Glebelands Primary School

INSPECTION REPORT

Dates of inspection: 26 February – 1 March 2001

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INSPECTION REPORT

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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INSPECTION REPORT

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. Glebelands Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school with a nursery

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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: Mrs Janet Washington Glebelands Primary School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Paul Nicholson Registered inspector Children in the Foundation Stage English Music Equal opportunities English as an additional language What sort of school is it? How high are standards? (The school’s results and pupils achievements) How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? Catherine Hinds Lay inspector How high are standards? (Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development) How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? John Good Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Design and technology Physical education Religious education How well are pupils taught?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Brian Downes Team inspector Science Geography History Information and communication technology Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 5 Lakeside Werrington Peterborough PE4 6QZ

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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 Glebelands Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Glebelands Primary School is situated in a favourable residential area on the northern edge of Leicester. The school opened in September 1998. Its roll has more than doubled in size since then, though there is room for further expansion. Currently, there are 136 pupils on roll (72 boys and 64 girls) plus 35 full-time children and 18 part-time children in the nursery. Nearly two-thirds of the pupils come from outside the school’s priority area. Approximately 10 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is broadly in line with the national average. Just less than a fifth of the pupils are from ethnic minority groups. Twenty-one pupils have English as an additional language and two-thirds of these pupils are at an early stage of English language acquisition. These are high proportions compared with those found nationally. The school has identified 21 per cent of the pupils as having special educational needs, which is similar to

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

the national average. Only one pupil has a statement for special educational needs. When they enter the Foundation Stage, children’s attainments are average for their age. The attainments of the pupils in Years 1 to 6 who have entered the school since it first opened vary more widely, but overall are slightly below average for their age.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Since opening in September 1998, Glebelands has become an effective school with some good features. It is an improving school. The quality of teaching is at least satisfactory and often better. Pupils achieve average standards. The school is well led and managed. It provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The school has introduced effective strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy, which are beginning to have an impact on raising standards. • It makes very good provision for pupils with special educational needs, which results in these pupils making very good progress. • The school is effectively led and managed. The headteacher provides very strong leadership and she is efficiently supported by the governing body. • Pupils are very well cared for because of very good procedures and the good relationships amongst staff, who work successfully together as a team. • There is a very effective partnership with parents, which has a positive impact on children’s learning.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Pupils’ personal development and their independent learning skills, as a way of improving standards. • The educational experiences for children in reception and outdoor play for both reception and nursery children. • Whole-school procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in the non-core subjects so as to make teachers’ planning more effective. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

This is the first inspection of the school. It has made good progress since it opened. The school has successfully integrated both new members of staff and pupils from a number of different schools into a purposeful and caring community. It has made good progress in developing the role of its governors and very good progress in developing links with parents. The day-to-day work of the school clearly reflects its aim to help pupils achieve their potential. While the school has achieved much in a short time, it recognises that there is still much work to do. Glebelands Primary School

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

*Data has been omitted as there were 10 or fewer pupils in the year group.

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STANDARDS

In national tests in 2000, pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 achieved good results. Standards in reading and mathematics were above the national average, and in writing they were well above. A higher proportion of pupils than found nationally achieved Level 2, the expected standard for a typical seven-year- old, in each of the tests. A higher proportion went on to achieve the higher standard, Level 3, in reading and writing. These results compared favourably with those of pupils in similar schools 1 . In teacher assessments in science, the proportion achieving Level 2 was similar to the national average. Inspection evidence indicates standards in the current Year 2 are not quite as high as they were in the tests. They are average in English, mathematics and science. This reflects the different ability of this group compared with the previous year and the higher number of pupils with special educational needs.

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STANDARDS

The very small number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 makes comparisons with national averages and with similar schools unreliable. In the current Year 6, the majority of the very small group of pupils will achieve Level 4, the expected standard for a typical 11-year-old in English, mathematics and science. Some will go on to achieve the higher standard, Level 5. This represents a satisfactory level of achievement for these pupils.

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STANDARDS

Standards in all other subjects (art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, music and physical education) at both age 7 and 11 are average and in line with national expectations for their age. Overall, standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils have good attitudes towards their new school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms In most lessons, the behaviour of pupils is good. Behaviour on the playground and around the school is good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Overall, pupils make satisfactory progress in their personal development. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are good, but their independent learning skills are weak.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Levels of attendance are good and pupils are punctual.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils’ good response, behaviour and relationships make a positive contribution to their learning. Occasionally, when pupils’ attitudes or behaviour are not as good, the pace of learning is reduced.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

National Benchmark information bands together ‘similar schools’ based on the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. Glebelands Primary School

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

45 lessons seen overall Good Satisfactory 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 AND LEARNING

The overall quality of teaching is at least satisfactory and often better. During the inspection it ranged from satisfactory to very good. Forty-eight per cent of lessons were satisfactory, 40 per cent good and 12 per cent very good. The teaching in English is satisfactory, though examples of good teaching were observed in both key stages, and in mathematics teaching is good overall. This is beginning to have a positive impact on standards in literacy and numeracy. All teachers plan lessons thoroughly, organise their classrooms efficiently and make good use of resources. Teachers make very effective use of classroom assistants, who make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. The teaching in the nursery and the lower half of Key Stage 2 is particularly strong. Teachers do not develop pupils’ independent learning skills sufficiently to ensure good levels of personal development. Occasionally, some teachers do not

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

manage pupils effectively and this results in some pupils becoming distracted.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The school has a satisfactory curriculum, though there are weaknesses in the provision for children in the Foundation Stage.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school makes very good provision for these pupils, which includes high levels of support and good quality individual education plans.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language These pupils receive good levels of support, which ensures they make good progress in their acquisition of language skills. This allows them to make similar progress to their classmates in all other subjects.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school makes satisfactory provision for pupils’ personal development. They make good progress in their moral development and satisfactory progress in their spiritual, social and cultural development. The provision for multi-cultural education is weak.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes very good care of its pupils. The school has very good procedures for child protection and pupils’ welfare.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has successfully developed very good links with its parents. Consequently, parents have very positive views of the school and they make a very positive contribution towards their children’s learning. The way the school plans lessons in the reception class means that children do not achieve all their early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development and they make slow overall progress. Planning and resources for outdoor play in the Foundation Stage (nursery and reception) are unsatisfactory, which limits children’s physical development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Whilst procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science are good, procedures in other subjects are unsatisfactory. Glebelands Primary School

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very strong leadership and has a clear educational vision for the school. Subject managers are beginning to develop their role in supporting school improvement, but the role of the newly appointed deputy headteacher has not yet been fully developed.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is very supportive. It successfully fulfils its statutory duties and has gained a clear understanding of the work of the school. It is now ready to develop its role in shaping the direction of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is taking many valuable steps to evaluate its performance. There is a good approach to monitoring teaching and learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school makes satisfactory use of its financial resources. It uses grants effectively for their specific purposes.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has an adequate number of appropriately qualified teachers. There is sufficient accommodation for the number of pupils currently on role. However, the school does not make best use of the spaces available, although some changes are in hand. The school is steadily building up its resources, but the library remains poorly resourced and outdoor play equipment for the Foundation Stage and computer software are limited.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Sixty-eight parents (36 per cent) completed questionnaires and 20 attended a meeting with inspectors.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children enjoy school. • The teaching is good, there are high expectations and children make good progress. • Behaviour is good and children mature and become more responsible. • The school is well led and managed. • The school works closely with parents and members of staff are approachable. • The range of activities available outside lessons. • The amount of information they receive about their children’s progress. • The amount of homework given.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection findings support most of the parents’ positive comments. The school provides a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. It provides very good information on pupils’ progress including very good annual reports. The school has adopted a sensible approach to homework and it makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. Glebelands Primary School

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are average. However, standards of attainment across the school are rising, particularly in literacy and numeracy. This is because of the high profile the school gives these two key subjects, the positive attitudes of most pupils and teaching that is always satisfactory and often good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Children enter the nursery with levels of attainment in line with those expected for their age. They make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development, in communication, language and literacy, and in mathematical development. They make satisfactory progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world, in their physical development overall and in their creative development. This good start children make to their formal education is a result of the pleasant accommodation, adequate resources and the consistently good teaching they receive. However, progress slows for children in the reception class and becomes only satisfactory in all areas of learning except children’s personal, social and emotional development and their physical development, where it is unsatisfactory. The current weekly timetable, in which literacy and numeracy are taught every morning, is aimed at challenging the very small number of Year 1 pupils in the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mixed reception/Year 1 class. The result is that reception children do not have limited opportunities to be involved in role-play, to learn through exploration, or to experiment, plan and make decisions for themselves. Children, including the pupils from Year 1, find it difficult to concentrate during the long lessons. This reduces the effectiveness of the teaching and reduces the rate of progress. The limited outdoor resources for all Foundation Stage children and the lack of frequent and regular opportunities for outdoor play in reception result in children not achieving the early learning goals for this aspect of their physical development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The large number of pupils who have entered the school since it first opened, other than in the Foundation Stage, entered with a wide range of attainments. Overall, they were slightly below the expectations for their age. In the National Curriculum tests at the age of seven (2000), the small number of pupils achieved very good results. In reading, most pupils achieved Level 2, the expected standard for a seven-year-old, and over a third achieved the higher standard, Level 3. Overall, these results were above the national average. All pupils achieved Level 2 in writing and a small number achieved the higher standard. The pupils’ performance was well above the national average. In mathematics, all pupils achieved Level 2 and a quarter achieved Level 3. Their performance was above the national average and compared favourably with those achieved by pupils in similar schools. The results of teacher assessments in science

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

show that most pupils achieved Level 2, which was similar to the national average, but only a small number achieved Level 3, which was below the national average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Standards in the present Year 2 are not so high. There is a larger proportion of pupils with special educational needs within this group and, therefore, standards are closer to the average. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in English, mathematics and science are in line with national expectations. This represents satisfactory achievement for these pupils. Standards by the age of seven in all other subjects (art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, music and physical education) are average. Pupils in Key Stage 1 make satisfactory progress in their learning. Glebelands Primary School 5. Comparisons of the school’s end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum test results (1999 and 2000) with national averages and with the results of similar schools are unreliable. This is because of the very small number of pupils in each of the relevant year groups.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Within the similarly very small group of pupils in the current Year 6, the majority will achieve Level 4, the expected standard for a typical 11-year-old, in English, mathematics and science. Some will go on to achieve the higher standard, Level 5. This represents satisfactory achievement for these pupils. By the end of the key stage, standards in all subjects are average. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make at least satisfactory progress in their learning, and in Years 3 and 4 progress for many pupils is good as a result of the consistently good teaching they receive.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Overall, pupils in both key stages achieve standards in religious education in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. They make good progress in learning about Christianity and the life of Jesus, but only satisfactory progress in their learning about other faiths.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils with special educational needs achieve good standards in relation to their prior attainment. They make good progress towards their individual targets. This is a result of good teaching, work set at an appropriate level to ensure good progress and very effective support from classroom assistants. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress in their acquisition of language skills. The good support they receive helps them to understand clearly the teachers’ instructions and the more difficult vocabulary used in lessons. This additional help ensures they make sound progress in all subjects. There were no significant differences noted during the inspection between the attainment of girls and boys, or between different ethnic groups.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. This new school, which has grown rapidly since it opened, is ensuring that its pupils achieve appropriate standards overall for their age and ability. Currently, pupils reach the end of Key Stage 2 with average standards. By the age of 11, pupils talk and listen with confidence. In literacy, they read fluently and with an appropriate understanding for their age. Most write in a range of forms, giving due attention to style, grammar and spelling. They make good use of their literacy skills to support their learning in many subjects. For example, in Key Stage 2, pupils successfully wrote at length in religious education about why people go on pilgrimages, and in history they produced good extended writing on the Romans. In science, pupils write clear reports of their experiments. However, this good development of literacy skills in other subjects is not consistent throughout the school. For example, in geography pupils make little use of these skills and their use in Key

