Worsthorne Primary School

WORSTHORNE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 27 th – 30 th November 2000

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WORSTHORNE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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WORSTHORNE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Brownside Road Worsthorne Burnley Lancashire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr A Lambert

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 7 th October 1996 Worsthorne Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mr D Clegg (4341) Registered inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography History Equality of opportunity The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Teaching and learning Leadership and management

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Ms G Hoggard (9146) Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Partnership with parents and carers Mr A Markham (12112) Team inspector Science Art Design and technology Religious education Special educational needs Quality and range of opportunities for learning

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Ms S Billington (4343) Team inspector English Music Physical education The foundation stage

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Wessex Education 1 Albert Road Dorchester Dorset DT1 1SE

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Worsthorne Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Worsthorne Primary School is a broadly average sized school with 204 pupils on roll aged between four and eleven years. There are significantly more boys than girls in the reception class and Year 5. Pupils are organised into seven classes each with a single age group and with an average of 29 children.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

About five per cent of pupils receive free school meals which is below the national average. All pupils are white and speak English as a first language. There are about three per cent of pupils on stages 3 to 5 of the special needs register, which is about average; their main difficulties are specific learning problems, moderate learning difficulties and speech and communication problems. Two pupils have statements of special educational needs.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school serves a mixed community that overall, is relatively advantaged. The majority of pupils have some pre-school experience and attainment on entry is slightly above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Worsthorne Primary School provides a satisfactory standard of education. Standards in English, maths and science are generally at or above the national average although standards in writing and in some other subjects are not as high as they should be. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and the school is effectively led. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well § Pupils attain good standards in mathematics § Children get off to a good start in the reception class and make good progress § Provision is good for pupils with special educational needs § Pupils have good attitudes to work and personal development is good § The head teacher provides a sense of direction and purpose § The governors are very effective in shaping the direction of the school § A very good range of extra-curricular activities is offered § Partnership with parents is well developed and sustained

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved § Standards in writing § Standards in information communications technology (ICT) § Standards in geography and art at the end of Key Stage 2 The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in October 1996 and since then has made steady progress. The leadership is much more effective and teaching is better. Standards have fluctuated, although overall have remained above the national average but ICT requires further improvement. There have been some good improvements in the use of data to monitor standards and this is beginning to guide how the school develops. Assessment procedures are improving but the information is not used enough to raise expectations about what pupils can achieve. The way that teachers plan their work has improved. Worsthorne Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English A B B D well above average above average A B mathematics A A A B average below average C D science D C B D well below average E

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STANDARDS

Overall the trend of results are above the national average for English and mathematics, although against similar schools only mathematics is above average and both English and science are below average. Good standards are attained in reading and mathematics by seven and eleven-year-olds, but standards in writing are below average. Science standards are broadly average but the higher attaining pupils do not achieve standards as high as they could. Standards in ICT are below expectations. Standards in other subjects are variable; history, design and technology and physical education are in line with expectations. Standards in geography and art are not high enough and are below those usually expected of eleven-year-olds. There was insufficient evidence to reach an overall judgement about standards in music but what was seen was in line with expectations. Standards in religious education are in line with the expectations indicated in the locally agreed syllabus but again higher attaining pupils

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STANDARDS

Good standards are attained by the under-fives.

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STANDARDS

The school has set ambitious targets for 2002, aiming for 97 per cent of pupils to attain at least expected levels in both English and mathematics.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school The majority of pupils are positive about the school and are eager to learn.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is satisfactory although occasionally the inappropriate behaviour of individuals or groups of children disrupts lessons. There is no oppressive behaviour.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Relationships are strong; pupils collaborate very effectively and the oldest pupils are sensible and mature.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Attendance is very good and well above the national average.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils are particularly good at working together in subjects such as ICT and mathematics; they share equipment and ideas and help each other to learn. Worsthorne Primary School - 8

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Good Satisfactory Satisfactory

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is satisfactory, 94 per cent of lessons are satisfactory and 36 per cent are good or very good. About 6 per cent of teaching is unsatisfactory.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Overall satisfactory teaching results in satisfactory learning; lessons are well planned and resources are used effectively. Homework is well used especially to consolidate learning in mathematics. Consistently good teaching of the under-fives results in their good progress. In some lessons teachers do not have high enough expectations and this results in standards that are too low especially in writing and subjects such as geography.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of numeracy is always satisfactory and often good and is a key factor in the good standards achieved. Reading is well taught, but there are weaknesses in the teaching of writing that hinder the progress pupils make. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is generally good and the school is, overall, meeting the needs of all pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is generally broad and balanced although there are elements of ICT that are not covered. There is a particularly good range of extra-curricular activities.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is good and meets their needs.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for social development is strong with good opportunities for pupils to develop a sense of responsibility. Provision for spiritual, moral and cultural development is satisfactory but overall, not enough is done to introduce cultural diversity in subjects such as art or music.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides a good level of care and support; teachers know pupils well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Overall, there is not enough opportunity for pupils to apply writing skills across different subjects and because of the gaps in the ICT programme the curriculum does not fully meet national requirements. Some subjects do not have enough time allocated to them and the curriculum for the under-fives occasionally results in them sitting still for too long. However, the national strategies for literacy and numeracy have generally been successfully put in place. There are good procedures for monitoring personal development and satisfactory arrangements to track pupils’ academic progress, although the information is not yet used sufficiently to plan what they will learn next. The monitoring and recording of progress made by pupils with special educational needs is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school works effectively in partnership with parents. The school provides good information to parents about how well their children are doing, about the work that pupils will be doing and about forthcoming events. Parents generally support the work of the school and make an effective contribution to school life. Worsthorne Primary School - 9

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the head teacher and other key staff The head teacher gives a sense of direction and purpose and has led the school effectively through a difficult time. Key members of staff generally play an appropriate role.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is particularly well informed and successfully fulfils its responsibilities.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is beginning to use information about pupil performance to guide the way it develops and to identify what needs to be done.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Resources are generally used effectively, but there are not enough computers.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The head teacher has given the school a much-needed sense of stability.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The head teacher and governors have successfully managed a significant fluctuation in the budget over the past four years. They are prudent in their spending and are careful to achieve good value.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The accommodation is adequate but there are weaknesses with some aspects of resourcing.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Children enjoy coming to school • Behaviour in school is good • Pupils work hard in lessons • The school helps children to develop personally • Children make good progress • There were no significant areas of concern

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are justified in having the confidence they do in the school. Pupils do enjoy school and generally work hard in lessons. Behaviour is satisfactory and progress is variable but overall satisfactory. Parents are correct in thinking that the school helps pupils to grow up and mature. Worsthorne Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and achievements

