects of the literacy strategy are taught effectively through stories and rhymes although there is a shortage of ‘big books’ to do this. Teachers use stories well for children to recognise rhyming words. Children enjoy stories and enjoy finding words which sound alike. They develop and learn to recognise letters. They built simple three letter words by changing the first letter such as, ‘cat’ ‘pat’, and ‘rat’ . They quickly learn to develop good listening skills and do not call out or jostle for attention. Teachers use interesting ways

p.30

Communication, language and literature

and harness children’s curiosity well for them to identify and sequence the main events of stories and gain an understanding of the main characters. They rapidly learn the differences between pictures and words and used them to help them ‘read’ stories. Children enjoy listening to taped stories independently as part of a small group. They develop their early writing skills well, learning to form their letters carefully. Children all succeed in writing their names and many form simple words.

p.30

Mathematical development

69 All children make good progress in this area in the foundation stage. By the end of the reception year most pupils exceed the learning goals identified for their age in mathematical development. They do particularly well in their understanding of number and shapes learning to count in sequence up to ten. Children soon recognise numerals and count objects on a one-to-one basis to ten. Teachers encourage and show children how to use practical objects in their counting games and in developing an understanding of addition. The children used and learnt new vocabulary such as ‘more than’ and ‘add one more’ in their work. As a result of good teaching, they knew the meaning of ‘plus’ and ‘equals’ in their practical addition activities. Most children succeed in adding together a Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 29 number of objects between one and five accurately. Those who learn quickly added up written

p.30

Mathematical development

numbers without prompting and wrote and recorded their answers on a simple worksheet. Teachers and support staff constantly question pupils to reinforce their learning. Children enjoy their work and maintain their attention and concentration well in lessons.

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

70 The breadth of the curriculum and good teaching ensure that children make good progress in developing a knowledge and understanding of the world about them so that most achieve the early learning goals for their age. Children with special educational needs benefit from the same range of opportunities so they also make good progress in broadening the range of their experiences. Children begin to develop an understanding of the passage of time through a topic on old and new toys. They have good opportunities to play with water and sand, and to investigate and experiment with different materials and containers. Children have regular opportunities to use the computer to develop their control skills and confidence in using an increasing range of programs which is effective in developing their language and mathematical skills. They have ‘Karaoke’ sessions when they record their own ideas for each other and, with support, learn to use a microphone and a tape recorder. A strength of

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

the teaching is the constant use of language. Teachers and support staff are continually talking to the children, encouraging them to talk about what they are doing and asking questions. This helps the children look carefully at what they are handling, take care with equipment and in the process, develop their observational skills.

p.31

Physical development

71 As a result of good teaching and the good use of small equipment, children extend their imagination, move and explore with confidence in indoor lessons. Their physical development is above that usually found for children of this age. The teacher used an imaginative situation of a rabbit game very well to encourage children to move with control in a variety of ways such as hopping, skipping, jumping and wriggling. The children giggled with enjoyment during their activities but maintained good listening and followed the teacher’s directions carefully. All staff and helpers join in to encourage children to use and maximise the space, to be aware of others and at the same time to move in different ways. For instance the children moved very well like robots and thought of different creatures such as bees, ants, and butterflies. They balance on different parts of their bodies, concentrate, work hard and behave well. However, children have less opportunity to control outdoor

p.31

Physical development

wheeled and balancing equipment independently. They have some supervised opportunities to work outside on the large community climbing frame in the school grounds which is used by all age groups. The school has not yet implemented plans to create a secure outside area that pupils can use during lessons. They have little apparatus to use such as wheeled toys or balancing apparatus. This issue was identified at the last inspection but has not been resolved.

p.31

Creative development

72 Children make sound progress in their creative development and the provision in this area is satisfactory although resources are limited. Children have regular access to play with water and sand. They draw and paint and use a variety of materials such as play dough and clay to make three- dimensional models. Children use construction toys and the play house adapting into different roles. They learn to mix colours in painting and make pictures in imitation of famous artists such as Kandinsky. However, teachers are restricted by the inadequate amount of large and small toys which are available for children’s play. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 30 73 The school has a sound policy for children in their early years. It is based on good practice and is soon to be updated in line with the recommendations of the recent foundation stage curriculum. Management of the foundation stage is satisfactory. It is currently overseen jointly by the head

p.31

Creative development

teacher and deputy head teacher in the absence of a permanent co-ordinator. The experienced early years’ teacher and the support staff work well together and have a good understanding of the children’s needs. Planning is thorough and lessons have clear objectives. Records of assessment of pupils’ progress are well kept and up to date.