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Stage 1 is limited. By the age of 11, pupils have satisfactory numeracy skills. They use a range of methods to complete calculations and are becoming more confident in solving problems. Pupils make relevant use of their numeracy skills to support their learning in other subjects. For example, in science and geography, pupils use their knowledge of data handling to produce useful graphs and tables. In design and technology lessons, they use their knowledge of shape and measuring in their practical work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. No pupils have been in the school long enough to measure their progress from Foundation Stage to Key Stage 2. However, the school’s tracking of individual pupils indicates that most are making satisfactory progress and some good progress. The best progress is in the nursery, in the lower half of Key Stage 2 and for pupils with special educational needs. This reflects the areas of the school where the teaching is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Glebelands aims to promote positive attitudes to school and the school regards this as an important factor in stimulating young minds. Overall, they are successful in achieving this aim; a feature recognised and valued by parents. Pupils have good attitudes to school. Glebelands Primary School Their happy faces as they arrive at school, eagerly joining older and younger friends playing Mr Wolf or Polo , indicate their pleasure in their time at their new school. They usually willingly settle themselves, getting out their pens and books to practice their writing before registration. Most listen attentively to their teacher’s comments, instructions and questions and many are prepared to answer questions. There are, however, times when the behaviour and attitudes of a small number of pupils are not as positive as that of their peers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. When the teaching is good, pupils are eager to answer questions and all pupils, including those with special education needs, enjoy their learning. In a Years 1 and 2 numeracy lesson, pupils were visibly disappointed when not chosen to describe the number of pentapods (five legged creatures) needed to supply 25 legs. In another numeracy lesson for the same age group, there were many smiles of pleasure as their turn came to peg multiples of five on the washing line in the classroom. Pupils are usually eager to begin their own individual or group work. Historians rushed back to their tables to describe Boudicca in their own words in the Years 3/4 class. Exclamations of ‘Yes! ’ accompanied the starting instruction from the teacher. These very positive attitudes helped all the pupils in this class learn about the value of sources of information.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Children in the nursery often have very good attitudes. Here the atmosphere is particularly focused and purposeful, whether in the nursery itself or in the hall. These youngest children listen very carefully, respond quickly and work safely as they practise balancing while they jump and hop. They are all constantly busy participating fully in the wide range of carefully planned activities. Many are eager to share their work. For example, children proudly showed adults their letter ' p' in various forms - prepared in play-dough, produced on the magnetic board and written on paper.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils are particularly enthusiastic about the additional activities that are available to them after school. The dance and drama club for the older children is a special favourite where actors and actresses threw themselves into miming Samson and Delilah in preparation for an assembly. Even the pillars were truly statuesque in their performance.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Occasionally, attitudes in the school are not as good. Whilst attitudes are very rarely unsatisfactory some lessons, particularly at Key Stage 1, are not so good because pupils are less composed and are certainly not enthusiastic. Consequently, some lessons are disjointed and so the pace of learning slows. The restlessness of some of the pupils causes too many interruptions. These occur when children are either not interested in the lesson or unsure of exactly what is required of their behaviour.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. This occasional unsettled behaviour is not the norm. In most lessons, the behaviour of the pupils is good and certainly it is good as they move around the school. Even the youngest pupils are careful and considerate as they move from classroom to hall. The behaviour of the pupils in the playground is good and playtimes are, therefore, joyful occasions where youngsters play energetically and happily. There are only a very few pupils who find it difficult to conform to the school’s clear code of conduct. The unsatisfactory behaviour of this very small group is not allowed to upset the learning of others, or spoil the genuinely harmonious atmosphere in the school. The school has not excluded any pupils during the last year. Pupils respond sensibly to the school’s arrangements to provide an atmosphere free from bullying. Bullying is rare and pupils rightly feel confident that when it does occur it will be dealt with quickly, carefully and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The school aims to foster partnerships between pupils, parents, staff and the community. In the short time that it has been open, it has successfully achieved this aim. Relationships between the pupils, only the younger of whom have spent their entire Glebelands Primary School school career at Glebelands, are already good. There are many occasions both in and out of lessons where pupils happily co-operate with each other. A particularly pleasing feature is the natural companionship between older and younger pupils. Even pupils in Year 2 were joining in the early morning running games of the oldest pupils. The older choristers carefully guide the younger children in the choir to their positions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils offer one another good support in lessons. Many of the oldest pupils helped each other change verbs or nouns in sentences in the poem The Pied Piper . This collaboration helped them understand that individuals respond to poems in different ways. The pupils are nearly always positive about the performance of others. In physical education lessons, they recognise and value the attempts of their peers when they are given the opportunity to comment. In a Years 1/2 lesson, the trust between the children was evident when two boys mirrored each other’s balance. If either had moved they would both have collapsed.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. The school is a friendly community where pupils have good relationships with all adults. Whilst the pupils are interested and curious about the activities of their elders, they are usually polite and respectful. Visitors are warmly welcomed and readily told about life at Glebelands, and pupils respond keenly to opportunities to talk about their school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Overall, pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. When given the opportunity to perform tasks they respond willingly and carefully. Pupils consider taking the registers to and from the office as a real treat, which they eagerly seek. Even the youngest pupils take pride in carrying their cherished possession. Those pupils elected to the school council are proud of their position and enthusiastic about the weekly meetings. Pupils quickly learn and follow the school’s daily routines. They carefully store their indoor shoes in racks in cloakrooms and gently place their lunchboxes on trolleys provided. Pupils also adhere to the various routines in place in the classrooms and readily show that they are able to play an active part in managing their lives in school. The scope for them to do so is, however, limited and this limitation restricts their desire to seek opportunities for themselves. The school, however, does not give pupils much chance to

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

show this kind of independence, which would help them to mature and develop. The result is that pupils do not discover how to make decisions for themselves, or to take responsibilities either for their own learning or socially within the community of the school. A few of the older children volunteer for jobs such as collecting and organising the tokens for acquiring computers. Most pupils are aware of the needs of others and hold doors open or offer help, but not all pupils do so.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Children in the nursery show good personal development. Here expectations are much higher and members of staff provide more opportunities. These youngest children are sensible, responsible, mature and often sensitive to the needs of others. A group was happily working together in the home corner, a delightful garden centre. They organised themselves with one child collecting the flower stems, another preparing the paper and gently wrapping the bouquet whilst a third handled the money.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. The school works very hard to help pupils and parents understand the importance of regular attendance. This coupled with the positive appetite of the pupils for the school ensures that attendance levels are good. This approach also ensures that pupils arrive in good time for school to start promptly. Attendance levels are adversely affected by the higher than average number of parents who remove their pupils during term time for family holidays and trips. Glebelands Primary School

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching is always at least satisfactory and often better. It ranged from satisfactory to very good. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection. Forty-eight per cent of lessons were satisfactory, 40 per cent were good and 12 per cent very good. Although teaching is satisfactory throughout the school, the teaching in year groups and classes varies in quality. All of the very good teaching was observed in either the nursery or the lower junior classrooms, where the quality is of a consistently higher standard than in the rest of the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. During the last year, the staff has worked collaboratively on improving curriculum planning and revising schemes of work to reflect the new statutory requirements. The headteacher has introduced a programme for systematically monitoring teaching and giving feedback to teachers of their strengths and weaknesses. These initiatives have had a major impact upon improving the quality of teaching and learning in the school and resulted in them being of at least a satisfactory standard in all classrooms. All teachers plan lessons thoroughly, which leads to good classroom organisation and effective use of resource materials. Teachers clearly identify learning objectives and frequently, but not always, share them with the pupils at the start and end of lessons. This ensures that all pupils know what teachers expect of them and how well they have done in meeting the objectives. The teamwork between teachers, the classroom assistants and voluntary

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

adult helpers is very good. They support all pupils effectively, which enables them to integrate pupils of all abilities into normal classroom activities. The introduction of the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy is also having a positive effect upon the quality of teaching and learning. Teachers have increased their subject knowledge in these areas of the curriculum and the strategies have given a much sharper focus to their teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers have supportive and encouraging teaching styles that lead to relationships in the classrooms being good. They know their pupils well and are aware of their individual strengths and weaknesses. All teachers make sure pupils with special educational needs receive activities that will best support their learning. However, the planning of tasks that will extend the learning of higher-attaining pupils is more variable. Scrutiny of these pupils’ previous work shows that the best provision is for pupils in Key Stage 2, particularly in literacy and numeracy, and weakest in geography and history.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. Classroom observation shows that teachers are successfully meeting the needs of the different age groups of pupils in their class, providing they are in the same key stage. They form teaching groups by a combination of age and ability and carefully plan tasks to meet pupils’ needs. Teachers have successfully designed the two-year rolling programme to ensure that pupils do not miss or repeat areas of the curriculum. In the mixed reception/Year1 class, where pupils are from different key stages, the youngest children are not taught as successfully as their peers in the nursery are. The planning for this class focuses primarily upon the needs of the older pupils. This results in the reception age children having many activities too closely directed by the teacher as opposed to the interactive experience in the nursery. Although the satisfactory teaching enables them to make progress in developing educational skills, this style of teaching

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

restricts their progress particularly in personal development.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The very good teaching in the nursery and the lower juniors results from a combination of the teachers’ expertise, enthusiasm and personal skills. They produce an environment in which pupils are eager to learn, acquire knowledge and develop skills. Teachers set high standards for their pupils to achieve and constantly challenge them with searching and open-ended questions. For example, in a Years 3/4 science practical lesson on measurement of forces, the teacher gave pupils some responsibility for their own learning Glebelands Primary School and they, therefore, developed independent learning skills. The teacher insisted that they used the correct scientific terminology and language when discussing their results. In an information and communication technology lesson, these same pupils received very good instructions about how to draw computer-generated shapes and fill them with colour.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

During the demonstration, the pupils were amazed when the teacher made the shapes on the screen rotate through 180 degrees and then fill with colour. Learning was fun and the high quality teaching had a direct impact upon pupils’ rates of progress in developing skills. In the nursery, the excellent relationship between the teacher and the children gives them confidence to try new and unusual activities. In the wide-open spaces of the hall, they use space sensibly and increase their control of hops, skips and jumps. They follow the very good lead given by the teacher to explore different balance positions. In the classroom, these children are provided with a wide variety of activities that are extending their learning. The teacher’s organisation of the resources available to support learning is very good. She and her adult helpers provide the children with a high quality learning experience. While teachers successfully encourage pupils’ independent learning

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

in these very good lessons, this is not generally the case. In other lessons, teachers tend to direct activities too closely and, therefore, they limit pupils’ personal development.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. All teachers keep detailed records of their pupils’ achievements and their levels of attainment. They then use the records skilfully to set individual targets and to prepare reports at the end of the year. These reports are informative and give parents a clear picture of what their child has achieved in each subject. Teachers use assessment to inform future planning very effectively in English and mathematics, and in supporting pupils with special educational needs. However, in some classes, teachers do not use assessment information enough to prepare tasks that will extend the learning of more- able pupils.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. All teachers mark work regularly and there is a detailed policy to ensure a common practice. Across the school marking is of a good standard. Where appropriate, all teachers write short comments that indicate to the pupil what the standard of the work is and how they can improve it. Teachers give good oral feedback to individual pupils and groups. For example, during the quick-fire question and answer sessions in numeracy lessons, pupils respond very positively to the praise and encouragement given by the teachers. Their willingness to try hard and to participate helps them to develop their number skills.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Ninety-seven per cent of parents who responded to the parents’ pre-inspection questionnaire agreed with the statement that the quality of teaching in the school is good. Fourteen per cent of parents indicated in their returns that they had concerns about the extent of work their children are expected to complete as home study. The inspection team’s view is that the school has adopted a sensible approach to the setting of tasks to be completed at home, and that teachers make good use of homework to support children’s learning.

p.15

OR STUDENTS?

30. Overall, the quality and range of the learning opportunities provided by the school are satisfactory. The school has recently introduced good strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy, which are beginning to positively impact on pupils’ learning. It makes very good provision for pupils with special educational needs, which supports the good progress these pupils make. However, there are some weaknesses in the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage. Glebelands Primary School 31. The school meets the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and complies with the requirement to have a daily act of collective worship. The curriculum contains an appropriate range and balance of activities in Key Stages 1 and 2. The time allocation for each subject is in line with national recommendations in both key stages. There is a clear emphasis on literacy and numeracy. The school has successfully adopted the national

p.15

OR STUDENTS?

strategies for the teaching of these basic skills. In other subjects, it has introduced national guidelines that ensure appropriate coverage of the National Curriculum. There is satisfactory coverage of the local education authority’s agreed syllabus for religious education. The school provides sufficient opportunities for pupils to develop computer skills in most areas of the curriculum. Planned activities in the computer suite are having a positive effect on standards.

p.16

OR STUDENTS?

