High Hesket CofE School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: High Hesket Carlisle Cumbria

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Roger Harper

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 24 th March 1997 High Hesket C of E Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

18842 Mrs G Peet Registered inspector Equal Opportunities Mathematics Science Information and Communication Technology Art and Design Design and Technology Religious Education What sort of school is it? The school’s results and the pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What the school should do to improve further.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

13746 Mr D Russell Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 21563 Mr G Martin Team inspector Special Educational Needs Foundation Stage English Geography History Music Physical Education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Chase Russell Limited 85 Shores Green Drive Wincham Cheshire CW9 6EJ 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: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE High Hesket C of E Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

High Hesket Primary School is a small Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School situated in the village of High Hesket near Carlisle. The school serves High Hesket and adjoining villages. Many of the pupils’ families’ work in farming. The school has 81 full-time pupils aged from four to 11 and eight part-time pupils aged from three to four. Most pupils enter the school at three but a significant number also enter in Year 4 at age eight from the nearby Armathwaite First School. This means that the school has a high proportion of older pupils. Attainment on entry into both the Foundation Stage and to Year 4 is usually higher than average. There are four classes in the school. The youngest children aged from three to five are taught in a discrete Foundation Stage class. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, aged from five to seven are taught in one class, pupils in Year 3 and 4 are taught in one class and pupils in Year 5 and 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

are taught in another class. There are no pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds or who are travellers or refugees. Less than eight per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals. This is lower than the national average. Fifteen per cent of pupils have recognised special educational needs and one pupil has a statement of special educational need. This too is below the national average. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties. Most pupils stay at the school once they have joined it, until they are 11.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school that is achieving standards in English and mathematics that are higher than national expectations. The below average results in 2001 were out of the ordinary. It is providing a good standard of education through good teaching and a good curriculum. Leadership of the school is good. The headteacher has successfully created a school with a very good ethos in which pupils feel valued, secure and well cared for. The pupils’ attitudes to school, their behaviour and the personal relationships within the school are a strength of the school. Despite the school’s current high level of income, which is partly due to the establishment of the Foundation Stage class and the fact that it is a small school, governors are spending wisely and the school gives satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The school promotes a positive ethos where pupils feel valued, secure and well cared for. • Teaching and learning are good overall and very good in the Key Stage 1 class. • Pupils’ behaviour, their attitudes to learning and the relationships within the school are very good. • The provision for music and religious education is very good and both contribute significantly to the excellent provision for pupils’ spiritual development. • The provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards of writing are not as high as standards in reading. • The effectiveness of the management structure of the school . The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The last inspection took place in March 1997. The level of improvement since then has been satisfactory. Standards have been maintained overall and the inspection judges them to be improving. The below average results in 2001 were out of the ordinary. The school continues to provide a good standard of education through good teaching and a good curriculum. All but one of the key issues of the last inspection have been satisfactorily dealt with. There is still a need for governors to monitor the school development plan more effectively. There is a shared commitment to improvement and the school has the capacity to succeed. The school prepares all pupils well for the next stage of their education and is developing strategies for preparing them for life in a diverse society. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: All schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Tests results for 2001 show an uncharacteristic drop in standards. This is because in the Year 6 cohort that took the tests there was an above average number of pupils with special educational needs. Results were further affected by the impact of the foot and mouth epidemic which badly affected the school and the local community. The unconfirmed results of the end of Year 6 tests this year indicate a revival in standards in English, mathematics and science. The inspection judges standards of attainment in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 to be above national expectations and in science to be in line with expectations. Standards of attainment in science are judged to be lower because pupils’ skills are not as well developed as their knowledge and understanding of the subject. Although standards at the end of Year 2 also dropped lost year they are now rising and the unconfirmed results of this year’s tests indicate that standards are much higher. The inspection judges standards of

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STANDARDS

attainment in English and science to be above expectations and for mathematics to be well above expectations. Although standards of writing are satisfactory at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 they are in need of improvement to meet the level of reading. Standards are above national expectations in religious education at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 and in music at the end of Year 6. In music, standards are well above expectations at the end of Year 2. Insufficient lessons were seen to make a judgement about physical education at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. In all other subjects standards are in line with those expected nationally.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Keen interest and involvement in activities is an accepted norm for this school. In lessons pupils respond very positively to challenging tasks. For the majority of pupils levels of concentration and self-motivation are very high. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is very good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships The pupils’ personal development is very good. Relationships are very good and are based on trust and willingness to listen to other people’s views.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Last year attendance dropped to below the national average because of the impact of the foot and mouth epidemic. This year, attendance is good and above the national average. There are no recordings of unauthorised absences during this last academic year and this is below the figure quoted for the national average. About one third of authorised absences are attributed to families taking their children out of school High Hesket C of E Primary School - 8 during term time for their annual holiday.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Good Very good Satisfactory 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. Overall the quality of teaching and learning are good. Over a quarter of the lessons seen were very good and one excellent lesson was seen. There was one unsatisfactory lesson. Although teaching in Years 3 to 6 is judged to be satisfactory overall, nearly half the lessons seen were good. Overall, the basic skills of literacy are taught satisfactorily and the basic skills of numeracy are taught well. This difference is reflected in the rising standards in mathematics. There is a need to raise standards in writing to meet those of reading. Teaching and learning is better in the younger classes because learning is exciting. Both teachers in the Year 1 and 2 class and the teacher in the Foundation Stage

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

class provide a varied range of well structured activities for pupils. These classes are very well managed and all pupils are kept consistently involved in what they are doing. This results in rapid learning. All teachers generally have appropriate expectations of pupils but these are higher in the Year 1 and 2 class and Foundation Stage class than they are in the older classes. This is a significant factor in the difference between the good and very good learning that is taking place in these classes and the satisfactory level of learning that is taking place in the older classes. Pupils are managed well in all classes and very well in the Year 1 and 2 class. Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. Learning assistants make a significant contribution to the progress that pupils with special educational needs make especially when they work on their own with individuals or small groups

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

of pupils. When pupils with special educational needs are in class their needs are sometimes overlooked and they make slower progress. Planning does not always take account of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and modified work is not always provided in order to support their learning. Work in the oldest classes is not always well matched to the needs of the higher attaining pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of opportunities for learning are good for all pupils in this school. A very good range of extra-curricular activities, especially for music, dance, sport, environmental issues and multi-cultural links, enriches the statutory curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for the pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. In the Foundation Stage it is good. Specialist teaching from effective learning assistants enables pupils with special educational needs to make good progress with their literacy and numeracy skills. However, there were a few occasions during the inspection when they were insufficiently supported in class lessons or when the work given to them was inappropriate. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is provided for very well and this is a strength of the school. Cultural development is enriched by many opportunities to investigate other cultural traditions through art, music, literature and drama. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is excellent. Lessons in religious education and the

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

appreciation of music and dance that is encouraged throughout the school, adds a spiritual dimension to the pupils’ experiences. Pupils are encouraged to appreciate their environment, respect it and look after it. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 9 How well the school cares for its pupils The school pays very close attention to the health, safety and welfare of its pupils and care is very good. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are good. Procedures for assessing pupils’ progress are good. Good records are kept of pupils’ attainments, especially in English and mathematics. There is, however, insufficient analysis made of this information to ensure all pupils make good progress. The overall effectiveness of the school’s links with parents is very good. Parent’s support is always forthcoming in providing funds for significant developments at the school. For example, last year the

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

parent teacher association contributed nearly £4,500 towards the erection of a millennium play activity centre in the school grounds.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Overall the leadership and management of the headteacher are good. The headteacher is a good leader who has successfully created a school with a very good ethos in which pupils feel valued, secure and well cared for. The Foundation Stage has been successfully established and is now a significant strength in the school. In some curriculum areas management has been less successful. This is because the headteacher has taken on too much responsibility for curricular co- ordination. It has been disproportionate with her teaching commitment and the responsibilities of other members of staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is very committed to the school. They meet regularly, have a sound grasp of the necessary administrative and organisational features of running a school and are efficient in their management duties. All statutory duties are fulfilled. The school’s evaluation of its performance Although systems for monitoring and evaluating are informal the headteacher is aware of what is happening in the school. However, there is no clear structure for the raising of standards. Monitoring and evaluating is not always rigorous and there is no clearly defined role for the development of standards in subjects. The strategic use of resources Specific grants, for example for the Foundation Stage, are managed efficiently by the headteacher. The regular use by pupils of all the computers in the school is not yet fully developed and some computers remain unused for long periods during the day. .

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The match of teachers and learning assistants to meet the demands of the National Curriculum is satisfactory and the school benefits from the appointment of three part-time learning assistants who are able to work with small groups of pupils in order to raise standards throughout the school The standard of accommodation is good. The classrooms are generally spacious and are kept clean and tidy and the outside facilities are excellent. The school is aware of the principles of best value and is starting to apply them to its major financial decisions

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents were positive about all aspects of the school but the most significant aspects were: • They feel behaviour in the school is good • They felt comfortable approaching the school with questions or a problem • Parents were very positive about the school and had no significant concerns High Hesket C of E Primary School - 10 • They believe the school expects their child to work hard and achieve their best

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are most supportive of the school and the inspection team agrees with the parents’ views. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 At the time of the last inspection, attainment at the end of Year 2 was judged to be above that expected nationally in English, mathematics and science. Standards at the end of Year 6 were judged to be well above national expectations in science and above national expectations in English and mathematics. The present inspection finds that standards at the end of Year 2 have remained above national expectations in English and science and have risen to well above expectations in mathematics. This represents good improvement. Standards at the end of Year 6 are now judged to be above expectations in English and mathematics and in line with expectations in science. Standards in science are now weaker in the skills aspect of the subject, which is not fully tested in the end of Year 6 tests.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 Since the last inspection in 1997, standards in the end of Year 2 and Year 6 tests each year have fluctuated considerably in all subjects except writing at the end of Year 2. This is to be expected when cohorts of pupils taking the tests are small and one pupil represents a large percentage. This is particularly true at the end of Year 2 where cohorts have recently been as small as three or four pupils. Results in writing have been consistently below expectations at the end of Year 2. In all subjects tested, standards dropped in 2001. This is because in the Year 6 cohort there were more than the usual number of pupils with special educational needs. Results were further affected by the impact of the foot and mouth epidemic which affected the school and the local community badly.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 In the end of Year 2 tests in 2001, pupils’ attainment in reading was in line with the national average but well below the national average in writing. When these results are compared with those of similar schools they were well below in both aspects of English. There were only four pupils in this year group and so these national comparisons are not useful. It is however clear from these results that pupils’ performance in reading was better than that in writing. There was a similar picture at the end of Year 6. Pupils’ performance in English was below that attained nationally and well below that of similar schools. The results show again that standards in writing are not as good as in reading.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 Although the school has responded to this issue by preparing an action plan to improve the standard of writing the unconfirmed results for this year show little change. However, the school believes that more pupils attained the higher level than has been recognised and the school is challenging these unconfirmed results.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 Standards in speaking and listening are good throughout the school. Pupils have good opportunities to use their speaking and listening skills in a range of situations such as a debate promoting global awareness. The standard of reading is good throughout the school. There is an appropriate level of challenge in the books that pupils read at school and at home. Pupils who experience difficulty in learning to read are given good support to help them to overcome their difficulties. The teachers keep good records of each pupil’s progress in reading and use this assessment well to ensure that pupils have books which help them to improve their reading skills. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 12 6 Although standards of writing are satisfactory at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 they are in need of improvement to match the level of reading. When given opportunities to write for a purpose, the standard of writing is better than that seen when pupils do not

