Setting

INSPECTION REPORT

St Joseph's RC Primary Railway Road and Cedar Road CHORLEY Lancashire PR6 0JF

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INSPECTION REPORT

Date of inspection : 11 - 15 November 1996

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INSPECTION REPORT

Inspection carried out under Section 9 of the Education (Schools) Act 1992

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Information about the school

School address : R a i l w a y Road and Cedar Road CHORLEY Lancashire PR6 0JF

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Information about the school

Name of chair of governors : Mr P Dickinson (where appropriate)

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Introduction

Characteristics of the school 20 - 22 Key indicators

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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school

Attainment and progress 23 - 27 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 28 - 32 Attendance 33 - 34

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Quality of education provided

Teaching 34 - 43 The curriculum and assessment 44 - 48 Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 49 - 58 Support Guidance and Pupils' Welfare 53 - 58 Partnership with Parents and the Community 59 - 62

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The management and efficiency of the school

Leadership and management 63 - 66 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 67 - 70 The efficiency of the school 71 - 73

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 74 - 79

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

English, mathematics and science 80 - 99

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

Summary of inspection evidence 134 - 138

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Main Findings of the Inspection

1.St Joseph's RC Primary School has important strengths, particularly in the positive attitudes to learning and the good behaviour which it promotes in its pupils. However, there are some serious weaknesses, particularly in the management of the curriculum, which are adversely affecting teaching in some of the classes.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

2.Generally, attainment in the reception class is above average for the pupils' age.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

3.At the end of Key Stage 1, when pupils are seven years old, average attainment is broadly at nationally expected levels. It is in line with national expectations in English, mathematics, science, information technology, history, music and physical education but is below expected levels in art, design and technology and geography.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

4.Average attainment at the end of Key Stage 2, when pupils are eleven years old, is somewhat below the national expectation. It is in line with the national average in the key subjects of English and mathematics, and in geography, music and physical education, but is below expectation in science because pupils' skills and understanding in practical and investigative science are below average. Attainment is below national expectations in design and technology, information technology, history and art.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

5.In the 1995 National Curriculum assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 the proportion of pupils achieving the nationally expected level 2 was not significantly different from the national average in English, mathematics and science. However, the proportion of pupils achieving at the higher level three was below the national average. The 1996 results were very similar.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

6.In the 1995 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 the proportion of pupils achieving the nationally expected level 4, or above, was below the national average in English and mathematics and was well below in science. Assessments by teachers placed the proportion of pupils reaching level 4 or above much higher than the tests. In 1996 the test results improved considerably in mathematics and science but declined in English. Evidence from the inspection indicates that attainment towards the end of Key Stage 2 is currently higher than past test results would suggest, particularly in English.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

7.Pupils in the reception class consistently make good progress. However, the good early start achieved is inadequately built on in Year 1 and pupils across the range of attainment make inadequate progress in many subjects. During Year 2 pupils begin to make satisfactory progress and over Key Stage 1 as a whole pupils make appropriate progress in all subjects except science, design and technology, geography and art, where progress is unsatisfactory. Again, at the beginning of Key Stage 2, pupils across the range of attainment make unsatisfactory progress in most subjects. This situation, however, begins to improve in Year 5 and by the end of the key stage pupils make satisfactory and sometimes good progress. This results in pupils making satisfactory progress over the key stage as a whole in mathematics, geography, music and physical education but progress is still less than satisfactory in all other subjects. Though average attainment is at the national average in science at

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Main Findings of the Inspection

the end of Key Stage 1, and in English at the end of both key stages, the lack of consistent progress across the key stages prevents pupils attaining as well as they ought in these subjects. Low attaining pupils who are on the special educational needs register generally make satisfactory progress towards targets set for them in English and mathematics.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

8.Pupils throughout the school have good attitudes to learning. They are interested and willing workers and learners. They remain positive, enthusiastic and strive to do well even when lessons are insufficiently challenging. Their response to learning is a strength of the school and strongly reflects the school's success in encouraging courteous, pleasant and very well behaved pupils.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

9.The pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school; their attendance is good.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

10.There are strengths in the quality of education provided but there are also significant weaknesses. 11.The teaching of pupils under the age of five is a particular strength. It is usually good, often very good and sometimes excellent. There is satisfactory and good teaching at both Key Stages 1 and 2. However, an unacceptably high proportion of teaching is unsatisfactory and markedly impedes pupils' progress at the start of each key stage. However, pupils in Year 6, are well taught.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

12.Teachers' expectations of pupils are not consistently high enough. Work is set which is often insufficiently related to National Curriculum programmes of study and is undemanding for the age and level of attainment of many pupils in a class. Some lessons are very well planned but a large number are inadequately planned. Most plans identify only what teachers plan to cover during the lesson rather than what they expect pupils to learn. Procedures for recording and assessing pupils' work are insufficiently developed in science and in most of the foundation subjects.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

13.The school is effective in providing for pupils' personal, spiritual, moral, social and, to a lesser extent, their cultural development. The school is very effective in reinforcing its clear and consistent aims in this area. Moral codes of conduct are well established and are constantly reinforced to ensure high standards of behaviour and care and concern for others. Adults in the school are keenly committed to, and very successful in, ensuring that pupils are well supported and cared for. The school undoubtedly achieves its mission to create an 'environment of faith and love'.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

14.The leadership of the governing body and headteacher is effective in providing policies and promoting practice which result in a very good ethos in the school. This contributes strongly to pupils' good behaviour and to their positive attitudes to work. There has been a strong and successful focus on the financial management of the school at the expense of its educational direction. The governing body and headteacher have provided insufficient oversight of, and direction for, the curriculum and there are some serious weaknesses in its management. Curriculum planning at all levels does not consistently contribute to ensuring that pupils achieve high educational standards. Teachers are insufficiently guided in what they should teach because policies and schemes of work do not exist in some subjects and in others they are too new to have yet had an impact. As a consequence pupils are not receiving a curriculum which takes sufficient account of, or builds on, what they have learned before.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

There is insufficient monitoring by the headteacher, deputy headteacher or curriculum co-ordinators, of teachers' planning, or of their work in the classroom, in order to identify areas for improvement. This has allowed weaknesses in teaching to continue in some classes and adversely affected pupils' progress. Too much of the headteacher's time is spent on a regular teaching commitment and this limits his effectiveness in monitoring and supporting teaching and curriculum development.

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Main Findings of the Inspection

15.Financial control and school administration are efficient and effective. In 1995, the school had an appreciable budget deficit. Careful financial management by the headteacher and governing body has ensured that the school will have an appropriate surplus in March, 1997. To this extent, the resources available to the school have been used efficiently. However, the resources could have been used more effectively to help ensure that weaknesses in the quality of education were addressed, or were not created, when making savings. The school provides less than satisfactory value for money.

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Key Issues for Action after the Inspection

16.The governing body, headteacher and staff should, as appropriate, undertake the following:

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17.Improve the planning and monitoring of the curriculum by:

increasing the governing body's oversight of the curriculum through more frequent meetings of the curriculum committee to receive regular reports from curriculum co-ordinators;

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17.Improve the planning and monitoring of the curriculum by:

reducing the timetabled teaching commitment of the headteacher;

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17.Improve the planning and monitoring of the curriculum by:

producing a new curriculum policy for the whole school;

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17.Improve the planning and monitoring of the curriculum by:

producing policies and schemes of work for all subjects which are of good quality and which guide teachers in their planning; producing improved procedures for yearly and termly, or half-termly, planning and ensuring that the implementation of plan is monitored and evaluated.

