Aspull Church Primary School

ASPULL CHURCH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 th - 28 th February 2002

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ASPULL CHURCH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full 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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ASPULL CHURCH 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. Aspull Church Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bolton Road Aspull Wigan Lancashire Postcode: WN2 1QW

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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: Rev. John E Bassett

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1997 Aspull Church Primary School - 2

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

20191 Mr J D Eadie Registered inspector Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Design and technology What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9928 Mr A Dobson Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 14816 Mrs S Gordon Team inspector The Foundation Stage Special educational needs Art and design Music Physical education 23081 Mrs C Waine Team inspector Equal opportunities English Geography History How good are the curriculum and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd. 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Aspull Church Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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? 8 - 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Aspull Church Primary School is a Voluntary Aided school supported jointly by the Church of England and the Methodist Church. There are 201 pupils on roll between the ages of 4 and 11, 29 of whom are in the reception class. Almost all pupils are of white British heritage and all the pupils have English as their first language. The school is situated in the community of Aspull, some three miles north east of Wigan. A number of pupils living outside the catchment area attend the school. Aspull is a community with a fairly wide economic range, though there are a number of new houses nearby which are in the upper end of the local market. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. The number of pupils with special educational needs is about what one would expect to find in a school of this size, although the proportion of pupils with statements of special need is well above

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

average. The highest proportion of pupils with special educational needs have moderate learning difficulties. The pupils generally have average attainment on entry to the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Aspull Church Primary School is a very good school. The standards achieved by the time the pupils leave are well above average and they make good progress through the school. The quality of teaching is very good overall and the pupils consequently learn very well in lessons. The leadership and management of the school is very good and the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average by the time the pupils leave. • The pupils make good progress and achieve well during their time in the school. • The quality of teaching is very good overall and the pupils consequently learn very well. • The quality of leadership and management is very good. • The provision for the pupils’ personal development is very good and results in very good attitudes and behaviour. • The school’s Christian atmosphere permeates the school. • The school has established a very effective partnership with parents.

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What could be improved

These areas for improvement should be read in the context of this being a very good school; they do not represent weaknesses, rather they are pointers to refine further the very good practice that already exists. • The balance of time between different subjects is not appropriate. • There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their writing skills within English and across the curriculum. • There is unsatisfactory provision for structured outdoor play for the children in the reception class. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Aspull Church Primary School - 5

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in October 1997 and has made very good progress since then. All the key issues from that report have been effectively resolved. For example, lesson planning has improved and the pupils are now usually given appropriate work when they are divided into groups in class. The quality of teaching has improved significantly. The governors are now very well informed about what is going on in the school and are very supportive. Standards have improved significantly since the last inspection and the school was given a school achievement award in 2000 by the Secretary of State for Education as a result of these improvements.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

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

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Key

With the exception of the apparent drop in standards in English last year, standards have been rising significantly in recent years in the National Curriculum tests at the age of eleven. There was a high proportion of pupils with statements of special needs in the group who took the tests in 2001, this being the major reason for the lower scores in English. The A* in science in 2000 represents a score in the top 5 per cent of all schools nationally. Challenging targets are set for the pupils’ achievements in the tests and these were exceeded last year. Standards in the National Curriculum tests for seven-year- olds have also been rising and were well above average in reading, writing and mathematics in 2001. The judgements of the inspection are that the pupils in Year 6 are achieving well above average standards in English, mathematics and science. In Year 2, the pupils are achieving above average

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Key

standards overall. The children in the reception class are reaching the expected levels overall by the time they start in Year 1. Bearing in mind their average attainment on entry to the school, the pupils are achieving well through the school. Attainment in music is well above average at the ages of both seven and eleven.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school The pupils have very good attitudes. They enjoy coming to school and work enthusiastically. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The pupils’ behaviour is very good both in the classrooms and outside. One pupil was excluded for a day last year, but this was the first exclusion for many years. Personal development and relationships The pupils’ personal development has a high priority in the school. This results in very good relationships. By the time they leave, most pupils are polite, confident and sensible. Attendance The attendance rate has been consistently well above the national rate in recent years despite the large number of families who take holidays Aspull Church Primary School - 6 during term time. Aspull Church Primary School - 7

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall. A high proportion of teaching seen during the inspection was very good or excellent and no unsatisfactory teaching was observed. The teaching of English and mathematics is very good and the pupils consequently learn the skills of literacy and numeracy very well. The teachers generally meet the needs of all the pupils in their classes very effectively, although there are times in some lessons when the higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged, particularly in literacy lessons. One of the major strengths of the teaching is that teachers’ specialist expertise is used in other classes. For example, the teachers in Years 5 and 6 exchange classes for English and mathematics. All the music in the school is taken by a teacher with a particular talent for this subject resulting in well above average standards. The expertise and enthusiasm of these

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

teachers ensures that the pupils make very good progress in these lessons. The teachers throughout the school have high expectations of what the pupils can achieve. The pupils rise to these expectations and achieve very good standards. The good number of other adults in lessons make a very good contribution to the pupils’ learning. They are well trained and the teachers give them very good guidance in what they are to do.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a good range of educational experiences for the pupils, significantly enhanced by visitors into school and visits to places of interest. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good provision is made for the pupils with special educational needs. Their needs are identified early and teachers and other adults support them well so that they make good progress towards meeting their individual targets.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good provision is made for the pupils’ personal development. The provision for their spiritual development is excellent and for their moral and social development it is very good. Provision for cultural development is good, although there are still shortcomings in the awareness of the pupils of the multicultural nature of society today.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares well for its pupils, ensuring that they are safe and confident. There are very effective procedures for promoting good behaviour. Procedures for recording assessments are thorough for English and mathematics but have only recently been put in place for other subjects. This information is not yet fully used to set targets for improvement for the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school works in partnership with parents There is a very effective partnership between school and parents. The parents have positive views of the school. Aspull Church Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides excellent leadership for the school and ensures very clear educational direction. She is very ably supported by her deputy. Subject co-ordinators have been given significant responsibility for raising standards in their subjects and have taken this on very well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their responsibilities well, providing support and expertise in a number of areas. They are frequent visitors to the school, many of their visits being focused on the curriculum areas for which each governor has some responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school evaluates its performance excellently. Very clear analysis is carried out of everything that is done in the school and action is promptly planned to address areas for development.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Levels of staffing are appropriate and there are adequate resources for teaching all subjects. The classrooms are very cramped, particularly for the pupils in Years 3 to 6. All resources available to the school are very well used and the principles of best value are applied very well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school has high expectations of their children. • Behaviour in the school is good. • Their children like school. • The school is well led and managed. • The teaching is good. • The school is helping their children become mature and responsible. • The range of activities outside lessons. • Information about their children’s progress. • The school working more closely with parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

As can be seen in earlier sections of this summary report, the inspection team endorses all positive parental views. However, the judgement of the inspection is that there is a good range of activities outside lessons. The inspectors judge that the school has very effective links with parents and that parents receive good information about their children’s progress, although arrangements to discuss their children’s annual reports need improvement. Aspull Church Primary School - 9

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards of work seen in the inspection in the major areas of the curriculum are well above average. The pupils of all ability levels achieve well during their time in the school. Standards have improved significantly since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Strengths in standards achieved are: • standards achieved in the national tests for eleven-year olds in 2001 were well above average in mathematics and science; • standards by the age of eleven are well above average in English, mathematics and science; • standards achieved in the national tests for seven-year-olds are well above average in reading, writing and mathematics; • the improvements in the national test results in recent years; • pupils of all ability levels, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and those who have particular gifts or talents make good progress; and • standards in music are well above average by the time the pupils leave the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Areas for development are: • standards in some foundation subjects are being adversely affected by the lack of time to teach them; • there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop and practise their writing skills in English lessons and in other areas of the curriculum; and • information and communication technology (ICT) is insufficiently used to support other subjects of the curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Evidence from the inspection shows that standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average by the end of Year 6. The results in the National Curriculum tests in 2001 were well above average in mathematics and science and average in English. The results were the same when compared to schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. They were also the same when compared to schools with similar scores in the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds in 1997. This shows that these pupils made particularly good progress in mathematics and science in this time. The school has statistics to show that good value has been added for those pupils who have been in the school from Year 2 to Year 6, particularly in mathematics and science. There has been a significant improvement in standards in recent years, for which the school won a school achievement award from the Secretary of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

State for Education in 2000. The major factor in the improvement in standards in English between the test results for 2001 and the findings of the inspection is that the pupils currently at the top of the school have been taught English by the co-ordinator for the last two years. The pupils of all ability levels make good progress through the school. This progress is not always as fast as it might be for the pupils who have particular gifts and talents as the school has not yet implemented the policy for gifted and talented pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Inspection evidence shows standards to be above average in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 2. In the National Curriculum tests in 2001, standards in reading, writing and mathematics were well above average when compared to all schools nationally. When compared to schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, standards were above average in reading and well above average in writing and mathematics. The group of pupils taking the tests in 2001 had higher attainment on entry to the school than is usual for this school. Standards in the tests for seven-year-olds have been improving in recent years. For example, in both 1998 and 1999, standards were average in all three subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Children join the school with average attainment. They reach well above average levels of attainment in their personal, social and emotional development and in many aspects of their Aspull Church Primary School - 10 physical development by the time they start the subjects on the National Curriculum in Year 1. They reach average levels in all other areas of learning. The children make good progress in their time in the reception class, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development. A minority achieves above average standards in communication, language and literacy and in their mathematical development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in English and in literacy are above average by the end of Year 2. They are above average in reading and above average in speaking and listening and in writing by this age. The pupils listen very well, this skill being particularly well developed by the teachers in Years 1 and 2. Their speaking skills are also good, although they could be improved further with more opportunities for role-play, for example. The basic skills of reading are very well developed and those of word building are very well taught in Years 1 and 2. Standards in writing are improving owing to well-planned structures that the school has put in place to improve the pupils’ progress in this aspect. The pupils make good progress in English in Years 1 and 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The standards that the pupils achieve in English and literacy are well above average by the end of Year 6. The pupils make good progress from Year 3 to Year 6, this progress being faster in Years 5 and 6 as these classes are both taught by the English co-ordinator. Standards are well above average in all aspects of the subject. In speaking and listening there are many opportunities for the pupils to engage in paired discussion in literacy lessons. Their speaking skills could be improved still further with more opportunities being provided for drama within the curriculum. The pupils read very well, with almost all pupils reaching at least the expected standard and many achieving above this level. They read with understanding and expression. Their technical skills of writing are very good, although there are insufficient opportunities for developing and practising these skills in a variety of styles in English and in other subjects of the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in all aspects of mathematics and numeracy are above average by the end of Year 2 and the pupils make good progress in this subject in Years 1 and 2. Standards are above average in all aspects of the subject at this age. The pupils of this age are able to explain confidently how they achieve answers. They have good knowledge of the basic number bonds. The pupils explore the characteristics of shapes from an early age and can name and describe a variety of two- and three-dimensional shapes and their properties.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The pupils achieve well above average standards in mathematics and numeracy by Year 6. They use and can explain a wide variety of strategies for solving problems. The pupils have very good knowledge and ability with the four rules and can carry out complex calculations, often being able to manage these in their heads. They have very good understanding of shapes and can measure accurately, for example, drawing angles to the nearest degree. They handle data very well, this skill being reinforced by the use of information and communication technology (ICT). The use of probability is not so well developed. The pupils make good progress from Year 3 to Year 6, this progress being particularly good in Years 5 and 6 where the co-ordinator takes both classes.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Standards in science are above average by Year 2 and well above average at the end of Year 6. The pupils make good progress in science through the school. Progress in scientific enquiry is particularly good owing to the emphasis that is placed on the teaching of the subject through an investigative and experimental approach. This is largely due to a new scheme of work that the school has adopted. Standards in life processes and living things, materials and physical processes are above average by Year 2 and well above average by Year 6. The pupils have very good levels of knowledge and understanding by the time they leave. This is despite the shortage of time that the teachers have for teaching the subject in some classes.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards of work seen during the inspection in music throughout the school are well above average. A major reason for these standards is that the co-ordinator takes all classes in the school for music. Her specialist knowledge and skills are being very well used and the pupils are achieving very well in all aspects of the subject. Standards in all other subjects are average by Year 2 and Year 6. There are some strengths, for example standards in pupils observational drawing are above average by Year 2 and their skills in modelling are above average by Year 6. Aspull Church Primary School - 11 Standards in some subjects are being affected by a shortage of teaching time. For example, in geography and history standards are only as they are by Year 6 because of the enthusiasm of the teacher of the older classes in the school which inspires the pupils to do extra work in the lunch hours and at home. The pupils of all ability levels make good progress through the school