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

see the point of their work. In the older classes, although pupils attain satisfactory standards overall, more able pupils are not always challenged and the quality of their writing does not always reflect their ability. Part of the problem relating to writing is the way in which pupils’ progress is tracked. It does not yet separate attainment in reading and writing and it is not clear which pupils are under-achieving in writing compared to their achievement in reading. Nor does it promote higher expectations by linking writing to the planning of literacy for individuals or specific groups of pupils. For example, the knowledge that some pupils are making slower progress than others does not show up in planning for the needs of these pupils in all lessons. Targets are set each year for English and the unconfirmed results for this year indicate that they were exceeded. Separate targets for reading and writing are not set.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7 In the end of Year 2 tests in 2001 standards in mathematics were in line with those attained nationally but well below those of similar schools. At the end of Year 6 they were below those attained nationally and well below those of similar schools. The results were adversely affected by the foot and mouth epidemic that hit the area. Again small cohorts of pupils mean that such comparisons are not useful. It is more useful to look at the number of pupils attaining the expected level and those attaining higher levels. In Year 2, all pupils attained the expected Level 2 but none attained the higher Level 3. In Year 6, four of the pupils failed to attain the expected level. Three of these pupils had special educational needs and all pupils in the school were to one degree or another affected by the foot and mouth epidemic. As a result there was a higher rate of absence from school than is normally expected. Only two pupils attained the higher

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Level 5. This year, results have risen significantly at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. When previous attainment is taken into account nearly half the pupils in Year 2 have attained higher than the predicted level . In Year 6 few pupils attained higher than that predicted from their end of Year 2 assessments. The unconfirmed results for this year indicate that the target was exceeded. Next year, targets will also be set for Level 5 pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 Since the last inspection and until 2001, standards in the end of Year 6 tests in science have risen broadly in line with the national rise in standards. In 2001 there was a drop in standards but this was reflected across all tests and was a result of the higher than usual number of pupils in that cohort with special educational needs. The unconfirmed results for this year show a recovery in standards and results are above average. The inspection findings are that standards in science are only overall in line with expectations. This is because most pupils attain a level below expectations in the skills aspect of science. Teachers provide limited opportunities for pupils to raise their own questions or investigate their own ideas and this is adversely affecting the progress pupils make in this aspect of science. At the end of Year 2 standards in science are above those expected nationally. This is because more than the expected number of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils are attaining the expected level and because attainment in the aspect of science that looks at the environment is very good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9 Standards in information and communication technology are satisfactory and are broadly in line with national expectations at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. This maintains the standards judged at the time of the last inspection to be satisfactory. Pupils’ skills are developed effectively as they move through the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10 Standards in music and religious education have both improved since the last inspection. Music was previously in line with expectations at the end of Year 2 though High Hesket C of E Primary School - 13 above at the end of Year 6. It is now well above at the end of Year 2 and remains above at the end of Year 6. In religious education standards previously judged to be in line at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 are now above expectations at the end of both. These standards are the result of good teaching and the enthusiasm and commitment of the co-ordinators.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11 Standards in art and design and geography were both judged at the time of the last inspection to be above expectations at the end of Year 6. The inspection judges them to be now in line but judges that achievement in these subjects is satisfactory. It is not possible to make an overall judgement on standards in physical education at the end of Year 2 or Year 6 because only lessons in games were observed. All other subjects were judged to be in line with expectations at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 at the time of the last inspection and are now judged to be still in line.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12 Pupils achieve satisfactorily throughout the school. Pupils with special educational needs also achieve satisfactorily overall. When they work individually or in small groups with the special needs support assistants they achieve well. This is because they benefit from the individual attention that focuses on their individual needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 As identified by the last inspection, the school continues to maintain very good standards of pupil attitudes, behaviour and personal development. A strong school ethos is a noticeable characteristic.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 The enthusiasm of pupils for coming to school is good. Very few pupils are late and lessons start promptly. The younger children also display this enthusiastic approach towards coming to school and there is an enormous sense of excitement and commitment from the nursery children upon arrival. Pupils settle very quickly into a sensible work pattern at the start of each lesson.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15 Keen interest and involvement in activities is an accepted norm for this school. In lessons pupils respond very positively to challenging and stretching tasks. For the majority of pupils levels of concentration and self-motivation are very high. For example, during a science lesson in the Year1 and 2 class, where the pupils were discussing and identifying plants seen in the school grounds, the level of motivation was very high. Individual pupils were keen to establish searching questions when trying to ascertain the identification of particular plants. The group encourage the individual to achieve his or her objectives and to be successful. A particularly noticeable feature of the school is how the pupils respect each other and take great delight in sharing the success and achievements of others. These positive attitudes directly impact on good levels of achievement made by all pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16 Pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is very good. They are courteous and friendly towards visitors to the school. Disruptive behaviour during lessons does not usually occur. However, teachers are always vigilant in controlling any signs of inappropriate behaviour that will impact on the learning of others in the classroom. In the last three years there have been no pupil exclusions. No oppressive behaviour was in evidence during the week of the inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17 Pupils work and play well together at all times. Lunchtimes in the dining area are very orderly and quiet. Pupils show their respect for the feelings of others and of their surroundings. The school layout and restricted space compel the pupils to move High Hesket C of E Primary School - 14 around in an orderly and acceptable manner both during normal lesson times and at break-time.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18 The pupils’ personal development and relationships are very good. The pupils know what is expected of them. Their relationships are based on trust and willingness to listen to other people’s views. Since pupils are able to express their views they gain confidence in personal development and acquire new skills. For example, it is good that pupils are given the opportunity to comment on their levels of achievement on their progress reports that go to their parents. This not only encourages self-confidence but it gives the pupils the responsibility to understand the importance of meeting expected educational standards.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19 Pupils with special educational needs generally have good relationships with pupils and staff. The pupils have a positive attitude and they work hard.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20 Last year attendance dropped to below the national average because of the impact of the foot and mouth epidemic. The attendance level for the year 2001 – 2002 is good and above the national average. There are no recordings of unauthorised absences during this last academic year. About one third of authorised absences are attributed to families taking their children out of school during term time for their annual holiday. This is just over one per cent of the absences recorded at the school during 2001- 2002.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21 Overall the quality of teaching and learning is good. Twenty eight per cent of lessons seen were satisfactory, thirty nine per cent were good, twenty five per cent were very good and one excellent lesson was seen. There was one unsatisfactory lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22 The quality of the teaching and learning for children in the Foundation Stage is consistently good. The class teacher and the Nursery Nurse work well together as a team and both have high expectations of children’s achievements. They provide good role models for the children. They use praise well and this encourages children to succeed. They provide a calm and supportive atmosphere for learning in which children feel comfortable and learn well. From their thorough weekly assessments they plan effectively to provide each child with key learning experiences that are at an appropriate level of challenge and designed to stretch the children. Questioning is good and encourages children to think about their responses. Pupils are always encouraged to talk openly about their achievements and aspirations and this develops their speaking and listening skills well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23 Teaching and learning is best in the Year 1 and 2 class. In this class nearly three quarters (71 per cent) of the lessons observed were very good and one lesson was excellent. Teaching in the older classes was overall satisfactory although almost a half (47 per cent) of teaching observed was good. In the Year 1 and 2 class teaching and learning is very good because learning is exciting. A varied range of well structured activities is provided for pupils by both teachers. The class is very well managed and all pupils are kept consistently involved in what they are doing. This results in a good level of learning. In the excellent lesson the teacher fully involved all pupils and included many elements of cross curricular experience in her teaching. For example, even though the lesson was a geography lesson, pupils had to write notes of questions for a visitor. This made writing purposeful and relevant. .

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

High Hesket C of E Primary School - 15 24 The teaching and learning of literacy ranges from unsatisfactory to very good and is good overall. Teachers use the National Literacy well to teach reading and grammar. In the Year 1 and 2 class where teaching is very good pupils are encouraged to learn from each other. A range of different activities is offered and the class moves quickly and without fuss from one to another. This maintains pupils’ interest and attention and supports a very good level of learning. In the good lessons, good writing is effectively modelled for pupils to learn from. This encourages them to have a go themselves. In the unsatisfactory lesson, which aimed to teach pupils how to use nouns, adjectives and verbs in the introduction to a story, pupils underachieved because the expectations of the lesson were not clear. The pupils could not see a link between the work they were doing and the outcome that was expected and their knowledge of how to connect

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

nouns to suitable adjectives was limited. Introductions to literacy lessons are generally good and involve pupils well. Weaknesses in both the lessons in the Years 3 to 6 classes were to do with the support offered to the lower attaining pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25 Teaching and learning of numeracy are good. Teachers are confident when teaching mathematics and have a secure understanding of what they are teaching. Teachers are confident about following the National Numeracy Strategy and always start their lessons with a mental and oral starter. In the best examples seen this had good pace and pupils were fully involved. In others, however, there was a slow pace and all pupils were not fully involved. This meant that opportunities for learning were missed and some pupils made little progress in this part of the lesson. Teachers use an open and investigative approach to learning mathematics in which pupils are encouraged to explore their own ideas. In a good Year 3 and 4 lesson, resources were well used to exemplify learning and enable pupils to see what was happening. Although, generally, pupils who require extra support are given individual help, in one lesson observed, the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

task given to a pupil with special educational needs was insufficiently demanding to keep him busy for the whole lesson and for a part of the lesson he was not fully included.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26 Teaching and learning of science are overall satisfactory. Teaching is very good in the Year 1 and 2 class and satisfactory in the Years 3 to 6 classes. In the lessons observed teachers had a secure understanding of science but there were some examples of incorrect marking in the books that indicated insecurity in some aspects of the subject. Teachers have a clear idea of what they want pupils to know and understand but are less clear about which skills they want them to develop. Teachers manage classes well but work in books indicates that teachers tend to over direct pupils when they are involved in investigative activities. As a result, pupils make less progress in this aspect of science. The best lesson seen was one in which the teacher’s interest and enthusiasm for the environment was transferred to the pupils who became equally enthusiastic to learn more.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27 Teachers generally have good knowledge of the subjects they teach. The basic skills in numeracy are taught well and pupils learn well. The teaching of the skills of literacy is satisfactory. Whilst the teaching of reading is good, the teaching of writing is less effective and pupils only attain satisfactory standards in this aspect of literacy. Key vocabulary is identified in many lessons and this is helping to raise standards in writing. For example, in a geography lesson in Year 5, pupils correctly used the terms, ‘rural’, ‘coastal’, ‘inland’ and ‘commute’. Links are also made to numeracy when appropriate, for example, in a Year 1 and 2 geography lesson when pupils were asked to look at a map. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 16 28 Teachers generally have appropriate expectations of pupils but these are higher in the Year 1 and 2 class and in the Foundation Stage than they are in the older classes. This

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

is a significant factor in the difference between the very good learning that is taking place in the younger classes and the satisfactory level of learning that is taking place in the older classes. Pupils are managed well in all classes and very well in the Year 1 and 2 class. Pupils respond to this by having very good attitude to their work and showing interest in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29 The best subject teaching was seen in religious education and music lessons. Both these subjects are taught by teachers who are very enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about their subjects. This leads to teachers having clear learning objectives for the lessons, a good range of teaching strategies and the enthusiasm to motivate pupils to want to learn. In these subjects learning is overall very good.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30 A very good aspect of the teaching is in the way in which teachers take maximum advantage of the breathtaking scenery around the school and introduce key environmental elements into their teaching. Pupils learn well about their environment. At lunchtime one of the reception pupils vividly described the farm that he lives next to and how much he enjoys observing the farm animals, especially the farm dog. This awareness of the local community greatly enriches the school curriculum.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31 Day-to-day assessment of pupils needs is satisfactory in the Years 3 to 6 classes and good in the Years 1 and 2 class. In the younger class teachers know their pupils very well. Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. Pupils with special educational needs are identified and well supported by the learning assistants. When pupils in Years 3 to 6 are supported individually or in small groups by the learning support assistance they learn well. When they are in class their needs are sometimes overlooked and they make less progress. Planning does not always take account of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and modified work is not always provided in order to support their learning. Similarly work is infrequently matched to the learning ability of higher attaining pupils. A policy for the teaching and learning of talented and gifted pupils is not yet implemented.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32 Links with a school in Tanzania help prepare pupils in Year 3 and 4 for living in a culturally diverse society. In other subjects, such as music teachers take opportunities to introduce the cultures of other countries. Lessons in religious education encourage pupils to reflect on the similarities between their own culture and that of others.

p.16

PUPILS?