p.32

ENGLISH

74 Inspection findings show that pupils attain at the levels expected for their ages of seven and 11. This is the same picture as at the time of the last inspection. Test results since then have been generally good, although they have fluctuated because of the small number of pupils in each year group. Last year in the national tests, pupils in Years 2 and 6 achieved very high levels of attainment. This has not been sustained, partly because of the difference in year groups, but also because the school has undergone a complete change of staff since then and pupils’ sense of security and rate of progress has been disrupted while pupils and teachers get to know each other.

p.32

ENGLISH

75 By the age of seven, pupils have satisfactory speaking and listening skills. They listen very well when the lesson is stimulating. This was evident, for example, when a teacher reinforced the teaching of the alphabet using references to Indian culture, like S is for Saddhu. They listen carefully to instructions so that they can quickly and efficiently start any written work. Pupils are not always fully confident in their speaking. Some pupils speak confidently and effectively; for example, one pupil described a hare as being ‘like a rabbit but with longer ears’. Most pupils, however, are less forthcoming. They can talk about their learning but are often too reticent to speak purposefully in class on a regular basis. By the age of 11, pupils have stronger abilities yet their skills are similar. They concentrate well in lessons where the subject matter is interesting, such as hearing about the impact of

p.32

ENGLISH

floods. They understand their tasks clearly for instance comparing the differences between words with the similar sounding endings but with different spellings, such as ‘vision’ and ‘devotion’. Many pupils lack real confidence when speaking. Their reluctance to contribute to discussions does little to help develop their speaking skills further.

p.32

ENGLISH

76 Pupils have sound reading skills by the age of seven. They enjoy reading but do not show a particularly wide knowledge of books. Some of them find it hard to name a favourite book. Most pupils are able to read familiar words competently and fluently although they do not read with much expression. They are sensitive to punctuation but read in a monotone and forget to put in expression. Pupils are starting to acquire word skills but these are still too weak to be effective. Slower learners struggle to achieve any fluency. They can sound out letters but cannot then create coherent words, like ‘with’ and ‘shed’. By the age of 11, pupils have developed their word skills to enable them to read with fluency and reasonable expression. They often read difficult, unfamiliar words well, but their modest vocabulary blunts their comprehension. They have a fairly limited range of reading, mainly stories with some poetry. Pupils do not enthuse about books they have read. Slower learners read

p.32

ENGLISH

quite accurately but without much expression. They can decode new words but they can be careless, for example confusing ‘faces’ with ‘facts’.

p.32

ENGLISH

77 By the age of seven, pupils have satisfactory writing skills. They write in simple sequential sentences in narrative and factual form. Pupils write descriptively when describing their best friend and explicitly when outlining the procedure for making a star in design and technology. Their vocabulary, however, is safe and not adventurous. Spelling is mostly good, although they sometimes spell some common words carelessly, even ‘very’ and ‘her’. They frame sentences properly with capital letters and full stops. Handwriting is well developed, although the sizes of letters can be Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 31 inconsistent. Pupils who learn slowly have difficulty writing good sentences, and are erratic with punctuation. By the age of 11, pupils write satisfactorily in a range of styles. Much of their work is based on narrative, such as the re-telling of the poem ‘Jabberwocky’, but they debate issues like

p.32

ENGLISH

foxhunting, in their writing. They review sensibly books they have read but without enough real opinion. Pupils who learn more quickly have a broad vocabulary and use expressions like ‘an adrenaline rush’. Slower learners are much less secure, with casual spelling and insufficient fluency in their sentences.

p.33

ENGLISH

78 The quality of teaching is sound, and sometimes good. Teachers usually select interesting subject matter to inspire pupils, such as the contemporary issues of flooding. They support this by using searching questions to reinforce understanding and consolidate learning. Teaching is not, however, always vivid enough to promote a lively response or to involve all pupils productively. Not all teachers persevere and strive sufficiently to achieve the aims of lessons. For example, although pupils warmed to the concept of a rap reading of a poem, their performances lacked spark and rhythm. The teacher accepted a half hearted effort from the pupils.

p.33

ENGLISH

79 Teachers have a good rapport with the pupils. They have established good classroom discipline so that they concentrate on teaching rather than correcting behaviour. This also helps the lesson to flow well, without unnecessary interruptions. They use basic resources well to maintain pupils’ attention and to improve learning. For example, they use the white board wisely to ensure that new words that emerge from discussions are highlighted and spelled correctly.

p.33

ENGLISH

80 Teachers teach basic skills well and explain clearly new work such as the use of question marks. They monitor pupils’ progress during classwork and guide them sensitively. However, teachers do not always expect enough from the pupils. Pupils work adequately when unsupervised, but for many there is too little sense of urgency in their work. Teachers work well with support staff to provide extra help for slower learners or pupils with special educational needs. Although teachers often provide a level of work similar to that of other pupils, the adult guidance on hand is vital to ensure good understanding.