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consistent progress, by:

ensuring that teachers' lesson or weekly plans identify what pupils are expected to learn and that teachers have high expectations of pupils;

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consistent progress, by:

monitoring teachers' plans consistently and using the results to give teachers appropriate advice and support;

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consistent progress, by:

enhancing the role of the deputy headteacher and giving more responsibility to curriculum co-ordinators so that they can play an effective role in monitoring teachers' planning and work in the classroom;

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consistent progress, by:

providing additional professional development for teachers, allowing them to share good practice, to strengthen their skills in subjects and aspects of subjects where pupils' attainment is lower than it should be;

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consistent progress, by:

improving procedures for recording and assessment of pupils' work so that teachers are better able to use the resulting information in their teaching.

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consistent progress, by:

1.Hence raise levels of attainment, especially in science and in English at Key Stage 2.

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Characteristics of the school

2.St Joseph's RC Primary School lies to the north of Chorley. The school premises have seen significant changes and major building projects over the past years and there are currently three buildings on two sites, one for the infants and one for the juniors. There are presently 198 pupils, boys and girls aged between 4 and 11 years, on roll, all of whom are from a background where English is their first spoken language. A number of pupils come from outside the immediate locality of the school.

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Characteristics of the school

3.The area surrounding the school has a mix of privately owned and rented property. There is some unemployment in the area and over 40% of pupils are from families in receipt of welfare benefit. The proportion of pupils taking free school meals is higher than the average for primary schools locally or nationally. The school has identified 40 pupils as having some degree of special educational need, which is over 20% of the number on roll. Two pupils have statements of special educational need. Although the school does not have a nursery, most of the pupils have had some pre-school education. This helps to ensure that the average attainment of pupils on entry to the school is only a little below average.

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Characteristics of the school

4.The school's main aims and priorities are:

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Characteristics of the school

to increase staffing to allow the headteacher to teach throughout the school, offering development time to all other teachers and to allow him further time for management functions; to fund developments in the current development plan to allow it to be implemented; to ensure decoration and repairs to the building take place; to establish a nursery unit at the school.

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Key indicators

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1995-6 11(15) 15(16) 26(31)

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Key indicators

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Key indicators

Number of pupils Boys 7 (11) 7 (11) 7 (12)

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Key indicators

at NC Level 2 or Girls 13 (11) 13 (11) 12 (13)

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Key indicators

Percentage at NC School 77 (71) 77 (71) 73 (81)

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Key indicators

Level 2 or above National 78 (78) 79 (80) 82 (78)

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Key indicators

Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Key indicators

Number of pupils Boys 7 (11) 8 (12) 9 (12)

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Key indicators

at NC Level 2 or Girls 14 (10) 13 (13) 14 (13)

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Key indicators

Percentage at NC School 81 (71) 81 (81) 88 (77)

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Key indicators

Level 2 or above National 79 (80) 82 (79) 84 (84)

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Key indicators

Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

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Key indicators

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1995-6 13(21) 15(11) 28(32)

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Key indicators

National Curriculum Test Results English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 5 (4) 6 (5) 8 (6) at NC Level 4 or Girls 5 (7) 7 (6) 10 (9) above Total 10 (11) 13 (11) 18 (15) Percentage at NC School 38 (34) 47 (31) 65 (45) Level 4 or above National 58 (48) 54 (44) 62 (70)

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Key indicators

Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Key indicators

at NC Level 4 or Girls 9 (16) 9 (14) 9 (16)

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Key indicators

Percentage at NC School 57 (71) 61 (65) 61 (74)

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Key indicators

Level 4 or above National 60 (56) 60 (54) 65 (64)

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Attendance

Percentage of half days (sessions) missed % through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 5.8 reporting year : Absence National comparative data 8.3 Unauthorised School 0.0 Absence National comparative data 1.1

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Exclusions

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) Number during the previous year : Fixed period 0

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Quality of teaching

Percentage of teaching observed which is : %

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Quality of teaching

Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year

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Attainment and Progress

1.Generally, attainment in the reception class is above average for the pupils' age in all the areas of the curriculum which they experience.

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Attainment and Progress

2.At the end of Key Stage 1, average attainment is broadly at nationally expected levels. It is in line with national expectations in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and in the foundation subjects of information technology, history, music and physical education but it is below expected levels in art, design and technology and geography. In the 1995 National Curriculum assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 the proportion of pupils achieving the nationally expected level 2 was not significantly different from the national average in English, mathematics and science. No pupils achieved level 3, however, which is below the national average in science and mathematics and well below in English, though a good proportion of pupils reached level 3 in reading. In 1996 the results were very similar to 1995 in each subject.

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Attainment and Progress

3.Average attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is somewhat below the national expectation, though it is in line with the national average in the key core subjects of English and mathematics, as well as in geography, music and physical education. Average attainment is below national expectations in science because pupils' skills and understanding in practical and investigative science are below average and is also below national expectations in design and technology, information technology, history and art. In the 1995 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 the proportions of pupils reaching the nationally expected level 4, or above, were below the national averages in English and mathematics and was well below average in science. Teacher assessments placed the proportions reaching level 4 or above much higher in each subject and a significant number of pupils narrowly missed achieving a higher level on the tests. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher level 5 on

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Attainment and Progress

the tests was not significantly different from the national average in English and mathematics but was below it in science. In 1996, the proportions achieving level 4 or above in the tests improved considerably in science and mathematics but it declined in English, where again teacher assessments indicated much better results. Evidence from the inspection indicates that attainment towards the end of Key Stage 2, particularly in English, is currently higher than past National Curriculum tests would suggest should be the case.

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Attainment and Progress

4.In mathematics, pupils' attainment in number is particularly good at the end of Key Stage 2, but their attainment in using and applying mathematics is below average at both key stages. Pupils' speaking, listening and reading are in line with national expectations. Though pupils' attainment in writing is below the level it should be for their ages in some years, attainment is about in line with the national average by the end of each key stage.

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Attainment and Progress

5.Overall, pupils in the reception class consistently make good progress, so that attainment is higher than might be expected. However, the good early start is inadequately built on in Year 1 and this results in pupils across the range of attainment making inadequate progress in many subjects. During Year 2 pupils begin to make satisfactory progress and over Key Stage 1 as a whole pupils make satisfactory progress in all subjects except science, design and technology, geography and art, where progress is unsatisfactory. The pattern of inconsistent progress, with improvement towards the end of the key stage, is repeated at Key Stage 2. At the beginning of the key stage, pupils across the range of attainment make unsatisfactory progress in most subjects. The situation, however, begins to improve in Year 5 and by the end of the key stage pupils make satisfactory and sometimes good progress. This results in progress over the key stage as a whole being satisfactory in mathematics, geography, music

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Attainment and Progress

and physical education but it is still less than satisfactory in all other subjects. Though average attainment is at the national average in science at the end of Key Stage 1, and in English at the end of both key stages, the lack of consistent progress across the key stages prevents pupils attaining as well as they ought in these subjects. Low attaining pupils on the special educational needs register generally make satisfactory progress in English and mathematics towards mostly clear targets set for them in their individual education plans. In some subjects, for example mathematics, higher attaining pupils make the least satisfactory progress in the early part of Key Stage 2.

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Attitudes, Behaviour and Personal Development

6.Pupils' attitudes towards their learning are good. This is a strength of the school. Pupils enjoy school, feel secure and are keen to succeed. They are good listeners and are able to sustain concentration, remain positive and enthusiastic and do their best even when work they are doing is insufficiently challenging. They only occasionally become inattentive, when they are unsure what they are to do.

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Attitudes, Behaviour and Personal Development

7.When working in groups pupils respond positively and complete activities without the need for constant, direct supervision. They discuss tasks with interest, raise sensible questions and offer comments and ideas freely and eagerly. They share books and equipment sensibly.

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Attitudes, Behaviour and Personal Development

8.Pupils are very well behaved both in the classroom and around the school. Relationships with teachers are good and pupils are co-operative and courteous to one another. They take the initiative to make sure that new pupils are made to feel welcome and accepted and they are friendly and polite to visitors. Pupils listen to their teachers' instructions and are quick to respond to their reprimands on the few occasions when they become too noisy. There is little evidence of bullying or aggressive behaviour in the school.