33 The quality and range of opportunities for learning are good for all pupils in this school. The school meets well the requirement to provide a statutory curriculum and it provides a good and varied range of learning opportunities. A very good range of extra-curricular activities, especially for music, dance, sport and environmental issues enriches the statutory curriculum. This enrichment makes a very good contribution to the pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There is good provision for the personal, social and health education of all pupils and satisfactory provision for the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum provided. Links with the community are good and enhance the quality of the pupils’ education. Similarly, good links with other local schools has enriched the opportunities that pupils have for learning.

p.16

PUPILS?

High Hesket C of E Primary School - 17 34 The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been successfully implemented. The use of the guidance for these strategies provides an effective framework for long term planning. This guidance and its associated planning give the teachers a satisfactory system for planning, preparing and teaching literacy and numeracy. The schemes of work for most subjects identify the progression of skills, together with the development of knowledge and understanding as pupils’ progress through the school. Short-term plans are good working documents although there are some inconsistencies in the planning for different subjects. For example, not all plans show how the inclusion of the provision for more able pupils and those with special educational needs is to be achieved. Targets to accelerate the achievement of higher attaining pupils are not clearly stated in planning.

p.17

PUPILS?

35 Most policies and schemes of work have been revised, so that teachers have useful tools for planning their lessons. Long term plans for the development of the curriculum are now in place. There are some areas of the curriculum where further revision is recommended, for example, the homework policy and the provision for pupils with special educational needs. Most subjects are planned so that they include the recommendations published by the national curriculum body. A good knowledge of these helps the teachers to plan their lessons effectively.

p.17

PUPILS?

36 There are clear links between the curriculum for literacy and other subjects. These links between writing and other subjects, when planned well into lessons, have a very positive impact on the pupils’ learning by enhancing the curriculum and making work relevant.

p.17

PUPILS?

37 The Code of Practice for pupils with Special Educational Needs is followed and provision for these pupils is satisfactory overall. In the Foundation Stage it is good. The recently revised Code of Practice has been adopted and the planning for special educational needs incorporates many of the new recommendations from this document. Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are mainly supported in class by learning assistants so that they can follow the curriculum offered to their peers. The quality of support from learning assistants is good and the pupils benefit from their guidance. There is satisfactory provision for the needs of these pupils in lessons and, mainly, they are given activities appropriate to their learning needs. Some pupils with special educational needs or some pupils who are below the class average are withdrawn from class to be taught in small groups. Specialist teaching from effective

p.17

PUPILS?

learning assistants enables them to make good progress with their literacy and numeracy skills. However, there were a few occasions during the inspection when they were insufficiently supported in class lessons or when the work given to them was inappropriate. Teachers’ planning does not always show how the Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets for pupils with SEN will be met or how the support they are to be given is to be provided. IEPs do not always show clearly focused targets for learning. Often the targets set for pupils with learning needs are too broad and could be unachievable between reviews. Setting more sharply focused targets would help teachers to guide learning assistants even more effectively because their plans would show specific targets to meet individual pupils’ needs.

p.17

PUPILS?

38 The provision and quality of extra-curricular activities is very good and, for a school of its size, the pupils benefit very well from the opportunities provided. Staff and parents run a number of clubs including: High Hesket C of E Primary School - 18 • A dance group • An environmental club • A gymnastics club • A chess club • Sports teams

p.17

PUPILS?

39 The pupils who attend these clubs benefit well from the enthusiasm and commitment of the teachers and parents who give freely of their time and expertise. The school has had many successes resulting from the commitment of staff and pupils to these activities, such as performing dance and music at the Tullie House museum in Carlisle and winning local sports tournaments. For a small school that is some distance from the nearest major towns, these achievements should be celebrated for the opportunities they provide that enable pupils to become aware of the wider society and its diversity beyond their village. The school presents concerts and assemblies at various times, such as the one at Tully House museum. Families and members of the local community attend these events and enjoy them. The pupils benefit because they see their effort and talents being appreciated by the wider community.

p.18

PUPILS?

40 There are good links with the local community and with other schools. The local environment is used well to promote the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their village and the traditions of their locality. Art work on display shows how the pupils have interpreted their knowledge of the local rural traditions of livestock and arable farming, for example. These links are effective in promoting the pupils’ development. Pupils have had talks from representatives of various charities and have helped to raise funds for needy causes locally and nationally, such as the RSPCA, Shelter and the Special Care Baby Unit at a local hospital. A good range of activities promotes the pupils’ interest in the arts, and a particular strength is seen in the links with Tanzania, promoting global awareness and knowledge of the art and culture of an African nation. The co-ordinator promotes this link enthusiastically and older pupils gain much from the

p.18

PUPILS?

‘Global Market’ game they play, which teaches them to understand the economic difficulties of people who live in a country less economically favoured than their own.

p.18

PUPILS?

41 Links with other local schools are also good. Good information about progress and attainment is passed on with the pupils who transfer at Year 4 from a nearby First School. Year 6 pupils make visits to the partner High School so that they are familiar with its organisation before they transfer to Year 7. A Year 10 work experience pupil from the local High School makes a valuable contribution to the learning of the children in the Foundation Stage.

p.18

PUPILS?

42 The school makes very good provision for the pupils’ personal development. By showing the pupils how much it cares for their personal and social needs the school provides an ethos in which pupils are valued both as individuals and as members of the school community. The pupils respond by acting responsibly and maturely. They know that the adults in school have high expectations of their behaviour and they invariably behave well. In one lesson for Year 6, the teacher thanked the class for the thoughtful ideas they suggested when discussing ways of dealing with bullying. Children are thanked for acts of kindness and thoughtfulness, encouraging them to have consideration for others. From this and similar experiences they learn the value of courtesy and consideration for others. Overall the school’s provision for personal and social development is a strength of the school.

p.18

PUPILS?

43 Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is excellent. School assemblies and acts of worship have a distinct spiritual dimension and make a good contribution to the pupils’ understanding of care and concern for others. This was seen in the response to an act High Hesket C of E Primary School - 19 of meditation on the needs of the world. In lessons, pupils discover that their questions about why things happen in certain ways are valued and explored, such as in a religious education lesson on Buddhism with Years 1 and 2. The pupils learned to reflect on how the needs of others should be considered just as important as our own. The appreciation of music and dance that is encouraged throughout the school adds a spiritual dimension to the pupils’ experiences. Pupils are also encouraged to appreciate their environment, respect it and look after it.

p.18

PUPILS?

44 The provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. It is enriched by many opportunities to investigate other cultural traditions through art, music, literature and drama. The strong partnerships that have been developed with visitors to the school, such as the group of students from Tanzania, faith leaders and artists reinforce the pupils’ own cultural values and extend them through an appreciation of the values embedded in other cultures. Similarly, visits such as those to places of worship, such as the local church and a Buddhist temple, extend the cultural development of the pupils and help to prepare pupils for living in a society rich in cultural diversity.

p.19

PUPILS?

45 The pupils’ moral and social development are provided for very well and this is a strength of the school. The adults in the school set high expectations of the pupils’ behaviour and there is a very good response to this from all pupils. Adults in the school act as good role models and from this the pupils develop a very good knowledge of their rights and responsibilities and the importance of truth, fairness and equality. Because the teachers develop an open and safe ethos for learning, pupils feel free to express their views and take responsibility for their own actions. They learn from the school’s example that harmony and equality are important aspects of their school community and that they can learn effectively if they themselves are happy and if they can help others to be happy. Teachers and other adults help pupils to resolve tensions by discussing problems openly. The school places very high importance on looking

p.19

PUPILS?

after the environment and pupils learn to care for the world from this emphasis. The use of the good school grounds, with its interestingly landscaped areas and aesthetically stimulating appearance, make a very good impact on the pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development because it teaches them the importance of caring for the natural world.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46 The school pay very close attention to the health, safety and welfare of its pupils. There is commitment to ensure pupils can learn in a secure and safe environment. The policy covering health and safety is well constructed and fully implemented. Risk assessments are carried out in key areas around the school. Since the last inspection the school has improved aspects of the way that it cares for its pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47 The school has several members of staff trained in first aid and this reflects the importance the school attaches to safety. It is a good number for a school of this size. The procedures for dealing with accidents and injuries are effective and good records are made of each accident. However, the restrictive space in the school means that any ill or injured pupil has to use the staff room whilst parents arrive to collect them.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48 The school’s approach to child protection is very good. The headteacher and foundation stage teacher have received training on child abuse and child protection issues. Information from these courses is disseminated to the rest of the staff and they all are aware of the need to watch for signs of abuse and have knowledge of how concerns are to be handled. The school is proactive in ensuring the welfare of pupils in every aspect of school life. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 20 49 The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory but need further development, even though there were no reported unauthorised absences. For example, the school has not evaluated the impact of families taking their children out of school for holiday during term time. Plans have been made to try and discourage this activity. Similarly, the school has not analysed whether any of the authorised

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

absences are directly related to one specific group, in order to gauge possible impact on learning.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50 The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are good. The behaviour policy is effective and clearly defines the aims to achieve good behaviour. This is an integral part of the school’s ethos. Although there is a section on rewards within the policy there is no evidence of any being given to the pupils by way of stickers, stars or certificates.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51 The school recognise there is always the potential for bullying to take place and has established an effective bullying policy. This will be used in the event of oppressive behaviour occurring. A list of books containing stories and poetry that deal with bullying is available for reference. These, and other documentation, are part of the school’s personal, social and health education programme. Parents are assured that incidences of bullying are not tolerated at the school and that if they occur they will be dealt with very quickly and sensitively.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52 There is genuine commitment by teachers to include all pupils and to help them to realise their full potential. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good. Day to day assessment is good and teachers know their pupils very well.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53 Procedures for assessing pupils’ progress are good. Good records are kept of pupils’ attainments, especially in English and mathematics. There is, however, insufficient analysis made of this information to ensure all pupils make good progress. Assessments are made of children when they begin in the reception class. Progress is then tracked through the school. At present this tracking does not contain sufficient information to help teachers identify when pupils are failing to achieve in one aspect of the subject. For example, when pupils are not achieving as well in writing as they are in reading. Assessment in other subjects has only recently been introduced. The systems are good and manageable and when fully developed should give teachers the information they need to improve the rate progress that pupils make. Teachers know pupils well and day-to-day assessment is good. This is used to plan work in the short

