The Endeavour School

NORTON CE VC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 22 nd – 24 th April 2002

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NORTON CE VC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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NORTON CE VC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Norton CE VC Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Old Tewkesbury Road Norton Gloucester Postcode: GL2 9LJ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr C Withers

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 Norton CE VC Primary School - 2

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responsibilities

20603 Ms A Coyle Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology Music Foundation Stage Traveller education How high are the standards? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further?

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responsibilities

9880 Mr A Comer Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 22790 Mrs J Pinney Team inspector English Art and design Design and technology Physical education Equal opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

19946 Mr R Baker Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Religious education Special educational needs How well are pupils taught?

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responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Norton CE VC Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 9

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Norton Primary School is situated in a small rural community near Gloucester. It serves the surrounding area, which mainly consists of families from privately owned properties and 16 pupils from travelling families. The number of pupils on roll is similar to when it was last inspected in 1998; there are currently 73 girls and 46 boys in the school. Children in the Foundation Stage 1 are admitted to the Reception class at the beginning of the year in which they are five. Attainment on entry varies from year to year, but it is average overall. There are no pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and none are known to be eligible for free school meals. A higher than average number of pupils are admitted or leave the school, other than at the usual time of admission. The school has fewer pupils (13 per cent) than most schools on the register of special educational needs; several have moderate learning difficulties and a very small

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school in which a caring ethos is promoted well. It provides a warm and welcoming environment for its pupils who are taught by a hard working team of staff. Many pupils achieve above the nationally expected standards by the time they leave at the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science. The school is managed efficiently by the new headteacher and a good governing body who help to ensure that sound value for money is provided.

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What the school does well

• Standards are good in English, mathematics, science and religious education by the end of Year 6. They are also good in art and design in Year 2. • Pupils have good attitudes to their work. They are well behaved, have very positive relationships with each other and show good respect for others. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. • The provision for pupils’ spiritual and moral development is good. • The school takes good care of its pupils and the procedures for child protection are very good. • The good partnership with parents has a positive effect on pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. • Levels of attendance are very good. • The school is led and managed efficiently by the new headteacher and a good governing body.

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What could be improved

• The curriculum for the infant and junior pupils is not sufficiently balanced in terms of the time allocated to individual subjects and the planning for the Foundation Stage is not appropriate. • Assessment procedures are not used as well as they could be to assist teachers when planning their lessons. • The roles of the subject co-ordinators are not developed fully, and resources are unsatisfactory. 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 school was last inspected in 1998, it has made satisfactory improvements to its provision. The standards achieved by pupils have been maintained overall and the quality of teaching is now better than it was four years ago. The previous key issue regarding the need to improve standards by monitoring the quality of teaching and learning has been dealt with suitably to help raise teachers’ expectations of their pupils and provide more challenge for the most capable. However, there is still more to be achieved in developing the roles of the co-ordinators to ensure that monitoring takes place regularly throughout the school year. The length of the school day has been reviewed; it now meets the recommended minimum

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1 Foundation Stage - this stage of learning refers to children aged between three and six years Norton CE VC Primary School - 5 time, although there is still an imbalance of time allocated to individual subjects of the curriculum.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Trends in the results of the standardised tests at the end of Year 6 show that attainment has been consistently high over the last three years. The inspection findings show that the school is maintaining the generally good standards reported at the last inspection. For example, pupils attained standards that were well above the national expectations in mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 in 2001. The results were very high in English and amongst the top five per cent in the country. 2 Pupils achieve the standards expected nationally in most other subjects of the curriculum by the time they leave and good standards in religious education. They make good progress in learning in the junior classes, especially in English and mathematics, because literacy and numeracy skills are taught well. From the time they enter the school, the youngest children increase their knowledge steadily, so that by the time they

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Key

reach the end of the Foundation Stage, they achieve appropriate standards in most areas of learning, except in communication, language, literacy and mathematics, where they are currently slightly lower than expected in relation to the Early Learning Goals. 3 In the infants, the pupils progress satisfactorily and those with special educational needs make sound progress, because they are closely guided by learning support staff in lessons. The results of the national tests in 2001 showed that although pupils in Year 2 attained standards that were very high in the teacher assessments for science, they were below average in reading and writing and well below average in mathematics. In relation to similar schools, the results were very low overall. This dip, against the previous positive trend, was due largely to the significant number of pupils in the year group having special educational needs. However, the school has

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Key

begun to raise the standards of these pupils and it has set sufficiently challenging targets for the future, which it is set to achieve. In particular, clear targets have been devised to help the pupils achieve better standards in reading and writing in Year 3 and there is clear evidence that this is working.

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Key

By the end of Year 2, pupils are expected to attain Level 2 in all National Curriculum subjects. Those who achieve Level 3 are therefore attaining above nationally expected levels. By the end of Year 6, pupils are expected to attain Level 4 in all National Curriculum subjects. Those who achieve Level 5 are therefore attaining above nationally expected levels.

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Key

From September 2000, QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority), have introduced a set of ‘Early Learning Goals for children’s learning’. These goals are a set of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the end of the Reception Year in communication, language and literacy; mathematics; knowledge and understanding of the world; creative development; physical development; and personal, social and emotional development. Norton CE VC Primary School - 6

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are keen to do well and show interest in their work. They have sensible attitudes to learning. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are well behaved in lessons and at playtimes.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Satisfactory. Pupils relate very well to each other and show good respect. They are willing to take on responsibilities, but this is an area for further development. Attendance Very good. Pupils are keen to attend school and arrive punctually.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ good attitudes and very positive relationships with each other are strengths of the school.

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

Quality of teaching Satisfactory 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 of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching is good in Years 1 and 2. It is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage, with strong features that include the good management of children in activities and a calm ethos for learning. In Years 3 to 6, the quality of teaching is good overall, particularly in English and mathematics. Teaching is never less than satisfactory. Overall, in the lessons observed, five out of ten were good or better and teaching was occasionally very good indeed. This represents an improvement since the previous inspection and has a strong effect on pupils’ keen attitudes to their work. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught particularly well in the junior classes, enabling all pupils to make good progress in their learning of basic skills. However, the quality of marking and the use of assessment are generally too variable; these are areas for further improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall in the infant and junior classes, but the time allocated to individual subjects is not suitably balanced and planning is inappropriate for the Reception class. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. The school responds appropriately to the Code of Practice for these pupils. 4 They are guided well by support staff. Traveller education Good. Pupils are integrated well in lessons and given plenty of support to help them achieve success. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good. The provision for spiritual and moral development is good; social and cultural development is promoted appropriately.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares Good. The school is a caring, friendly and welcoming environment in

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Aspect Comment

4 Code of Practice – this gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Norton CE VC Primary School - 7 for its pupils which children are cared for well. Procedures for child protection are very good.

