Cheadle Village Primary School

CHEADLE COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 th – 31 st January 2002

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CHEADLE COMMUNITY 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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CHEADLE COMMUNITY 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. Cheadle Community Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Ashfield Road Cheadle Postcode: SK8 1BB

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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 M Tomlinson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: September 1997 Cheadle Community Primary School - 2

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responsibilities

23868 Dr B Blundell Registered Inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology What sort of a school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 14430 Mr T Hall 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?

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responsibilities

14816 Mrs S Gordon Team Inspector Special educational needs English as an additional language English Geography History 22790 Mrs J Pinney Team Inspector The Foundation Stage Science Music Physical education 10228 Mrs S Russam Team Inspector Art Design and technology Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Cheadle Community Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Cheadle Community Primary and Nursery School is a school for boys and girls, aged three to 11, situated in Cheadle, Stockport. There are 291 pupils on roll, including 20 full time equivalent children in the Nursery. The ethnic background of the pupils is largely white with United Kingdom heritage, with a substantial number of pupils being Pakistani, Indian, Chinese, or black with African, Caribbean and other heritages. Twenty- eight pupils have English as an additional language; the major languages spoken by these pupils include Punjabi, Urdu and Cantonese. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average. Both the percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs and the proportion of pupils with statements of special needs is broadly average. The nature of pupils’ special needs includes specific learning difficulties and emotional, behavioural and speech

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

difficulties. Whilst pupil mobility is relatively low overall, it was higher than 30 per cent in the class of 11 year olds that sat their national tests in 2001. Pupils’ attainment on entry to Reception is broadly average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The overall effectiveness of the school is good. Standards for pupils currently aged 11 are above average in English, mathematics and science. The quality of teaching is generally good and leadership and management by the headteacher are very good overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is providing good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics and science for pupils aged 11 are above average. • The overall quality of teaching is good throughout the school, with a high proportion being very good. • Leadership and management by the headteacher are very good. • Pupils’ attitudes are very good, as are relationships throughout the school. • Parents’ views of the school are very positive indeed. • Provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage is good.

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What could be improved

• Assessment procedures, particularly in the foundation subjects, are insufficiently detailed to assist in the tracking of pupils’ progress. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in September, 1997. The overall quality of teaching has greatly improved; standards in the core subjects for pupils aged 11 have improved. The key issue to improve the quality of teaching, particularly in the lower junior phase, has been met. The issue to improve the monitoring of the provision for special educational needs has been met. The role of the deputy headteacher has been appropriately addressed. The role of the subject coordinators has been successfully developed. The school improvement plan has been improved effectively and the school now checks the cost- effectiveness of its spending. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection. Cheadle Community Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

In the national tests in 2001 for 11 year olds, pupils’ attainment in English was broadly average compared with the national average. Pupils’ performance in mathematics was below average and in science was well below average. Compared with schools of a similar type, pupils’ results were average in English and mathematics and below average in science. Over the three years from 1999 to 2001 taken together, pupils have left Cheadle Primary just ahead of pupils nationally in English, half a term ahead of pupils nationally in mathematics and half a term behind in science.

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Key

Standards in the 2001 tests for seven year olds were average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing. Compared to schools of a similar type, pupils’ attainment was average in reading and mathematics and well above average in writing. Over the three years from 1999 to 2001 taken together, pupils have left the infant phase just ahead of pupils nationally in reading, nearly a term ahead in writing and nearly half a term behind in mathematics. Results of the science teacher assessments for seven year olds have been average. The results at the end of the junior phase, up to 2001, rose at a rate that matched the trend in results nationally. The school’s targets are appropriately ambitious and significantly higher for 2002 than 2001.

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Key

In the work seen during the inspection, standards for pupils aged 11 were above average in English, mathematics and science. The reason for the improvement, compared to 2001, is that the 2001 cohort contained a large number of pupils who joined the school after the age of seven. Standards for pupils aged seven matched national averages in reading, writing, mathematics and science. For pupils aged seven and 11, in art and design, standards were above national expectations and they were also above national expectations in geography and history for pupils aged 11. They met national expectations in information and communication technology, physical education, music and design and technology. Standards for pupils aged seven in history and geography could not be gauged due to insufficient evidence. Standards in religious education for pupils aged seven and 11 meet the requirements of the local agreed syllabus. The majority of children aged five are on course to meet the majority of the Early

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Key

Learning Goals. (The Early Learning Goals are the nationally expected standards for children at the end of the Foundation Stage.)

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Key

Pupils’ achievement is good overall. Standards at this school are now sufficiently high. Cheadle Community Primary School - 6

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to the school are very good. They are very enthusiastic. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour, both in and out of the classrooms, is good.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Both the personal development of pupils and relationships within the school are very good. Attendance Pupils’ attendance is now broadly average; unauthorised absence is above average.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The overall quality of teaching is good, with a high proportion of it being very good. Examples of very good teaching were seen in all three sections of the school. The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is good throughout the school. A particular strength in teaching is the very helpful manner in which teachers share the aims of the lessons with pupils, using simple but appropriate language, so that pupils understand the purpose of the lesson. At the end of lessons, teachers discuss with pupils how far the aims have been met and revise their plans for the next lesson accordingly. The skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught. The school meets the needs of its pupils well. Strengths in pupils’ learning include their interest and concentration, which are very good.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of the curriculum are satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Provision for pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ personal development is good. Provision for their spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory and for their moral and social development, it is good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares very well for its pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The school works very well in partnership with parents. The effectiveness of the literacy and numeracy strategies is good. Provision for personal, social and health education is good. All areas of the curriculum meet statutory requirements. Child protection procedures are very good. Assessment procedures are satisfactory overall. Cheadle Community Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Leadership and management by the headteacher are very good. The new senior management team, only in place since January 2002, has made a good start and is leading and managing the school well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors’ fulfilment of their responsibilities is good.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school’s evaluation of its performance is good.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school’s strategic use of resources is good.

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Aspect Comment

The adequacy of staffing levels is good; the accommodation is satisfactory overall and is very well maintained by the school’s dedicated caretaker. The level of learning resources is satisfactory. The school’s secretary is most efficient and helps ensure the smooth running of the school. A particular strength in leadership and management is the headteacher’s total commitment to the school and its pupils. The school applies the principles of best value well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The school has high expectations. • They are comfortable approaching the school with questions or concerns. • The school is well led and managed. • Some parents would like more information about their child’s progress. • Some parents would like the school to work more closely with them. • Some parents would like to see a greater range of extra-curricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views but finds that those areas that a small minority of parents would like to see improved are satisfactory overall. Cheadle Community Primary School - 8

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. When considering the statistics in this section of the report, it needs to be borne in mind that pupil mobility has been relatively high for some year groups. For example, the group of 11 year-old pupils who sat their national tests in 2001 included approximately one third of pupils who arrived during the junior phase.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Children enter Cheadle Primary in the Nursery. They then proceed to the Reception classes. Shortly after children enter the Foundation Stage in Reception, they are assessed to see what they know, understand and can do; social and physical skills are also noted. This is known as the baseline test. The intake in 2001 was judged to be broadly average. An analysis of previous intakes shows that the intake in 2001 scored similarly to previous years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. By the age of five, near to the end of their time in Reception, children are again assessed against national standards known as the Early Learning Goals. The majority of the children currently in Reception are on course to attain the majority of these goals.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. At the age of seven, close to the end of their time in Year 2, pupils take the end of infant phase national tests in reading, writing and mathematics. The pupils who sat these tests in 2001 obtained results that were in line with national averages in reading and mathematics and above average in writing. Their attainment when compared to schools of a similar type was average in reading, well above average in writing and average in mathematics. Results in the science teacher assessments were broadly average. Those who took the tests in 2000 attained standards that were above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Taking the results over the last three years from 1999 to 2001, averaged together, pupils’ performance has been only very marginally above the national average in reading, nearly a term ahead in writing and nearly half a term behind in mathematics. In reading and writing, girls have slightly outperformed boys, but in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Inspectors find that pupils currently in Year 2, who will take their national tests in May 2002, are reaching average standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Standards in information and communication technology, music and physical education meet national expectations. Standards in art and design are above national expectations. In religious education, standards meet the requirements of the local agreed syllabus. There was too little evidence to judge standards in history and geography.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the age of 11, near to the end of Year 6, pupils take the end of junior phase national tests in English, science and mathematics. Pupils’ performance in the 2001 tests in terms of national curriculum points scores was average in English, compared with schools nationally, below average in mathematics and well below the national average in science. Pupils’ performance was average in English and mathematics and below average in science, when compared with that of pupils in schools of a similar type. Taking the three years from 1999 to 2001 together, pupils have left the junior phase just ahead of pupils nationally in English, half a term ahead in mathematics and just under half a term behind in science. This does not necessarily mean that pupils’ performance has gone backwards during the junior phase. To see if this is the case, we need to look at how the same group of pupils has performed in each stage, by separating out those pupils who have

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

stayed at the school from the age of seven and those who joined the school at an older age. If we consider those pupils who took their national tests at Cheadle Primary as seven year olds in 1997 and then went on to sit their tests as 11 year olds in 2001, or those who sat their tests as seven year olds in 1996 and then sat the national tests as 11 year olds in 2000, the results show that pupils have made at least satisfactory and generally good progress overall. Cheadle Community Primary School - 9 7. Inspectors find that pupils currently in Year 6 are working at above average standards in English, mathematics and science. The quality and quantity of work in their books show that they have made good progress over the last 12 months in all three subjects. Standards in information and communication technology, physical education, music and design and technology meet national expectations. Standards in art and design, history and geography are above national expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