1. The results in the 2000 National Curriculum tests indicate that seven-year-olds attain standards that are well above the national average in reading and mathematics and about the same as the national average in writing. In comparison with similar schools results are above average in reading and mathematics but standards in writing are below average.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The results for eleven-year-olds show attainment in mathematics well above the national average and above the average in English and science. In English, the attainment in reading is significantly better than in writing. In comparison with similar schools results are below average in English and science and above average in mathematics. The standards seen during the inspection reflects the standards attained in the tests, with standards in mathematics and reading above the average, but standards in writing below average. Standards in science whilst about average, are not as high as they should be.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. The trend in overall attainment has varied; some slight decline in English, consistently above average standards in mathematics and broadly average standards in science. Over the past three years the standards attained by boys has been above the national boys’ average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and achieve in line with their abilities. However, the standards attained by some pupils, particularly the higher attaining pupils, are not as high as they could be.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. The under-fives make good progress and achieve particularly well. The achievements for other pupils varies, it is high in mathematics and reading but not high enough in writing and this impacts upon the standards attained in other subjects such as science, history and geography.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. By the time pupils leave the school they are fluent, enthusiastic readers who enjoy a wide range of books and have a good knowledge of authors and styles. They understand what they read and talk animatedly about what they like and give sensible straightforward reasons about their preferences. Written work is not as good as it should be. Most pupils write straightforward accounts accurately but there is very limited creative and imaginative writing. Pupils are numerate; they have a good grasp of how numbers work, know their tables and use what they know to solve problems, they are well prepared for the next stage of learning. In science pupils have a good level of knowledge and understanding about the various aspects they have studied, but their level of investigative and experimental skills are limited.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Pupils achieve levels of expertise in information communication technology (ICT) that are below what is expected for seven and eleven-year-olds. Standards in other subjects are varied. In design and technology standards are up to expectations. In history pupils’ level of understanding about history is occasionally well above expectations but this is not reflected in the quality of the written work. In physical education (PE) and music the standards of the aspects of the subjects seen were in line with expectations; in gymnastics attainment by some of the oldest pupils is above what is usually expected for eleven-year-olds. In both art and geography the standards for seven-year-olds are broadly average but for eleven-year-olds they are below Worsthorne Primary School - 11 expectations. The standards reached in religious education (RE) are in line with those outlined in the locally agreed syllabus.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Behaviour is satisfactory and often good, but there are occasional examples of poor attitudes displayed by a few individual children, or a group, which sometimes disrupts the learning of other pupils. Generally pupils are keen and eager to come to school and show very positive attitudes to learning. Year 1 children investigating light were involved and excited, taking turns to look eagerly through the peephole whilst Year 2 pupils during a history lesson concentrated hard while listening to a story about Mary Seacole. Pupils behave well in moving around the school. Older pupils take care of younger ones at breaks and this helps to foster a pleasant, family atmosphere. However, pupils sometimes show a lack of confidence, for example in using computers, which makes them unnecessarily dependent on the teacher. In one particular class whilst pupils looked at the structure of the food chain, they chattered a lot and were easily distracted.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Such inattentive behaviour is often linked to pedestrian and unchallenging teaching, though restlessness was also seen in assembly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils are good at working with each other, particularly in pairs and groups. This is particularly strong with the oldest pupils in mathematics and in the work they have done on a collaborative newspaper. Year 3 pupils worked well together in a computer lesson on clipart; and many children take part in extra-curricular sports and games involving teamwork. They are respectful to others; Year 5 pupils watched attentively as other pupils performed during a PE lesson and pupils are regularly exposed to other faiths and belief systems through RE lessons and assemblies. Pupils with special educational needs are fully integrated into the life of the school. Teachers frequently stress the importance of listening to each other, with varying degrees of success, depending on pupils’ maturity. The gender imbalance in some classes has no significant effect on behaviour.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. There is no evidence of oppressive behaviour, though some minor name-calling occurs is dealt with quickly. Year 6 pupils commented that bullying used to be a problem but it isn’t any more. The older children themselves demonstrate mature and pleasant attitudes and are caring towards younger ones. The school reports some recent vandalism but not by its own children.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils have a number of opportunities to take responsibility and show initiative, such as small monitor jobs in the classroom, taking registers and collecting for charity. The ‘reading buddies’ scheme is very successful and visibly helps the older children become mature, independent and develop a sense of responsibility towards younger children.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Attendance is well above average at 97.6 per cent, with 2.3 per cent authorised absence and 0.1 per cent unauthorised absence. Pupils generally come to school and to lessons on time. There were no exclusions last year.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. The quality of teaching in satisfactory overall, 36 per cent is good or very good and 94 per cent is satisfactory or better, six per cent of teaching is unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. The teaching of the under-fives is consistently good and is a major reason for children’s good start. Thorough assessments are used to plan what children will learn and the Worsthorne Primary School - 12 basic skills, in particular, are very well taught. Children are managed very effectively and they respond to the teacher’s high expectations. Pupils with special educational needs are generally well taught and their work matches the targets on their individual learning plans.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. In other parts of the school teaching is satisfactory. Some good teaching contributes to the good level of attainment in mathematics and reading. Teachers are particularly effective in using the resources available, especially in ensuring that teaching assistants are well used. There is good communication between teachers and assistants often working in very effective partnerships. However, there are weaknesses in the teaching of writing. There is not enough opportunity for pupils to write and often there is not enough support materials to help pupils to write independently. In too many lessons pupils copy out writing, fill in worksheets or simply complete sentences by adding missing words. This does not encourage them to write about what they have learned in their own words in subjects such as history, geography or science.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The implementation of the new national strategies for literacy and numeracy is having a good effect on teaching, particularly the teaching of mathematics and reading. A mathematics lesson with Year 4 had a sharp introduction that maintained a high level of pupil involvement because all the pupils had to answer each question. Expectations were high and the middle part of the lesson extended the work started in the introduction. The work was challenging and at the end of the lesson there was a chance for pupils to think about what they had learned and consolidate the new ideas. The teaching was brisk and the lesson covered a lot of ground. In contrast, some lessons are unambitous in what is planned and pupils do not learn enough in the time available. Occasionally, the numeracy and literacy lessons are too long and pupils work rate and concentration begins to wane towards the end of what is often a 75 minute

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Lessons are generally effectively planned and teachers have a clear idea of what pupils will learn. However, occasionally teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils will learn or they plan to take too long to teach things. This happened for instance in a mathematics lesson with nine and ten-year-olds, where the aims of the lesson where very modest and most pupils had learned what they had to learn by half way through the lesson. High expectations and good planning were features of some very good religious education lessons with the youngest and oldest pupils. Sharp questioning and the time given to pupils to respond to what was being said, resulted in effective discussions in which pupils learned about, and reflected upon, new ideas.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. In the majority of lessons pupils are well managed and there is a good atmosphere that encourages hard work and concentration. Lessons with Year 1 for instance, are generally well managed and children are developing good working habits. In a successful geography lesson the teacher conducted a good discussion about the local playground, but always had a sharp eye on extending pupils’ vocabulary and encouraging them to use new words. A clear sense of purpose and determination ensured that children worked hard and produced some good work. Occasionally, the behaviour of a few pupils disrupts the learning of others and the level of noise makes it difficult for some pupils to keep working.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of the marking is varied. Some books are carefully marked and teachers’ comments give pupils encouragement and indicate very clearly what they must do to improve. In some books the marking is perfunctory and not very helpful. Homework is well used and makes a significant contribution to the standards attained. Worsthorne Primary School - 13

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PUPILS?

19. The curriculum for children aged under five is based on the areas of learning for children of this age. It is well planned to provide a broad programme but lacks balance because children are sometimes too static for long periods. There is a strong emphasis placed on literacy and numeracy and also on children’s personal, social and emotional development. This emphasis, together with the good quality of teaching, results in children making good progress in their academic skills and allows them to show increased confidence as they settle into school routines. Children are well prepared for the National Curriculum as they enter Year1.

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PUPILS?