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Aspect Comment

A broad curriculum is provided for pupils in the infant and junior classes that meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and the agreed syllabus for religious education. However, it is not sufficiently balanced in terms of the times allocated to the foundation subjects and the planning is not appropriate for children in the Foundation Stage. The school has good partnerships with parents and carers.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The newly appointed headteacher manages the school efficiently and has identified appropriate areas for future development, including the need to improve the roles of the subject co-ordinators.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are supportive and conscientious. They fulfil their responsibilities well.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. There are sound procedures for analysing test results and taking effective action that are used to help raise standards.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The school uses its finances efficiently to make sure that pupils are provided with a sound education.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a suitable number of qualified staff and learning support assistants. However, there is no school hall, limited outdoor space and the resources are unsatisfactory for mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music, physical education, religious education, the library and for children in the Foundation Stage. The school makes good use of the nearby village hall and community grounds and the governing body is careful to ensure that best value principles are applied.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school is a happy, caring and friendly environment. • Children enjoy school. • Staff are helpful and approachable. • More information about pupils’ progress. • More extra-curricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with the positive comments made by parents. Children enjoy school, members of staff are approachable and there are good partnerships with parents. There is a sufficient number of extra-curricular activities, but parents would benefit from more detailed information concerning their children’s progress. Norton CE VC Primary School - 8

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the Reception class with average skills in personal independence, listening and mathematics. This is confirmed by the teachers’ assessments undertaken in the first weeks of the autumn term, which indicate that standards in these areas are average overall compared to those of most four-year-olds in other schools. Children make sound progress and attain many of the Early Learning Goals by the time they begin their studies of the National Curriculum in Year 1. While on course to attain the Early Learning Goals in personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development and physical development, children are, however, unlikely to meet them in communication, language, literacy and mathematics, because they have not yet developed sufficient skills to express themselves clearly. Nevertheless, children are given a sound start to their education by caring, committed staff.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In English, pupils’ performance at the end of Year 6 in the 2001 National Curriculum tests was very high compared to the national average and amongst the top five per cent in the country. Their performance in relation to pupils of similar background in other schools was well above average; 94 per cent attained the expected Level 4 and a very significant proportion (70 per cent) attained the higher Level 5. Although pupils’ performance at the end of Year 2 was below the national average in reading and writing and well below that of schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, trends show that pupils have attained the expected level in the preceding years since the last inspection. The current inspection findings show that pupils are benefiting well from the structured approach of the literacy programme and the school’s accurate targets for improvement. For example, many pupils in Year 3 have made good gains since the tests undertaken in Year 2 and they are currently

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

achieving well because basic literacy skills are taught carefully across the curriculum, with sound use of computers to help them extend their skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the 2001 national tests for mathematics, standards were well above the national average at the end of Year 6 and average compared to those of similar schools; 81 per cent attained the expected Level 4 and many attained the higher Level 5. At the end of Year 2, the results show that although standards were well below the national average and those of similar schools last year, they were better in the three previous years. The standards achieved last year are against the previous positive trend and due largely to the different capability of the cohort and pupil mobility. The inspection findings show that standards are currently in line for the pupils at the end of Year 2 and above average at the end of Year 6. Basic numeracy skills are taught well and used extensively across the curriculum and computers are used appropriately to support numeracy, such as in data handling.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In the science test results for 2001 at the end of Year 6, the percentage of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 was above the national average (100 per cent), and well above that of similar schools, with a significant number at the higher Level 5. In Year 2, the teacher assessments indicated that standards were very high in relation to the national results. The evidence gathered during the inspection shows attainment to be in line with the nationally expected levels at the end of Year 2 and above average at the end of Year 6. Pupils make good progress overall and literacy skills, as well as computer technology, are used appropriately to help pupils increase their knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The standards achieved by pupils in religious education and art and design are good by the end of Year 6; they are in line with the national expectations in most other subjects. Pupils’ learning is promoted well generally and subjects are used well to link with topics. However, standards are slightly below the national expectations in control technology because the curriculum for the foundation subjects is not yet balanced or monitored sufficiently. Norton CE VC Primary School - 9 6. Pupils’ progress in learning is sound overall in relation to their starting point on entry and notably good in the junior classes. From the time children enter the Reception class, they learn to build on their skills, maintaining progress as they move through the infants. The school’s realistic but challenging targets for improving pupils’ attainment in the junior classes are achieved, particularly for English in Year 3 where the push to raise standards is proving successful. There is no

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

significant variation in the progress of girls and boys or pupils with special educational needs and pupils from travelling families and those of other abilities, who do equally as well as their peers because teachers make good efforts to raise the standards of all pupils. Although no pupils have been assessed formally as having special educational needs in the Reception class, the progress of the few who have learning needs is satisfactory overall.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. The pupils’ attitudes to school are good. Children in the Reception class enjoy coming to school and settle quickly to work when they arrive. Pupils in the infant and junior classes are involved enthusiastically in all aspects of school life. Parents maintain that their children are encouraged to work hard and that the school helps them to become mature and sensible. Evidence from the inspection supports parents’ views. Pupils with special educational needs and those from travelling families have good attitudes to work and generally concentrate well on the tasks with which they are provided.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Behaviour is good throughout the school. All pupils work and play happily together and move around the school sensibly and politely. There is no evidence of oppressive behaviour and there have been no exclusions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Relationships between pupils and between adults and pupils, are very good. Pupils are encouraged to become class helpers, but overall there is limited opportunity for them to show initiative and to take responsibility within the wider school community or for their own learning. Pupils have a good level of respect for others’ feelings, values and beliefs and most understand the impact of their actions on others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Overall, the attitudes, behaviour and personal development of pupils have been maintained at the same high level since the last inspection and make a significant contribution to learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Attendance is very good and has improved significantly since the last inspection. Pupils arrive at school punctually and lessons start on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. Teaching is good in the infant and junior classes and this has a positive impact on standards, achievement and the quality of learning. Overall, teaching has improved since the previous inspection because it is always at least satisfactory and often good; it is good, or better, in approximately five out of every ten lessons and occasionally very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. In the Reception class, teaching and learning are always at least satisfactory and occasionally good. There are plenty of calm, orderly opportunities for children to develop an awareness of and respect for, the feelings of others and there is a happy, welcoming environment. However, planning is not sufficiently focused on the stepping stones of the Early Learning Goals, but rather on the subjects of the National Curriculum. This is not appropriate for the majority of children who require more opportunities than at present to develop their language and mathematical skills at a simpler level and more role-play activities to extend their imaginative development. Time is not always used well enough because the clearing-up sessions and other routines sometimes take up too much time. The lack of suitable resources and insufficient outdoor space limits the teaching and learning. Norton CE VC Primary School - 10