In religious education, standards meet the requirements of the local agreed syllabus.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Since the last inspection, standards for pupils aged 11 have risen in English, mathematics science, music, art and design and geography. In other areas, standards have been broadly maintained.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The majority of pupils with special educational needs achieve well, with generally appropriate activities presented to them in the classroom and support from teachers and classroom assistants. The school has effective procedures in place to identify, at an early stage, pupils who may have learning difficulties. The school has good relationships with outside services, which support their work and offer guidance as well as professional support. Individual learning plans for pupils are thorough and helpful in enabling class teachers to organise and provide work that helps all pupils to make progress; however, some plans require updating and reviewing. Pupils with physical difficulties are cared for well by all staff and, although their learning needs are not always fully met, staff work hard to provide facilities that enable such pupils to play a full part in school life. The majority of pupils who have English as an additional language have good linguistic skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Their competence in English is assessed on entry to the school and teachers then organise appropriate activities, if required, to enable pupils to gain maximum benefit from their learning. Throughout the school, these pupils make good progress and achieve the standards they should by the time they are 11. These pupils would benefit from ongoing monitoring of attainment, in order to measure progress on a regular basis. Should any pupils with English as an additional language also have learning difficulties, they have access to the same support as all other pupils with special educational needs.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils are generally achieving well, considering their prior attainments.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils' attitudes to school are very good. The school is an orderly place where pupils are eager to learn. Parents also hold this view; they feel their children enjoy school and believe they make good progress. Teachers promote a friendly but industrious atmosphere in class. Consequently, the pupils are purposeful about their work and tackle their lessons with enthusiasm. They show great interest in the wide range of activities provided by the school. Pupils are very willing to talk about what they are doing and explain how they arrive at their answers. They collaborate well in pairs and in groups when encouraged to do so. They can work well independently, particularly the older pupils. Pupils settle down quickly after breaks, ready to start their next lesson. In all classes, they maintain concentration very well to the end of the day. They are very good listeners, allowing space for one another's comments. They enjoy the short dialogues in lessons, making

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

constructive contributions. For example, in a literacy lesson, Year 5 pupils made imaginative suggestions for metaphors to describe a storm.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour is good in class and about the school, a finding strongly endorsed by parents in their questionnaire. All pupils share in the making of class rules. They know well what is expected of them. A few pupils, however, have personal and social behavioural problems and can often become restless. This does not unduly disturb progress for others, due to the self-discipline of the majority of pupils and good teacher management. Pupils appreciate the systems of rewards. They feel that sanctions, on the few occasions they are required, are fair. There are a few instances of spontaneous aggression, which are dealt with swiftly and effectively. The parents of these pupils are closely involved. Any tendencies towards bad behaviour or bullying are viewed very seriously and dealt with promptly. Pupils, once spoken to, realise how very disappointed their teachers are at these times. Cheadle Community Primary School - 10

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The pupils' personal development is very good. A very wide range of opportunities is provided. For example, all pupils enjoy sharing in the daily routines, preparing for class or sharing in assemblies. Pupils are tidy, respectful of property and even the youngest know where things belong. They are orderly when moving around the school. Older pupils are used to setting their own targets, which may include both curricular and personal responsibility. Pupils think the school council is worthwhile. Wide-ranging issues are discussed, such as the good use of resources for play and mirrors in pupils’ toilet areas. Topics are considered fairly and prompt action is taken as appropriate. Pupils enjoy celebrating one another’s successes, such as, good work, endeavour and behaviour, exemplified at the end of lessons or at the assemblies. Older pupils enjoy looking after younger ones. There is a happy atmosphere over lunch, with lively conversation. Pupils co-

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

operate readily with lunchtime supervisors, who stimulate play with the younger pupils very well. Play is good-natured, with a broad mix of small and large groups absorbed in energetic activities. The range of resources provided for breaktimes is very well used. Classes take responsibility for their distribution in turn.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Relationships are very good throughout the school. Pupils are courteous to adults and to one another. For example, they willingly open doors, smile and converse readily on meeting. They share their thoughts confidently with staff. A good rapport is evident between pupils and between pupils and adults in school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attendance is satisfactory in the present year, after falling well below the national average in the past reporting year. This was due to unprecedented high levels of sickness. The great majority of pupils, however, are early. They are keen to enter school and begin lessons. Registration is prompt and effective. Punctuality has improved since the last inspection and lateness is minimal.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The overall quality of teaching is good; the school is fortunate to have a most dedicated team of teachers, who take great pride in the stimulating learning environments that they create in their classrooms. The supply teacher who provided cover at very short notice performed very well indeed. The quality of display is very good. Overall, teaching in the lessons seen was good in the Foundation Stage, good in the infant phase and good in the junior phase. In all lessons observed, teaching was at least satisfactory. Overall, it was satisfactory in 23 per cent of lessons, good in 41 per cent, very good in 32 per cent and excellent in four per cent. Excellent lessons were seen in Year 2 and there were examples of very good lessons for all age groups.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Whilst overall standards of teaching were at least satisfactory, examples of very good lessons were seen in each of the three sections of the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The biggest strength in teaching is the most helpful manner in which teachers share the learning objectives for lessons with their pupils and then revisit these objectives at the end of lessons to see how far they have been achieved.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Pupils are aware of what is expected from them in terms of behaviour and generally respond appropriately. In an excellent numeracy lesson for pupils in the infant phase, in which the teacher showed excellent class management, the pupils’ response was good and they showed clear enjoyment of the subject; these pupils made excellent progress in their knowledge and understanding of using addition in real-life situations. However, in a religious education lesson in the infant phase, pupils’ behaviour was unsatisfactory overall, despite the best efforts of the teacher. This was an isolated example of unsatisfactory behaviour. In a very good Year 6 geography lesson, the pupils responded very well to the very good class management and made very good progress in their work on the environment. Classroom support assistants through the school make a most valuable contribution to pupils’ learning and generally plan well with the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The pace of lessons is good through the school overall; in those parts of numeracy and literacy lessons in which pupils were working independently, teachers generally set tight time targets for their pupils and this greatly helped pupils’ progress, as in a very good Year 2 numeracy lesson. Cheadle Community Primary School - 11 21. Throughout the school, literacy and numeracy are well taught. Lessons start with effective question and answer sessions, to revise previous work and set pupils thinking. In numeracy lessons, a strength in teaching that is making a positive impact on improving standards is the target setting. Pupils all know what their targets are for each lesson, and this focuses their attention well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding are generally good in all subject areas. In both the infant and junior phases, day-to-day marking of pupils’ work is good. Pupils’ work is well marked, with appropriate comments to praise pupils’ efforts, together with some comments to stretch pupils further.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Lessons nearly always have clear learning objectives; these are shared well with pupils so that they understand the purpose of the lesson fully. This is a real strength of teaching at Cheadle Primary. Teachers are adept at revisiting these objectives at the end of lessons, to see how far they have been achieved. Many lessons end with a worthwhile oral question and answer session, as in the majority of literacy and numeracy lessons. The use of homework is satisfactory overall.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. On most occasions, teachers prepare work for pupils with special educational needs and for those who have English as an additional language well. They use a good variety of activities and range of resources to support their work. The majority of support staff are deployed effectively, work very hard and are briefed well to support these pupils. On a minority of occasions, however, support assistants are not effective because they do not fully understand the tasks required of them. Teachers employ appropriate strategies with pupils who have behavioural problems. This enables these pupils to benefit from classroom provision without disrupting the work of other pupils. In some instances, the learning plans for such pupils require expanding, to include fuller details of the behaviour concerned and the strategies adopted. The parents have been invited into the school, to see how reading skills are taught and presented to their children and this initiative has

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

been very successful. The school provides support assistants to give specific help to pupils with English as an additional language.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Standards of teaching have improved considerably since the last inspection. At that time, nearly two in ten lessons were judged to be unsatisfactory and there was very little high-quality teaching. Teaching in the lower junior phase, which was a key issue at the last inspection, has improved appropriately.

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PUPILS?

26. For children in the Nursery and Reception class, learning opportunities are satisfactory. They are based upon the recommended areas of learning for children of this age. The curriculum is planned to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding systematically, in all aspects of their learning. As a result, they achieve well and make good progress in their lessons. Learning opportunities are particularly effective in promoting early literacy and numeracy skills, both of which are frequently insecure when the children start school. Teachers have systems in place to assess how well each child is learning and they use this information to plan the next activity so that each child makes progress and is well prepared for starting the National Curriculum.

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PUPILS?

27. The quality and range of learning opportunities for pupils in Years 1 to 6 are satisfactory. They are sufficiently broad, balanced and relevant to ensure pupils make progress in all subjects. The school places appropriate emphasis on all of the core subjects, information and communication technology and religious education. An appropriate amount of time each day is dedicated to teaching literacy and numeracy. Good strategies to ensure these basic skills are promoted through all the other subjects of the curriculum are implemented well and are now beginning to have an impact upon raising standards. There are satisfactory policy documents and schemes of work to guide teachers’ planning and this represents an improvement since the last inspection. The quality of half-termly planning is satisfactory and ensures pupils in parallel classes are Cheadle Community Primary School - 12 provided with the same learning opportunities. There are subject co-ordinators for all subjects of

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PUPILS?

the National Curriculum and religious education, some of whom are beginning to evaluate the curriculum in relation to its contribution to standards pupils attain. All subjects are taught regularly and for adequate time.

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PUPILS?

28. The school makes good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. Opportunities for sex and drugs education are included sensitively in the curriculum and sessions conducted in such a way as to acknowledge and respect the views and opinions of everyone, whilst clearly placing an emphasis on developing pupils’ awareness of the associated dangers. Contributions from the police and school nurse are highly valued and pupils learn a great deal from these professionals about how to keep themselves safe. 29. The school meets statutory curriculum requirements, including provision for religious education. Opportunities for collective worship are provided daily in whole-school assembly, suitably planned to encourage pupils to think about their own values and beliefs and those of others. Assemblies are usually of a Christian character, with fewer opportunities being provided for pupils to explore

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PUPILS?

the customs and traditions of other world faiths. Pupils respond appropriately during times of prayer and reflection and they have an understanding of the significance of prayer by demonstrating reverence and respect. The school makes appropriate provision for a minority of pupils who do not attend collective worship or religious education lessons and parents are advised of their right to withdraw their child should they so desire.