20. The curriculum for pupils aged five to eleven is broad and balanced but there are elements of ICT that are not covered and therefore the curriculum does not fully meet statutory requirements. The recommendations of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education are met in full. The school puts a high priority on English and mathematics and has successfully implemented the national strategies for these subjects. The numeracy strategy has been particularly effective. However, the time devoted to other subjects has been reduced and this has had some effect on standards, notably geography and art.

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PUPILS?

21. The school has policies and schemes of work for all subjects but whilst this has improved the way teachers plan their work there are still weaknesses in some subjects. All teachers plan their work in the same way and this is improving the quality of teaching. Homework is used effectively and consistently.

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PUPILS?

22. The school effectively supports the pupils’ personal development. There is good provision for pupils to experience personal and social education, including health education, and appropriate attention is given to drug misuse. Pupils of all ages are taught to value their own body and have regard for health and safety. The school provides for sex education in a sensitive and supportive manner that emphasises family values within a caring school community

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PUPILS?

23. The school is successful in ensuring that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. Provision for pupils with special educational needs has been improved since the last inspection and is now good. All pupils now have individual education plans that give clear targets, which are broken down into small steps to enable pupils to make good progress in their learning and achieve well. The school makes effective use of additional adult support in classrooms with the result that access to the curriculum for all pupils is good.

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PUPILS?

24. The school forges good links with the community. Visits are made to local nursery schools prior to children transferring to the reception class. Transition arrangements for pupils transferring to secondary education are clear and supportive as a result of the good links. The school has good links with nearby primary schools for sporting events. The nearby church is visited and used for a number of school activities and the vicar visits the school and takes acts of corporate worship.

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PUPILS?

25. A good range of educational visits is used to enhance the quality of educational provision. Pupils in Years 6 are given the opportunity to take part in a residential visit. There are educational visits to museums and places of historical interest. Pupils also receive regular visitors to the school to support learning in the topics being studied.

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PUPILS?

26. Provision for extra-curricular activities is very good. Boys and girls play netball, football, Worsthorne Primary School - 14 rounders, cricket, and athletics. The school participates in a local schools swimming gala. Extra tuition in music is provided through groups for recorder, percussion and keyboards. Other activities include a chess club and regular football coaching sessions taken by adult helpers.

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PUPILS?

27. The school makes satisfactory provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development and the provision for social development is good. The school provides for pupils’ spiritual development in religious education lessons and explores other faiths. Older pupils are presented with issues which develop their understanding of spirituality through the use of stories such as ‘Pilgrims Progress’. Acts of collective worship are well planned and examine different ceremonies such as Divali, Hanukah and Advent. The playing of introductory music as pupils enter the hall effectively sets the mood for quiet reflection.

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PUPILS?

28. The school’s moral code is clearly understood by pupils and the school is successful in achieving a supportive environment in which pupils are learning to develop self- discipline. Rules are negotiated and displayed in classrooms and most pupils clearly know right from wrong. Relationships within the school emphasise trust and fairness and the rights of others and pupils have a good awareness of bullying issues. Pupils take responsibility for their actions and support each other well.

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PUPILS?

29. All pupils in Year 6 have regular duties, which help in the daily running of the school and promote their sense of citizenship. They take care of younger pupils at lunchtime and during morning and afternoon breaks. A Year 6 council has been formed and pupils are becoming skilled at discussing and raising issues with teachers. They have opportunities to use their initiative to raise money for local and national charities and develop a sense of social responsibility. In many lessons pupils work well in pairs and groups, developing a collaborative approach and sharing ideas.

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PUPILS?

30. Pupils are made aware of their own culture through visitors, including theatre groups and local artists, and through work linked to local history and the environment. Visits to local museums and places of interest develop pupils’ cultural awareness. The last inspection identified a lack of provision for cultural diversity as a weakness. This aspect of cultural development remains weak although the school has gone some way in addressing this by celebrating such festivals as Divali, Hanukah and Christmas. However, the contribution of cultures to work in art, through work based on famous artists, and music, through the playing of the works of composers from other countries, are under-developed and pupils are given insufficient experiences of the diversity of cultures that make up our society. Little has been experienced, for example, of the African and Indian cultures

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The school provides effective support and guidance for all its pupils and parents comment favourable on the family atmosphere created. The school is a warm and caring place and staff know the children well and give them individual attention when necessary, for example in reminding a child to take medication. Satisfactory child protection procedures are in place and the head teacher, as designated officer, has recently completed refresher training. The close relationships in school ensure any concerns are quickly picked up and dealt with. There are smooth and efficient daily routines for moving around the school which helps to make eating times pleasant occasions. The healthy eating options offered at morning break are particularly successful. Sensible precautions are taken for health and safety around the school and there are safe working practices in PE and science. Worsthorne Primary School - 15

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Attendance is closely monitored and absences taken up with parents. Registers are filled in according to statutory guidelines.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school has good and effective systems to make sure most pupils behave well. There are sound policies for personal and social education and for personal development. Lessons, where pupils gather in a circle to talk about things are used to put the thoughtful behaviour policy into practice. Each class negotiates classroom rules and all children understand the system of rewards and sanctions. When pupils are not behaving well and they are asked to stand in a corner the teacher must ensure they do not miss important information. Low-level name-calling does occur but is dealt with swiftly and effectively; pupils feel there are a number of people they could approach in the case of worries or problems. Bullying is tackled comprehensively through lessons and assemblies and through the use of the ‘bully box’ that is regularly monitored. The practice of having Year 6 children work in infant classrooms has a

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

positive effect on their personal development and builds good relationships across the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Assessment of pupils’ academic work varies across subjects but is broadly satisfactory overall, which is an improvement since the last inspection. Children are assessed on entry to the reception class, and a variety of standardised tests are used as they progress through the school. Assessment in reception is particularly good, covering reading, maths and personal and social development. The school also keeps detailed, helpful records of pupils’ personal and social development. In some subjects, such as science, teachers’ use end of year tests and record the results of interim tests in a mark book. Reading is monitored adequately and there is good tracking of pupils in mathematics. Children with special educational needs are closely monitored and supported; individual education plans are clear, good use is made of support agencies and both governors and parents are well informed about how their children