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. In the infant class, teaching is good, with nearly equal proportions of very good or satisfactory teaching. Pupils’ learning is satisfactory overall. This is because the relatively high levels of pupils’ from traveller families and the resultant mobility, the annual changes in class organisation caused by different sized cohorts and the variability of standards of recent groups causes some disruptions to learning. In Years 1 and 2, learning support assistants help the class teacher well, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. In the junior classes, teaching and learning are good or better in just over a half of all lessons. Teaching is never less than satisfactory. In the Years 3 and 4 classes, where four teachers effectively share the responsibility for teaching, pupils learn well and make notably good progress in literacy and numeracy. This is because staff organise their respective responsibilities well to make optimum use of their expertise. Teaching is also effective in the mixed Years 5 and 6 class, where pupils in both year groups are challenged well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The teaching of the basic skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing is good, particularly in the early stages of Years 3 to 6 and this is contributing to the maintenance of good standards by the end of the key stage. Literacy lessons are generally planned well and basic skills are taught carefully in other subjects. For example, good standards of writing are evident in geography and history, whilst the most capable pupils learn quickly and are able to write well for a variety of audiences.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teaching in mathematics is good in Years 1 and 2 and also in Years 3 to 6. In the Years 1 and 2 class, good management enables the wide range of pupils’ mathematical needs to be met, although sometimes direct teaching is limited because opportunities to practise number are missed. In Years 3 to 6, clear targets and a demanding pace are set, particularly in the upper junior classes. Pupils rise to the challenge and put a great deal of effort into their activities. For example, this was observed when pupils in Years 5 and 6 aimed to meet timed targets set by the teacher as they completed an ‘around the class’ mental arithmetic game. Such good activities enable them to gain confidence in the mastery of basic number.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching of information and communication technology is satisfactory. The use of computers and other forms of technology in English and mathematics is sound, but insufficient emphasis is given to using computers as tools to aid learning across the curriculum. Teaching in science is good, especially in Years 3 to 6 when effective use is made of pupils’ ideas and suggestions in developing an understanding of scientific vocabulary. Teaching is also good in religious education overall, history in the junior classes and in art and design in the infants. It is satisfactory in physical education. Too few lessons took place to make a secure judgement about teaching in design and technology and geography, but the analysis of pupils’ work suggests that teaching and learning are satisfactory overall.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The school satisfactorily meets the needs of different pupils, whatever their gender or social background. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress, but in a few instances teachers pay too little attention to the preparation of work for the whole class to ensure the inclusion of particular children is maximised. Nevertheless, teaching in the withdrawal sessions is good and there is close liaison between the support staff and class teachers. While teachers usually adapt work to meet the needs of groups of pupils, including the pupils from travelling families, planning for the match of work to pupils’ capabilities is not fully effective, particularly as assessment procedures lack precision in terms of defining pupils’ needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers generally have good subject knowledge and they understand how to motivate the pupils and broaden out their experiences. This enhances the quality of learning and challenges the pupils to work at a good academic pace. This is particularly noticeable in Years 3 to 6. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ learning are often good in the junior classes. For example, in Year 3 pupils enjoyed comparing two different stories about animals and the most capable added speech marks and in Year 4, pupils were challenged to write a diary as if they were in London at the time of the Great Fire. Appropriate use is made of overhead projectors to focus pupils’ attention for whole class projects. Teachers generally use technical language well to extend pupils’ vocabularies and Norton CE VC Primary School - 11 insist that they use the right terms when describing their work. This is particularly successful in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers ask skilful questions that stretch and challenge pupils. A number of examples were seen during the inspection where questioning had a strong impact on achievement, so helping pupils to increase their understanding and learn new things. One such example was in a history lesson in Year 6, when pupils were studying life in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Pupils readily recalled the artefacts of the period and the teacher’s questioning helped them to think about the comparisons they were making between life in post-war Britain and the present day. Through skilful questioning and probing, pupils were able to find reasons why people wish to come to Britain and compare them with recent events. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of positive race relations and how they affect people was therefore extended. The introduction to most lessons contains effective question and answer sessions, enabling teachers to check the pupils’

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

knowledge. In one religious education lesson in a Year 3 class on Christian values, pupils were given good opportunities to express their opinions about each other in a sensitive manner and think about their previous experiences thoughtfully. Such work has a significant effect on all pupils’ achievement and learning skills, especially in the junior classes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Most lessons are planned appropriately to extend pupils’ learning. Activities throughout the school are varied and interesting, motivating pupils to work at a steady pace producing considerable amounts of work. However, too little attention is given to planning for the different capabilities in each class and planning for assessment is rarely recorded. In too many instances, teachers’ planning does not refer to the identified needs of the pupils on the special educational needs register or to the targets in their individual educational plans. Most pupils are clear about what they are going to learn because teachers discuss the objectives to lessons carefully with pupils and then display them in writing. However, in most lessons there are too few planned opportunities for pupils to research for themselves and develop independent learning skills. Resources are too limited to support pupils’ learning; for example, there is a lack of an adequate library and so

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

teachers plan infrequently for pupils to use books for research. However, most teachers supplement the school’s resources themselves to ensure that pupils’ experiences are as varied as possible.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Time in lessons is generally used appropriately, but there is often too much time spent in the Reception class in routines of clearing up and toileting. In other classes, the few very good examples of brisk and lively lessons help to ensure that pupils thoroughly enjoy their work. Whilst teachers plan for foundation subjects, literacy and numeracy tend to dominate the timetable. They plan carefully to introduce a lesson using a story; for example in a Year 1 and 2 lesson on India. However, long-term planning does not ensure that attainment targets and topics are covered within a given key stage, in all foundation subjects. This is particularly important as there are frequent annual changes in the composition of year groups in classes. Teachers compound these difficulties by adding to the time allocation to some subjects, such as English, but providing additional time outside the literacy sessions for the reading of stories.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Pupils are managed well and teachers effectively meet the challenge of teaching more than one age group in their classes. They have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Clear boundaries are set and teachers expect to be listened to. In addition, almost all activities are interesting and sufficiently varied to capture the pupils’ imagination and so pupils are interested and able to sustain concentration for the whole lesson. Group work is being effectively developed and pupils confidently share ideas. This enhances their learning skills significantly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The quality and use of assessment is unsatisfactory. Assessment is not successfully planned for or used throughout the school to help staff consider what pupils need to learn next. This shortcoming is also reflected in the inconsistency of teachers’ marking where there are too few comments to help pupils to understand how they can improve their work, although individual teachers keep useful records of pupils’ progress. However, whilst day-to-day assessments are recorded this is not extended to help staff modify lesson plans. Overall, the assessment procedures are not understood fully by teachers and such routines that exist are inconsistently applied. Some satisfactory use is made of formal assessments in Years 1 and 2 but too little use Norton CE VC Primary School - 12 is made of the information gained from the baseline assessments undertaken when children first enter the school and individual needs are not suitably identified in the Reception Year. Teacher

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

assessments are not always accurately matched by the performance of pupils in the National Curriculum tests.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The use of homework to support pupils’ learning is satisfactory. Pupils take home books to read and spelling to learn; older pupils take homework to finish or prepare for future lessons. Parents are generally happy with the amount of homework set. Norton CE VC Primary School - 13

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PUPILS?