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. The pupils with SEN make good progress through the school. Their needs are identified early and the targets in their Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are clear, realistic and achievable. The school has good relationships with the various external agencies involved in the needs of pupils and the involvement of these agencies enhances the progress that these pupils make.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The pupils have very positive attitudes to learning, they are very well behaved and their relationships reflect very well the strong Christian caring ethos of the school. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Strengths in this area include: • the pupils enjoy coming to school; • the pupils settle down quickly, are keen to learn and work hard; • the pupils behave very well at all times; • the pupils get on very well with each other and with the adults in the school; and • the pupils act sensibly and are very keen to take responsibility.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

An area for improvement is: • a significant number of families take holidays during term time.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The pupils know they come to school to learn and are very keen to gain new knowledge. They settle down very quickly, are alert and positively want to participate in lessons. Skilled teaching builds very effectively on the pupils’ enthusiasm for learning, often resulting in lessons that the children consider to be good fun. Many mathematics lessons fall into this category but enthusiasm extends across the curriculum. A good example seen during the inspection was a Year 5 geography lesson contrasting Wigan with Llandudno, where for part of the lesson the pupils had to close their eyes, think about the two towns and describe the different architecture they could see and the different smells. All the pupils were totally involved in the activity. They thought it was fun, but very good learning was taking place including the ability to recognise and date buildings and understand the inter-dependant relationship between a Northern industrial

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

town and a holiday resort in Victorian times.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The pupils’ behaviour is very good at all times. This results in lessons that are not disrupted and playgrounds that have a happy and friendly atmosphere. The pupils understand the rules and think they are very fair. They enjoy gaining awards. The very good behaviour is particularly noticeable in Years 3 to 6, where the cramped classroom conditions could provide many opportunities for inappropriate behaviour. Movement around the school is orderly. Collective worship has a delightful atmosphere with pupils respectful during prayers. Behaviour in the dining room is good and the pupils have good table manners. No instances of oppressive behaviour were observed during the inspection and the pupils do not consider bullying to be a problem in the school. They expressed confidence in the teachers’ ability to sort out any problems quickly. One pupil was excluded for a day last year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The pupils with learning, behavioural or physical needs all integrate extremely well into school life. They enjoy their work and take a full part in the life of the class. They appreciate the support they receive and try hard with their work. They take part in class discussions and, because the teachers prepare work and questions at the correct level, they are able to achieve success. They make progress in what they do, so they are not frustrated. Because they often work in the classrooms, with support, these pupils do not in any way feel they are missing out on anything that is happening. The sensitive support the pupils receive from teachers and support staff is a major factor in the generally good behaviour they exhibit. Aspull Church Primary School - 12 16. The children in the reception class have very good attitudes to school, to the teachers and adults and to each other. They are polite, courteous and caring. When talking to adults they are well

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

mannered and helpful. In lessons they are really interested in what they do, they work hard, concentrate for a good length of time on the tasks they are given and their behaviour is very good. They like their teacher and respond well to all the adults who help them. These attitudes are due to the high quality of care and attention the children receive from everyone they meet in the school. The teachers and classroom assistants make the children feel valued. They treat the children’s opinions with respect and are always ready to give the children time and attention.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. There is a strong family atmosphere in the school. The pupils are very polite and friendly - they open doors and say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ quite naturally. They make visitors very welcome. When working in pairs or larger groups the pupils know to take turns, collaborate productively and listen well to each other’s ideas and opinions. The way the pupils involve and respect those classmates with impaired hearing is particularly impressive, for example during a Year 4 circle time class discussion, pupils who spoke made sure they were wearing the hearing amplifier.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. The pupils are keen to show initiative, for instance in coming up with ideas to raise money for charities. They are also very keen to help in the running of the school. The many jobs available are tackled conscientiously and range from class monitor duties to manning telephones at lunchtime and preparing the hall for assemblies. The school council has a well-planned consultation process with each class, which enables all pupils to participate in the development of the school. The sensible way subjects are discussed in the classroom shows that the pupils take this responsibility very seriously.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. By the time the pupils leave the school they are very polite, confident and sensible. They are a credit to the school and their parents. Their eagerness to learn is having a major impact on the effectiveness of the teaching and the success of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. The school has succeeded in maintaining the good level of attendance noted in the last inspection. The rate (95.2 per cent) is well above the national average for primary schools. Unauthorised absence is negligible, however the taking of holidays in term time is significant. Last year, around 30 per cent of pupils lost at least a week’s learning due to being taken off school for a holiday. Punctuality is good and registration prompt, ensuring that lessons start on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching is very good and the consequent quality of learning is therefore very good. This represents a very good improvement since the last inspection. The quality of teaching is very good in the reception class, good in Years 1 and 2 and very good in Years 3 to 6.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• the quality of teaching is very good overall; • the quality of learning is very good overall; • the use of the teachers’ specific expertise is resulting in very good learning in several subjects; • the teachers have high expectations, both of what the pupils can achieve and of how they should behave; • the pupils rise to these challenging expectations and achieve well; • the teachers have very good knowledge of the subjects they are to teach and of their pupils; and • the teachers plan very well when there is extra adult help available so that all pupils in their classes benefit.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Areas for development are: Aspull Church Primary School - 13 • the teachers do not always share the learning objective for the lessons with the pupils, so the pupils do not always know what they are expected to learn; and • there are occasions when tasks in literacy lessons are not particularly challenging or exciting. 22. More than three out of four lessons observed during the inspection were good or better with more than two in five being very good or excellent. This represents an improvement since the last inspection. There is some variation between year groups, the teaching being particularly good in the reception class, and in Years 3, 5 and 6. This very good diet of teaching is having a significant impact on the learning and the progress of the pupils. One of the particular reasons for the high proportion of very good and better teaching is the use of the teachers’ particular expertise in a number of subjects. For example the music co-ordinator teaches all the music in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the school. There are a number of other exchanges, in particular the co-ordinators for literacy and numeracy, who are the Year 5 and 6 class teachers, exchange classes for these subjects. The specialist knowledge of these teachers is having a major impact on the standards being attained. All teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subjects that they are expected to teach is very good. The confidence with which the teachers present the lessons retains the interest of the pupils and ensures that they learn knowledge and skills very well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The teachers have particularly high expectations of what the pupils can achieve and of how they should behave. The high standards of discipline set ensure that there is a purposeful working environment in which it is easy for the pupils to learn. The high expectations and encouragement given ensure that the pupils of all ability levels try their hardest and they consequently achieve very well. For example, in an excellent English lesson seen in Year 6, the teacher expected, and got, immaculate behaviour. All the learning objectives for the lesson were related to the pupils’ own writing and the teacher ensured, by very skilful questioning, that the key points were drawn out. In this lesson great enthusiasm for learning was promoted. This enthusiasm for learning and the resulting productivity and interest was a feature of many lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. There are a variety of other adults who often help in lessons. As well as Learning Support Assistants, there are a good number of parents, governors and others who help in class regularly. The teachers plan very well when this extra help is available in their lessons. All supporting adults know exactly what is required of them and which pupils they are expected to be working with. The clear instructions provided for them lead not only to the pupils with whom they are working learning very well, but the teachers are then able to focus their attention more effectively on the smaller group remaining, who also learn very well. The supporting adults are well guided in how to help while the teacher is presenting the lesson and engaging in a question and answer session. The helpers ensure that individuals or small groups are involved and are participating fully in the session, often by rephrasing questions so that the lower attaining pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

can understand at their level, for example.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Although the teachers mostly share the learning objective for the lesson with their pupils, this is not always the case. For example, some teachers ask the question: “What do you think you have achieved?” at the end of the lesson, but again, this is not always the case. The pupils do not, therefore, always have sufficient levels of knowledge of what they are to learn or have learnt. This results in the work in some lessons lacking sufficient focus, as the pupils are unsure of where the work is leading.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. All the teachers know their pupils very well and are well aware of the needs of all the pupils in their classes. They make good provision within their planning, setting appropriate tasks for the various ability groups, thus ensuring that all pupils are fully included in their lessons. However, there are occasions when the higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged. This is particularly noticeable in some literacy lessons, when fairly mundane exercises are set, which are neither challenging nor exciting. The school has a policy for provision for pupils who have particular gifts or talents, but this is a recent policy and has not been implemented. Whilst the school’s marking policy is effective in providing a consistent approach to highlighting pupils’ written mistakes, it is less effective in helping pupils to improve their work. Only a few teachers write very clear guidance on how pupils might improve their work, whilst others restrict

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

themselves to congratulatory comments or ticks. The school has recently developed a policy for Aspull Church Primary School - 14 pupils to annotate and evaluate their own and their classmates’ writing but this has not yet been implemented.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The pupils with SEN are very well taught. The teachers take note of the pupils’ needs as identified in their IEPs and they alter work, activities and approaches accordingly. In the core subjects, particularly English, the provision of special tasks and work at levels according to the needs of pupils, is extremely good. The teachers work very hard to ensure the pupils have every possible chance of success. The teachers keep abreast of new approaches and many of the teachers and support workers are involved in courses to increase their knowledge of various aspects of special needs. During lessons, the teachers make good use of questioning to encourage pupils with SEN to succeed. They know their pupils well and ask questions which are challenging but which enable success and this gives these pupils the confidence to try harder.