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Attitudes, Behaviour and Personal Development

9.The pupils' positive attitudes to learning and their good behaviour often enable them to make progress and to achieve appropriately even when there are weaknesses in teaching.

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Attitudes, Behaviour and Personal Development

10.Pupils' contributions to charity and their involvement with other groups in the parish through, for example, the distribution of food parcels at harvest time, enhance their personal development.

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Attendance

11.Pupils' attendance and punctuality are good. The vast majority of parents are supportive of the school's procedures for ensuring good attendance. However, some pupils are taken out of school in term time for family holidays which in some cases extend beyond ten days.

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Attendance

12.Registers are marked consistently but occasionally do not give a true record of attendance as some absences are not coded correctly.

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Teaching

13.Teaching of pupils in the reception class is always at least satisfactory, is usually good, often very good and sometimes excellent across all the areas of learning. At Key Stages 1 and 2 over half the teaching is satisfactory or good. However, an unacceptably high proportion of teaching is unsatisfactory and this markedly impedes pupils' progress at the start of each key stage. However, pupils in Year 6 are well taught and consequently make good progress.

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Teaching

14.Most teachers work hard though they are not all well supported or directed. The teaching of reading and of number is successful. Teachers are effective in using information technology to support learning in other areas of the curriculum. Weaknesses in teaching more commonly exist within classes rather than subjects, though in science, design and technology, art and physical education there are some general weaknesses.

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Teaching

15.The reception class teacher is well informed and knowledgeable about the areas of learning for pupils under the age of five. The best teaching seen elsewhere in the school is similarly based on good subject knowledge and the use of appropriate vocabulary by teachers. However, in some of the weaker lessons, teachers are not always sufficiently secure or confident in the subjects they are teaching. This is particularly true of the teaching of science and is sometimes true in music, mathematics, English, design and technology and art.

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Teaching

16.Not all teachers set appropriate expectations for what pupils are to achieve in lessons. Teachers do not consistently vary their expectations to take account of pupils' attainment; they do not expect higher level work from the more capable pupils sufficiently often. Tasks are sometimes too easy for most pupils. Sometimes teachers set higher challenges for girls than boys by asking them more questions. Pupils on the special educational needs register are set appropriate targets within their individual education plans and are sufficiently challenged within English and mathematics lessons. Whilst the presentation of many pupils' work is of a very high standard, not all teachers demand such neatly presented work.

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Teaching

17.Some lessons are very well planned. There are examples of teachers' plans which effectively cover the areas of learning for the pupils under the age of five effectively and others which sufficiently address incorporate the National Curriculum programmes of study. The better planning links well with previous lessons and builds on them. It identifies not only what is to be covered but also what pupils of all levels of attainment are to achieve. Some plans consider and determine the part to be played in lessons by support staff or parent helpers; this is often seen to result in them being effective in helping pupils' to learn. Most teachers are effective in identifying and preparing the resources used in lessons. However, a large number of lessons are inadequately planned. The format used for recording lesson plans is not a useful or effective tool for helping most teachers to identify what they want pupils to have learned by

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Teaching

the end of a lesson. Most plans only identify what teachers are going to cover during the lesson. Much of the time teachers are too ambitious in the number of activities they plan to carry out. The planned activities are often insufficiently related to National Curriculum programmes of study and are consequently sometimes at too low a level for many pupils in the class.

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Teaching

18.In the best practice seen, teachers set a suitable range of stimulating activities, which afford pupils the right level of challenge and active involvement. These lessons have good clear objectives, which pupils know and understand. They are clearly structured, starting with good brisk introductions, contain appropriate well thought-out activities and end with skilful and challenging questions. However, on a large number of occasions, teachers do not use effective and appropriate teaching methods, often as a result of poor planning. Unclear or inadequate objectives for lessons, and often too many activities going on at once, result in pupils of all levels of attainment making less progress than they should. On these occasions, teachers spend too long on lesson introductions. They do not give pupils a sufficiently active or challenging role in these lessons.

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Teaching

19.Teachers enjoy good relationships with pupils and this contributes to their success in achieving high standards of classroom behaviour. Pupils are managed well and consistently; praise and rewards are used well. Time is well used in the better lessons.

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Teaching

20.Teachers generally mark pupils' work conscientiously, particularly in mathematics, and they keep useful comments and notes on each pupil's progress. However, this information could be used more effectively to inform future planning and teaching. Teachers use resources quite effectively, though pupils are not encouraged sufficiently to find facts for themselves using the library or information technology.

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Teaching

21.Homework is mainly used to reinforce learning such as reading, tables and spellings. There is little evidence of homework being used to extend learning, although some pupils bring work to school that they have been stimulated by a lesson to try at home.

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Curriculum and Assessment

22.Overall, the lack of policies and schemes of work for some subjects and the newness of some others, adversely affects teachers' planning and thus inhibits the progress pupils make, and ultimately their attainment. Equally, the system of teachers' planning used by the school does not promote adequate progress by all pupils; generally planning concentrates on what is to be covered not on what teachers want pupils to learn. Plans too often fail to identify explicitly coverage of National Curriculum programmes of study. Pupils are not receiving a curriculum which takes sufficient account of, or builds on, what they have learned before. This is a serious weakness. The school has begun to develop systems for monitoring the curriculum. Teachers produce whole year curriculum overviews and half- termly planning sheets which the headteacher has started to evaluate. However, monitoring of planning is not carried out with sufficient rigour and consistency to ensure that the curriculum is of appropriate

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Curriculum and Assessment

23.The time allocated to teaching is a little below the recommended minimum at both key stages. The curriculum in the reception class and at Key Stage 1 is broad and balanced and, for pupils under the age of five, is particularly well planned. The curriculum for these pupils includes good coverage of all the areas of learning they should experience. At Key Stage 2, the curriculum is not wholly balanced. Pupils experience too little investigative work and experimental work in mathematics and science. The legal requirement to teach the National Curriculum programmes of study in all subjects is broadly met. However, coverage of the programmes of study cannot be guaranteed in several subjects, for example design and technology and information technology, because of lack of schemes of work and of monitoring of teachers' plans. Arrangements for the development of pupils' personal and social education, including health and sex education, are particularly successful and are a strength. Year 6

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Curriculum and Assessment

pupils are prepared quite well for the next stage of education.

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Curriculum and Assessment

24.Pupils on the special educational needs register are well supported in a secure and caring environment where, on the whole, work set in mathematics and English meets their needs. In other subjects the curriculum is not always suitable for them. Teachers have worked hard to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are supported in the classroom. Pupils have good individual education plans, which are regularly reviewed. The needs of pupils with statements of special educational needs are mostly met by class teachers; relationships with staff from outside agencies, who gave additional support, are good. However, there are instances when pupils are withdrawn from a subject such as art to receive additional support in English or mathematics. The school needs to review its timetabling arrangements to ensure these pupils have a balanced curriculum.

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Curriculum and Assessment

25.The curriculum is enriched by a wide range of extra-curricular activities, particularly in music and sport. Some teachers also arrange educational visits which add to the quality and range of the curriculum.

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Curriculum and Assessment

26.Systems for assessing pupils' attainment are generally underdeveloped in science and most of the foundation subjects. The school has an assessment policy, produced fairly recently, which is consequently not yet having a significant impact on practice. Teachers are keeping examples of pupils' work in core subjects which are assessed against National Curriculum levels. These are passed on to the next teacher. This and the production of a school portfolio of moderated English work, are encouraging initiatives. Teachers keep daily records of pupils' progress. These are variable in quality. Examples of good practice are evident in mathematics and, sometimes in information technology and English. Generally, assessment does not have a significant impact on curriculum planning.