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PUPILS?

30. The contribution of extra-curricular activities to enrich pupils’ learning opportunities is satisfactory. Pupils’ wider personal development is well promoted through opportunities to benefit from local and residential field trips, which use a range of environments as a rich source of knowledge and information beyond pupils’ day-to-day experiences. Pupils in Year 3, for example, could recall much about their visit to the Museum of Film and Photography, whilst pupils in Year 6 talked at length about how their Crowden River study helped them not only gain greater knowledge and understanding of geography, but also developed their observational skills in art.

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PUPILS?

31. Within school, regular lunchtime and after-school clubs provide pupils with opportunities to participate in a range of sporting and musical activities. These include the choir, football, netball and basketball, together with instrumental tuition for pupils interested in learning to play the clarinet, flute, cello and violin.

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PUPILS?

32. The contribution the community makes to pupils’ learning is satisfactory. The school takes great pride in celebrating its pupils’ work in the public arena, where it can be appreciated by a wider audience. Links with local authority services have enabled pupils to exhibit their art at the civic art gallery and contribute to the theme for the millennium through a production of ‘The Prodigal Son’. Local visitors to the school help raise pupils’ awareness of their wider responsibility to the community in which they live. For example, during the inspection, pupils were keen to find out about the work of the honorary secretary of Cheadle Civic Society. Sports coaches from local football clubs visit school regularly to lead training sessions, which help pupils to refine their competitive games skills.

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PUPILS?

33. The school has constructive relationships with colleges and other schools. The school offers placements to trainee teachers and work experience students. Links with local organisations are particularly effective. Past pupils who attend the local secondary school frequently return, to gain experience of working with younger children. On occasions, the school provides placements for speech and language therapy trainees. There are positive relationships with other primary and secondary schools, which result in the smooth transfer of records when pupils move between schools.

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PUPILS?

34. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and this represents an improvement since 1997, when the provision the school made was judged to be satisfactory.

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PUPILS?

35. Pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. Stories are chosen to illustrate themes in lessons, assembly and collective worship. Pupils were able to talk about how they are cared for and how Cheadle Community Primary School - 13 they also care for people who are an important part of their lives. Visitors to the school contribute significantly to pupils’ wider understanding of caring within society. They collect money for good causes such as Comic Relief, UNICEF and several local hospices. During periods of formal prayer, most pupils are able to demonstrate an appropriate degree of reverence and respect. They sit quietly to reflect on what they have learned. Opportunities for quiet thought are effectively organised by teachers within their class, as well as at assembly time. Pupils are capable of responding with maturity and demonstrate respect for the faith and beliefs of others, as when discussing the ways in which Jewish people celebrate Shabbat.

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PUPILS?

36. The school cultivates pupils’ personal development effectively, through the opportunities it provides for raising awareness of social and moral issues. There are effective policies for eliminating bullying and unsatisfactory behaviour, which are implemented consistently by most adults working in the school. Adults who work within the school provide good role models for pupils and are also consistent in their approach to reinforcing the difference between right and wrong. Discussions in class are particularly effective in prompting pupils to reflect upon how their actions may affect others and to realise that they have choices about how to behave. For example, during a religious education lesson, pupils in Year 6 talked with maturity about how, within different world faiths, there is a need to be honest and fair, to tell the truth and for justice to be even-handed. During the inspection, first hand experience confirmed the value of these initiatives in developing older pupils’

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PUPILS?

social competence and their skills in initiating and sustaining interesting dialogue with adults. Through their participation in school sports events and competitive games, pupils learn the value of developing a team identity and the need for interdependence within the team in order to be successful. Valuable opportunities are also provided during residential field trips for pupils to learn the importance of living as part of a community and the need to be aware of the feelings of others. Pupils’ social and moral development is good.

p.15

PUPILS?

37. Pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. The school enhances pupils’ awareness of their own culture through several areas of the curriculum, together with regular visits and field trips. During their history lessons, pupils learn about the impact of inventions and discoveries made by their ancestors and how Britain as a nation has influenced the lives of people from other countries. Through art and music, pupils find out about the work of reputed artists and musicians. Insufficient opportunities are provided for pupils to develop a clear understanding of living in a multicultural society. Too little regular use is made of visitors who could share their diverse traditions with the pupils. Pupils have a better knowledge and understanding of their own culture, because the school is effective in reinforcing its cultural values through posters, displays and the exhibition of pupils’ work. This, in its turn, recognises and helps to nurture pupils’ particular gifts and talents.

p.15

PUPILS?

38. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory and these pupils have access to a full curriculum. The school provides good facilities for extra literacy and numeracy support in small groups, where pupils work on material similar to that of their peers but at an appropriate pace. Older pupils, however, when receiving extra support in literacy and numeracy, sometimes miss lessons in different subjects, so they are not having the same access to the curriculum as their peers. The school has a reading club after school.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare overall are very good. Pupils are welcomed in a secure, clean and warm environment. Staff, including recent appointees, know the pupils very well. Pastoral care is very evident and a strength of the school. The school has good access to educational, medical and social agencies when required. Procedures for caring for those who are unwell are very good. All adults in school are aware of the strict criteria to be observed in child protection.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory. The school promotes regular attendance and punctuality, as good habits to be fostered for the future, during registration, through assemblies, by regular letters to parents and by annotation on pupils’ annual reports. Nevertheless, days off and holidays during term time are still too common and the need to reduce the levels of authorised and unauthorised absence is acknowledged. However, current statistics Cheadle Community Primary School - 14 are not provided for governors’ meetings for consideration and comment. Consequently, governors are not aware of any drop in levels below the national average until they are historic for a past recording year. The criteria governing absence are not fully explained in the school prospectus, or in the governors' annual report. The Education Welfare Officer works hard with a significant number

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Procedures for monitoring and promoting self-discipline are good. There is a comprehensive staff handbook and behaviour policy, which staff implement conscientiously in all classes. Procedures for eliminating oppressive behaviour are good. Tendencies towards bad behaviour and occasional name-calling are dealt with swiftly and effectively. Rare instances of bullying are dealt with firmly, involving all concerned.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good. All staff have high expectations of the pupils and support them well according to their individual needs. Parents are pleased that the school helps their children to mature. They are confident that teachers expect their children to work hard and do their best. The headteacher and teachers are about the playground at the beginning and end of the day. They are willing to discuss immediate problems or to make appointments for more formal matters. Parents appreciate this and feel they are listened to. Lunchtime supervisors stimulate good interactive play, particularly with the younger pupils. A wide range of opportunities for pupils to take initiative and responsibility is created daily. These are integrated into personal, social and educational schemes to enhance the pupils’ maturity as they move up the school. Good work and effort are justly praised at the end of lessons

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

and in assemblies, especially when significant personal achievements in learning are made. Assemblies are very well used to promote responsible attitudes to work, behaviour, relationships and decision-making.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school’s pastoral care for pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language is very good. Teachers and support assistants provide consistent support, which contributes to pupils’ self-esteem and confidence and encourages progress. The majority of work is planned to match the needs of the pupils. Many pupils also receive support from the local authority services. Pupils with physical disabilities are given very good care and attention in and around the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The assessment of pupils’ work and its use to plan future work is satisfactory overall. The school assesses pupils’ work in English, mathematics and science, placing pupils in hierarchical groups. The school tracks pupils’ progress by monitoring their movement between these groups. However, the school does little to assess pupils’ attainment in terms of National Curriculum levels in these subjects. The school does not use the optional national tests in Years 3, 4 and 5. Assessment in the foundation subjects is an area needing improvement.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Parents view the school very highly. They have confidence in the headteacher and the school’s aims. There is an interesting monthly newsletter, supplemented by regular letters covering all the activities of the school year. The school prospectus has a good statement of aims and values. The governors’ annual report is comprehensive, detailed and informative, covering the previous year’s activities. Some minor matters of terminology are receiving attention.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. A few parents indicated that information about their children’s progress was insufficient. The inspection team, however, agree with the great majority of parents who find there is very high quality provision. There are ample opportunities to talk to staff. Annual reports are individual to the pupils, detailed and have some evaluation. These are extremely well supplemented by half yearly reports to promote target setting. Termly consultation sessions are very well attended and the discussions viewed as very helpful and positive by parents.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school consistently encourages parental contribution to their children’s learning and the impact of parents’ involvement with the work of the school is good. The home-school agreement is fully accepted by parents. A good number of parents assist in class. This regular contribution is Cheadle Community Primary School - 15 appreciated and planned for. Many more parents willingly help with trips and events. The school promotes parental encouragement and help for their children at home, especially for the younger pupils in Key Stage 1 and children in the Nursery. A small number of parents feel that the school does not work closely enough with them. The inspection team found this is not so. Curricular information is supplied each term. There have been well-attended meetings related to the curriculum. The school has an open door policy. Parents of pupils who are having difficulties are invited in to view their children’s work. Additional assistance is freely offered to these parents, so

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

that they may help their children to progress. The Parents Association is strong and very well organised, providing a wide range of events, with a good balance of fun and fund raising, such as family discos and school fairs. The substantial sums raised make a valuable contribution to additional resources. Parents and extended families greatly enjoy concerts and assemblies for the major festivals of the year. Cheadle Community Primary School - 16

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The leadership and management by the headteacher are very good, in both academic and pastoral spheres. The headteacher is hard working, committed and able and he knows how he wants the school to develop. His leadership ensures clear educational direction for the school. The headteacher has monitored teaching of literacy and numeracy in all classes, both formally and informally. He has provided all staff with both verbal and detailed written feedback. The school’s aims and values are easily seen in the daily routines of the school and the school’s aims are redrafted annually, following discussions with staff, governors and parents. The present senior management team comprises three senior managers; these are the coordinators for the Foundation Stage, the infant phase and the junior phase. This senior management team has only been in place since January 2002, but it fulfils its role competently and is leading the school well.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

