Punnetts Town Community Primary School and Nursery

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th – 27 th June 2002

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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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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. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Battle Road Punnetts Town Heathfield East Sussex Postcode: TN21 9DE

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs J Weddell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 15 th April 1997 Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

1185 G Nunn Registered inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography History English as an additional language What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9542 B Jones 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? 1189 S Brown Team inspector English Art and design Physical education The Foundation Stage How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

2756 M Barron Team inspector Science Design and technology Music Religious education Special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

H & G Associates 2 Mead Road Cranleigh Surrey GU6 7BG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 31

Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Punnetts Town Community Primary School is a smaller than average size primary school for pupils aged between four and eleven years, in the village of Punnetts Town to the east of Heathfield in East Sussex. The school serves a wide catchment area with approximately half its pupils coming from outside the village. Pupils live in a variety of housing types. There are currently 115 pupils on roll organised into four classes. Fourteen children are in the Foundation Stage (Year R). The number on roll has remained largely stable since the time of the last inspection. When they start school, children’s attainment is about average overall. Across the school, there is an equal number of boys and girls. Four pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is lower than the national average. Three pupils have English as an additional language, two having a white European background and one from an Eastern Asian background. Sixteen per cent of pupils are on the school’s new special educational

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

needs register which is likely to be above the national average. No pupils have a statement of special educational needs, which is below the national average. Most pupils with special educational needs have specific learning difficulties or speech and language problems. Five pupils joined the school at times other than the usual admission times and one pupil left.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Punnetts Town Community Primary School is a good school with many very good features. It provides a high quality of education for its pupils. It is fully inclusive of all pupils and has made good progress since the last inspection in April 1997, particularly in the raising of pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science. In addition, standards in history are also high. Pupils are very well cared for. Their behaviour is very good as also is the quality of relationships throughout the school. Pupils receive a very high proportion of good and very good teaching and very good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs. The provision made for pupils’ personal development is also very good. Many of those major strengths of the school are the result of the most effective leadership and management shown by the headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

There are three main areas for the school to improve which include the raising of higher attaining pupils’ standards in writing in Years 1 and 2 and in information and communication technology (ICT) by the end of Year 6. A more systematic system is needed for the marking of pupils’ work. The number of strengths considerably outweighs the school’s weaknesses. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils attain above average standards in English, mathematics, science and history by the time they leave. • The high proportion of good and very good teaching leads to effective quality learning for pupils. • There are positive attitudes, very good behaviour and very good levels of pupils’ personal development. • Very good leadership and management ensure that the school is on the right track for making sustained and continued improvements. • Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are well supported, ensuring that what is known of pupils’ attainment is used to set realistic future targets. • A very good curriculum is provided, which is broad and balanced and provides exciting learning for pupils. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 7

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What could be improved

• Pupils’ levels of attainment, by the time they leave the school, in ICT. • The levels that higher attaining pupils reach in writing by the end of Year 2. • The quality of marking of pupils’ work so they have a better idea of what they need to do to improve their work further. 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

Since the last inspection in April 1997, the school has made good progress in addressing the weaknesses identified at that time. Pupils’ levels of attainment in design and technology throughout and in ICT at the end of Year 2 have risen and are now in line with those levels expected nationally for pupils aged seven and eleven in design and technology, and in ICT at the age of seven. Standards are rising in ICT in Years 3 to 6 but the new initiatives introduced by the school since 1997 have not had sufficient time to have a full impact on the levels being attained by eleven-year-olds currently. Curricular planning is now very good and the assessment of pupils’ work now informs future curricular planning, being particularly good in English and mathematics. The curriculum is now very well monitored by governors, headteacher and teachers. The school now has a good school improvement plan.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The table shows that, when compared to all schools, pupils’ standards are average in science but below average in English and mathematics. When compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, this school’s results are below average in science and well below average in English and mathematics. Over the last four years, pupils’ standards have remained largely stable in science and have fallen slightly in English and mathematics. Pupils’ standards at the end of Year 2 in 2001 were above average in reading, average in writing but below average in mathematics when compared to all schools. When compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, they were below average in reading and well below average in writing and mathematics. When interpreting these results, care must be taken as, in both year groups taking the national tests in 2001, there was a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs. In addition, cohort sizes were small and so the

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STANDARDS

information is statistically unrepresentative.

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STANDARDS

Inspection findings related to pupils currently at the school show that, during their time in the Foundation Stage, children achieve well in most of the areas of the curriculum that they study. The good teaching they receive is the most significant factor in ensuring that this is the case. As a result, by the time they begin work in Year 1, nearly all have attained the nationally Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 8 required early learning goals for children of that age with many exceeding this level, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development. The good teaching they have received continues in Years 1 and 2 so that, by the end of Year 2, pupils’ standards are above national standards in English, mathematics, science and history. Pupils attain the levels expected of seven-year-olds nationally in all other subjects. More able pupils are generally well catered for, although in the writing element of English, this group of pupils, whilst

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STANDARDS

attaining the national standards, do not actually exceed it as most similar pupils do nationally. The school is aware of this and good plans are in hand to address the issue.

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STANDARDS

In Years 3 to 6, pupils again receive a high proportion of good and very good teaching so that, by the time they leave the school, the standards they attain exceed national standards in English, mathematics, science and history. Pupils attain particularly high standards in the range and quality of the content of their writing, particularly in Years 5 and 6. However, the presentation of their work and some of their handwriting, right across the school, needs to be improved. Pupils attain national standards in all other subjects except in ICT where they do not reach the nationally expected levels for eleven-year-olds. Pupils’ standards are rising in this subject but the school’s plans and strategies to raise pupils’ standards have not had enough time to impact sufficiently on the overall standards of Year 6 pupils. Pupils with special educational needs do well. They make good progress and reach the standards of

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STANDARDS

which they are capable. The few pupils with English as an additional language also reach the standards of which they are capable. This is largely because work is closely matched to their abilities and they are often taught in small groups where they receive considerable attention. More able pupils are well catered for. There is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils really enjoy coming to school and are most eager to learn. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The pupils behave very well in classrooms, assemblies and in the playground. There is no evidence of bullying or oppressive behaviour. Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils work very well together. They have very good relationships with their teachers and each other. They are developing a good awareness of citizenship. Attendance Good. Pupils attend well and arrive punctually at school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour is very good. Pupils get on well with one another and with adults. The school has a strong family and community atmosphere.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception 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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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching and learning are both good overall and, as a result, have a significant impact on pupils. In all the lessons seen, the teaching was at least satisfactory. In three-fifths of the lessons observed, the teaching was judged to be good, being very good in a further third. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 9 These are much higher proportions than those found at the time of the previous inspection. This is largely due to the improved planning that now takes place and the better use made of time and in the general pace of lessons. This is particularly so in English and mathematics where the introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies has had a noticeable effect. As a result, standards in both subjects have risen. Across the school, lessons are very well planned with a clear indication given to pupils of what they are expected to learn. In most, but not all, lessons seen, the tasks set for pupils were appropriately modified to meet

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

the needs of the different pupils in the class. Individual pupils with special educational needs, for example, are well supported by their teachers and high quality teaching assistants. The relationships between teachers and their pupils are very good and based on mutual respect. Pupils generally respond very well to the interesting and challenging tasks set for them and concentrate on their work. As a result, they are learning effectively and achieving much.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of learning opportunities are very good. Pupils receive a rich and interesting curriculum. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils are well monitored and most appropriate strategies are used to deal with their particular needs. They receive most effective support from teachers and classroom assistants. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Pupils are fully included in the life and work of the school, receiving good additional support when necessary.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school successfully places strong emphasis on pupils’ personal development. The provision made for their social, spiritual and moral development is particularly good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Standards of care are high and pupils feel secure, settle well and are well looked after.

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Aspect Comment

The school provides pupils with a very good curriculum that is extended by a sound range of activities outside lessons, such as drama, gardening, art, games and musical activities. The school also makes very good use of visitors and visits to places of interest such as Fishbourne Roman Palace and Anne of Cleeves’s House. The National Curriculum and religious education are very well planned, although certain constraints imposed by the building do mean that not all aspects are as fully exploited as they might be. Such areas include gymnastics and certain elements of art and design, design and technology, ICT and the practical aspects of mathematics and science, although teachers and pupils do their very best to compensate for the shortcomings of the buildings. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language receive particularly good support and are fully included in the life of the school. All pupils are well cared for. The school works very well in

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Aspect Comment

partnership with its parents and is central to the life of the community, all of which provide a most effective learning environment for pupils. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. There is strong, effective leadership shown by the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They are well supported by a committed team of teachers and support staff. There is a clear commitment to raise standards. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors are committed, enthusiastic and determined to help the school to continue to improve. They have a good grasp of finances and understand well the principles of best value. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. A wide range of information is closely analysed and acted upon. As a result, pupils’ standards have improved. The strategic use of resources Good. The budget is well managed. Longer-term planning is good. Resources are used effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The accommodation is barely adequate, notably the hall which is small for gymnastic activities, and most classrooms which, as a result of size, number of pupils and lack of appropriate facilities, such as water, inhibit the full development of pupils’ art and design, design and technology, mathematical and scientific investigative opportunities.

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Aspect Comment

The school is staffed by suitably trained and qualified teachers. Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to pupils’ attainment and learning. Resource provision is at least satisfactory in most subjects. There is a clear desire, both within the management of the school and within the governing body, to bring about continuing improvement. Governors are keen to seek value for money. Day-to-day administrative functions are carried out very well. The school has very good provision in place to apply the principles of best value to decisions made regarding major expenditure.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children make good progress. • Behaviour is good. • The teaching is good. • They feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • The school expects their child to work hard and achieve his or her best. • The school works closely with parents. • The school is well led and managed. • The amount of work their children have to do at home. • Ways to inform them about how their child is getting on.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views. With regard to the areas that a small proportion of parents would like to see improved, inspectors feel that the amount of homework pupils receive is about right for their age, and that ways to inform parents about how their child is getting on are very good. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The 2001 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds show that the proportion of pupils who attain national standards (Level 4) in English, is below the proportion that do so nationally. In mathematics, the school’s results are also below the national proportions, but similar to them in science. Similarly, the proportion who exceed the national average and attain the higher Level 5 is below the national proportion in science and English and well below the proportions that attain Level 5 nationally in mathematics. When the school’s results are compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, they are below average in science and well below average in English and mathematics. Trends over the last three years show that pupils’ overall standards are rising in mathematics and science at a rate that is slightly faster than the national rise in standards. When interpreting these results, care must be taken. In the Year 6 cohort

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

who took the national tests in 2001, a significant proportion had special educational needs. In addition, the cohort size was small making such statistical analysis unrepresentative. Inspection findings show that in the current Year 6 group, the proportion of pupils attaining national standards is likely to be above national proportions in English, mathematics and science. In addition, the proportion attaining the higher Level 5 is also likely to be above national proportions in all three subjects. This is a significant improvement on the last inspection when pupils’ standards were in line with national standards in these three subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The school has done well to raise its overall standards since the last inspection. This has been largely due to the successful introduction of the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies, significant improvements in the quality of teaching since the last inspection and a highly structured approach to the teaching of mathematics in particular. Furthermore, successful analysis of pupils’ performance has meant that pupils’ individual difficulties have been more easily identified, action taken and good, appropriate targets set.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The National Curriculum test results for seven-year-olds in 2001 show that the proportion of pupils attaining national standards is above the national proportion in reading, is similar to it in writing but below that proportion in mathematics. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 is again above national proportions in reading, similar to them in mathematics but below them in writing. Teacher assessments in science show that pupils’ standards are slightly above national standards. When compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, this school’s results are well below average in writing and mathematics and below average in reading. Trends in all three areas over the last three years show an overall rise in standards that is similar to the national rise in standards. As with the Year 6 2001 results, care must be taken with this interpretation, due to the small cohort size and a

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Inspection findings show that in the current Year 2 pupils’ standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science are above average. In all but writing, the proportion attaining the higher Level 3 is also likely to be above the national proportions. In writing, it is not. The school has rightly recognised that higher attaining pupils are not being sufficiently challenged in writing and now has good plans in hand to address the issue. Again, the school has made good progress since the last inspection when standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science were found to be in line with national averages. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 12 5. The attainment of children on entry to the school in the Foundation Stage shows a broad spread of ability. Their overall attainment is about average when compared to children of that age nationally. Children in the Foundation Stage make steady progress in most