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. However, not all assessment is systematic and it is not used carefully enough to guide teaching. For example, in writing, there is no careful monitoring of progress and in ICT, teachers are not using the information they have to check that pupils are making sustained progress. The use of assessment in science is not yet fully utilised to ensure that pupils get work that is tailored to their needs, which means that some of the higher attainers are not challenged enough. The quality of marking varies considerably, some is helpful and indicates what pupils need to do to improve, some is perfunctory and unhelpful.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. The school’s partnership with parents is strong and effective. Parents’ and carers' views of the school are largely positive and these views are largely confirmed by inspection evidence.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. The school provides a good range of information for parents. There is an attractively produced prospectus, although it lacks certain statutory items such as pupil absence rates. There are two parent consultations each year and the school also runs information evenings to tell the parents of Year 2 and Year 6 children about the National Curriculum tests the pupils will face at the end of the year. Annual reports to parents are detailed and informative, but only a minority contains targets for improvement. Parents of children with special educational needs are fully consulted about their children’s learning. Parents of children in the reception class are given useful Worsthorne Primary School - 16 information about the results of their children’s assessment on entry and their subsequent targets for learning. There are also useful booklets to help parents support their children’s reading at home, and to guide parents who volunteer to work in the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. A home-school agreement has been widely circulated and reading diaries are used effectively at the lower end of the school. A number of parents come in to help with various administrative tasks and also go out on trips if required. They help with extra- curricular activities such as football coaching and have helped to arrange visits such as the ambulance and fire engine for reception children. Although there is no formal parent-teacher association, the school reports many willing hands when volunteers are needed for social events, and these close links with the parents and local community are a strength of the school.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39. This is an aspect of the school that has improved significantly since the last inspection. The head teacher who was appointed following the previous inspection, has given the school a sense of direction and purpose and has implemented a series of reforms that have successfully addressed many of the weaknesses identified in the last report. The head teacher, working effectively with the deputy head teacher and other key members of staff, has restored the community’s confidence in the school and provided a much needed sense of stability.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40. New systems for evaluating the work of the school are beginning to make an impact, although they have not yet resulted in marked improvements in standards. The use of information about pupil performance has the potential to guide the work of the school and to inform the priorities for development. The information, had for instance, already alerted the school to the need to raise standards in writing. Those teachers with curriculum responsibilities are carrying out monitoring activities such as looking at pupils’ work and observing teaching but these are too recent to have made an impact on standards and quality.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The governing body is particularly knowledgeable and well informed. Governors have also worked very hard since the last inspection and have played a full part in improving the leadership and management of the school. A particularly successful feature of the management has been the way the financial circumstances of the school have been carefully and very successfully managed during a very difficult period. Overall, governors fulfil their responsibilities well, they take them seriously and ensure that they are well informed about the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. Since the last inspection a full programme of teacher appraisal has been implemented and this is in the process of being adapted to meet the new requirements for performance management. The most recently arrived teachers are effectively helped and supported to become familiar with the school routines.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The available resources are generally effectively used although it is now appropriate that the school reviews some of the current resource allocation to ensure that the curriculum priorities are sufficiently funded. There are not enough computers in order for pupils to have access to a full and appropriate range of opportunities. Specific funds allocated to supporting pupils with special educational needs are well managed and the deployment of the assistants makes a significant impact upon what they are able to achieve. The accommodation is well suited to its purpose. Worsthorne Primary School - 17

p.16

Improve standards in writing by:

• Giving all pupils more opportunities to write independently and increase the range of written work; • Ensuring that there is sufficient support material to help pupils to write independently; • Monitoring pupils’ progress in writing. (Paragraphs:

p.17

Raise standards in ICT by:

• Making sure that all pupils are taught all aspects of the National Curriculum; • Putting in place a strategic plan to improve the resources. (Paragraphs:

p.17

Raise standards in geography and art for eleven-year-olds by:

• Ensuring that the appropriate skills are taught to each age group; • Raise teachers’ expectations about what should be achieved. (Paragraphs:

p.17

Minor Improvements

Ensure a more consistent approach to marking work. Introduce more cultural diversity into subjects such as art and music. Worsthorne Primary School - 18

p.17

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 24

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 204

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 10

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 48

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.18

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.18

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Worsthorne Primary School - 19

p.18

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 14 12 26

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 13 (18) 12 (18) 14 (18) Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 (15) 12 (15) 11 (15)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 96 (100) 93 (100) 96 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 13 (18) 14 (18) 14 (18) Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 (15) 11 (15) 11 (15)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 92 (100) 96 (100) 96 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 16 10 26

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 12 (8) 14 (8) 15 (8) Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 (15) 8 (16) 7 (17)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 77 (85) 85 (89) 85 (93) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 14 (6) 14 (7) 14 (6) Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 (14) 8 (15) 9 (16)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 92 (74) 85 (81) 88 (81) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. There were a number of absences during the Key Stage 2 test week. Worsthorne Primary School - 20

p.19

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.5 Financial year 1999/2000

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Total income 335,019

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 331,030

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1,681

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 62 Balance brought forward from previous year 36,655

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 40,644 Worsthorne Primary School - 21

p.20

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 61 29 4 2 4

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 41 51 2 0 6

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 51 12 4 2

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 41 39 12 4 4

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 73 16 8 2 2

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 67 27 0 0 6

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 35 43 14 0 8

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 55 35 6 2 2

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 63 31 2 0 4

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 29 45 6 2 18 Worsthorne Primary School - 22

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. Almost all children have nursery or playgroup experience before starting school in the September after their fourth birthday. There are good transition arrangements to ensure that children have a secure start to school; they are admitted in small groups at the start of the term and quickly build up to full-time attendance. On entry, their skills are generally above average for their age with many having a particularly good base in mathematics. They achieve well; the majority of children in the current reception class are likely to exceed the early learning goals set for the end of the foundation stage and many will be working in the early stages of the National Curriculum.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

45. The curriculum is carefully planned with a strong emphasis on personal and social development, the teaching of literacy and numeracy and enhancing children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. A good degree of success is achieved in these areas, but there is limited provision for some of the creative and imaginative aspects of learning. Good use is made of information from assessments to identify starting points for the next stage in learning and children’s progress is carefully tracked to ensure that they achieve as well as they should. The teacher and nursery nurse work well as a team and the classroom is well organised to provide a good environment for all areas of learning. The good provision found at the last inspection has been maintained.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Personal, social and emotional development

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

46. There is a strong emphasis on promoting children’s personal and social skills through a range of planned and incidental activities and teaching is very good in this area. Staff and parent helpers provide very good role models in the way in which they work together and relationships with individual children are very constructive; all contributions are taken seriously and children are constantly encouraged to share their ideas and to respect those of others. Children quickly learn to take turns, to share equipment, to help each other where possible and to take responsibility for organising their activities. They change quickly for PE and the majority dress independently afterwards, some coping well with sorting out clothes that have been left inside out!

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

47. Activities such as ‘circle time’ help children to develop awareness of their own needs and feelings and to appreciate those of others. They are encouraged to understand that they are part of a group and that their actions may have consequences on others.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

48. Good, and often very good, teaching ensures that children make very good progress in this area. Staff place a strong emphasis on improving children’s skills in speaking and listening and carefully plan the vocabulary to be used in all areas of learning. Children learn to listen attentively, to follow instructions and to answer and ask questions. Good discussions encourage children to express their ideas and to explore new vocabulary. For example, whilst reading ‘The Big Box’ the teacher asked the children to speculate how rain would affect a cardboard box which was being used as a play house and summarised the children’s suggestions by introducing and explaining the word ‘sag’.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

49. Very good use of a range of resources ensures that children quickly learn a range of strategies to help them with the early stages of reading. They know that a book is read Worsthorne Primary School - 23 from front to back, begin to use terms such as ‘author’ and ‘title’ with understanding and begin to recognise a range of frequently used words. They build up their knowledge of sounds and learn how to use pictures to help them to make reasoned guesses at a storyline. Children record their ideas through drawing and writing simple captions and many move quickly from writing under an adult’s writing to writing independently using their developing knowledge of words and sounds.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. Teaching is very good in this area and children respond well to teachers’ high expectations. Resources are used very well to reinforce and extend understanding, for example of number order and the relationship between numbers. The majority of children have good knowledge of numbers to ten and many are beginning to recognise and know the value of numbers to 20. Some add two groups of objects together and calculate ‘one more’ and ‘one less’. They sort by colour and shape; almost all recognise common two-dimensional shapes and many know three-dimensional shapes such as a cube. Many children begin to accurately use the language of mathematics, comparing objects and describing them as ‘longer’ or ’shorter’.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Knowledge and understanding of the world