p.33

ENGLISH

81 Teachers plan their lessons well, using the national guidelines to ensure the proper coverage of the curriculum. They do not always plan, however, to cater enough for the different abilities of pupils, especially the more able. Often, teachers consider that an open-ended task is sufficient in itself and there is not enough input of rich vocabulary and expression. This is clear from the limited amount of influences from English literature that they use. Teachers have recently begun to introduce pupils to word processing their written work on computers. Although teachers set sensible targets for individual pupils to improve their work, they do not systematically use the results of their assessment to influence their lesson planning.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

82 Inspection findings show that standards of attainment match the levels expected for the ages of pupils at seven and 11. This is the same as at the time of the last inspection, although pupils now have some opportunities for investigative work and many more opportunities for problem solving at both key stages.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

83 These findings are a distinct contrast with the results of the most recent tests when results were very high for seven year olds and above the average for 11 year olds. Results showed that pupils aged seven, attained within the top 5 per cent of schools nationally and in comparison with similar schools. The number of pupils who sit the tests in different years varies considerably and means that results are not reliable. For the current groups of pupils at both seven and 11, the lower Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 32 standard of attainment is partly attributed to previous staff absences and the differences in the make up of the groups of pupils. More pupils have special educational needs in both year groups. The quality of teaching is always satisfactory and it is good in the Years 5 and 6 class. This corresponds very closely to the quality of learning. Teaching is supported by the effective implementation of the

p.33

MATHEMATICS

National Numeracy Strategy and all teachers who teach mathematics including those who teach booster groups, have detailed knowledge and understanding of the strategy.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

84 Most pupils, including those with special educational needs work at a steady rate. Pupils in Years 3, 5 and 6 show the most responsibility for their own learning and apply themselves better to their work than pupils in other year groups. Although they display sound knowledge of number work, pupils in the mixed class of Year 1 and 2 and some Year 4 pupils find concentration and listening more difficult during the initial whole class session. As a result of good management by teachers, once they settle, they work with more interest. These pupils respond well in their practical tasks. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are taught a wide range of strategies for understanding addition and subtraction, including counting on and backward to solve problems. Year 1 pupils apply their learning effectively by counting on number lines and in their heads. They complete accurately addition and subtraction in examples from different starting points within a range of numbers to 20. Year 2 pupils have a good

p.34

MATHEMATICS

understanding of doubling numbers, and counting in fives. They understand the use of numbers to a hundred and sequence them accurately. They fill in missing numbers in their calculations and solve simple word problems of subtraction successfully. Year 1 and 2 pupils enjoyed their practical tasks in a lesson on symmetry. They learned to classify shapes with curved and straight lines effectively and match differently drawn faces well. They discovered how to match and draw symmetrically shaped pictures working from one half with a mirror and make good progress in their understanding as a result of this activity.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

85 In the junior classes, teachers encourage a brisk response in mental number sessions and in a Year 3 and 4 class the teacher uses an egg timer imaginatively to ensure pupils remain on task. Pupils are confident to demonstrate their understanding and reading of analogue and digital clock times to solve problems. Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils become more confident in explaining their methods clearly and well. This is because teachers value their contributions and help well with explanations if needed. Teachers know the pupils well, question them effectively and choose appropriately and sensitively from those who offer answers. They ensure that all pupils are involved in the mental arithmetic sessions. In a brisk mental arithmetic session in Years 5 and 6 pupils tackled challenging mental number calculations well. They explained the different ways they used to find a target number. For instance, asked how they would reach a target number of 97, starting with 250, a pupil answered;

p.34

MATHEMATICS

‘I halved it to get 125, then I knew I needed 3 more from 97 to make 100, plus 25 making 28. Then added the other 125 that makes altogether 153 to subtract .’ The teacher gave increasingly difficult numbers for pupils to find and they responded to the challenge well. Pupils understand fractions well and relate this to different ways of writing division. They calculate readily to two places of decimals and use estimations and calculators to check the likelihood of their answers being accurate.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

86 Older pupils have good understanding of what they need to do to improve their skills and realise that estimation is a good way to check their own learning. However, only a few of the younger pupils in Years 1 and 2 answered to show that they knew they had sorted their shapes correctly. Most do not display confidence when explaining to visitors. Most pupils present their work tidily and it is marked consistently by teachers. Teachers remark positively on pupils’ work and give good comments in order for pupils to improve. Pupils do not use information and communication technology enough in their mathematics lessons.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