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

areas of their learning. They achieve particularly well in their personal, social and emotional development. In this area, because of the good routines established, children settle particularly well and work well with each other, sharing equipment and taking turns when required.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In communication, language and literacy, children begin to listen and speak well. They handle books competently and are beginning to write their own names, as well as recognising simple words. In the mathematical area of their work, they are beginning to understand numbers and how many each figure represents. Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world increase steadily and they begin to understand about places other than Punnetts Town and its surrounding area. They are introduced to the computer and, in their creative development, are able to use a range of media, including paint. Opportunities for their physical development are satisfactory, and there is an appropriate range of play equipment. Largely as a result of the good teaching children receive in the Foundation Stage, nearly all, by the time they begin Year 1, have attained the nationally required early learning goals.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In English, the majority of pupils in Years 1 and 2 listen well and follow instructions, gaining confidence in oral work and in learning to express their thoughts and ideas. This good progress continues during Years 3 to 6 so that by the time pupils are eleven, their speaking and listening skills are well developed. They are confident when asking questions and also when speaking in class. Progress in reading is good in Years 3 to 6. Pupils throughout the school enjoy books and, by eleven, most are keen to talk about their favourite authors and the characters in a book. They can read with a good degree of fluency, accuracy and expression. In writing, most pupils’ rate of progress is rapid in Years 1 and 2 and also in Years 3 to 6, so that, by the age of eleven, pupils can write in a variety of forms and for a variety of purposes. The exception to this rapid rate of progress is the small group of higher attaining pupils in Year 2 who are not attaining the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

levels in writing expected of similar groups of pupils. Insufficient opportunities exist for extended story writing and, in addition, they have not been taught to write in a legible, cursive style.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In mathematics, pupils’ standards at the age of seven are above national standards. They can count and order numbers to 100, solve simple mathematical problems and identify simple fractions. They correctly identify basic shapes and use an increasingly wide vocabulary of mathematical terms in context. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve considerably in the number aspect of mathematics because of the high proportion of good teaching they receive. This good teaching continues in Years 3 to 6 and enables pupils to again achieve much and thus attain standards that are well above national standards. By the age of eleven, pupils can multiply and divide numbers to six figures, they can use all four number processes to two places of decimals and are confident with vulgar fractions, decimal fractions and percentages. In addition, they can construct angles of varying degrees and know the various properties

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

of both two- and three-dimensional shapes. They are most confident in carrying out mathematical investigations and in the handling and interpretation of data although, on occasions, the constraints of the building hamper the extent to which pupils can carry out some mathematical investigations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils have a broad knowledge across all areas of science by the time they are seven, particularly of living things, life processes and materials and their properties. They are Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 13 beginning to observe carefully and to use descriptive vocabulary to good effect. These early scientific skills are appropriately developed in Years 3 to 6 so that, by the age of eleven, they are used in a range of investigations, which helps to promote the learning of scientific knowledge. Pupils have a good understanding of physical process, materials and their properties as well as life processes and living things. Their scientific enquiry skills are appropriately developed although, on occasions, these are hampered by the constraints of the building and by the scheme of work which places insufficient emphasis on the progressive development of these skills

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In the other subjects studied, they exceed the nationally expected levels for seven-year- olds in history and attain expected levels in design and technology, art and design, physical education, geography and music. Pupils make good progress and achieve well in history in Years 1 and 2 with satisfactory achievements being made in the other subjects. Satisfactory progress is also made in religious education so that by the age of seven, they attain standards that are outlined in the locally agreed syllabus.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. In Years 1 and 2, pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress, given their prior attainment levels, and achieve well in English, mathematics, science and history. Satisfactory progress in learning is made in all other subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. In Years 3 to 6, pupils, including those with learning difficulties, make good progress, given their prior attainment levels, and achieve well in mathematics, science, English and history. Satisfactory rates of learning are made in all other subjects except in ICT. Insufficient time is devoted to the formal teaching of the subject and the recent good developments have not had sufficient time to impact on pupils’ achievement in the subject, particularly in Years 5 and 6. As a result, pupils’ levels of attainment in this subject are below those expected of eleven-year-olds nationally. Pupils exceed nationally expected levels in history, English, mathematics and science, attaining nationally expected levels in the remaining subjects. There are, however, wide variations in levels being attained in physical education. Whilst overall levels are similar to national levels, the lack of adequate gymnastics for older pupils means that, in this aspect of the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

subject, standards are likely to be barely satisfactory. Again, this is due to the constraints imposed on this area of physical education by the inadequate building facilities. There is satisfactory achievement in Years 3 to 6 in religious education.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Higher attaining pupils are overall satisfactorily catered for by the school and the rate of progress made by this group is similar to other pupils given their prior attainment levels. The exception to this is the small group of higher attaining pupils who do not reach sufficiently high standards in the writing element of English by the end of Year 2. In all subjects, pupils who have English as an additional language achieve as well as their peers. This is because they are well supported in their learning and fully included in the life and work of the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. The overall achievement of pupils with special educational needs is good. They make good progress and achieve the standards of which they are capable. This is due to the fact that they receive considerable support in small, focused groups, especially for English and mathematics, and also because they are given very good additional support in morning sessions by teaching assistants within a whole-class setting.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

15. National test results for the past few years have been very well analysed to enable the school to monitor pupils’ overall attainment and learning. In response to this analysis, targets for improvement have been appropriately set in English and mathematics. There is every indication to suggest that the school will be successful in meeting the performance targets set this year. There is no significant difference in the rate of Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 14 learning by boys and girls. A survey of parents showed that almost all parents are very satisfied with the amount of progress their children make. The school has done well to raise its pupils’ standards so significantly, particularly in English, mathematics and science, since the time of the previous inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils have very good attitudes to the school. Their attitudes to work are good or better in well over nine out of ten lessons. They work hard, concentrate well and keenly answer teachers’ questions. Pupils like and are proud of their school. In the week of the inspection, Foundation Stage children bowed and said ‘good morning’ in Japanese to celebrate the World Cup. The school is at the heart of the Punnetts Town community and pupils of all ages study and learn about the village environment. In Years 5 and 6, they research its history in their Victorian studies. In Years 1 and 2, they walk to the nearby source of a river and discover features of the church and the local landscape. This strong sense of family and community has a very positive impact on their learning. The recent Jubilee commemoration was a high point for the school. Pupils played a major part in the street party on the school playground, which the Deputy Lord

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Lieutenant of East Sussex visited. He wrote that it was a day they would never forget. ‘It was exciting, colourful and full of fun and enjoyment’.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Behaviour is very good. Pupils behave very well in lessons and also around the school. They eagerly compete for and win stamps and merit awards for good work and good behaviour. Assemblies and lunchtimes are orderly occasions and pupils welcome visitors with courtesy, friendship and confidence. Pupils respect the building and the playground, keeping them free from litter. Bullying is rare. A parent spoke of one instance last year when his child felt she was not included in play with other pupils in her class. The school quickly resolved the problem and, within a short time, she was fully involved in the playground activities. The school is free from sexist behaviour and racist language. It did not exclude any pupil in the past year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils relate very well to one another, to their teachers and to other adults at the school. They gladly work together and share resources. Children in the Foundation Stage are very conscientious about taking turns on the computer. When teachers ask pupils to work in pairs, they find partners quickly. Friendships work well across the different age groups. A particular feature of break times is the way that the older pupils take care of the younger children in the playground. They make sure they are happy and have someone to play with. Each May, Year 6 pupils coach and partner the Foundation Stage children in dancing round the Maypole. Pupils are very well aware that they need to consider how their actions are going to affect others. They have good respect for other people’s beliefs and feelings. For example, a discussion of other faiths had a deep effect on pupils in Years 3 and 4 in a religious education lesson.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Pupils show very good personal responsibility. They take the register to the office and carry out other tasks in their classroom. They collect successfully for charities. The school council started only recently, but it is already extending pupils’ understanding of how to play their part in the school community. Each class elects a boy and a girl as their representatives. Pupils stand for election and deliver their own ‘manifesto’. A Year 5 pupil wrote ‘If you have a good idea, I’ll try to make it possible’. Pupils built up their teamwork and maturity in the recent residential visit to an activity centre on the Isle of Wight. A pupil wrote, ‘My best achievement was the high ropes. I didn’t want to do it at first because it looked too high and a bit dangerous. After I had completed the first level, I had the choice of going up or going down. I chose up and I completed the whole thing. WOW!’ Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 15

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Pupils attend well. The rate of 95.3 per cent in 2000/01 is 1.4 per cent above the national primary average. It has improved by 1.2 per cent since the previous inspection. There are no unauthorised absences. Punctuality is good. Pupils arrive promptly, greet their teachers pleasantly at registration and make a prompt and purposeful start to their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Across the school, the quality of teaching, including that of children in the Foundation Stage, is at least satisfactory in all lessons. Of these, the quality of teaching is good in three-fifths of the lessons and very good in a further third. There are no lessons where the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory. These proportions of good and very good teaching are higher than normally found. The good teaching that all pupils receive, particularly in English, mathematics and science, has a positive impact on their learning and, as a result, on the standards that they attain.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching has improved considerably since the previous inspection in 1997. At that time, most teaching was considered to be satisfactory with one in seven lessons being unsatisfactory. In addition, the proportions of good and very good teaching have also increased considerably. This increase in the quality of teaching is as a result of a variety of factors. Firstly, changes in some of the teaching staff have resulted in several new, highly competent teachers being appointed to supplement the existing good staff. Secondly, there has been an increased awareness of the need to monitor teachers’ practice within their classroom. The headteacher and her deputy visit classrooms to monitor the teaching and to work alongside teachers in order to develop their skills. This process is having a positive impact on teaching quality. Finally, the introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies in recent years has also

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

given teachers a good framework for planning and more precise direction in the delivery of lessons. All these factors have made a contribution to the improvement in the quality of teaching and this in turn has had a favourable impact on pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The National Literacy Strategy has been most successfully implemented and it is taught well. Teachers plan their lessons in great detail, are clear about the Strategy’s structure and use the plenary session particularly well to reinforce pupils’ learning. In the best practice, teaching is lively and exciting with good use being made of texts to stimulate pupils and challenge their thinking. This ensures that pupils in these lessons achieve much.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching of numeracy is also good. There is an effective focus on the development of mental arithmetic with regular, challenging questions at the start of most lessons. Teachers encourage pupils to explain their methods of calculating solutions to problems. Lessons develop well with appropriate activities being set to match pupils’ prior attainment levels. The pupils enjoy their numeracy lessons, being well motivated by the work they have to do. As a result, most pupils achieve well in their learning of mathematical skills and concepts.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The high proportion of good and very good teaching is characterised by a variety of factors. Lessons are introduced in a way that catches pupils’ imagination and gives a clear focus to the lesson. Similarly, teachers ask concise questions that challenge pupils’ understanding and require them to articulate their thoughts clearly. This was particularly noticeable in a very good Year 4 mathematics lesson where pupils, as part of the mental arithmetic session, were required to count both forwards and backwards in ‘steps’ of threes. The pupils really enjoyed the activity and talked with enthusiasm Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 16 about such introductory sessions. In such sessions, pupils are keen to answer and, even though they sometimes get the answer wrong, teachers, through skilful questioning, help their pupils to find the correct answers. This very good lesson quickly moved pupils on to making a Carroll diagram. The work they were asked to do was

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

broken down into varying levels of difficulty, well matched to pupils’ prior attainment levels. Some pupils found the process difficult at first but, as a result of the teacher’s high expectations and her persistent challenging, all achieved much during the course of the lesson. By the end, most had grasped the concept of Carroll diagrams and what they represent. Such very good lessons are well structured and proceed at a very good pace.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Other characteristics of very good lessons are where teachers manage their pupils well, expecting and getting good behaviour, as well as managing the use of resources in such a way that enhances their pupils’ learning. This was evident in a good Year 1 science lesson where pupils were looking at seed heads. The very good use of seed pods and magnifying glasses meant that pupils’ learning was effectively enhanced by them being able to touch and closely observe the inside of the seed pods. Good, high quality questioning by the teacher ensured that there was a progressive development of pupils’ investigative skills. Pupils became totally involved in their investigations and many were excited by them. Despite the pupils’ obvious enthusiasm, the skill shown by their teacher in challenging the pupils ensured that they remained engrossed in their work and that good standards of behaviour were maintained. As a direct result, pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

achieved a great deal during the course of the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Where teaching is not as good, though never unsatisfactory, it is usually where a particular group of pupils are presented with less challenging work or where the amount of work they are required to do in a given period of time is insufficient. On these occasions, although pupils never become disruptive, they sometimes lose interest. As a result, their rate of learning falls and less is achieved.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach. This is most noticeable in English, mathematics and science. In subjects where such knowledge is most secure, pupils’ achievement is greatly enhanced. In some subjects, such as ICT, teachers’ own knowledge and confidence are less secure. As a result, pupils’ achievement in this subject is slower. The school rightly recognises this and has a programme of in-service training planned to address the issue.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Teachers’ planning of pupils’ work is very good and often identifies what pupils of different levels of prior attainment will be required to do. This is particularly so in English and mathematics. In addition, such plans identify what resources will be required during the lesson. These are used well by teachers to enhance pupils’ learning and the amount of progress they make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. The quality and use of day-to-day assessment is good. Teachers are skilled in using questions to check and challenge pupils’ initial responses. Good use is made of plenary sessions at the end of the many lessons to assess what pupils have learned in that lesson and to reinforce further their subject knowledge and understanding. In subjects other than English and mathematics, teachers’ recording of their pupils’ attainments and the subsequent use of that to plan the next pieces of work for them is more limited. Furthermore, the marking of pupils’ work is variable, ranging from unsatisfactory, where work is barely marked at all, to very good, where pupils are given a clear indication of how well they have done and what they now need to do to continue to improve. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 17 31. Pupils who have English as an additional language are fully integrated into classroom activities. They are given tasks appropriate to their learning needs. Teachers give them

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

good support, and extra effective support is often provided by teaching assistants, as well as by the visiting teacher for pupils with English as an additional language. Teachers effectively monitor the learning made by these pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. Pupils with special educational needs work well when given targeted teaching and very good support in small, focused groups, especially in English and mathematics. These small groups are taught by the special educational needs co-ordinator and the achievement of most pupils working within them is good. Procedures for assessing the needs of pupils are very good and monitoring of individual pupil’s progress is carried out on a regular basis. The special educational needs co-ordinator works closely with class teachers to ensure pupils’ needs are fully met and they are not excluded from the whole-class curriculum. The planning of work for pupils with special educational needs in support groups is good and this is reflected in the achievement of the pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

33. In a survey carried out prior to the inspection, 87 per cent of parents were satisfied with the work their children were required to do at home. The inspection team found that the homework set by teachers is appropriate for the age of pupils to whom it relates and is often closely linked to ongoing work in the classroom.