27. The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 is broad and inclusive to meet the needs of all pupils. It promotes the aims of the school and satisfactorily meets the statutory requirements for all subjects. The provision for religious education follows the locally agreed syllabus. Within science lessons, sound provision is made appropriately for sex education and drugs awareness. The school has improved its curriculum provision since the previous inspection by extending the time allocated for the length of the school day, but there are still some shortcomings that have yet to be addressed. For example, the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is not sufficiently focused on the stepping stones of the Early Learning Goals, but rather on the National Curriculum and this is not appropriate for their age and capabilities.

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PUPILS?

28. Up-to-date policies and schemes of work are in place in all subjects and they provide useful guidance to teachers in their planning. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented successfully, resourced appropriately and are having a positive impact on standards throughout the school. To raise standards still further, a high proportion of time is spent teaching literacy and numeracy, particularly literacy. However, whilst this is appropriate, it does mean that curricular time for other subjects veers towards the minimum required and the curriculum is not sufficiently balanced. When added to the fact that the structure of the school day is not always used effectively, the result is that insufficient time is given to some curriculum subjects. For example, the timing of the afternoon assembly leaves 15 minutes at the end of each day, which is not always used productively. In addition, the allocation of teaching time to individual subjects

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PUPILS?

varies between classes and does not always reflect national recommendations. Some of these shortcomings were identified at the previous inspection and they have not been rectified adequately. Pupils in Year 3 receive the recommended period of two hours physical education, whereas in Year 6, pupils only receive one hour per week. While some classes have timetabled periods for personal, social, health education, this practice is not applied consistently across the school.

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PUPILS?

29. The school is inclusive and all pupils with special educational needs are offered the same curriculum opportunities as all other pupils. The provision for pupils from travelling families is good; pupils are integrated well in the year groups and staff make sure that pupils have ample opportunities to join in with activities when they are present.

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PUPILS?

30. The provision for extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. Regular school clubs consist of sporting activities such as netball, tennis, football, cricket and athletics, all of which are well attended. Competitive sporting activities have included good participation by pupils in the Tewkesbury schools’ netball and athletics competitions, as well as cross-country races. The curriculum is further enhanced by the art club, visits to local areas of interest and a puppet theatre and by visitors to the school. For example, a local artist and Caribbean musician joined the school during arts week and made positive contributions to pupils' creative experiences by giving them good opportunities for helping to design murals and take part in storytelling sessions and drum workshops.

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PUPILS?

31. The sound links with the local community make a positive contribution to pupils' experience and learning. Senior citizens from a local residential home have been invited to join pupils for activities such as reading parties and the school has raised funds to help the British Heart Foundation. The school has sound links with the local playgroup and with the secondary school that help pupils on their entry into school and prepare them for their next stage of education.

p.15

PUPILS?

32. The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has been maintained since the last inspection overall. Pupils' spiritual development is good. As well as promoting the denominational and religious faith it fosters, the school provides opportunities for pupils to gain insight into the values and beliefs of other world religions. Although there is no whole-school policy for spiritual development across the curriculum, pupils are given good opportunities to discuss and reflect on important aspects of life and explore their personal experiences and emotions about Norton CE VC Primary School - 14 everyday life within a caring environment. For example, in an art lesson, pupils in Year 3 were asked to reflect on how people portray their feelings through body signals and facial expressions. Their sensitive paintings demonstrated well the consideration they had given to the issue. In

p.15

PUPILS?

lessons, teachers inspire a sense of curiosity, wonder and awe. A good example of this was seen when Years 1 and 2 pupils waited excitedly for caterpillar pupae to change into butterflies.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. The good provision for moral development encourages pupils, right from the start of their formal education, to recognise the difference between right and wrong, to be polite and care for each other as well as their surroundings. All staff act as very good role models. Without exception they treat pupils with courtesy and sensitivity. The staff understand the importance of raising self esteem through reward rather than sanctions. Pupils have a good understanding of the school's ‘Golden Rules’ and value the certificates for good behaviour that are awarded in the merit assembly. The effectiveness in the consistency of emphasising moral development is seen in the good standards of behaviour and relationships that exist through the school.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. The provision for social development is satisfactory. Pupils are given opportunities to work together in groups, learning to share ideas and resources. They are given opportunities to take responsibility for routine tasks in classrooms, and older pupils have opportunities to take responsibility around the school. For example, they set up the hall for assemblies. At lunchtimes, personal and social skills are developed well through the practice of pupils sitting in friendship groups while they eat their lunch. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to act on their own initiative or for them to contribute their ideas about the developments they would like to see in the school. The new headteacher is aware of this and has identified the establishment of a school council as a priority on her school improvement plan.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. Satisfactory provision is made for pupils' cultural development. They have appropriate opportunities to develop an understanding of their own culture through visits to local places of interest and, for example, the visit of local artists during arts week. Some coverage is given of other cultures throughout areas of the curriculum. For example, in art and design, pupils have studied the works of Matisse and in music, an African drummer has visited the school. However, there has been little provision within the curriculum to inform and prepare pupils for the range of cultures represented in the United Kingdom today. Within music lessons, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to experience instruments from other cultures.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The support and guidance which pupils receive, both formal and informal, is good and has improved since the last inspection. Parents feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions and problems. Teaching and non-teaching staff know the pupils and their families well and respond to their needs. The support for children in the Foundation Stage and for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory; it is good for pupils from travelling families. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress and personal development are satisfactory. The effective liaison with a range of outside agencies, including the travellers’ education service, helps staff to support pupils successfully.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school cares well for its pupils and makes sure that all of its procedures, such as those for first aid and fire precautions, are reviewed regularly. The school policies and procedures for promoting discipline, good behaviour and regular attendance are good and they are known by all staff. Policies and procedures for promoting health and safety are good, whilst the procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are very good. The school provides a warm and welcoming environment for parents and pupils alike.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress and the use of the assessment information to guide curriculum and lesson planning, are unsatisfactory – a deterioration since the last inspection. Useful information is gathered when children first enter the school, but this is not analysed effectively to identify the needs of individuals in the Reception Year. Samples of all pupils’ work in English and mathematics are monitored each half term and some satisfactory use Norton CE VC Primary School - 15 is made of formal assessments in Years 1 to 6, such as the school’s identification of the need to raise standards in Year 3 in English. However, teacher assessments are not always accurately matched by the performance of pupils in the National Curriculum tests and they are not used to assess attainment levels against formal criteria or to plan and set targets for individuals. The marking of pupils’ work is too variable and inconsistent across year groups. Overall, the