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PUPILS?

28. The broadly based curriculum meets all statutory requirements, as it did at the time of the previous inspection. It provides well for the academic and personal development of all the pupils and learning opportunities are good. However, the time allocated to different subjects is currently a little unbalanced. The programme for personal, social and health education provides pupils with regular opportunities to discuss a variety of issues and accept personal responsibility for issues that arise in their lives. An equal opportunities policy is consistently implemented, with no significant difference in achievement because of gender, disability, race or culture. The teachers’ questioning and allocation of jobs within the classroom shows no bias towards any group and the school is fully inclusive of all its pupils.

p.16

PUPILS?

• there are good amounts of time for English and mathematics; • the curriculum for the Foundation Stage is good; • there is very good provision for those pupils with SEN; • the curriculum is enriched by a good range of extra-curricular activities, including trips and expert visitors; • there are good links with the community which enrich learning; • the provision for the pupils’ spiritual development is excellent; and • the provision for the pupils’ moral and social development is very good.

p.16

PUPILS?

• the allocation and use of time for different subjects; and • there is no outdoor play provision for the children in the Foundation Stage during lessons.

p.16

PUPILS?

29. The pupils in the Foundation Stage benefit from a good curriculum that develops their knowledge and understanding across all the recommended areas of learning. However, their experience in physical development is limited because they have no access to a secure outdoor play area and only a very small range of outdoor large equipment, such as wheeled toys.

p.16

PUPILS?

30. The school appropriately places a very good emphasis on the teaching of English and mathematics and implements the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies effectively. Their introduction has supported an improvement in curriculum planning since the last inspection. There are clear learning targets, although these are not always shared with pupils, so that they know what they are going to learn in lessons. The extra time allocated to English is not always used as effectively as it might be. For example, the lessons provided for the pupils to apply their literacy skills in pieces of extended writing, are sometimes used to teach more literacy skills and pupils have insufficient opportunities to write at length. This is less so in Years 5 and 6, where specialist teaching by the co-ordinator is effective in providing good opportunities for pupils to practise their skills in sustained pieces of writing. There is appropriate provision made for sex

p.16

PUPILS?

Aspull Church Primary School - 15 and drugs awareness education. The curriculum is significantly enhanced by a good range of extra-curricular activities, visits to places of interest and visitors into school.

p.17

PUPILS?

31. The curriculum for those pupils with SEN is adapted very well according to their needs. This is particularly good in the core subjects of English and mathematics where very detailed work programmes are prepared specially for pupils with SEN, allowing them to work alongside their peers. Good differentiated activities were observed in all classes. No pupils were excluded from full access to the curriculum to which they are entitled.

p.17

PUPILS?

32. Insufficient time is allowed for some other subjects, such as art and design, design and technology, geography, history and music, which has a slightly adverse effect on the pupils’ progress. Standards in these subjects maintain at least average levels because the school makes very good use of individual teachers’ expertise. The teachers work very hard to ensure that all aspects of work are taught, often providing extra time outside lessons. The pupils could achieve even more if sufficient time was allowed for them to study topics in greater depth. Because of the limited time allowed, there is a focus on learning subject skills and knowledge and the pupils have insufficient opportunities to use their literacy skills in recording what they have learned. A good example of this was seen in geography when the pupils wrote letters to the headteacher about the benefits of a holiday in Llandudno. This was successful in developing the

p.17

PUPILS?

pupils’ understanding of why they need to learn to write letters. The computer suite is used for the teaching of ICT and the pupils are beginning to develop and practise research skills in other subjects. However, there are no computers in classrooms for pupils to use as an everyday tool for learning. For example, they do not draft their stories or poetry onto a computer in the normal course of lessons and learn about the comparative ease of editing through ICT rather than having to rewrite their work.

p.17

PUPILS?

33. The spiritual development of pupils is excellent. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The strong Christian atmosphere within the school permeates all aspects of the pupils’ lives. The support of the local clergy to the parents, the pupils and the teachers is a significant factor in creating a unity of purpose. The school provides very effective opportunities for pupils to explore their feelings about issues concerning them and their world in circle time and group time. The pupils are able to share joys, sadness, views and opinions in a trusting and caring atmosphere. They do so with the confidence that their contributions are respected and valued. For example, in a piece of work presented to a teacher, a pupil wrote about a family bereavement in an open and expressive manner, sharing the depth of sorrow felt. To share so personal an experience is evidence of the quality of trust between teachers and pupils. The

p.17

PUPILS?

teachers encourage the pupils to understand what they do and to respect, care for and take responsibility for themselves, their fellow pupils and their environment. Collective worship provides a rich addition to spiritual development, being primarily of a Christian nature and relating pupils’ experiences to their world. Prayers and hymns are linked to the theme and allow pupils space to be happy, to reflect and to be aware that they are part of a wider community. Prayer corners in classrooms in Years 3 to 6 are used well by pupils who are confident to place names and situations requiring prayer on the board. Everyone treats these with the utmost respect. The pupils respect the ideas and beliefs of those observing religions other than Christianity. Celebrations, which are regarded as important by all the major religions, are respected and understood.

p.17

PUPILS?

34. Moral development in the school is very good and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Everyone in the school works very hard toward helping the pupils to create structures and frameworks for their behaviour. The pupils in Years 3 to 6 devise their own classroom rules and, because they have ownership of them, they follow them. On all occasions, the truth is considered important in the school and pupils know this. They respect each other’s ideas and property. They understand and approve of the school code of behaviour and anti-bullying policy. Throughout the school the pupils have a well-developed sense of right and wrong. In their classrooms, the pupils have the opportunity to discuss behaviour, they know what the teacher regards as acceptable and unacceptable. Due to their good relationships with the teachers and their respect for them, pupils want to be and are well behaved. There are various systems of

p.17

PUPILS?

rewards for good behaviour and examples of good care in the school at all levels, from immediate Aspull Church Primary School - 16 stickers, to merits and stars received and acknowledged in assembly. The pupils actively enjoy taking responsibility to support local and national charities and they also take responsibility for entertaining the elderly and less fortunate at various times of the year. The pupils are encouraged to participate in designing their own play space, in being responsible for looking after features such as the bird table and keeping the grounds litter free.

p.17

PUPILS?

35. Social development in the school is very good. A significant factor is the very good relationships within the school between the pupils of all ages. From their introduction to school life in the reception class, the pupils are encouraged to be responsible for themselves and those around them. When working in groups, the pupils really listen to each other and take seriously what each thinks. They look after their friends and feel it their responsibility to care for any in their midst experiencing difficulties. Various opportunities exist for older pupils to exercise their social care for younger pupils. They assist with snack time in reception, they help infant teachers to organise materials for lessons, they act as monitors in walking pupils into school following breaks and they are effective reading partners for younger pupils. These responsibilities are taken very seriously. During the school day pupils take responsibility for organising equipment

p.18

PUPILS?

such as the overhead projector for assembly, preparing the library and looking after plants. All duties are fulfilled and carried out well. The teachers and adults in the school are very good role models for the pupils. The care felt by all the teachers for all the pupils in all areas of school life is evident in the way they are always available to help, guide or support.

p.18

PUPILS?

36. Cultural development in the school is good. There are a good variety of visits to various places of interest in connection with work, which create opportunities for pupils to increase their understanding of their work. Older pupils have visited the local performing arts centre. Artists and musicians visit the school and hold workshops, which are enjoyed by pupils. There are very good opportunities for pupils to perform in local concerts. The pupils enjoy visiting the theatre and having poets into school to share their work. In assemblies, the pupils learn of the beliefs of followers of different religions in a respectful manner. There are sayings from various cultures around the school. In the classrooms in Years 1 and 2 many posters have very positive images of our multicultural world. There are some minor weaknesses in the area of multicultural education. Although the school has a good variety of multicultural instruments, the pupils are not

p.18

PUPILS?

aware of how these instruments are used in their country of origin. There are too few opportunities for the pupils to study the work of great writers or artists from around the world. The opportunities for pupils to study the lifestyles of peoples around the world within other subjects are not yet fully developed. There are also insufficient opportunities provided to raise the pupils’ awareness of the multicultural nature of British society today.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school considers the care of pupils to be very important – it is the first word in the school motto ‘ caring, sharing, learning’ . Care combined with other Christian principles permeates the whole school. The pupils are well looked after, safe and secure at all times. The high standards seen during the last inspection have been maintained. There are good procedures for monitoring the pupils’ academic progress and standards in this area have been maintained since the last inspection. There have been improvements in the way the school uses assessment information to track the progress of the pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

• a very caring school; • good procedures for ensuring child protection; • effective procedures for promoting attendance; • very effective procedures from promoting good behaviour and eliminating oppressive behaviour; • good procedures for monitoring the pupils’ personal development; and • good procedures for monitoring the pupils’ academic progress.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

An area for development is Aspull Church Primary School - 17 • to reduce the incidence of pupils taking holidays in term time.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school is a very friendly community where everybody is treated with respect. Staff do not shout and they know the pupils well. They listen with consideration to any concerns the pupils may have. Supervision is good at all times. Good table manners are insisted on at lunchtime; however the dining room has an institutional feel that does not match the family atmosphere of the rest of the school day. Parents are correct when they told the inspectors that they considered the school is ’Christian and caring’.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for child protection are good. The named person has been fully trained and staff are regularly reminded of the school’s procedures. This area was criticised in the last inspection and has clearly improved. Health and safety procedures are very good. The Local Education Authority (LEA) recently conducted a comprehensive audit and all the recommendations within the school’s responsibility have been or are being acted on. Governors regularly inspect the premises, all the necessary safety checks are carried out and there is a good level of first aid cover. Healthy eating is promoted, for example by offering fruit to pupils every day.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are effective. Registers are well kept, detailing reasons for all absences and these are monitored weekly. All messages from parents are clearly recorded. Good use is made when necessary of the educational welfare service. Although absence is low by national standards, the incidence of holidays in term time is significant. This issue has not been adequately addressed by the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Procedures for promoting good behaviour are very effective and fit very comfortably within the school’s Christian and caring ethos. Their success is due to:

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

• high standards expected at all times; • simple rules that are considered fair and applied consistently throughout the school; and • an emphasis on looking for and rewarding good behaviour.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Inappropriate behaviour is subject to clear sanctions. Very good records of any instances of bad behaviour, including bullying, are recorded in the class behaviour book and in lunchtime logs. The school’s attitudes to bullying and racism are very effectively conveyed to the pupils in class discussions and in assemblies. From the records, bullying is not a problem in the school (a point confirmed by pupils) and there have been no incidents of racism.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has good procedures for monitoring and supporting the pupils’ personal development. The teachers know their pupils very well and keep good records of the way they develop. The pupils’ views and concerns are discovered in class discussions and by using questionnaires for the older pupils. The school council provides an effective forum for airing school-wide issues. The sections on personal development in the pupils’ annual reports, although sometimes brief, are sound and reflect a clear knowledge of each pupil by their teacher and the headteacher.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. As at the time of the previous inspection, there is a good range of assessment procedures in Years 1 to 6 that are consistently applied. Those for the Foundation Stage have improved and are also good. Since the previous inspection, the school has improved the way it records and uses its assessment information in English and mathematics so that the teachers can track the progress of groups and individual pupils. Teachers set targets for improvement and review them each term. Targets in English are particularly well used to promote good progress for all pupils. Results of national tests are analysed and highlight areas for curriculum improvement. For example, it was noted that reading in Years 1 and 2 was a weakness in tests in 1999 and 2000 and the co-ordinator worked effectively alongside the teachers to raise standards in 2001. Assessment procedures in other subjects are not as well developed. Although records are kept,

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

these are not linked to National Curriculum attainment levels to help teachers measure progress. The school has recognised this and plans are in place to improve the system.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. A very good programme of school assessment is used to identify, monitor and record the Aspull Church Primary School - 18 progress of SEN pupils throughout the school. This is supported by good quality IEPs which clearly identify learning targets and give time scales for achievement. Diagnostic testing is carried out regularly to supplement school assessment. When required, external agencies are asked to provide assessments with associated guidance for pupils. This is particularly so when pupils have difficulties such as hearing loss. The school then provides specific equipment, such as sound systems with microphones in the classrooms and hall, to enable the pupils to participate. Records kept by the school are all up to date and comprehensive. They show that the school obtains all possible help and support for each pupil from whatever source is available. Aspull Church Primary School - 19

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Parents are pleased with the school and support its aims. This judgement is based on an analysis of the parents’ questionnaires (over 50 percent of parents responded), the pre-inspection parents’ meeting and conversations with parents during the inspection. This judgement is similar to the last inspection.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

• the high expectation the school has of their children; • the good behaviour of the pupils; • that their children like school; • the quality of the leadership and management; • the good quality of the teaching; • the approachability of staff; and • the strong emphasis on Christian principles.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. All the positive views match the inspection team’s judgements.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Some parents do not think that there is an interesting range of activities outside lessons. The inspectors do not agree with these parents. They judge that there is a good range, considering the number of school clubs, the variety of visits and visitors to the school and the links with the local churches and community.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The quality of information for parents is good. The school brochure, the governors’ annual report and the regular newsletters are informative and easy to read. Parents are well informed on what pupils are being taught with a curriculum newsletter every term. This was a point criticised in the last report. There are opportunities in the Autumn and Spring terms for parents to meet their child’s teacher when progress and targets are discussed, effectively allowing parents to be involved in their child’s learning. The pupils’ reports are satisfactory, however a few contain educational jargon and what the pupil needs to do to improve is not always expressed specifically enough to be useful to parents. The inspectors agree with those parents who pointed out that arrangements to discuss the report with their child’s teacher are not clear or well publicised. This is unsatisfactory.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The school works very hard at involving parents in the life of the school and their children’s learning. Questionnaires are used to gauge parents’ views and opinions with action taken to resolve any issues, for instance more information is now provided about school meals. Homework diaries are used effectively to inform parents about homework and allow two-way communication between home and school. Many parents help in the classroom and this help is very well organised and makes a significant contribution to the pupils’ learning. Governors who are parents are active in the running of the school. The Friends’ Association is very successful in arranging functions for the pupils and their parents. The inspectors do not agree with the few parents who think that the school does not work closely with parents.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. There are very good links with parents of the pupils with SEN. Regular meetings take place to discuss their children’s progress. These meetings are well documented. The school works closely with many parents. In the Foundation Stage there are special meetings of parents prior to the pupils starting school to enable parents to become aware of how the school works and the expectations of pupils behaviour. This is then developed and parents of any pupils who have SEN are invited into school and everything the school does is shared with them. Some pupils have home/school books, which enable teachers and parents to keep in daily contact. The co- ordinator for SEN is always available to make appointments to talk to parents whenever they have a concern.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Overall, considering the parents’ positive views of the school, the good quality of the information to parents and the extent to which parents are involved in the school, the partnership is judged to be very effective. This is having a positive impact on the pupils’ learning. Aspull Church Primary School - 20

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The quality of leadership and management of the school is very good overall. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and very clear direction for the school and she is very ably supported by her deputy and the curriculum co- ordinators. The members of the governing body have a good grasp of their responsibilities and provide good support for the school. There is an excellent evaluative culture in the school which ensures that all that is done is monitored and checked for validity.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Strengths in leadership and management are:

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• excellent leadership of the headteacher; • delegation to staff with management responsibilities and the very good way that they fulfil their roles; • good support of the governing body to the management of the school; • excellent monitoring and evaluation of all that is done in the school; • a very good shared commitment to improve; • support staff are very good and well trained; and • the use of the teachers’ particular expertise is very effective in raising standards.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• there is no co-ordinator for geography or history; • there is no secure outdoor play area for the children in the reception class, with appropriate play equipment; • the classrooms are too small, particularly in Year 3 to 6; and • the library does not have an adequate stock of up-to-date reference books.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The headteacher gives very clear leadership to the school and is very ably supported by her deputy. Subject co-ordinators and the Foundation Stage co-ordinator have been given considerable responsibility for raising standards in their own subjects. They have taken on this role very well and each contributes significantly to the shared commitment to improve. There is no co-ordinator for geography or history at present, although plans are in place to address this shortcoming. There is effective communication between subject co-ordinators in terms of cross- curricular links and the development of literacy and numeracy skills. The Key Stage Managers, who play a key role in the management of the school, oversee this communication. The school has an ethos of striving for high standards that is very much at the heart of everything that is done in the school. Standards in this area have improved since the last inspection.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The governors provide good support and a good range of expertise, which is used well. Their role has developed since the last inspection. An improvement is that they are now very well informed about the school. They work very effectively with the headteacher and staff and play an effective role in shaping the future direction and work of the school. Many of them spend considerable time in school and this ensures that they have a clear understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Governors have responsibility for particular curriculum areas and this gives a focus to their visits and ensures that the curriculum co-ordinators have a link to the governing body.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. Provision for the pupils with SEN is very well managed. Documentation and the monitoring of provision and pupils’ progress in the area is very good. The co-ordinator for SEN keeps staff updated of all new initiatives and attends regular training. Staff are well supported in terms of professional development and many are involved in courses leading to certification in areas of special needs provision. There is very good liaison between the school and other professionals who have specific expertise which will benefit pupils. The governors are kept fully informed of SEN work by the SEN co-ordinator. The SEN governor is fully aware of what is happening in the school, but does not report on the area to governors’ meetings. All specific funds for special needs are spent wisely with care being taken to ensure best value. Aspull Church Primary School - 21 56. The school’s monitoring and evaluation of its performance is excellent. The Senior Management

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Team and subject co-ordinators monitor learning very effectively. This monitoring is well planned and clearly aimed at raising standards. It has resulted in improved teaching and learning since the last inspection. Curriculum co-ordinators have opportunities to monitor teaching and this is effective in raising standards. Some very good analysis has been carried out of results in the national tests in order to plan for improvements. This analysis is being effective in providing the school with areas for development. For example, the school’s analysis has shown areas of weakness within reading and some gender imbalance, which it has already addressed.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school development plan is a useful document in planning for future developments. It is very clearly set out with the areas for development established by analysis within school. All staff have an input into areas for development and a very careful overview is kept of the whole process of forming and monitoring the plan. However, the plan does not currently provide a long-term view of future developments. Although there is a scheme for the review of policies and longer-term plans are in another format, these do not form part of the overall plan.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school governors and the headteacher make very good use of all the specific grants available to them. They also seek additional funding wherever they can find it. Day-to-day management of finances is very efficient within school, the school having bought in the services of a bursar. The school also benefits from the services of the bursar in that she gives an added dimension to strategic budgetary planning and financial commitments. Finances are very clearly linked to educational priorities both in the school development plan and in the day-to-day management of the budget. The school office is run very efficiently, exuding friendliness and efficiency and releasing the day-to-day administration from the shoulders of the headteacher and other teachers.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Overall, staffing provision is very good. There is a good number of well qualified teachers and the school makes very good use of individuals’ expertise in specialist teaching in many subjects. This is effective in promoting high standards in English, mathematics and music and in maintaining average standards in other subjects, where curriculum time is limited. The very good number of well trained and well informed support staff play a significant part in the good progress made by pupils who are lower attainers or who have SEN.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The school building is attractive but classrooms are of inadequate size for the numbers of pupils in them, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Whilst some classrooms have already been extended there is insufficient room for a practical approach to teaching and there is no room for computers within classrooms so that teachers can develop ICT skills in all subjects regularly. There is no secure outdoor play area for the children in the Foundation Stage and only a very limited range of large outdoor play equipment with which to develop their physical skills. Resources for other areas of the curriculum are satisfactory but many of the non-fiction books in the library are outdated, which limits pupils’ opportunities for independent research. However, good use of book collections from elsewhere helps to compensate for this shortage.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The school has established very good financial procedures that are based firmly upon the principle of best value. Taking into account all relevant factors, the school provides very good value for money.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. In order to continue to raise standards, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) ensure that a balanced amount of time is spent on all subjects of the curriculum and that time is used well (paragraphs 9, 10, 28, 32, 64, 74, 81, 91, 93, 101, 103, 104, 107, 108, 116, 121, 122);

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) ensure that there are more opportunities for the pupils to develop and practise their writing skills in a variety of styles, both in English lessons and in other subjects Aspull Church Primary School - 22 (paragraphs 6, 30, 71, 74, 105, 109);

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) provide opportunities for the children in the reception class to enjoy structured outdoor play with suitable equipment and in an appropriate secure environment (paragraphs 28, 29, 52, 64, 69).

