Scotby CofE Primary School

SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mr D Twist OIN 1492

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SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th – 7 th December 2000

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SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Scotby Church of England Primary School - ii

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Park Road Scotby Carlisle Cumbria

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: The Reverend K Davies

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1995

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Scotby Church of England Primary School - iii

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Team members

Mr D Twist OIN 1492 Registered inspector

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Team members

Primary Associates Limited West Lancs Technology Management Centre Moss Lane View Skelmersdale WN8 9TN

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Scotby Church of England Primary School - iv

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 1

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 12

Scotby Church of England Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Scotby Church of England Primary School is of average size, with 230 boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 11 years. Most pupils come from the villages of Scotby and Wetheral. Their social and economic circumstances are advantaged in comparison with the national average, as shown by the percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals, which is well below the national average. The number of pupils with special educational needs is also well below average, although the percentage with statements of special educational need is broadly in line with most schools. There are no pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and none with English as an additional language. Most pupils have some pre-school experience in playgroups or nurseries. Although a sizable number of pupils enter the school with average attainment, overall most pupils are well above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a highly effective school. Standards are particularly high in English, mathematics and information and communication technology, but not as good in science. Pupils make good progress through the school. As a consequence of strong teaching and a good attitude to their work, they become very effective learners. The leadership of the school is strong and purposeful and focuses on what matters. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school achieves high standards in English and mathematics. • The school’s provision for information technology is very good and develops pupils’ skills to a high level. • The headteacher, governors and senior staff provide clear direction for the work of the school and set high expectations. • Strong teaching challenges the pupils to work hard and as a result they learn quickly. • The school’s curriculum is rich and varied and offers pupils an exciting range of experiences.

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What could be improved

• When compared with what they achieve in other areas, pupils’ standards in science by the end of the school should be higher. • The school’s communication with parents could be better. • The school could do more to prepare pupils for life in a multi cultural society. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in October 1995. Since that time, the school’s strengths have been preserved and standards have been driven up and maintained at a high level. The key weaknesses pointed out in the last inspection have been successfully addressed. The curriculum is now better organised, so that pupils’ work builds upon what they have done before. More effective systems have been put into place to measure pupils’ attainment, particularly in English and mathematics. This has helped the school to improve the way it provides for the needs of more able children, as they are given sufficiently challenging work on the basis of what they have shown they can already do. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported, and systems for setting targets and reviewing progress have improved. Procedures for ensuring child protection are also better now. The school’s range of extra curricular activity was described as good in the last inspection, but it is now even better with a wider

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

range of activities on offer. Teaching is better than described in the last report, with some particularly good practice in English, mathematics and information technology. Standards in information technology have been raised to a high level. The school’s accommodation has improved and resources for teaching and learning are better organised. There are closer links between the expenditure of funds and the Scotby Church of England Primary School - 2 school’s identified priorities and overall, leadership is effective across a wider range of the school’s work than previously. In all, this represents very good improvement since the last inspection.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English A A A* A* well above average above average A B Mathematics A* A A A average below average C D Science A C B C well below average E

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Key

The school’s results are very good overall and excellent in English, where they are in the top 5% nationally. Standards in English and mathematics have remained consistently high over the last four years, but there has been more fluctuation in science. Here, the most recent results show that standards, whilst being above the national average, are in line with those of similar schools. A notable feature of the most recent test results was the high proportion of pupils who exceeded the expected level, particularly in English and mathematics. When the school’s performance figures are averaged out over the last four years, the upward trend is broadly in line with other schools. Considering its high starting point, this represents a good achievement.

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Key

For pupils aged 7, the school’s performance is equally impressive. In reading and mathematics, results have been in the top 5% nationally and writing results have been well above average. The vast majority of younger pupils comfortably achieve what is expected of them in all areas of learning by the age of six years and most exceed this.