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Pupils' Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development

27.A strength of the school is the good quality of its provision for pupils' spiritual, moral and social development. The Christian values which the school seeks to foster are clearly set out in its statement of aims and form the basis for its work. Pupils are continually encouraged to reflect on their own lives and behaviour and spiritual development is fostered in many situations and areas of the curriculum.

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Pupils' Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development

28.Moral codes of conduct are well established and constantly reinforced to ensure high standards of behaviour. This has a positive effect, creating an environment where self-respect and care and concern for others are emphasised. Pupils are taught to distinguish right from wrong, to make informed choices about behaviour and to be aware of the consequences of their actions.

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Pupils' Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development

29.Pupils' social development is encouraged and this is reflected in the good relationships which exist within the school. Pupils relate well to adults, are welcoming and have responsible attitudes to their work. They are able to work collaboratively within groups. They are encouraged to undertake responsibilities around the school and they perform them sensibly

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Pupils' Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development

30.Art, music and a range of extra-curricular activities and visits contribute to pupils' cultural development. Guest speakers and performers are invited into school to share their expertise and interests. To this extent the school's provision for pupils' cultural development is good. However, pupils' understanding and awareness of the richness and diversity of other cultures is at an early stage of development and is promoted less fully than it should be by the school.

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Support, Guidance and Pupils' Welfare

31.The school's provision for the welfare, support and guidance of its pupils is good. Its health and safety policy is effective and the staff are successful in ensuring that pupils are made safe and secure within a calm and orderly environment. Pupils are supervised appropriately at all times; lunchtime arrangements operate effectively.

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Support, Guidance and Pupils' Welfare

32.Child protection procedures are well understood by staff and the headteacher and staff are fully committed to ensuring pupils' well-being. They know the pupils and their families well and there is a good understanding of pupils' emotional needs and any difficulties they may have in school, at home and in the community. There is an effective 'Education for Personal Relationships' policy which clearly reflects the aims of the school and is promoted by all staff.

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Support, Guidance and Pupils' Welfare

33.An emphasis is placed on praise and recognition of pupils' good work and behaviour, for example through awards in assembly. The successful promotion of good standards of behaviour contributes positively to the pupils' response to teaching and to their attainment. Rare incidents of bullying and aggression are dealt with promptly and efficiently by staff.

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Support, Guidance and Pupils' Welfare

34.The academic progress of pupils on the special educational needs register who have individual education plans is monitored well. However, the academic progress of other pupils is not monitored as effectively as it should be and does not result in pupils being as fully informed as they might be of how they could improve their work.

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Support, Guidance and Pupils' Welfare

35.The procedures for introducing and settling new pupils into school are good and are much appreciated by the parents. They ensure that pupils generally feel secure and readily adopt the required attitudes. Preparation for transfer to secondary school is handled effectively.

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Support, Guidance and Pupils' Welfare

36.First-aid procedures and the arrangements for the reporting and recording of accidents should be reviewed because currently the records are not accurately maintained.

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Partnership with Parents and the Community

37.Successful and effective partnerships have been developed with parents and the community. Parents are supportive and appreciate the caring relationships which exist in the school. These links ensure that pupils are happy and enjoy going to school, contributing to the good levels of attendance. Parents are encouraged to become involved in the life of the school and their help in the classrooms and with extra-curricular activities, is valuable and assists pupils in making progress. Parents who help in classrooms are well-briefed by the school. Many parents give useful help to their children through the home-reading scheme and with homework, when it is set.

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Partnership with Parents and the Community

38.The school communicates well with parents both orally and in writing, although pupils' annual progress reports could be more informative by identifying more clearly and frequently what pupils can do and how parents could help them to improve. Too many comments refer to a pupil's effort and attitude only. Art and technology are commented on together. There should be separate comments on the three National Curriculum subjects of art, design and technology and information technology.

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Partnership with Parents and the Community

39.Effective links have been established with other schools, especially through competitive sports, with the local community, the associated parish, and with welfare and educational support services. The school encourages pupils to provide support for charities and they respond generously. This promotes their moral and social development. The school receives beneficial financial support from commercial and industrial connections and these links could be further developed.

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Partnership with Parents and the Community

40.The well established links contribute to the progress, attainment and, particularly, the personal development of pupils.

p.14

Leadership and Management

41.The school has a mission statement and aims which set the tone for the work of the school and are reflected in its practice. The leadership of the governing body and headteacher is effective in providing policies and promoting practice which result in a very good ethos in the school. Relationships amongst staff, and between staff and pupils, are good. The school undoubtedly achieves its mission to create an 'environment of faith and love'. However, the aims do not refer explicitly to maximising pupils' levels of attainment, which they might usefully do. There has been a strong and successful focus on the financial management of the school at the expense of its educational direction. The governing body and headteacher have provided insufficient oversight of, and direction for, the curriculum and there are some serious weaknesses in its management. The curriculum committee of the governing body has not met

p.14

Leadership and Management

with sufficient frequency to allow it to enable the governing body to hold the school to account for the quality of education it provides. The headteacher has not ensured that policies and schemes of work are produced which can support teaching, particularly the work of less experienced teachers. Too much of the headteacher's time is spent on a regular teaching commitment and this further limits his effectiveness in monitoring and supporting teaching and curriculum development. Neither teachers' planning nor their work in the classroom have been monitored adequately. This is having a detrimental effect on the teaching in some classes and thus on the progress pupils make in these classes. Curriculum co-ordinators lack opportunities to support teaching and planning and to address the school's needs as expressed through its school development plan. The deputy headteacher is insufficiently involved in monitoring the curriculum and colleagues' planning. There is a lack of overview of the

p.14

Leadership and Management

42.The co-ordinator for special educational needs is managing effectively, though is constrained by not having any release from class teaching to carry out her responsibilities. She has helped other staff to produce individual education plans of sound quality for pupils on the special educational needs register. They contain largely appropriate targets for pupils' progress. The special educational needs policy is a good practical document.

p.14

Leadership and Management

43.The school development plan identifies which staff are responsible for particular actions, includes deadlines and is costed. However, the plan does not focus sufficiently directly on raising levels of attainment and on improving teaching. Monitoring arrangements, and criteria by which the successful achievement of targets are judged, are inadequate. They relate mostly to the completion of tasks rather than improvements in end-products. Procedures for producing the plan need to draw more fully on the strengths and talents of the staff.

p.14

Leadership and Management

44.There are a small number of ways in which the school is failing to comply with legal requirements placed upon it. Reports comment on 'technology and art' together and do not clearly comment separately on pupils' progress and attainment in each National Curriculum subject separately. Also, a number of the items which should be in the school prospectus are missing or inadequate details are given, for example on the school's policy on charging for educational visits. The specific omissions have been drawn to the attention of the school.

p.14

Staffing, Accommodation and Learning Resources

45.The school has an adequate number of teaching staff, though the headteacher has too great a teaching commitment. Three teachers are working with age groups for which they either lack the experience or the necessary training and this is adversely affecting their teaching and pupils' progress in the classes affected. Staff working with pupils with special educational needs are aware of their responsibilities and liaise closely with colleagues to ensure that pupils who need additional help make appropriate progress. However, there is not enough non-teaching support for these pupils and there is insufficient non-teaching support in Year 1.

p.14

Staffing, Accommodation and Learning Resources

46.There are systems in place for teacher appraisal, which is now in its second cycle, but there is little evidence to suggest that it has contributed significantly to teachers' professional development. Staff are given opportunities for further training and most has addressed the school's needs. In-service training has not, however, successfully addressed the weaknesses in some teachers' knowledge, particularly in science but also in several other subjects. The school needs to adopt procedures to ensure that in- service training is used to improve teaching and that those who attend courses share what they have learned with colleagues. Support given to recently qualified teachers at the school has been poor and has resulted in them teaching less effectively than they might. There has been no formal induction of these staff or observation of their teaching by their mentor. There is a new staff handbook but it is

p.15

Staffing, Accommodation and Learning Resources

incomplete. Welfare and cleaning staff make a good contribution to the smooth running of the school. Written guidelines have been produced to help welfare staff understand their role and procedures.