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the areas for development above, the governors should consider the following for inclusion in their action plan:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) implement the policy for gifted and talented pupils that already exists within the school (paragraphs 2, 26);

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) work together with the Local Education Authority and the churches to increase further the size of the classrooms, particularly in Key Stage 2 (paragraphs 14, 52, 60, 74);

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) improve the stock of non-fiction books in the library (paragraphs 52, 60, 73, 106, 110);

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) increase the pupils’ awareness of the multicultural nature of British society (paragraph 36). Aspull Church Primary School - 23

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 46

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than two percentage points.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 201

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 11

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 11

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 37

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 20

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

p.25

Attendance

School data 4.8 School data 0.0 Aspull Church Primary School - 24 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.25

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Aspull Church Primary School - 25

p.26

Attainment at the end of Years 1 and 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 12 25

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 1 and 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 1 and 2

Boys 13 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 12 12

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 1 and 2

Percentage of pupils School 100 (77) 100 (90) 100 (80) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 1 and 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 1 and 2

Boys 13 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 12 12

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 1 and 2

Percentage of pupils School 100 (90) 100 (93) 100 (80) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 1 and 2

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

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 3 to 6

Number of registered pupils in Year 6 for the latest reporting year 2001 10 14 24

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 3 to 6

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 3 to 6

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 3 to 6

Percentage of pupils School 79 (100) 79 (92) 88 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 3 to 6

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 3 to 6

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 3 to 6

Percentage of pupils School 83 (96) 83 (92) 88 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Years 3 to 6

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. There are no separate figures for the performance of boys and girls in Years 3 to 6 as there are only 10 boys in the cohort and statistical evidence from small cohorts is not reliable. Aspull Church Primary School - 26

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 2 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.3 Financial year 2000/01

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 370 998

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 14 Total expenditure 357 164

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 189 Expenditure per pupil 1 880

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 20 746

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 33 880

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1.3

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Aspull Church Primary School - 27

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 49 42 7 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 51 2 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 41 50 8 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 45 14 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 30 4 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 66 32 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 42 43 11 4 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 61 35 3 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 51 43 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 30 30 21 4 14

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Percentage of responses in each category

Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding Aspull Church Primary School - 28

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. On entering the reception class, children’s standards of achievement are average. A small minority of pupils is above average and a few children are identified as having learning needs. On leaving the reception class, the majority of pupils are successful in achieving all the early learning goals 1 and a good proportion of children achieve standards above those expected for their age. The children with SEN achieve standards appropriate for their age and ability. Standards in the Foundation Stage have improved since the last inspection.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The school uses existing accommodation well, creating a good learning environment for children. Resources in the Foundation Stage are good and contribute effectively to the quality of the children’s learning. The quality of teaching the children receive is very good. All the adults involved assist in creating a warm, welcoming, secure and stimulating environment. This makes the children’s first experiences in school interesting, happy and constructive. Good relationships and trust between the children and the staff allow children to explore ideas whilst confident to request help. The teachers are sensitive to children’s needs and organise challenging tasks appropriate to their abilities. The praise and encouragement given by the teachers and the high expectations they have for the children are rewarded in the children’s success and achievement. The children receive considerable individual support and respond positively to the challenges

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

presented. The teacher’s knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum is secure. The planning provides a curriculum covering all early learning goals with activities presented in interesting and imaginative ways at levels appropriate to the children’s needs. The staff keep good records of what work is covered during lessons. The results of thorough assessment procedures are used to plan learning and to enable the children to begin the National Curriculum when they are ready. A few reception children work within the first level of the National Curriculum in literacy and mathematics. Provision of good quality, thorough, individual support plans for children with SEN ensures they make good progress. All children have equal access to activities, are taught to respect each other and value what each can offer. Parents and school work very closely together in the Foundation Stage. There is an excellent programme to familiarise new parents with the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

school and the work undertaken in the Foundation Stage.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• very effective teaching, which leads to very good learning; • excellent induction procedures, which enable the children to settle quickly into school; • good teamwork between all adults and the very good briefing adult helpers receive when they work with the children; and • the individual attention given to children to ensure that work is appropriate to their needs.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• provision of safe, enclosed outdoor facilities and equipment for learning; and • the timing of the Foundation Stage day to more closely reflect the needs of this age group.

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Personal, social and emotional development

65. The quality of teaching is very good. The learning and the progress made by the children are very good. Their attainment in this area is well above that normally expected for children of this age. The children interact very well with each other, showing consideration and kindness. In lessons the children concentrate well, many are productively involved for quite long periods on particular tasks. In group activities the children work well together, being responsible for tidying up their

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Personal, social and emotional development

1 The early learning goals are the expected levels of achievement for children when they start the subjects of the National Curriculum. Aspull Church Primary School - 29 materials and putting everything in the correct place. Snacks are available throughout the morning and the children make their own decisions as to when they are ready for them. As they arrive at school, the children successfully hang up photographs to show they are in school, then place labels on the milk and snack lists to show if they wish to have these during the morning. Their level of independence is impressive and is greatly assisted by a special behaviour programme used in the class. This successfully uses praise and encouragement to build self- esteem and reinforce good practice. Because the teachers make clear what is expected in the classroom, the children settle well into school routines, listening attentively. The children are

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Personal, social and emotional development

polite and responsive to their teacher, to helpers and to visitors. Sharing equipment, taking turns and being aware of those around them, the children confidently express their feelings to friends and teachers. The Christian ethos of the school is very apparent in the care and attention given to each individual child. Consequently, the children also show a very high level of care and concern for each other. They have trust in their teacher and share personal feelings and events in their group time, enjoying each other’s joys and sharing each other’s sadness.

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Communication, language and literacy

66. The quality of teaching in this area of the curriculum is good. As a result, the children learn well and they make good progress. Because areas are well organised with good language on display, the children talk and role-play well, developing their vocabulary. In group sessions, the teacher encourages the children to speak aloud with increasing clarity and confidence about their likes and dislikes. The children use good sentences and listen carefully to their teachers and to each other. Building upon a good knowledge of the children, the teacher asks questions that really challenge them to think. The children want to learn and to please which results in good progress being made. The children are making a sound start with early reading skills. They play games, which involve the recognition of alphabet sounds and they are quick and accurate with answers. Some children recognise a few printed words and they can read simple texts

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Communication, language and literacy

accurately. If they meet a new word they are very good at using their knowledge of sounds to help them build up the word correctly. The children talk about pictures with enthusiasm and understand that print has a meaning. The most able children are beginning to write, and their work shows good progress, developing from simple marks at the beginning of the school year to producing simple sentences that make sense. For example, they write letters to a family of mice and receive answers each week. This maintains their enthusiasm and creates a desire to write. The most able pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to write at greater length than the other children.

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Mathematical development

67. The quality of teaching, attainment and learning in this area is good. The children make good progress moving from exercises involving colouring in a set number of items at the beginning of their time to writing and recognising numerals and performing simple additions with numbers to 5. Working with money, the children are quick to identify coins to 5p and have great fun using these coins in their shop, buying and selling goods. In this way they are enjoying the experience of learning. The children have good opportunities to engage in practical and investigative work and the teacher provides a wide range of activities to extend their skills and understanding of numbers. They particularly enjoy a musical dice game, involving matching the numbers on a dice with either a single number they have in their hand or the sum of two numbers they hold in their hand. Questions provided challenged each child at a level appropriate to their ability and the

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Mathematical development

use of praise and encouragement by the teacher was a significant factor in the development of the children’s positive attitudes to maths. Using construction equipment, the children are quick to recognise and describe different geometrical shapes and talk about them, counting edges and corners and using an increasing vocabulary to describe their models, for example, ‘my rocket is long and narrow and will go straight up into the sky.’ The children successfully sort shapes into groups according to their shape and size. The children’s mathematical language is developed well and, as they play, adults continually encourage them to use and develop appropriate, relevant mathematical terms. Playing in the sand, children use vocabulary, such as ‘full’ and ‘empty’, correctly. Aspull Church Primary School - 30

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

68. The quality of teaching, attainment, learning and progress is good. A well-planned curriculum offers the children experiences that provide them with good opportunities to learn about their world. Computers are accessible in the classroom. The children are using the mouse and experimenting with simple programs linked to literacy. For example, when following an introductory reading program, the children could use the mouse to click onto an answer and move the programme forward. The children use the correct terminology to identify parts of the computer such as keyboard, screen, mouse and printer. In a lesson about digital cameras, the children were able to use the camera to take passport photographs and the fun they had made learning a joyful experience. Looking at photographs from the past enabled the children to develop their language and they talked about the differences in clothing and hairstyles between

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

then and now. The children respond enthusiastically and are very keen and curious to extend their information about everything. They chatter about their journeys to school as they arrive and the teacher uses every opportunity to involve them in considering directions and observing what they see. As part of learning about healthy eating, children have fruit each day. During an assembly, the children were able to understand how stories from the past, particularly those from the Bible, could be relevant to them now and they were good at considering how they may feel in situations similar to those in the stories.

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Physical development

69. The quality of teaching and learning made by the children is very good and, on occasion, excellent. The children perform at levels much higher than expected in most aspects of the subject for their age, handling apparatus confidently, climbing, jumping, crawling and combining movements into short sequences. The intervention of the teacher and support staff is very good. Asking children questions about how to improve their work, the answers they receive show how carefully children are thinking about what they do. Following hard work, one child asked, ‘Can I show my slide, I’ve practised and it’s much better now!’ The children understand and react appropriately to directions they are given and make very good progress throughout their lesson. When asked to move, children show they fully understand and can react to a range of vocabulary, such as ‘slow, fast, walk, run, towards, together.’ The children have an excellent

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Physical development

awareness of safety when using apparatus and offer information such as, ‘We only shout if we are in trouble and need help.’ Undertaking a variety of classroom tasks, children manipulate construction equipment with ease, cut and glue competently and they manage small equipment in mathematics carefully. The curriculum in this area is severely restricted due to the lack of outdoor provision.

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Creative development

70. Achievement, teaching and learning are good. When making boats, the children made good designs, and then chose different materials to make their boats. Using glue and scissors carefully, they worked hard and conscientiously to create their models. The encouragement they received helped them to concentrate for a very good period of time. As they tested out their boats on the water, the teacher asked questions which developed their vocabulary and, when asked why a boat did not sink, a child replied, ‘Because it has no holes in it, it is waterproof.’ The teacher immediately built upon this and talked about the word ‘watertight’. The children make good progress with observational skills. When undertaking close, personal observations, their representations of what they see reflect their increasing capacity to observe accurately and they draw interesting pictures of themselves. The children enjoy singing; they are tuneful and

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Creative development

learn many songs and rhymes by heart, remembering words well. They listen very well and their concentration is very good. This is due to the exciting teaching they receive which stimulates their interest and maintains their enthusiasm throughout the lesson. The children enjoyed a story about a chick hatching from its shell and they then created sounds they thought it might make. They handled percussion instruments extremely well and their behaviour was exemplary. The children could follow the directions the teacher gave and they stopped and started their sounds as requested. By the end of the lesson the children could perform their own musical story, attaining standards much higher than those normally expected for this age group. Aspull Church Primary School - 31

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ENGLISH

71. Pupils enter Year 1 with average standards and make good progress through the school in all aspects of the subject, with accelerated progress in Years 5 and 6. This is an improvement on the satisfactory progress made at the time of the previous inspection. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average and by the end of Year 6 are well above average, with almost all pupils attaining the levels expected for their age and an above average number exceeding this level. This reflects significant improvement on the average standards noted at the time of the previous inspection and on the results of the national tests in 2001, at the end of Year 6.

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ENGLISH

• good achievement and high standards; • the good quality of teaching and learning, particularly in Years 5 and 6; • an excellent standard of leadership and management, which has promoted improvement; • the use of assessment information to set targets and track pupils’ progress; and • the good support given by parents and the community.