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. A well planned range of topics enable children to extend their understanding of the world around. They use their senses to investigate different types of food, describing their preferences as they smell and taste. They begin to understand that some foods are healthier than others and that we need a balanced diet. They start to understand the roles played by different people working in school and by those in the wider community through visitors coming to talk about their work and visits made to places such as the local shop.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. Many children learn to cut, stick and join materials in a variety of ways. There are opportunities planned to use the computer and a range of construction equipment, although children were not seen using these during the inspection.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. There is good provision for this area with time allocated for PE in the hall and a small outdoor area adjacent to the classroom where children can use play equipment and large toys, although this was not in use during the inspection. The majority of children learn to move with confidence in a variety of ways. Their co-ordination improves, for example in throwing and catching beanbags. Few are able to follow the instructions in a taped dance programme, but successfully copy the movements made by the nursery nurse who gives a good lead to the lesson.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. The majority of children handle tools such as scissors safely and many have good skills in cutting and shaping materials. They use salt dough well, moulding it into various shapes and adding detail using sculpture sticks.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. Children have experience of working with a range of materials such as paint and crayons as they make pictures, prints and collages. Much of the work that they undertake is linked with a story, for example as they prepare a display based on ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, or linked with the topics covered in knowledge and understanding of the world. This ensures that children are taught a range of techniques, but the outcome is often pre-determined by adults and opportunities to explore a variety Worsthorne Primary School - 24 of media and to represent ideas and observations in a variety of ways are too limited. Children gain confidence in drawing and their work takes on recognisable form and shows increasing detail as, for example when they draw their friends and families.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. There are good opportunities to learn a variety of songs and to begin to appreciate elements of music making. Children sing enthusiastically and have a good recall of words and accompanying actions. They are introduced to the correct techniques for playing a variety of instruments and begin to make patterns with sounds. They begin to appreciate the beat of a piece of music and most successfully maintain a simple rhythm as they clap or play an accompaniment to a song.

p.24

ENGLISH

57. Standards in English are broadly average overall but there are marked differences in levels of attainment in different aspects of the subject. Skills in speaking and listening are generally average, good standards are attained in reading but standards in writing are below average and many children of average ability and higher attaining pupils do not achieve as well as they should in this area. Pupils with special needs are effectively supported and reach standards that are appropriate to their abilities. The school has implemented the national literacy strategy and the framework is used as a basis for planning but some of the activities planned lack sufficient challenge for higher attainers. In addition, there are two main weaknesses that are contributing to low standards in writing. There is limited time for extended written work, although this is now being remedied in some classes, and pupils have very little opportunity to use their literacy

p.24

ENGLISH

skills in subjects across the curriculum because too much of the work that they do is copied or based on worksheets.

p.24

ENGLISH

58. The majority of seven-year-olds talk confidently in a variety of situations, describing their observations and contributing to class and group discussion. They explain their ideas carefully and most speak clearly using a good vocabulary. They read accurately and often with good expression and most show a good understanding of a storyline, predict what might happen and express opinions about characters. Children get off to a good start in writing and their progress is good in the early stages. This is not maintained, however, and too many children do not progress beyond writing simple accounts and short stories. Too much time is spent on practising skills such as spelling, handwriting and punctuation and not enough on independent writing and working to improve the quality of what is written. In Year 1 children start to make use of their literacy skills in subjects such as science, as they label diagrams and note their

p.24

ENGLISH

observations in geography. There is little progress beyond this for six and seven-year- olds, and some tasks such as sequencing pictures and captions about Florence Nightingale are low-level and do not enable children to use their knowledge about writing in any meaningful way.

p.24

ENGLISH

59. By the age of eleven, the majority of pupils listen attentively and confidently voice their opinions and develop their ideas in group discussion. They read a wide variety of books and talk knowledgeably about authors and types of texts, explaining their preferences and justifying their views. They show good understanding of significant themes and the author’s use of language as they study extracts from a variety of texts, from ‘Macbeth’ to ‘The Borrowers’. They have little opportunity for independent research in school, although this is sometimes assigned for homework. However, they are aware of how they might locate information using the contents and the index and how to skim or scan text to find relevant information. Written work is of variable quality, but generally does not reflect the good skills acquired in reading. There are examples of lively accounts with good use of vocabulary and varied sentence structure to engage the reader’s

p.24

ENGLISH

Worsthorne Primary School - 25 attention, but much of the work is at the level expected of younger children. There are indications of recent improvements in Years 5 and 6 with pupils now producing a wider range of written work including factual accounts, newspaper articles and imaginative stories. Many pupils make good use of writing plans and are learning to edit and improve their initial drafts to produce some work of good quality. However, there is very little opportunity for pupils to use their literacy skills in work across the curriculum and written work in subjects such as science, history and geography is very limited, poorly presented and low level.

p.25

ENGLISH

60. Teaching overall is satisfactory but there are some weaknesses. In almost all lessons teachers make good use of resources to initiate discussion and to teach specific aspects of language. Group tasks are planned to meet the differing levels of ability in a class, but often, particularly for older pupils, the tasks are taken from a commercial scheme and pupils spend too much time practising something that they have already grasped or completing sentences by filling in missing words. In effective lessons, teachers have good knowledge of the subject, are clear about what they want pupils to achieve and organise work effectively to extend their knowledge. This was apparent in a lesson with Year 1 on rhyming words that started with a review of big books with rhyming titles. Good discussion was followed by all children practising the spelling of some of these words on small whiteboards and then working in groups to make lists of

p.25

ENGLISH

rhyming words, some with new patterns so that higher attainers were challenged to use what they had learned.

p.25

ENGLISH

61. The school recognises the need to improve standards in writing but there is not yet a clear analysis of the areas of weakness or a strategic plan for improvement. There is no systematic approach to the assessment of writing but plans are in hand to establish this in the near future. Approaches to the marking of work vary; some teachers make helpful evaluative comments and indicate areas for improvement but in other classes marking is perfunctory and sometimes inaccurate. Target setting for individual pupils is being introduced, but approaches to this differ through the school and it is therefore difficult to establish a consistent system for monitoring progress.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

62. The school consistently attains above average standards in mathematics. Consistently satisfactory or good teaching ensures that pupils build on the good start they get in the reception class and continue to widen their understanding of mathematics as they move through the school. Pupils with special educational needs are well catered for by specially prepared work and often the support of an adult enables them to join fully in the lesson.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

63. By the age of seven children have a good grasp how numbers work. They confidently count using patterns such as odd and even numbers, tens, fives and hundreds and add and take away numbers up to ten and use this knowledge to solve number problems. Most pupils double and halve single numbers and are beginning to use this to work out other sums. Lively and brisk teaching, especially with Year 1, develops and sustains children’s enthusiasm and eagerness. Teachers use simple effective resources such as number squares to illustrate counting techniques. In a Year 1 lesson a teacher used a number square to show children how to count in tens by simply following the line down the square, this reinforced the patterns in the numbers and helped children to understand what they were doing. Teachers provide good, clear explanations that are backed up with activities that are suitable for the range of children’s abilities.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