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PUPILS?

34. The broad, well-balanced curriculum fully meets statutory requirements. It is very relevant to the needs of all pupils and provides rich opportunities for pupils to acquire a good breadth and depth of knowledge across the whole curriculum. The school is effective in ensuring that all pupils are receiving equality of opportunity to succeed though, at times, more could be expected of higher attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2, for example in the quality of their writing and their presentation of work. Religious education conforms to the locally agreed syllabus and makes an effective contribution to pupils’ spiritual and moral development. Pupils with special educational needs are involved in all of the activities of the school and provision for these pupils is a strength of the school. Those who have difficulties in learning have, at times, other talents recognised. For example, in art and design and swimming lessons, their skills are sometimes

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presented to other pupils as exemplars of good practice. Those identified as higher attaining pupils have their knowledge and skills extended by challenging tasks in many lessons. Those few pupils for whom English is an additional language have a good understanding of English and their needs are appropriately met, enabling them to succeed as well as others in the class. This is a fully inclusive school in which everyone is valued. Good links between subjects are established and this has the effect of enhancing learning. The school has successfully implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and these are having a positive effect on standards with these skills used widely across the curriculum. A weakness in the otherwise very good curricular provision is the discrete teaching of skills in ICT.

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PUPILS?

35. Although provision has improved for ICT and also for design and technology since the previous inspection, further improvement is needed to ensure that basic skills in ICT are carefully taught and systematically developed. This has implications for the amount of time allocated. Provision for physical education, in particular the gymnastics and dance elements, is inhibited by the constraints of the small hall and limited large equipment. This is particularly so for the older pupils in the school. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 18 36. Some children are withdrawn from lessons from time to time, for example for violin lessons. This is currently not monitored carefully enough to ensure that pupils do not always miss the same lesson. Also, when pupils return to their class following a period of withdrawal, insufficient attention is given by some teachers to ensure that pupils are reintegrated carefully into lessons and are informed about what is happening in the

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PUPILS?

37. The curriculum for the children in the Foundation Stage is good. Lesson planning is detailed and the children have access to a good range of suitable activities and learning experiences. Much of the curriculum is based on the National Curriculum but within this, additional activities reflecting the early learning goals and the stepping stones related to them are given, which prepare children well for studying subjects of the National Curriculum when they are ready.

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PUPILS?

38. Since the last inspection, much has been done to encourage a cohesive approach towards the curriculum. Most subject policies have been updated, although a few remain outstanding. The national guidelines have been adapted as schemes of work. Teachers’ planning is now very good in most subjects, with clear learning objectives and identified assessment opportunities. Work is usually well matched to meet the differing needs of pupils. Time allocated to subjects, other than ICT, is organised well to ensure pupils receive a rewarding, worthwhile learning experience.

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PUPILS?

39. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good when pupils are taught in small, focused support groups and when pupils are given extra support within class by teaching assistants. The school’s systems for identifying and assessing pupils with special educational needs are very good. On entry to the school, pupils’ needs are identified early because of the comprehensive monitoring procedures. Individual education plans are very good and contain specific and attainable targets for pupils to achieve. Pupils who are withdrawn for support groups follow the same programmes of study as other pupils and their progress is reviewed three times each year. Planning in support groups is very good and is closely linked to pupils’ needs.

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PUPILS?

40. The school’s programme for personal, social and health education and citizenship is very good. It includes the required emphasis upon the dangers associated with the misuse of drugs and includes provision for sex education. The school has given high priority to pupils’ personal development. The quality of provision contributes to the very positive attitudes shown by most pupils. There are good opportunities, particularly within circle time, for feelings, relationships and other topics concerned with citizenship to be explored. Pupils develop an understanding of increasingly complex issues in a secure and supportive environment. Class teachers also deepen pupils’ understanding through areas such as art and design, drama and extended writing.

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41. By the time pupils reach Year 6, they have developed a very good level of independence and maturity. The development of good relationships and consideration for others is deeply embedded in the life and work of the school. Considerable efforts are made to foster pupils’ self-esteem, to enrich their experiences and to develop them as ‘rounded’, confident young people.

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42. Provision for extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. This includes drama club, art club, swimming and gardening clubs as well as musical and sporting opportunities. Visits to places of educational interest, such as the British Museum and Anne of Cleeves’s House, enhance the curriculum in several areas. Very good use is made of the residential visit for older pupils, developing social skills, building self-esteem and Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 19 enhancing learning, as well as pupils’ personal development. Pupils have the opportunity to learn to play the violin and all pupils learn to play the recorder.

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43. The school has forged very good links with the community. Many opportunities are provided for children to participate in fundraising events, most of which are initiated by the pupils themselves. This was evident in the letters to the headteacher requesting opportunities to raise funds for the elderly or the poor and suggesting possible events to do so.

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PUPILS?

44. The school took a major role in the recent community project to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. There are close links with the churches in the area and the school uses the different churches for its Harvest Festival and Carol Service. Once a year, the school holds a Macmillan coffee morning and they also raise money for diabetes in support of two children in the school with this medical condition. The local community also makes use of the school’s facilities. For example, the library houses the village war memorial. The community holds both the headteacher and the school in very high regard.

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PUPILS?

45. The school has very good links with its partner institutions. The Heathfield cluster of schools share training days, writers in residence, and the literacy and numeracy co- ordinators meet regularly. Joint projects with the secondary school, such as the bridging unit for mathematics, ease the transition into their new school for Year 6 pupils. Other projects include a dance project based on the ‘Jungle Book’, and a planned ‘Commonwealth Games’ project, whilst identified gifted and talented children are invited to attend a summer school. The Foundation Stage enjoys good links with pre-school provision in the area.

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PUPILS?

46. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good. Acts of collective worship and religious education make a significant contribution to the sense of family which permeates the school. The school provides some knowledge of, and insight into, different faiths and religious beliefs. Forgiveness, sharing and caring are explored fully in lessons and assemblies. Awe and wonder are developed well through planned and spontaneous activities, such as the class walk through Southfield to the stile at the top of the hill where one pupil in Year R/1 exclaimed, ‘I can see the whole of the world from here!’ Carefully planned opportunities, such as the observation of different seed heads with the youngest children and sharing of poetry and literature with older pupils, following work in the cluster with a ‘writer’ in residence, fuel the imaginations of the pupils and stimulate them to pause, reflect and ask questions.

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PUPILS?

47. Writing about ‘The Journey’ included powerful emotions for example,

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‘How long did it take?’ For ever and a year. Why did you travel? To fulfil a dream. What was it like? Cold, icy, A land filled with peace; How did you feel? Lonely, nervous, magical, as if I really belong here!’

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48. One very good assembly reinforced forgiveness and caring for one another as the headteacher explained the significance of a painting of Spinola, following a war between the Spanish and the Dutch. The delightful gardens around the school, including a Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 20 Victorian garden, meadow garden, wild garden and Millennium garden, with attractive willow shelters, provide a haven for spiritual development through reflection.

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49. There is very good provision for pupils’ moral development. Teaching and support staff provide very good role models for pupils. Adults encourage pupils to behave responsibly because they care about pupils in their charge and want them to succeed. Pupils of all ages have a clear understanding of right and wrong. The structure for rewarding good behaviour and effort, including celebration assembles, makes a strong contribution towards promoting good behaviour. Moral development is firmly underpinned by the school’s code of behaviour. Pupils’ self-esteem and confidence are enhanced by positive praise and encouragement. The supportive approach is successful in helping pupils to become self-disciplined. The positive ethos of the school encourages pupils to think about the world in which they live and to care for others and the environment. In their lessons in subjects such as religious education and history for example, pupils

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have an opportunity to discuss moral issues such as slavery. The local School Liaison Police Officer visits to discuss the need for law and order and why we have the systems we do.

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50. The provision for pupils’ social development is very good. The very good quality relationships are at the heart of the school’s success. Pupils undertake an increasing range of responsibilities in the classroom and around the school. They initiate numerous fundraising activities including support for the Macmillan coffee morning, raising funds for diabetes and helping the elderly and those less fortunate than themselves, such as the Ugandan orphans in the Watoto Choir. Pupils contribute harvest baskets to the local community and send them to the sheltered accommodation. The recently formed school council determines the charity work for the year.

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51. Extra-curricular activities, such as the swimming club, are used well to extend social skills, and group work in lessons frequently highlights the good level of co-operation. There are many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and make important decisions. Circle time focuses on care for each other, sharing and friendship. Pupils play and work together with care and consideration towards others. Older pupils give up part of their lunchtime to care for the younger children when they first start school. Educational visits support pupils in their personal development, in particular the opportunity for a residential experience on the Isle of Wight develops skills of living together as a community, co-operating, communicating, negotiating and recognising each other’s strengths.

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52. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. Pupils learn about other faiths, cultures and traditions through religious education, literacy, history, geography, art and design and music. Displays around school heighten pupils’ aesthetic awareness and knowledge of their own and other cultures. Aztec masks made of clay, artwork in the style of Cezanne, Van Gogh and modern artists such as Andy Warhol have pride of place. Visits to museums, Anne of Cleeves’s House and other places of interest further enhance the cultural provision. Pupils take part in local events such as the Millennium play area and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. Through literature they are introduced to the work of famous authors such as Dickens and Shakespeare, taking part in a Shakespeare workshop every other year. The school gardens increase their knowledge and understanding of their own culture. Pupils take part in the Heathfield

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music festivals and East Sussex carol concerts. They enjoy visits from a string quartet and a professional percussionist. Visitors to school, such as artists and poets, enrich the curriculum offered. As part of religious education, pupils visit the local churches and the synagogue. They acknowledge festivals and religious events in some major world Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 21 faiths. Jewish and Hindu visitors increase pupils’ knowledge and understanding of other faiths.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. The school continues the good standard of care noted in the previous report and maintains a high standard of pastoral care. Arrangements for first aid are effective. Two members of staff have current three-year certificates. Other staff have specific training in first aid for children. The school has a well-equipped medical room. It keeps records and notifies parents if there is an injury. It has appropriate procedures for child protection. The headteacher is the designated liaison officer. She makes sure that both teaching and non-teaching staff are aware of requirements.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. Staff and governors follow good procedures for health and safety. A group of governors inspects the premises regularly. The caretaker checks every day and corrects minor issues as she sees them. She keeps the school in good, clean condition. However, there are concerns. Three of the school’s four classes are in mobile classrooms. They have no washbasins or toilets. The school has installed slip-resistant steps into one mobile, and is about to do the same for another. In the main building, staff and pupils have to be careful when doing indoor physical education in the hall as it is very cramped.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. The school has significantly improved its monitoring of pupils’ academic progress since the previous inspection which found that, whilst assessment procedures were in place, teachers did not use assessment information sufficiently in their planning. The school now has good assessment systems, with a strong focus on literacy and numeracy. It uses these systems well.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. The headteacher, deputy head, special educational needs co-ordinator and class teachers work together closely as a team to ensure that recording and assessment are thorough. Assessment for Foundation Stage children provides accurate information for their continued development. Optional end-of-year tests for Years 3, 4 and 5, reading tests, national tests and a variety of other standardised assessments are analysed and used to assess progress. This ensures that teachers have a clear picture of what their pupils know and can do. They set targets for individual pupils and for their whole class. The analysis of the tests shows where a pupil needs extra help. The school’s use of assessment information has helped high proportions of Year 6 pupils to achieve above average levels in the national tests. The only area in the national tests where this did not work so well this year was in writing at the end of Year 2, where no pupil gained the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

higher Level 3. The school is already planning to help next year’s pupils to build up the necessary skills in writing.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. Assessment procedures for pupils with special educational needs are very good. Information is used very effectively to produce very good individual education plans and pupil progress is monitored on a regular basis. Information is then used when reviewing plans and setting new targets for pupils. Parents, class teachers, teaching assistants and the special educational needs co-ordinator are usually involved in all stages of drawing up and reviewing individual education plans and pupils are also brought into the process. Similar, effective systems are in place to support those pupils with English as an additional language.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. The school monitors and supports pupils’ personal development very well. Teachers know their pupils and their families, and relate to them effectively. The school uses cards to acknowledge achievement in attitudes, behaviour, relationships and personal Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 22 development. The annual reports to parents review the child’s personal progress most carefully. The school council, formed at the start of the present term, is running successfully. Pupils canvass ideas for school improvement from other pupils in their class. The school gave them the opportunity to discuss whether to repair the drinking fountains in the playground, or to replace them at higher cost. The council maturely decided that, much as they would love some new fountains, it would be better to spend the money on other improvements.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