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ENGLISH

• to provide more opportunities for extended writing in English and in other subjects; • to provide more interesting and challenging tasks in independent working sessions in the Literacy Hour; • to provide more opportunities for pupils to practise their skills in finding information in books; • to provide more opportunities for role-play and drama; and • to improve the consistency of marking so that it informs pupils how they can achieve more.

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ENGLISH

72. Inspection evidence shows that at the end of Years 2 and 6, standards in speaking and listening are above average. The pupils listen very carefully to their teachers so that they understand what they are to do and follow instructions carefully. They are confident in participating in class discussions and both answering and asking questions, using a good range of vocabulary. As they move through the school, the teachers develop the pupils’ range of vocabulary well by focusing on specific words to be used in each topic, both in English and in other subjects. By the end of Year 6, the pupils have good skills in arguing their case and their descriptive vocabulary is good, enabling them to express their opinions or feelings clearly. Insufficient opportunities are provided for the pupils to develop their expressive speaking skills further, through role-play or the use of drama in other subjects.

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ENGLISH

73. Standards in reading are above average at the end of Year 2 and well above average at the end of Year 6. Parents are involved in their children’s reading from an early age through successful workshops and home-school projects. The pupils derive much pleasure from books and by the end of Year 6 are enthusiastic readers and are knowledgeable about literature. The pupils with SEN and those who are lower attainers enjoy reading as much as average and higher attainers and make good progress. Shared and group reading sessions promote a keen interest, because the texts used appeal to all pupils. Lower attainers and those with SEN take a full part in joint reading sessions, with confidence, because of the very good support provided by teachers and support staff. Younger pupils learn letter sounds and names and use these with confidence to help them read new words. Those who are lower attainers, or who have SEN, are given individual

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ENGLISH

support to help them make good progress, whilst higher attainers move on to more complex letter patterns to help them tackle increasingly difficult vocabulary, reading fluently with good expression. By the end of Year 6, almost all pupils read at the level expected for their age. Higher attainers, over a quarter of the year group, do so with fluency and expression and discuss and compare characters and themes with good understanding. The pupils know a wide range of authors and eagerly discuss their favourites, comparing different books by the same author. However, although they learn how to look up information in reference books, using the contents and index pages, few apply this skill confidently; this is a weakness in reading. The range of non-fiction texts available is outdated and does not support this aspect of work well. The pupils Aspull Church Primary School - 32 are more confident in locating information on the Internet.

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ENGLISH

74. In writing, standards are above average in Year 2 and well above average at the end of Year 6. This improvement for Year 6 is because almost all pupils are attaining the level expected for their age and about a quarter of the year group are now attaining at a higher level. This improvement has been achieved through very good use of assessment information to target groups and individuals, such as a more special focus on boys’ writing, which was an identified weakness and the use of specialist teaching in Years 5 and 6. The school has been successful in raising the attainment of its lower attaining pupils, by providing very good support throughout lessons, in all classes. Standards of handwriting are very good and work is presented well. However, whilst pupils learn good literacy skills, their opportunities to develop and practise these in extended pieces of writing are limited. Additional lessons are provided for extended writing. However,

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ENGLISH

these are sometimes used for further teaching of literacy skills and short written exercises, rather than allowing pupils to write at length, expressing themselves creatively and drafting and redrafting their work to improve its quality. This also affects the attitudes of many older pupils, who identify writing in English as their least favourite subject because there is too much of it. Despite this, they work very hard in lessons and show pride in their work. Whilst computers are used to present some written work in ICT lessons, they are not used sufficiently in classrooms, partly because of lack of space. This means that pupils do not have opportunities to recognise their value as an everyday writing tool, particularly in drafting and redrafting their work. Because of the short time allowed for other subjects, pupils have insufficient time to apply literacy skills in recorded work across the whole curriculum and opportunities are thus missed to bring a purpose

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ENGLISH

to what they learn. A very good example of how it can be used to good effect was seen in a Year 5 geography lesson, when pupils wrote persuasive letters to the headteacher about the benefits of a holiday by the seaside. Parents provide good support for their children with homework, such as writing extended autobiographies. Both they and the local community contribute well to learning by provision of resources for writing.

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ENGLISH

75. Teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is good throughout the school. It is very good in Years 5 and 6, where the co-ordinator provides specialist teaching. The teachers have good subject knowledge and plan well to meet the needs of their pupils. They have high expectations of their pupils and very good relationships with them, which are amply rewarded by the way that pupils concentrate well and work hard throughout lessons. Literacy lessons are well structured, making good use of time and resources to interest pupils. Support staff are particularly well used to support lower attaining pupils and those with SEN to take a full part and the quality of teamwork between all adults is a strength. The pupils with SEN consequently make good progress. Introductory sessions are usually lively and clear and pupils understand what it is they are going to learn. Independent work varies in quality. The teachers match tasks

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ENGLISH

to build on pupils’ achievements appropriately but, in a few lessons, there is an over-reliance on using commercial materials. In these lessons, pupils spend too much time copying from textbooks and this limits their focus on the lesson’s learning target and therefore the progress that they make. In Years 5 and 6, tasks are more stimulating and engage the pupils more in focusing on their learning objectives. At the end of lessons, teachers share pupils’ work with the rest of the class but few discuss how well pupils have actually achieved the learning targets so that they know how much they have learned. All teachers mark the pupils’ work regularly but there are some inconsistencies between the way in which they write comments. Whilst there is clear guidance given to older pupils on how they can improve their work and reach their personal targets, comments for other pupils are often just congratulatory and are not linked to the learning

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ENGLISH

76. Excellent leadership and management has led to significant improvements. There is a rigorous whole school approach to the systematic monitoring of teaching and learning and very effective action is taken to remedy weaknesses identified. Whole school policies for teaching and assessing the basic skills are implemented effectively and the school is committed to building further on these. For example, a new policy for helping pupils to evaluate and improve their own work and that of others by annotating their writing has been developed, although not yet implemented. Assessment information is very well used to set school, class, group and individual targets and progress towards achievement of these is checked frequently. Results of Aspull Church Primary School - 33 the National Curriculum tests are analysed thoroughly to identify areas of concern and remedial action is taken. The curriculum is enriched well by the visits of authors, poets and special

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ENGLISH

events, such as Book Weeks. There is a very clear understanding of what the school needs to do to improve further and a strong commitment to achieving it. Aspull Church Primary School - 34

p.35

MATHEMATICS

77. The standard of attainment in mathematics is above average by Year 2 and well above average by Year 6. The pupils, including those with SEN, make good progress and achieve well in all aspects of the subject. This reflects the results of the most recent national tests. Improvement since the last inspection is good.

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MATHEMATICS

• above average standards for pupils aged seven and well above average standards by eleven; • the pupils enjoy mathematics and they are encouraged to think mathematically; • the very good quality of teaching and learning; • excellent subject leadership and management; and • the pupils’ attitudes to their learning and their very good behaviour.

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MATHEMATICS

• to ensure that curriculum time is always used to best advantage.

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MATHEMATICS

78. By the age of seven, the pupils have a very good knowledge of addition and subtraction facts to ten and make increasing use of mental strategies to find answers. They confidently check their answers using a number line or square but many use mental strategies well. Most of the pupils have a secure knowledge of place value to 100, can order numbers up to 100 and recognise number sequences and patterns. The pupils become increasingly adept at doubling, halving, counting in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s in ascending and descending order and predicting the next number in the sequence. The pupils gain a good understanding of number patterns and are urged to use appropriate mathematical language in regular mental starter sessions. The majority can sort and name a range of two-dimensional shapes, including pentagons and hexagons and they are beginning to describe properties such as the number of sides, angles and vertices.

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MATHEMATICS

79. By the age of eleven, the pupils can solve challenging computations using the four number operations. Many work accurately with numbers greater than 1000 and they develop a clear knowledge of fractions and successfully simplify them. Most have a good understanding of decimal notation. The pupils gain a good knowledge of measurement, many can calculate perimeter and area accurately and the pupils have a good knowledge of angles and lines of symmetry and can describe the properties of a range of shapes. The pupils collect information and learn to draw a variety of graphs and can interpret graphical information well. The pupils cover the full range of mathematical topics between the ages of seven and eleven. The good emphasis on practical approaches, the correct use of mathematical terms, the frequent use of probing questions by the teachers and the setting of challenging work ensure most pupils

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MATHEMATICS

80. The pupils’ attitudes to learning are very positive and their behaviour is very good. This is a direct reflection of skilled teaching and has a very positive influence on the standards achieved. The pupils of all abilities respond positively to well-organised lessons in the certain knowledge that their teachers value them and their efforts. The majority of older pupils show a good capacity to work independently and clearly enjoy the challenge of the subject.

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MATHEMATICS

81. The quality of teaching is very good. The teaching is best in Years 5 and 6 where both classes are taken by the co-ordinator. Across the school the teachers have a consistent approach to the teaching of numeracy. They successfully build on the National Numeracy Strategy and usually ensure the ‘mental starter’ part of the lesson is both lively and challenging. This is occasionally not the case when the time allowed for mathematics lessons is too long. There are numerous examples of teachers asking challenging questions and urging the pupils to think quickly and to have confidence in explaining their methods. This boosts their confidence and often promotes a sense of fun. For example, in a very good lesson seen in Year 3, the teacher developed a game to reinforce the multiples of 50, which involved all the pupils, was carried out at a snappy pace and was challenging for pupils of all abilities.

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MATHEMATICS

Aspull Church Primary School - 35 82. The teachers have a very good knowledge of the subject and the well-planned whole-school framework for the subject supports them well in the planning of lessons. The result is that pupils acquire appropriate mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding. The teaching of basic number skills is very good. Most teachers use a good range of methods to promote learning and they manage learning well. Good levels of interest and concentration are fostered in the pupils. For example, in a lesson observed in Year 5, there was considerable enthusiasm for a game introduced in the mental and oral start to the lesson, which the teacher wisely stopped while the pupils were still very much involved in it. The enthusiasm generated then flowed on to the learning objective for the main part of the lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

83. The quality of the curriculum is good. The school’s planning for the subject has been effectively updated to further strengthen the teaching of numeracy. This framework provides good guidance for teachers and ensures appropriate breadth and balance across all aspects of the subject. The good range of learning activities is relevant to pupils’ learning needs and the provision for pupils with SEN is good. The school successfully ensures all groups of pupils participate fully in the learning programme. Boys and girls often work together and the learning needs of pupils of differing abilities, including those with SEN, are well considered. This is largely due to the good numbers of very well trained and guided learning support assistants available in lessons. There are good arrangements to monitor pupils’ progress in mathematics. The school makes very effective use of the performance data provided by a well-planned programme of tests, to group

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MATHEMATICS

pupils, set targets and to ensure the planned curriculum is sufficiently challenging.