32. There are weaknesses in the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage. This is because of inconsistencies between provision for children in the nursery and those in the reception/Year 1 class. In the nursery, the staff clearly base their planning on the nationally recognised areas of learning for young children 2 . This planning provides relevant experiences with a good balance between activities decided by adults and others planned or initiated by the children themselves. Consequently, children in the nursery make good progress by learning through both work and play activities. In the reception/Year 1 class, the curriculum satisfactorily links the areas of learning and Key Stage 1 activities. However, the weekly planning does not meet the needs of both groups of pupils. The focus on the small number of older pupils means that the reception children do not have sufficient opportunity to initiate activities themselves that they had in

p.16

OR STUDENTS?

the nursery. They also find it difficult to concentrate during the long lessons. The way that this class is organised is very different from their previous experiences in the nursery. The change in approach reduces the effectiveness of the teaching as far as the younger children are concerned and slows their rate of progress. It also limits their personal and social development as they have insufficient opportunities to interact with each other. There are also problems with planning for children’s physical development. There are too few opportunities for children throughout the Foundation Stage to develop their physical skills through relevant outdoor activities. The school does not give children in the reception class regular and frequent opportunities for outdoor activities. While children in the nursery have a daily outdoor session, the lack of resources limits the effectiveness of these times.

p.16

OR STUDENTS?

33. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, have equal access to the full curriculum. The curriculum provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good at both key stages and in the Foundation Stage. Pupils with special educational needs have access to all the opportunities within the school. Where they receive additional support in lessons, there is very effective teamwork between teachers and learning support assistants that is an important factor in raising standards. Individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are good. They contain sufficient focused targets to enable pupils to make good progress and assessment to take place in order to set new ones. The support provided for pupils with English as an additional language is of good quality. It ensures these pupils make good progress in their acquisition of the English language and

p.16

OR STUDENTS?

similar progress to their classmates in all other subjects.

p.16

OR STUDENTS?

34. Opportunities for extra-curricular activities are satisfactory. There is good number of activities for the small number of pupils in Key Stage 2, but few for pupils in Key Stage 1. There are good exceptions to this in the school choir and in the dance and drama club. There is a satisfactory range of sports activities. The curriculum contains a satisfactory component of personal, social and health education. Teachers make pupils aware of the

p.16

OR STUDENTS?

The six areas of learning are personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development; and creative development Glebelands Primary School dangers of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. The science curriculum includes an appropriate element on sex education. The school has good relationships with the local pre-school club and satisfactory relationships with secondary feeder schools.

p.16

OR STUDENTS?

35. The school has satisfactory arrangements for pupils’ personal development. Arrangements for helping pupils to learn about spirituality and to understand their inner selves are satisfactory. The school helps children to develop sensitivity to others both in class and in other activities, for example by collections for charitable purposes. The school successfully fosters enjoyment of learning and pupils are able to express their insights and creativity during lessons, as in writing in English. Older pupils created highly imaginative pieces about magical lands in a poetry lesson. Occasionally, the discovery of something wondrous astounds pupils. For example, Year 1 scientists worked with increasing interest on creating electrical circuits. The gasps of awe were distinctly audible when the circuits were complete and the bulbs finally lit up. Similarly, older pupils creating patterns using information and communication technology were amazed when

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

the computer copied a shape and produced a symmetrical pattern. Apart from these particular instances, there are few other opportunities in the curriculum for pupils to develop a sense of curiosity and wonder.

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

36. The daily assemblies, whether whole-school or phase, make a satisfactory contribution to spiritual development and meet the requirement for collective worship. Each assembly has a moment of reflection where pupils are encouraged to focus on a particular value. During the inspection week, for example, the value was strength . Whilst this strategy is useful, it is underdeveloped because pupils are not given enough time for genuine inner reflection.

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

37. However, these assemblies make a positive impact on pupils’ moral development, which is good overall. The theme is based, as described above, on a particular value and all the work is directed towards this. Teachers collect and display written and pictorial work on the assembly board in the hall. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their work on previous themes – their doves of peace, their poppies for gallantry. They show good moral understanding, which helps them appreciate right and wrong. The example of courteous and friendly behaviour given by adults sets appropriate standards for pupils to follow. Pupils are usually patiently taught how they should behave when they occasionally fail to meet the school’s expectation of them. Care for the school’s environment, building and resources is fostered so that the school is a pleasant place to work in.

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

38. Pupils of all ages show that they can respond very sensibly to others if they have the chance. Staff provide a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities at the school and pupils genuinely appreciate them. High levels of enjoyment and interaction were evident at both the after-school choir session and the drama club. Pupils listened very carefully to one another about who would play the different roles and did not fuss when not chosen by their peers. Children reading in the library one lunchtime happily shared their opinions about the books they were reading.

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

39. Their social development is, however, restricted by the lack of regular formal and informal opportunities. Those pupils who are on the school council gain considerable social aptitude from their dealings with older and younger representatives. They all participate keenly in this genuinely consultative process. They tabled 14 ideas for money-raising ideas for the forthcoming Red Nose Day. Whilst in some classes teachers give pupils occasional responsibilities, this is, nevertheless, an underdeveloped area of school life. The lack of a fully effective personal and social education programme also restricts the potential for good personal development. One of the factors which restricts the pupils’ opportunity to develop self-discipline and freedom of choice is too much control exercised Glebelands Primary School by staff. Very few examples were observed of pupils or groups working independently of

p.17

OR STUDENTS?

the teacher. Currently, the school is not achieving its aim to develop pupils’ ability to work independently with self-discipline.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

40. Staff give children in the nursery very good opportunities and encouragement to develop good social understanding. They give children a wide range of tasks and responsibilities for their age. Staff expect them to manage their own lunchboxes at lunchtime in the dining room. Children also have to change their shoes quickly and responsibly and to wear their uniform carefully and correctly.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

41. Overall, the provision for pupils’ cultural development is sound. Teachers give pupils useful opportunities within the curriculum through subjects such as English, geography, history and art to learn about aspects of their own culture. In religious education, and some assemblies, pupils learn about the beliefs and practices of faiths in addition to Christianity. This makes a satisfactory contribution to helping pupils understand the diversity of groups in British society. However, this aspect is not as developed as it should be. The variety of cultures represented in Britain does not feature consistently enough in the work of the school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. A notable characteristic of the school is the very good care that members of staff take of all the pupils. Very good relationships between all the staff underpin this high quality care. They have firmly established a caring environment and this is particularly praiseworthy considering the short history of the school. The harmonious atmosphere created ensures that all pupils quickly learn to feel secure in their environment. While there are good procedures for supporting pupils’ progress, there is a weakness in the procedures for assessing pupils’ progress. Parents are justifiably very appreciative of the caring nature of school life. They are pleased that it has managed to retain its family atmosphere despite its increasing size.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Members of staff take time to identify and meet their pupils’ individual needs. The close links with the neighbouring playgroup help the youngest children transfer smoothly and happily. Class teachers know their pupils well and are alert to any changes in their demeanour. The school has identified a very good range of procedures for the care of all pupils and practice matches these written arrangements. Staff make good use of the many formal and informal opportunities, such as the daily briefing first thing in the morning, to exchange information about pupils’ needs.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. All support staff make very positive contributions to pupils’ welfare and to their learning in the school. Classroom assistants have received good training and their approach is professional and caring. The general office runs very smoothly and this efficient administration ensures that information about pupils’ needs is passed on quickly and effectively. The secretary even ensures that teachers have individual photographs of all those children going on a trip as part of the paperwork. Staff look after those pupils who are sick and injured carefully and sensitively. The school makes good use of a delightful medical room where staff can treat and rest pupils who are unwell. Well-trained staff who look after the children at lunchtime ably fulfil their responsibilities as integral parts of the whole team.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The constant communication between teachers and classroom assistants ensures that those pupils with special education needs receive the support they need. Teachers’ planning, for example, is very detailed and they always share it with classroom assistants. The assistants’ willing and professional approach, coupled with focused and regular training, enables them to offer sensitive, relevant and persuasive support. The quality of Glebelands Primary School this support helps those having difficulties to improve their learning and their attitudes to work. This applies equally to those few pupils who have support because English is not their first language. Currently, they are all mastering the basic vocabulary enabling them to participate fully in the lessons. The specialist individual support helps them understand some of the more intricate vocabulary used in lessons.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Child protection procedures are very good. The school provides detailed training on an annual basis and staff are reminded termly of the arrangements. All staff are very secure in their knowledge of their individual responsibilities. The governing body ensures that arrangements for promoting the health and safety of everyone in the school community are very good. The approach taken by all staff is thorough and professional. Exceptionally good record keeping systems have been established and are maintained by the premises officer. The school is kept clean and in very good condition and this ensures a safe and healthy environment for the pupils and staff.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Arrangements to promote regular attendance are very good. The school uses a computerised system for recording attendance, which allows it to monitor absence very closely. It always follows up absences thoroughly. The school gives particularly good advice to parents about procedures in its prospectus. The school is careful about its approach to parents taking their pupils out of school during term time for holidays, monitoring closely the total absences and referring parents to the results.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Most staff are consistent in their application of the school’s clear arrangements for ensuring good behaviour. The school has identified a straightforward code of conduct and it is shared with pupils and parents. Individual classes work out their own interpretation of the code and agree to adhere to their own rules. In most classes, this is effective. Good behaviour is recognised and praised and teachers promptly give a clear indication to those pupils whose behaviour is inappropriate. Occasionally, however, particularly within Key Stage 1 classes, this does not always happen. In some of these lessons, pupils do not recognise the boundary between acceptable and non-acceptable behaviour and response. The use of stickers to reward good behaviour and work is inconsistent. In some classrooms, teachers award them too freely so that they have no impact on improving pupils’ attitudes. In other classes, pupils gain a feeling of

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

achievement when given a reward. Pupils are very highly controlled as they move around the school. Bullying is rare and there is no racial tension because the school has suitable arrangements for preventing these activities.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. There are good procedures for the assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics and art. However, the procedures in other subjects are unsatisfactory. They are too inconsistent to provide a clear view of what pupils know and understand on which teachers can base their planning. However, the information provided by the end of key stage tests is now being used to track trends over time and to identify differences in performance, such as might occur between boys and girls, for example.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The guidance given to individual pupils about their academic and personal development is good. Staff carefully encourage pupils to try harder. They make good use of a range of target-setting techniques to help pupils to manage their own improvement. One classroom has a target-setting tree where each child has their individual target on a leaf while another has them on a squared board outside the classroom. The termly target sheets which are sent home to parents are also useful tools for informing pupils about future improvement, as are the very clear targets identified on the annual report, particularly in English and mathematics. A recently produced computerised tracking system is already proving useful. This is beginning to help the school develop and Glebelands Primary School formalise its whole-school approach to the use of data to monitor and predict performance.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The majority of parents are very supportive of the school. Parents recognise and applaud the school’s strengths, particularly the way it is led and managed and the high expectations which it has for the pupils. A small minority expressed concern about the amount of homework, the information they receive about children’s progress and the way the school works with parents. These worries are unjustified. The school aims to work together with parents and is very successfully meeting this aim.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The school welcomes and embraces its parents and all members of staff are open in their approach to parents. They commit significant amounts of time and energy to communicating with parents, listening carefully to their queries and diligently following up concerns. All class teachers produce delightful curriculum letters each term. These give parents a very full picture of exactly what their child will be experiencing in the term ahead and suggesting how parents can support their children’s learning.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The welcome extended to parents and visitors by the office staff is exceptionally friendly and efficient. This initial welcome is further enhanced by the attractive and interesting way the school presents itself. Displays in the entrance hall, main school hall and corridors are attractive, interesting and invigorating. There is much evidence of the time and energy that the school devotes to ensuring that parents and visitors feel welcome in the community. Folders of class and assembly work, albums of photographs and booklets about the school are easily accessible to interested adults and children.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The school produces a very good range of general information for parents. The prospectus is interesting and weekly newsletters give a more detailed picture of school life. The school has produced an excellent Literacy Handbook with very good strategies for what parents can do to support their children. It is currently producing a similar publication for numeracy.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Information about individual pupils is also very good; annual reporting systems are efficiently organised. Parents can meet teachers every term to talk about their child’s progress. The school also prepares a termly target sheet to enable parents to support their child’s improvement. Teachers provide very good annual reports. These contain a full and detailed range of information about what each pupil can and cannot do in specific subject areas. The coverage in English, mathematics and science is exceptionally good. Here parents can read precise information about specific strengths and weaknesses in all the particular topics covered that year, written in language that is easily understood. Reports also contain clear descriptions of exactly what the child needs to do next to improve.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The reporting of personal development is equally good. Parents rightly commented that the unique descriptions given are mirror images of the child and could not represent any other child. These very good arrangements also apply to pupils with special education needs. Teachers carefully monitor these pupils and they immediately convey any changes to parents. Teachers hold consultations regularly and they highly regard parents' perceptions.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. The school actively encourages parents to involve themselves in the life of the school. A significant percentage of the parents offer high quality support. Members of staff treat these parents as genuine classroom assistants. Teachers take care in ensuring that the parents know precisely what is expected of them during each lesson and instructions are Glebelands Primary School included in lesson plans and classroom activity books. Their assistance is valued and valuable, their presence very evident, effectively facilitating group and individual work. The school benefits both financially and socially from the energetic and enthusiastic Parents Association. This runs a wide range of successful activities. It rightly prides itself on organising a few activities where the prime purpose is to bond and unite everybody. Seventy-five per cent of the school attended a hugely successful family disco.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. The school has introduced a number of strategies to help all parents understand and be involved in their children’s education. It invites parents to literacy and numeracy lessons to see the teaching. When an analysis of attendance at evening curriculum meetings showed a need for daytime meetings, the school ran several daytime workshops. Teachers use homework effectively and they give careful explanations to parents in the termly letters. This helps parents to involve themselves in their child’s home learning.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. Overall, this very valuable partnership with parents ensures that parents understand and participate in their child’s education .