87 At both key stages teachers give pupils experiences across the range of the mathematics curriculum. Although they develop their own ways for solving problems in number work, the pupils Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 33 use their knowledge less in practical circumstances. This affects their ability to develop their own strategies for problem solving in an organised way. However, teachers are making an effort to develop this aspect of mathematics. Pupils use prepared data to interpret results for instance from a climate station and also the results of measuring their own heights and weights to prepare graphs and charts. Teachers make good use of mathematics in other subjects and take all opportunities to do so. For instance, pupils measure and read the Newton’s on a force meter in a science lesson, program a toy in an information and communication technology lesson and make a prayer bead of 99 beads in a

p.34

MATHEMATICS

religious education lesson. Numeracy displays around the school such as the mathematics 100 square, produced on a mathematics workshop day, show an enthusiasm for mathematics and several classrooms have displays of mathematical language that teachers are developing in their lessons.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

88 The co-ordination of mathematics is shared temporarily between the acting head teacher and the deputy head teacher who each co-ordinate the subject at the key stage in which they teach. This works well as they work very closely together in many areas throughout the school and they are able to pool and share ideas and resources. They both work hard to check on teachers’ planning and as her mentor the deputy head teacher supports the newly qualified teacher in the teaching of mathematics. The school has good resources for mathematics and these are well organised and available to all pupils and teachers.

p.35

SCIENCE

89 Results of tests and teacher assessment for 2000, show that pupils gained very high standards at Key Stage 1 and close to the national average Key Stage 2. In comparison with similar schools standards at Key Stage 1 were very high but were below the average at Key Stage 2. Inspection findings show that standards in science are below those expected for pupils by the end of Key Stage 1 and are at the average for pupils by the end of Key Stage 2. This is the same as at the time of the previous inspection. The difference between current inspection findings and the most recent test results is accounted for by the different make up of the small groups of pupils at the end of each key stage. When the new teaching staff took over at the beginning of the autumn term there was a lack of assessment records in science at Key Stage 2. Teachers and pupils have needed time to get to know each other. Assessment records are now in place and kept well.

p.35

SCIENCE

90 Year 2 pupils have previously had little experience of investigative work and scientific enquiry in their first year. Even with effective questioning and probing by teachers, many have difficulty in explaining their observations in scientific language and making comparisons during their practical work. In a carefully prepared and planned lesson on the force of wind power on toy windmills, most pupils needed a high level of support to carry out their group investigations. They had difficulty in realising the reasons for differences between ways to make the windmills turn and why some methods were more successful than others. They understand that the largest windmills are not the best ones to give to very small children and that wind power is the strongest force of all to turn them. Teachers gave good opportunities for pupils to report on the work in their group but many were unsure and spoke hesitantly about what they noticed and needed close direction by the teacher.

p.35

SCIENCE

91 By the time pupils reach the end of Year 6, their knowledge and understanding of science have increased well. This is due to the good teaching, motivation and interest of pupils in Key Stage 2. The picture is very positive for pupils’ achievement in this key stage. Many of the present group of Year 5 pupils already show good knowledge and understanding of science and scientific enquiry work and are working above the levels expected for their age. The small number of pupils in Year 6 are quickly regaining and filling gaps which they have in their knowledge due to recent disruptions and staff changes. In Years 3 and 4 pupils benefit from specialist science teaching each week. In one Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 34 lesson during the inspection all pupils in these year groups succeeded in completing an electrical circuit with a switch. They were very proud of their efforts.

p.35

SCIENCE

92 Pupils in Year 6 record well the many observations and scientific enquiries they undertake. They plan their work, make predictions and hypotheses before following up with well-planned tables of the results of their observations. Pupils make conclusions for instance of an enquiry of the amount of force that is needed to move a shoe across the desk. They learn to measure gravity with the use of force meters and know that the scale of measurement is Newton’s and how this differs from measuring weight. Pupils understand that gravity works in water as well as air. They have a good understanding of the need of a fair test in their work and know they need to test several times to allow for slight variations to obtain an average answer in their results. The teacher used relevant questioning related to mass and made pupils use their thinking skills. Pupils use their mathematical skills and vocabulary well in science. Older pupils have recently begun to undertake personal projects in

p.36

SCIENCE

science. This is a good development and helps to increase pupils’ scientific skills of enquiry, satisfy their individual inquisitiveness and develop personal study and reading skills. However, they do not use information and communication technology enough in their science work.