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MATHEMATICS

84. The leadership provided by the co-ordinator is excellent. She has maintained a clear educational direction for the subject. This is clearly reflected in the consistent teaching of numeracy and the pupils’ enjoyment of the subject. Appropriate areas for development are identified and form part of the school’s strategy for improvement. The subject is satisfactorily resourced but although suitable use is made of information and communication technology to reinforce and extend pupils’ learning in some classes, this is not yet an established feature of the mathematics programme in all classes.

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SCIENCE

85. Standards in science are above average by the time the children leave Year 2 and are well above average by the time they leave the school. This reflects the results of the most recent National Curriculum tests. The pupils make good progress as they go through the school. Pupils of all ability levels, including those with SEN, generally achieve well. Improvement since the last inspection is good.

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SCIENCE

• the above average standards achieved by pupils at the age of seven; • the well above average standards being achieved by pupils by the time they leave the school; • the very good quality of experimental and investigative work being done; • the good quality of teaching; • the good quality of learning; • the very good pupils’ attitudes and behaviour; and • the good leadership of the subject.

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SCIENCE

• there is insufficient time allocated to the subject in some classes; • the planned curriculum has not been adapted to suit the school’s needs; and • assessment is not as well developed as in the other core subjects of English and mathematics.

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SCIENCE

86. Throughout the school the quality of teaching is good. The teachers are good at planning to deliver each topic through an investigative and experimental approach. This approach is aided by Aspull Church Primary School - 36 the commercial scheme of work that the school has recently adopted. However, this scheme is in its first year of use and has not yet been adapted to suit the needs of the school. For example, in a lesson observed, the teacher realised after she had presented the lesson that it would have been more effective had she given the pupils less information and let them devise the experiment for themselves.

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SCIENCE

87. The teachers are very good at asking questions to encourage the pupils to explain their thinking. For example, in a lesson in Year 5, the teacher asked very challenging questions when introducing an experiment on germination of seeds. Her questions encouraged the pupils to link their prior knowledge of the needs of a plant with the experiment that they were to plan on germination. Similarly, in Year 6, the teacher’s very skilled questioning enabled the pupils to explain in some depth their understanding of reversible and irreversible changes and the possible indicators of a chemical change.

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SCIENCE

88. The experimental and investigative approach works very well partly because of the teachers’ very good management of their pupils. They set very high standards, both of expected behaviour and of the work that they expect their pupils to achieve. The very purposeful atmosphere created in the classrooms ensures that the pupils concentrate very well. The pupils are also expected to organise themselves and their resources to a significant degree. This independence gives them a very responsible attitude towards their own learning. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, the pupils were sorting materials and saying whether they were man-made or natural. They handled all the equipment very sensibly and were fully involved in the task.

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SCIENCE

89. The pupils thoroughly enjoy their lessons and work hard and with enthusiasm. The excellent relationships in the classes contribute to this enthusiasm and the pupils’ desire to try their hardest for their teachers. They share equipment very well. The pupils are highly motivated and this, along with their other very good attitudes, leads to increased levels of learning and greater rates of progress.

p.38

SCIENCE

90. The subject is well led, with the co-ordinator having been responsible for choosing a commercial scheme of work which takes an investigative and experimental approach to the pupils’ learning. This ensures that the teachers are confident and can therefore assure the best possible learning for the pupils. The co-ordinator carries out regular monitoring of the pupils’ learning by collecting samples of work and also monitors teaching.

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SCIENCE

91. There are some relative weaknesses in the subject. There is not always sufficient time allowed in lessons to complete experiments and discuss implications and results. Although regular tests are carried out to establish the pupils’ levels of knowledge and understanding, there are insufficiently clear records to inform the co-ordinator or others in management exactly what it is that each pupil has learnt and understood.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. By the age of seven pupils attain average standards. However, in their work involving close observation of objects and drawing what they see, pupils’ standards are above average. By the age of eleven standards of attainment are average except in work with clay, where standards are above average.

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ART AND DESIGN

• a new policy and scheme of work; • new assessment procedures; • portfolios of pupils’ work begun recently; and • standards in some areas of work.

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ART AND DESIGN

• pupils’ skills and experiences producing work on a large scale; Aspull Church Primary School - 37 • pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the styles and techniques of great artists; and • the amount of time allocated to lessons. 93. In the limited number of lessons seen throughout the school the standard of teaching was at least satisfactory and, on occasion, good. However, the teachers are limited in the range of content they can cover by the short length of lessons. The result is that the pupils progress at a slower pace and take longer than is usual to cover the curriculum. The pupils are keen to participate in art lessons, they enjoy learning and their interest and involvement in lessons contributes to the good behaviour seen in classes.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. The pupils in Years 1 and 2 enjoy art and are keen to learn. They answer questions perceptively and are interested in discovering facts about materials, shapes, colours and textiles. When experimenting with different types of paper in Year 2, the pupils extended their vocabulary linked to this area and produced a good range of descriptive words. For example, one group of pupils talked about how they could, ‘scrunch, pleat, rip, twist and roll’ the paper. They went on to decide how they could do these things. The teacher explained well to the pupils what she expected them to achieve in the lesson. Challenging the pupils to think, questioning them well and praising their response, the teacher ensured that the pupils learnt effectively. By the end of the lesson the pupils reviewed what they had done and were pleased at the progress they had made.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. In Year 5, during a lesson introducing the pupils to textiles, the teacher provided good material for the pupils to investigate. This sustained their interest and they enjoyed what they did. The majority of pupils concentrated well and were keen to discuss their feelings about the large banners that they could look at and touch. The pupils compared and contrasted the textures of the collage on each; deciding upon their preferences and giving reasons for their choices. Working in groups, the pupils co-operated to produce ideas to create their own collage. They listened to each other and considered the views of everyone as they planned their work. Due to the short lesson time not all pupils could complete the task and there was insufficient time for the teacher to discuss their work and decide if the pupils had achieved the task set for them.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. During the lessons seen pupils with SEN were given good support by classroom assistants who had been very well briefed by the teachers. This enabled these pupils to participate fully in the lesson and make progress appropriate to their ability.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. Examples of the pupils’ artwork displayed around the school demonstrated a good range of skills and techniques. In Years 1 and 2, the pupils made very good progress in their work concerned with representing what they see. Examples of still-life flower pictures, coloured with pastels are thoughtful, detailed and well-proportioned. Developing this skill, the pupils in Years 3 to 6 have made detailed and accurate self-portraits, which show they have made considerable improvements in using tone and shading in their work. The pupils in Years 5 and 6 have worked well with clay, producing very good plaques of Victorian houses, which they photographed. This term, clay was used to produce three-dimensional portraits and the results are good. The pupils can describe the processes they used.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. The subject is well managed and use of a very good new scheme of work should considerably increase the variety of work presented in classes.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. In all classes, design and technology is alternated on a half-termly basis with art and design. In the single lesson observed, the teaching was very good and the standards reached by the pupils were above average. Scrutiny of pupils’ past work suggests that standards of work are average. The work seen suggests that the standards noted in the last inspection report have been maintained.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the whole design process; Aspull Church Primary School - 38 • the well-structured format for progressively developing the pupils’ understanding of design elements; and • the good subject leadership and the long- and medium-term planning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• increase curriculum time so that more projects can be undertaken; and • assessment procedures.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. Evidence from scrutiny of work shows that in Years 1 and 2, the pupils learn to use appropriate materials to make model houses and assemble construction kits and make mechanical models that ‘wind up’. The teachers pay good attention to ensuring that pupils develop an understanding of the use of materials and how they can be cut, joined and shaped. All pupils are encouraged to draw their designs, list materials and show how they construct the article. At this early age the teachers focus on the importance of recording the design process.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. In Years 3 to 6, the pupils are provided with a range of opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding through the use of an increasing range of tools and materials. In Year 6, the quality of both design and finished products are above national expectations in many cases, even for some pupils with learning difficulties in other areas of the curriculum. However, the shortage of time results in the pupils only having opportunities to complete two projects in a year rather than three, so they do not experience the full range of experiences. In Years 3 and 4, the pupils design a wide range of photo-frames of different sizes and shapes using a range of materials. All pupils carefully follow a design brief.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. The co-ordination of design and technology is good. The co-ordinator has now planned a curriculum taking into account the shortage of time, which ensures a suitably wide range of opportunities. This, allied to the high expectations of what pupils can do, maintains standards in this subject. There are no procedures to record what skills the pupils have mastered.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. Three lessons were observed during the inspection and judgements are underpinned by discussion with pupils and examination of pupils’ work. Standards are average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, as at the time of the previous inspection, but, although achievement is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, older pupils are capable of more. Although pupils achieve well in lessons, there is insufficient time for them to make the good progress of which they are capable, in view of the good quality of teaching and their own very good attitudes to the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

• the teaching is good in Years 3 to 6; • the pupils, particularly in Years 3 to 6, are very enthusiastic learners; and • a good range of visits enriches pupils’ understanding of the topics they study.

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GEOGRAPHY

• the amount of time devoted to the subject; • there is no whole school co-ordinator to lead and manage the subject; • assessment procedures; and • planning for the application of literacy and numeracy skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. The pupils in Years 1 and 2 gain sound knowledge about their local area and by the end of Year 2 understand how this compares with life on a Scottish island. They have satisfactory skills in reading and drawing simple maps. The pupils build on this work in Years 3 to 6 but, because of the large amounts of time devoted to English and mathematics, time is short. Although the full National Curriculum requirements are taught at the expected level, teachers have no time to explore the depth of knowledge and skills of which pupils are capable. This results in some Aspull Church Primary School - 39 underachievement.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Teaching is sound overall and good in Years 3 to 6, which reflects some improvement since the previous inspection. The teachers now provide a sound match of work for different groups of pupils. The teachers have sound subject knowledge and plan interesting lessons for their pupils. This is particularly so in Years 3, 5 and 6, where the specialist teacher has very good knowledge and a great enthusiasm for the subject, which inspires the pupils to work very hard. They develop very good attitudes to learning and many name geography, alongside history, as their favourite subject. When time allows, such as lunchtime, many pupils choose to continue their work, rather than go into the playground and the teacher gives willingly of her own time to support them. There is insufficient time in lessons for pupils to apply their literacy skills in recording what they have learned and give writing a real purpose. Similarly, although some data is

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GEOGRAPHY

collected and recorded there is insufficient time to develop fully pupils’ numeracy skills. Reading skills are promoted well for older pupils in their use of a good range of resources, such as tourist leaflets in a seaside study and the Internet for research. The teachers make good use of trips into the local area and further afield to make learning real by studying at first hand what they are learning in lessons. As these trips have been limited by river flooding and foot and mouth restrictions in the past year, the teachers have made good use of the digital camera to photograph significant local features and make good use of these and videos to stimulate interest.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. There is currently no whole school co-ordinator for the subject. Although teachers are collaborating well in planning of coverage of the curriculum, this is unsatisfactory in promoting subject improvement. There is no whole school overview of strengths and areas for development, although the school is reviewing its assessment procedures for geography, alongside those for other subjects. They are currently satisfactory in recording what pupils can do but are not linked to National Curriculum levels so that progress can be checked. The lack of globes noted by the last inspection has been rectified and resources are now satisfactory. Many of the school’s library books are outdated but they are supplemented by library topic loan packs.