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides very strong leadership and she is ably supported by the governing body. In the two years since the school opened, there has been a large turnover in teachers. This has made it difficult for the headteacher to delegate management responsibilities and difficult for staff to carry out the responsibilities they have had.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The school has clear and appropriate aims based on helping all pupils achieve their individual potential. These aims include fostering a partnership between the school, parents and the community, develop pupils’ personal attitudes and value good work, progress and behaviour. In the short time the school has been open, it has made very good progress towards its aims, particularly in links with parents. However, the school has not fully developed pupils’ ability to work independently with self-discipline and tolerance and respect towards others. Governors and staff have a shared commitment to further improvement. Parents feel that members of staff are approachable and responsive. Most parents feel that the governors and headteacher provide good leadership and manage the school effectively.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The headteacher provides very strong leadership, with a clear vision for the school based on pupils achieving high standards. She has successfully managed the opening and rapid growth of the school. The headteacher has led by example by initially taking responsibility for the development of many individual subjects as well as special educational needs. The delegation of responsibilities has proved difficult because initially there was only a small number of teachers, who had no management experience beyond the classroom. The difficulties continued with the appointment of newly qualified teachers, who were unable to take on additional responsibilities. The staff are now developing into a more competent team. Effective in-service training has taken place on the role of subject managers. Responsibility for monitoring and developing subjects is now more effective following the delegation of some subjects amongst the teachers. Staff

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

are now playing a fuller role in ensuring the continued improvement in both teaching and learning. For example, subject managers have begun to monitor teachers’ planning and pupils’ work as well as ensuring that adequate resources are available. However, further delegation is required, because the headteacher still has too many subject responsibilities. The school has not yet developed the role of the newly appointed deputy headteacher so that she contributes effectively to school improvement. The school is aware that it needs to improve the delegation of management roles amongst the staff if the school is to continue to improve. Glebelands Primary School 63. The newly appointed, and therefore inexperienced, governing body has made very good progress in developing its role. It fulfils its statutory responsibilities successfully. It meets regularly and has an appropriate structure that includes committees for policy and

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

finance, curriculum and premises. Through its work, the governing body has ensured all the necessary policies needed to set up and run a school are in place. It monitors the budget efficiently and makes effective use of the financial information supplied by the school’s efficient bursar. The school makes satisfactory use of the financial resources it is given. For example, the school is using some of its funds brought forward from the previous financial year to fund an increase in the number of teachers planned for September. The school uses grants effectively for their specific purposes, including staff training and support for special educational needs.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Governors are beginning to gain a deeper understanding of the work of the school. Some governors, through their links with a subject manager and visits to the classroom, have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors recognise their need to learn more about the work of the school. They see this as an area for further development so that they can play a more effective role in shaping the direction of the school. So far, their involvement in strategic planning, such as the creation of the school improvement plan, has been limited. Governors are very supportive of the school and there are good relationships between governors and staff. However, they are not afraid to question policy and practice and effectively carry out their role as critical friends.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The headteacher has introduced effective procedures for monitoring and developing teaching. She monitors teachers’ planning, pupils’ work, the results of national and optional tests, as well as teaching in all classes. The involvement of other staff, in their roles as subject managers, is at an early stage of development. There are good arrangements for professional development. The school improvement plan is a detailed document that sets a large number of targets aimed at developing the school. It does not clearly identify what are the school’s agreed priorities for improvement. However, the governors, headteacher and staff share a commitment to improvement. Between them, the school has the capacity to make further improvements.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. At present, the headteacher is the co-ordinator for special educational needs. She has shown very good leadership and management since the school opened in preparing individual education plans, ensuring that members of staff are aware of them and in setting up effective procedures for learning support. The governing body is aware that as the school grows, it will need to make changes and has taken effective action so that it will manage future developments successfully. There is a link governor for special educational needs who provides good support. The governing body ensures that funds for special educational needs are effectively used. The school meets all statutory requirements concerning special educational needs.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school has sufficient well-qualified and experienced teachers to teach all subjects of the National Curriculum. Teachers are effectively deployed to make the most of their expertise and experience. Teachers ensure that classroom assistants are always well prepared and their high quality contributions impact positively on all pupils, not just those with special educational needs. The contribution made by other support staff, such as the premises’ officer and secretary, is very good. The school effectively supports newly qualified and newly appointed staff through a well-structured induction programme. This programme, and the very professional support and direction of the headteacher, has ensured that those less experienced teachers are developing effectively. The headteacher efficiently manages and monitors the arrangements for the professional development of all staff. In-service training provision reflects the priorities for individuals

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and the school keeps full records of courses attended. The performance management Glebelands Primary School policy is fully in place and the school has carefully identified staff’s individual targets, including those for the headteacher.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The accommodation is ample and is adequate to meet the needs of the pupils currently at the school. The school has some good specialist areas, such as the cooking area and the information and communications technology room. However, some of the class bases are small and do present difficulties for the teachers. There is not enough room to move securely and safely round all the tables during practical activities. In a Years 1/2 art lesson, it was difficult for pupils to work in groups and share materials easily. Pupils were restricted in their movements at the end of a poetry lesson when they wanted to perform a rap dance to the rhythm of The Pied Piper poem. A lack of space hindered young children in their movements to the front of the class when pegging out numeracy answers on the washing line. The floor space of the hall is sufficient for assemblies and physical education activities, but the ceiling is so high that teachers often have to shout. The

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

acoustics are very poor and are hampering the teaching during all activities in the hall. The playground, although small, is just sufficient for current numbers.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The school is currently not making best use of the accommodation available. The limited space available within some classrooms restricts the activities possible. However, some changes are already in hand. The Years 5/6 class, for example, needs more space. The area used for the library is too small.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. The school has just sufficient resources to meet the needs of the curriculum and the current number of pupils. Staff make good use of the range of resources in their lessons. The resources are in good condition and there is sufficient space around the school to store them in easily accessed cupboards and shelves. There are enough computers to support pupils’ learning in information and communication technology, but more software is needed for cross-curricular work. The library is very poorly resourced; the majority of books currently housed in the library are reading scheme books. The school has sufficient indoor equipment in the nursery. The school, however, lacks outdoor equipment and appropriate play experiences for children in the Foundation Stage. Glebelands Primary School

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

71. To further improve the quality of education provided by their new school and continue to raise standards, the governors, headteacher and staff should now:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) introduce effective strategies for developing pupils’ personal development and their independent learning skills by:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing more opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning and to show initiative;

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing more opportunities to develop self-discipline;

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• planning more open-ended and investigative tasks to challenge and motivate pupils;

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• developing pupils’ independent research skills, including higher-order reading skills and the use of information and communication technology;

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing more challenge for higher-attaining pupils; (Paragraphs: 19, 24, 26-27, 39, 99, 106-107, 113, 118, 130, 134 and 141)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) improve the educational experiences for children in the Foundation Stage by:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring the planned curriculum for reception children has an appropriate balance between teacher-directed activities and opportunities for children to learn through exploring, experimenting, planning and making decisions for themselves;

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving the resources and experiences for outdoor play;

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring children in reception have frequent and regular opportunities for outdoor play; (Paragraphs: 2, 25, 30, 32, 70, 73, 76, 78, 80 and 85)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) develop whole-school procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in the non-core subjects so that teachers' planning can more closely match the needs of pupils. (Paragraphs: 42, 49, 126, 132 and 142) Glebelands Primary School In addition to the key issues above, the following minor issues should be considered for inclusion in the school’s action plan. They are indicated by the following paragraphs:

p.24

Area for development Paragraphs

Improve the behaviour management of some teachers of the small number of pupils whose standard of behaviour falls below that of the majority, to improve the pace of learning. 14, 48, 92, 99, 113, 146, 156

p.25

Area for development Paragraphs

Improve the provision for multi-cultural education. 41, 115, 155, 159

p.25

Area for development Paragraphs

Develop the role of the deputy headteacher and continue to develop the roles of the subject managers. 62, 121, 126, 159

p.25

Area for development Paragraphs

Improve the range of library resources and computer software available. 70, 101, 142

p.25

Area for development Paragraphs

Look at ways of making the most effective use of the accommodation. 69, 115, 132 Glebelands Primary School

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 38

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 12 40 48 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 43 136

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 12 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 27

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 21

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 22

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 9 7 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Total 15 16 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils at NC Level 2 or above School 94 (**) 100 (**) 100 (**)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Total 14 15 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 88 (**) 94 (**) 94 (**) at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87) ** Data omitted as comparisons with national averages are statistically unreliable as a result of there being 10 or fewer pupils in the year group. Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 5 4 9

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Total ** (**) ** (**) ** (**)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils at NC Level 4 or above School ** (**) ** (**) ** (**)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Total ** (**) ** (**) ** (**)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School ** (**) ** (**) ** (**) at NC Level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75) ** Data omitted as comparisons with national averages are statistically unreliable as a result of there being 10 or fewer pupils in the year group. Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Glebelands Primary School

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 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) 6 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 272,143

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 1,958

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 102 Balance brought forward from previous year 4,361

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 31,437

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 44

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 80

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 13 FTE means full-time equivalent. Glebelands Primary School

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 52 43 3 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 47 40 4 1 8

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 42 11 3 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 46 35 18 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 25 3 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 72 26 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 54 35 7 1 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 68 24 6 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 66 31 1 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 29 32 26 3 10 Glebelands Primary School PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. Children in the Foundation Stage are currently educated in the nursery class and mixed reception/Year 1 class. They enter the nursery class from the age of three and a half, firstly attending part-time then full-time. They transfer into reception/Year 1 class in the September after their fourth birthday. Many children have had the experience of attending a playgroup before entering the nursery. Assessments carried out by the school when they arrive indicate that their attainment levels are broadly similar to the expectations for their age.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. Overall, the provision for children in the nursery class is good, though there is a weakness in the provision for children’s physical development. The teacher, two full-time nursery nurses and the part-time ancillary support make an effective team. They promote children’s learning well. The curriculum provides a broad range of relevant learning experiences clearly based on the nationally recognised areas of learning. There is a good balance between adult-led activities, where children learn basic skills such as early literacy and counting skills, and opportunities for children to plan and initiate activities for themselves. This good level of provision results in children making overall good levels of progress. However, the planning of activities in reception is not as effective and children’s progress slows. The teacher plans carefully to ensure that there are clear links between the areas of learning for children in reception and the Key Stage 1 curriculum for

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

pupils in Year 1. However, in the weekly plans she does not pay close enough attention to providing what the reception children need. The teaching of a weekly timetable more appropriate for pupils in Key Stage 1 limits the progress of the reception children. They have too few opportunities to initiate activities themselves. For example, there are too few opportunities for them to be involved in role-play or to learn through exploration, experimenting, planning and making decisions for themselves. The teaching includes some lessons when the children sit and listen for a long time and the reception children and the pupils in Year 1 find it difficult. This reduces both the effectiveness of the teaching and the rate of progress, particularly in the children’s personal and social development.