This represents an appropriate change in management structure from the time of the last inspection, when it was a key issue. The subject coordinators manage their subjects appropriately, monitoring yearly, half-termly and short term planning and marking, All subject coordinators have delivered in-service training to their colleagues. Coordinators of the core subjects are appropriately involved in the monitoring of teaching in their subjects, giving both verbal and written feedback.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The governing body’s fulfilment of its statutory responsibilities is good. The governors want the best for the school and are determined that it should continue to succeed. They act as an appropriate ‘critical friend’ and are actively involved in discussions about pupils’ achievement and progress. Their role in helping to shape the educational direction of the school is good. Governors visit the school regularly and have monitored the implementation of some of the curriculum appropriately, particularly numeracy and literacy. The governing body has a good understanding of the main strengths and weaknesses of the school. Between them, the governors bring an appropriate range of expertise to the running of this school.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school’s targets are appropriate and sufficiently ambitious. Pupil mobility has had an adverse effect on recent results, but inspection evidence and provisional test results suggest that the targets for 2002 in English, mathematics and science will be met. The school has a good capacity to succeed.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Procedures for the induction of new staff are good. The recently appointed teachers have been appropriately mentored by the headteacher. Appropriate policies and plans for performance management have been in place since autumn 2000.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The newly appointed special educational needs co-ordinator is able and skilful and is moving the school forward in the provision offered to pupils with special educational needs. Newly revised procedures cover all the aspects required for efficient and effective management of the subject and the school is currently completing the incorporation of the new Code of Practice. The school has comprehensive documentation and records for each pupil and the co-ordinator is reorganising storage of information to increase its effectiveness. After pupils’ needs are identified, parents are informed and individual education programmes set out targets for each pupil, with recommendations on how these will be achieved and details of when they will be evaluated. Arrangements are made to ensure special provision does not compromise a pupil’s access to the whole curriculum.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is good. Teaching assistants are appropriately deployed to support those pupils who are identified in the school’s “target groups”. The accommodation is satisfactory overall and is very well maintained by a most diligent caretaker. However, the school lacks an ICT room. There is an attractive play area for the under-fives, which includes a small, grassed area. Classrooms have very attractive and worthwhile displays to reinforce pupils’ learning. Resources are generally satisfactory in quality and quantity.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The effectiveness of the school’s use of new technology is good. Finances are handled well and the school applies the principles of best value well. The school secretary is very efficient and helpful; a fulcrum of the school. She prepares financial statements for the governing body Cheadle Community Primary School - 17 appropriately. Specific grants are used responsibly. Appropriate cost-effective measures have been developed and this is an improvement since the last inspection. The school development plan is a most useful working document that clearly prioritises the school’s needs. This is also an improvement since the last inspection.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. At the time of the last inspection, the school was described as being well led and this continues to be the case.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to further improve the school, the headteacher, senior management team and governing body should:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve assessment procedures, particularly in the foundation subjects. (Paragraph 44) Cheadle Community Primary School - 18

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 20 271

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 34

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 5

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 9 58

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 28

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 19

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 19

p.20

Attendance

School data 6.9 School data 1.0 Cheadle Community Primary School - 19 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.20

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Cheadle Community Primary School - 20

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 16 21 37

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 13 15 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 20 21

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 86 (89) 95 (86) 100 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 14 16 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 20 20

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 89 (86) 97 (83) 95 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

p.22

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 21 20 41

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 14 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 14 17

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 75 (80) 73 (85) 80 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 14 16 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 16 18

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (80) 80 (88) 83 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.22

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Cheadle Community Primary School - 21

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

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.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.7 Financial year 2000-2001

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 554,949

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 515,586

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 209 Expenditure per pupil 1,587

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 2,852

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 42,215

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 29

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4.0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5.0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.2

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Cheadle Community Primary School - 22 FTE means full-time equivalent. Cheadle Community Primary School - 23

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 69 29 2 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 46 0 2 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 54 44 0 0 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 41 34 20 2 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 78 20 2 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 81 17 2 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 41 44 10 0 5

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 66 34 0 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 67 29 2 0 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 29 41 10 2 18 Cheadle Community Primary School - 24

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. The school has successfully maintained the high standards found in the last inspection. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes make good progress in their learning as a result of the good provision made. The majority of children in the Reception classes have received some form of pre- school education and most of them have attended the school nursery. Children are rapidly made to feel secure and happy and they settle well into school.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. Attainment on entry varies, but is mostly average. Assessments of the children who are currently in the Reception class shows attainment to have been slightly below average on entry to the Nursery. All children make good progress, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. By the time they are ready to start in Year 1, most have achieved the Early Learning Goals of the Foundation Stage. Children make very good progress in their personal and social development so that, by the end of the Foundation Stage, standards exceed expectations in this area of learning.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. The quality of teaching is mostly good and frequently very good. Teachers and support staff work closely together as a very effective team. They establish good relationships with the children, managing them very well. Children are provided with a rich range of experiences that fully encompass all the recommended areas of learning. However, when planning lessons and assessing children's progress, teachers do not always take sufficient account of the stepping stones that lead through to the Early Learning Goals. Consequently, activities are not consistently matched to individual needs.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

59. Children make very good progress in their personal development and quickly become used to class routines. They establish positive relationships with adults and with each other. In the Nursery, children tidy up after themselves and wash their hands before cooking and after painting. Reception children dress and undress themselves for physical education lessons and outdoor play. They participate confidently in school life, as when they join in with whole-school assemblies. Most children are able to make their own choice of activity and persevere until it is completed. They are willing to explore and to have a try at new activities.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

60. Staff provide very well for the children's personal development by giving useful opportunities to develop independence and social interaction. For example, during the daily snack time, children share their news with each other. They are encouraged to demonstrate good manners and all are extremely polite, waiting their turn and saying "please" and "thank you" to the teachers as the snacks are distributed. Effective measures have been established to support children on entry to the school and regular newsletters help to forge strong links between home and school, which are appreciated by parents.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

61. Children make good progress and achieve the expected levels in language and literacy. Speaking and listening skills develop well. Nursery children begin to initiate conversations and use a widening vocabulary to express themselves. This was evident during role play in the class shop, when one child was heard to ask another if he needed a purse, before telling him to wait while he fetched one. Reception children listen carefully, answering questions appropriately and expressing themselves clearly. In all classes, children enjoy listening to stories and readily share books with adults. In the Nursery, children are beginning to understand that words convey meaning. Most children in the Reception classes have made a good start on the school's reading scheme. They read a few familiar words and demonstrate understanding of the story by explaining it in simple terms. In writing, nursery children enjoy mark making, while reception children are beginning to

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

Cheadle Community Primary School - 25 form recognisable letters in their emergent writing. Most can write their own name and some higher attaining children write a few words independently.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

62. Teachers encourage children to think of themselves as writers and provide good opportunities for them to write independently. For example, the role play area in one class has been set up as a post office, with a plentiful supply of paper, envelopes and cards, which children enjoy using. Relevant elements of the literacy strategy are used well in the Reception classes. For example, children have been introduced to the significance of letter sounds, so that most can identify the initial sounds in words. Children are encouraged in their reading development by taking books home to share with their parents.

p.27

Mathematical development

63. Teaching is good and promotes good progress. By the end of the Foundation Stage most children achieve the expected standards. Nursery children show an interest in counting, as they join in number rhymes and count individually to ten. They are beginning to use mathematical vocabulary, as when a child making cakes from play-dough explained which was "big" and which was "little". In the Reception classes, most children can count to 100 and have begun simple addition to ten. Higher attaining children are beginning to recognise and use mathematical symbols, such as the plus sign in addition.

p.27

Mathematical development

64. Teachers provide frequent opportunities to match, order and count and mathematical skills are effectively developed through singing rhymes and counting games. There are regular mental arithmetic sessions that promote good progress for all children; questions are well directed to individual needs. In the Reception classes, number activities are based appropriately on relevant elements of the National Numeracy Strategy. Lessons are enjoyable so that children maintain good levels of interest and concentration, as was the case when average-attaining children added two numbers, using the spots on ladybirds to assist them in their counting. In this lesson, the teacher demonstrated high expectations and pupils of all abilities were well challenged. Lower attaining children were well supported by the classroom assistant, who asked pertinent questions to advance leaning, while higher attaining children were successfully developing their

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

65. Children make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world through many well-planned activities, which are usually based on a topic or theme. During the inspection, activities were linked to the topic of "people who help us" and good use was being made of the wider environment to enhance learning. For example, children studied how the eye works when they visited a local optician’s and a visit from the local police afforded the opportunity to remind them of the dangers of talking to strangers. Children benefit from the provision of a wide range of exciting and challenging experiences, which successfully develops their knowledge and understanding of the world. For example, as nursery children bake cakes they learn how ingredients change when heated. In the Reception classes, children test materials to see which would be best to make a waterproof coat for teddy. Children show developing skills when cutting or

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

sticking, or when using construction apparatus to make recognisable models. Nursery children use the computer mouse effectively to add candles to a birthday cake and reception children select the correct pieces to complete a jigsaw, using the mouse to guide the cursor and click into place. At the end of the Reception Year, children achieve the expected level in this area of learning.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

66. As with other areas of learning, progress is enhanced through the very good relationships that staff have established with the children. In discussions, teachers value the children's contributions, encouraging them to express their opinions. As with other areas of learning, support staff make a valuable contribution to children's progress. They are well briefed and, when working with groups of children, they intervene appropriately to challenge thinking and extend learning.

p.27

Physical development

Cheadle Community Primary School - 26 67. Children benefit from the opportunity to use the secure outdoor play area to develop their physical skills. The area is rather small, but there are plans to extend it in the near future and it is plentifully resourced with outdoor play equipment, such as sit and ride toys, which effectively assist in the development of co-ordination and balance. Reception children also develop physical skills successfully during sessions in the hall. They manage to find spaces well and respond quickly to instructions to move in different ways around the hall. They demonstrate increasing control as they practise forward and sideways rolls.