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

assessment procedures are not understood fully by teachers or applied consistently.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The criteria for the assessment of pupils’ special educational needs and their placements on to the school’s register are not clear. In general, teachers informally ‘recommend’ that pupils are placed on the register if they do not make the progress expected. In some cases, help is requested from the advisory teacher or from the educational psychologist, but these referrals are few. As a consequence, there are currently considerably more pupils on the register than need to be. All pupils with special educational needs have individual educational plans and objectives are recorded. However, the quality of the plans is variable and, in some cases, they are too general.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Overall, the school’s partnership with parents is good and parents have a positive view of what the school provides and achieves. Parents believe that the school works closely with them. They also believe that children receive the right amount of homework. However, several parents who responded to the questionnaire and who attended the parents’ meeting, stated that they were not kept well informed about how their children get on at school. The inspection evidence supports the positive views of parents and agrees that they would benefit from more detailed information concerning their children’s progress.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. Communication between the school and parents is satisfactory. Information is provided through regular newsletters, questionnaires, parents’ meetings and annual reports. Parents also appreciate that they can discuss issues informally with staff. More regular open days are planned when parents can come to school to look at children’s work. Pupils’ annual reports give a clear indication of children’s attainment and progress, including helpful targets for improvement and comments about social and learning skills. However, the report format is inconsistent across the school and some reports do not contain information about pupils’ attendance records. Some parents say that they would like more comparative information, by class or year group, about their children’s progress. The school prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents are clear, informative and now meet all statutory requirements, which is an improvement since the last

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The school makes every effort to encourage parental involvement in the life of the school. A number of parents help out in the classroom and there is a supportive ‘friends’ group that organises social and fund raising events. Parents’ involvement in the life of the school and the contribution they make to children’s learning at school and at home are satisfactory.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The co-ordinator for special educational needs takes care to involve parents at every stage of the Code of Practice. Parents are consulted before pupils are placed on the register and processes explained to them. However, although regular review meetings are provided for parents of pupils on the register, the setting of review dates is inconsistent and few pupils are involved. Nevertheless, the support teacher keeps useful records and shares them with class teachers. The school values the support obtained from a wide range of professionals, in particular for the support of pupils with statements for their needs.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The school’s aims to provide a caring, stimulating and challenging environment with strong Christian traditions and good links with the local parish church have been maintained since the last inspection. A family ethos prevails in which staff praise, encourage and reward pupils. The recently appointed headteacher is beginning to provide sound, efficient leadership to her colleagues. She has identified several areas for Norton CE VC Primary School - 16 improvement and is supported well by a good governing body that has overseen and managed many changes well, over the last four years. The governors have an effective committee structure in place, which helps them to support the school closely and they are well informed about the latest developments, such as the implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. The governing body acts as a good critical friend to the school and it is involved well in

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

strategic planning and the clear linking of finances to long-term development. Its shared sense of commitment with staff helps to ensure that new initiatives are targeted well and bring clear benefits to pupils’ achievements. 45. The issues identified within the previous inspection report have been addressed satisfactorily. The senior managers and subject co-ordinators are now actively involved in analysing the school’s test results and evaluating the pupils’ performance. They are keen to succeed and are taking appropriate action to improve the standardised test results in areas such as reading and writing. There is much less emphasis, however, on monitoring the quality of teaching to evaluate its effect on learning and in raising achievement. Members of staff have not been given enough time to visit classes and observe the work of their colleagues in lessons or scrutinise completed examples of pupils’ work. Although the role of the co-ordinators has been improved satisfactorily, senior staff

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

are still not involved fully in managing funds linked to subjects. These are areas for further development.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The school has produced a useful improvement plan that reflects shared concerns. The plan is useful in guiding school practice and addressing the appropriate priorities that have been identified. It is linked well to the school budget and the governors’ role in devising and monitoring the success of this is good.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. An adequate number of appropriately trained staff are employed to meet the needs of the pupils in the school and curriculum co-ordination responsibilities are suitably shared, according to training, interest or experience. The learning support assistants form a strong team with the teachers and effective use is made of parental support in classrooms whenever possible. Two classes are managed by teachers who job-share and this works well. Teachers in their first years of teaching are supported and mentored well. Whilst there are few formal procedures for the induction of new teachers into the school, informal structures are adequate. The school’s procedures for performance management are satisfactory. All teachers are provided with appropriate opportunities to attend courses and the links between training and the needs of the school, as listed on the school improvement plan, are developing.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The school is aware of the new Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs and it has identified the need to review procedures and extend the current practice. For example, the lack of monitoring of individual educational plans by class teachers is to be rectified shortly. The school has made good efforts to provide disabled pupils with suitable facilities; ramps and an accessible toilet have been installed.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The accommodation is kept very clean and tidy and teachers create a lively, stimulating place for pupils to learn through bright, attractive displays of work. However, the buildings and surrounding space are limited for effective teaching of both the National Curriculum and the Foundation Stage curriculum. Although classrooms are of a reasonable size, there is insufficient space to be able to store a range of curricular resources. The school playground area is very small and the school has no grassed area of its own. The outdoor provision for children in the Reception class is at present unsatisfactory, but the school is actively seeking ways to improve matters. There is no school hall, medical room or quiet area and the library is small and not easily accessible. Pupils with special educational needs who receive extra support are of necessity taught in the school staff room. Nevertheless, the staff compensate well for the limitations of the building by using the village hall

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for assemblies and physical education and the village playing field for athletics and games. Since the limitations of the small playground were highlighted at the previous inspection, the school has introduced staggered playtimes for older and younger pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Resources are unsatisfactory. Although there is an adequate number of computers and enough classroom books for pupils to use, the resources are insufficient in mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music, physical education, religious Norton CE VC Primary School - 17 education, the library and for children in the Foundation Stage. There has been no recent allocation of financial support for most of the foundation subjects and, in most cases, it has been necessary for teachers and parents to assist in the provision of consumable resources to facilitate effective teaching of the subjects. For example, in geography, the teacher was forced to purchase her own copy of the book ‘Katie Morag and her Island Home’ which is integral to that particular unit of study and in history, most of the artefacts have been provided by the parents and the teachers.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Educational priorities contained in the school improvement plan are supported well through the school’s financial planning and effective controls. Governors and administrative staff have sound procedures to ensure that the principles of best value are applied. A recent external financial audit made only a few minor recommendations that have been fully implemented. The management and financial information that governors receive is good. The strategic use of resources, including grants and other funding, is satisfactory and the school plans to spend the surplus amount carried forward in its budget on future building works. The school makes satisfactory use of new technology in managing and administering its affairs. Overall, it provides sound value for money.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

52. The headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• adjusting the time allocated to the foundation subjects to provide a better balance; • developing the curriculum for the Foundation Stage and increasing the opportunities for children’s imaginative play; and • increasing the resources for mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music, physical education, religious education, the library and for children in the Foundation Stage.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 13, 22, 23, 27, 28, 50, 57, 59, 63, 65, 69, 87, 91, 95, 100, 106, 110 and 115 )

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii. improve teachers’ planning and use of assessment by:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• developing the quality of marking to include helpful comments for pupils; • making sure that assessment information is used effectively to guide teachers’ daily planning and that targets are set for pupils’ future work; and • formalising the criteria for assessing pupils’ with special educational needs.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 19, 22, 25, 38, 39, 43, 53, 71, 72, 81, 87, 91, 100, 103, 106 and 110)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iii. strengthen and develop the role of the subject co-ordinators by:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• empowering them to monitor the quality of teaching and learning more rigorously than at present and manage their budgets.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 45, 77, 82, 87, 91, 95, 100, 106 and 110)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