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Key

Work seen during the inspection confirms the high standards found in tests. It also shows that pupils do very well in other areas. For example, in information technology, they develop very high levels of skills and knowledge and in music there is also a high level of achievement. Pupils get off to a good start in the foundation stage and continue to make good progress through Key Stages 1 and 2. The current Year 6 cohort is unlikely to attain well above average results because there are more lower attaining pupils than usual and not as many higher attainers. However, they are still on track to reach above average standards. The majority of pupils in Years 4 and 5 are well on the way to doing very well at age 11.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are quick to get to work and like to be challenged. They enjoy coming to school and are keen to be involved in its full range of activities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The behaviour of the vast majority of pupils is good both in lessons and around school. They are polite and friendly and show consideration for each other.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships A very strong area. Pupils respond very well to opportunities to take responsibility. Most display an easy social confidence based on very good relationships both with adults and each other. Scotby Church of England Primary School - 3 Attendance Good. Attendance figures are above average. Pupils arrive in good time and lessons start promptly

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 6 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

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

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 6 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Overall, the teaching is very good. Of the 19 lessons seen during the inspection, 42 per cent were very good, 42 per cent were good and 16 per cent were satisfactory. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. There are no major differences across the year groups, but some individual lessons stood out in Years 2, 4, 5 and 6 because of the extra flair brought to activities by the teachers. This captured the pupils’ interest and added an excitement to the learning which fired their enthusiasm and made them want to learn and succeed.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 6 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Teaching is very good in English and mathematics. In their literacy lessons, teachers show a strong grasp of what is important in developing children’s appreciation of text. They help older pupils for example, to understand how a passage can be structured so that it reads easily and without too much repetition. Reading is well taught and pupils learn to appreciate books and the pleasure that stories can bring at an early age. In numeracy, the methods used to develop mental arithmetic skills are very successful because teachers concentrate on showing pupils the strategies they might use to solve problems.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 6 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Teaching is particularly effective for special needs pupils and higher achieving pupils, because in most lessons, teachers plan activities which are presented in a way that challenges them at their own level. Lower achievers have well targeted support either from the teacher or support staff, and more able pupils are asked to cover more ground, coping for example with more complex number problems in mathematics. In occasional lessons, the same activity is given to the whole class. When this is the case, progress, although satisfactory overall, is more varied across the ability groups.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 6 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

All groups of pupils are happy to make considerable intellectual efforts in the vast majority of lessons. This is largely a result of being given work which they find challenging and being given justifiable praise for their achievements. When this is the case, they are motivated to respond to the good teaching and they learn quickly. Higher attainers are well served by the level of challenge in lessons but there are times when gifted pupils, whose abilities are exceptional, could do with high-level work being planned on a more regular basis to meet their specific needs.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The school gives pupils a wide range of interesting and relevant experiences. The application of skills learned in English and mathematics is a real strength. Information technology is also a strong area, but not enough time is spent on science. The variety of extra curricular activities provided is far wider than found in most schools.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school makes very good provision for these pupils and staff understand their needs. They receive good support in class and their progress is regularly reviewed. Gifted pupils are not always challenged at a high enough level to meet their needs. Scotby Church of England Primary School - 4 Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development A strong area overall. The school puts great emphasis upon the all round development of pupils who respond very well when given responsibility. Teachers focus on the importance of respect and care and pupils are given opportunities to reflect on spiritual, social and moral issues. Pupils’ awareness of their own culture is good, but they are given less insight into other cultures.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes good care of its pupils. Staff know the pupils and their circumstances well and have a good knowledge of their needs. Welfare arrangements and procedures for child protection are of a high standard.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher drives the school forward with a clear sense of direction. He is well supported by a capable senior management team. The importance placed on high expectations is a hallmark of the school’s leadership.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good The governors are very supportive of the school’s work. They show good insight into the school’s effectiveness and are fully involved in its development.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school has a clear idea of its strengths and areas for development. It uses this knowledge to draw up effective plans for improvement. The school sets high standards against which to measure its success.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school is efficiently run and makes the best use of resources. Spending is closely linked to the school’s agreed priorities and the principles of best value for money are applied well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school expects children to work hard. • Children are well taught and make good progress. • The school helps children to become mature and behaviour in the school is good. • The school is well led and managed. • They find the school very approachable. • The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. • Children like school • A number of parents do not feel well enough informed about their children’s progress. • Some parents do not feel the school works closely enough with them.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team endorses the parents’ very positive views of the school, which is rightly held in high regard. However, there are shortcomings in the way the school communicates with parents. This adversely affects the quality of information about children’s progress and hinders the development of a fully effective partnership between parents and school. Scotby Church of England Primary School - 5 Scotby Church of England Primary School - 6