p.28

Physical development

68. Teaching is good and children achieve well in this area of learning. By the time they are ready to start Year 1, most have attained the expected standards. In lessons in the hall, sensitive support ensures that all pupils participate fully and patience is shown to those who experience difficulty, resulting in improved performance. Lessons are well planned to promote new skills and children work hard, enjoying the praise and encouragement they receive.

p.28

Creative development

69. Children make good progress in their creative development. At the end of the Reception Year, they demonstrate increasing competence with a range of materials and media. In the Nursery they develop an awareness of colour as they paint pictures of people who help us. Children make good progress in their observational skills and in the Reception classes, paintings of a Chinese dress demonstrate growing awareness of detail. In music, all children enjoy joining in with songs. Reception children participate tunefully and enthusiastically in singing in the school assemblies, demonstrating good recall of a number of songs.

p.28

Creative development

70. Teachers plan for a wide range of experiences, with stimulating activities and good resources to motivate children to improve their skills. On some occasions, there are missed opportunities for children to make their own choices when engaged in activities, limiting progress in creative expression. For example, in one lesson where children were using rollers to print, they were denied the opportunity to choose their own colour with which to print. However, teaching is mostly good. In all lessons a calm purposeful atmosphere is created which promotes good progress overall. Children achieve well and by the time they leave the Reception class most will have attained the expected standard in creative development.

p.28

ENGLISH

71. In the 2001 national tests, the proportion of pupils aged seven attaining standards in line with those expected nationally was close to the national average in reading and above the national average in writing. Pupils’ attainment at the higher level, Level 3, was also close to the national average in reading and above the national average in writing. In comparison with similar schools, the number of pupils attaining nationally expected levels in reading and writing was above the national average.

p.28

ENGLISH

72. The percentage of pupils aged 11 who attained standards in English both in line with and above those expected nationally met the national average. In comparison with similar schools, pupils attaining nationally expected levels of achievement was above average and the percentage of those attaining levels higher than expected was close to the average.

p.28

ENGLISH

73. Over the past three years, performance in English slightly exceeded the national average, although in 2001 attainment dipped, due, primarily, to the particular group of pupils, many of whom had only joined the school during their later junior years. The records show pupils who had spent the whole of their school life in the school performed well and had made consistent progress since the age of seven. Girls have achieved slightly better results than boys over the last three years.

p.28

ENGLISH

74. The school has set realistic targets for achievements in order to raise standards further and strategies are in place to achieve them. Cheadle Community Primary School - 27 75. Overall, pupils make progress in all aspects of English. In speaking and listening, progress is good throughout the school. In reading, pupils in the infants make satisfactory progress and those in the junior phase make good progress. In both the infant and junior stages, pupils make satisfactory progress in writing. Pupils with special educational needs make appropriate progress overall. However, there are a minority of occasions when the work they receive is insufficiently challenging, so progress is slow. Pupils who have English as an additional language are well cared for by teachers. Most of these pupils are articulate and fluent; however, teachers constantly ensure that they understand the content of work by asking unobtrusive questions. When pupils who have

p.28

ENGLISH

English as an additional language have learning difficulties, they receive extra support related to their needs. Part of the support received by both pupils with special educational needs and pupils who have English as an additional language takes place in small groups outside the classroom. Many of the assistants providing help have good relationships with class teachers and the work they plan is similar in content to that in the class, but at levels appropriate to pupils’ needs, therefore pupils do not miss any of the curriculum. On a minority of occasions, when the content of work does not match with that in the classroom, pupils do miss part of the normal curriculum. The school has a good range of extra classes, including an after school reading club, aimed to boost pupils’ standards in all aspects of English.

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ENGLISH

76. Speaking and listening skills are a strength of the school. Pupils listen thoughtfully to their teachers and to each other. During literacy lessons, teachers give pupils good opportunities to speak at length about a variety of subjects. Teachers use careful questioning, which enables pupils to extend their sentences and to develop their thoughts. Because they receive praise and support, pupils gain in confidence and want to speak more. At the end of many lessons, pupils are encouraged to share their work with their peers, suggesting how they might improve and accepting ideas from others. Because teachers value contributions and create a climate of trust, pupils are willing to be analytical. For example, when a pupil in Year 2 offered a sentence, ‘A six-month-old baby can pick himself up,’ another pupil suggested, ‘Actually, that doesn’t make sense. What does he pick himself up from?’ and the sentence was changed accordingly.

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ENGLISH

77. By Year 6, pupils are able to present different aspects of an argument, speaking fluently and coherently.

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ENGLISH

78. Pupils make satisfactory progress with reading skills in the infant phase and good progress in reading in the junior phase of the school. Books surround the classrooms and pupils are encouraged to use them. A well-organised library, looked after by pupils, provides a warm and comfortable area, inviting reading, but there are insufficient books to serve the needs of the school. During literacy lessons, when there are opportunities for year groups to read together, the teaching of reading is good. When teachers focus on particular groups, they teach specific reading skills well, enabling pupils to understand the meaning of the text at a deeper level than is immediately obvious and as a consequence, pupils make progress. Younger pupils make sensible predictions about what might happen in a story and use the meaning of a sentence to assist with understanding the meaning of a new word. Many are fluent, enthusiastic, readers with a range of

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ENGLISH

skills, reading simple texts by sight and using their skills to attempt new words.

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ENGLISH

79. Junior pupils choose classroom reading books from a wide selection arranged according to difficulty and many provide reviews of what they read. Pupils in Year 3 were learning how to use expression and intonation to make a text more effective when reading aloud and by the end of their session they had make good progress. During a lesson on poetry, pupils recalled how different types of language added to their enjoyment of reading. For example, a pupil in Year 5 described how he liked to read and hear ‘old’ words, such as Shakespeare’s ‘Shall I compare thee to a summers day?’ Pupils are presented with historical, scientific and geographical texts in lessons, so their knowledge of the vocabulary connected with different subjects is good. Silent reading sessions promote the habit of reading; however, not all teachers are meticulous in ensuring that books being read by pupils are at an appropriate level of difficulty.

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ENGLISH

80. Progress with writing is not as marked as it is with reading. The school has already identified this area as in need of improvement and various strategies have been adopted to raise standards. Pupils cover the technical aspects of writing - punctuation, handwriting and grammar - quite Cheadle Community Primary School - 28 thoroughly and their work is usually technically correct as they write factual accounts and answer comprehension questions. Throughout the school, however, pupils have insufficient opportunities to use these skills in longer pieces of writing. Infant pupils do not join handwriting until Year 2, which slows down the spontaneity of their writing and many find that the new restrictions of joined-up writing prevent them from finishing their work on time. However, pupils do receive good quality teaching and, by Years 5 and 6, pupils are producing work for different audiences, linked to history

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ENGLISH

and geography, which is original, imaginative and well presented. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 produce well-structured sentences and sequence the events or facts in stories or information scripts effectively. Pupils use complex sentences and a growing vocabulary and their accounts of a visit to an outdoor activities centre, displayed on the walls, are factual, well organised, imaginative and interesting. Year 5 accounts of participating in the Battle of Marathon are graphic and realistic.

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ENGLISH

81. The overall quality of teaching is good. Teachers question pupils effectively when discussing writing tasks, enabling them to think clearly and produce good draft structures for their work. Pupils’ contributions to shared writing are good; enthused by their teacher’s presentation, pupils offer lots of ideas. This part of the lesson moves quickly and pupils’ interest is engaged throughout, so the behaviour in classes is good. Should any pupils’ concentration wander, teachers immediately draw them back into the lesson. However, when the pupils begin writing, the allocation of time given to the task is sometimes insufficient to enable work to be completed.

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ENGLISH

82. Poetry writing is a strength of the school. Teachers present poetry in an exciting and animated way, thus capturing pupils’ imagination and stimulating them to be creative and, in all years, pupils create original poems. Year 3, writing poems about themselves, describe their attributes distinctively; ‘legs like wooden twigs, eyes like sparkling jewels, eyelashes like sparkly cobwebs.’ Using similes and metaphors in poems, pupils in Year 4 and Year 5 say that ‘ excitement is like a glorious sunset, sadness is like a dull grey star in winter time and anger is a giant tornado.’

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ENGLISH

83. Information technology is used to support work in English. Infants use programmes which develop their understanding of word building and juniors are developing their word processing skills, particularly for display work.

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ENGLISH

84. Teachers are good at guiding pupils and providing ideas and pointers for improvement and books are regularly marked with targets set for future work. The results of National tests at the end of infant and junior stages are analysed, weaknesses identified and appropriate targets for the school included in the development plan..

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ENGLISH

85. The subject is managed well. The coordinator ensures that teachers plan lessons carefully, implementing the National Literacy Strategy with tasks appropriate to pupils’ needs and monitors teaching. The coordinator organises resources well and ensures the school continually builds up resources to support teaching.

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MATHEMATICS

86. On the basis of the 2001 national test results, based on average national curriculum points scores, attainment was in line with the national average for pupils aged seven. The percentage of pupils obtaining Level 2, the expected level, was average; the proportion obtaining the higher Level 3 at the end of the infant phase was also broadly average. Pupils’ performance was also average when compared with those of schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The average attainment of pupils in the three years 1999 to 2001 was just below the national average in the tests for seven year olds by nearly half a term. The performance of girls was slightly lower than that of boys in the end of infant phase tests over the last three years.

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MATHEMATICS

87. In the 2001 national tests for pupils aged 11, attainment in terms of points scores was below the national average. The proportion of pupils obtaining Level 4, the expected level nationally, was average, but the proportion reaching the higher Level 5 was below average. When compared with pupils from schools of a similar type, standards were below average. However, over the last three Cheadle Community Primary School - 29 years, pupils have left the junior phase half a term ahead of pupils nationally. The performance of boys has been very similar to that of girls over the last three years.