p.36

SCIENCE

93 The quality of teaching is satisfactory. The best teaching is in the Year 5 and 6 class. Teachers’ planning is clear and detailed, so that they know exactly what they want pupils to learn. Lessons are well prepared and teachers go to great lengths to overcome shortages of resources such as force meters by organising groups of pupils carefully or improvising and providing imaginative resources of their own such as wind fans and windmills. Teachers are enthusiastic and have good expertise in science and make lessons interesting although there are not sufficient opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology in their work. They question effectively and their questioning techniques lead pupils’ thinking when they are involved in practical activities. Teachers link factors of science to safety and to events with which pupils are familiar and have knowledge about such as weightlessness in space when studying gravity. Teachers manage pupils

p.36

SCIENCE

well and give good opportunities for working in pairs and small groups. This helps pupils’ social development and they learn to share tools and equipment, to take turns and help each other with their learning.

p.36

SCIENCE

94 The topics and units in the national guidelines are covered well in both key stages although pupils in Key Stage 1 do not learn to record their work except in the simplest unlabelled drawings. Pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to use information and communication technology to convey scientific data using a wide range of methods of diagrams, tables, bar charts, and line graphs.

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

95 Pupils achieve what is broadly expected of them by the age of seven. By the age of 11, however, pupils’ standards are below national expectations. Their attainment, is not as good as at the time of the previous inspection. Until the recent adoption of national guidance, there has been insufficient direction for teachers. The recent emphasis on literacy and numeracy has limited pupils’ development of basic skills and not all pupils are familiar with a broad range of artistic influences and techniques.

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

96 By the age of seven, pupils develop sound standards in drawing, painting and collage. They draw faces with some sense of proportion. They embellish elements of other school work, such as in their history work on Guy Fawkes. Their pictures of rockets and flames of Bonfire Night showed a sound use of colour. They also draw simple but effective paintings of religious features, such as organ pipes, a pulpit and an angel following a visit to Carlisle Cathedral. However, their experience in art and design is limited. There is, for example, too little three-dimensional art work. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 35 97 It is a similar picture in Key Stage 2. Pupils’ work concentrates on drawing and painting. They do a little work on printing. This was seen when pupils produced a simple relief design yet this very simplicity underlined the lack of development of pupils’ skills over the years. Pupils used cut

p.36

ART AND DESIGN

pieces of string, straw and leaves, and painted them with primary colours. There are, promising signs that pupils’ skills are improving. There are some striking displays influenced by folk tales from around the world. The shapes and colours of fish in a Californian tale were especially good.

p.37

ART AND DESIGN

98 The teaching of art and design is satisfactory overall although teachers are constrained to some extent by the existing skills of the pupils and the paucity of resources in the school. Art and design clearly forms an important part of learning and teachers use it to enliven and reinforce learning in other subjects. The school has created, for example, a giant 100 number square, featuring imaginative ways of displaying each number. Teachers appreciate the pupils’ efforts through displays around the school.

p.37

ART AND DESIGN

99 The school has adopted the new national scheme of work to strengthen the art curriculum, as a result teachers are beginning to concentrate on teaching the skills in art and design. They are hampered by weak resources in raw materials and examples of the work of major artists. They are beginning to allow scope and time for pupils to experiment with colours, styles and textures.

p.37

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100 Pupils achieve satisfactory levels of attainment for their age by the end of Key Stage 1. However, by the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ achievements are below those expected for pupils of their age. This shows deterioration since the last inspection. Pupils’ development of basic skills have been limited recently during the recent emphasis on literacy and numeracy. The school is aware of this and is addressing the development of pupils’ skills with the use of the national guidance.

p.37

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101 By the age of seven, pupils design and make various items. They know how to use everyday materials like string, straws and lollipop sticks to construct an elementary model of playground equipment, such as a slide. Pupils learn to connect the materials satisfactorily using glue or sticking tape. With the help of older pupils, they succeed in making wild bird feeders. Pupils use textiles successfully to produce a sock puppet. Their designs are immature and recorded with drawings and approximate picture of what they want to make although these are not always clearly labelled. They list the materials they want to use.

p.37

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102 By the age of 11, pupils have improved their skills in measuring, cutting and attaching different materials. For example, they make simple slippers and recorder bags out of cloth and polystyrene. They sketch out their initial thoughts and select suitable materials, although they do not outline on paper the procedures for any construction. Many pupils have not developed their basic skills. This is accounted for by missed past experiences in design and technology during a period of an increased emphasis on literacy and numeracy and the lack of well structured guidelines for teachers.

p.37

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103 The teaching of the subject is satisfactory. The school has adopted a new national scheme of work, and teachers are beginning to develop pupils’ skills systematically. Teachers set and match tasks appropriate to what pupils know and can do. This enables them to gain success in their work.