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Personal, social and emotional development

74. Children in the nursery make good progress in this area and display good levels of personal and social development. They enter the nursery happily with parents or carers. The good deployment of staff ensures they are welcomed in the cloakroom, they correctly collect their name label and then settle quickly on the mat ready for the start of the day. Children show a keen interest in each other. For example, one child commented that he was pleased to see another child return after a short period of illness. The teacher reinforced this positive attitude and showed that all children are valued by her greeting; ‘ Nice to see you back, we missed you yesterda y’. Children have good levels of concentration and perseverance. Most stay on an activity for a reasonable length of time. Levels of independence are high as children move confidently from one activity to another. They work sensibly on activities without the intervention of nursery staff. For

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Personal, social and emotional development

example, children are often fully engaged in a wide range of activities while the adults work with certain groups on set tasks.

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Personal, social and emotional development

75. Staff are good role models. They have high expectations of how children should behave and, consequently, behaviour is always very good. Most children’s play is individual, but when necessary, they display good co-operative attitudes. Children, for example, readily adopt different roles when they play in the nursery’s garden centre . They share resources sensibly, as when using construction kits. Almost all the children are very Glebelands Primary School attentive to the teacher or nursery staff. They tidy-up efficiently at the end of a session and sensibly change for their physical education lesson. The nursery staff provide a secure and caring environment with enough time and space to choose and complete activities successfully. They provide children with good opportunities to develop independence and co-operation. They encourage children and make effective use of praise. Staff develop other important attitudes to learning at this early stage. Each

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Personal, social and emotional development

fortnight children take home a relevant activity to complete with their parents. This regular feature enables children to develop a sense of responsibility as well as interest and enjoyment. Teaching and learning within this area are good and children make good progress towards the relevant early learning goals 3 .

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Personal, social and emotional development

76. In comparison, reception children make little progress in their personal, social and emotional development. Although there are good relationships between the children and their teacher, the children have not developed good levels of respect for the views and ideas of other children. Their levels of concentration are short and many are easily distracted. They do not display appropriate levels of involvement in activities. The constraints of the timetable mean that the teacher does not provide short activities that encourage children to take an active part in their learning, choose activities and make choices within adult-initiated activities. Consequently, many children at the end of the Foundation Stage will not achieve all of the relevant early learning goals in this area of learning.

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Communication, language and literacy

77. Children in the nursery make good progress in speaking, listening, reading and writing. They listen attentively to adults and contribute suggestions and ideas readily. Some have developed a good vocabulary. For example, one child was keen to tell the nursery nurse that the items she had gathered to make pancakes were the ingredients . Adults constantly develop children’s understanding by using appropriate vocabulary as they engage them in conversations. The children develop a good understanding of initial letter sounds. Having helped a small group identify items that begin with the letter p , the teacher showed them how to write the letter using dotted lines as a guide. This successfully develops their early writing skills. A scrutiny of children’s workbooks shows that they make good progress in their writing skills. They develop from making initial marks on paper to independent writing with some recognisable letters to copying simple

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Communication, language and literacy

words and phrases. Many older children correctly write their names. They develop their skills as they experiment with paper and pencil in the writing corner. Children listen to stories in small groups, read to them by a parent helper. They know the story is contained in the print and that stories start at the front of the book. Children develop their knowledge of books through the small selection available in the nursery. Older children recognise common words such as the, it and he .

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Communication, language and literacy

78. In the reception class, children make satisfactory progress in their language and literacy skills. The teacher provides adequate opportunities for children to express their ideas orally. For example, the teacher questioned the children on what they remembered from the previous day about the characters in the big book Farmer Duck. In their handwriting books, children develop appropriate pencil control and most form letters correctly. They recognise simple groups of rhyming words with common endings, such as cat, bat and hat. Older children write simple phrases with some recognisable words. They know text is read from left to right and top to bottom. Most read an appropriate range of common words and simple sentences. The majority of this small group of children will achieve the early learning goals for this area by the end of reception. However, the good rate of progress seen in the nursery does not continue into reception. This in the main is

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Communication, language and literacy

Early learning goals – these are the expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They refer mainly to the achievements children make in the six areas of learning. Glebelands Primary School because the organisation and teaching of long literacy lessons does not fully meet the needs of these children.

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Mathematical development

79. Children in the nursery make good progress in their mathematical development because of good planning and teaching. They recognise simple repeating patterns and can recreate them using different coloured and shaped beads. Children recognise terms such as large and small and can sort teddy bears by size. In their paintings, they show a large adult and a small child. Through carefully structured activities children learn to count to seven and some are beginning to count beyond ten.

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Mathematical development

80. In the reception class, children further develop their understanding of repeating patterns. They identify simple shapes, such as circle, square and triangle , and sort items by size from smallest to largest. By using 1p, 2p and 5p coins, they learn to add small numbers together. The majority can count accurately to 20 and some count to 50 or beyond. Almost all are able to write, recognise and order numbers to ten. The majority of this small group is in line to achieve the relevant early learning goals by the end of reception. Overall, teaching and learning are satisfactory. The teacher makes good use of resources and suitable methods, such as counting rhymes. However, the rather formal approach of the numeracy lesson results in slower progress than seen in the nursery.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

81. Children in both the nursery and reception classes make satisfactory progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world. In the nursery, children learn about the different materials while experimenting in the sand and water trays, and by finding a waterproof material for Ted’s raincoat. They know that plastic will keep the water out. By sorting pictures, children show they know that babies grow firstly into toddlers, then teenagers and adults. They know the pancake mix they have helped to make will change when an adult cooks it because it will get hot. They express their opinions about which filling they like best in their pancake by adding their name to a large block graph. Although there are none in the nursery, children gain an early experience of using a computer. Small groups go to the computer suite, where they use the mouse to colour in shapes on the screen.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

82. In the reception class, children continue to make satisfactory progress. They know the names of body parts, such as eye, nose and finger . They understand that animals grow and they know the names of some young animals, including calf, lamb and kid . Children know that people live in different types of home and that to make toy cars move you must either push or pull them. They successfully use words from a word bank in the computer to complete simple sentences. In both classes, teachers plan carefully so that children gain relevant knowledge of the world around them. Teaching is at least satisfactory and children will achieve the early learning goals for this area by the end of reception.

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Physical development

83. Most children in the nursery use pencils, paintbrushes, scissors and glue with reasonable accuracy. The nursery staff give the children time to explore, experiment and refine their movements. For example, children fit together blocks from a construction kit with appropriate dexterity as they make imaginative models. In a weekly lesson, children gain confidence by working in the wide-open spaces of the hall. Almost all the children can hop, skip, jump and control their body movements with appropriate co-ordination for their age. Many can balance on one foot and change to a different balance point. These children are already achieving the early learning goals in this aspect of their physical development because of very good teaching. The teacher carefully plans the weekly session and uses the time very effectively. Her friendly, encouraging and supportive style results in children being totally involved and giving of their best.

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Physical development

Glebelands Primary School 84. In the reception class, children satisfactorily develop their fine motor skills. They display appropriate skills for their age during cutting, modelling and painting activities as part of a lesson on labelling and classifying objects. Reception children have a weekly physical education lesson in the hall. They move around safely, curling and stretching their bodies and linking movements together. However, the constant giggling and chatting, which the teacher does not control, prevents better progress.

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Physical development

85. A weakness in the provision for physical development through the Foundation Stage is in the provision of outdoor activities. There are too few opportunities for children in the nursery and reception classes to develop their physical skills through relevant outdoor activities. Although children in the nursery have a daily session outdoors, its impact is limited due to a lack of suitable resources. There are no playground markings, little small equipment and only a few wheeled toys available. Staff are aware of the shortages and try to compensate by organising simple games. The school does not give children in the reception class regular and frequent opportunities for outdoor activities. Overall, this aspect is unsatisfactory.

p.33

Creative development

86. Children in both classes make satisfactory progress in this area of their development. Staff provide a good range of activities to develop their creative skills. Children in the nursery recognise individual colours and use one colour to paint attractive pictures. They use a range of colours to paint pictures of themselves with a parent. They weave coloured paper through card to create pleasing designs. Children design colourful coats for Ted by adding a range of materials, including paint, tissue and foil, to a paper template. By using yoghurt pots, paper and tissue, children make attractive flowers and plants to sell in the nursery’s garden centre.

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Creative development

87. This satisfactory progress continues in the reception class. Children use paint and chalk to produce pictures. They cut black out shapes, which they add to colourful backgrounds. Using letter shapes and paint, they successfully print the syllables of their names for a music display on clapping rhythms. Using foil, children decorate templates to make attractive pictures of Chinese dragons. Because of satisfactory teaching, children will achieve the early learning goals for this area by the end of the Foundation Stage.

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Teaching

88. The overall quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. It ranges from satisfactory to very good. Staff create a caring environment in which children feel secure. There are good relationships between adults and children. Staff make good use of the resources available. Teaching in the nursery is consistently good and at times very good. There is very effective teamwork between the teacher and support staff. They have a very good understanding of how young children learn and they plan a good range of relevant activities. They manage the pupils very well and have high expectations, which result in very good behaviour. This results in children making good progress overall during their time in the nursery. The teaching in reception is satisfactory overall, and at times good. Teaching and learning are better when a good range of activities is used. For example, children made good progress in their mathematical development when

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Teaching

activities included songs and number games. The weakness in short-term planning (see paragraph 73) means the teacher has to work hard at maintaining children’s interest and good behaviour. This makes some long lessons even more disjointed. Consequently, the rate of learning slows and progress in reception is only satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

89. Overall, standards for pupils aged 7 and 11 are in line with national expectations. Teaching in literacy lessons is at least satisfactory and often good so that pupils achieve Glebelands Primary School appropriate standards for their age. Given the low attainment of many pupils on entry to school, this represents good levels of achievement. Teachers and classroom assistants provide pupils with special educational needs with very good levels of support. They ensure work is at an appropriate level and broken down into small manageable steps. This enables these pupils to make good progress. Pupils that are more able achieve appropriately higher standards. There are good levels of support for pupils with English as an additional language. This helps them to understand teachers’ instructions and the more difficult phrases and vocabulary used within the classroom. Consequently, they make good progress in their acquisition of language skills. There is no significant

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ENGLISH

difference in the attainment of boys and girls.

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ENGLISH

90. In the National Curriculum tests at the age of seven in 2000, pupils’ performance was above the national average in reading and well above in writing. The current Year 2 contains a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs than in previous years and some of these pupils are unlikely to achieve the expected standard. However, almost all pupils are on target to achieve Level 2, the expected standard for their age. Approximately a fifth will reach the higher standard, Level 3, in reading and a small number of pupils in writing. This represents an appropriate level of achievement for this year group. The standards achieved by pupils in Year 1 indicate a greater proportion of pupils achieving a higher than expected standard, particularly in reading.

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ENGLISH

91. The very small numbers of pupils in Year 6 since the school opened make it unreliable to compare their end of Key Stage 2 test results with national averages. Since 1999, three- quarters of pupils have achieved the expected standard, Level 4. Only a very small proportion has achieved the higher standard, Level 5. Within the very small group in the current Year 6, the majority will achieve Level 4 and some will achieve the higher standard. This represents an appropriate level of achievement for this year group. Amongst younger pupils within the key stage, standards are generally above average for their age.

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ENGLISH

92. Standards in speaking and listening are average throughout the school. Teachers give pupils adequate opportunities to discuss ideas. For example, Key Stage 1 pupils discussed spelling patterns with their partners during a literacy lesson. In Key Stage 2, pupils asked their partners a series of questions in order to gather information for pupil biographies. Pupils demonstrate good standards in choral speaking, as illustrated in a literacy lesson in which pupils read aloud poems including Macavity: The Mystery Cat by T. S. Eliot. However, teachers often miss opportunities to develop pupils’ speaking skills further. In replying to their partners’ questions, pupils tend to use one-word answers rather than full sentences. While some pupils in some lessons are very attentive, others find listening more difficult. The effective use of a puppet in a Key Stage 1 literacy lesson and clear expectations of behaviour given at the start of a Key Stage 2 lesson ensure

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ENGLISH

pupils are attentive. In other lessons, however, teachers do not always make sure that all pupils are listening carefully, or the pace of the lesson is too slow so that some pupils lose interest.