59. The school has very good attendance procedures. The use of a computer system allows it to monitor individual and group patterns of attendance quickly and effectively. The secretary contacts the family by mid-morning if parents have not given the reason for an absence. This has reduced the number of unauthorised absences to zero. Since the last inspection, the school has introduced a ‘late book’. The effectiveness of this book is evident from the fact that there have been only eight late arrivals in the term to date. This is a high standard of punctuality.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

60. The school’s behaviour and discipline policy is very good. Pupils respond positively to the chance to win praise, stickers and certificates. They respect the sanctions. Teachers manage their classes very well in lessons. They receive high quality support from their assistants, both in class and at lunchtimes. Staff and older pupils organise the wide range of play equipment at break times, and often take part in the games. This has a direct and positive impact on pupils’ behaviour. Within the behaviour policy there are strong measures against bullying, harassment or other oppressive behaviour. The school recently admitted a pupil who had suffered bullying at another school. Her mother says that Punnetts Town School not only helped her daughter settle in happily, it also built up the confidence with which she will transfer to her secondary school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61. Parents have a very good opinion of the school. This is an improvement on the already positive picture shown in the previous report. Parents’ answers to the present questionnaire are very positive. The response level (67 per cent) is much higher than usual. Parents value the part the school plays in the life of their community. A parent interviewed said, ‘The school is very caring. It’s like a family. There is always something going on, and the children are so enthusiastic’. At the pre-inspection meeting, parents expressed concern about the small size of the mobile classrooms and the hall. However, a parent says, ‘The children do not feel crowded. The school manages its space very well’.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62. The school has very good links with parents. There are formal meetings with the class teacher in the Autumn and Summer terms, with an informal meeting taking place in the Spring Term. In addition, parents are able to meet with their child’s class teacher at the beginning of each term to discuss the curriculum for the forthcoming term and are offered suggestions as to how they can support their child’s learning at home. The second Monday of every month is ‘open house’ when parents visit their children’s class and view their work with them and the teacher. Every week, the headteacher, special educational needs co-ordinator and teachers hold ‘surgeries’ at which parents can consult them about a concern. Parents of pupils with special educational needs take part in reviews of their individual education plans. The parent teacher association raises funds for extra resources. It provides support to help the school achieve full inclusion of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

pupils who have financial difficulties at activities such as music festivals and drama workshops. Parents take part in the friends’ association, which draws support from the whole community. Both associations run events in which pupils play a full part, such as the ‘Easter Fun Day’ and the Christmas Fair. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 23 63. The school provides very good information for parents. The annual reports on their children are of high quality. Teachers write detailed accounts of what each child knows and can do in English, mathematics and science. Comments on the other subjects are shorter, but still individual to the child. The target section at the end of the report gives parents clear guidance about how they can help their child improve. Parents get frequent newsletters about events and the life of the school. Parents of children in Years 2 and 6 appreciate the school’s small leaflet about how to help them prepare for the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

national tests. The governors’ annual report and the prospectus are very attractively presented and easy to read. There are minor omissions of statutory information, which the school has undertaken to rectify.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

64 The quality of written information produced by the school to inform parents about the identification, assessment and progress of pupils with special educational needs is very good. Parents are involved in all stages of the initial and review processes of drawing up individual education plans. They are kept very well informed of pupil progress.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

65. Parents make a very good contribution to their children’s learning because the school sets out to work with them. In this small school of only four classes, six parents come regularly to help every week. About 20 parents help with swimming and the after-school clubs. Parents provide skills and experience for special lessons. For example, a parent who had lived in Jamaica organised a ‘Jamaica Day’. Pupils ate exotic fruit and learned to sing ‘Yellow Bird’. The school’s homework policy works very effectively. Parents of the younger children share books frequently with their children at home. For older children, the school makes clear its expectations for homework and gives parents a homework timetable. The homework diary has columns for comments by the teacher and the parent. There is also a column to record how long it took the child to do the work.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The previous inspection report described the leadership of the school as being good. This has not only been maintained but also successfully built upon. Indeed, a high proportion of those parents who responded to the questionnaire about the school felt that the school was well led and managed. This very good quality of leadership and management has a positive effect on many aspects of school life. The headteacher provides very good leadership and has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. She is most ably supported by the deputy headteacher and, together, they give the school a clear purpose and direction. The headteacher works closely with her governors and members of staff to continue to raise standards and improve the quality of teaching. Her clear vision for the future is evident in her determination to raise pupils’ standards of attainment by focusing on several key

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

strategies. For example, the need to raise pupils’ standards in ICT. In addition, she sees the need to continue to successfully develop higher attaining pupils’ writing skills in Years 1 and 2. These, together with several other strategies, are built into the school’s good development plan. The plan clearly identifies key areas for action, steps to be taken to achieve that goal, staffing and budgetary implications as well as time implications. The whole staff, both teaching and non-teaching, work very closely as a most successful team, and are very well supported by an able and caring headteacher who recognises the importance of developing the strong team identity.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school’s vision statement compiled in 1998 and reviewed annually is good, clearly defined and underpins much of the school’s work and life. On occasions, not all policies Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 24 are reflected in the practice of the school. For example, the school has an appropriate marking policy. However, this is not always adhered to by all members of staff in providing pupils with sufficient guidance on how they can continue to improve their work. Within school, all pupils are highly valued and well cared for and are encouraged to develop into well-motivated and self-disciplined pupils. The school is particularly successful in achieving its aim of creating positive attitudes towards work in its pupils. The school has an explicit commitment to the attainment of high standards and is aware of the importance of meeting the needs of pupils of all attainment levels. With both lower and higher attaining pupils it is largely successful, although as the school

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

has recognised, a small minority of higher attaining pupils at the end of Year 2 are not reaching the levels expected of such a group nationally.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. To assist its basic aim of raising standards, the school has collected a very good range of data to enable it to monitor pupils’ progress. The analysis is well managed by the headteacher, who can provide detailed information on individual year groups of pupils in the school. The information is used well to provide realistic and challenging targets for the school, particularly in English and mathematics.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. There are structures and procedures in place to monitor standards and provision. Overall, these procedures are good. The headteacher monitors teaching in classrooms and she and the deputy headteacher also monitor pupils’ learning, by scrutinising teachers’ planning and, on occasions, pupils’ work in books. Members of the governing body also monitor the work in classrooms. Each governor is assigned to an area of the curriculum and, as that area is designated for review, they discuss it with the relevant co-ordinator, visit classrooms and feed back their findings to the curriculum and special needs committee.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. The curriculum co-ordinators for numeracy and literacy monitor teaching and learning by direct observation in classrooms. However, this is not as yet a practice common to all subject areas. Other subject co-ordinators rarely monitor progress by scrutinising pupils’ completed work, although they do hold discussions with colleagues to help support teaching and learning in specific subject areas. However, most have yet to observe teaching directly through classroom observation in order to provide support for their colleagues. Staff meet to discuss the effectiveness of curricular provision and examine results of statutory tests in order to evaluate pupils’ attainment and progress.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The special educational needs co-ordinator carries out the responsibilities of the post very effectively. An accurate register is maintained which ensures that all pupils’ individual education plans are regularly reviewed. Staff are fully aware of their responsibilities and have received good guidance on the new National Code of Practice for these pupils. The additional funds made available for pupils with special educational needs are most appropriately used to provide very effective learning support assistants and appropriate resources. These are used well in order to achieve the school’s priorities for special educational needs. This ensures that pupils with special educational needs make good progress given their prior attainment levels.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. The small number of pupils who have English as an additional language are well catered for and fully included in school life. Additional support is well targeted to their needs and all staff work hard to ensure that all pupils are treated equally and fairly. In this the school’s procedures are effective and most successful.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The governing body is very effective in its work. It is well led and fulfils its responsibilities most efficiently. It is appropriately constituted and has the relevant committee structure in place to consider such areas as finance and building as well as curriculum and Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 25 staffing. As a result, governors play a very good part in working alongside the headteacher to provide effective leadership for the school. Most governors have a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They carry out their statutory responsibilities fully.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. The school has good systems in place for the induction of new staff. The progress of a member of staff returning to teaching after a long break was monitored through the school’s systems for performance management. Her developmental needs were identified and appropriate help and training were provided. The school’s provision for the training of new teachers is good.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. The headteacher and governors have appropriately identified priorities for raising achievement and these are listed in the school improvement plan, which details costings and success criteria. The school makes very good use of specific grants and additional funding and these are used for their designated purposes. Spending decisions are linked well to educational priorities, such as trying to improve the provision for ICT, although the school does not yet have any systems in place to judge the impact of such spending decisions on the curriculum or on standards. Overall finances are well managed and the school has very good systems in place to apply the principles of best value to decisions made regarding major expenditure. The school’s use of new technology is satisfactory.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

76. Effective use is made of teaching support staff and resources to support and enhance pupils’ learning. Non-teaching staff are pleasant, friendly and efficient and appropriate use is made of new technology for financial control and administrative work. The parents and teachers’ association works hard to provide the school with valuable extra funding with events such as fashion shows and ‘Easter Fundays’.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

77. The match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is good. Teaching staff are well qualified and ably helped by teaching assistants who are used well within classrooms to support pupils’ learning. In several lessons, teaching assistants worked well with groups of pupils whilst they completed tasks set by the teacher.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

78. The school’s accommodation is barely adequate to meet the needs of teaching the National Curriculum. The hall is too small for gymnastic activities. Pupils have to queue up outside in all weather conditions when entering the hall for assemblies, physical education lessons and lunches. Furthermore, only one classroom is located within the main school building, all others being housed in temporary accommodation, some of which has been in place since 1964. These temporary classrooms are small and lack appropriate facilities, such as water or toilets. They inhibit the teaching of subjects such as art and design and design and technology as well as mathematical and scientific investigation opportunities. The fabric of some of these buildings is now deteriorating and areas of damp are visible on the walls. These damp conditions have adversely affected some of the school’s equipment stored in these classrooms.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. Resources are satisfactory and used well. The resources for some subjects, such as mathematics, science and history, are good but other subject areas, notably ICT, are lacking in suitable resources and this affects pupils’ achievement. Although the school does not have its own playing fields, outdoor provision is satisfactory and pupils’ games activities are supported well by the large village playing fields sited opposite the school. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 26

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

80. In order to build upon the many positive aspects of the school, the governors, headteacher and staff, in co-operation with the local education authority should:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise pupils’ standards, by the age of eleven, in ICT by:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) putting into place the existing plans for the expansion of both hardware and software; b) developing further programmes of in-service training for some teachers and classroom assistants to enhance their confidence in the teaching of the subject; c) ensuring that sufficient time is devoted to teaching the skills of the subject; d) developing the planned programme for teaching pupils the skills and knowledge and understanding associated with the subject. (Paragraphs: 12, 34, 35, 66, 79, 104, 115, 144, 159, 160, 162, 163, 170)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Raise the standards that higher attaining pupils achieve in writing by the end of Year 2 by:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) providing more opportunities for pupils to produce writing for a wide range of audience as well as more extended pieces of writing; b) developing pupils’ handwriting skills to enable this group of pupils to produce a legible cursive style of handwriting. (Paragraphs: 4, 7, 56, 67, 91, 99, 100, 109)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Adopt a more systematic approach to the marking of pupils’ work in order to ensure that:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) all pupils’ work is marked regularly; b) marking gives pupils a clear indication of what they need to do to improve their work further. (Paragraphs: 30, 67, 107, 119, 121, 129, 149, 157, 180)

p.26

the action plan:

• Seek ways to improve pupils’ handwriting and the presentation of their work throughout the school. (Paragraphs: 100, 105, 109, 149, 157)

p.26

the action plan:

• In order for the full National Curriculum to be delivered to the highest possible standard, urgent improvements are needed in the following areas:

p.26

the action plan:

• The school hall; the provision of water in classrooms; the provision of additional space for the practical aspects of art and design, design and technology, mathematics and science. (Paragraphs: 12, 78, 128, 174) Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 27

p.26

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.27

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 three percentage points.

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 115

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 53

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 5

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.27

Attendance

School data 4.7 School data 0.0 Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 28 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.27

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 29

p.28

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 6 10 16

p.29

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.29

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

Boys 5 5 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 8 8

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (76) 81 (71) 88 (65) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.29

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.29

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

Boys 5 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 9 9

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (71) 94 (65) 94 (65) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.29

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

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

p.29

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 5 8 13

p.29

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.29

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

Boys 4 4 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 6 6 8

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 77 (71) 77 (71) 100 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.29

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.29

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

Boys 4 4 4 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 7 7 7

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (67) 85 (71) 85 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.29

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 30

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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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.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.5 Financial year 2001/2002

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21:1

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 269,962

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 271,561

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 72 Expenditure per pupil 2,335

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 6,473

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) Balance carried forward to next year 4,874

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 31 FTE means full-time equivalent. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 32

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 58 40 1 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 39 1 0 5

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 39 48 10 0 3

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 57 31 9 3 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 26 0 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 70 30 0 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 57 40 0 3 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 61 35 3 1 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 69 26 5 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 44 43 3 6 4 Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 33

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

81. Children are admitted to the mixed Year 1/Reception class at the start of the school year in which they become five years old. At the time of the inspection, there were 14 children in the Foundation Stage. Analysis of early assessment information indicates that attainment is about average. This is a similar picture to that found at the time of the previous inspection.