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MATHEMATICS

88. For the current groups of pupils, evidence from the lessons observed, scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils indicate that attainment is average at the end of the infant phase and above average by the time pupils leave the school at the end of the junior phase. The reason for the difference between previous test results at the end of the junior phase and inspection findings is that pupil mobility has not been as great for the current cohort, as for the 2001 cohort in particular.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Within the range of mathematics work seen during the inspection, most pupils in the infant phase demonstrate satisfactory attainment related to investigative mathematics, shape and space and number. Pupils in the junior phase show good attainment in mental mathematics and data handling, but do not always have sufficiently good knowledge of their multiplication tables. This hinders attainment in other areas of mathematics. Nonetheless, pupils are not afraid of “hard sums” and are completely unphased when asked, “What is six thousand trillion add six thousand trillion?” Pupils aged 11 can work out which are key words when solving written mathematical problems and can mentally work out the result of multiplying two-digit numbers to 20 by single digit numbers, for example 17 x 8. Pupils use correct mathematical vocabulary throughout the school and this is having a big impact on helping their learning. They develop their own strategies

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MATHEMATICS

appropriately when solving problems in their heads. Pupils aged seven are able to recall pairs of numbers to 100. For example, given 54, they respond with 46. There was no discernible difference in the performance of girls and boys in the lessons seen. Standards in mathematics are higher than those at the time of the last inspection for pupils at the end of the junior phase. To raise standards of attainment further in both phases, there is a need to continue the very good work of building up a coherent mathematical vocabulary and to ensure that all pupils have instant recall of their multiplication tables. The use of ICT to support pupils’ learning is satisfactory.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Overall learning of pupils in mathematics is good in both the infant and junior phases, including that of pupils having special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Factors aiding progress include the positive attitudes and behaviour of the pupils and the overall good standard of teaching. The teaching observed was excellent in one of the eight lessons seen, very good in three lessons, good in one lesson and satisfactory in the other two. The features that made the best lesson excellent and contributed to a very high rate of learning, were an appropriately high degree of challenge coupled with a blistering pace in which the teacher set time targets for pupils. Teachers in most numeracy lessons seen begin with effective question and answer sessions, to revise previous work and set pupils thinking about the new work. In numeracy lessons, the likeliest time for pupils to lessen their rate of working is in the “independent

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MATHEMATICS

learning” sessions but, at this school, teachers were generally aware of this and set appropriate time targets, as in, for example, a very good Year 2 lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

91. The coordinator for mathematics has appropriately monitored teaching through the school, providing colleagues with both verbal and written feedback. She is a most competent teacher and coordinator. Resources are satisfactory overall and support learning.

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SCIENCE

92. At age seven, pupils work at levels broadly in line with those expected for their age. At age 11, standards exceed expectations. Standards at age 11 have improved steadily since the previous inspection, in line with the national trend. There is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls.

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SCIENCE

93. Pupils make sound progress in Years 1 and 2. Assessment by teachers at age seven, in 2001 showed the proportion of pupils reaching both the expected level and the higher level of attainment was broadly in line with the national average. In the national tests for pupils at age 11, in 2001, the percentage of pupils reaching the expected level and the higher level was well below average and below average when compared with similar schools. However, analysis of school data shows high mobility amongst the 2001 cohort of pupils, which adversely affected standards. Pupils who are Cheadle Community Primary School - 30 currently in Year 6, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, are making good progress and achieving well.

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SCIENCE

94. At age seven, pupils have sound understanding of the topics covered in their lessons. They name the major parts of the body and recognise the five senses. Pupils know that some foods are better than others and can plan a healthy meal. They handle different materials, such as plastic, metal and wood, recognise their different properties and understand how these are linked to their usage. Higher attaining pupils demonstrate good understanding of an electrical circuit, knowing that if there is a break in the circuit it will not work. Pupils make a sound start in carrying out investigative work, such as predicting which materials will conduct electricity. However, there is a lack of challenge in scientific enquiry for higher attaining pupils. For example, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to put forward their own ideas or to develop an understanding of a fair test.

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SCIENCE

95. At age 11, pupils have a deeper scientific understanding. They know well the processes involved in seed dispersal and pollination, giving good explanations of the reproductive parts of a flower. They have a good understanding that micro-organisms are living, that they bring about decay, and that this can be helpful. They can classify materials as solids, liquids and gases and use scientific terms, such as evaporation and condensation to describe changes. Pupils have good understanding of electrical circuits. They make good progress in their skills of planning and carrying out investigation, through tasks that are appropriately challenging for pupils of all abilities. For example, in their investigation into dissolving materials, higher attaining pupils in Year 6 worked in groups to choose an idea to turn into an investigation. They made their own choice of equipment and measured results, such as changes in temperature, accurately. Results were

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SCIENCE

recorded as a table, then as a line graph and pupils used their scientific knowledge well to draw conclusions that were consistent with the evidence. Lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs are mostly given suitably modified tasks and worksheets, which enable them to take a full part in the lesson. They have good support and encouragement from teachers and make good progress through the school, as do pupils who have English as an additional language. The use of ICT to assist pupils’ learning is satisfactory overall.

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SCIENCE

96. The quality of teaching is never less than good and frequently very good. Lessons are well planned, with clear learning targets that are shared with the pupils at the start of the lesson and reviewed at the end, so all pupils are aware of their own learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge, which is demonstrated by the good use of open-ended questions to extend pupils' thinking effectively and enhance their learning. Teachers demonstrate high expectations and plan a range of activities to challenge all abilities. Pupils are very well managed and lessons are interesting and conducted at a brisk pace, so that pupils are enthusiastic and concentrate very well. There are good opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively, which they do sensibly, taking turns and handling equipment with care.

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SCIENCE

97. Curriculum planning is satisfactory. The school has adopted a nationally recommended scheme of work, which is used consistently. However, the necessity of mixed-age year groups, which may change from year to year, results in difficulties in ensuring that all pupils cover the National Curriculum fully. Although the subject co-ordinator monitors the coverage of programmes of study as pupils move through the school, she is aware that, for some pupils, topics may be unnecessarily repeated. Procedures for the assessment and monitoring of pupils’ attainment are satisfactory, but insufficient use is made of assessment information to set targets for individual pupils. The co-ordinator manages the subject well and has worked effectively to promote science and improve standards.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. By the age of seven, pupils’ work in art is good, including that of pupils whose first language is not English and those with special educational needs. Pupils make good progress in their art lessons, which results in progress over time being better than average. By the time pupils are 11, they all continue to produce high standards of work and make good progress. Cheadle Community Primary School - 31 99. Through cross-curricular links with other subjects, pupils are provided with good opportunities to observe objects and record their observations using pencil, crayons, felt pens, chalk and charcoal. Little evidence was seen of the use of ICT to support pupils’ learning. The range of work systematically promotes the development of all skills associated with the subject. Pupils’ ability to appraise and evaluate their work is good. Three art lessons were observed in Years 1 and 2 during the period of the inspection. Judgements, therefore, also take into account evidence gained from

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ART AND DESIGN

an evaluation of teachers’ planning, school documents, scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussion with staff and pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 explore the media of paint and pastels by mixing colours, examining texture and application, using a variety of tools including brushes of various sizes and shapes, their hands and simple shapes for printing. They use paint and collage to illustrate various themes and as part of many other subjects. To illustrate their work in science, they made collages and painted pictures of patterns found in nature and to reinforce their work in information and communication technology they constructed line drawings in the style of Mondrian, which they developed into their own patterns. Pupils in these classes do not have sketch books, so this precludes opportunities to make links between what pupils produce in art lessons and preparatory work, such as testing the effects of different types of pencil, crayon or shade matching. Throughout Years 1 and 2, pupils show respect for and pride in their work, especially when it is

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ART AND DESIGN

displayed in the corridor and in their classrooms.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Within Years 3 to 6, pupils maintain a steady development of skills, knowledge and understanding of the subject. For example, in Year 6, pupils study the work of Mondrian, Ferdinand Leger and Braque and use some of their techniques to replicate his style of Analytical Cubism where the forms of things are dissected into bits and then separated. By analysing well-known artists’ work and comparing it with their own, pupils could discuss the importance of looking at objects from different viewpoints when creating balance and proportion within a finished piece of work. Younger pupils effectively learn the importance of observation when sketching still-life compositions and examining the patterns they see in creatures such as seahorses, snakes or starfish. They use their imagination well when producing random and repetitive patterns, such as when personalising the style of ancient Greek artists.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. Pupils talk very positively about their art lessons and they behave well. Older pupils are eager to discuss their work and are confident about suggesting ways in which they could improve it. They are familiar with explaining and discussing different techniques. In discussion, Year 6 pupils recalled a range of work they had enjoyed as they progressed through the school. Of particular note were the use of papier-mâché to make puppets and clay to make historical artefacts. However, the most enjoyable work was undoubtedly recent work done on a field trip, where they sketched and painted the local landscape. The finished work was of good quality and proudly displayed in class and in other areas of the school. Evidence was found to suggest all pupils gained valuable experience from working in water colours. In Year 2 lessons observed, pupils enjoyed the practical activities, concentrated on what they were being taught and took care of their