A few minor areas for improvement in paragraphs 9, 13, 18, 27, 40, 41, 49, 63, 69, 95 and 103 relate to:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• increasing the opportunities for pupils to use their initiative and take on responsibilities; • making better use of computers across the subjects of the curriculum; • seeking to redress the limitations of the accommodation; and • providing more information to parents about their children’s progress. Norton CE VC Primary School - 18

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 25

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 119

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 15

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 21

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9

p.20

Attendance

School data 3.7 School data 0.4 Norton CE VC Primary School - 19 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.20

Attendance

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

p.21

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 * * 5 23

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (90) 87 (86) 74 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (86) 74 (95) 100 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (90) 81 (90) 100 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (80) 81 (80) 94 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.22

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

5 Figures are omitted from the table, as the numbers of pupils taking the tests were fewer than 10 . Norton CE VC Primary School - 21 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Norton CE VC Primary School - 22

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

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.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6 Financial year 2000/01

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 240,613

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Total expenditure 237,610

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 34 Expenditure per pupil 2,084

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 16,886

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 19,889

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0.4

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Norton CE VC Primary School - 23

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 63 30 2 0 4

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 39 59 2 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 33 54 7 2 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 26 48 22 4 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 22 7 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 59 37 0 0 4

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 37 54 7 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 52 46 2 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 46 50 4 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 28 46 15 4 7

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

NB: Not all parents responded to all questions, therefore totals may not add up to 100.

p.25

Other issues raised by parents

• Parents would like more information about pupils’ progress. Norton CE VC Primary School - 24

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. Since the last inspection, the school has developed its provision for the youngest children to include separate provision for the Foundation Stage. Children are admitted in the autumn term prior to their fifth birthday. At the time of the inspection, there were 14 children in the Reception class. Most start school with average attainment on entry overall. This is confirmed by the assessments made when children first enter the Reception class, which indicate that standards are similar to those of most four-year-olds. However, attainment on entry sometimes varies significantly from year-to-year, but this information is not used sufficiently to help staff plan future activities according to the stepping stones contained in the nationally recommended curriculum. Nevertheless, most children make satisfactory gains in their learning as they progress through the Foundation Stage and many achieve the Early Learning Goals in knowledge and understanding of

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the world, creative development, physical development and personal, social and emotional aspects of their learning. They do not achieve the expected goals in communication, language, literacy and mathematics; this is due mainly to the lack of suitable resources and too few opportunities for children to take part in imaginative play.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

54. Children achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they reach the end of the Foundation Stage. They learn to interact contentedly with each other and there is often a quiet hum of activity in the classroom. Children are encouraged to behave sensibly as they play in the “Doctor’s Surgery”’ with the hospital toys and equipment, although resources are limited. All children are beginning to develop their confidence and higher attaining children work well alongside others. Lower attaining children are given constant support to develop their social skills and children from traveller families are integrated well with others when they are present. Children sustain concentration for reasonable periods and they make sound progress in developing their independence.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

55. Teaching is satisfactory in this aspect, because adults provide sound role models for the children and they encourage a gentle sense of fun to help increase children’s personal, social and emotional well-being. There are plenty of calm, orderly opportunities for children to develop an awareness of and respect for, the feelings of others and there is a happy, welcoming environment. Consistent messages are given to children from the time they enter school about the importance of listening to each other and appreciating achievement. Children are made to feel that their ideas and contributions are valued. They learn about Christian values by visiting the local church and through their work on themes, such as ‘Thank God for all we see’ .

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

56. Children make satisfactory progress in developing their skills in listening. However, many in the current group are not achieving the Early Learning Goals in communication and literacy because several have only just joined the school from travelling families and there are a few other children who have not been formally identified as having special educational needs, but nevertheless, require additional support. Higher attaining children talk in sentences and are beginning to give reasons for their answers; they talk about the sequences of events in stories about ‘Chips’ and ‘Kipper’ , using picture clues. However, many children use a limited range of vocabulary and much of their speech is immature. They do not communicate confidently and need a great deal of encouragement to interact with each other. Children enjoy sharing books with adults such as, ‘Look for Me’ and, ‘Me and My Dog’ . They usually show respect for books, handling them with

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

care. Children enjoy making marks on paper; the youngest children form simple patterns and shapes and a few of the oldest children are able to write their own names independently. However, they are not secure in their knowledge of the alphabet or the sounds of individual letters. Norton CE VC Primary School - 25 57. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Staff provide good role models for the children within a firm, orderly environment. Good features include well-managed activities and well-prepared resources. However, planning is not sufficiently focused on the stepping stones of the Early Learning Goals, but rather to the National Literacy Strategy. This is not appropriate for the great majority of children, who require more opportunities to develop their language skills at a simpler level and more role-play activities to extend their imaginative development. Friendly, approachable adults support the children and form good relationships with them and this helps to engender a sense of

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

fun when, for example, children make letter shapes from playdough.

p.27

Mathematical development

58. All children make satisfactory progress and a few achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception class. However, the majority achieve below the expected stepping stones for their age. Whilst the oldest, most capable children count up to and, occasionally, beyond ten, many lack confidence in their understanding of numbers and require close support. Although they recognise basic shapes, such as squares and circles, most children struggle to identify clock faces as ‘round’ or recognise the oval shape of an egg. A few children are beginning to count on in ones and twos, but concepts such as ‘more than’ and ‘less than’ are not well understood. Children identify the ‘longest’ and ‘shortest’ animal ears and have helped to sort and match the shapes of ladybirds and butterflies. Children sequence patterns and thread beads in a repeating pattern with adult support.

p.27

Mathematical development

59. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Adults encourage children to use number in everyday situations around the classroom. Activities such as construction play are used to stimulate interest and guide children’s observation of different shapes. Adults present lessons in an enjoyable way that young children relate to well. As a result, they become motivated and work well on mathematical tasks. However, planning is not sufficiently focused on learning objectives based on the recommended stepping stones for young children to help staff pinpoint targets for learning.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

60. Children make sound progress and achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. Staff use questions appropriately to guide children’s observations and promote discussion about growth and development when investigating runner beans. They use their sense of hearing when listening to outdoor sounds and objects such as shakers. The most capable children talk with confidence about their families and the world around them. All children demonstrate reasonable control when using the computer games such as, ‘Tizzy’s Toybox’ and ‘Bananas in Pyjamas’ . They have awareness of times past and their local environment and are able to talk about photographs of themselves as babies and the fact that penguins live in cold climates.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

61. Teaching and learning in this area of learning are sound. Activities are interesting and adults make effective use of questions to extend children’s knowledge and understanding. Teaching of investigative skills is satisfactory because adults encourage children to develop sound observational techniques when studying the petals and leaves of a flowering plant, sorting fabrics for collage or drawing self-portraits. Sound links are made with literacy and mathematical skills in activities such as making letters from playdough and searching for patterns in the shapes of bumblebees.

p.27

Physical development

62. Children make satisfactory progress and achieve the expected goals for their age by the end of the Reception Year. They improve their manipulative and fine motor skills with a range of appropriate activities. They use pencils, crayons, scissors and paint brushes effectively and with confidence. Hand-eye co-ordination is developed appropriately through matching and positioning shapes, jigsaws, decorating and sticking. Children change their clothes for physical activities with minimum assistance. They develop co-ordination, control and confidence in movement when Norton CE VC Primary School - 26 learning to control their bodies in physical activities. They balance confidently on one foot and they jump with good resilience when playing. Spatial awareness is developing effectively as children skip and jump around.

p.27

Physical development

63. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Appropriate activities are usually provided, but there are too few opportunities to challenge the most capable children to devise and sequence their own movements. The lack of wheeled toys and tricycles and the shortage of outdoor space hinder children’s ability to increase their skills.