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The school achieves high standards in English and mathematics.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. Pupils’ results in these two subjects have been outstanding over the past 4 years and the depth and range of their work is impressive. In English, pupils establish a love of books from the start. As preparation for their more formal reading work they are encouraged from reception age to use spare minutes to browse through high quality storybooks, learning to appreciate illustrations and becoming familiar with story patterns. Skilful teaching of reading to older pupils concentrates on higher skills such as reading with expression and reading between the lines for meaning. Good recording of the skills pupils have mastered, allows teachers to build upon what they know pupils can do, constantly seeking to put the next piece of the jigsaw into place. Key Stage 2 pupils contribute to their own reading development as they organise their library themselves, searching the computerised database for particular titles or subjects and

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. Writing follows a similar pattern with carefully thought out opportunities being presented to pupils at every stage. Reception pupils begin to practise their ‘writing’ as they make lists or record messages in the Post Office and Fire Station role-play areas. As they move up through the infants, pupils are supported by a strong emphasis on literacy in their classroom environments. In Year 2 for example, the ‘Sentence song’ on the wall reminds them of basic rules such as using capitals or full stops. Writing challenges become systematically harder as pupils move on, but lively and highly focused teaching pushes the pupils’ standards steadily higher. In Year 4 poetry writing for example, the teacher insists on ‘vibrant vocabulary’ to convey moods and feelings such as panic. This level of insight into the qualities that make up successful writing enables pupils to both appreciate good material when they meet it and to create it for

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

themselves. Another successful feature of the English curriculum is the way writing skills are practised through work in other subjects, such as when Year 5 pupils research their ‘Website of the Week’ as part of information technology work. A ‘spin off’ from this was the voluntary homework done by some pupils involving a piece of diary writing in Cumbrian dialect. A degree of parent help was allowed and the outcomes were of the highest quality. This is a good illustration of what can be achieved through careful planning and encouraging parental support.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. In mathematics, a strong emphasis is given to teaching number skills, but other areas such as learning about shape and pace are also well covered. There are several key features of the way that mathematics is taught that account for the good progress pupils make. At the outset of lessons, teachers share what they aim to achieve with the pupils. This makes it easier for pupils to understand exactly what skills or knowledge they are working towards and helps them to get a clear idea of how well they are doing. Year 5 work on multiples for example, was presented to the class as a way of ‘taking short cuts in your tables work’. As pupils recognised the relationships between the number patterns of different sets of multiples, they realised that knowing one set, gave them ready-made clues about the other. Using exciting methods such as building three-dimensional shapes out of ‘art straws’ to explore their properties,

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

helps to capture pupils’ interest and reinforces their learning. Hours after the lesson, Year 4 pupils had no hesitation in describing the numbers and shapes of the faces in a hexagonal prism. The pace and level of challenge within the mental arithmetic sessions is a strong feature of mathematics lessons, as is the emphasis upon teaching strategies for solving problems. As Year 6 pupils worked on adding three Scotby Church of England Primary School - 7 large numbers mentally, for example, they had to respond to quick fire questions and this motivated them to think quickly. The strategy of starting with the largest number and working towards the smallest helped them to keep up with the pace of the lesson. Good use of setting in Key Stage 2 also helps pupils to progress at their own best pace. The headteacher regularly takes higher attaining groups and challenges them at an appropriate level. Faced with the challenge-‘Give me a tricky number sequence’,

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Year 5 pupils offered such responses as adding in 19s, or using negative numbers, showing the advanced number skills of which they are capable.

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The school’s provision for information technology is very good and develops pupils’

4. The school’s development of its information and communication technology programme has been extremely successful in raising the quality of pupils’ work in this area. There are three main aspects in which the school has systematically improved its provision. Firstly, the curriculum has been well organised so that pupils skills build steadily year by year on what they have covered so far. Secondly, there is a good balance of activity between the various strands of the subject, such as word processing, handling data and using control programs. Thirdly, work is always challenging. Even in reception, pupils are expected to use the computers to enhance their mathematics work. They work on ‘drag and drop’ mouse techniques as they build a pattern of cubes on screen to develop their counting skills.