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

82. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and children achieve well in the areas of learning studied. The curriculum offered is broad and balanced and the teacher endeavours to provide an appropriate range of activities to meet the needs of the youngest children within this mixed age class. Planning is effective although insufficient reference is made to the early learning goals and the learning environment is structured more around the National Curriculum than the Foundation Stage. However, teaching is good, founded on realistic expectations of what different children can achieve. Effective teamwork and appropriate deployment of the classroom assistant ensure that all children are fully included and given tasks that match their needs and abilities. At present, there are no children identified as having special educational needs. One child with English as an additional language speaks good English and has no problems with

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

her learning, having attended a nursery prior to starting school. Work is regularly assessed and carefully annotated so that the progress children make is systematically recorded. Information gained is used to reassess groupings on a regular basis so that work is set at the right level of challenge for all. As a result, children make good gains in their learning. Many are already working within the National Curriculum Level 1 in mathematics and some aspects of English, and all are likely to achieve the levels expected for children of this age by the time they start in Year 1.

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

83. Teaching in this area of learning is good. As a result, most children have already achieved the level of personal development expected by the early learning goals at the end of the school year, with a significant number exceeding it. Children are helped to become confident, friendly and well behaved. They are expected to take responsibility, for example dressing and undressing for games and swimming independently, and they do so without any fuss. Expectations of behaviour, attitudes and independence are high and the children endeavour to please. They listen attentively to the adults and to each other, taking turns to speak, contributing eagerly to discussions and responding to questions enthusiastically. They tackle the work set with confidence in most cases. Many children are articulate and are happy to explain their work to an adult. Relationships are good. Children move confidently about the classroom, hall and

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

playground. Most children make good progress.

p.33

Communication, language and literacy

84. Most children make good progress in developing communication, language and literacy skills and are likely to achieve the early learning goals by the end of the year, with a significant proportion exceeding them. This is due to good teaching in these important basic skills. Children are given frequent opportunities to speak aloud to the rest of the class or to an adult, and they are confident when doing so. Many are articulate and provide detailed explanations, having good speaking and listening skills. For example, they explain about the seed heads in a science lesson and are excited at what they find. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 34 ‘Some are outside. Look! And some are on the inside!’ says one child of the Honesty seeds. The children are full of awe and wonder at the different seed pods. Basic skills in reading and writing are carefully taught so that the relationship between the two is

p.33

Communication, language and literacy

constantly reinforced. Most children recognise the letters of the alphabet and know the sounds these make. Higher attaining children are able to spell, write and read simple, three-letter words. They have a good sight vocabulary and use early phonic skills and picture clues to help them read the early reading books in the scheme. All are able to write their name independently.

p.34

Mathematical development

85. Teaching in this area of learning is good and many children are likely to achieve the expected level by the end of the Foundation Stage, particularly in the number aspect of mathematical development. Although other aspects are less secure, they make steady progress overall. Most children count to 20 forwards and backwards. They recognise numbers to ten and have a range of mathematical language, knowing different terms for addition, for example. They use number fans speedily to find a number one more than/less than a given number and can make a given total from two groups of objects. Higher attaining children solve simple number problems and record their findings. For instance, they draw people on the top and bottom deck of a bus and combine these two numbers to give a total, setting out their sum carefully using the appropriate symbol. They measure heights and construct simple pictograms and block graphs to show the

p.34

Mathematical development

findings, exploring the information together. The majority recognises and names common two-dimensional shapes and some children refer to the number of sides and corners. Several children still do not form numbers accurately, reversing certain numbers. Lower attaining children count ten objects, matching one to one. Learning through well-structured play, using sand and water, does not happen frequently enough.

p.34

Knowledge and understanding of the world

86. Good teaching in this area of learning provides children with many rich experiences and, as a result, they achieve much. By the time children leave the Foundation Stage, most are attaining the expected level, making good gains in their learning overall. A walk across fields to Old Heathfield enables children to follow footpaths, explore direction and use simple maps to trace their route. The children learn to identify trees, collect leaves and enjoy a photograph on the stile at the top of the hill where one child sums up the wonder at their surroundings as she exclaims, ‘I can see the whole world from here!’ When learning about the past, the children explore old and new artefacts, which they draw from observation. Similarly, in design and technology, they investigate a range of hinges from an enormous to a very small one. The children are quick to identify what these are and to locate many more around the classroom. They ask questions

p.34

Knowledge and understanding of the world

confidently. For example, ‘Is it a hinge that you have to put on upside down?’ Looking at the smallest hinge, one boy says, ‘It’s a teenie weenie hinge for a mouse’s house or a small box’. When questioned about their observations they respond well. ‘It opens and closes’ says one child. When a Year 1 pupil says, ‘Our hands are hinges’ the children investigate various ‘body’ hinges, such as knees and elbows, which the teacher describes as a hinged joint.

p.34

Knowledge and understanding of the world

87. In a very good science lesson, the teacher provides a range of seed heads which the children observe carefully, discussing the differences and appreciating the beauty. They then draw carefully from observation and it is evident that they have increased their knowledge of seeds very well in this lesson. Although there is some use of programs such as ‘dazzle’, the use of computers in lessons is limited and not all children are confident or skilful because there is insufficient time allocated to teaching these Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 35 particular skills. They know how to control the mouse, switch the computer on and off and move the icons. They know how to write their names. Children learn about their own and other cultures through celebrations and festivals such as Diwali and Easter and through stories from the Bible. Through circle time and in assemblies, they develop an awareness of their own feelings and those of others. Caring and kindness are very

p.34

Knowledge and understanding of the world

well promoted by the adults who provide good role models and by the older children who are helpful and kind towards the younger children. Good support and intervention by the teacher and assistants moves children’s learning on well.

p.35

Physical development

88. Overall attainment in this area of learning is average, with strengths in swimming and co-operative play, but limitations in terms of climbing, jumping and problem-solving skills. Teaching is satisfactory overall, and is good for swimming. Provision for physical development is limited in some respects because of the lack of access to secure outdoor equipment. As a result, opportunities for climbing, balancing and sliding as well as regular outdoor role-play and physical activities are reduced. However, use of the hall and indoor equipment enables some skills in climbing and balancing to be developed, although the small hall size inhibits the progress children make. A weekly outdoor games session for Years 1 and 2 pupils, together with the Foundation Stage children, provides them with a range of activities which include running, jumping, skipping, controlling a football and using hockey sticks and tennis racquets. Many of

p.35

Physical development

these tasks are too challenging for children in the Foundation Stage. They participate well and are supported by older pupils who act as role models for them. They co- operate well, working in small, mixed-age groups and demonstrating increasing control and co-ordination in their movements, as they practise these skills. They have the expected level of skill when ‘dribbling’ a football, bouncing, throwing and catching a ball and using skipping ropes. A strength in this area of learning is the children’s competence and confidence in early swimming skills. The twice-weekly sessions result in very confident children who enjoy being in the water. A few are beginning to swim. They make good progress in these early skills because they are carefully taught and well supported. Fine motor skills are soundly developed. Most children use scissors, pencils and other tools with the expected level of skill.

p.35

Creative development

89. Children have a satisfactory range of experiences in painting, printing, clay and collage and attain levels that are in line with those expected of children of this age nationally. Observational drawing opportunities are good with many cross-curricular links made. Children achieve well in their drawing of seed heads, for example. The activities are well structured enabling children to select resources and make choices. They use paint to produce portraits of the Queen with varying levels of competence. The children are aware of artists such as William Morris when exploring patterns and colour. They mix their own shades of colour and match colours and textures well to complete a picture from a magazine. From time to time, they create models from recycled materials and use a range of collage materials to create pictures.

p.35

Creative development

90. There are satisfactory opportunities for the children to sing and explore percussion instruments with songs and rhymes, which are also used to reinforce number. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in this area of learning, with the majority achieving the expected level by the time they start in Year1.

p.35

ENGLISH

Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 36 91. There has been good improvement in English since the previous inspection. Standards are now above national averages for seven- and eleven-year-olds. Standards in speaking and listening are good across the school. Standards in reading and writing are good in Year 2, although writing for the higher levels at the age of seven is lower than expected. In Year 6, a good proportion of pupils are achieving the higher levels.

p.36

ENGLISH

92. All pupils are making good progress. Those pupils with special educational needs benefit from well-matched tasks and effective support, which help them to make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. The small minority of pupils with English as an additional language have a fairly good command of English and make the same progress as others in the class.

p.36

ENGLISH

93. At the previous inspection, standards in English were average at the end of Years 2 and 6, except in speaking and listening where they were good. Standards for the current Year 2 and Year 6 have improved since then and since the 2001 national tests were taken. In Year 2, writing results are improving, although not at the higher levels. Otherwise, there has been a general improvement, particularly in writing in Year 6. This reflects the focus on writing by the school as a result of its analysis of assessment information. There is no significant difference between boys and girls.

p.36

ENGLISH

94. The school has implemented the National Literacy Strategy very successfully throughout. This has contributed to the improving standards. Other factors influencing standards include the training received by teachers and support staff and the major focus on writing within the group of local schools, with the additional support from a writer in residence. Considerable developments with guided reading and shared text work is contributing effectively to the ongoing improvement in spelling and to fluency and expression in reading. Teachers now plan very effectively to the National Literacy Strategy guidelines, and the quality of that planning has improved significantly throughout the school. It is now very good.

p.36

ENGLISH

95. Phonic skills and the related sounds are taught well in the earlier years. Other initiatives such as early literacy strategy, additional literacy and booster classes are contributing to the rising standards. The improved resources, particularly book resources in classrooms and the library, ensure that pupils have access to a good range of fiction and non-fiction books. As a result, most pupils, by the age of seven, really enjoy books. They choose books for themselves, but few are able to discuss their favourite authors, because they are not familiar with a range of authors and their work.

p.36

ENGLISH

96. When pupils enter Year 3, many are confident readers. These pupils make steady progress with some accelerated learning for the older pupils in Years 5 and 6, where most read fluently, with good expression and much enjoyment. They are able to discuss their favourite authors and reading preferences at length. The majority locates and retrieves information in the library with confidence. Many pupils belong to a public library. Pupils with reading difficulties, usually the lower attaining pupils, are well supported and this helps them to make good progress. The reading skills of the average and above average pupils are well developed. They cope confidently with texts presented to them. The reading skills of lower attaining pupils are generally accurate although more hesitant.

p.36

ENGLISH

97. Standards in speaking and listening are good. Throughout the school, pupils speak with a high degree of confidence and fluency. They listen carefully to one another with the youngest taking turns to speak in discussions. Most are eager to respond to questions and contribute to discussions. Teachers encourage the use of standard English through guiding learning sensitively across all areas of the curriculum and by their own Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 37 good example. Pupils extend their vocabulary as they acquire new learning. For example, in a Years 3/4 lesson based on persuasive writing, pupils could explain the meaning of persuasive language, in many cases using terms such as ‘rhetorical question’, as well as by making reference to the ‘impact’ and ‘appeal’ of a product being advertised.

p.36

ENGLISH

98. Many pupils are confident and articulate when expressing their ideas or giving their opinion. Teachers and support staff provide good opportunities for pupils to speak aloud to an audience, for example in sessions at the end of lessons, pupils are happy to discuss their work and explain their ideas, such as in the Years 3/4 class when designing posters to advertise the school performance of ‘Blue Crystal’. At present, there are no procedures for assessing pupils’ speaking skills.

p.37

ENGLISH

99. The whole-school target to improve pupils’ writing has mostly been successful. Writing has improved across the school and pupils are now attaining standards that are above average, although no pupils achieve the higher Level 3 in Year 2.

p.37

ENGLISH

100. In Year 1, pupils know how to structure a sentence in order to ask questions. They are familiar with basic punctuation and write independently using capital letters and full stops. However, higher attaining pupils in Year 2 are not always challenged sufficiently in order to produce extended and imaginative writing. As pupils move through the school, they write for an increasing range of purposes and with an increasing awareness of the intended audience. A weakness in the teaching of handwriting skills and the careful presentation of work means that work is often untidy, writing is not joined and pupils lack pride in the way they set out their work. When expectations are high, they are capable of good work.

p.37

ENGLISH

101. The teaching of spelling skills is good and pupils successfully use their knowledge of grammar and punctuation in constructing sentences. Most pupils have a good knowledge of story structure.

p.37

ENGLISH

102. Average and higher attaining pupils in the junior classes have well-developed writing skills. Lower attaining pupils use descriptive vocabulary successfully to describe characters and events. All pupils achieve well because they are well motivated by challenging and often exciting writing tasks. In Years 3 to 6, all pupils’ writing skills develop well, with some exciting work produced as a result of inspired teaching and high expectations for the oldest pupils. Pupils write for a good range of purposes, producing poetry, stories, play scripts and reports. They know how to make notes and use dictionaries well by the time they reach Year 6. Pupils are introduced to a wide range of texts and authors including, for example, Cider with Rosie, Oliver Twist, Macbeth and Treasure Island. Many use a wide range of punctuation. They know how to use paragraphs and choose words adventurously, using a combination of complex and

p.37

ENGLISH

short sentences for effect, in their extended writing. Good use of personification in poetry writing was seen, for example, ‘Last night snow silently covered the field and the hills, like a milky cat dancing quietly in a white never ending blanket…It covered all our cottages and teased the tiny trees with a flick of its tail’. Another pupil writing about a river wrote ‘I tickle, I slurb from the mountain top – I’m slowly born – a baby river…I ooze up through the muddy shells’. Pupils in Years 3/4 write good accounts of a visit to Anne of Cleeves’s House and lively letter responses to Farmer Duck. ‘You lazy old toad!’ Why can’t you do the work? How dare you make that duck do all the work!’ Writing is often expended in other areas of the curriculum such as the accounts of life in Victorian times produced by Years 5/6 pupils. Exciting writing in Years 5/6 following the work with a writer in residence was both spiritual and reflective. Thoughtful and powerful language

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ENGLISH

evoked strong emotions. Another wrote in response to the question how long did it Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 38 take? ‘To you, it was the blink of an eye! I stayed where my heart took me, on ancient sandy coasts!’

p.37

ENGLISH

103. Poetry writing and appreciation are strengths with the older pupils in particular. Often work is stimulated by a piece of artwork or an artefact from the museum. When writing about an owl for example, pupils showed their lively choice of adjectives and confidence with language,

p.38

ENGLISH

‘The owl stabs, squawks and shrieks, Does its duty He clamps his prey in his talons And carries it back gently And delicately unravels it to its youngsters’.

p.38

ENGLISH

104. Although there is evidence of the use of word processing skills, the use of computers and range of skills to support learning is limited.