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Creative development

64. Most children make satisfactory progress and achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception class, because they have appropriate opportunities to paint, draw and create simple pictures and collage. Children sometimes produce repeating patterns. They explore different colours, textures, shapes and forms to represent pictures of fish, penguins and mini- beasts. The quality of the children’s singing is satisfactory. Children are beginning to learn some songs by heart and they enjoy joining in with nursery rhymes.

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Creative development

65. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Adults provide a sound range of experiences and children are appropriately challenged in their work. There are daily opportunities for children to explore colour, texture, form and space in two and three dimensions. However, there are too few role-play opportunities to help promote children’s use of their imagination. Activities are usually organised and managed effectively within a colourful environment in which the displays are good.

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ENGLISH

66. The test results for Year 6 in 2001, showed standards to be very high and amongst the top five per cent in the country. Almost 70 per cent of pupils achieved the higher Level 5, which was very high in comparison with the national average and in comparison with similar schools. Inspection evidence indicates that current standards are not as high as last year, due to the different cohort, but nevertheless they remain above average. In the results of national tests for Year 2 in 2001, attainment in reading and writing was below average. In comparison with similar schools, attainment was well below average, with no pupils achieving the higher level in writing. This was a marked drop in standards from the previous year, against the trend, due to factors specific to the cohort of pupils. These factors included lower than average attainment in language skills on entry to the school, a high number of pupils with special educational needs and high mobility, due to the

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ENGLISH

number of travellers and class organisational changes. Currently, these pupils are making good progress because of consistently good teaching. Most pupils in the current Year 2 are working at the level expected for their age. Since the previous inspection, standards have remained fairly steady. Most pupils achieve well, making good progress from their starting point.

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ENGLISH

67. By the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils' skills in speaking and listening are average. Most pupils speak clearly and express their thoughts articulately. They make sound progress in their speaking and listening skills. For example in Year 2, pupils join in confidently with reading the poem, ‘ Listen’ . The good use of questioning extends pupils' vocabulary as they recall sounds they heard on a recent walk into the countryside. In year 3, pupils listen very carefully and give well considered answers to teachers' questions. This was evident when one pupil explained the purpose of a comma as, ‘It gives you the chance to take a breath’ . At age 11, pupils listen with concentration to other pupils and adults and wait their turn in discussions. Most are confident in putting forward their point of view and can use a sufficiently wide vocabulary to express themselves clearly. During the literacy hour, teachers frequently develop pupils' speaking and listening skills

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ENGLISH

by widening their vocabulary and extending their understanding of the use of language. Children with special educational needs are fully included in group discussions and are assisted in the development of their speaking skills through questions that are effectively tailored to their needs. However, for older pupils, progress is limited through the infrequency of planned opportunities for organised debate. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 were distinguishing between fact and opinion as they read essays giving opposing views on capital punishment. They were clearly very Norton CE VC Primary School - 27 keen to discuss this issue, but were allowed only limited time to do so. Throughout the school, pupils talk freely and sensibly in social conversations with visitors to the school.

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ENGLISH

68. By the end of Year 2, attainment in reading is average, with most pupils working at the expected level. They make satisfactory progress in acquiring a range of reading skills. They read with developing accuracy, although some pupils respond with a lack of interest in what they have read. Pupils use a sound range of strategies in attempting new words. For example, they use their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make to build the whole word. More able pupils successfully use the sense of the surrounding text they are reading to help them read unfamiliar words. They have a good recall of texts and, when reading stories, consider possible endings to chapters. Pupils' skills are developed effectively during the literacy hour lessons and daily guided reading sessions help pupils gain a greater understanding of what they read. Pupils take books home on a regular basis and parents make a valuable contribution to the progress that is made.

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ENGLISH

Pupils make good progress in Years 3 to 6 so that by the age of 11, attainment is above average. They enjoy books and respond to the subject matter with interest, expressing opinions on the plot and character. Pupils read from a satisfactory range of books and can explain their preferences for a particular author. For example, pupils particularly enjoy the Harry Potter books because, as well as interesting characters and settings, they believe the stories are exciting.

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ENGLISH

69. Most pupils use their reading skills well to access information. This is evident when pupils use the index confidently to find information on ‘Spitfires’ , before rapidly scanning the text to correctly find the answers to questions. The school library is organised well, but very small. This limits its effectiveness considerably in enhancing pupils’ learning, because, for example, the range and number of books is limited and there is a lack of space for pupils to sit, should they wish to carry out independent research.

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ENGLISH

70. In writing, almost all pupils in Year 2 work to the level expected for their age. They make sound progress. The majority of pupils spell a range of familiar words accurately, choosing their vocabulary to include some descriptive words, when pupils write about ‘delicious’ strawberries. More capable pupils express their ideas clearly in well-structured sentences. Spelling is mostly consistent and handwriting is accurately formed print of consistent size. Sentences are usually punctuated with capital letters and full stops. Pupils make good progress in the junior classes so that by the end of Year 6, standards are above average, with about one quarter of pupils achieving higher than the expected standard. Punctuation and spelling is good and writing is organised appropriately for the purpose of the reader, when pupils adopt a formal presentation for writing a letter of complaint. Paragraphs are used to structure writing logically and pupils select words

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ENGLISH

carefully for interest and precision, as was evident in their biographical accounts of the life of William Blake. As they go through the school, pupils develop the use of a wide and engaging vocabulary effectively. This is illustrated in the high quality poetry that is a strength of the writing throughout the school. For example, pupils in Year 2 use a frame to organise the structure of their poems and many demonstrate good use of imaginative language, such as, ‘the strong wind moaning ’. Pupils in Year 4 produce anthologies of different types of poems, including limericks and kennings. In Year 6, pupils study the poetry of William Blake and copy his frequent use of metaphors in their own poetry. Most pupils write neatly and present work well, drafting or using computers to improve their work. The use of the literacy hour is having a positive effect on the development of grammar and punctuation. Pupils have opportunities to write for a range of

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ENGLISH

purposes. Older pupils are given the opportunity to extend a piece of writing over several days, but there are few examples of creative story writing. Pupils' literacy skills are used well to support learning in other subjects, such as history and geography.