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The school’s provision for information technology is very good and develops pupils’

5. A really strong feature of the information and communication technology curriculum is the way in which it has been used to support work in other subjects. For example, junior pupils dispersed around the school to use available computers to research into number sequences as part of their mathematics lesson. When possible, older pupils are arranged into sets to work in the information and communication technology lab. This enables teachers to plan work that stretches the pupils to their limit, whether in a higher or average ability grouping. The schools’ investment in computers, and its organisation and timetabling of the facilities available, make a substantial impact on standards. The suite of computers is in regular use and is set up to enable effective teaching of skills to take place. Features such as the demonstration screen and the ability to offer pupils an individual machine to work on make learning more successful.

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The school’s provision for information technology is very good and develops pupils’

The availability of classroom-based computers on which pupils can practise skills learned in the ‘lab’ also helps to reinforce their learning. More basic machinery such as the photocopier is also used quite naturally by pupils to support their work. The teachers deserve much credit for the way in which they have raised their level of expertise in the subject. Well-targeted training has given them an awareness of what it is possible to achieve and this has raised their expectations of pupils. By the top of the school for example, pupils are learning to access the Internet with great speed and efficiency. Their work on sequencing commands such as controlling two related sets of traffic lights is of a high order. The combination of challenging tasks and lively teaching really motivates pupils who look forward to their information and communication technology lessons and approach them with a very good attitude.

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The headteacher, governors and senior staff provide clear direction for the work of

6. The management and leadership of the school are impressive because there is clear focus on the pursuit of high standards. The headteacher is at the centre of the drive for quality. This is exemplified by his view that because the pupils have good levels of attainment when they enter school, the normal level of expectation at the other end does not apply. Consequently, it is a long-term aim of the school that the majority of Scotby Church of England Primary School - 8 pupils should reach Level 5 in their national tests at age 11 across all three core subjects. This approach gives a clear message that it is the school’s job to expect the best from pupils, not only in the main subjects, but across the board. Again, the headteacher leads by example in using his own enthusiasm in areas such as information technology, and extra curricular activities such as chess and football, to get the best out of pupils. The newly appointed deputy headteacher is already making a

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The headteacher, governors and senior staff provide clear direction for the work of

valuable contribution to the school’s leadership, trying out new ideas and supporting the monitoring and evaluation of the school’s work. Those charged with oversight of the key stages take their responsibilities seriously and are working to ensure that the school operates as one seamless experience for pupils, rather than as two separate key stages. The school’s leadership is refreshingly honest in its appraisal of what is working well and what isn’t. Professional disagreement is considered healthy and this leads to thorough discussion and a wide range of contributions to the school development plan being sought. This document gives a clear idea of the key priorities for the school and sets out who is responsible for what and when it is to be done.

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The headteacher, governors and senior staff provide clear direction for the work of

7. The governing body is very involved in the work of the school and its members keep themselves well informed about its strength and weaknesses. They get over the challenge of gaining insight into the daily work of the school in several ways. They visit frequently, talk with subject co-ordinators about what is happening, and have set up individual subject links. For example there is a governor attached to science and information technology as well as the more usual areas. Greater awareness of the challenges facing the school enable the governors to make more considered contributions to discussions on what should be its priorities. For example, a recent debate over large class sizes remaining in Key Stage 2 after being reduced in the infants has led to action. The governing body has elected to reduce the intake number and support larger classes with a fair deployment of additional adult support until the

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The headteacher, governors and senior staff provide clear direction for the work of

large numbers work through the school. This long-term strategy has only been agreed after detailed consideration of all implications and shows how the governing body is able to draw upon its knowledge of the workings of the school when such important decisions are being made.

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High quality teaching challenges the pupils to work hard and as a result they learn

8. Teaching in the school is consistently strong with over 80 per cent of lessons being judged to be good or very good in equal measure. This has a huge influence on the quality of pupils’ learning and the progress they make. A number of features characterise the teaching at Scotby. Teachers establish good relationships with their classes. This creates an easy atmosphere in which pupils have the confidence to ask when they do not understand and to have a go at answering questions even when they are not absolutely sure. They do this because teachers habitually value all efforts that the pupils make, saying for example, ‘That was a good try, can anyone else help out with this?’ Humour also contributes to the quality of the rapport between teacher and children. When looking at animal skulls in Year 3, for example, the teacher demonstrated that a lion’s jaws could eat something as large as his own head. This