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54 Support and guidance for pupils with special educational needs is generally effective. Early Literacy Support and Additional Literacy Support enable pupils to receive extra help as needed. Individual Education Plans are in place for those pupils requiring them and where relevant, closely reflect the recommendations of statements. There is full compliance with legal requirements in respect of the pupil who has a statement of special educational need. The school ethos creates a climate of inclusion where all pupils are happy and feel valued. Pupils with special educational needs are fully included in all extra curricular activities. Nevertheless, there were some instances during the inspection of the needs of pupils with special educational needs not being fully taken into account during whole class lessons High Hesket C of E Primary School - 21

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55 Parents have a very good opinion of the school. The majority of parents express high levels of satisfaction. There are effective parental links with the school. Since the last inspection links with parents have continued to improve.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56 From the comments made by parents at the pre-inspection meeting, and the returned questionnaires, it is apparent that parents are happy with the fact that the teachers are friendly, committed and know the pupils very well; that children are keen to come to school and that there is a warm and welcoming atmosphere at the school. They feel comfortable about approaching the school with problems or concerns. The teachers are prepared to listen to feedback from parents and respond positively. This is clear evidence of very good partnership and parental involvement with the children’s interest in mind.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57 The school responds well to the suggestions of parents and parents are willing to help in a number of different ways. For example, a request from parents to form a keep fit class for the pupils led to a parent offering support to help run the classes. Similarly, a chess club was created and the uptake of this is good for both boys and girls.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58 Although only a few parents help around the school, their support is always forthcoming in providing funds for significant developments at the school. For example, last year the parent teacher association contributed nearly £4,500 towards the erection of a millennium play activity in the school grounds.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59 The quality of information provided to parents is very good. Reports on children’s progress are sufficiently detailed to allow parents to gain a clear insight into progress being made by their children. The opportunity to invite each child to comment on its own achievements is a strong feature of progress reporting. Newsletters are constructive and very informative. For example, all teachers submit an overview of the topics being covered each term for every subject. The overviews give parents the opportunity to plan and help their children if, and when, needed.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60 Although parents of pupils with special educational needs are invited to become involved in the reviews of their children’s individual education plans, few parents take advantage of this.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61 The home-school agreements are used in a positive manner and these clearly state the school’s expectations and aims of parental involvement. Governor’s annual reports are very well presented and help parents to understand important issues occurring at the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62 The headteacher is a good leader who has successfully created a school with a very good ethos in which pupils feel valued and secure and in which relationships are very good. Although management has been successful in many areas, in others it has been less successful. For example, the Foundation Stage class has been successfully established and is now a significant strength in the school. A good team in which all are valued and each plays a part has been established. Weaknesses have occurred in the management of some subjects, for example, in science. This is because the headteacher has taken on too much responsibility for curriculum co-ordination. It has been disproportionate with her teaching commitment and the responsibilities of other members of staff. Whilst other teachers have had no more than two areas of High Hesket C of E Primary School - 22 responsibility, the headteacher has remained jointly responsible for English and solely

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

responsible for mathematics and special educational needs. Because science, art and design, design and technology, geography and information and communication technology have no designated coordinator, the headteacher has had to manage these subjects also. This has proved too much to be effective and as a result achievement in all of these subjects, except science at the end of Year 2, has been only satisfactory. In religious education and music, where both subjects have a coordinator, attainment has been above expectations.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63 The aims and values of the school are met effectively in its daily work. Good standards of behaviour, mutual respect and strong relationships come from the pupils themselves and the good role models provided by all the school staff. The school is committed to inclusion and has a policy for equal opportunities. In compliance with current statutory requirements the school has prepared a policy on Racial Equality and Cultural Diversity. The recent appointment of new staff is making an important positive contribution to the work of the school and is raising standards of teaching and learning. The head leads by example and has this year taken on the responsibility of teaching the Year 6 pupils mathematics. Whilst these pupils have benefited from her good quality teaching this made further demands upon her and has resulted in less effective management of the school overall.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64 The roles of the curriculum coordinators are not well established in the school. Their role in evaluating and improving the curriculum is still minimal. It is planned for co- ordinators to be increasingly responsible for the effectiveness of the planning for their subject and their contribution to the curriculum. Successful reviews of the curriculum have taken place in some subjects, such as music and history, and these reviews provide good examples of how to evaluate a subject and plan for its improvement. Curriculum responsibilities do not always involve whole school management because in several subjects the co-ordinator is the only person teaching that subject. This has in effect meant that almost all whole school subject management has rested on the shoulders of the headteacher

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65 Special educational needs (SEN) is co-ordinated by the headteacher who manages this role effectively. She regularly attends meetings with other SEN coordinators (SENCOs) and has received training on the new Code of Practice. Learning assistants are deployed well to support the pupils with statements and work alongside groups in lessons and in withdrawal groups.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66 Monitoring and evaluating does happen and although systems are informal the headteacher is aware of what is happening in the school. However, there is no clear structure for the raising of standards. Monitoring and evaluating is not always rigorous and there is no clearly defined role for the raising of standards in subjects. For example, clear links between teaching and learning and the raising of standards are not developed in the monitoring reports of teaching. This is illustrated clearly by the low attainment in mathematics by more able pupils in Year 6 and the lack of any development initiative in the long-term school planning for science where standards in skills need to be improved.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67 The school is fortunate to have a governing body that is very committed to the school. Governors meet regularly, have a sound grasp of the necessary administrative and organisational features of running a school and are efficient in their management duties. They work hard to support the school and whenever possible governors visit lessons. They are aware of the strengths of the school but are less aware of areas in High Hesket C of E Primary School - 23 which the school could do better, for example, the standards in writing. All statutory requirements are fulfilled.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68 The school development plan is satisfactory and priorities for the current year are set out and based on an analysis of need. Priorities for this year have been to continue to improve standards in writing. However, the raising of standards is only implicit within the document. The criteria that are identified as measures for success are too general and hard to evaluate. The plan does not indicate by how much attainment is expected to rise and no quantitive criteria are included. This makes it harder for staff to achieve, for the co-ordinator to measure progress and for governors to assess overall success.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69 The governing body has made sure that the school’s finances are run properly and that available funding is allocated effectively. Despite the school’s current very high level of income, which is partly due to the establishment of the Foundation Stage and the fact that it is a small school, governors are spending wisely and the school gives satisfactory value for money. Specific grants, for example for the Foundation Stage, are managed efficiently by the headteacher. The school is aware of the principles of best value and is starting to apply them to its major financial decisions. Plans have been made to carry out the recommendations of the recent audit report.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70 The match of teachers and learning assistants to meet the demands of the National Curriculum is satisfactory and the school benefits from the appointment of three part time learning assistants who are able to work with small groups of pupils in order to raise standards throughout the school The procedures for inducting teachers that are new to the school are informal but effective.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71 The standard of accommodation is good. The classrooms are generally spacious and are kept clean and tidy. However, the pupils in Year 3 and 4 class suffer some interruptions to their work when their class is used as a thoroughfare to other classrooms. The computer suite gives the pupils in the older classes a good facility in which to learn and develop their skills. The playground is very attractive and well maintained with areas of quiet seating. Areas within the school grounds have been developed for learning such as the number area and the garden. The field is very large and provides a good resource for games and athletics in summer. Overall the outside environment is excellent. The library is small but is well organised and a pleasant area in which to read and research.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

High Hesket C of E Primary School - 24 72 In order to maintain and improve standards of attainment the headteacher, staff and governors of the school should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve attainment in writing across the school, by: (i) Improving the quality of the teaching of writing skills; (ii) Offering greater challenge; (iii) Providing more opportunities for pupils to become effective writers. (iv) Tracking more effectively pupils’ progress in writing in order to identify earlier those pupils that are underachieving. (paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 6, 24, 53, 88, 91, 92, 93 )

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the effectiveness of the management of the school, by: (i) sharing the responsibilities for subject management more evenly amongst all staff; (ii) taking steps to ensure that the regular teaching commitment of the headteacher is limited whenever possible to no more than 50 per cent of her time, whilst the school remains its current size; (iii) setting more measurable criteria for success in the school development plan to enable governors to monitor its impact more effectively. (paragraphs 62, 63, 64, 68, 111, 119, 123, 129, 139 ) High Hesket C of E Primary School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. [When the total number is substantially less than 100, add] Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one [two, three, etc] percentage point[s]. [Where the total is close to or greater than 100, use only the first sentence.]

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 4 81

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 3

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 13

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

p.25

Attendance

% % High Hesket C of E Primary School - 26 School data 6.6 School data 0

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.26

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 27

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 16

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 75 (89) 75 (100) 88 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 75 (95) 81 (100) 88 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

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

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Because the number of pupils taking the tests at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) was less than ten comparisons with other schools are not useful and the results table has been omitted.

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Because the number of boys taking the tests at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) was less than ten the separate results of boys and girls have been omitted. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 28

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.4 Financial year 2001 - 2002

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 218507

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 204819

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33 Expenditure per pupil 2467

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 23666

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 37354

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 15

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0.4

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.4

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 High Hesket C of E Primary School - 29 FTE means full-time equivalent. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 30

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

Strongl y agree Tend to agree Tend to disagre e Strongl y disagre e Don’t know

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 69 27 2 2 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 62 35 0 0 2

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 51 38 7 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 69 24 7 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 82 13 0 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 82 16 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 27 67 2 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 69 26 5 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 78 18 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 38 51 7 0 5 High Hesket C of E Primary School - 31

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73 During the last 12 months the school has established a combined Nursery and Reception class for children aged between three and five, forming a discrete Foundation Stage unit. To enable this to happen, extension work to the school building has enlarged the accommodation for the Foundation Stage and this is an improvement since the last inspection. The children of nursery age attend part-time, mornings only, from the September after their third birthday. From the September after their fourth birthday they attend full-time as Reception pupils. Most of the children of Reception age will have transferred directly from the Nursery, although a small number of children are admitted to the Reception class from other pre-school settings and a very few will have received no pre-school experience. At the time of the inspection, eight children attended part-time as Nursery pupils while 13 children attended full-time as Reception

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74 A full-time teacher works in the Foundation Stage, supported by a Nursery Nurse for the morning session. The Nursery Nurse remains in the school during the afternoon, working as a special educational needs support assistant for a Reception age child. The staff in the Foundation Stage class work together very much as a team. This is a strong feature of the provision for the children in the Foundation Stage and it makes a significant contribution to the children’s learning. Staff provide very good role models for the children in the Foundation Stage and for the student on a work experience placement from a local High School.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75 When they enter as nursery pupil, the teacher’s assessments of the children show that they are a little above average attainment for children of a similar age nationally. On entry to the Reception year all of the children are assessed using a nationally recognised ‘baseline’ assessment scheme. These assessments show that the children’s attainment is above the average for other children found nationally. The findings of the inspection confirm these assessments.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

76 By the end of their year in the nursery the children have achieved well and they are making good progress towards the Early Learning Goals described in the national guidelines for the Foundation Stage curriculum. In all of the areas of learning they have experienced a wide range of activities, which helps them to make good progress along the ‘Stepping Stones’ of learning for young children. Good progress continues on the Reception Year and by the end the Foundation Stage the great majority of children have met the expectations of the Early Learning Goals and some are working towards Level 1 of the National Curriculum in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