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ENGLISH

105. As in Years 1 and 2, standards of handwriting and the presentation of work are not as good as they should be. Older pupils do not use ink regularly enough and there is no consistent approach to presenting work neatly. This results in a lack of pride in the setting out of work by a significant number of pupils.

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ENGLISH

106. Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. Basic skills, with the exception of handwriting in Years 1 and 2, are carefully taught and work is usually matched appropriately to meet pupils’ needs. Exciting topics motivate pupils well, engaging pupils’ interest and application. Teachers use skilful questioning to elicit good responses from pupils who are eager to learn more. They behave well and are attentive because they are well motivated. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported, thus enabling them to make good progress. Plenary sessions are usually used well to reinforce teaching points and set targets for the next steps in learning. Pupils have very positive attitudes to English, which is a key factor in their successful learning. Teachers are well supported by teaching assistants, who are skilful in helping pupils learn effectively.

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ENGLISH

107. The co-ordinator of the subject is effective and contributes to the good standards being achieved. Assessment information is used constructively to plan work and improve standards. Consistent monitoring of teaching and learning also has a major influence on the standards achieved. A weakness in the otherwise good assessment is the marking of pupils’ work. Work is sometimes left unmarked. This is unsatisfactory. Also, on some occasions, marking lacks helpful advice to enable pupils to know how to improve their work.

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ENGLISH

108. Resources have improved and are used well, with the exception of computers, to support the literacy hour. The good library provision is not used as effectively as it could be in order to enable older pupils in particular to carry out research and private study. English makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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ENGLISH

109. Writing has been a focus in the school improvement plan and good progress has been made in improving standards. The focus now needed is on the higher attaining pupils in Year 2 and on improving the standard of handwriting and presentation across the school. There is good capacity for English to continue to improve.

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MATHEMATICS

Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 39 110. At the time of the previous inspection, pupils’ standards were similar to national standards at the end of Year 2. Inspection evidence indicates that the standards of the current Year 2 are above average, which is clearly an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection. In addition, there are a significant number of pupils who attain the higher Level 3. The successful introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy as well as a high proportion of good and very good teaching has meant that, during Years 1 and 2, pupils’ achievements, given their attainment levels on entry, have been better than might have been expected.

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MATHEMATICS

111. Whilst in Years 1 and 2, the early mathematical skills and concepts learnt in the Foundation Stage are most successfully built upon. As a result, most pupils, by the age of seven, including those pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, understand place value in number up to 100 and can mentally recall addition and subtraction facts to ten and, for many pupils, up to 20. They can identify and use simple fractions. Many recognise and can name two-dimensional shapes, but their knowledge of three-dimensional shapes is more limited. Furthermore, approximately half the pupils have a secure knowledge of place value in hundreds, tens and units. Their mental recall of the five and ten times tables is good. They use an increasingly wide vocabulary of mathematical terms in the correct context.

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MATHEMATICS

112. Good progress has also been made by the school since the last inspection with regard to pupils’ standards reached by the time they leave at the end of Year 6. At that time, eleven-year-old pupils’ standards were about average, whilst now, most pupils attain national standards with a good proportion exceeding the national standard. During their time in Years 3 to 6, all pupils, regardless of ability or background, achieve well, so that, by the age of eleven, many pupils are competent with multiplication and division and have an understanding of place value in six-figure numbers. They are familiar with the names of various angles and are able to convert vulgar fractions into decimals and percentages. They calculate areas of irregular shapes and are confident in the multiplication of decimals, the use of approximation and co-ordinates. They are able to construct and interpret simple line graphs and show good understanding of the

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MATHEMATICS

concepts of mean, mode, medium and range. Discussions with pupils at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 show that their knowledge and understanding of the number element of mathematics is particularly well developed. Such above average standards are good, given that a significant proportion of pupils in Year 6 also have special educational needs. Indeed, it is the school’s particular attention to the issue of inclusion that results in these pupils achieving so well.

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MATHEMATICS

113. There are several factors that contribute to pupils doing well in mathematics, right across the school. Within the school, pupils receive a high proportion of good and very good teaching. Teachers are confident in their own ability to teach the basic skills of the subject, they expect and get high standards of work and much work is completed during the course of lessons. This was noticeable in a very good Years 5/6 lesson where pupils, following a most exciting and stimulating mental arithmetic session related to percentages, were reminded about work they had previously completed on using letters to represent unknown quantities, as part of their work on basic algebra. Through clear, concise questions and explanations, pupils learnt the need for letters, on occasions, to represent an unknown number. The ‘race track’ game that followed, played by pupils in pairs, was well chosen and matched to pupils’ prior attainment

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MATHEMATICS

levels. As a result, all ability groups achieved a great deal during the course of the lesson. Such very good use of resources, as well as the very good deployment of the teaching assistant, ensured that pupils with special educational needs also achieved a Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 40 great deal. Such high quality teaching has a most positive impact on pupils’ learning and on the standards they attain.

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MATHEMATICS

114. The successful introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy has had a similarly positive impact on pupils’ learning and on the standards they attain. Teachers’ planning of work, following the strategy’s guidelines, is very good and the structure of it ensures that lessons proceed at a brisk pace and that much work is covered. The introductory mental mathematics session not only increases pupils’ mental agility but also serves to motivate them. Indeed, as a result of this session and the teachers’ good use of appropriate ‘quick fire’ mental arithmetic questions, pupils look forward to mathematics lessons. In most lessons, pupils work hard and co-operate very well in group work. Pupils throughout the school enjoy the subject and are most keen to learn. They take care of the resources available to help them and are most willing to share and take turns when using them. In one or two instances, the teacher’s slightly over-long

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MATHEMATICS

introduction, particularly in the main teaching activity, means that a small group become bored and do not pay attention. As a result, pupils’ achievement is lessened.

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MATHEMATICS

115. The co-ordinator has a commitment to the raising of standards of pupils of all attainment levels. She monitors many aspects of the subject, including teachers’ planning, classroom teaching and pupils’ work. She scrutinises assessment test results and uses the results of this analysis to build a view of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses. Good support is provided to teachers and, where appropriate, suggestions are made for improvement. Learning resources are good and teachers use them effectively. Effective use is beginning to be made in ICT to enhance pupils’ learning in the subject but this is at an early stage of development. Good assessment procedures are in place with regular testing of pupils to inform teachers of their progress. The small size of some classrooms, large numbers of pupils in others and the lack of water in most rooms means that certain aspects of the practical areas of the

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MATHEMATICS

subject are limited and this has a negative impact on pupils’ learning.

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MATHEMATICS

116. The school continues to make good progress in the development of the subject. The National Numeracy Strategy is now securely in place, pupils’ standards at the end of Year 6 have risen and the quality of teaching has improved overall. In addition, all the requirements of the National Curriculum are being met.

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SCIENCE

117. Levels of attainment in science are above the national average at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. This represents an improvement since the last inspection, which reported that standards of attainment were then in line with national expectations and that all pupils made good progress in the subject. The findings of this inspection are that all pupils, including those with special educational needs as well as those for whom English is an additional language, make good overall progress in their understanding of science and, as a result, attainment is above average in all classes.

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SCIENCE

118. Work in science is based mainly on the acquisition of knowledge and the development of scientific understanding of living things, materials and physical phenomena. There is, however, some lack of progression in the development of pupils’ investigative skills, as the school’s present scheme of work does not emphasise the importance of methodically building up such skills in pupils, in order to enable them to undertake scientific enquiry in a meaningful way.

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SCIENCE

119. Years 1 and 2 pupils have worked on an extensive range of topic areas in science and have been given opportunities to learn, for example about healthy eating and the life Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 41 cycles of plants. Their work shows good coverage of live processes and living things, materials and their properties, and satisfactory coverage of physical processes. A majority of work is based on the acquisition of knowledge and understanding but, even though pupils have been given some opportunities to develop their observational skills, there is little evidence of the gradual build up of skills of prediction. Marking of pupils’ work is, on occasions, not consistent or constructive and sometimes does little to aid understanding.

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SCIENCE

120. During the inspection, Year 3 and Year 4 pupils carried out work on observing mini- beasts and used microscopes linked to computers to aid their learning. Most pupils were able to describe why animals such as centipedes, spiders and woodlice were suited to the environments in which they were found but nearly all pupils had only a very limited idea of what an insect was and could not classify the animals they were observing into different types. Even so, a majority of pupils showed evidence of a good level of understanding of the reason for different animal habitats and their work involved a stimulating level of challenge.

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SCIENCE

121. The standard of work of Year 5 and Year 6 pupils is quite high and contains evidence of good coverage of most areas of the National Curriculum Programme of Study. Both Year 5 and Year 6 have covered a wide range of work involving, for example, life cycles, the earth in space, healthy living and forces in action. Pupils have, however, been given only limited opportunities to develop their understanding of scientific investigation and this impacts on their overall achievement in the subject. Marking of pupils’ work is again inconsistent.

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SCIENCE

122. The quality of teaching ranges from good to very good and is good overall. There is evidence that teachers share ideas and good practice. The quality of teachers’ planning ranges from good to excellent and, in all lessons, teachers’ expectations of pupils are high. In those lessons where teaching is very good, the pace of lessons is brisk and teaching methods are very effective. Lesson aims are clearly set and tasks contain the correct amount of challenge for pupils and this is reflected in their achievement.

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SCIENCE

123. An example of very good teaching was observed in a lesson to Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. Because tasks were clearly matched to the different abilities of pupils, overall achievement was very good. The content of the session was well linked to the knowledge and previous experiences of pupils, and the very well-structured question and answer session at the beginning of the lesson probed their knowledge and understanding. Classroom and pupil management was very good and the overall delivery of the lesson encouraged pupils to work hard at activities and so aided learning. Pupils’ achieved well and, by the end of the session, lesson objectives had been attained, learning had taken place and pupils’ work reflected this.

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SCIENCE

124. The leadership and management of the subject by the science co-ordinator are good. The criticism of the previous report, that the school’s scheme of work for teaching science was inadequate, has now been largely addressed. All classes presently follow a whole-school programme of study, which is linked well to the National Curriculum. Although the co-ordinator only monitors delivery of the subject on an informal basis, she has realised the limitations of the present scheme of work in delivering a structured Programme of Study in scientific enquiry and has implemented procedures for reviewing the school’s approach to the subject. Assessment in science is continuing to develop as, at present, teachers only assess pupils’ achievement on a limited basis, usually at the end of each science topic covered. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 42 125. Pupils’ attitudes to science are very good. They enjoy the subject and this is reflected in

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SCIENCE

the quality of their work. During a Year 1 and Year 2 lesson on exploring the habitats of plants, pupils worked enthusiastically in small groups in the school grounds and were eager to explain what they were exploring and why. The knowledge of some pupils was very good and they enjoyed all aspects of their work. Achievement overall was good.

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SCIENCE

126. The school’s resources for teaching science are good and have recently been improved by the acquisition of ICT linked equipment, including a digital microscope and a data logger. Resources cover all areas of study associated with the science National Curriculum. They are easily accessed and used well although some of the more popular resources are now in need of replacement.