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ENGLISH

93. The school has ensured that pupils have good opportunities to develop their reading skills. As well as guided reading sessions within literacy lessons the school has recently introduced ‘Racing to Read’. This daily activity, during which pupils consolidate their reading skills, is beginning to have a positive impact on standards. At Key Stage 1, pupils use appropriate strategies, such as sounding out new words and using picture clues. In the lower half of Key Stage 2, reading standards are above average. Many pupils are already beginning to use context to identify unknown words. They read fluently and with expression and are able to recall the main points of the story. There is a wider range of reading skills amongst older pupils in the key stage. While some read fluently and with expression, others read more hesitantly and, therefore, have little understanding of what Glebelands Primary School

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ENGLISH

they have read. By the age of 11, pupils understand the numerical system for finding non-fiction books in the library. They use contents and index pages when finding information. However, few successfully skim and scan when searching for information. Most pupils enjoy reading, though a small number do not. They read a satisfactory range of books, including poetry and non-fiction, and favourite authors amongst older pupils include J. K. Rowling and Roald Dahl. Parents make a positive contribution to pupils’ progress by hearing them read regularly at home.

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ENGLISH

94. Progress in writing in both key stages is satisfactory. Teachers concentrate on teaching the basic skills of grammar, spelling and handwriting at Key Stage 1. They have sound knowledge and plan lessons thoroughly. Teachers break down the skills that pupils are to learn into small manageable steps. This results in sound learning. For example, the effective use of word games ensures good progress in learning about the use of phonemes, such as ew and ue in the words flew and blue . Most pupils use capital letters and full stops when writing sentences, but few do this consistently. The quality of spelling is average, although several pupils fail to spell basic words correctly. Handwriting skills are generally well developed and pupils use a neat joined script, though not always consistently.

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ENGLISH

95. Pupils in the lower years of Key Stage 2 develop their writing skills through a good mix of vocabulary and grammar activities. They learn to use adjectives to improve their descriptions and increase their vocabulary through learning opposites. This results in many pupils producing interesting writing, for example, when producing a sequel to the story of the Three Little Pigs . By the end of the key stage, there is a wide range in pupils’ attainments. More-able pupils successfully explain things in writing: for example, they explain what a new pupil at the school should do. Most pupils use punctuation correctly, including speech marks. However, for some pupils spelling is weak and their writing style is not well developed. In the daily handwriting books, writing is a neat joined script. However, pupils do not always maintain these high standards in their other written work, where presentation is at times unsatisfactory.

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ENGLISH

96. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning. Teachers set clear, detailed targets in the pupils’ individual education plans. Teachers, classroom assistants and voluntary helpers give the pupils very effective support both in lessons and in small groups. Pupils with English as an additional language also receive good levels of help. When classroom assistants are present, they ensure that pupils clearly understand instructions and explain more difficult vocabulary. This results in these pupils making good progress.

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ENGLISH

97. During the inspection teaching ranged from satisfactory to good. Overall, teaching is satisfactory, though there were examples of good teaching in both key stages. The school has successfully introduced the National Literacy Strategy. It has also provided additional time for the teaching of spelling and handwriting. This high profile attention to basic skills is beginning to have a positive impact on learning. Consequently, pupils are making at least sound progress. Pupils’ levels of attainment and rates of progress are improving. This is most noticeable in Years 3 and 4. The national strategy provides a clear structure that ensures that pupils are building upon previous learning experiences as they progress through the school. Teachers plan lessons carefully and clearly identify learning objectives. Teachers make effective use of relevant texts, including fiction and non-fiction, at the beginning of literacy lessons. Pupils are generally attentive during

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ENGLISH

these sessions and are keen to offer answers. However, a small minority of pupils at Key Stage 1 finds it difficult to concentrate. Others are reluctant to participate. For example, a small group of older pupils took little part in the class discussion on poems about cats. Teachers manage the pupils effectively, with only a small number of pupils finding it difficult to maintain the high levels of behaviour expected of them. Teachers provide Glebelands Primary School appropriate levels of challenge to match the range of abilities within their mixed-aged classes. This careful targeting of work is most effective in group work and results in pupils settling quickly to the tasks set for them. Teachers make sure that classroom assistants know what they have to do, so that they provide good levels of support both in the classroom and with small groups. Those pupils with special educational needs or

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ENGLISH

English as an additional language are particularly well supported.

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ENGLISH

98. In the better lessons, teachers have clear expectations, make effective use of reward systems to encourage pupils and maintain a brisk pace. For example, in a Years 3/4 literacy lesson, the teacher constantly reminded pupils that they had a certain time in which to complete a task. Pupils responded to the challenge and consequently learning was good. The sensible use of praise and encouragement in a Years 1/2 lesson helped raise pupils’ self-confidence. The pupils were keen to respond and were confident about answering questions.

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ENGLISH

99. In lessons that were satisfactory rather than good, teachers do not always maintain the interest of all pupils, particularly during whole-class guided reading sessions at the beginning of a literacy lesson. The small number of pupils who then become restless disrupts the flow of the lesson and this limits progress for all. Where teachers do not give clear instructions for group work or make their expectations plain, the rate of progress is often slow. Teachers do not always provide sufficient challenge or develop pupils’ independent learning skills so as to make it possible for them to take responsibility for their own learning.

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ENGLISH

100. Pupils at Key Stage 2 use effectively, and further develop, their literacy skills in other subjects. Pupils have produced good examples of extended writing in science, religious education and history. The use of literacy skills in other subjects and at Key Stage 1 is more limited. While many pupils read non-fiction books for enjoyment they do not make full use of higher-order reading skills, such as skimming and scanning.

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ENGLISH

101. The subject manager provides good leadership for the subject. She successfully monitors classroom teaching and pupils’ attainment. Teachers track pupils’ rates of progress and analyse information from national and optional tests. Assessment procedures are good and teachers set pupils regular targets for improvement. The school has been building up its resources since it opened. While the number and range of reading books are adequate for the number of pupils currently on roll, there are not enough non-fiction books in the library. The school is well aware of this shortfall and plans to increase the number of books available.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Currently, standards at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are in line with national expectations. In the national tests at the end of the last school year, pupils aged 7 and 11 achieved standards that were much improved upon those for the previous year. All seven-year-old pupils reached at least Level 2 and as a result their performance was above that achieved nationally and by pupils in similar schools. Similarly, in the very small group of 11-year-old pupils, all achieved Level 4 and a high proportion of them reached Level 5. However, there were too few pupils to make reliable comparisons with national averages.

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MATHEMATICS

103. The evidence from inspection indicates that overall levels of attainment at the end of both key stages are in line with those found nationally. However, in both Year 2 and Year 6 a few pupils will reach above average standards for their age, which is a true reflection of their higher ability. Unfortunately, the classes contain a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs than in previous years and some of these pupils are unlikely to Glebelands Primary School achieve the expected standard. These findings do not indicate a lessening in the school’s drive to raise standards, but reflect the different mathematical ability of these classes compared with previous years. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good support in class and this enables them to make good progress. During lesson observations, there was no significant difference in attainment of boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

104. By the time they are seven, almost all pupils have a secure knowledge and understanding of numbers to at least 100. The school has identified the need to improve pupils’ ability in mental arithmetic. Pupils in Year 2 demonstrate their growing confidence and ability in using mental methods to solve problems during the plenary sessions at the start and end of lessons. They count accurately in twos, fives and tens and combine different pairs of numbers to make 20. They show that they understand the difference between odd and even numbers and identify them in different sequences. In an observed lesson, pupils worked in pairs to find different combinations of twos and fives to make 30. They talked sensibly, shared ideas and supported one another happily. Higher-attaining pupils wrote their answers as equations and could explain why there was more than one solution to the problem. Scrutiny of pupils’ previous work indicates that by the time they are seven,

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MATHEMATICS

the majority of pupils achieve average standards in shape and space, measures and in handling data.

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MATHEMATICS

105. There are only nine pupils in the current Year 6 group, but they represent the whole ability range. The school is working hard to meet their individual needs and is targeting additional help for those who are not yet working at Level 4. Because of the very good support they are receiving, these pupils are making good progress in developing mathematical skills. They are becoming more confident and competent in solving problems and in their ability to use numbers. For example, when using a computer program to develop understanding of place value, they respond quickly to the questions and the accuracy of their answers allows them to progress to the next stage. Higher- attaining pupils worked confidently to find the mean, mode, mean and range of various data. They used the correct mathematical language in their conversations, estimated answers before completing the calculations, and checked their answers using a

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MATHEMATICS

calculator. All of the Year 6 pupils are achieving standards that are a true reflection of their mathematical ability.

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MATHEMATICS

106. The introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy has had a positive impact upon the quality of teaching and learning. Consequently, pupils’ levels of attainment and rates of progress are improving. The strategy provides structure to the scheme of work and ensures that pupils are building upon previous learning experiences as they progress through the school. Teachers plan lessons thoroughly and clearly identify the learning objectives. This ensures that time is used effectively and pupils know the teachers' expectations of them. Teachers have friendly and encouraging teaching styles and these result in pupils trying hard and doing their best. During the inspection, the quality of teaching was never less than satisfactory and it was good overall. Teaching in the lower part of Key Stage 2 is very good. The teacher sets high standards for behaviour and performance. She constantly challenges pupils with open-ended tasks and questions.

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MATHEMATICS

The teacher gives pupils some responsibility for their own learning and they respond with commitment and enthusiasm. In lessons that are satisfactory rather than good, teachers do not make pupils responsible for the own learning and, as a result, pupils are less well motivated.

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MATHEMATICS

107. Throughout the school, pupils use a developing range of mathematical language when talking about their work and explaining their strategies. Teachers generally pitch their questions at the right level to promote the learning of pupils of different ability groups. However, in some classes, particularly in Key Stage 1, teachers miss opportunities to extend the learning of higher-attaining pupils. Teachers make satisfactory use of Glebelands Primary School numeracy skills to support learning in other subjects, such as science, geography and design and technology. All teachers make good use of praise to motivate pupils and this encourages them to participate and has a positive impact upon their learning. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils and with all adults who help in the classroom, especially the classroom assistants. They are good role models for pupils and this has a positive effect upon pupils’ personal development.

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MATHEMATICS

108. The subject manager provides good leadership for the subject. She monitors classroom teaching and provides effective comments to teachers on their strengths and weaknesses. Assessment procedures are good and teachers track pupils’ rates of progress and levels of attainment through the school. Teachers set each pupil a target for improvement, which they discuss with parents and review at the end of each term. Teachers use their analysis of performance data, gathered from national and optional tests, to identify strengths and weaknesses in the school’s overall performance. This monitoring identified pupils’ mental ability to solve problems as an area of weakness. In order to address and eliminate this problem, the school has introduced a programme of fortnightly timed tests to raise pupils’ standards.

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SCIENCE

109. Standards are in line with national expectations at age 7 and at age 11 because of satisfactory teaching. There are no significant differences in attainment between boys and girls, or across the four aspects of the subject. Pupils with special educational needs receive highly effective support in lessons. Because of this they achieve appropriate standards and make good progress towards their individual targets. Inspection evidence suggests that attainment has risen steadily since the school opened just over two years ago. Pupils with English as an additional language are given good support that ensures they make satisfactory progress in their learning.

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SCIENCE

110. Teacher assessments in 2000 for pupils in Year 2 show that the number of pupils who attained Level 2 was in line with the national average. However, results at Level 3 were below average. In the current Year 2, standards are average. Most pupils are in line to achieve the expected Level 2 and approximately a fifth will achieve the higher standard, Level 3. By age seven, pupils are beginning to develop the basic vocabulary associated with science. Pupils in Year 1, for instance, clearly describe healthy foods and what makes them good for people. Pupils carry out simple investigations and can make sensible predictions about what may happen. They respond to suggestions about how to find things out. For example, pupils in Year 2 carry out experiments on circuits and electricity where they learn how to construct basic circuits and how they work. They show considerable pleasure when they finally construct a circuit that makes a bulb light up.

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SCIENCE

Pupils usually write up the results of their investigations for themselves and often use simple tables and graphs to present evidence. They distinguish between living and non- living things and can identify adult animals and their young. They classify materials and sort them into groups, such as those that are reflective and non-reflective.

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SCIENCE

111. In end of Key Stage 2 tests in 2000, there were too few pupils in Year 6 to make valid comparisons against national averages for tests. Standards in the present very small group of Year 6 pupils are average. The majority are on target to achieve the expected standard, Level 4, and some the higher standard, Level 5. By age 11, pupils develop a satisfactory factual knowledge and a helpful range of scientific vocabulary that they use with confidence. In discussions with Year 6 pupils, for example, they are able to describe the habitat of various animals and how they adapt to it. When they are conducting experiments pupils recognise the need to set up fair tests and they use equipment with care. They describe the most important factors involved in carrying out a fair test and sensibly predict what the outcomes will be. For example, pupils in the Years 3/4 class Glebelands Primary School

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SCIENCE

were able to predict what force was necessary to move objects, carry out an investigation to test their ideas, and understand that different levels of friction would influence the results. Pupils record their results using a variety of methods, including written descriptions, completed worksheets and graphs, which they produce themselves.