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ART AND DESIGN

own and others’ work. They talked enthusiastically with each other whilst working and showed a pride in having their work praised and admired by their teacher and other adults helping in the class.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. The standard of teaching is good. However, over time, some teachers do not always place enough emphasis upon teaching skills, knowledge and understanding of artistic techniques, but more upon using art as an activity related to other subjects. This is more evident in classes where teachers are less confident in their own artistic expertise. However, great importance is attached to celebrating pupils’ achievements by displaying their day-to-day efforts sensitively and creatively. Examples of high quality work produced by the pupils are well annotated and clearly attributable to individuals within classes.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. Informal systems are in place for monitoring classroom practice. A portfolio of pupils’ work to inform teachers about standards to assist them in planning for the development of skills, knowledge and understanding is in the process of being collated. The use of assessment has yet to inform curriculum planning, to ensure continuity, progression and breadth and balance of Cheadle Community Primary School - 32 experience. However, most teachers are making good use of the guidance provided in the QCA planning document as the basis for their lessons. Opportunities for art to contribute to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils are good, but more use could be made of visiting artists, especially from non-western cultures, to add variety to pupils’ learning experiences. The co-ordinator is aware of the value and importance of using sketchbooks and this practice is established in Key Stage 2, but has yet to be introduced for younger pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. Since the time of the last inspection, the school has made good progress in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning and assessing the quality of work pupils produce. Less emphasis has been placed upon developing a consistent, thorough and rigorously implemented assessment system. However, the co-ordinator for the subject, who is very knowledgeable and highly skilled, is aware of the need to develop the contribution assessment makes to promoting high quality teaching and learning. Therefore, the school is well placed to maintain the high standards pupils achieve in the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Standards of pupils’ work at the ages of seven and 11 are satisfactory. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those whose first language is not English, make steady progress. Four design and technology lessons were observed during the inspection; therefore judgements take into account a range of other evidence available in the school. Since the last inspection, standards of pupils’ work have been maintained throughout the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve average standards in the work they produce in their lessons. In both year groups, the teaching promotes and encourages the pupils to create their own designs and to evaluate the success of their ideas. Pupils gained experience of using tools to construct pulleys to suspend various objects and the finished construction also incorporated a simple winding mechanism. When designing and making vehicles, pupils investigated methods of joining components, including the use of glue, staples and sellotape. More opportunities were provided for pupils to develop these skills further when they designed and made glove, finger and string puppets. The standard of pupils’ work, whilst satisfactory, could have been even better if teachers had provided more constructive, helpful comments when evaluating pupils’ work and if better records were kept of pupils’ own evaluations and designs. ICT is used appropriately to support

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. Teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 continue to be satisfactory. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils were provided with opportunities to communicate their ideas and preferences for making a variety of sandwiches. They discussed how to evaluate the products in terms of appearance, smell and taste through sharing ideas about the different fillings and types of bread and in these aspects of their learning they made good progress. No lessons were taught in Years 5 or 6 during the inspection, but pupils could recall having made slippers and a variety of two, three and four dimensional shapes. They were aware that the learning objectives when making their slippers related to methods of joining different materials and evaluating the quality and serviceability of the finished product, whereas when constructing frames, they had learned how to use tools and equipment safely and sensibly. The level of knowledge and understanding the pupils demonstrated

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

was satisfactory, as they could recall the names of pieces of equipment such as vice, ‘G’ clamp, hacksaw and rasp, as well as clearly explaining their uses.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Pupils enjoy the practical aspects of the subject. They work together safely and sensibly. Older pupils discuss their work objectively and offer and receive help willingly, whilst being sensitive in how they discuss the work of others in the class. In discussion about their work, they suggest confidently how to utilise features such as electrical components, information and communication technology control and mouldable materials. Last year, pupils undertook projects to design and make ‘headwear’ and ‘shelters/play tents’. The excitement this generated in school was such that the present pupils are looking forward with great enthusiasm to their turn and several in Year 6 are confident their efforts will surpass all that have gone before.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. Since the last inspection, the improved resources, a better policy and planning which fully reflects Cheadle Community Primary School - 33 the National Curriculum, together with some assessment procedures, have all contributed towards maintaining standards. Design and technology appears as part of the planned curriculum on class timetables, but there are no regular monitoring procedures in place to ensure lessons take place or that pupils produce satisfactory standards of work. The co-ordinator is aware of the need to ensure that assessment and its use is more detailed, so that it provides better help for teachers to plan what they are going to teach next and why. The school is well placed to bring about these improvements and all staff share a commitment to raise standards even further.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. Geography is not on the timetable for infant pupils until later in the school year, so no judgement could be made on standards, teaching, learning or progress in the infant phase.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. Standards attained by pupils at the age of 11 are good and above those expected for pupils of this age, particularly in the areas of environmental studies. Pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding of geographical places and patterns is good throughout the junior phase; they make good progress in all areas, but very good progress in their studies of the local environment and in fieldwork studies in Years 5 and 6. Although pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress, there are a minority of occasions when the tasks they undertake are not planned with sufficient care to enable them to make maximum progress. Pupils who have English as an additional language make progress similar to that of their peers.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. At the beginning of the junior stage, pupils use maps and plans to show how their own locality compares and contrasts with a locality in a different part of the world in terms of transport, agriculture, lifestyles and weather. They extend their work on weather to include general world climate systems, discussing the major effects such systems have on life. Teachers are good at ensuring that pupils develop their geographical vocabulary and they constantly check that pupils understand what they are learning. Pupils describe a polar climate as ‘very cold, very few people survive there; mainly polar bears live there. Greenland has a polar climate’. They contrast this with an equatorial climate, where ‘the weather can be hot and dry or hot and humid, the rainforests are in hot and humid areas and deserts in hot and dry areas’. Good use is made of computer programs to explore world weather patterns and their effects. Comparing and contrasting

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GEOGRAPHY

Chemboliki in India with Cheadle, pupils use aerial photographs effectively to identify the significant human and physical features of each, using a variety of symbols as they competently place these on their own sketch maps. Because teachers have high expectations of pupils and provide tasks that engage their interest, pupils are well behaved, remain involved with their learning and make good progress, increasing their knowledge and understanding of geography.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. In Year 6, pupils revisit the study of climates, weather systems and map work. They have developed their skills and widened their knowledge and now apply both to interesting and challenging work, attaining standards above those expected for pupils of this age. Teachers plan effectively to ensure pupils have very good opportunities to apply their knowledge, during fieldwork in and around the area. Visiting an environmental centre, pupils conduct a survey of a river at various stages of its travels between source and sea. They conduct successful experiments to measure and record the flow of the river and, through careful observation, deduce various facts; ‘Watching a meander in the river, we can see the near side flows faster than the far side.’ The standard of recording, organising and displaying of results is of a high standard. Pupils also practise their orienteering skills on a residential visit in Derbyshire, where they combine learning

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GEOGRAPHY

with challenge, encouraged by enthusiastic staff.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. Pupils are very aware of the effect of human intervention on the environment and they discuss areas of concern in their locality, developing strategies they can use to make their voices heard. After scrutinising information from the local press and listening to the views of local people, pupils engaged in a role play concerning plans to develop a local beauty area for a public transport amenity. Pupils argued the case for and against coherently, clearly analysing the effects on wildlife and the community from each point of view. For example, one pupil stated, ’Building a metro link will take cars from the road, so this will reduce pollution, which will benefit the health of everyone in the area,’ whereas another said, ‘Taking away the land will ruin our recreation space Cheadle Community Primary School - 34 and we all need space in built-up areas and wild life needs space too.’ Their views were

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GEOGRAPHY

crystallised and included in letters to the local newspaper.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Work with climatic systems, based on earlier learning in Year 3, is extended and developed in Year 6, when pupils use sophisticated computer programs to track world weather and record their findings in a variety of tables and charts. Talking about climate zones, pupils demonstrate their progress in the use and understanding of geographical vocabulary and knowledge. For example, in describing desert regions, pupils explain, ‘Crops don’t grow, so there is starvation and famine; people dehydrate due to lack of water, winds are hot and dry.’ Pupils study the effect weather has on the environment and they are collecting information from the news, newspapers and photographs, to build up a good information source on the effect of gales and rainfall on their own area.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. Teachers’ enthusiasm and good understanding of this subject are conveyed to pupils in lessons which are very well planned, quick moving, interesting and varied in approach. As a result, pupils are involved and participate constructively in their learning; they are keen to contribute, quick to answer and their concentration and interest is maintained throughout the lesson and so behaviour is good.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. The subject is well coordinated. The coordinator has a good action plan to develop teaching and learning further and a programe to introduce effective systems of assessment is being investigated. At present, resources are unsatisfactory; there are too few to provide all pupils with the references they need to support teaching.

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HISTORY

119. No pupils’ work was available at the time of the inspection, therefore no judgement can be made on standards pupils reach by the age of seven.

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HISTORY

120. Lessons were observed in Years 1 and 2 during the inspection. During these lessons, teaching, learning and progress for all pupils ranged between good and excellent. Teachers are confident and competent in delivering the subject, presenting facts in an exciting manner. They challenge pupils with increasingly difficult questions, thus engaging pupils’ interest and involving them in interactive learning.

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HISTORY

121. In Year 1, playing with toys from half a century ago, pupils discussed how the toys were made, the materials used and what made the toys work. Whilst describing how the toys work and suggesting who may have used them, pupils use historical language such as ‘in the past’ and ‘in the olden days.’ Using such artefacts and people as sources of information, pupils gained firsthand historical evidence, which they clearly enjoyed. Year 2 pupils, although having studied the period for only one month, demonstrated an excellent knowledge of the Victorian era, talking animatedly and knowledgably, knowing facts such as, ‘She shut herself up when Prince Albert died because she was sad,’ ‘Prince Albert came from Germany and he died from typhoid fever’ and ‘Before Victoria was a queen, she was a Princess’. Pupils named Victoria’s children readily, recalling this information speedily and accurately. Pupils were totally absorbed in their work, having an excellent

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HISTORY

relationship with their teacher, who challenged them continually, delivering the lesson at a superb pace, making her very high expectations of pupil’s performance clear. Pupils responded quickly and were keen to answer. Correctly placing a series of photographs of events in Victoria’s reign in a time line, pupils described her role as ‘Empress of the British Empire’ and promptly named many countries within the Empire. This level of knowledge and recall of information is well above that normally expected of pupils of this age.

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HISTORY

122. No lessons were observed in the junior years because history is not timetabled during the spring term, therefore no judgement could be made on teaching. The level of attainment demonstrated in work produced during the autumn term is above that usually expected for pupils of this age. Work on ancient Greece shows that pupils have used a good range of sources to search for information - books, pictures, photographs, art artefacts and, on occasion, the Internet. Evaluating information, pupils represented different aspects of life in ancient Greece, resulting in original and interesting Cheadle Community Primary School - 35 work, such as biographies, which describe beliefs and lifestyles. A Year 4 pupil, writing as a Greek school boy, explained how pupils spent their day ‘ reading from papyrus roll and writing on wax tablets, accompanied by an escort watching over lessons with a stick to ensure good

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HISTORY

behaviour!’ Work shows pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, understand and appreciate the differences between life then and now. They write life stories of soldiers and accounts of battles, such as, ‘We’ve just defeated thousands of Persians, they’d lots more soldiers than us, it was a tough battle, but we won and I’m tired’. Pupils understand how interpretations of events can be influenced by the positions and ideas of different people. Some very good art work of patterns and styles used in Greek art shows pupils have knowledge of the cultural side of Greek life. Little evidence was seen of the use of ICT to support pupils’ learning.