p.15

Staffing, Accommodation and Learning Resources

47.Accommodation is adequate. Though it has been significantly improved in recent years, the split site makes it difficult to deploy staff and resources efficiently, and for teachers to share ideas, as easily as in a single site school. This has limited the support which might have been available to newly qualified teachers. There are sufficient outdoor hard and grassed areas for the pupils' recreational and sporting activities and they are used well both during and after school. Good use is made of a 'quiet room' in the infant building for groups of pupils, especially by the reception class. Displays could involve and challenge the pupils more effectively in some classrooms, particularly in the junior part of the school.

p.15

Staffing, Accommodation and Learning Resources

48.Learning resources are generally adequate in range, quantity and quality to meet the needs of the National Curriculum, although there are some shortages in tools and materials in design and technology and of resources in history, music and science which limit what pupils can achieve. The school has a good number of computers for the number of pupils on roll. The classroom libraries are not sufficiently welcoming to stimulate pupils' interest. They contain many old books in need of replacement. However, good use is made of the LEA library service.

p.15

The Efficiency of the School

49.In March 1995 the school had an appreciable budget deficit. Careful financial management by the headteacher and governing body has ensured that the school will have a significant, but not excessive, surplus at the end of the 1996-97 financial year. To this extent, the resources available to the school have been used efficiently, but there have been consequences of reducing the budget which have adversely affected the quality of education provided by the school. The headteacher has had to spend too much time on a regular teaching commitment with an age group which does not match his experience; there is a shortage of non-teaching support in the Year 1 class; curriculum co-ordinators and the co-ordinator for special educational needs have no release from class teaching to carry out their responsibilities; the school is currently spending considerably less on supporting pupils on the special educational needs register than it receives in its budget because of the number of such pupils on roll,

p.15

The Efficiency of the School

50.In this situation the school is spending a much higher proportion of its budget on clerical and secretarial staff than the average for schools of this size. There is no clear mechanism to ensure that the right level of funding for resources is allocated to each subject area and hence that the right priorities are supported. The resources available to the school, though managed carefully during a time of constraint, could have been used somewhat more effectively. Financial control and school administration, though, are efficient and effective.

p.15

The Efficiency of the School

51.The cost of educating a pupil at the school is broadly average for a school of this size and type. Because there are deficiencies in the quality of education provided and in the progress which pupils consequently make, although the pupils have good attitudes to learning, behave very well and develop well as young people, the school provides less than satisfactory value for money.

p.15

Areas of learning for children under five

52.Children in the reception class receive support and care of a high quality in a secure and happy environment. They are taught well and are consequently learning well and making good progress. Pupils are attaining standards which are at least comparable, and are often above, those expected nationally in all areas of learning. They are settled and secure and respond well. They are developing positive attitudes to their learning. Children play productively with each other or independently and are able to relate well to adults. Their personal development is good.

p.17

Areas of learning for children under five

53.As they develop language skills, the pupils listen attentively to stories and join in singing with enthusiasm. They readily talk about matters that interest them. Opportunities are provided for the children to develop a positive attitude to books and to stimulate their enjoyment and pleasure in using them. They are introduced to the school's reading scheme and can recognise key words and know most letter sounds. They have good skills in writing and drawing and appreciate the purposes of writing through various activities.

p.17

Areas of learning for children under five

54.Attainment in the mathematical area of learning is good. Some pupils can count on and back and a few can combine numbers up to five. They are secure in their knowledge of basic shapes.

p.17

Areas of learning for children under five

55.Children are developing a knowledge and understanding of the world around them and their attainment in this is above average. They are encouraged to talk about what they observe and the teacher pays careful attention to planning opportunities for children to ask questions and to discuss and record their findings. Children can talk about their bodies and name various parts accurately. They can operate the computer, show confidence in using the keyboard and handle the computer mouse competently.

p.17

Areas of learning for children under five

56.There are planned art and craft sessions and children paint and handle tools and materials competently. They are developing skills and techniques and apply them well using their own ideas. They show dexterity when handling tools and they have satisfactory control of pencils and crayons.

p.17

Areas of learning for children under five

57.The teacher makes frequent use of written observations and assessment in order to plan a curriculum which meets the needs of the pupils and builds upon their experiences and knowledge. Skilful intervention by adults in the pupils' play, whilst widening their vocabulary, deepens their thinking and improves their investigative skills.

p.17

English

58.Overall, standards are broadly in line with national expectations at the end of each key stage, though average attainment could be higher if pupils made more consistent progress, particularly at Key Stage 2.

p.17

English

59.In the 1995 National Curriculum assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 the proportion of pupils achieving the national expected level 2 was not significantly different from the national average. No pupils received level 3 overall, which is well below the national average but a good proportion reached level 3 in reading. In 1996 the results were very similar to 1995. In the 1995 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2, the proportion of pupils reaching the nationally expected level 4, or above, was below the national average. In 1996 the proportion fell, though nationally it increased. In each year teacher assessment showed a much higher proportion of pupils reaching level 4 or above and, indeed, a significant number of pupils narrowly missed achieving level 4 on the tests. The proportion of pupils achieving level 5 on the tests in 1995 was not significantly different from the national average.

p.17

English

60.Attainment in speaking and listening at both key stages is generally in line with national expectations with pupils becoming able to listen attentively, use a range of vocabulary, take turns in discussions and speak clearly. As pupils move up the school they continue to develop good oral skills, to listen and to develop ideas thoughtfully and to use talk for specific purposes.

p.17

English

61.Pupils' competence in reading is satisfactory; most pupils achieve levels equal to national expectations. At Key Stage 1 pupils are able to recognise familiar words in simple texts and are able to use sounds to read words and establish meaning. At Key Stage 2, pupils show great enjoyment of reading and have an interest in books both fiction and non-fiction. Most pupils at this key stage can access books in the library. They could extend the use of these referencing skills to undertake more independent research, particularly using information technology, if given sufficient opportunity. Attainment in writing is about in line with the national average by the end of each key stage.

p.18

English

62.At Key Stage 1, pupils' make satisfactory progress overall. They make satisfactory progress in reading and speaking and listening. All pupils enjoy books, but higher attainers need to be given more opportunity to read a wider variety of texts. Pupils are confident speakers, able to contribute in class and group discussions. Progress in writing is more variable; pupils need to be given extended opportunities for independent writing and, in some instances, improve its presentation.

p.18

English

63.At Key Stage 2, pupils' overall progress is less than satisfactory. They make satisfactory progress in reading but need to be given an extended range of texts. Progress in writing is more variable across this key stage. Progress is less satisfactory in the Lower Juniors, particularly for the higher attainers. Progress in the Upper Juniors is good; pupils are able to write exciting stories, using a wide vocabulary, spelling well and punctuating correctly by the end of the key stage. Attainment in handwriting does not develop consistently but it improves by the upper end of the key stage. Pupils on the special educational needs register make satisfactory progress because of clear targets in their individual education plans which are supported in classroom practice.

p.18

English

64.All pupils have a positive attitude to their learning in English. This is a direct result of the good relationships fostered by teachers and other staff. Behaviour is almost always good; pupils are aware of teachers' expectations and respond with politeness and respect.

p.18

English

65.At Key Stage 1 teaching is mostly satisfactory but some is unsatisfactory. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, lessons are not well planned and time and resources are not well managed. At Key Stage 2 most lessons in the Upper Juniors are satisfactory or good. In the Lower Juniors a majority of lessons are unsatisfactory. Where lessons are good teachers have good subject knowledge and an understanding of the specific language needs of their pupils. They have high expectations, especially in writing and demand good standards in content and presentation. Marking provides constructive comments to move pupils on to the next step. These characteristics are not evident in unsatisfactory lessons.