Occasionally, the teaching is a little slow and points are laboured. This results in some children losing interest and becoming fidgety and mildly disruptive. Worsthorne Primary School - 26 64. Eleven-year-olds are well taught and given plenty of opportunity to use what they know to solve problems and investigate puzzles. They have a particularly good understanding of numbers, they know their tables and confidently work with high numbers. Pupils respond to the challenge of high expectations. The oldest pupils enjoyed solving problems through thoughtfully applying what they know to new situations, for instance working out four-figure numbers using information about the digits, or identifying multiplication tables that are expressed by letters. Some of the work with nine-year-olds was also challenging and of a good standard. Pupils were successfully changing improper fractions to mixed numbers following a sharp brisk introduction that used

p.25

MATHEMATICS

good questions to extend their thinking. The use of simple number cards by each pupil meant that they were all fully engaged in the session, they had to come up with an answer and were often challenged to explain their thinking. A significant strength of the teaching is the good use of homework that is taken very seriously by pupils and parents. The work given supplements lessons and helps to prepare pupils for the National Curriculum tests. By the time pupils leave the school they are numerate and well equipped to benefit from the next stage of their education.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

65. Throughout the school pupils also learn about the full range of mathematics; the curriculum is well balanced and includes all aspects of the subject. The youngest pupils learn about the features of common shapes and begin to understand about simple ways of measuring. As they move through the school, this is extended into exploring the more sophisticated features of shapes, for instance the different types of triangles, the relationship between the number of sides and angles and the different types of angles. The older pupils explore aspects of data handling and occasionally use computers to draw graphs and charts representing information. They also learn about probability and begin to investigate the ideas of chance and become familiar with the vocabulary used to describe the range of probability.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

66. The strong tradition of successful mathematics teaching has been reinforced by the successful implementation of the national numeracy strategy. Lessons are well planned and include a clear introduction, some good challenging activities and a final session when children think about what they have learned and have a chance to sort out any problems. Children’s progress in mathematics is carefully monitored through regular assessments and annual tests, but the quality of the marking is variable. Too often marking does not clearly indicate what pupils need to do to improve and in that sense is not especially helpful. The subject, however, is well managed overall by two teachers who work effectively together and have given plenty of help to colleagues as they have implemented the new national strategy.

p.26

SCIENCE

67. Results in science over the last four years have fluctuated from year to year but the overall trend has shown slight improvement. Overall, pupils make satisfactory progress and those with special educational needs make good progress but more should be expected, particularly of the higher attaining pupils. Despite there being a slight improvement in standards since the last inspection, they are still not as high as they should be. 68. Most seven-year-olds have satisfactory scientific knowledge. They develop skills in carrying out fair tests and have a lively, enthusiastic interest in their science experiments. They learn that some materials will allow the current to flow and continue to light the bulb as they confidently create electrical circuits. Pupils respond positively to well planned lessons and they answer questions in a lively, informed way. This was evident in a Year 2 lesson about electrical circuits and conductive and non-conductive

p.26

SCIENCE

Worsthorne Primary School - 27 materials. The pupils responded enthusiastically, maintained concentration and worked hard. In discussions at the end of the lesson they had clearly developed some understanding and had improved their skills in recording by putting their results in a table. In a Year 1 lesson the teacher used boxes with a small hole inserted to explain that we need light to see things. The teacher expertly used questions to develop pupils’ understanding as they tried to discern the object in the box. This resulted in a lively lesson, which successfully developed pupils’ understanding and scientific vocabulary. Pupils learn about a satisfactory range of science topics but some work lacks sufficient challenge for higher attaining pupils. Their work on ‘growing’, for instance, mainly involves the completion of simple worksheets and gives little opportunity for scientific investigation.

p.27

SCIENCE

69. By the age of eleven, pupils have a good scientific vocabulary and their scientific knowledge is well developed. They carry out scientific experiments enthusiastically and know the features of a fair test but their skills in carrying out their own scientific enquiry are not as well developed as they could be. In a number of lessons pupils are given insufficient opportunities to set up their own experiments and to investigate issues. This limited the challenge presented to higher attaining pupils in too many lessons. As a result, pupils lack skills in for instance, making predictions, hypothesising and checking their results. In a lesson for ten and eleven-year-olds about forces, the teacher’s good subject knowledge and attention to planning resulted in a largely successful lesson. Pupils responded well to the tightly structured work and carried out their experiments in a careful, controlled way and explained their results well. However, the challenge

p.27

SCIENCE

presented to higher attaining pupils was limited because they were not given the opportunity to determine the format of the experiment themselves. Similarly, in a lesson with 9 and 10 year olds about investigating sounds, the teacher carried out an experiment using a tuning fork to demonstrate the link between vibration and sound with lively enthusiasm. The effects created in the experiment excited the pupils, who as a result were highly motivated when carrying out their own work but they had no opportunity to set up their own experiment and investigate the problem for themselves.

p.27

SCIENCE

70. Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now satisfactory and occasionally good. Generally teachers’ subject knowledge is good but there is occasional weakness. For example in a lesson where seven and eight-year-olds were exploring the porosity of different rocks and soils, there was a lack of clarity about the importance of changing only one variable for the test to be fair. Teachers make some effective links with other subjects in their science lessons. They develop pupils’ use of mathematics through the use of tables and graphs when showing the results of experiments but make only limited use of ICT. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is variable with insufficient use of constructive, challenging comments to develop learning.

p.27

SCIENCE

71. The subject is satisfactorily managed. The need to improve teachers’ subject knowledge and the use of investigative work has been addressed to some extent through in-service sessions and regular discussion at staff meetings, but still requires further attention.

p.27

ART AND DESIGN

72. Only three lessons were seen during the inspection, but pupils’ work in folders and on display show that standards for five to seven-year-olds are satisfactory but those of 7 to eleven-year-olds are below expectations. Pupils are presented with a satisfactory range of activities but older pupils’ skills in the use of different media are under- developed. There has been some slight improvement since the last inspection when Worsthorne Primary School - 28 standards were below the national expectation for all pupils but the subject still requires improvement.

p.27

ART AND DESIGN

73. By the time they are seven most children successfully use a range of media. They learn to control drawing tools such as pencils, crayons and pastels and use line, shade and tone when creating their pictures linked to the story ‘The Shoemaker and the Elves’. Their observational skills are developed through drawing pictures of faces. Younger pupils successfully learn to blend colours and use observational skills in their paintings of plates of food.

p.28

ART AND DESIGN

74. Pupils aged seven to eleven use a wider range of materials and their work is often linked to other subjects. They enjoy art and enthusiastically talk about what they have done. However, they struggle when asked to discuss how their work could be improved, the quality of presentation is variable and observational skills are weak. There is not enough teaching of skills using paint and brush and this results in work often failing to challenge the abilities of the pupils, who, as a result, produce paintings and drawings lacking perspective or line and tone of the required quality. Ten and eleven-year-olds discuss landscapes using the work of a local artist as an example but overall, not enough attention is given to discussing artistic techniques and improving observational skills. A number of older pupils are unsure of colour mixing techniques and their pictures lack variety of shade and hue. A good, successful lesson involved

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ART AND DESIGN

eight and nine-year-olds looking at pictures by Kandinsky as an example of how to create three-dimensional sculptures using card and paper. The teacher’s good subject knowledge enabled the lesson to move at a good pace and the use of samples of Kandinsky’s work effectively demonstrated the desired quality of line and shape. The result was some high quality work. Generally, however, teachers give insufficient attention to exploring the work of famous artists and consequently pupils’ knowledge and understanding about art is not as good as it should be. Limited opportunities are presented to pupils to try out their own techniques and work often fails to challenge pupils. For example, collage faces in the style of David Hockney involved cutting up pictures but the work gave little opportunity for pupils to experiment and try out their own ideas. The lack of challenge is also reflected in the poor use of pupil sketchbooks that