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SCIENCE

112. The quality of teaching and the learning it promotes are satisfactory. There is very good teaching in Years 3 and 4. There was no unsatisfactory teaching during the inspection. Where teaching is very good the teacher has very good subject knowledge and does not allow pupils to confuse terms such as weight and force , for example. The teacher has good organisational skills and she carefully plans all aspects of the practical work. She gives pupils clear instructions so they know exactly what to do and no time is lost during the lesson. The teacher has very good class control, which she achieves without fuss and with good humour. Consequently, the working atmosphere in the classroom is pleasant and businesslike and pupils enjoy the lessons. The teacher has high expectations, not only of pupils’ practical work, but also of their work in exercise books. There is work provided to match the range of attainment found in the class and this is

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SCIENCE

particularly beneficial to higher-attaining pupils because they have opportunities to extend and develop their writing skills.

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SCIENCE

113. In all lessons, there is a high level of effective teamwork between teachers and classroom assistants. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good support and achieve appropriate standards as a result. Where teaching is satisfactory rather than good or very good, it is because class control is not so strong. In these lessons, pupils are often rather restless and the teacher tends not to gain their full attention. Because of this, there is always a loss of time in the lesson while the teacher is waiting for pupils to listen. Pupils do not always fully understand what they are expected to do and their learning suffers a little each time as a result. Teachers do not give pupils sufficient opportunities to instigate their own investigations. Most pupils clearly enjoy science and show good attitudes to work. They are careful with equipment and behave sensibly in lessons. They

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SCIENCE

take care over presentation of work and persevere to make sure that it is correct.

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SCIENCE

114. Science makes a good contribution to the development of pupils’ basic skills. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their writing style. This is particularly beneficial to higher-attaining pupils, who are able to use these opportunities to develop their extended writing skills. Pupils learn a satisfactory range of scientific vocabulary, which they enjoy using. They record some of their investigations using a variety of graphs and tables and this contributes to their numeracy development. There is good use of information and communication technology to enhance and enrich the curriculum. Pupils in Year 2, for example, are able to search a CD-ROM encyclopaedia to find the answers to some set questions.

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SCIENCE

115. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. Pupils are encouraged to study, and reflect upon, the world and the environment and this makes a strong contribution to their spiritual development. There is a strong moral dimension in most lessons and pupils learn right from wrong. The adults in the school present very good role models. In discussions, pupils learn to listen to and appreciate the views of others. Good opportunities in science lessons to work together, share and take turns further enhance pupils’ social development. The subject makes little contribution to pupils’ cultural development. There is no strong emphasis on the wide range of cultural traditions from which scientific thinking and ideas have come. There are satisfactory procedures in place for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress and for ensuring continuity where pupils of the same year are in different classes. The use of assessment

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SCIENCE

for setting class and individual targets is not so strong. One classroom is too small to allow pupils to carry out safely some practical activities, although accommodation that is more spacious is available. There has not been sufficient time since the school opened Glebelands Primary School for the curriculum manager to gain great experience. However, her role as a manager is developing.

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ART AND DESIGN

116. Throughout the school, pupils achieve standards that are average for their age. However, in each year group there are pupils who produce work of a good standard when using pastel, charcoal or crayon. Examples of pupils’ previous art work feature prominently in the displays that enhance the educational environment in classrooms, corridors and the hall. The displays give clear evidence that there is satisfactory development of artistic skills as pupils progress through the school. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good support and most of them are making good progress in their studies.

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ART AND DESIGN

117. Pupils in the Key Stage 1 classes are developing their observational skills by making detailed drawings of building materials. In one lesson, they framed a small area of the surface of a brick and explored its colour, texture and pattern. Many of them described clearly what they saw and then used pastel crayons to make an enlarged drawing of what they had observed. The teacher gave higher-attaining pupils some freedom to work independently and they responded positively to this, talking quietly and concentrating on the task. They selected colours carefully so that their pictures were an accurate representation of the brick. The adults in the classroom gave other pupils good support and this enabled them to improve their skills and produce work of a satisfactory standard. The teacher planned the lesson carefully, but the rather slow pace meant that the quality of teaching was only satisfactory. In other work featured in displays, for example self-

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ART AND DESIGN

portraits and drawings of fruit sections, there is evidence that pupils have opportunities to use an appropriate range of tools and materials to develop and improve their artistic skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

118. By the time they are 11, many pupils are beginning to develop their own artistic style and teachers give them opportunities to express their ideas and feelings. However, pupils have few opportunities to use paint, particularly watercolour, and this limits progress in developing some higher-order skills. Nevertheless, higher-attaining pupils are producing work of a very good standard when using other materials. For example, their still-life drawings using pastels show how they use effectively the work of famous artists to influence and improve their own artistic style. All pupils use charcoal and pencils confidently, for example, in their drawings of skulls and bone structures.

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ART AND DESIGN

119. Teachers’ planning is thorough and there are very good cross-curricular links to many other subjects. Throughout the school, lesson plans show that teachers work hard to provide pupils with a stimulating experience in art and design. Pupils respond positively and they talk enthusiastically about their experiences. Almost all of them behave well, share resource materials sensibly and try hard to do their best. For example, Key Stage 1 pupils share paint and glue pots, and take responsibility for collecting materials and then returning them at the end of the lesson.

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ART AND DESIGN

120. Satisfactory use is made of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning. During the period of the inspection, pupils in Years 3 and 4 used computers very effectively in their investigations of repeating patterns. Having previously looked at fabrics from other cultures, and drawn their own pastel representations, they are now using their acquired computer skills to draw, colour and print symmetrical patterns. The very good teaching in this lesson enabled all pupils to become more confident, successfully produce a repeating and symmetrical pattern, and enjoy the experience. Glebelands Primary School 121. The subject manager is new to the post, but she has already revised the scheme of work in order to enhance the links with other subjects and the Foundation Stage. She monitors standards by collecting samples of work from different classes and uses them to check

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ART AND DESIGN

that skills are being developed and extended as pupils progress through the school. She gives satisfactory leadership for the subject and is aware that her role needs extending to include monitoring classroom practice. This is already included in the school improvement plan for the summer term.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. By the age of seven, the majority of pupils attain standards that are in line with those expected for their age. Some pupils in the Key Stage 2 classes achieve good standards in some areas of their work, but by the age of 11 most pupils achieve average standards. Pupils with special educational needs receive good levels of support and they are making good progress in their studies.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. Teachers’ planning is very thorough and the documents clearly indicate that pupils experience all areas of the statutory curriculum. In their lesson plans, teachers give appropriate attention to sharing ideas, planning, designing and making. However, scrutiny of pupils’ previous work reveals that teachers do not give enough attention to evaluation at the end of each project. Nevertheless, conversation with pupils in Years 5 and 6 about their project to design and make a fairground ride showed that they had a clear picture of what did and did not work. They talked enthusiastically about their experiences and had clear ideas as to how they could improve and revise the original design. They have good attitudes and their comments showed that they are making satisfactory progress in acquiring knowledge and developing practical skills. In addition, the freedom teachers give pupils to discuss and share ideas is making a significant

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

contribution to their personal development. They enjoy the challenge of cutting, joining and combining different materials

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have designed and made a box for a chocolate bar. Teachers effectively linked this activity to work on three-dimensional shapes in mathematics. Pupils had opportunities to select their own materials and tools and decorate their package using paint or pastel. Scrutiny of workbooks shows that their designs are of a satisfactory standard overall, but that evaluation is less secure.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

125. In the Years 1/2 classes, pupils sort different fruits and vegetables in a topic linked to science. They have made a fruit salad and in an observed lesson were planning a fruit product for a named person. The majority of them were able to name a range of fruits and explain why they are necessary in a healthy diet. They drew pictures of the fruits that are to be in the product and of the tools that they will need to use. Most of them had good attitudes, behaved well, and were keen to share their ideas. However, a small group of pupils disrupted the introductory session with the whole class and found it difficult to concentrate. The teacher’s management of pupils was, therefore, less effective and the pace of the lesson was interrupted. The teacher had to work hard to keep to her original plan. In the group activities, all pupils received good support. This resulted in good co-operation and almost all pupils completed the task to a satisfactory standard.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

The teacher planned the lesson carefully and the good teamwork between the adults in the room resulted in teaching being satisfactory overall.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. The school has adopted national guidelines to support teachers’ planning. The subject manager is improving the long-term plan to ensure that new learning builds upon pupils’ previous knowledge and experiences. The subject manager is new to the post, but she has already carried out an audit of the available resource materials and, consequently, has purchased additional items for teaching aspects of food technology. She is very Glebelands Primary School enthusiastic and gives a satisfactory lead for the subject. Currently, she has no opportunity to monitor classroom practice, but provision for this is included in the school improvement plan. She monitors pupils’ levels of attainment very effectively by collecting samples of their work at the end of each completed topic. All teachers keep their own individual records of the standards pupils achieve. Although these are detailed, there is a

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

need to develop a whole-school policy for recording assessment details.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. Standards are in line with those expected of pupils of the same age at age 7 and at age 11 years. There are no significant differences in attainment between boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language receive good support in lessons and make good progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. By age seven, pupils generally have a satisfactory knowledge of geography and of geographical terms. Pupils in Year 2, for example, can use such terms as physical features and human features and can identify the different types. They develop some basic skills of observation of maps and pictures and can identify the main buildings in an area from maps as well as working out what some of the main occupations might be. Pupils are beginning to develop a basic knowledge of scale and distance and they are able to draw simple maps and diagrams.

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GEOGRAPHY

129. By age 11, pupils are able to use maps of various types. Pupils in Year 5, for example, can draw maps of their route to school and produce simple maps of the school itself. In Years 5 and 6, pupils produce work on the world’s weather and on the effects of river erosion over time. This enables them to extend the geographical vocabulary that they achieved previously. Pupils in Year 6 are able to establish simple links between physical conditions and human activity. For example, they are able to study the link between snowfall and the tourist industry in various parts of the world, establishing the advantages and disadvantages to the local people. In both key stages, pupils do not have many opportunities to think about, research and write their own work and this limits their attainment and progress to some extent, especially for higher-attaining pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

130. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers have adequate subject knowledge and can teach the basic factual knowledge of the subject. Analysis of pupils’ work indicates that in some classes this does not extend into the more subtle aspects of the subject, which require pupils to think about issues and investigate for themselves. Teachers have appropriate expectations of pupils’ work and pupils respond keenly by showing care over the presentation of their written work and drawings. Teachers have good control of their classes and behaviour in lessons is usually good. Where pupils work together in pairs and groups, they do so sensibly and there are good relationships between pupils and with their teachers.

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GEOGRAPHY

131. The contribution of geography to pupils’ literacy development is satisfactory. Pupils have opportunities to learn a satisfactory range of geographical vocabulary and teachers display key words in some classrooms. There are examples of pupils’ extended writing, but there is little evidence of systematic use of the subject to improve overall writing and research skills. The subject also makes a satisfactory contribution to numeracy development and pupils regularly make use of scales and measurement in their work. They also routinely use graphs and tables to interpret and produce information. Work displayed by pupils in Years 3 and 4 that illustrated how they used their leisure time is of a good standard.

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GEOGRAPHY

132. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In many lessons, there are opportunities to study the world and its Glebelands Primary School wonders and to reflect on the environment. There is a strong moral dimension in lessons where pupils learn to respect each other and to know right from wrong. In lessons, pupils work together, share, take turns and listen to others. Both the social and cultural impact of the subject is restricted a little by the lack of a consistent programme of local studies and trips out of school. The Years 5/6 classroom is too small to allow pupils to use a range of resources. Teachers do not assess pupils’ attainment and progress consistently. It is difficult for them, therefore, to track the attainment of pupils of the same age in different classes or to identify strengths and weaknesses in the teaching and

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HISTORY

133. Pupils achieve average standards. They are in line with the expected standard for pupils of the same age at both 7 and 11 years old.

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HISTORY

134. By the age of seven, pupils are able to distinguish between past and present and understand that different events happen in different historical periods. They recognise for example, that the Victorian period was a specific section of historical time. They are able to distinguish how different people lived in Victorian times and describe the differences in life for rich and poor people. There is little evidence that pupils are beginning to study the reasons why people acted as they did, or of them starting to use a range of historical sources for their own investigations into historical questions.