p.37

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104 The school suffers from a lack of suitable resources. There are a few hand tools, glue guns and a small range of raw materials, but there is not enough wood, metal and plastic, or cogs and other devices, for example, to allow pupils to construct proper working models. Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 36

p.37

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

105 At the time of the last inspection, pupils’ attainment was in line with national expectations at the ages of both seven and 11. Since then the school has wisely adopted the nationally recommended guidance so that against a background of staff changes, these standards have been maintained. As they move through the school, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, gain a secure knowledge and understanding of the two subjects. From the end of the foundation stage, teachers use the local area well as the starting point for many topics so pupils develop the subjects’ skills such as observation and using artefacts well.

p.38

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

106 By the age of seven, pupils have a secure sense of chronology. They understand that major events such as the Great Fire of London are made up of a sequence of smaller events and are affected by different factors such as the closeness of housing, all of which contribute to the final result. They learn how the lives of people change over time and how inventions affect the lives of ordinary people. For example, they know how the introduction of machinery has changed farming methods. In geography pupils develop an understanding of how maps are used to describe an area and that symbols and colour are used to show particular features. Most pupils can draw simple maps of their journey to school showing the main roads and buildings. Higher attaining pupils are able to draw more detailed maps using pictures to show main features of a map of their route to school showing buildings such as the village church, the roads and the river. All pupils are developing a secure

p.38

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

understanding of the importance of road safety and how signs are used to warn people of danger or hazards ahead.

p.38

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

107 The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The main strengths of the teaching are the management of pupils and the attention teachers’ give to planning and providing activities that are well matched to different pupils’ abilities so that they are all challenged by the work. Explanations and instructions are clear and explicit so pupils understand what they have to do. In addition, this has a major impact upon pupils’ behaviour and attitude. They are enthusiastic and interested in lessons and behave well.

p.38

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

108 As pupils move through the classes from Year 3 to Year 6 they build on previously learnt skills in both history and geography so that by the age of 11 they have acquired satisfactorily the subjects’ skills, knowledge and understanding required for their age. Pupils know about different periods, events and important people in the history of the United Kingdom and in the ancient worlds of Greece and Egypt. Pupils develop their research skills well so they can use a range of sources such as textbooks, computer-held encyclopaedias, photographs and artefacts to find evidence about specific topics. In geography, they develop a broad understanding of both physical and human geography. Pupils are able to describe their village using suitable subject vocabulary well and understand the factors that affect the people who live there such as facilities, transport and communications. They learn about countries around the word and develop an understanding of different climates and how this

p.38

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

affects the lives of the population. In both subjects teachers use the local area, the village and Carlisle to develop pupils’ skills and their appreciation of the local heritage and attractions.

p.38

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

109 Since the last inspection, the curriculum in history and geography has been reviewed in line with national recommendations. Teachers plan their work carefully so that the range of activities is broad. Questions are used well to check pupils’ understanding and some are beginning to use assessment tasks to check pupils’ progress. However, this is in its early stages and they are not using the information effectively to adjust future work. Consequently, the marking of pupils’ work is very general and gives pupils too little help in how they could improve. For example, the targets set with pupils at the beginning of term are not used explicitly as a focus for marking. Although, pupils have plenty of opportunities to use their literacy skills in history and geography, the range of opportunities Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 37 pupils are given in lessons to develop their basic skills in numeracy and information and

p.38

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110 Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) at the end of both key stages are below the national expectation for pupils aged seven and 11. This is a less favourable judgement that at the last inspection, when standards were found to be satisfactory. This is because expectations for the subject have increased and the school has not kept pace with both the quality and quantity of software and hardware needed to teach the subject successfully. New computers and software have been purchased, but the systems are not always fully compatible and as a result, some new programs are unable to operate with the current range of computers in school. The school is unable to meet National Curriculum requirements. The school is aware of this resource issue however and has taken steps to solve the problem.

p.39

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111 Recent changes of staff over a two-year period have resulted in a disrupted curriculum. The full programme of the National Curriculum has not been taught and therefore pupils have been unable to develop their skills and knowledge in a progressive way. However, the school has recently begun to adopt the national guidelines for the teaching of ICT. Staff who are new to the school have all received training in the new requirements for the curriculum. Standards in the subject look set to improve quickly, once the problem with resources has been tackled.