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ART AND DESIGN

contain only a small amount of work and show very limited development of artistic skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

75. Teachers plan their lessons well and resources are well organised but insufficient attention is paid to the progressive development of skills during the sessions. This is made more difficult by the limited amount of time available for teaching art and design resulting in activities being carried out over a number of weeks. Worsthorne Primary School - 29

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

76. During the inspection no teaching of the subject was observed but analysis of work around the school and in books indicates that standards in design and technology are in line with expectations throughout the school. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The school has successfully addressed the issues raised then by improving planning and teaching, resulting in the raising of standards, but there is still some way to go. All pupils, including those with special educational needs achieve satisfactorily but more should be expected, particularly of the higher attaining pupils. Overall, insufficient attention is given to developing pupils’ planning and evaluating skills and improving the quality of the finished product.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

77. From Year 1 appropriate emphasis is given to developing pupils’ skills in designing, making and evaluating. Their moving mechanisms show satisfactory development of manipulative skills using simple cutting tools. They successfully develop skills in using a range of materials including paper, card and cloth fabrics and learn to design and make simple gift boxes, developing an appropriate understanding of how to join materials. They create simple plates of food using play dough and link this to learning about meals from around the world. Pupils in Year 2 use pictures and words to communicate their ideas when making puppets and indicate their enjoyment of the subject when discussing their work. Pupils’ in Year 3 design and make simple skeletons using straws and paper. Year 5 pupils carry out a design project on the making of a range of biscuits. Their work shows satisfactory attention to planning and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

includes the recipe and description of how to make the biscuits. Their cushions and samplers, made using a range of materials, demonstrate good sewing skills. Other work shows how they designed and made a Cinderella doll indicating satisfactory awareness of the tools required and the skills needed. Year 6 pupils have studied recreation facilities and designed and made playground equipment. They have made a range of balsa wood models, which show satisfactory skills in cutting and joining the wood but their designs are disappointingly simple and indicate poor awareness of the design process and the need to evaluate their final product. They have also made cubes using card and nets of shapes, decorating them with personal photographs and information to create an information cube. Pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in technological activities and make good progress. All pupils make use

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

of their literacy and numeracy skills in this subject as they label diagrams, prepare designs and learn to measure their work, but recorded work is sometimes limited in amount and often poorly presented.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

78. Pupils throughout the school enjoy the activities and are enthusiastic when discussing their work. For example Year 6 pupils describe the process of making their information cube in a lively manner but are less assured when talking about how they decided on their designs and how they might be improved. Teachers’ planning indicates that time allocated to the subject is limited and presents some constraints to development of the skills and processes involved in designing activities. Additionally teachers’ expectations of pupils’ work in books are not high enough and their assessment of the work is inconsistent. This results in work that does not sufficiently challenge pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

79. There has been some decline in standards since the last inspection. Seven-year-olds are reaching standards that are expected but the standards reached by eleven-year- olds are below those normally achieved. The younger pupils are given some good opportunities to begin to learn about geography through looking at their own environment and through stories that can be used to stimulate discussion about geographical features. This was successful in Year 2 for instance where a story about an island gave children the opportunity to think about human and physical features. Worsthorne Primary School - 30 They successfully identified features such as hills, sea and fields as being different from those things that had been made such as the roads and the post office. Because a good story was read with expression children were interested and keen to talk about the island. The lesson was completed by pupils putting the different features on a map

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GEOGRAPHY

of their own and the higher attaining pupils were encouraged to use a key to identify the different features.

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GEOGRAPHY

80. In Year 1 good teaching guided children to thinking about how they could keep the local playground safe; they discussed how important it was not to leave litter around, not to take glass bottles into the park and not to let dogs foul the play area. Working very well together they produced some colourful lively posters designed to remind people of the rules!

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GEOGRAPHY

81. Eleven-year-olds have limited knowledge and understanding about geography. In particular they have very little understanding about places, about why they are where they are and how climate and physical features may affect them. They have some knowledge of different climates; they know about the monsoon rains and the tropical heat and humidity. The oldest pupils have a simple grasp about how a river develops and recognise the key features as it moves towards the sea but their understanding of different types of maps and how they can be used is well below what it should be. Too much of the work in books is on worksheets and pupils have too little opportunity to write independently, or to learn the skills of geography through fieldwork.

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GEOGRAPHY

82. Not enough teaching was seen to make a reliable judgement about the overall quality of teaching, although it is clear that not enough attention is given to teaching about different places and the subject is not used enough to develop and refine pupils’ skills in writing. There is also too little opportunity for pupils to learn geographical skills. The management of the subject has recently changed and there are sensible plans to review the teaching and implement the most recent national guidance about teaching geography.

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HISTORY

83. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection and both seven and eleven- year-olds are achieving standards that are in line with expectations. Only two lessons were seen so it is not possible to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching but it is clear from the enthusiasm of the pupils, particular the ten-year- olds, that they have been well taught both this year and the year previously. They spoke very enthusiastically about the work on the Tudors in Year 4 and were very interested in their current topic about Victorian England.

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HISTORY

84. Seven-year-olds learn about how times have changed through stories about famous people. For instance, they learn about the life of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and understand that aspects of life such as medicines and hospitals have changed. They learn how to sequence events and in the most successful lessons they apply their writing skills in recording stories about the lives of famous people. Some of the written work about the life of Mary Seacole was of a high standard, but this was a rare example and too often work relies too heavily on worksheets.

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HISTORY

85. For older pupils there is a good programme of topics covering periods such as Ancient Egypt, Vikings, Tudors and Victorian England. A key to the success of the programme and the teaching is the good visits that are used to bring the subject alive. For instance, pupils have vivid memories of the visit to Turton Towers as part of the Tudor topic. They have a very good knowledge about the period, know the key events and Worsthorne Primary School - 31 characters and some have clearly been fired with a thirst to find out about the past. Pupils in Year 5 talked excitedly about the Tudor Kings and Queens, they knew that Henry VII had gained the crown following the Wars of the Roses and that he had married Elizabeth of York in an act of reconciliation. They knew about the changes brought about to the church following Henry VIII’s divorce and how it was still impacting on the present day. In discussions about Victorian England, they understood the

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HISTORY

important social changes brought about by the railways, about how they enabled fresh food to be made available to more people and led to the popularity of seaside resorts such as Blackpool. The depth of some pupils’ knowledge and understanding is very high and well above what most pupils would be expected to grasp. The work in books is less impressive; pupils have too few opportunities to write independently about historical events and not enough opportunities are taken to use history to widen pupils’ experience of different types of writing.

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HISTORY

86. The subject has been successfully managed; resources are good and there is a clear programme of work that meets the new National Curriculum requirements.

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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

87. There has been some modest improvement since the last inspection but the standards reached remain below those expected for pupils of this age. The main reasons for the low standards is the lack of opportunity for pupils to work on computers and the lack of resources needed to teach the full range of ICT required by the National Curriculum.

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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

88. There are pockets of achievement throughout the school where pupils are working successfully with computers. Some of the work with word processing is successful with pupils using a range of fonts to create party invitations and importing pictures to illustrate and add character to the invites. There are also examples of pupils using computers to organise and present information in graphs or charts. They successfully enter information about themselves or their classmates and are quickly learning how to ‘search’ and ‘interrogate’ the information to find out what they want to know.