77 The organisation of the early years curriculum, the use of assessment information to plan for the children’s individual learning needs and the good quality of teaching together contribute strongly to the good progress the children make. The children’s own interests and enthusiasm for learning positively influence this progress. There is good support from home for the children’s learning. The very good links with parents and families create an effective working partnership with the teachers to maximise the opportunities for the children to learn effectively. For example, teachers discuss the progress of individual children regularly with their parents and advise on what parents can do at home to extend the learning at school. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 32 78 The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good and the support from the nursery nurse is very effective, both for the Nursery children in the morning and for the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

pupil with special educational needs throughout the day. This good teaching is crucial to the children’s learning. The teacher has developed an efficient system for planning the children’s learning. The children are guided towards activities that develop particular skills. A close record is kept of the learning of each child from the experience of these activities. This system ensures that all children experience the full range of activities for learning that are available in the nursery and reception classroom. By the end of each week the teacher and nursery nurse have a clear idea of what each child has learned and what needs to be done to take each child’s learning on further.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

79 The teachers and nursery nurse have high expectations of the children. From their thorough weekly assessments they plan effectively to provide each child with key learning experiences at an appropriate level of challenge. This is particularly noticeable in the important areas of reading, writing and number when the teachers work with small groups of children of similar ability to teach them these essential basic skills.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

80 The Foundation Stage curriculum is made up of six key areas of learning:

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

81 There is a particular strength in the support provided for the children’s personal, social and emotional development. From the very beginning the teachers set very clear routines with which the children soon become familiar. The children learn to make choices about the activities they may undertake and each of these activities is structured very well to maximise the opportunities for learning. By making these choices the children learn to plan their own time and they very quickly become confident and independent. While the teachers and other adults work on teaching the essential basic skills of literacy and numeracy with small groups of children, other groups are productively busy on activities that promote other important areas of their development. The nursery children settle very well into the routines and they are comfortable with the challenges presented to them in their activities. The organisation

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

of the Foundation Stage class gives very good support for the development of the children’s independence.

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

82 By the end of the Reception year the children have attained very good standards in this area of their development and have achieved very well. They concentrate well on their activities and, when they have time to choose an independent activity, they plan their own time to good effect. They mix well with other children and they understand how their actions can have good and bad effects on other people. They grow in confidence and show initiative when solving a problem within a planned activity. When asked to explain something, they express their views well, such as when describing why they choose play-dough of a particular colour to represent a fruit. The children give well considered accounts of why they have chosen to do something, such as when they explain why they are making a collage of pictures of different foods. The high quality of the relationships between the adults and children in this class significantly and

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

positively impacts on the children’s personal and social development.

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Communication, Language and Literacy

High Hesket C of E Primary School - 33 83 The children achieve well in this aspect of learning and by the end of the Foundation Stage more than the expected number of children have achieved the expectations stated in the Early Learning Goals for Communication, Language and Literacy. Children soon recognise that the text printed on a page has some meaning and that it can be read. Children aged three and four in the nursery can point to the words printed on a page and ask an adult to read them. This is because, when adults read to them, the children are encouraged to see the connection between what the adult is reading and what is printed on the page. Some of the children recognise the initial letter of their own name and some other letters within their name. When they practise tracing over a card printed with their name they hold their pencil correctly and they trace with care, producing letters that are well formed and legible. Some children go on to writing their

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Communication, Language and Literacy

own names without the use of a tracing card and they are very proud of this achievement. The majority of children of nursery age have well developed speech and they articulate their words well. They confidently tell an adult what they are doing in their activity and they speak clearly. A few children have attainment in speaking skills which is below the average for their age but the adults in the nursery talk frequently and clearly with these children, helping them to develop more mature speech. The teacher has a very good knowledge of the attainment of the children in the Reception year in speaking, listening, reading and writing and plans effectively to move the children on with their learning. Teaching focused on basic reading skills and phonics helps the children to learn by sight and by memory a good vocabulary of the key words for reading. They also learn the skill of using their knowledge of the sounds made by

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Communication, Language and Literacy

letters and letter blends to help them to read new words. This developing knowledge of phonics helps the children to make good attempts at writing words they have not learned from their reading, such as when writing.

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Mathematical Development

84 The children’s achievement in mathematics is good and by the end of the Foundation Stage, children have attained above the expected level of attainment. Throughout the nursery and reception years the children learn the key concepts of sequencing numbers, matching objects one-to-one and sorting objects according to a defined property, such as when using jigsaws. Some children in the nursery can count beyond five and can match the correct quantity of objects to a number, such as when counting how many items they have won from a board game. This skill is extended in the Reception year where the children can recognise the symbols for numbers up to, and, for some children, well beyond ten. Many of the children can write numbers that accurately resemble the digits 1 to 9. The children can find the sum of two numbers by counting on in ones and some children are proud of their knowledge of basic sums

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Mathematical Development

when they recall from memory, for example, that 2 + 2 = 4, 3 + 3 = 6 and 5 + 5 = 10. A few children can accurately work out a subtraction sum by counting back. The work in the children’s progress folders shows that, by the end of reception, they have also learned to identify simple regular two and three-dimensional shapes such as squares, circles, cubes and cylinders. In the nursery, children learn about time from the routines of the day, such as snack time, outdoor time and tidying up time. The children in the reception year recognise that the times for these activities can be identified on a clock face.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

High Hesket C of E Primary School - 34 85 By the end of their time in the Reception year the children have developed a good knowledge and understanding of the world and their achievement is good. They have experienced a wealth of well-planned and good quality activities in the Foundation Stage, enriched by the quality of the guidance and support given by the adults. The children of nursery age are encouraged to use all of their senses to explore the indoor and outdoor environment. When they play independently and with friends the resources presented to them give the children interest and stimulus for self-discovery. When working with the teacher or another adult they are encouraged to use their senses to investigate natural and man-made objects. The teachers ask challenging questions to encourage the children’s thinking, such as when the nursery children look closely at fruits and then make copies of them using play-dough. In this activity the

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

teacher introduces the vocabulary of shape and size and asks the children to make decisions about how they are going to form the shape they see. There is good learning in the use of information and communication technology, such as when nursery children learn to control a computer mouse to draw a colourful picture. This learning is extended well in the Reception year, where children discuss how they should move pictures on the computer screen to form matching pairs of objects.

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Physical Development

86 In this area of learning the children make good progress and they attain beyond the Early Learning goals. There are good opportunities for the children to practise their skills, such as when being taught how to hold a pencil or paint brush correctly or when they carefully cut out pictures of fruit and vegetables from a magazine. Tracing letters and shapes, manipulating the pieces of a jigsaw or playing with equipment for measuring sand, also help to develop good hand and eye co-ordination. When they get ready to go to the outside area the adults are insistent about the children putting on their own coats to encourage the independent use of zips and buttons. The area outside the classroom is small for outdoor play but it is used well by giving the children equipment that stimulates their imaginative play. For example, a set of steps represented Mount Everest and the adventurous mountain climbers used a small play-tent as a bivuoac!

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Physical Development

In hall time, the Reception children practise balancing and controlling a ball with a racquet. By allowing the children to choose from a selection of sizes of balls and racquets, the teacher develops the children’s confidence to be more adventurous with their control skills. The nursery children learn good balance and movement skills when they practise throwing a ball from hoop to hoop on the playground.

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Creative Development

87 The children’s achievement in creative development is good and by the end of the Foundation Stage they attain above the expected standard. In the nursery and reception years the children explore different textures and media through painting and work with paper, card and textiles, clay and play dough. The adults ask the children probing questions about the nature of the materials and tools they are using and they extend the children’s vocabulary with words to describe features of their work. Some reception children working with the teacher gained good learning from comparing the different sounds made by musical instruments. The children using these instruments chose carefully and made thoughtful decisions about how they would play each instrument to achieve a pleasing sound.

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ENGLISH

High Hesket C of E Primary School - 35 88 By the end of Years 2 and 6 pupils attain standards in English that, overall, are above national expectations. Standards were similarly above expectations at the time of the last inspection. Standards of speaking, listening and reading are higher than those in writing at the end of both Years 2 and 6. This attainment was reflected in the National Curriculum results for pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 in 2001, where pupils achieved well in reading, but achieved standards in writing that were below the national average and below those found in similar schools. The unconfirmed results for 2002 show an increase in the number of pupils attaining the expected levels and higher, at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 but the gap in attainment between reading and writing remains significant. Appropriately, the school continues to target writing as a priority for improving the overall standard of English. Overall, pupils, including those with special

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educational needs, achieve satisfactorily.

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89 Standards in speaking and listening are good throughout the school. Pupils in the younger Year 1 and 2 class listen well to instructions, such as when asked what they need to do to show courtesy to a special visitor who was going to talk to them about the history of their school. They discuss their thoughts well, planning questions with a partner to ask the visitor. Speaking and listening skills continue to be developed well in the older classes. Discussion is used effectively to promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The pupils discussed , for instance, how they would use personification to show feelings of guilt and remorse in a piece of descriptive writing. The pupils had good opportunity to use their speaking and listening skills in a debate promoting global awareness when they discussed whether Tanzania should host the Commonwealth Games.

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90 The standard of reading is good throughout the school. Pupils read confidently and show a keen interest in books. Reading diaries show good support from parents for their children’s reading, with positive and encouraging comments indicating the interest that parents have in helping their child to develop good reading skills. There is an appropriate level of challenge in the books that pupils read at school and at home. Some pupils who experience difficulty in learning to read are given good support to help them to overcome their difficulties. The teachers keep good records of each pupil’s progress in reading and use this assessment well to ensure that pupils have books that help them to develop their reading skills. The pupils in the Year 1 and 2 class who read to inspectors showed a good knowledge of how to use letter sounds to work out how to read an unfamiliar word. Pupils in Years 3 to 4 have a good reading vocabulary; they

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show that they can predict possible story outcomes and that they appreciate characters, themes and events that contribute to the overall structure of a story. They extract non-fiction information from text books and web sites well, although there is under-use in some lessons of a range of non-fiction texts as sources of evidence.

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ENGLISH

91 Although standards of writing are now satisfactory at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 they are in need of improvement to meet the level of reading. This is a key priority in the school development plan and all staff are working towards teaching writing more effectively. Good examples of writing for different purposes were seen in all classes. For example, pupils in Year 1 and 2 wrote good, relevant questions linked to a lesson about the development of their village. In Years 3 and 4, pupils explained well, in letters to their headteacher, their reasons for wanting to do a litter pick. When writing is purposeful and relevant it causes the pupils to have a positive response to their task; they therefore enjoy writing and produce work of good quality. Sometimes, however, in the older classes it is not purposeful or relevant and pupils do not respond positively. Part of the problem is due to the way in which pupils’ progress is tracked. It does not

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yet separate attainment in reading and writing and it is not clear which pupils are underachieving in writing compared to their achievement in reading. Nor does it High Hesket C of E Primary School - 36 promote higher expectations by linking it to the planning of literacy for individuals or specific groups of pupils. For example, the knowledge that some pupils are making slower progress than others does not show up in planning for the needs of these pupils in all lessons. Handwriting is taught well and the quality of handwriting is good, with pupils in Years 5 and 6 producing neatly presented work with clearly joined letters.