p.39

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112 In Key Stage 1, pupils have a secure knowledge of how machines are controlled and respond to signals and commands. Most pupils have good skills from home. For instance, they know the sequence of actions needed to make a telephone call and how to change channels on a television by using a remote control. Higher attaining pupils use the play and rewind buttons on a tape recorder successfully. All pupils are familiar with the constituent parts of a computer, for example the keyboard, mouse and monitor. They respond well to learning about new things and this was demonstrated well by a group of Year 2 pupils using a programmable toy. However, until recently specific skills covering the whole range of the curriculum have not been taught in a progressive way and as a result, pupils have made unsatisfactory progress in their learning over time. A similar picture is evident in Key Stage 2. Whilst the majority of pupils have simple skills in word-processing, these

p.39

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

skills are not used enough to support learning in other curriculum areas. Pupils have little knowledge or understanding of how to search and interrogate a database, although many are now becoming familiar with how to access and use the Internet to support their learning. They have little knowledge of how to use control devices by writing a set of commands or how to use a spreadsheet.

p.39

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113 The specific teaching of information and communication technology skills seen during the inspection, particularly in Key Stage 1, was sound. Although teachers use computers frequently, resources are unsatisfactory and do not allow the full requirements of the curriculum to be taught, or for skills to be taught in a progressive way. As a result, the pupils have specific gaps in their knowledge, skills and understanding. The acting head teacher has made a clear assessment of the weaknesses in the school’s provision for ICT and has written a sound plan to tackle the present unsatisfactory standards. The school is now well placed to make progress.

p.39

MUSIC

114 Inspection findings show that at the age of seven and 11 pupils attain at the expected standard for their age. However, standards in music have declined for pupils at both key stages since the previous inspection when they were judged to be above the national expectation. The provision for music at that time was judged to be a strength of the school. Standards and the teaching provision Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 38 have not been maintained due to a complete change of staff and a reduction in the amount of staff expertise in music as well as to an increased emphasis over recent years on the literacy and numeracy curriculum.

p.39

MUSIC

115 About ten per cent of pupils benefit from good specialist group lessons in brass and woodwind. Attainment for these pupils is above that usually found. They play their instruments such as trumpets, clarinets and saxophones confidently and have a good understanding of standard notation. Pupils have good opportunities to take part in a choir out of school time as well as in a keyboard club. This contributes well to their progress in lessons. The school has a very good reputation in the local community for performances of concerts in the local community centre. These are very well supported by parents and local people and contribute well to pupils’ social development.

p.40

MUSIC

116 One teacher takes all the classroom music lessons in the school and teaching is satisfactory. Pupils are managed well in lessons at both key stages and lessons are carefully prepared according to the recent national guidance. Lessons and activities build upon previous work and have a good pace which ensures pupils’ attention and concentration. In lessons at both key stages, pupils show that they have good listening skills and Year 2 pupils demonstrated good knowledge of the sounds of different instruments of the orchestra. They discriminate accurately between the sounds made by a violin, flute, clarinet and a recorder. Year 1 pupils have a clear understanding of long and short sounds and how they can be made and varied using different instruments. By the time they reach the end of Key Stage 2, pupils learn about and understand the different influences that have taken place in the development of music over time. They understand the idea of a ballad and how this developed before

p.40

MUSIC

it was written down. They know that music has been used at different times in history to influence social issues and give serious messages. For instance, they study with understanding the meaning of the 1960’s song ‘The Streets of London’. They perform the song well, singing smoothly and in tune and as a result of the good example set by the teacher. However, pupils in Key Stage 2 are given insufficient time in lessons to develop their own practical efforts in music making.

p.40

MUSIC

117 Pupils practise their hymn singing regularly in assemblies. They have a wide repertoire of hymns but learn few other songs. They practise and learn through repetition of work rather than through improving and refining their singing.

p.40

MUSIC

118 The teacher who leads and co-ordinates music in the school has sound knowledge and expertise and accompanies on the piano confidently. Her knowledge is used well to benefit all pupils. Other teachers have less expertise in teaching music and have not had recent in-service training. Resources are satisfactory in music and the co-ordinator has recently begun to extend them.

p.40

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119 Standards in physical education are in line with those expected for the age of pupils at the end of both key stages and have been maintained since the previous inspection. There is no significant difference in the standards achieved by boys and girls. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in their learning over time. The school makes sound provision for swimming. Pupils in Year 6 have already achieved their 25 metre certificate, with many achieving much higher standards.

p.40

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120 By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils use the hall space safely during their gymnastics lessons. Most pupils have sound balancing skills in gymnastics, particularly whilst moving along a beam. They show confidence when jumping off the apparatus. However, in one lesson, the progress made in developing control and co-ordination skills was impeded due to the inattention and silly behaviour of a minority of pupils. Pupils know that they need to warm up before exercise, but this part of the lesson Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 39 is often not planned or organised well enough and as a result, an opportunity is missed for pupils to fully understand the health benefits of exercise. By the end of Key Stage 2, older pupils are able to take part in the warm-up part of the lesson with enjoyment and they are fully aware of how the body responds to vigorous aerobic activity. They work well in small groups to plan a sequence of

p.40

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

movements. Pupils respond well to music in dance lessons and follow instructions carefully.