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High quality teaching challenges the pupils to work hard and as a result they learn

amused the pupils but they quickly settled down for the next piece of information in a relaxed but attentive atmosphere. Challenging pupils is second nature to teachers in most lessons. There are few instances where pupils are covering old ground and teachers plan their activities to follow a brief recap of prior work and then build on what has gone before. Good levels of expertise help teachers to present effective and well- phrased introductions to lessons, such as in information technology where clearly structured guidance was provided on safe access to the Internet. The teacher’s promise that ‘This will lift your work right up’ enthused the pupils to give total attention. Scotby Church of England Primary School - 9 When pupils are concentrating so hard, it is easier for teachers to drive lessons along at a fast pace. Letter writing to Father Christmas in Year 2 for example, featured quick work from the pupils. They were expected to use their phonic skills in word building

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High quality teaching challenges the pupils to work hard and as a result they learn

and to refer to reference material on display in order to keep going independently at their task. As pupils are learning, teachers are keeping a close eye on their progress. This continual assessment enables teachers to intervene at key moments if pupils have failed to grasp any important concepts. For example, in a Year 6 science lesson on shadows and light sources, the teacher stopped the session, called for the pupils’ attention and pointed out some common faults in the investigations being undertaken. Once back on track, the groups were able to make better progress. This level of interaction between teachers and their pupils is a key component of the successful learning that takes place across the school.

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The school’s curriculum is rich and varied and offers pupils an exciting range of

9. The school aims to offer exciting and diverse opportunities to its pupils with the aim of developing well rounded individuals. To this end, it has given plenty of attention to the core subjects of English and mathematics but has not neglected the rest of the curriculum. Information technology is particularly well served through the regular use of the computer lab and pupils receive a broad range of experiences in subjects such as art, music and physical education. Science, however, does not have enough time allocated to it. A particularly strong feature of the curriculum is the way that teachers plan links between subjects. This makes efficient use of learning time and helps pupils to develop skills in more than one area at the same time. For example, when Year 5 pupils were working on a history topic on the Greeks, they produced estate agents details on ancient Greek houses. This enabled them to practise information technology

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The school’s curriculum is rich and varied and offers pupils an exciting range of

skills at the same time as undertaking history research and developing a writing style appropriate for presenting persuasive information. Topics involving the study of political systems such as democracy help develop pupils’ awareness of society and aspects of citizenship. The school’s range of extra curricular activity is much wider and more varied than most schools. Having accessed funding to support its provision of minority sports, the school offers pupils experiences in golf and skiing as well as playing competitive chess and the more usual range of inter-school sports. Musical activities are very much a part of the curriculum and the choir and musicians are used to performing in local community events. Pupils’ regular subject work is enhanced by a range of visitors from police and firemen who talk to younger pupils about their work, to an expert on birds of prey, whose visit helped junior pupils in their natural history work.

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The school’s curriculum is rich and varied and offers pupils an exciting range of

Two residential events help pupils to develop social skills as well as giving them opportunities to learn about their area and undertake outdoor pursuits. All in all, the breadth and richness of their experiences helps to develop the good degree of self- esteem and the relaxed and confident nature that typify Scotby pupils.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Standards in science by the end of the school should be higher.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

10. Although it is above the national average, when compared to what pupils show they can achieve in other subjects, attainment in science is not high enough. There are four main reasons for this. Firstly, there is not enough time spent on science. The proportion of the timetable allocated to the subject is less than in most schools and in view of the fact that science has been identified as a priority by the school, this shortfall needs to be addressed. Secondly, some teachers do not feel as confident in teaching Scotby Church of England Primary School - 10 science as they do in other subjects. This shows itself through pupils’ work, which occasionally features too many worksheets and not enough practical investigation. Some of these are more suitable for revising knowledge and understanding than for exploring new concepts. The quality of investigative work is also varied. At its best, it challenges pupils to find out what they don’t know, such as when in Year 4; they

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

explore which substances will dissolve under certain circumstances. At other times, investigations can be more limited and merely prove what pupils already know.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