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ENGLISH

92 The overall quality of teaching and learning is good which is similar to the judgement on teaching at the time of the previous inspection. One unsatisfactory lesson was seen. Teachers have a good knowledge of how to teach literacy and refer to the framework for the National Literacy Strategy to support good planning. Reading and grammar are taught well. For example, pupils in Year 1 and 2 know how to identify and use synonyms and those in the older classes can write good sentences showing the use of personification. One lesson seen in Year 1 and 2 was very good, where basic writing skills were taught very well. Pupils were challenged to find more interesting ways of writing sentences by adding descriptive vocabulary. Learning in this lesson was very good because pupils explored new vocabulary through discussion, then practised writing down their ideas. The effectiveness of this lesson was further enhanced

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because the teacher provided good examples of writing to show the pupils what she expected them to produce. In the unsatisfactory lesson that aimed to teach pupils how to use nouns, adjectives and verbs in the introduction to a story, pupils underachieved because the expectations of the lesson were not clear and the use of descriptive vocabulary in writing was not clearly taught. The pupils could not see a link between the work they were doing and the outcome that was expected. Consequently their knowledge of how to connect nouns to suitable adjectives was limited. In a lesson for Years 5 and 6, while the explanation of the task and the expectations for the lesson were made very clear, the support provided for some pupils was insufficient and, while more able pupils achieved well, some pupils made little progress in the lesson.

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ENGLISH

93 Teachers know their pupils well and overall they use day-to-day assessment effectively to maintain good standards in the subject. Pupils are set personal learning targets and many of these targets focus on the key school objective of improving writing. Most pupils have a good knowledge of the personal targets set for their learning. How well the pupils achieve in their personal targets is recorded on a ‘personal target ladder’ and this helps pupils to become more aware of their own progress and supports higher expectations. Individual target setting is beginning to have an impact on standards of writing but it needs to be evaluated carefully if it is to become an effective tool for raising attainment across the school. A system of pupil tracking helps to predict how well pupils could be expected to do on the basis of their achievement in the Foundation Stage and at the end of Year 2. This exercise is valuable in promoting clear targets for

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the overall attainment of a year group of pupils for the end of Year 6 but fails to identify specific individual problems because it does not yet, separate attainment in reading and writing.

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94 The support given to pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is satisfactory overall. The Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for pupils with SEN provide learning targets for planning to meet the needs of these pupils. These targets are sufficiently clear to meet requirements but could be more focused on what each pupil needs to do to achieve a target between reviews of their learning. Good support is given to pupils with special educational needs from a learning assistant, such as when a group of Year 5 and 6 pupils worked together to consolidate spelling. Similarly good support is given to individual pupils when they work one-to-one with the learning assistant. Although inclusion is satisfactory overall, in some lessons, the teacher does not give full attention to the work of pupils with special educational needs and their pace of learning is slow because they are not well supported. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 37

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95 Pupils have good attitudes to learning, especially where the expectations of a lesson are clear and they understand what the aims of a task are. They enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction. They interrogate web sites well to access information, such as when sequencing the chronology of changes to castles in the north east of England. Where they see the relevance of a writing task, they respond well and produce work of a good standard, but where the relevance of a writing task is less clear, the quality of writing parallels the low expectations of the lesson.

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ENGLISH

96 The management of the subject is satisfactory overall, with some good features. An audit of the subject and a review of standards, highlighted the need to raise attainment in writing, especially for those pupils with the ability to cross the Year 2 Level 2/3 and Year 6 Level 4/5 thresholds. This target is a clear priority in the school development plan. The key targets for improvement in the plan are appropriate but it is not clear from the subject action plan how these targets will be achieved. Helpful support has been provided by the Literacy Team from the Local Education Authority, which has given useful advice and guidance on how to improve writing in both key stages. The main subject leadership workload has been with the headteacher, as the other co- ordinator has also been leading the development of the Foundation Stage over the last 12 months. The initiatives that have been introduced are beginning to have an impact

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ENGLISH

on teaching and learning but the workload of the headteacher has meant that there has been only limited subject leader monitoring of their effectiveness. Although some use of information and communication technology within the subject is evident its use is generally still underdeveloped.

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MATHEMATICS

97 At the time of the last inspection standards were judged to be above national expectations at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. Standards are now well above national expectations at the end of Year 2 and continue to be above national expectations at the end of Year 6. This represents good improvement at the end of Year 2 and satisfactory maintenance of standards at the end of Year 6. In end of Year 2 tests in 2002 the unconfirmed results show a very high percentage of pupils attaining the higher Level 3. In the end of Year 6 tests the unconfirmed results show the percentage of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 was well below that usually expected nationally. However, the pupils in the present Year 6 did not attain the same high standards at the end of Year 2 that the present Year 2 have attained. Good teaching and a good range of learning opportunities contribute to the high standards at the end of

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MATHEMATICS

Year 2. Achievement is good for the pupils in Years 1 and 2 and in the older classes is overall satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs achieve satisfactorily. There is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

98 Pupils in Year 2 have a good understanding of number and have a mature confidence when investigating number patterns. Higher attaining pupils are able to see a systematic way of arranging numbers in order to find out how many different combinations can be made of four digits. Year 1 pupils also display confidence with number that is above expectations. All pupils in the Year 1 and 2 class approach their work systematically and many recognise patterns in what they do. The curriculum offered to pupils in this class is based on an investigative open approach to learning about number and the pupils benefit greatly from this. All strands of the curriculum are present and all the pupils have the expected understanding of how to measure length, mass and capacity. They can recognise and name both two-dimensional and three- dimensional shapes and can recognise their various features. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 38

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MATHEMATICS

99 The pupils in Year 6 have benefited from being taught separately from the pupils in Year 5 for most of this year. The benefit of this is that pupils at the end of Year 6 are confident with numbers. Average attaining pupils work out the pattern of square numbers. More able pupils become absorbed in the activity and go on to work out the sequence using large numbers. Challenging questions ensure that they apply and understand what they do. All pupils display a good understanding of multiplication facts. More able and average attaining pupils can order decimals to two places and reduce fractions to their simplest form. All pupils solve problems by using information in tables, graphs and charts. Inspection evidence shows the attainment of most Year 6 pupils to be in line with expectations for attainment at the average levels, although attainment at the higher levels is still below the national average. This is because

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MATHEMATICS

teachers provide too few opportunities for pupils to work within the Level 5 curriculum. For example, pupils were unsure how to convert metric measures to imperial and were unsure about some of the correct vocabulary to use for data handling.

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MATHEMATICS

100 Teaching and learning for pupils is good overall. The open investigative approach to teaching and learning is very successful for the average and more able pupils but the lower attaining pupils need more structure. In the lessons observed lower attaining pupils were generally well supported and made the progress expected. Teachers follow the National Numeracy Strategy and always start lessons with a mental and oral starter. The quality of this part of the lesson is variable. In two lessons observed there was appropriate pace and rigour that kept pupils on task. In another two lessons the pace at the beginning of the lesson was slow and all pupils were not fully involved. The activity that asked pupils to work on their own to find as much out about a number as they could did not motivate all pupils equally, nor did it provide the teacher with opportunities to assess how well the pupils were involved or how well they succeeded.

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MATHEMATICS

In another lesson, a multiplication bingo also failed to engage all pupils because some simply waited for the answer to be provided before crossing the number off their sheet. In these sessions opportunities were missed to motivate pupils by providing exciting challenge and by failing to provide activities that were interactive with the teacher, thus giving opportunities to assess how well the pupils were coping with the activity. In a good lesson in the Year 3 and 4 class, the teacher started the lesson off well with quick fire questions that ensured all were fully involved from the beginning. Very good and imaginative use of resources in this lesson ensured that pupils were able to visualise what was happening and this enhanced their learning. In the one lesson that was only satisfactory the teacher failed to ensure that all pupils were listening and talked to pupils over a low level of background noise. This made it harder for the less able or less

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MATHEMATICS

motivated to be fully involved. Although generally, inclusion is good, with those pupils who require extra support being given individual help, in one lesson observed the task given to a pupil with special educational needs was insufficiently demanding to keep him busy for the whole lesson and for a significant part of the lesson he was not fully included.

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MATHEMATICS

101 Assessment is good and is against the key objectives of the numeracy strategy and enables teachers to keep a clear view of how well pupils are performing. A good feature of this assessment is the involvement pupils have in making their own assessment of their achievement which the teacher then discusses with pupils. The school has a good bank of assessment resources it can use if day-to-day teacher assessment fails to identify progress satisfactorily. This year the school is analysing the results of the annual assessments at the end of Year 6 in order to identify areas of learning that could be improved.

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MATHEMATICS

102 The leadership and management of mathematics is good. The co-ordinator has a clear idea of how she believes mathematics should be taught and sets an example in High Hesket C of E Primary School - 39 her own teaching. As headteacher she is able to monitor successfully and knows what is happening in the subject within the school. Resources for the subject are satisfactory and well used. Information and communication technology is well used in the oldest class to enable pupils to practice skills. Its use in other classes is still under- developed.

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SCIENCE

103 Standards, at the end of Year 2, in the recent teacher assessments are above national expectations. The inspection finds that the number of pupils attaining the expected level at the end of Year 2 is above average and that most pupils attain standards that are above expectations in the aspect of science that covers living things. For pupils in Years 1 and 2, overall achievement is satisfactory. There are no pupils in this class with special educational needs. This is satisfactory maintenance of the standards of the last inspection which were then also judged to be above expectations.

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SCIENCE

104 Even though pupils attained well according to the unconfirmed results of the recent end of Year 6 tests, the inspection findings are that attainment at the end of Year 6 is only overall in line with expectations. Whilst it is clear that a significant number of pupils have an understanding that is in line with that expected or even above, there is a weakness in the development of investigational skills and in this aspect achievement is unsatisfactory. Achievement of pupils in Years 3 to 6, including those with special educational needs, is overall satisfactory. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls. This represents unsatisfactory improvement since the last inspection when standards were then judged to be well above national expectations.

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SCIENCE

105 Pupils at the end of Year 2 have an understanding of living things and especially the environment in which they live that is above expectations. They know their own environment very well and can talk knowledgably about the plants and animals found there. Their understanding of other aspects of science is in line with expectations and is secure but they have fewer opportunities in these aspects of science to achieve at a higher level. They can explain that forces are pushes or pulls and know that they can change the shape of objects by twisting. They can recognise different sources of energy for a range of toys and can make a simple electric circuit. They respond to suggestions on how to find things out such as when they tested to see the effects of rolling toy cars down a ramp or when they investigated to see how fast a snail can move. Although pupils in the Year 1 and 2 class were not observed using scientific

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skills, scrutiny of their work indicates that they have appropriate opportunities to develop the expected skills.

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SCIENCE

106 Average and above average attaining pupils in Years 3 and 4 describe a food chain and know that it starts with a green plant. Lower attaining pupils in Year 4, however, are still unsure whether some living things are plants or animals. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have enjoyed learning about the earth and space and talk confidently about the planets and their features. However, some average attaining pupils in Year 6 are not sure how the solar system moves. They cannot explain night and day in scientific terms and have some misconceptions about what is actually happening. For example, that the moon blocks out the sun at night, or that we have night because we need to rest. They are more confident when discussing the difference between a solid, a liquid and a gas and can use the term ‘evaporate’ accurately. They are able to recognise the condensation on the window on a rainy day but have more difficulty explaining the process that

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SCIENCE

created it. They have a good understanding of how to stay healthy and recognise the need for a healthy diet. They know that they need a balance of different foods and that High Hesket C of E Primary School - 40 some foods are only ‘bad’ if taken in excess. They understand the damage that smoking can do to their lungs. Their understanding of plants is not as secure and although they know that plants need water, they need to be reminded that they also need light. There is a weakness in the development of investigational skills for all pupils in the Years 3 to 6 classes and in this aspect achievement is unsatisfactory. When asked about investigations even the more able pupils are unfamiliar with changing variables and all pupils talked to, have an understanding of how to plan their own investigation that is below expectations.