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HISTORY

135. By the age of 11, pupils have developed an understanding of a number of periods of history including those of Ancient Greece, the Tudors, the Ancient Egyptians and various invaders of Britain. Pupils’ sense of chronology is better developed and they can use timelines to work out the various periods in history. Most pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of the main characters in the periods studied. Pupils in Year 4, for example, are able to name the Tudor kings and queens and the wives of Henry VIII. Most pupils are able to use basic sources of information. Pupils in Year 3 are able to use them to produce interesting work on the life of a slave in Roman times. Pupils produce some good extended writing on the periods studied and this contributes to their literacy development. However, there is no strong evidence of pupils using sources to interpret why people acted as they did or to raise questions for their own investigations.

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HISTORY

136. Teachers clearly have satisfactory knowledge of the periods they teach, and this leads to pupils’ satisfactory knowledge of the main characters and events in the periods studied. The work that teachers set is at a suitable level for pupils’ attainment in the year groups and work is not directly repeated where two age groups are in the same class. Teachers have appropriate expectations of pupils’ work and they respond well by trying hard with the presentation of their work.

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HISTORY

137. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. In many lessons, there are opportunities for pupils to consider the feelings and thoughts of people from other times. Their work on Roman slaves and on the construction and use of pyramids in Ancient Egypt illustrates well this empathetic work. There is a good cultural element in lessons when pupils learn about their heritage and those of other people in different parts of the world. Glebelands Primary School

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. Standards are in line with that expected of pupils of the same age, both at age 7 and at age 11 years. There are no significant differences in attainment between boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. By the age of 7, pupils are familiar with the basic skills for using computers. These skills include using a mouse, finding letters on the keyboard and some basic word- processing skills. Pupils in Year 1, for instance, use the word-processing program effectively to produce written work as part of their science display on magnets and springs. They understand that they can present information in many forms. They can carry out basic control techniques and can, for example, programme directions into a simple toy robot.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. By the age of 11, pupils build on these basic skills and can produce and print written work using various fonts and styles. For example, pupils in Year 6 used the computers to produce their writing in science on the topic of gases. They are able to enter data to produce charts and graphs of various types, such as those drawn by Year 5 pupils on the use of leisure time, adding interesting touches of colour and different font sizes and type. The use of ICT in most subjects is satisfactory and in art, for example, pupils are able to accurately copy, save and print patterns from a given set of instructions. Although the Internet is not yet a strong feature of pupils’ work, they are satisfactorily developing its use to access information. At present, the school does not have enough equipment to cover fully the control element of the subject. Teachers have arranged for some pupils to visit a local centre to cover this work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. The teachers have had good professional development in the use of computers, both in ICT lessons in the computer suite and as a means of enhancing the curriculum in other lessons. Consequently, they all have good subject knowledge. Where teachers use ICT, pupils make good progress. This is evident in the routine use of graphs and spreadsheets in mathematics and the use of computers to carry out evaluations in design and technology, for example. Pupils show great care for the equipment when they are working in the computer room and their behaviour is good. They show good attitudes to work and enjoy working with computers. Teachers make satisfactory use of ICT to improve pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. The use of computers and ICT to enhance pupils’ research and independent learning skills is not sufficiently well developed and examples of pupils carrying out genuinely independent research topics are rare.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. The subject has adequate resources for the number of pupils on roll at present. The school recognises that it will need more computers as the roll increases and has sensible priorities to expand the number in classrooms as well as in the computer suite. The amount of software for use in individual subjects also needs further expansion. The recently appointed subject manager has a clear view of priorities for future development and has shown good management in revising the scheme of work to bring it completely up to date. She has not yet had sufficient time to make a significant impact on other areas of the subject. Consistent procedures for assessment are not yet in place and this makes consistent tracking of pupils’ attainment and progress difficult especially where work is being done in a number of different subjects.

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MUSIC

143. Standards are in line with those expected for 7 and 11-year-olds. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in their learning. The quality of teaching and learning observed was satisfactory. Glebelands Primary School 144. The school has an appropriate curriculum based on national guidelines that satisfactorily cover the listening and appraising as well as the performing elements of the subject. The lessons observed illustrate this well. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have an appropriate understanding of rhythm. They know it is a group of long and short notes that fit into a regular beat. Some also understand that a pulse is a steady beat. In a whole class performance, pupils successfully clapped the rhythm to One Little Raindrop while others clapped the pulse. They showed appropriate knowledge and skill for their age.

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MUSIC

145. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils satisfactorily identify how music can communicate mood. For example, pupils identified the different moods created when listening to two modern songs ( Days Like This by Van Morrison and the theme tune to the television programme Friends ). In studying the lyrics, they identify introductions, chorus and verse, and know that songs may tell a story. They satisfactorily expressed their thoughts about the two pieces of music, explaining their likes and dislikes.

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MUSIC

146. In both lessons observed during the inspection, the teaching was satisfactory. Teachers carefully planned activities and shared the lesson objectives with the pupils. This gave pupils a clear understanding of what it is they are learning. Teachers have satisfactory subject knowledge and they make appropriate use of relevant vocabulary, such as rhythm, pulse, lyric and chorus . However, in the performing lesson in Key Stage 1 the teacher did not let pupils develop their use of the untuned instruments that were available. In both lessons, the pace of the activities was often slow. This resulted in a small number of pupils losing interest. The teachers had to work hard to maintain acceptable levels of response. While most pupils were well behaved and showed interest in the subject a small number are not well motivated and find it difficult to concentrate. Teachers make effective use of classroom assistants to support group work. Their

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MUSIC

presence in lessons ensures that pupils with special educational needs receive the appropriate help required to make satisfactory progress.

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MUSIC

147. In assembly, pupils sing tunefully when accompanying pre-recorded music. An after- school choir is well supported, though mainly by girls. The pupils who attend enjoy singing and members of staff encourage them to improve their performance, with the goal of singing to the school in assembly. The choir makes a positive contribution to both the extra-curricular activities offered to pupils and their social development. The subject manager recognises the need for further resources, particularly instruments for pupils to use and music from different artists and cultures, to support the new curriculum.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148. The majority of pupils aged 7 and 11 achieve the expected standards for their age. However, in all classes a few pupils achieve standards that are above average, particularly older pupils in swimming. Pupils with special educational needs receive good levels of support and this enables them to make good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. Pupils in the Key Stage 1 classes work enthusiastically in developing simple gymnastic skills. They can travel in a variety of ways and combine hops, jumps and skips to form a sequence. They have good attitudes, respond quickly to instructions, and give good support and encouragement to one another. For example, when working in a group of three to plan a pyramid structure they decide who has the best idea and then work hard to achieve the correct balance positions. All of the pupils strive to achieve a high standard and are delighted when the teacher asks them to demonstrate their work to the class. Across the key stage pupils are gaining more control of their movements and extending the range of rolls and balances that they can perform with confidence. Glebelands Primary School 150. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are encouraged to work hard in lessons. Teachers expect them to sustain periods of vigorous physical activity. The pupils respond positively to the lead

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

given by the teachers who join in activities and give very good demonstrations. Pupils in the Years 5/6 class used space effectively in practising balance positions and combining three different movements to form a sequence. They worked very effectively in pairs and learnt from watching one another. For instance, some pupils included a handstand in their performance and this resulted in almost all members of the class trying to perform one. By the end of this lesson, more pupils could perform a handstand than at the beginning. This raised the pupils' confidence and standard of performance to a higher level. Younger pupils in the key stage are exploring the use of dance to tell a story which is linked to the history topic on invaders and settlers. They are using different body positions and facial expressions very effectively and many can perform with good control, poise and confidence.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. In the lessons seen during the inspection, the quality of teaching was never less than satisfactory and it was good overall. Teachers plan all lessons thoroughly and have clear learning objectives. This ensures that pupils are building upon previous knowledge and experiences. All teachers have a good rapport with their pupils and this leads to productive working in lessons. Learning is often fun. The quality of teaching is consistently good in Key Stage 2 and teachers constantly challenge pupils to achieve higher standards. Teachers give pupils opportunities to take some responsibility for their own learning and they frequently ask pupils to comment on the performances of others. They do so sensibly and with considerable thought for other pupils’ feelings. Physical education makes a significant contribution to their social and moral development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. Swimming is included in the curricular programme for all Key Stage 2 pupils and standards are above average. The school has a very good structured programme for ensuring that all pupils reach the minimum required standard by the time they are 11 years old. Targets are set for each year group and the subject manager carefully monitors progress. By the time they leave the school, all pupils can swim 25 metres, almost all swim 50 metres and many manage greater distances.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. Teachers’ planning is very thorough and shows that all areas required for the National Curriculum are fully covered. The school offers a number of sporting extra-curricular activities and clubs that extend the curriculum for many Key Stage 2 pupils. These activities give pupils opportunities to participate in teams and inter-school competitions. There are plans to extend the range of activities as both the number of pupils on roll and the number of teachers available to organise activities increase. In responding to the pre- inspection questionnaire, some parents expressed concerns about the range of extra- curricular activities. The inspection team does not support these concerns because at this stage in its development the school is making the best possible use of its small number of staff.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. The subject manager has good subject knowledge and she provides good leadership for the subject. Her monitoring of teaching resulted in some members of staff attending a programme of in-service training. The hall has an extremely high roof, which places considerable demands upon teachers’ voices. The school has a satisfactory range of resource materials and all members of staff use this effectively to support pupils’ learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155. Standards are broadly in line with those expected for 7 and 11-year-old pupils in the locally agreed syllabus. Throughout the school pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making good progress in learning about Christianity and the life of Jesus. However, pupils make only satisfactory progress in understanding the range and Glebelands Primary School richness of other major faiths. The school is strengthening its links with the local church, but insufficient use is made of visits and visitors to broaden the educational experience on offer to pupils and prepare them for life in multi-cultural Britain.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156. The quality of teaching ranges from satisfactory to good, but is satisfactory overall. Pupils have good attitudes and are keen to share ideas, but their behaviour tends to reflect the quality of teaching. When teaching is good, pupils make valid contributions to their learning and to the class discussions. In a Years 3/4 lesson, pupils looked at a series of pictures and had to decide which were of Jesus. The teacher skilfully created a learning environment in which pupils of all abilities listened thoughtfully to the views expressed by other pupils and were inspired to contribute themselves. Many pupils made mature, sensitive and perceptive inputs to the discussion. When teaching is of a lower standard teachers' control of class discussions is less effective and, consequently, some pupils become less attentive. When the teacher stops the lesson to correct this temporary lapse in behaviour, the break disrupts the flow of conversation and detracts from the learning

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environment. This type of behaviour was seen during lesson observations in both key stages, but on both occasions, teachers rescued the situation and restored a satisfactory learning environment.

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157. Pupils in Years 1/2 classes learn about how different religions celebrate holy days. During an observed lesson, the teacher made good use of a series of artefacts to illustrate the points she made about Christian festivals. A very good feature of the lesson was the input given by an older pupil from another class who talked about attending church and Sunday school. The pupils listened very attentively and asked a series of interesting and relevant questions.

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158. By the time they are seven, pupils understand stories about Jesus and know that parables are messages from God. They know that pilgrimages are important to people and why Christians go to Lourdes and Muslims to Mecca. In their written work, pupils are encouraged to develop their literacy skills and the higher-attaining pupils use well- constructed sentences to record in their own way. Other pupils use a combination of words and pictures to convey messages and record their thoughts and feelings. Pupils in Key Stage 2 continue the good development and use of literacy skills in their records and reports. They have good recall of the work completed on the five pillars of Islam, the meaning of religious symbols and the structure of different religious services. Across the school, pupils’ written work confirms that at this stage in the school’s development not enough emphasis is placed upon developing the multi-cultural aspects of the syllabus.

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159. The subject manager is giving a satisfactory lead to the subject, but her role does not yet include the monitoring of classroom practice. She has started to monitor pupils’ levels of attainment by collecting work at the end of each topic. The scheme of work has been revised in recent months to include a greater emphasis upon spiritualism, and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development, but this has yet to have an impact on pupils’ learning. The school supplements resource materials by borrowing from outside agencies and this results in there being a satisfactory range available to support pupils’ learning. The subject manager is aware of the need to purchase additional resource materials and to extend the coverage of the multi-cultural aspects of the locally agreed syllabus.

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