p.41

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121 The quality of teaching is at least satisfactory, but is better in Key Stage 2. In lessons where the teaching is good, lessons are planned thoroughly. The teacher demonstrates actions well and gives a clear explanation of what happens to the body during vigorous exercise. Resources are chosen well, for example, up-beat, popular music that the older pupils enjoy and move to well. As a result, the behaviour of pupils is good because the pace of the lesson is appropriate and the activity is matched to their interest and ability. The progress made by pupils is good, particularly in their understanding of the effect of aerobic exercise on their heart, muscles and blood supply. In less successful lessons, the management of pupils is not as good and the pace of the lesson slows as the teacher stops to deal with silly behaviour. The quality of planning for lessons is inconsistent. Teachers do not make formal

p.41

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

assessments of how well pupils are achieving.

p.41

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122 The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities and ensures all pupils have equal access to what the school offers. The pupils are given the opportunity to benefit from a residential visit to develop their personal and social skills whilst engaging in outdoor and adventurous activities. Management of the subject is satisfactory.

p.41

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123 Religious education was not inspected at the last inspection either as non-denominational or denominational religious education, so no comparisons for the judgement of improvements since then are available.

p.41

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124 The school teaches to the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus for Cumbria and standards at the end of both key stages are in line with these expectations. Teachers have recently begun to extend the syllabus with good ideas from the recently produced national guidance for religious education. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in their learning.

p.41

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

125 Pupils have close links with the local parish church. The local vicar, who is also a school governor, is a frequent visitor into school and is well known to the pupils. He is a good role model and contributes well to pupils’ understanding of religious education by talking about his work in his parish and time spent living abroad. The school also works hard to give pupils a balanced knowledge and awareness of the importance of the diversity of faiths in the United Kingdom and of the place of important religions, in particular, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Judaism. Pupils are also aware of other religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. The whole school has visited Christian churches and Carlisle Cathedral as well as an informative visit to Bradford for some pupils where they visited a mosque, a Hindu and Sikh temple. This was a good opportunity for pupils to learn about the practices and beliefs for the chosen religions they study.

p.41

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

126 Year 2 pupils show a good understanding of what it means to belong to a Christian family and to practise the beliefs of Christianity. They know that Christians say grace before a meal and know that Christians do this in their own homes as well as praying before going to bed. They know that the special book for Christians is the Holy Bible and learn stories about the teaching of Jesus and the great leaders in the bible such as Moses. They understand the importance of showing kindness to others and relate this to their own everyday lives well. They are encouraged by teachers to think and Rockcliffe CE Primary School - 40 ask themselves ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ (WWJD). Pupils discuss and give good examples of how they can help others, such as helping children who have fallen down when playing or who are lost in a supermarket. They relate helping others well to their knowledge of Jesus’ work and in particular to

p.41

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

the Bible story of the five loaves and two fishes when Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand.

p.42

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127 The teaching of religious education is good and has many strengths. Lessons are planned well and teachers use a variety of ways to involve pupils in their lessons. They use parents and other helpers well to support pupils in their practical activities in lessons. In a Year 3 and 4 lesson, pupils worked well with a friend or a small group of friends on interesting activities such as designing an Islamic prayer mat or a set of Islamic prayer beads. These activities enthused and motivated pupils who were able to use the knowledge they had from previous lessons and apply it creatively. Pupils were able to explain how prayer mats are used and why they need to be a certain shape and size. They knew clearly that people and animals are not depicted in Islamic designs. They understand the use of a prayer bead necklace, what the beads represent. They are able to explain the practices that a Muslim undertakes before worshipping in a mosque. Pupils show a mature respect for religious

p.42

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

practices and beliefs which are different from their own. For instance they are able to compare and appreciate the similarities between a Christian Rosary and Islamic prayer beads.

p.42

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128 Pupils show a keen interest in their lessons. They take pride in presenting their individual and group written work well. A class book made by older pupils following a visit to Carlisle Cathedral, was very well presented and contained written and art work of a good standard. Teachers make effective links with literacy in lessons for instance when reading, and telling stories. They encourage pupils to discuss and write independently which practices the skills they learn in the literacy hour.

p.42

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129 The co-ordination of the subject is good. The co-ordinator is well trained and enthusiastic. She keeps up to date in training, supports staff appropriately and takes a part in organising visits to extend the curriculum. Resources in religious education are sound and the school has its own useful collection of artefacts to support teaching.

p.42