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SCIENCE

127. Links between science and ICT are good and are continuing to develop even though the skills of some pupils are limited. Links between science and other subjects, such as English, mathematics and art and design, are satisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

128. Standards in art and design have been maintained since the last inspection. In addition, National Curriculum guidelines have been implemented, sketchbooks have been introduced and resources have been improved. As a result, pupils attain average standards with good features in some aspects of the subject, such as observational drawing and clay. Pupils throughout the school make satisfactory progress in spite of the small size of some classrooms and the lack of water in others. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make the same progress as others in the class. The few children for whom English is an additional language have a good understanding of instructions. They also make satisfactory progress. Junior pupils build steadily upon skills and understanding acquired in the infants in observational drawing and painting, although skills in some other aspects are not always built upon

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ART AND DESIGN

129. From Year 2 onwards, pupils use sketchbooks to explore, experiment and make detailed observations. This is a recent development and the successful use of sketchbooks varies between classes, according to the teachers’ knowledge and expertise. The co-ordinator has identified that the consistent marking of pupils’ work would help them to improve their work in their sketchbooks

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ART AND DESIGN

130. As pupils move through the school, they are given opportunities to work with a satisfactory range of media and to learn about the work of a wide range of artists. The use of watercolours, pastel, clay and collage shows steady progression. Pupils in Year 1 produce carefully observed drawings of historical artefacts and seed heads of clematis and sorrel, linked to their work in science. As part of Year 2 work in history, pupils produce a colourful frieze in paint and collage of the Great Fire of London. Good use is made of technology in this class, where pupils use the photographs of the digital camera as a stimulus for their artwork. They use their knowledge and skill with colour mixing to extend part of a picture taken from a magazine. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 produce still life paintings inspired by Paul Cezanne. These are of a good standard, as are other paintings in the style of Alan Furneaux. This work makes a good contribution

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ART AND DESIGN

131. The good focus on observational drawing throughout the school ensures that basic skills are carefully taught and develop progressively. Still life composition using charcoal and pencil are well proportioned and demonstrate careful observation and good use of shading techniques. There is an interesting range of work, which shows teachers’ high Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 43 expectations. Pupils work hard with intellectual and creative effort, taking pride in their work. They enjoy art and design and all are fully included in lessons. Pupils in Years 5/6 produce interesting work in clay including slab pots, clay bowls in the style of Ancient Greek pottery and Aztec clay masks. The school makes good use of the kiln to produce artefacts, often linked to work in history, but skills and knowledge in the use of clay are not always developed systematically as pupils move through the school. Much depends

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ART AND DESIGN

on the teachers’ own subject knowledge and interest in art. Work with textiles and three-dimensional artwork is more limited, although there is evidence of these experiences within design and technology.

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ART AND DESIGN

132. The quality of work produced shows the good level of teaching overall with good teaching particularly evident for the oldest pupils. In the one lesson seen in Years 3/4 pupils demonstrated competence in drawing skills in the style of Andy Warhol. The well- structured lesson and good question and answer technique helped to build pupils’ understanding so that they made good progress in their learning. The high standard of displays in the library and about the school celebrates pupils’ success and values their efforts.

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ART AND DESIGN

133. Nationally recommended guidelines provide a good framework for teachers and are beginning to influence progression in skills from year to year. However, they have not had sufficient time to impact on standards in some classes. The use of visiting artists and visits to places of interest contribute effectively to the breadth of the subject.

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ART AND DESIGN

134. The co-ordination of art and design is good. The curriculum leader is knowledgeable and is committed to raising awareness and standards and to the promotion of art and design throughout the school. She sets a good example through her own teaching. The current policy is due to be updated in the light of recent developments. Although there are informal opportunities to monitor work, through the celebration assembly for example, more formal monitoring of planning and teaching does not take place.

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ART AND DESIGN

135. An after-school art club contributes effectively to the curriculum offered and enhances pupils’ learning. The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

136. At the end of both Year 2 and Year 6, standards of attainment in design and technology are in line with national expectations. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory gains in their learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

137. The previous inspection reported that standards of attainment of pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 were below national expectations, and that pupils’ progress was unsatisfactory throughout the school. It also reported that the designing for specific purpose element and the planning process were not sufficiently developed and that, as a consequence, the full requirements of the National Curriculum were not being offered by the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

138. These criticisms have now been addressed in full. The present scheme of work for design and technology is followed in all classes and covers all aspects of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study for the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

139. As they progress through the school, all pupils, including those for whom English is an additional language as well as those with special educational needs, are given Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 44 opportunities to develop their knowledge of the designing, making and evaluating processes in a structured way so that, by the end of Year 6, pupils can, for example, generate and develop their own ideas and are able to work from plans, some of them quite detailed. They are able to work with a selection of tools and materials with some accuracy and are capable of testing and evaluating their own products.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

140. Year 1 and Year 2 pupils construct hinges and are given opportunities to design, make and evaluate meals. It was evident from their work that a lot of group effort had gone into the whole process, especially designing the hinges. Year 3 and Year 4 pupils had made models using pneumatics and, judging from the quality of finished products on display in the classroom, had continued to develop their designing, making and evaluating skills in a sound manner. Designs were less like drawings and more like design sketches.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

141. The work of Year 5 and Year 6 pupils showed evidence of a continued build up of skill levels. The moving models on display contained evidence of an increase in evaluation skills and of redesigning to improve the end product. Most models used cams to assist movement. The models on display varied in complexity, some used a simple up and down cam movement, whilst others included lateral movement and reflected a high level of achievement.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

142. The standard of teaching in the limited number of lessons observed during the inspection was good. Lesson planning was very good and linked well to medium- and long-term planning. Resources for design and technology were used very well. An example of good teaching was observed in a Year 1 and Year 2 lesson on hinges in which pupils were introduced to different types of designs. Planning was very detailed and the lesson was briskly paced. Pupils worked well at designing and making hinges with a variety of materials and selected and worked well with a range of tools. The finished products showed that pupils had a firm grasp of the principles of designing hinges. Their overall achievement was good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

143. The co-ordinator leads and manages the subject in a satisfactory manner. She has ensured that the school has a relevant policy for design and technology and that all classes follow the school’s scheme of work for the subject, which covers all aspects of the National Curriculum Programme of Study. Delivery of design and technology is not yet monitored and, although there is some recording of the work of pupils, assessment procedures have yet to be fully developed.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

144. Resources for teaching design and technology are satisfactory and cover all aspects of the National Curriculum Programme of Study for the subject although resources for linking design and technology to ICT are limited. Pupils do not, for example, have access to any computer-aided design programs although they do use control technology on a regular basis. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 45

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GEOGRAPHY

145. As a result of timetabling arrangements, it was possible to see only a limited number of lessons in the subject. However, after discussions with the subject co-ordinator, staff and pupils, and a scrutiny of planning and previous work, it is evident that the quality of pupils’ work at the age of both seven and eleven, is in line with the nationally expected levels. This is a reflection of the findings of the last report. The majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, are able to make satisfactory progress through the planned range of topics and themes, which are well supported by educational visits. Geography is taught through a cycle of topics that provide appropriate coverage of the themes and places identified in the National Curriculum. The planned curriculum is also well supported by a nationally approved scheme of work that fully addresses the

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GEOGRAPHY

development of geographical skills such as mapping. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

146. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 receive appropriate teaching of the early geographical skills so that, by the age of seven, they have satisfactory mapping skills and an understanding of life in places beyond their own locality. In these years, they study the area between the school and Old Heathfield, and compare and contrast, by going on a visit to the coast, life at the seaside with their own. This is extended to a study of life in Jamaica looking at aspects of island life and finding the similarities and differences with their own. As a result, by the end of Year 2, most pupils have developed a satisfactory level of knowledge and understanding of their immediate world. This is extended in Years 3 to 6 through topics, which look at the wider world. Pupils study a village in India and use is made of topical news items to develop their geographical knowledge. River studies carried out by Years 5 and 6 pupils help to develop their understanding of the water

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GEOGRAPHY

cycle as well as develop their literacy skills by the use of correct geographical terminology such as ‘spring’, ‘source’ and ‘meander’. In Years 5 and 6, mapping skills are well developed through various sizes of maps in their study of Punnetts Town and its location in the British Isles. Further studies of mountains and the effect that tourism has on that environment help them to understand how changes to that environment affect both the environment and the lives and activities of people living there. During their time in the school, pupils progress at a satisfactory rate in their learning of geographical knowledge and skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

147. Pupils enjoy geography, they respond well to the good quality of teaching they often receive, share resources and display positive attitudes to their work.

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GEOGRAPHY

148. The quality of teaching is good overall and, on occasions, is very good, as seen in a very good Years 5 and 6 lesson. Pupils were required to discuss the reasons for and against the re-opening of a village shop in Punnetts Town. Good links were made with developing pupils’ literacy skills when they were asked to role-play their arguments, depending on the characters they were playing. For example, the differing needs of a senior citizen with no transport in comparison to a business person working in a nearby town. Pupils widened their understanding of why different people have different needs from a village shop and why they would or would not support a re-opening. Considerable learning took place in this lesson as a result of the very good teaching pupils received.

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GEOGRAPHY

149. The subject is well managed although the co-ordinator has little opportunity to monitor and evaluate her colleagues’ teaching or to work alongside them, in order to provide appropriate support and guidance for the development of their teaching. A more detailed assessment system for the subject is now needed. In addition, the policy is out-of-date. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 46 Pupils’ work is marked by teachers, but does not always give pupils sufficient guidance on how to improve their work. In addition, the presentation of some pupils’ work is not always of the highest standard. Homework is used well by teachers to reinforce work being carried out in the classroom. Satisfactory use is made of computers and other new technology to enhance pupils’ learning, for example in the compilation of a survey about people’s responses to the re-opening of the local village shop.

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GEOGRAPHY

150. Resources are satisfactory, although the number and variety of maps of various scales are limited. When used well, resources greatly enhance pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the subject. Good use is also made of visits to support pupils’ learning, such as the Year 1 walk to Old Heathfield, the visits to Bexhill and Brighton as part of the study of a contrasting locality, and the visit made to the River Cuckmere as part of the Year 5 and 6 study of rivers.

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HISTORY

151. Pupils’ levels of attainment in history are above those expected nationally of pupils aged both seven and eleven and have improved well since the time of the previous inspection. Planning and schemes of work, following national guidelines, are now in place and, as a result, the development of pupils’ skills and knowledge has improved. Teachers use a good variety of methods and strategies to encourage the skills of thought and deduction. The consideration of evidence, the study of source material and practical activities are all effectively incorporated in the teaching of the subject. The purpose of learning is usually made very clear to pupils, the pace of lessons is good and good planning is beginning to ensure the steady development of skills as pupils move through the school.

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HISTORY

152. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 successfully distinguish between past and present and begin to develop a good sense of chronology. They study the lives of famous people, as well as important historical events such as the ‘Great Fire of London’. Pupils from seven to eleven identify and date features in the past, evaluate evidence and begin to examine source material effectively. There are able to compare living conditions in the past with those of today as a result of their work on ‘Homes’. They study the Tudors, Ancient Greeks and the Victorians with interest and enthusiasm, aided by an imaginative use of the resources available. Throughout the school, pupils are able to absorb facts well and express an enthusiastic response both to the period being studied and the people associated with it. This was clearly evident in the work of Years 3 and 4 on the Tudors, where they were genuinely interested in the difference in lifestyle experienced by rich as

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HISTORY

opposed to poor people during the reign of Henry VIII. Independent research skills are well promoted in work in class, as seen in the work Years 5 and 6 pupils were covering related to the 1851 and 1871 censuses for the Punnetts Town area. Discovering trades that are no longer in existence today and tracing local names between the two censuses meant that pupils had to be most diligent in their research. Such good use of first-hand evidence and the development of pupils’ enquiry skills help all pupils, including those with special educational needs, to achieve well in the subject at a rate that is better then might be expected.

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HISTORY

153. The curriculum offered to pupils is good, although, as the school recognises, the policy document needs to be reviewed together with the geography one, in order to look at areas of overlap. It nevertheless ensures a full and wide coverage of topics and learning goals and provides a stimulating variety of activities to support the teaching. Emphasis is firmly placed on helping pupils to think for themselves and on the careful use of first- hand and secondary source material, borrowed from the local library and museum services, to aid this process. Work is planned to ensure that higher attaining pupils can Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 47 extend their skills and knowledge by undertaking personal research and that pupils with special educational needs are always involved and progress at an appropriate rate. Furthermore, pupils with English as an additional language are fully included in the work

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HISTORY

being covered as a result of the help they receive from their teacher and their peers.

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HISTORY

154. The teaching observed, particularly in Years 3 to 6, was good overall and, on occasions, very good. Lessons are effectively planned. Teachers explain the purpose of lessons well and quickly build on what pupils have learnt. Question and answer techniques are used very effectively, both to extend pupils’ learning and to help them to understand people and periods with ease and interest. The management of pupils is nearly always very good and has a significant impact on the quality of learning. It is clear that teachers are secure in their knowledge of the subject.

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HISTORY

155. Such very good teaching was seen in the lesson on life in mid-Victorian times in Punnetts Town. Pupils had to compare and contrast peoples’ occupation and numbers in households in 1851 with them in 1871. The level of challenge for many pupils was considerable but the teacher’s own enthusiasm and questioning skills helped her pupils to achieve much. Very good use was made of ICT, as a group of pupils were required to analyse the data using the Excel program. Pupils were well managed. The final plenary session was also used very well to draw together and reinforce what pupils had discussed and learnt. This very good teaching ensured that all pupils achieved a great deal during the course of the lesson.