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107 Pupils have good attitudes to science and behave sensibly especially when carrying out practical activities. Pupils in the Year 1 and 2 class were lively and inquisitive when challenged with identifying plants in the school grounds. These good attitudes make a significant contribution to the progress pupils in the younger class make in science.

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108 Teaching and learning is overall satisfactory. One very good and one satisfactory lesson were observed. Although teachers’ understanding is generally adequate there were some examples of incorrect marking in the books that indicated insecurity in some aspects of science. For example, statements that when the moon is not seen it is because the earth covers it and that there is no gravity on the moon were both marked correct in pupils’ work-books.

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109 Teachers have a clear idea of what they want pupils to know and understand but are less clear about which skills they want them to develop or how to develop them The best lesson seen was one in which the teacher’s interest and enthusiasm for the environment was transferred to the pupils who became equally enthusiastic to learn more. Work in books indicates that in the Years 3 to 6 classes pupils have few opportunities to raise their own questions or investigate their own ideas and this is limiting the way in which skills develop. Teachers over direct investigations, which are conducted in the same formal way by all pupils. This means that pupils have few opportunities to develop skills of their own. There were few examples seen of pupils using information and communication technology to develop their scientific understanding and its use in doing this is as yet underdeveloped. All pupils, including

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those with special educational needs, are fully included in lessons.

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SCIENCE

110 The school is following the nationally approved scheme of work but there are many examples of this not being followed closely. Whilst this leaves teachers the opportunity to develop their own interests, for example, the very good work on the environment done in Years 1 and 2, it also means that there is a loose structure to the curriculum. Consequently some essential aspects of science are not as well covered. This is contributing to the insecure levels of knowledge and understanding that some pupils have. Assessment of science is carried out but there is little indication that it is used well to support those pupils achieving better or less well than expected.

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SCIENCE

111 There is no co-ordinator to monitor the work of the pupils or the curriculum. This means that the school has not identified inconsistencies in delivery. Science has had a low profile within the school as is exemplified by the fact that pupils’ progress in this subject is not tracked.

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ART AND DESIGN

112 Pupils’ attainment at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 is in line with national expectations. Only one lesson was observed and that was in the Year 3 and 4 class. Judgements have been based on an analysis of teachers’ planning and examples of High Hesket C of E Primary School - 41 pupils’ work. All pupils, including those with special educational needs achieve is satisfactorily.

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ART AND DESIGN

113 Work is generally of a satisfactory quality and is displayed well. Pupils, including those with special educational needs achieve satisfactorily. Pupils experience an appropriate range of art experiences and use of a range of media. They learn how colours can be mixed for different effects and how to create different tones such as skin tone. Pupils in the Year 1 and 2 class use clay to make tiles and pupils throughout the school use pencil, wax and oil pastels to create different effects. There is a focus on developing careful observational skills through producing observational drawings. Year 1 and 2 pupils demonstrate good levels of observation when they draw from photographs or observe sea-shells. Year 5 and 6 pupils produce some quality sketches of leaves and of Alnmouth. They have made sketches of still life arrangements, which display careful observation of how light falls on the articles being sketched. Year 5 pupils have

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ART AND DESIGN

produced some accurate drawings of shoes that show a careful attention to detail.

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ART AND DESIGN

114 The school uses the local environment well and all classes have used natural materials of the local environment to inspire their art work. This was seen especially in Years 1 and 2 where pupils have produced bird collages of leaves and have made sculptures of birds from natural materials. Year 5 and 6 pupils have collected natural materials from outside to look at the colours in the environment.

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ART AND DESIGN

115 Although few examples of pupils’ looking at the work of other artists were seen during the inspection, planning indicates that pupils have looked at the work of Picasso and Klee. Work is appropriately linked to that of other subjects such as when pupils in Year 3 and 4 class linked their art to history. They looked at the work of Tudor portrait painters before producing their own portrait of a Tudor. Pupils’ understanding and knowledge of other cultures is developed through work such as the batiks produced by the Year 3 and 4 class. These were inspired by African patterns.

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ART AND DESIGN

116 The curriculum is enhanced by visiting artists and whole school projects. The school has recently been involved in a project with other schools to produce a permanent display of decorated bricks. An artist has worked with the Years 1 and 2 class. The pupils painted T-shirts and designed and painted patterns for their toilets. Information and communication technology is used to enable pupils to create pictures using painting programs. Use of the Internet to look at the work of other artists is not yet a feature of the teaching and learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

117 Because only one lesson was observed, no overall judgement can be made on teaching or on the provision for pupils’ with special educational needs.

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ART AND DESIGN

118 In the lesson observed the teacher had good subject knowledge and was able to give constructive help to pupils in developing their skills. In this lesson teaching and learning were good. The teacher was well prepared for the lesson and had a range of photographs to help inspire the pupils and give them direction. Her use of Jeannie Baker’s ‘Windows’ was a very effective stimulus to inspire the pupils to create their own work. All pupils were fully included in the lesson including those with special educational needs.

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ART AND DESIGN

119 At the time of the last inspection work was judged to be in line with expectations at the end of Year 2 but well above expectations at the end of Year 6. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 but unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Since the last inspection teachers have changed and the new scheme of work has been recently written and adopted. The use of assessment to identify the progress High Hesket C of E Primary School - 42 pupils are making and areas in which they need more support is still underdeveloped. The school is aware of this and has already put into place some assessment and recording procedures. It is not possible to assess the impact of these measures yet. There is at present no coordinator to monitor the curriculum or to move the subject further forward

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120 Pupils’ attainment at the end of both Years 2 and 6 is in line with national expectations and is similar to that at the time of the last inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs achieve satisfactorily. No lessons were observed and judgements have been based on an analysis of teachers’ planning and examples of pupils’ work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121 Pupils experience a broad curriculum that includes a range of different activities and different materials. The work produced by pupils indicates that teachers have a good understanding of the subject and the processes and skills needed for pupils to succeed. An appropriate focus is placed on the development of skills and the need to complete the full designing and making process. For example, in the Year 1 and 2 class, pupils tried several different ways of attaching wheels before they designed a vehicle to take two apples from the farm shop. When designing, pupils are encouraged to take into account the materials and techniques they will use. In Years 1 and 2, the work observed during the inspection was of a good quality. In Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 teachers continue to provide a good range of learning opportunities for pupils to develop their designing skills. This results in a level of design that meets and in some cases

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

exceeds expectations. However, low expectations of pupils ability to produce quality artefacts results in a level of making that often fails to meet expectations and is not as good as that normally seen in other schools.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122 No lessons were observed so it is not possible to make a judgement on teaching or learning, the provision for pupils with special educational needs or the attitudes that pupils have to lessons.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123 There is at present no co-ordinator for the subject. The school has adopted the nationally approved scheme of work and this is ensuring that pupils experience a broad range of activities. Resources are satisfactory. There was little evidence seen during the inspection of pupils using information and communication technology. Overall, its use in this subject is underdeveloped.

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GEOGRAPHY

124 Attainment at the end of Year 2 is above that expected nationally and at the end of Year 6 is in line with national expectations. This maintains the standards of the last inspection at the end of Year 2 but is not as high as at the time of the previous inspection at the end of Year 6. Pupils in the Years 3 to 6, including those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily. The attainment at the end of Year 2 is due to the excellent teaching of the newly appointed teacher. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, achieve well. There are no pupils with special educational needs in this class. The quality of the work of pupils in the Year 6 class is similar to that found in most other schools.

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GEOGRAPHY

125 In an excellent lesson Years 1 and 2 pupils showed a very good understanding of their local area and they made accurate comparisons between their home town and a contrasting area such as the city of Carlisle. The pupils have a good knowledge of how High Hesket C of E Primary School - 43 to compare maps of a location drawn many years apart and they discuss what has changed. They asked relevant questions of a visitor who had a good knowledge of the development of their village. In this lesson, pupils gained much from the opportunities to think about what they saw in their village and what may have changed over the years. The lesson had very good links to history and literacy and provided a good opportunity for pupils to write purposeful questions.

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GEOGRAPHY

126 At the end of Year 6 at the age of 11, the depth of pupils’ knowledge about other countries and geographical features is satisfactory. Most, though not all, pupils show a satisfactory understanding of the amenities in their home village and those of nearby towns and cities. They discuss environmental issues, such as whether High Hesket should have a by-pass road, with a growing awareness of the rights and needs of different groups of people. The scrutiny of their work shows that Years 3 to 6 pupils have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of other aspects of geography, such as the effect of world climate and the physical features of landscape such as rivers and mountains. Younger pupils in Years 3 and 4 know that other countries such as Tanzania export goods to the United Kingdom and most of them are able to give reasons why our country needs to import these goods. From their experience of

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GEOGRAPHY

playing the ‘Global Market Game’ they learn the importance of world trade to the economies of countries other than their own. The very good links with Tanzania that have been set up by the subject leader have a positive impact on the geography curriculum, enriching it for pupils of all ages and developing their cultural awareness.

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GEOGRAPHY

127 The pupils have good attitudes to work. Most listen attentively to explanations and they show interest when they join in with class discussions and debates. Those who have confidence in their knowledge are happy to share it with others in response to the teacher’s questions, but quite a number of the pupils need prompting by the teacher before they will volunteer an answer. In one lesson, questions needed to be expressed in a number of ways before some pupils could articulate a satisfactory answer. The teacher is skilled in varying the way in which questions are asked to give all pupils, including those with special educational needs, the opportunity to respond accurately.

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GEOGRAPHY

128 Teaching is satisfactory in Years 3 to 6 and is excellent in Years 1 and 2. Teachers have a clear knowledge of the content of the curriculum, which has been co-ordinated well by the subject leader. The curriculum plan effectively matches lessons and work to the pupils’ prior attainment. Resources are used well to provide interesting stimuli to the lessons and to help pupils to focus on the activity. This promotes satisfactory learning, such as when pupils respond well to a stimulating activity with a clear purpose, supported with interesting resources. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 looked with interest at old maps of High Hesket to find clues about what has changed, before writing questions to ask their knowledgeable visitor. Similarly, pupils in Years 5 and 6 made effective use of their notes and drawings from a residential visit to compare the north east coastline of England with their home area. In this lesson, the

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GEOGRAPHY

pupils showed that they had learned a good range of vocabulary specific to the subject, such as the words ‘rural’, ‘coastal’, ‘inland’ and ‘commute’. In the excellent lesson observed in the Year 1 and 2 class the teacher gave the pupils purposeful activities that made the learning relevant. In all lessons observed all pupils were fully included, including those with special educational needs.

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GEOGRAPHY

129 The school has a clear policy document, which effectively promotes the importance of the subject. The teachers’ planning is based on a scheme of work that is familiar to most other schools. Overall, the quality of planning is good and shows that the teachers have a satisfactory knowledge of the subject and that they recognise the need to provide a good level of challenge to promote better learning. Although there is a High Hesket C of E Primary School - 44 satisfactory range of resources for use in the classroom, the quantity and range of books in the library is limited. Information and communication technology is used to support learning in geography for activities such as measuring the weather or studying ordnance survey maps. At present there is no co-ordinator for geography to ensure that the subject moves forward and that standards improve.

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HISTORY

130 Standards of attainment in history are satisfactory at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. This attainment is similar to that found at the time of the previous inspection. Although no lessons were seen during the inspection, evidence from the pupils’ work and from discussions with them shows that all pupils including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and have a sound knowledge of people and events from the past. The evidence also shows that pupils learn the key skills of using a range of sources to find out information. For example, Year 5 and 6 pupils interrogate Internet web sites to find out significant dates in the development of castles.