11. Thirdly, assessment of pupils’ levels of attainment is not as well developed as in other core subjects, and is limited to grading one practical and one knowledge based activity per year. This makes it difficult for teachers to plan work that stretches all pupils to their limit, as there isn’t enough recorded evidence of what level of work each child has reached. The teacher with responsibility for leading the subject is trying out a promising system to remedy this, but it needs to become common practice as quickly as possible. The school has analysed its science performance carefully and identified a number of appropriate measures for improvement in the subject action plan. This is very comprehensive, but needs to include clear criteria by which the success of the various actions and their impact on pupils’ development can be judged.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

12. In previous years, the science curriculum has not been well organised in that key areas of work have not been revisited on a sufficiently frequent basis for pupils to maintain their level of knowledge. The new scheme of work that the school has adopted is helping to solve this problem with main topics being revised on a two-year cycle. However, the effects of this recent reorganisation have yet to work through the system before beginning to have an effect on results.

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The school’s communication with parents could be better

13. Parents hold the school in high regard. However, they rightly have some reservations over the effectiveness of its systems for keeping them informed of their children’s progress and its methods of developing an active partnership between school and home. An aspect of the school’s communication that is in need of improvement is the effectiveness of the annual reports to parents. These are inconsistent in their quality and some give a more detailed and realistic assessment of pupils’ progress than others. Many do not meet statutory requirements in that they do not make a comment on each individual subject. A common shortcoming is that they do not always make it clear what it is that the pupil needs to do to get better. The initial parent’s evening of each year group, whilst always well attended, is not always seen as being as helpful as it might in giving a clear idea of initial progress since September. The school

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The school’s communication with parents could be better

acknowledges that this event is not always as useful as it might be. A clearer purpose needs to be established and communicated for this potentially useful home / school link. Although the inspection showed that homework is well used to extend pupils’ learning in school, parents report that on occasions, they need more guidance via the homework diary in order to be able to support their children with some tasks. Other aspects of the school’s partnership with parents that could stand improvement are information about pupils’ current work and the development of parental support in classes. In Year 6, the teacher is trying out a regular communication to parents to inform them of their child’s current topic so that they might support their work from home. This useful information needs to be available to parents of all year groups to encourage the full use of parental support and expertise. Although some parents do

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The school’s communication with parents could be better

work voluntarily in school and their contribution is greatly appreciated, this is mainly in Key Stage 1, and the school could do more to seek out and organise the available enthusiasm and expertise to support teachers’ and pupils’ work across the school. Scotby Church of England Primary School - 11 The school could do more to prepare pupils for life in a multicultural society.

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The school’s communication with parents could be better

14. The school does well in developing pupils’ awareness of their own cultural heritage, through work in geography and history, for example. However, it is not as active in promoting their understanding of the ethnic and cultural diversity of society. Some opportunities are taken to introduce pupils to the key elements of different religious faiths, but pupils’ awareness of the characteristics of cultures other than their own is limited. The school does not currently have an overall plan for how it might use elements of the curriculum, such as art, music and literature, to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of cultural diversity.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(a) further raise standards in science by :

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- allocating more time within the curriculum to the subject - raising teachers’ confidence, particularly in relying less on commercially produced worksheets and developing more challenging investigative work - improving assessment procedures so that they give teachers enough information to set work for different pupils at appropriate levels of challenge

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(b) improve communication with parents by:

- improving the quality and consistency of reports to parents - ensuring that the initial parents’ meeting of each year gives parents a clear picture of their child’s progress to date - giving all parents enough information about their child’s current work to enable them to offer support - developing a more active approach to encouraging parent support in school

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(c) improve pupils’ cultural development by:

- identifying and planning for opportunities within the curriculum to extend pupils’ awareness of the characteristics of cultures other than their own. Scotby Church of England Primary School - 12

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 23 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 11

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Scotby Church of England Primary School - 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 15 19 34

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 15 14 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 19 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 97 (94) 97 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 14 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 18 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (100) 94 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 14 19 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 13 13 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 16 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 91 (93) 88 (89) 85 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 13 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 16 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (86) 88 (96) 88 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Scotby Church of England Primary School - 14

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.1 Financial year 1999-2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 441655

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1955

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 175 Balance brought forward from previous year 4862

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -2170

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Scotby Church of England Primary School - 15

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 49 41 3 2 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 40 53 2 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 54 9 1 9

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 25 50 19 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 59 35 1 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50 45 1 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 28 51 14 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 45 46 5 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 42 49 4 1 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 52 42 3 1 3

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