p.18

English

66.The school has a useful English policy and scheme of work; it needs to be properly monitored and evaluated, which is not occurring at present. The school has made a good beginning; national curriculum requirements are being met and systematic record keeping is developing. Improved weekly planning which identifies what pupils are intended to learn and consistent assessment would help to guarantee that pupils make more consistent progress. The subject co-ordinator lacks the necessary time to monitor and evaluate the success of the policy and scheme of work, particularly as the school is on a split site.

p.18

Mathematics

67.In the National Curriculum assessments for 7 year olds in 1995 the proportion of pupils achieving level 2 or above was not significantly different from the national average. The proportion remained steady in 1996. However, no pupils in either year reached level 3 a situation which is below the national average. In the National Curriculum assessments for 11 year olds in 1995 the proportion of pupils reaching level 4 on the tests was below the national average, though the school's own assessments showed a much higher proportion of pupils reaching level 4, the figure being close to the national average. The proportion of pupils reaching level 5 was in line with the national average. In 1996 the proportion of pupils reaching level 4 on the tests rose considerably and by more than the national rise. On the basis of examination of pupils' work, discussions with pupils and observation of lessons, the

p.18

Mathematics

average levels of pupils' attainment towards the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2 are at the national average. Attainment in number is particularly good towards the end of Key Stage 2. For example, the majority of pupils in Year 6 are able to compute, without a calculator, fractions of quantities including, in some cases, decimal quantities. Skills in mental mathematics are at least average by the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils' attainment in 'using and applying mathematics' is below the national expectation at both key stages.

p.19

Mathematics

68.Pupils make satisfactory progress overall at Key Stage 1 but progress in Year 1 does not build adequately on the good start pupils make in the reception class. Pupils, especially higher attainers, make unsatisfactory progress in the lower part of Key Stage 2. However, towards the end of Key Stage 2 expectations of pupils are higher and they make good progress, particularly in Year 6. Lower attaining pupils on the special educational needs register make appropriate progress towards the targets set for them.

p.19

Mathematics

69.Pupils are generally co-operative and collaborate well when necessary. Higher attaining pupils, even younger ones, often show an ability to work on their own with little help. They have the confidence to do this. Pupils work steadily, with good levels of concentration, for extended periods. They are keen to discuss their work and do so effectively, both amongst themselves and with adults.

p.19

Mathematics

70.Teaching at Key Stage 1 is generally satisfactory. Teachers generally plan appropriate activities for pupils and their organisation is adequate. What is expected of different groups of pupils is mostly at the right level for them, though expectations could be higher in some lessons. Teaching at Key Stage 2 is variable though about two-thirds is satisfactory or better. Too much teaching, especially early in the key stage, does not challenge pupils adequately, particularly higher attaining pupils. However, the teaching of Year 6 is very good. Teachers' planning suffers from the lack of a scheme of work in mathematics. This particularly affects less experienced teachers. Teachers' understanding of how they should approach 'using and applying mathematics' in the National Curriculum is limited and they need professional development to help them with this. Pupils undertake too little investigative work.

p.19

Mathematics

Arrangements for the co-ordination of the subject are inadequate. Teachers' weekly planning is not properly monitored - nor is teaching of the subject. Pupils' work is marked thoroughly and assessment is used to inform teachers' planning of further work. Teachers keep some useful on-going comments on pupils' progress. Homework could be used more effectively, particularly with older pupils.

p.19

Science

71.Average attainment is in line with national expectations for pupils towards the end of Key Stage 1 but at the end of Key Stage 2 attainment is below the national average, especially in the area of practical and investigative science. Pupils of all levels of attainment at both key stages make inadequate progress. Even though attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with national expectations it could be better if pupils made more consistent progress.

p.19

Science

72.At Key Stage 1 pupils are developing an understanding of life processes and living things. They can name parts of the body and understand that a varied diet is essential to health. They can record their work through drawings and simple tables. Their achievement is less good in aspects of physical science.

p.19

Science

73.At the lower end of Key Stage 2 pupils are not achieving appropriately across the range of scientific knowledge and skills. Progress is accelerated in the upper end of Key Stage 2 and pupils' attainment improves. Pupils demonstrate factual knowledge of plant biology and can identify the organs of different plants. By the end of the key stage they are developing their understanding of science and scientific concepts. With help they can carry out experiments and record their findings and observations. They are becoming aware that science is relevant to their everyday life, for example, they can describe and explain an electric circuit and how it can be switched on and off, draw diagrams to represent the circuit and talk about voltage and what it might mean. Some pupils are ready to hypothesise and suggest explanations. Pupils with special educational needs are supported in mixed ability groups and make

p.19

Science

74.In the 1995 National Curriculum assessment at the end of Key Stage 1, the proportion of pupils achieving the nationally expected level 2 was not significantly different from the national average. No pupils achieved level 3, however, which represents achievement below the national average. The results were similar in 1996. In the 1995 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2, the proportion of pupils achieving the nationally expected level 4, or above, was well below the national average. The proportion rose in 1996 though nationally the proportion fell.

p.20

Science

75.Pupils are enthusiastic and respond well to science. They are eager and listen attentively as activities are introduced. They settle quickly to their tasks and are keen to contribute willingly to discussions. At Key Stage 1, pupils are developing their concentration and show an interest in their work. They are beginning to work co-operatively and are able to share resources and equipment well. At Key Stage 2 this is further developed and pupils contribute ideas with confidence. Good behaviour within lessons has a positive effect on pupils' learning.

p.20

Science

76.There is some teaching of science which is satisfactory but, overall, the quality of teaching across the school is unsatisfactory. Where the teaching is of a better standard, lessons are well planned with suitable activities and well chosen resources; what the teacher intends pupils to learn is clear and pupils are made aware of what is expected of them. Teachers and other adult helpers give appropriate support and intervene well to challenge pupils' knowledge and understanding. More often, the teaching does not promote high standards because the work is not planned with sufficient account taken of the National Curriculum and pupils are not provided with work at an appropriate level to challenge them. Lessons do not build adequately on what pupils already know. Pupils have too few opportunities to plan and undertake their own investigations, to make predictions or to carry out a controlled and fair test and

p.20

Science

record the findings. Teachers' knowledge of science needs further development. At present many teachers are not sufficiently secure or confident in the subject.

p.20

Science

77.A science policy has been produced and a scheme of work based on the LEA guidelines has recently been introduced. The subject co-ordinator does not yet have sufficient oversight of the subject in the school to enable effective co-ordination. Assessment procedures and monitoring of pupils' attainment and progress are underdeveloped.

p.20

Design and Technology

78.Only a small amount of teaching of design and technology was observed. Judgements are based largely on other evidence available in the school, such as examples of pupils' work.

p.20

Design and Technology

79.Attainment towards the end of Key Stage 1 is below the national expectation. Most work is at level 1 in the National Curriculum rather than the nationally expected level 2. Pupils' skills in design are underdeveloped. Pupils use a restricted range of tools, techniques and materials. Pupils in Year 2 produced some careful work using paper and scissors. Towards the end of Key Stage 2 pupils' attainment is also below national expectations. Most work is at level 2 or 3 rather than the nationally expected level 4. Pupils' skills in designing are lower than they should be and opportunities to develop them are not exploited. For example, pupils in Year 6 do some careful and well finished work with textiles but do not have sufficient input to the designs they make. Though pupils work with wood at Key Stage 2, they learn a limited range of techniques. Pupils make unsatisfactory progress at both key stages. Work in Year 1 does not build adequately on good work done with pupils in the reception class.

p.20

Design and Technology

Work in the later part of Key Stage 2 does not have a firm foundation from earlier in the key stage on which to build.