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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

89. The majority of the teaching is currently organised so that groups of pupils are withdrawn from class to use the small number of computers in the library. The quality of the teaching is always satisfactory and occasionally good, but the impact is very limited. Individual pupils often make good progress in the group lessons rapidly picking up the basic skills of the various programs used to teach the different aspects of the subject. However, problems stem from the fact that the experience is very infrequent, with individual pupils only having the group teaching sessions perhaps once or twice each term. This clearly limits the progress they can make. This is compounded further because there is very limited opportunity to consolidate what they have learned in the group session back in the classroom.

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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

90. The computers in the classrooms are often used effectively to support lessons, especially in literacy and numeracy. The younger pupils for instance, use talking books to help with their reading but also to help them to become familiar with how to use a ‘mouse’. The older pupils use programs to reinforce mathematics through games and puzzles.

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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

91. There are too few computers throughout the school and there is not enough software to enable all the aspects of curriculum to be taught. For instance, pupils do not have the opportunity to use sensing equipment or have opportunities to use ICT to control events or movements. The teachers have embarked on a full training programme to ensure that they are fully confident to teach the subject but for the training to be beneficial Worsthorne Primary School - 32 pupils and teachers must be given more opportunity to work with computers and pupils must experience all the necessary elements of ICT.

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MUSIC

92. Only one lesson was seen and it is not possible to make a judgement about standards or the quality of teaching. Discussion with the co-ordinator and brief observation of pupils singing and performing in assembly and playing music together in groups show that provision for teaching and learning has improved since the last inspection and the subject now has a more secure place in the curriculum.

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MUSIC

93. Planning is based on the new national guidance so that all elements of music are systematically introduced. New resources have been purchased to provide practical support for teaching and recent in-service training has focused on provision for composition to boost teachers’ confidence in teaching this element of the subject. Further in-service is planned on listening to and appraising music.

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MUSIC

94. Many pupils demonstrate enjoyment and confidence in music. They sing enthusiastically in assembly, although the quality of singing is not particularly good because of the need to use a taped accompaniment. Year 4 pupils performing in a class ‘orchestra’ played a variety of instruments, such as keyboards, recorders and percussion, in small groups. They showed awareness of pulse and rhythm and most were able to maintain their parts in playing ‘Scarborough Fair’ and to suggest variations on the ways in which different groups contributed to the class performance. Year 1 pupils participated enthusiastically in ‘echo singing’ and, through the good lead given by the teacher, gained good awareness of how pitch and volume might be varied.

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MUSIC

95. All older pupils have the opportunity to learn the recorder and glockenspiel in extra- curricular clubs. Many older pupils play to a high standard, as they demonstrated in rehearsing Christmas songs in groups and in playing in assembly.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

96. The school provides a full programme of activities for PE; during the inspection it was possible to observe lessons only in gymnastics. In this aspect standards are generally in line with expectations for seven and eleven-year-olds, with some older pupils performing at a good level.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

97. By the age of seven, pupils understand the effect of exercise on the body and are beginning to appreciate the importance of ‘warming up’ before starting vigorous activity. Most find and use space safely, although a few still need clear direction to do this. They move in a variety of ways, curling and stretching their bodies and hopping, jumping and tiptoeing across the mats. Older pupils show good awareness of ways in which they can vary their movements to develop a sequence and successfully balance on different body parts on the apparatus, although a significant number lack control and find difficulty in ‘holding’ their positions. However, many confidently incorporate different types of movement, sometimes including somersaults and cartwheels, and create and hold imaginative shapes on the apparatus as they build up a sequence and work to improve their performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

98. Teaching is satisfactory overall and some lessons are good, but there are some weaknesses. Teachers generally give clear instructions and make good use of demonstration to help pupils to evaluate and improve their work. Good lessons move Worsthorne Primary School - 33 on at a brisk pace, teachers are very confident in teaching the subject and make very specific suggestions about ways in which pupils can vary and improve their work. In some lessons, too much time is lost in matters of organisation such as getting pupils into groups and explaining what they are to do or on demonstration by individuals. The result of this is that the amount of physical activity by the majority of children is very limited. All lessons start with a warm-up session, although this is often too brief to prepare adequately for the main activity; some lessons end abruptly without a warm- down and this is a weakness.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

99. Teaching is supported by good guidance for work in gymnastics and athletic activities. There are good facilities and a good range of resources for teaching all aspects of the subject. Use is made of a local leisure centre for regular teaching of swimming and the vast majority of pupils swim at least 25 metres by the time they leave the school. There is a good range of sports-related extra-curricular activities and pupils enjoy a good degree of success in local competitive events, such as cross-country.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

100. As at the time of the last inspection standards of attainment at the age of seven and eleven match the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and their achievements are also satisfactory.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

101. Pupils aged five to seven successfully develop their understanding of festival and celebrations. They learn the vocabulary, signs and symbols of Christianity and produce their own prayers and understand why we pray. Teachers make effective use of the pupils’ own experiences through the use of photographs and pictures of family celebrations to make their lessons more interesting. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to talk about their families and develop an awareness of the importance of celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, Harvest and Christmas. Six and seven-year-olds listened attentively when learning about ‘Good News’ through the story of the Angel Gabriel and what happened before Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. The teacher effectively used the pupils’ natural excitement at the Christmas story and her probing questions developed the pupils’ understanding. The pupils worked well and their

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

finished work showed a good understanding. Younger pupils learned about the giving of gifts in a very good lesson about the story of the birth of Jesus. They answered the teacher’s skilfully directed questions enthusiastically and demonstrated a good knowledge of the story. This led to a lively discussion about the giving of gifts.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

102. Pupils aged seven to eleven continue to make satisfactory progress in developing their religious knowledge and understanding. Teachers confidently use stories from the Bible and other books and present stimulating points for discussion which help to extend pupils’ understanding of issues of faith. The quality of teaching is always satisfactory and in some lessons it is very good. Teachers plan their lessons well, clearly identifying what pupils need to know and understand. For example, a very good lesson with ten and eleven-year-olds, based on ‘Pilgrims Progress’ used probing questions to develop the pupils’ understanding of complex issues related to a belief in eternal life. The teacher made good use of the story to explain issues of evil, danger and the recognition of the superficial. This stimulated the pupils and led to them responding to questions in a lively and informed way. Nine and ten-year-olds by

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

studying stories from the Old and New Testaments learned how God revealed his love. In a well-planned lesson the teacher effectively used the Book of Psalms and the Twenty-third Psalm to deepen pupils’ understanding of God’s love for his people. The pupils’ knowledge of these and other stories in the Bible are good. Worsthorne Primary School - 34 103. Appropriate attention is given to the study of celebrations in other faiths. Pupils develop a good understanding of the significance of ‘Light’ in all religions through exploring festivals such as Divali, Hanukah and Advent. Teachers are able to develop this understanding because of their own secure subject knowledge, resulting in clear explanations and responses to pupils’ queries. Pupils learn how to treat others and explore emotions through the examination of different situations and dilemmas. Pupils generally display caring attitudes to each other and lessons are ordered and productive.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Teachers’ class control is good and pupils generally behave well in lessons, although some pupils occasionally display negative attitudes to the work, which teachers do well to control.

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