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HISTORY

107. Only one lesson could be observed during the inspection and judgements are underpinned by discussion with pupils and examination of pupils’ work. Standards are average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, as at the time of the previous inspection, but as in geography, although achievement is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, older pupils are capable of more. There is insufficient time for them to make the good progress of which they are capable.

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HISTORY

• the teaching is good in Years 3 to 6; • the pupils, particularly in Years 3 to 6, are enthusiastic about the subject; and • a good range of visits, eye witnesses and artefacts enriches pupils’ understanding of the topics they study.

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HISTORY

• the amount of time devoted to the subject; • there is no whole school co-ordinator to lead and manage the subject; • assessment procedures; and • planning for the application of literacy and numeracy skills.

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HISTORY

108. The pupils gain satisfactory knowledge about different eras in history. At the end of Year 2, the pupils know how things have changed over time. For example, the pupils in Year 1 used Victorian washing equipment and realised just how much easier this chore is today. By the end of Year 6, the pupils understand why things are different and the effect that past eras have on our own. They have satisfactory understanding of how events in British history are ordered through the use of timelines. However, although they make at least sound progress in lessons, many Aspull Church Primary School - 40 older pupils are capable of achieving more if there was more time allocated to the subject.

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HISTORY

109. Teaching is satisfactory overall and good in Years 3 to 6, where the specialist teacher employs good subject knowledge effectively. As in geography, her enthusiasm is caught by the pupils, who develop good attitudes to learning and list history alongside geography as their favourite subject. All teachers plan good opportunities for pupils to learn at first hand and the pupils’ understanding is underpinned by the use of good quality artefacts, borrowed from the many historical sites in the local area, such as Wigan Pier. Local people provide for pupils eyewitness accounts of their experiences during and following the Second World War. The teachers do not exploit opportunities for extended writing, role-play or numeracy as much as they might because of the limited amount of time allocated to the subject. This limits the progress of all pupils because they do not study in the depth of which they are capable and do not have the

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HISTORY

opportunity to develop an empathy with people in the past. This is particularly unfortunate in view of their enthusiasm for the subject. Independent recording tasks are not always matched well to the needs of different groups of pupils; this being better in Years 3 to 6 than in Years 1 and 2.

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HISTORY

110. As in geography, there is currently no whole school co-ordinator for the subject and this is unsatisfactory in providing an overview and in promoting subject improvement. Assessment procedures are the same as those for geography and are being reviewed, alongside those for other subjects. Many of the school’s library books are outdated but they are supplemented by library topic loan packs. The school’s sound range of artefacts is supplemented well by specialist loan packs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. Standards in ICT are average at both the end of Year 2 and at the end of Year 6. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection, although a number of good developments have recently been implemented. The pupils are now making good progress in ICT through the school, largely due to the good quality of teaching of the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• improvement since the last inspection; • the very good pupils’ attitudes to the subject and their very good behaviour; • the good quality of teaching; • good leadership of the subject; and • good planning for future development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• the computers are presently underused; and • the use of ICT in other subjects of the curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. By the time the pupils leave the school they have satisfactory skills in most aspects of the subject. For example, they can use a word-processing program to edit a passage of their own writing and decorate it with images. The pupils in Year 5 created very attractive covers for their ICT folders using a variety of text and images. The pupils have used the Internet and CD-ROMs to find information and a start is being made in sending and receiving e-mails. Older pupils have put information into a database and can analyse a database for anomalies.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. Work was seen showing good use of spreadsheets to present information in graphical form, and also to experiment with different variables. There is also some use of specific programs to support work in other subjects such as mathematics. Standards in communicating and handling of information is at least average. However, standards in control and modelling are unsatisfactory. For example, there was no evidence of sensors linked to computers being used. Some elements of control technology are covered well; for example, pupils in Year 4 were observed writing programs to control a screen turtle to draw a square. Aspull Church Primary School - 41 114. The pupils are very enthusiastic when they have opportunities to use the computers. They take turns very well and discuss their work very maturely. They can be trusted to get on with their task without the teacher having to intervene, so enabling the teacher to concentrate on the rest of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

the class. Behaviour is very good, the pupils never taking advantage of the independence that they are given.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. Information and communication technology is taught as a specific subject in the small computer suite that the school has recently set up. This has ensured that skills are being taught well, as the teachers are confident in their knowledge and are supported well by other adults. This allocation of time is well organised, with other members of the class learning library skills with a Learning Support Assistant in rotation with those on the computers. Apart from the time when the suite is timetabled for the classes to learn ICT skills, the suite is underused. The pupils therefore have too few opportunities to use computers in other subjects; to write in literacy lessons, for example. The school is planning to address this weakness by setting up ‘mini- suites’ in the two main teaching areas of the school. The subject is well led and the co-ordinator has good plans for future development. As well as the ‘mini-suites’, she has plans to address

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

the weaknesses in monitoring. She has developed a good scheme of work for the subject.

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MUSIC

116. Throughout the school standards of attainment in music are well above average in Year 2 and in Year 6. All pupils make very good progress and have very good opportunities to participate in a wide range of musical experiences. Teaching is very good. These are all improvements since the last inspection. A major factor contributing to the achievement of pupils is the energy, skill and enthusiasm of the music teacher, whose specialist skills are used well to provide tuition for all classes, to lead extra curricular music and to direct school performances.

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MUSIC

• teaching provided by a subject specialist; • standards achieved by pupils; • the enthusiasm of the pupils and the quality of their learning; and • a very good policy and scheme of work.

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MUSIC

• the time allocated to music, which presently detracts from the progress pupils can make because lessons are short.

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MUSIC

117. The quality of teaching throughout the school is very good. The music specialist is a good musician who is sure of the subject matter. Lessons are very well organised and teaching is energetic and skilled. The pupils are expected to achieve high standards and are challenged to continually improve their work by clever questioning. The pupils respond productively, they listen very well and concentrate hard on what they do. Throughout the school it is clear that pupils enjoy music. They have a very good variety of activities and their composing skills are very good.

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MUSIC

118. There are many opportunities for the pupils to perform. They have recorded their version of a Christmas rock musical and they share their performances with many organisations in the community. Small groups of pupils regularly perform for the elderly and church organisations. Recently, pupils have been able to begin brass tuition at school. The pupils visit the local performing art centre and take part in various activities there. A visiting musician enabled the pupils to experience songs and music from the last thousand years and their concentration and enjoyment during the performance was very impressive.

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MUSIC

119. The children in the Reception class, composing sounds to accompany a story about a chicken hatching from the egg, used a wide range of multicultural percussion instruments. They handled the instruments very well and they were able to describe the sounds they make as ‘clicking, scraping, and scratching.’ Their use of musical vocabulary is very good and they followed the Aspull Church Primary School - 42 teacher’s directions with accuracy. As they work, the pupils concentrate on what they do and are very confident to perform their ideas in front of others. They develop sounds and patterns and are learning to suggest ways to improve what they do. Their work is of a very high standard. By the time they reach Year 2 pupils are confident handling a variety of instruments, choosing the ones they need to interpret a task and working productively with their ideas. They can follow the directions of the conductor and can take turns in conducting the class. Their sense of pattern

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MUSIC

and rhythm is very good. The pupils sing well, they know when to begin and end a song and they are developing their breathing in order to produce a very acceptable sound.

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MUSIC

120. The pupils in Years 3 to 6 sing very well. By Year 6 the pupils have good pitch and they are tuneful and accurate in their singing. When singing in a large group, the pupils are able to sing in two parts, each group holding its part well. They respond well to directions about volume and tone and they can be seen to improve their work as they progress through the lesson. The teacher prepares the pupils well for singing, warming up their voices with a series of fun games that they thoroughly enjoy. Choosing a good variety of songs that have a strong rhythm, the teacher uses her own voice along with a strong piano accompaniment to develop the pupils’ work. Their responses are positive and they work very hard throughout the lesson, wanting to achieve. Throughout Years 3 to 6, the pupils are skilled at composing and they record their work so it is possible to hear the progress they make.

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MUSIC

121. The subject is managed very well and the opportunities created for pupils are very good. The pupils are limited in the experiences they have by the amount of time allocated to the subject on the timetable.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122. Standards of attainment in physical education (PE) are average at the age of both seven and at eleven. The quality of teaching is good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• a new policy and scheme of work; • some specialist teaching in the subject; • growing variety in the provision of games and opportunities for competitive events; and • the school has good facilities for games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• the organisation of changing clothes for PE lessons so that teaching and learning time is not lost.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. The new scheme of work and developing assessment procedures are improvements since the last inspection. Also improved are the opportunities for the pupils to perform their dance skills and they recently participated in a Samba workshop in which they performed their final dances.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. In a Year 1 lesson, the pupils prepared for gymnastics in a thoughtful and well-planned way. Their behaviour was good and they listened carefully to their teacher. Their relationship with the teacher was good and they followed her directions carefully. The pupils have a strong sense of safety and the teacher was careful to ensure they know how to move around a large space. As pupils worked in the lesson, they tried hard to improve their performance. They then worked with their partner and developed sequences, which used the skills they developed. The teacher used their performances well and praised and encouraged each pair so that they had a desire to work harder and they continually tried to vary what they do. By the end of the lesson all had made good progress and performed to the class. Some classes incorporated their literacy learning with their dance skills and they worked to create a series of movements to accompany a poem.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The teacher supported, encouraged and praised the pupils and a few pupils have very good standards; they move well and co-ordinate their movements accurately. A small minority of pupils does not listen sufficiently well and consequently does not make as much progress. Aspull Church Primary School - 43 125. In Years 3 to 6, the pupils’ dance skills have progressed and their movements are fluid and expressive. After they practise individual movements they are successful in joining the movements into interesting and well-executed sequences. The pupils use space well and they change the direction and strength of their sequences to match the music accompanying them. The teachers’ intervention is minimal, but effective and with careful praise and support, the pupils are able to improve their work until they produce good final performances. 126. All pupils have full access to the PE curriculum and pupils who have SEN are given individual

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

support and care to enable them to benefit from the activities presented. The pupils with SEN consequently make good progress. Over the year the pupils experience a good, varied, curriculum. There are good opportunities to play in team games as part of the good extra- curricular programme and the pupils are enthusiastic about their successes in local leagues. All pupils make progress in swimming and, by the time they leave the school, many have achieved their personal survival award. Whenever possible, the pupils receive professional coaching; recently they were helped by local rugby coaches.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. The subject is managed well and the co-ordinator works hard to develop links with other local schools, to increase the opportunities for local sporting events, which the pupils really enjoy. The school benefits from extensive fields, which are used well. There are good resources to support learning.

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