p.20

Design and Technology

80.Pupils usually behave well, though where a lesson was not organised effectively there was too much noise. Pupils work enthusiastically and with persistence. They co-operate well in groups and are very willing to help each other. 81.Overall, teaching is unsatisfactory because it is not supported by a scheme of work which helps teachers to plan to develop pupils' skills, knowledge and understanding systematically and to build on earlier learning. Planning is not sufficiently related to the National Curriculum programmes of study. Teachers lack sufficient expertise in the subject and need further training to extend their knowledge and their understanding of how to promote pupils' learning. Teachers' planning and lessons are not being monitored adequately so that they can be helped to improve their teaching. There is no school policy for recording or assessing pupils' progress in the subject.

p.20

Information Technology

82.At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils are attaining the nationally expected level for their age. They are able to enter text and print it using a word-processing package, create and print pictures and use a simple data-handling package. At the end of Key Stage 2 average attainment is below the national expectation. At Key Stage 1 pupils make satisfactory progress but at Key Stage 2 pupils, particularly higher attainers, do not have the opportunity to make planned progress across the full range of the subject and so their overall progress is less than satisfactory. Information technology is being used effectively to support pupils' learning in other subjects. For example, in Year 5 pupils are able to create a file of information following a geography survey of land use. Information technology is most effectively integrated into other subjects at Key Stage 1, however.

p.21

Information Technology

83.Pupils of all ages are keen to use computers and are interested in what they are doing when working with information technology. They are independent and maintain a good level of concentration when working at a computer.

p.21

Information Technology

84.Teaching of information technology is generally good at Key Stage 1 and this is reflected in pupils' satisfactory progress. Teaching of information technology is satisfactory at Key Stage 2 when it takes place. The school has not produced a scheme of work and this makes it difficult for teachers, particularly at Key Stage 2, to build on pupils' previous learning. This is directly responsible for pupils' unsatisfactory progress at Key Stage 2. The recording and assessment of pupils' progress, though done well in some classes, is not carried out consistently throughout the school. There is insufficient monitoring of teachers' planning and teaching.

p.21

History

85.Average attainment towards the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with national expectations. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils' attainment is below national expectations.

p.21

History

86.At Key Stage 1 pupils are developing an awareness of the passage of time. The show a developing sense of time and are able to place events in their own lives in sequence. They can compare common household items of years gone by and those of today. Pupils' knowledge of famous people and events is limited. Over Key Stage 1 pupils' progress is satisfactory.

p.21

History

87.Attainment at the lower end of Key Stage 2 is well below average and pupils make unsatisfactory progress. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils are making better progress but attainment is still lower than national expectations and progress over the key stage as a whole is less than satisfactory. Pupils have some limited knowledge and understanding of the main events in the Tudor reign. Through work being undertaken on the Victorians, pupils are able to make distinctions between aspects of present day life and past times. The majority of pupils know that there have been changes in the way people live but few can explain why the changes have taken place. There is too little evidence of pupils developing their skills of enquiry and investigations through visits to places of historical interest or through the handling of artefacts. Their learning is not well grounded in personal experience. The opportunity to

p.21

History

consider different interpretations of history and to use historical sources to acquire an understanding of the period have not been fully utilised.

p.21

History

88.At both key stages pupils are interested in learning about the past. They listen attentively and take a full part in discussions, answering questions with confidence. 89.Teaching is mainly satisfactory but none is good. The better lessons are well prepared using a variety of resources including videos, books, photographs and artefacts; teachers use questions to reinforce and extend pupils' understanding. Sometimes planning is inadequate and the tasks set for pupils are not suitable for their ages or levels of attainment. Some lessons are poorly paced and the teaching does not inspire pupils' interest or curiosity. Then there is a consequent lack of progress. Overall, there is little encouragement for pupils, particularly the most capable, to use their knowledge and skills in independent research.

p.21

History

90.The history curriculum is not yet fully developed and this is the major factor in pupils' less than satisfactory progress at Key Stage 2. There is a draft scheme of work, but it is incomplete. It needs to be reviewed and extended to include the topics to be covered and the knowledge, skills and concepts to be developed at each stage with particular reference to the key elements in the National Curriculum. Assessment procedures need to be established and pupils' achievements recorded. The co-ordinator's role is underdeveloped. Currently it does not include monitoring of teachers' weekly plans, of teaching or of pupils' attainment. Resources are limited and need to be extended to provide a broader range of source materials from which pupils can find information.

p.22

Geography

91.Only a small amount of geography was observed being taught during the week of inspection. Evidence from teachers` planning and records, an examination of pupils` work and displays and discussions with both staff and pupils indicate that, overall, by the end of Key Stage 1 pupils do not attain the national expectation for their age. By the end of Key Stage 2 attainment is broadly in line with the national expectation though some pupils achieve above it. At Key Stage 2 pupils are beginning to develop a geographical vocabulary and are able to offer reasons for some of their observations and judgements about places. They can interpret simple maps using a key and are developing an understanding of patterns of land use. They have an understanding of how the hills of the local region affect both temperature and rainfall patterns and they are able to use vocabulary such as 'condensation' and 'evaporation'.

p.22

Geography

92.Pupils do not make the progress they should at Key Stage 1. There is a lack of challenge and too little geography is covered for pupils to gain the knowledge they should. Some pupils are practising skills rather than developing them. At Key Stage 2 most pupils are making appropriate progress. This is because the work pupils are set generally allows them to build knowledge and understanding from something they already know. Good progress is made particularly where teachers ensure that pupils are able to discuss their work.

p.22

Geography

93.At Key Stage 1 the pupils co-operate well together but lose concentration where tasks are undemanding or worksheets are in language which is difficult for them to read. At Key Stage 2 pupils generally display satisfactory attitudes and levels of concentration. They are keen to participate, work well as members of a group and use resources in the correct manner. When they are challenged they respond well and display confidence.

p.22

Geography

94.The teaching at Key Stage 1 is unsatisfactory, suffering from slow pace. At Key Stage 2 teaching is generally satisfactory. The work builds on previous activities and the objectives of lessons, which reflect teachers' knowledge of the subject, are clear.

p.22

Geography

95. A policy document, and a scheme of work which indicates the areas to be covered by each year group, have been produced by the co-ordinator in consultation with other teachers. The role of the co- ordinator is not clearly defined and the monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum and of pupils' work are not effective. There is a lack of opportunity for the co-ordinator to support teaching and learning. An appropriate system to record pupils' achievements and to assess these to inform future planning has not been developed. The school makes good use of a local geography cluster group involving other local primary schools, which organises training for teachers but some teachers would benefit from further professional development in school.

p.22

Art

96.Attainment in art is below nationally expected levels at the end of both key stages. Pupils have too few opportunities to select and use resources and materials. Older pupils' skills in reflecting on what they have produced, and in evaluating its quality and success, are underdeveloped.

p.23

Art

97.Although pupils make satisfactory progress, for example in work with pastels, overall at Key Stage 1 pupils do not make as much progress as they should. At Key Stage 2 pupils are developing appropriate skills in one class in the Lower Juniors. Overall, however, progress is not as good as it should be.

p.23

Art

98.Pupils' attitudes to work are good; it is a strong feature throughout the school. Pupils concentrate on tasks even when they are very demanding. Their behaviour is very good and they handle materials and resources with care and respect. Relationships amongst pupils and between pupils and teachers are good. Pupils show a particular sensitivity to children experiencing difficulties.

p.23

Art

99.While there are some examples of satisfactory teaching, there is a significant proportion of unsatisfactory teaching at both key stages and, overall, teaching is less than satisfactory. At Key Stage 1 satisfactory lessons are planned to build on pupils' prior knowledge and skills. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, time and resources are not managed well by the teacher and the tasks set out are not appropriate for the levels of skills which the pupils have. Similarly, at Key Stage 2 teaching is satisfactory where the lesson has clear objectives which the pupils understand and where there is good classroom management and organisation. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, teachers have insufficient subject knowledge and set tasks that are undemanding for the pupils. Procedures to assess pupils' work have not been developed. This makes if difficult for teachers to plan to build on pupils' previous attainment.