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HISTORY

131 In all classes there are effective links to other areas of the curriculum, particularly literacy and geography. An excellent Year 1 and 2 geography lesson was used to encourage pupils to write good, relevant questions about their village. This lesson also helped pupils to understand the history of how their village had changed over time. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 experience a valuable residential visit to the north east of England. From this visit they learn the geography and history of a contrasting locality and refer to their experience back in the classroom when investigating the contrasts between the history of their local area and the one they have visited

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HISTORY

132 Because no lessons were observed during the inspection it is not possible to make a judgement on the teaching and learning or on pupils’ attitudes to the subject.

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HISTORY

133 The subject leader has undertaken much good work to ensure that geography and history are co-ordinated effectively. There is clear organisation of the curriculum, enabling teachers to plan lessons for classes with more than one age group. Ideas such as setting up a Toy Museum to promote the topic on Victorians enrich the subject. The curriculum is further enriched by visits, such as the one to a museum in Carlisle. Visitors also make a good contribution to learning. One took the role of a Roman legionnaire and answered pupils’ questions about life as soldier in Roman Britain.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

134 It was only possible to see one lesson of ICT during the week of the inspection. This was taught by a learning support assistant. Judgements have been made mainly on the basis of observations of pupils working with the learning support assistant, on discussions with pupils and staff, the examination of teachers’ plans and examples of pupils’ work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

135 Standards of attainment for pupils at the end of both Year 2 and 6 are broadly in line with national expectations. This maintains standards at the time of the last inspection. Pupils’ skills are developed effectively as they move through the school. Pupils achieve satisfactorily. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 successfully use a paint program to produce pictures. They collect data about their eye colours and produce block graphs of the information. This is developed in Year 4 when pupils save data and then organise it into their own choice of appropriate graph for interpretation. Pupils in Year 3 open programs independently and work on their own piece of writing changing the size and style of the font as they wish. They are able to inset capital letters appropriately and High Hesket C of E Primary School - 45 correct errors. With support they save their work and close the program. By the time

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

they are in Year 6 pupils use word processing to practise their literacy skills when they punctuate a passage of text. Pupils in Year 5 use a spreadsheet to carry out calculations. More able pupils are able to change data. Teachers’ planning indicates that pupils have opportunities to use graphics modelling programs to create, combine and manipulate objects and explore possibilities. The use of the Internet is developing and all pupils in the oldest class have e-pals in a nearby school. Pupils at the end of Year 6 are able to successfully use search engines to access the Internet in order to find information about castles in Northumberland. Skills were well used to design a presentation program to inform the inspectors about their school. Overall, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

136 Because only one lesson and some short sessions, all taken by a learning support assistant, were observed it is not possible to make a judgement on the quality of teaching and learning. The learning support assistant has been trained in ICT and generally takes the responsibility for supervising and teaching the pupils in Years 3 to 6. She makes a significant contribution to the skills the pupils acquire and the progress they make. In the lesson observed she guided them well and gave constructive help to pupils needing support.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

137 Pupils observed using computers did so confidently and with interest. When necessary they support each other and in this way contribute to each other’s learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

138 There are a high number of computers in the school but these were not well used during the inspection. There were many occasions during the day when none of the computers were in use. In the Year 1 and 2 class this is partly because the computers are new and are not yet attached to printers. Although there are examples in most subjects of computers being used sometimes to support learning, this aspect of ICT is still insufficiently developed. A programmable toy is used to support learning in mathematics in Years 1 and 2 but generally ICT is not yet an everyday part of all lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

139 There is no co-ordinator to oversee the delivery of the subject and to ensure the consistent delivery and progression in the teaching of skills. The school uses the nationally approved scheme of work and this is supporting continuity. It also has a system of recording attainment based on the scheme of work. This is useful for identifying which pupils need more help. The system of allowing a few pupils at a time to learn with the support of the learning support assistant is effective in ensuring that pupils receive that help.

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MUSIC

140 Standards of attainment have improved since the last inspection and they are now well above national expectations at the end of Year 2 and above at the end of Year 6. Pupils throughout the school, including those with special educational needs, achieve well and the standard of music is a strength in the school.

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MUSIC

141 Years 1 and 2 pupils show a keen interest in music. They learn well from the very good lessons provided by the subject leader. The lessons provide a good variety of activities to keep the pupils interested and all pupils take part with enthusiasm. Pupils are High Hesket C of E Primary School - 46 introduced to a variety of different styles of music and music from different cultures. From these very good lessons, pupils learn the names of a wide range of instruments and how to play them in different ways to create a variety of sounds. When challenged to repeat a pattern of sound they have heard the teacher play, they do so accurately. The Year 1 and Year 2 pupils play well together, using percussion instruments in a sequence that follows a simple musical score. They sing the chorus of a song with a complex tune well, joining in at the appropriate time on cue to the music, showing that they are listening to the musical cues well.

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MUSIC

142 In the older classes, pupils use percussion instruments well. They learn to keep tempo well with each other, even when playing subtly different rhythms on sets of drums. The drum group play very well together, listening and responding to each other to maintain an even pace and using an intricate set of rhythms to create an exciting and vibrant sound. In a good lesson for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils, a group composition was performed well following a score that had been devised by the pupils themselves. A background percussion rhythm keeps time while a melody, played on guitars and flutes, is added to create a complex tune. Pupils who have learned to play tuned instruments, such as the guitar, flute and clarinet, play very competently, showing confidence in their playing skills and a keen awareness of their audience. Pupils who play instruments at the beginning and end of school assemblies use very good playing

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MUSIC

skills to create a calm mood, such as when a pupil plays a classical guitar piece.

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MUSIC

143 Pupils in the oldest class respond to a variety of musical genre well. They listen responsively to jazz, for example, and show in their responses that they have thought carefully about the mood of the music, though the descriptive vocabulary used does not always show a good knowledge of musical terms.

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MUSIC

144 The subject leader has worked effectively to improve the curriculum and standards in the subject. By teaching each of the classes throughout the school in turn, he has raised expectations and the level of challenge in the subject. Teaching is good. In the lessons observed all pupils were fully included. Instrumental tuition is well provided for, through a good standard of teaching by visiting specialist teachers. The pupils who learn to play instruments from this tuition achieve a very good standard of accomplishment. The curriculum is enriched by very good opportunities for pupils to listen to and appreciate good music. An excellent example of this was seen in a whole school assembly, when an ensemble of specialist instrumental teachers played for the whole school. The quality of teaching about their instruments and the standard of performance were excellent, as was the response of the pupils, who learned much and

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MUSIC

showed great enjoyment in the presentation.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145 Due to the timetable arrangements for physical education it was only possible to see lessons in games during the period of inspection. It is not possible, therefore, to make judgements about attainment in gymnastics, dance or swimming or to comment on the quality of teaching in these areas. Scrutiny of the documentation and an interview with the co-ordinator of physical education shows that during each year there is very appropriate coverage of all the different elements of physical education. In the small sample of lessons seen, standards of attainment are in line with national expectations at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils throughout the school, including those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily. High Hesket C of E Primary School - 47 146 In Years 1 and 2, pupils achieved appropriate standards in a satisfactory lesson practising the skills required to play rounders. They throw, strike and field a ball with

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

developing levels of skill and begin to learn the rules of the game.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147 A lesson in the junior classes provides satisfactory opportunities for pupils to further develop the skills needed for striking games, using a rounders bat with increasing competence and learning how to pitch a fair bowl.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148 Teaching is satisfactory. In a good lesson the teacher had a wide range of resources and provided challenging activities. In other lesson teachers had insecure subject knowledge and missed opportunities to develop pupils’ skills. Pupils have good attitudes to lessons. They follow instructions well and, knowing that there are certain risks involved in physical activity, they learn to appreciate the need for playing games safely. In the lessons observed all pupils were fully included.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149 The subject leader has reviewed the curriculum well. This review provides a well organised scheme from which all teachers can plan for effective lessons, following a sequence for teaching skills in gymnastics, dance, games and swimming. A visit to an outdoor education centre provides older pupils with opportunities to learn the skills of adventurous activities, such as orienteering.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150 Pupils benefit from good opportunities for sport and games outside of the National Curriculum. The subject leader organises a club for athletics awards and a successful dance group. The pupils in this group perform routines in assemblies and at a presentation of musical and creative arts at a local museum. A gymnastics club run by a parent volunteer has been successful in local events and competitions. The school has also been successful in football and netball tournaments with other local schools. These and other opportunities provide very good enrichment of the curriculum for physical education and pupils benefit from these opportunities.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

151 Standards in religious education are above those normally expected at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. The subject also makes a significant contribution to the development of the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This is an improvement since the time of the last inspection when standards were judged to be in line with national expectations and those of the locally agreed syllabus. All pupils, including those with special educational needs achieve well.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

152 Pupils in the Year 1 and 2 class learn stories about Jesus such as his baptism. They learn about the apostles and the story of Easter. They also begin to learn about the major faiths of common in the United Kingdom, by looking at aspects of Buddhism. Very good teaching makes this meaningful to young pupils by linking what they are learning to their own lives; for example, through talking about what belonging to a community means. The two attainment targets of the locally agreed syllabus are well integrated and pupils learning about Buddhism also learn from it. For example, in the lesson observed in Years 1 and 2, pupils were asked to think abut the things that make them happy. The opportunity was taken to remind pupils about some of the things they take for granted, such as the water in the tap.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

153 In Year 3 and 4 class pupils learn abut Judaism and the impact that religion has on the daily lives of Jews. In the classroom the beautifully set table demonstrates the importance of the Shabbat meal. In this class pupils think about what they like about High Hesket C of E Primary School - 48 themselves and what they would change. They also learn about people who have made an impact on religion such as William Booth and the creation of the Salvation Army. Learning is enriched by visits to Carlisle cathedral and to the Salvation Army hall.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

154 In Years 5 and 6 pupils continue to explore aspects of Judaism and Buddhism and think about the laws they should live by. Their studies are far from superficial and contain very detailed information and thoughtful responses. Once again the studies of different faiths are interspersed with topics that address issues related to life. Pupils reflect on whether their understanding of heaven and hell affects their behaviour. When thinking about life after death they think about what they would like to be remembered for.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155 Teaching of religious education is very good. Lessons are well planned and often challenging in the questions they pose. The teacher seen in the two lessons observed is skilful at promoting pupils’ thinking. Good use of open questions posed in an empathetic way encourages pupils to reflect and be comfortable doing this. Pupils respond thoughtfully and give serious consideration to the questions raised. A good range of different strategies are use to maintain pupils’ involvement. Activities are often practical so that pupils have time to become involved in their learning. For example, pupils in Year 3 and 4 class made their own spice jars, which are an important part of the Shabbat meal. Opportunities are taken in lessons to remind pupils of the spiritual dimension of learning about religion. For example, in the Year 1 and 2 class when pupils all joined in a moment of quiet meditation. All pupil are fully involved in religious

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156 The co-ordinator who was new to the school this year has had already had a significant impact on the provision within the school. The scheme of work, which was revised by her, is based on the locally agreed syllabus and has an excellent balance between raising the awareness of the major faiths in the world and highlighting pupils’ awareness of their own lives and what is important to them. Assessment of pupils’ progress is in place but is at too early a stage of development to judge its effectiveness. Lessons in religious education make a significant contribution to the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural awareness.

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