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HISTORY

156. Pupils clearly enjoy the subject and, largely as a result of the good teaching they receive, are highly motivated by the subject and enthusiastic about the research elements of it. All pupils, even the very young ones, handle artefacts with great care and willingly share their thoughts and opinions with one another.

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HISTORY

157. The subject is well managed although the co-ordinator has little opportunity to monitor and evaluate her colleagues’ teaching or work alongside them, in order to provide appropriate support and guidance for the development of their teaching. An assessment system for the subject is now needed. Pupils’ work is marked by teachers, but does not always give pupils sufficient guidance on how to improve their work. In addition, the presentation of some pupils’ work is not always of the highest standard.

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HISTORY

158. Pupils’ personal development is very well extended, as pupils study the ways of life of other cultures in times past, as well as their beliefs and values. They also learn to understand how the past has affected the present. Visits to sites of historical interest, such as Anne of Cleeves’ House, help to enhance the curriculum. Resources in the form of historical artefacts borrowed largely from the local library and museums’ service are used very well and greatly enhance pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

159. The levels that pupils attain in ICT are in line with nationally expected levels at the end of Year 2 but below the expected levels at the end of Year 6. During the course of Years 1 and 2, pupils’ rate of learning is satisfactory. It is also satisfactory in Years 3 to 6 now. However, because of a lack of opportunity to practice the skills of the subject, largely due to a lack of sufficient resources, pupils’ skills have not developed at a sufficiently rapid rate. Consequently, they do not attain the levels expected of eleven- year-olds nationally. This is an improvement on the situation found at the time of the previous inspection where pupils’ attainment levels were below national levels at the end of both key stages and their progress was unsatisfactory. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 48 160. Whilst in Years 1 and 2, pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory gains in their learning. They learn the use of function keys, the space bar

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

and mouse. In Years 1 and 2, they are able to draw pictures using the ‘paint’ program and are reasonable adept at basic word processing skills. These skills are being satisfactorily built upon in Years 3 to 6 where they learn to develop their word processing skills by using different fonts and page layouts. Of particular note is the work being completed with programmable toys, where pupils are learning how to program a toy in order that it obeys the commands it is given. In Year 6, also, they are able to use spreadsheets to enter and retrieve data, related, for example to the local 1851 population census. The use of ICT in other areas of the curriculum is satisfactory. For example, Years 3 and 4 pupils use ‘dazzle’ to draw images of themselves and produce data banks in science related to their work on mini-beasts. However, in spite of the efforts of the teachers, the lack of sufficient equipment, as well as a shortage of actual

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

taught subject time, means that pupils have insufficient opportunities to practices the skills of the subject and so attain the levels expected of eleven-year-olds nationally.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

161. Pupils’ attitudes to learning in the subject are good. They are enthusiastic and confident in the use of the computer and have no hesitation in trying to rectify problems or find solutions by trial and error. They work well together and are happy to explore and try out different routes.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

162. The quality of teaching was good in the few situations where direct teaching was observed. Teachers’ planning indicates some good attempts to link the subject to other areas of the curriculum, but there is insufficient use of assessment to inform teachers’ planning of activities. Some staff are both confident and expert in teaching this subject, but the school recognises it as a priority to extend the whole staff’s confidence and expertise.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

163. The co-ordinator for the subject has a very good understanding of its shortcomings and has the knowledge and enthusiasm to help the school go forward. A good, recently completed policy and scheme of work for the subject is in place. In addition, the school has recognised the resource shortfall and has good plans in hand to address the issue in the near future. All the necessary ingredients, including the need for discrete subject teaching time, are evident, and the school is well placed to go forward in its aim to raise pupils’ attainment levels in this subject by the time they leave the school at the age of eleven.

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MUSIC

164. At the end of both Year 2 and Year 6, standards of attainment in music are in line with national expectations. Standards have therefore been maintained since the previous inspection, which reported that standards of attainment of pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 were then comparable to national expectations and that pupils made good progress in Year 1 and Year 2 and satisfactory progress in the rest of the school.

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MUSIC

165. Pupils enjoy their music making activities and attitudes to the subject are very good. Achievement is satisfactory in all year groups and all pupils, including those with special needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make overall satisfactory progress.

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MUSIC

166. The school’s scheme of work for music, criticised in the previous report, is now satisfactory and all planning in music is based on it. This results in pupils being given regular opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge, understanding and appreciation Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 49 of music as they progress through the school. Year 1 and Year 2 pupils are taught, for example, the structure of music and how sounds are organised. They are able to sing tunefully and can beat out rhythms. They understand how musical patterns are repeated in compositions and how different types of music contrast with each other.

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MUSIC

167. By Year 5 and Year 6, pupils are given opportunities to learn to play a musical instrument, usually a recorder, and are able to evaluate their own performances and the performances of others. During a lesson on the evaluation of recorded compositions by groups of pupils in the class, pupils were able to show appreciation and comment constructively on passages within musical pieces, which improvised melody and rhythm within given structures. Some comments were detailed and contained evidence of the use of suitable musical vocabulary. Some pupils, however, seemed to have only a limited idea of how to evaluate musical composition.

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MUSIC

168. The standard of teaching in the limited number of lessons observed during the inspection varied from good to very good and was good overall. In all lessons, planning was well structured but when teaching was very good, pupil management was very good and tasks were well matched to pupil ability. Lesson delivery was briskly paced and pupils seemed eager to join in. An example of very good teaching was observed in a Year 1 and Year 2 session focusing on the structure of music. Very good pupil management meant pupils listened attentively and were all given the opportunities to attempt a series of tasks of increasing difficulty. Pupils enjoyed learning how to clap and beat out different rhythm patterns and the teacher used ongoing assessment very well to make the tasks more difficult, yet attainable, as the session progressed. The teacher’s enthusiasm for the subject contributed towards the overall success of the

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MUSIC

169. The co-ordinator leads and manages the subject in a satisfactory manner. She is aware that teachers have had virtually no opportunities to receive in-service training in teaching music but has ensured that the school’s Programme of Study for the subject has been delivered in a sound manner. As a result, pupils in all year groups have continued to make steady progress in developing their knowledge, skills and understanding in music as they move through the school. There are no systems in place to record or assess the progress of pupils in the subject and the co-ordinator does not monitor delivery of the subject but realises the need to develop both these areas if standards are to improve.

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MUSIC

170. Resources for music are adequate and meet the needs of teaching the National Curriculum Programme of Study. All classes have access to a good quality range of percussion instruments but the range of melodic instruments is more limited and of lower quality. The provision of music reproduction equipment is satisfactory and pupils have access to a satisfactory range of books about the subject. Resources for linking music to ICT are limited, especially in the area of musical composition, and no evidence of the use of computers to aid learning in music was observed during the period of the inspection. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 50

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

171. Due to the timetabling arrangements, only swimming and outdoor games were observed. No dance or gymnastics were seen. Therefore, it is not possible to make an overall judgement on the attainment and progress of pupils. However, in the lessons seen, pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve national expectations in games. Standards in swimming are above national expectations throughout the school. Pupils make satisfactory progress in games and good progress in swimming. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and do at least as well as others in the class. Those pupils with English as an additional language have a clear understanding of instructions and make the same progress as their peers.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

172. Overall, teaching and learning in swimming lessons are good. Basic skills are carefully taught and teachers make learning fun. Rules and routines for safety are firmly established and frequently reinforced. These are well understood by pupils; even the youngest know that the whistle is the signal for everyone to stop. Teachers ensure the full inclusion of all pupils through carefully planned lessons, with tasks closely matched to pupils’ differing needs. Clear and precise instructions and consistent practice promote confidence in the water. The youngest pupils happily walk through the pool and put their face under the water. In Years 1 and 2, pupils use the float to push off and glide across the pool. A few are able to swim and all are confident in the water. Older pupils in Year 6 are all able to swim and float. Only two Year 5 pupils are non-swimmers. Time is used effectively, so that pupils gain the maximum learning opportunity from their

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

twice-weekly swimming sessions. The school is fortunate to have its own pool and this excellent resource has a major impact on standards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

173. In Years 5 and 6, there is a good focus on improving and refining swimming strokes. Through practice, pupils are all able to improve. The very good support from parents ensures safe practice and helps to ensure the full participation of all pupils. Pupils not taking part in lessons are not given a related task to involve them in the learning. Sometimes they are noisy and off task which affects the progress of pupils in the pool when the teacher’s attention is diverted. Swimming lessons make a good contribution to pupils’ personal and social development. In the one games lesson seen involving pupils in the reception class and Years 1 and 2, pupils and teachers dressed appropriately. The lesson was soundly structured with a brief warm-up before moving into groups for a range of activities. Pupils work well together with older pupils helping the younger pupils at times. The tasks are carefully planned with some activities

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

matched to differing abilities, for example two heights of jumps had been set up. All children enjoy games and tasks are challenging for the youngest pupils. However, some activities are not sufficiently demanding for the more able Year 2 pupils, who cope easily with such tasks as skittles and dribbling a football round cones and are ready for more challenging skills. Pupils show a good level of independence when changing and organising their groups’ activity. They have a confident approach to all the activities. Most pupils in Years 1 and 2 know how to hold a hockey stick, to trap and send a ball. All can ‘dribble’ a large ball with reasonable skill. Many can skip competently. A few pupils have good skills, for example a Year 1 boy demonstrates good hand/eye co-ordination when controlling a small ball with a tennis racquet. These pupils in particular need to be provided with more demanding tasks.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

174. Subject co-ordination is satisfactory. The national guidance has been adopted as a scheme of work and, within the limitations of the provision, all aspects of the requirements of the National Curriculum are covered. A major constraint on gymnastics and dance, particularly for older pupils, is the inadequate hall size which severely impedes progress in these aspects, even when classes are divided to reduce the Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 51 numbers using the hall at any one time. This was a concern in the previous inspection and remains unresolved. Resources are adequate but large equipment is restricted by the hall size. There are good opportunities within the Heathfield group of schools for the school to be involved with initiatives such as dance and a forthcoming ‘Commonwealth Games Day’ as part of citizenship. Topsport and Topplay training has provided useful training for teachers and additional resources for games. The oldest pupils have the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

opportunity to experience a residential visit to the Isle of Wight where they undertake a wide range of outdoor and adventurous activities. Pupils enjoy this experience which makes a very good contribution to their personal and social development. They are proud of their achievements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

175. During the course of the year, pupils enjoy activities such as Morris dancing, Maypole dancing and sports day. Extra-curricular activities, such as gym club, which includes an awards scheme, and swimming club, make a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning. Pupils have some opportunities for friendly football matches with local schools and participate in cross-country running, the Heathfield area swimming gala, Heathfield football and netball tournaments and an inter-schools country dance festival.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

176. Standards of attainment in religious education are in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. The curriculum, which is based on both the locally agreed syllabus and other documentation, is planned in a satisfactory manner and pupils are taught effectively. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress overall and this in many ways reflects the profile of religious education within the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

177. Standards have been maintained at a similar level to those observed during the previous inspection, which reported that attainment was in line with the targets found in the locally agreed syllabus and that pupils’ progress was satisfactory.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

178. As pupils move through the school, they make satisfactory progress in their understanding and knowledge of religious beliefs. They are given opportunities to compare and learn about the traditions of some of the major faiths of the world whilst focusing on Christianity. Older pupils are encouraged to form thoughtful views on religious issues.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

179. Years 1 and 2 pupils study Christianity and the Jewish faith. They are given opportunities to study the main Christian festivals such as Easter and Christmas and have recently been on an educational visit to the local parish church. During discussions with pupils, it was evident that they could talk meaningfully about the role of the local parish church and had an overall satisfactory knowledge of Christian traditions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

180. Work in Year 3 and Year 4 builds on previous knowledge and experiences. Pupils study not only Christianity but are also given opportunities to learn about the distinctive features of Hinduism. They compare the Jewish faith to their own faith and reflect on what is important to these different traditions. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils follow a mainly Christian based Program of Study, which includes work on other faiths and extends their overall knowledge and understanding of the importance of faith and how people express their faiths. In all four year groups, there is a gradual build up of learning and pupil progress is sound overall. Marking of pupils’ work, however, is inconsistent. Punnetts Town Community Primary School - 52 181. The standard of teaching in the limited number of lessons observed during the inspection was good. Planning was detailed and plenary sessions reinforced learning. In one session on planning an investigation on the impact of people’s beliefs, the

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

discussion the teacher led with pupils was well structured and informative and led to a high level of debate on ‘beliefs’ in which nearly all pupils participated. This helped to increase pupils’ understanding about beliefs and led to most pupils achieving well. This was evident in the work they produced.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

182. The subject is managed and led in a satisfactory manner by the religious education co- ordinator, who has ensured that the curriculum meets statutory requirements. The adopted scheme of work has led to improvement in the delivery of the subject. Although there have been very limited recent opportunities for teachers to receive in-service training in religious education, the subject knowledge of teachers is sound and this impacts positively on standards. The co-ordinator has not monitored and evaluated the delivery of religious education in the classroom and assessment of pupil progress in the subject is carried out on an informal basis.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

183. Resources to support teaching and learning are good overall and are used well to assist pupils to make progress in their learning. Very few resources to link religious education to ICT were evident during the inspection, although there was evidence of linkage of religious education to other subject areas, such as geography and history.

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