p.23

Art

100.There is a useful art policy and a scheme of work. However, because the scheme has only been recently introduced, teachers have not yet had time to implement it and to use its potential to ensure that pupils make consistent progress. The co-ordinator gives a clear lead, through example of her own practice, but needs time to support the work of other staff and to monitor and evaluate the success of the policy and the scheme of work.

p.23

Music

101.There were limited opportunities to observe music being taught during the inspection but on the evidence available pupils' attainment in music is broadly in line with national expectations at the end of each key stage.

p.23

Music

102.Younger pupils acquire a sense of rhythm, use musical language appropriately and listen carefully recognising repetition and changes in the music. They can choose suitable percussion instruments to produce an expressive accompaniment to a story. Older pupils are aware of the beat in the songs they sing and can reproduce simple rhythmic patterns. The pupils who play the recorder learn notation and technical vocabulary. Pupils learning the guitar are becoming familiar with chord structure. They share their music effectively with an audience and perform well. The quality of singing is variable but is satisfactory overall. The pupils sing in tune, in time and with a good sense of pitch but greater attention could be paid to diction, expression and appraising their performance.

p.23

Music

103.Some provision is made for pupils to listen to music in lessons but benefit would be gained if these opportunities were further extended and there were more discussions both during assemblies and in classwork. This would help to improve standards and help pupils' appreciation of the work of composers.

p.23

Music

104.At Key Stage 1 the pupils join in eagerly. They work well together in small groups, sustain their level of concentration and when performing they show confidence and assurance. When fully involved in musical activities they make good progress. In Key Stage 2 pupils respond well and enjoy making music. The majority of pupils are making steady, satisfactory progress at both key stages.

p.23

Music

105.Teaching is mainly satisfactory but there are some weaknesses. The better teaching is characterised by clear planning, appropriate presentation and well chosen resources. However, when the teaching has shortcomings, poor organisation and poor use of time result in some silly behaviour by pupils, which restricts their progress.

p.23

Music

106.A recently introduced policy is yet to have an impact on the provision of music in the school. Some teachers lack confidence in teaching music and they would benefit from further professional development to help them teach effectively the full range of musical activities required by the National Curriculum programmes of study. Assessment of pupils' attainment is carried out informally in lessons but there is a need to develop ways of recording progress. The school has a collection of musical instruments but this needs to be extended to provide more variety.

p.24

Physical Education

107.Average attainment in physical education is generally in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. At Key Stage 1 the pupils use space appropriately and are beginning to develop skills in body movement. In dance they use their imagination to mimic the actions suggested in a tape and interpret and respond to music. By the end of Key Stage 2 the pupils are able to perform a range of gymnastic actions putting them together in a planned sequence. They are competent and versatile in their movements. In swimming pupils are developing various means of propulsion using both arms and legs and several can achieve the national standard for eleven year olds.

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Physical Education

108.Most pupils are making reasonable progress at Key Stage 1. The pupils are developing the ability to learn by observation. Their progress is limited when they have to repeat activities unnecessarily. At Key Stage 2 pupils generally make satisfactory progress. However, in some lessons it is limited by a lack of challenge. The pupils practise rather than developing skills and they have little opportunity to plan and experiment or to learn from others. At the top end of the key stage good progress is made as the pupils develop an understanding of gymnastic skills and show increasing control and accuracy.

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Physical Education

109.At Key Stage 1 pupils behave well and respond appropriately to the teacher. They are willing to show and demonstrate their skills to others, listen attentively and are fully involved in the lessons. They co-operate well together, share the equipment and apply themselves to the tasks set. At Key Stage 2 the response of the pupils is at least satisfactory and sometimes good. They show application and are able to work independently showing regard for their own safety and the safety of others. When challenged by activities they respond positively and work with commitment and interest. During swimming they are happy and confident in the water, they work hard to extend themselves and respond well to the instructions of the teacher.

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Physical Education

110.In the main the standard of teaching is satisfactory at Key Stage 1. The pupils are given the opportunity to think about their actions and to improve their performance. Teachers use appropriate vocabulary and praise and encourage pupils. When teaching is unsatisfactory it is over-directed and provides too few opportunities for the pupils to develop and modify their work. At Key Stage 2 teaching is good at the top end of the key stage. The pace is appropriate and the pupils are given some degree of choice in their selection of actions. The lessons are well planned; clear instructions are given to the pupils and teachers are supportive of pupils' efforts. Earlier in Key Stage 2 where the teaching is unsatisfactory, teachers provide too little variety and make too few demands of the pupils, especially those showing ability in the subject. Pupils' responses are accepted and not extended and the pace

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Physical Education

111.The overall programme of physical education activities planned for the academic year meets National Curriculum requirements. However, some aspects such as dance and outdoor and adventure activities are underdeveloped. The documentation needs revision as it does not provide sufficient detail to enable staff to plan to build on pupils' skills and knowledge. There is no assessment and record keeping system. The introduction of one would allow individual achievements and abilities to be recognised and thus inform both planning and teachers' expectations of what pupils could achieve. The curriculum is beneficially extended through a good range of extra-curricular games lessons and competitive sports.

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Summary of Inspection Evidence

112.Five inspectors spent up to four days each in the school. All or part of 77 lessons were inspected and a total of 58 hours was spent observing lessons, in discussions with pupils and evaluating their work. All of the National Curriculum subjects were inspected. Each class was observed several times.

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Summary of Inspection Evidence

113.The inspectors heard 42 pupils read, recording their skills, the strategies they used and their understanding. Samples of pupils' work covering the full ability range from all classes were inspected. Pupils were questioned about their knowledge and understanding of their work and to determine their knowledge and skills in mental calculations.

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Summary of Inspection Evidence

114.A large amount of school documentation was analysed. This included, policy documents, schemes of work and the school development plan. Attendance registers, the records kept on pupils, assessment results and the teachers' planning files were inspected. Budget information and the minutes of meetings were examined both before and during the inspection.

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Summary of Inspection Evidence

115.Planned discussions were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, curriculum co-ordinators, other teachers, members of the non-teaching staff and school governors. A formal meeting took place between the Registered Inspector, accompanied by another member of the inspection team, and the chair of governors, accompanied by a number of other governors. The Registered Inspector chaired a meeting for parents dealing with the work of the school; 21 parents attended.

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Summary of Inspection Evidence

116.There were 64 responses to a questionnaire for parents dealing with the work of the school; some parents provided additional written responses.

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PUPIL DATA

Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on schools' register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 7.59

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26.1

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Education support staff (YR - Y6)

Total number of education support staff 3

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Education support staff (YR - Y6)

Total aggregate hours worked each week 39

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FINANCIAL DATA

Balance brought forward from previous year (17,464) *

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FINANCIAL DATA

Balance carried forward to next year (5,635) *

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FINANCIAL DATA

* Figures in brackets indicate a deficit

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Number of questionnaires sent out: 146 Number of questionnaires returned: 64 Percentage return rate: 43.8

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Responses (percentage of answers in each category) :

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree

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PARENTAL SURVEY

I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 57.8 40.6 1.6

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PARENTAL SURVEY

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 73.4 26.6

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school handles complaints from parents well 45.8 49.2 5.1

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 50.0 42.2 7.8

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)'s progress 51.6 37.5 7.8 3.1

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 55.6 42.9 1.6

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 59.4 35.9 4.7

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PARENTAL SURVEY

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 45.3 43.8 9.4 1.6

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school's values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 62.5 37.5

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 57.8 42.2

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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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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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.

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