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HISTORY

123. A newly appointed co-ordinator has identified areas for development within a well-constructed action plan, including the need to provide assessment procedures in the subject. Resources are unsatisfactory and do not support teaching.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. Attainment at the end of both the infant and junior phase meets national expectations. By the age of seven, pupils use information and communication technology (ICT) to assemble text. They are able to save and retrieve information appropriately. By the end of the junior phase, pupils are able to produce slide presentations on themes such as “The Weather”. These presentations incorporate sound and text appropriately. Pupils are aware of their audience and the need for quality in their presentations. Their presentations include appropriate use of hyperlinks. Pupils’ work on monitoring and modelling is underdeveloped.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Learning is good in both the infant and junior phases, for all pupils, including those having special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. It was only possible to see four lessons in this subject, which were taught well. The school makes efficient use of its small ICT suite, situated on a main corridor. Assessment is not yet used effectively to monitor pupils’ progress in this subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Pupils’ response is good. They show interest in this subject and work well together. Pupils work hard in practising their skills and work co-operatively very well. Relationships are very good.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. The co-ordinator for this subject was not in school during the inspection. However, the coordinator’s files are comprehensive and detailed. There are appropriate computers in every classroom, which are all networked together and networked to the small suite. The school is linked to the Internet. There is an appropriate range of cross-curricular software. Whilst improvements have been made since the last inspection, the school lacks an ICT suite of adequate size.

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MUSIC

128. Pupils make sound progress and at ages seven and 11, attain standards that are expected for their age. This is an improvement for pupils aged 11 since the previous inspection.

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MUSIC

129. At age seven, pupils sing well, with good attention to pitch, duration and dynamics as they learn to control their voices. In their weekly singing assembly, pupils sing a variety of songs tunefully and enthusiastically, to a guitar accompaniment, from memory. They play a wide variety of untuned percussion instruments, which they identify by name. They are able to keep a steady beat and are beginning to distinguish the difference between beat and rhythm.

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MUSIC

130. At 11, pupils sing very well. They hold notes evenly and with volume and are able to sing a two and three part round, as higher attaining pupils accompany with an ostinato rhythm. Pupils use tuned and untuned percussion instruments to perform their own compositions, based on four bar repeating patterns using the pentatonic scale. Most are beginning to recognise and name notes Cheadle Community Primary School - 36 and are becoming aware of their time values. A significant number of pupils play tuned instruments and read and write musical notation.

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MUSIC

131. No overall judgement can be made on the quality of teaching, because too few lessons were observed in either stage of the school. However, in two of the three lessons that were observed, the quality of teaching was very good. In one of these lessons, Year 6 pupils were working in groups on musical compositions. The teacher demonstrated very good subject knowledge, and the lesson was very well planned to take previous learning into account and provide structured practical experience. A brisk pace was maintained and good provision of resources enabled all pupils to advance well in their learning. The teacher demonstrated high expectations in the challenging tasks she set the pupils and transmitted her own enthusiasm for music to the children so that they were very well motivated. They collaborated well, with concentration and enjoyment and all had made very good progress by the end of the lesson.

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MUSIC

132. The introduction of a nationally recommended scheme of work is providing useful guidance in the systematic development of skills and understanding and all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, now make satisfactory progress through the school. The school has begun to assess pupils’ progress on a half-termly basis, but procedures have not been in place long enough to have had any impact on standards. The musical life of the school continues to be enhanced by the many pupils who learn instruments. It is a reflection of the high standards of singing that ex-pupils are regularly admitted straight into the senior choir at the local secondary school. The co-ordinator manages the subject well. She has effectively implemented initiatives that have improved pupils' progress since the previous inspection and she has the clear vision and expertise to continue to take this subject

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MUSIC

forward. Cheadle Community Primary School - 37

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. At ages seven and 11, most pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is a special language, attain standards in line with those expected nationally for their age. Standards have been maintained since the previous inspection. Across the school, there is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls and all pupils participate regularly in movement, gymnastics and games. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 regularly attend swimming lessons and by the time they leave school, most pupils can swim the required distance of 25 metres.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. At age seven, most pupils can send and receive balls accurately and show increasing control of height and direction when sending the ball to a partner. Higher attaining pupils articulate the skills needed for fielding, as, for example, one pupil explains, "You need your hands together and you must keep your eye on the ball.” Pupils move around the hall in different directions with an appropriate awareness of space. Pupils in Year 1 achieve sound standards in gymnastics. They use space well and show awareness of each other. They demonstrate developing co-ordination and balance as they travel over and under apparatus, making wide and narrow shapes with different parts of their body. The majority of pupils have a good understanding of the routines required for safe working in the hall. They follow instructions well and handle apparatus with care.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. At age 11, pupils have made at least satisfactory progress in each area. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 achieve good standards in movement. They worked very well collaboratively as each group performed a routine they had devised to the music of Riverdance. They held their starting positions well, before performing imaginative routines that demonstrated high and low movement and reflected the changes in tempo. Movements were well controlled and co-ordinated. Year 6 pupils demonstrated broadly satisfactory standards as they practised gymnastics routines that mirror a partner's movements. They included variations in speed, level and direction in their sequence. However, a significant minority of pupils demonstrated a lack of enthusiasm for the activity, performing in a desultory and self-conscious manner. As a result, their movements lacked the required standards of definition and control.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and is mostly good. Where teaching is good and in some cases very good, teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and high expectations. Pupils make very good progress in their learning because they are effectively challenged. The teachers demonstrate very good management of some potentially disruptive pupils, while at the same time continually encouraging the class to improve and refine their movements. In all lessons, teachers offer direct strategies to improve techniques, which leads directly to the development of skills as, for example, in a games lesson where pupils were directed to step in to meet the ball. Pupils are used effectively to give demonstrations of good practice. A general weakness in lessons is the lack of opportunity for pupils to improve their skills through evaluation and comment on each other’s performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Management of the subject is satisfactory. The subject co-ordinator has successfully implemented a nationally recommended scheme of work and he regularly monitors teachers’ planning to ensure that programmes of study are being covered. He has not yet monitored the quality of teaching or pupils' performance, in order to determine areas for development in the subject. Assessment procedures have been recently introduced, but have not yet had time to impact on standards. The curriculum is effectively enhanced through the provision of extra-curricular sporting activities, including football and netball. Good use is made of visiting experts to improve standards of attainment.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. Standards in religious education are average and reflect the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils of all abilities and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress in their understanding of Christianity and in their ability to discuss issues and empathise with others. They also make satisfactory progress in gaining knowledge about other world religions. Overall, standards have been maintained since the Cheadle Community Primary School - 38 last inspection. This is the result of the school’s decision to focus on developing the QCA guidance to improve the planning of the subject and the assessment of pupils’ progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

139. By the end of Year 2, the pupils recognise the importance and value of friends. They list the qualities they would like in a friend. They develop a good sense of community and recognise the value of belonging to organisations and groups. They are familiar with Bible stories such as the Good Samaritan and understand well that there are special events recorded in this ‘special’ book. They know about the special symbols in other religions, such as the Menorah and Star of David in Judaism and that Diwali is the Hindu festival of light. They have visited the local church and describe the Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter and understand well that different behaviour is required in a church. They discuss the various celebrations and special occasions that happen in church and are knowledgeable about the purpose and organisation of weddings.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of stories about Jesus and use the Bible to extract information about Him. They are aware of the Ten Commandments, are able to write their own ten ‘special rules’ and extend this to thinking about the ways in which they can make their own lives peaceful and positive. They know some of the major stories from the Old Testament. Their understanding of other world religions is satisfactory. Whilst they talk more knowledgeably about Judaism, there is some confusion between the major festivals in the Islamic and Hindu religions. They are very mature in their discussions about racism and are sufficiently confident to share their own personal experiences, as well as being able to empathise with people who are victimised because of their beliefs. The developing links between religious education and personal and social education are helping to raise standards in religious education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. The pupils’ attitude to the subject is satisfactory. Pupils are keen to participate in classroom discussions and happy to share their feelings and thoughts with other members of the class and their teacher. They listen well to different points of view. Their written work is usually well presented. Pupils enjoy assemblies that take place in the school, especially those led by the headteacher, which contribute positively towards the standards achieved in religious education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. The quality of teaching throughout the school is satisfactory. Teachers present work in an interesting manner and have high expectations of the pupils. The good management of the pupils enables them to participate well in class discussions and to learn from each other’s experiences. Lessons are usually well planned and the worksheets that pupils are given are effectively designed to promote a variety of responses. Whilst marking of pupils’ work is sufficiently thorough, progress is harder to measure because worksheets are not always dated. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection, but over time, some pupils are not taught as well as others. This is because a minority of teachers do not have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the subject to be confident enough to present their lessons in an interesting and imaginative way. This can result in the oldest pupils becoming apathetic towards the subject and lacking in sufficient

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. The newly appointed subject leader is committed to continuing to raise standards. Through the scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, she is gaining a good grasp of the strengths of the subject and the areas for development. Opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching across the school through lesson observation are planned for the future. She is aware that pupils would be helped to gain a greater understanding of other religions if they were able to visit more places of worship, in addition to a Christian church and Jewish synagogue and be able to speak with more visitors to the school who belong to other world faiths. The co-ordinator is optimistic that, by assessing pupils’ work rigorously, she will be able to help less confident colleagues to use the information to enable them to plan their future lessons more effectively.

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