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ENGLISH

71. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now good throughout the school. A strength of the teaching is in the good management of pupils. Very positive relationships have been established, so that pupils have good attitudes to the subject. They are keen to give of their best and work hard on given tasks. In the most effective lessons, teachers have high expectations and engage pupils' interest by setting a brisk pace and providing appropriately challenging work. Effective questioning is used well to enhance and extend pupils' thinking. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils from travelling families make similar progress to other pupils due to well targeted support from learning support assistants, which enables them to take a Norton CE VC Primary School - 28 full part in lessons. Across the school, learning support assistants are briefed well and they provide knowledgeable and useful help. Almost all pupils work hard in their independent sessions

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ENGLISH

during the literacy hour, which contributes positively to their personal development. They co- operate and support each other well. Where teaching is very good, the learning intentions are made clear to the pupils, so they know what is expected of them and can judge for themselves whether they have achieved the objective by the end of the lesson. The teacher demonstrates obvious enthusiasm for the subject, the lesson is presented in a lively, innovative manner and tasks are extremely well matched to individual needs, all of which have a very positive effect on pupil confidence and interest. All teachers have good subject knowledge and, for the most part, they plan their lessons effectively, providing the opportunity for pupils to build on their skills. In the lessons observed, assessment was mostly used appropriately to match work to individual needs. However, an analysis of pupils' work indicates that assessment is inconsistent and unsatisfactory.

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ENGLISH

It is not used to guide planning and there are occasions where all the pupils in the class are given the same task to accomplish, regardless of their varying abilities. In addition, marking is not used effectively to move pupils forward in their learning. A few teachers have begun to set individual targets for improvement, but, as yet, this practice is inconsistent throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

72. The subject co-ordinator is relatively new to the role, but has already implemented initiatives that have improved standards. For example, targeted pupils in Year 3 have been receiving extra support with reading and age-related books have been bought specifically for this purpose. As a result, all pupils involved have made good progress. The co-ordinator has correctly identified areas for future development, including the need for non-contact time to monitor the planning and teaching in the subject more closely. She is aware that assessment procedures are currently inconsistent and are not used effectively to track pupils' progress through the school or to establish individual targets for improvement.

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MATHEMATICS

73. Overall, the standards attained over the last three years at the end of Year 6 have been well above average and pupils’ achievement is currently good, improving steadily as they progress through the school because of the good quality of teaching. In last year’s national tests, results at the end of Year 2 were well below the national average and that of similar schools. The difference between the results of the three previous years and the standards achieved last year, are due largely to the different ability of the pupils and pupil mobility of those who are from travelling families.

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MATHEMATICS

74. By the end of Year 2, overall standards are average and pupils achieve steadily. The less capable pupils and those with special educational needs, continue to develop basic matching and sorting skills, making sets of similar items using colours, size, shapes and a wide range of objects. Other pupils count in ones, twos and fives and they are beginning to understand addition and subtraction of numbers to ten and addition using tens; for example 20 + 7 = 27. They understand largest and smallest and odd and even numbers. The recognise common coins, tell the time in hours and complete simple estimations in length and are beginning to understand place value, showing some confidence in using a 100 number square. By the end of Year 2, more capable pupils know and use a 100 square for multiplication and division, understand place value to 100 and use symbols to write number sentences such as 12 + 23 + 4 = 39. They partition numbers and then re-combine

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MATHEMATICS

them; for example, partitioning the number 63 into 38 + 10 + 10 + 3 + 2 = 63. They can tell the time confidently to the nearest quarter of an hour using a clock face and are learning the analogue and digital forms of time. They explore number patterns using 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the most capable understand that number tables are a form of counting on. They count and subtract two-digit numbers confidently and make simple shopping calculations. Pupils continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of length, measuring in centimetres and are able to give change from 50p and understand whole and half.

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MATHEMATICS

75. By the end of Year 6, pupils currently attain standards that are above average. Pupils are confident in place value and use long division or multiplication to solve decimal problems. They have a good understanding of fractions, ratios and percentages. They measure accurately length, weight, capacity, time and angles, understand symmetry, area, volume and co-ordinates and solve problems relating to everyday contexts. They often reach high standards, particularly in their Norton CE VC Primary School - 29 knowledge of averages, mode and median. Pupils in Years 3 attain sound standards. They have a secure knowledge and understanding of basic numeracy, including the use of symbols. For example, they add 89 + 30 (- 1) to help them calculate 89 + 29 quickly. They solve simple problems and have a sound understanding of place value to 100. They double numbers and are beginning to understand fractions; for example, ¼ of 8 centimetres. More capable pupils are

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MATHEMATICS

beginning to understand decimal fractions. They know the characteristics of the main two and three-dimensional shapes, lines of symmetry, the points of the compass, have a good grasp of measurement and make sensible estimates of length. They complete charts of data during investigations and represent findings as bar graphs. Effective use is made of computers by pupils to extend their skills. In Year 4, pupils build upon the work undertaken in Year 3 and make good progress as a result of continued good teaching. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of place values is extended and they work confidently with function machines making calculations of ‘more than or less than 1000’. They round up or down to 10s or 100s and work with fractions and equivalent fractions. They multiply by 100 and complete mental addition accurately; for example, 127 add 40. They can add figures such as, (50 + 28) + 14 = 94, using brackets and they balance

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MATHEMATICS

number equations and solve problems like, 9 + 6 = 10 = ? and, ‘What three numbers add up to 103?’ . Pupils read scales accurately and build patterns from co-ordination on a graph. They know the names of three-dimensional shapes such as pyramid, sphere and prism and understand nets and can name common shapes. They have a good understanding of perimeter.

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MATHEMATICS

76. Overall, the quality of teaching is good in the infant and junior classes. The good management of the resources available aids learning. In the infants, this includes the support from a learning support assistant and a parent helper who provide grouping arrangements enabling the wide range of pupils’ mathematical needs to be met, including the number of pupils requiring additional support. Suitable challenges are provided to extend more capable pupils and the good support in the group situation helps pupils to concentrate, such as when using a number line to count on from zero or one, thus exploring concepts of odds and evens and number patterns. These individual or small group interactions ensure that pupils’ learning is at an appropriate level and pupils from travelling families are integrated well. However, more opportunities for pupils in Years 1 and 2 to count at registration and other times during the day would enable them to apply their

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MATHEMATICS

skills. The quality of teaching in Years 3 and 4 is good with clear lesson targets. Good questioning is used to determine the extent of pupils’ previous learning with an emphasis on correct use of mathematical vocabulary and symbols. This ensures that pupils develop confidence and record their answers accurately on white boards when in group situations, although in some instances pupils are given too long to respond to a question. The good support from learning support assistants enables less capable pupils to understand the fundamental principles. For pupils in Years 5 and 6, good teaching is evident with a demanding pace being set. For example, timed activities such as ‘Maths Challenge’ and mental arithmetic are very effective in enabling pupils to become confident in numeracy and skilled in the use of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. In Year 5, tasks are matched well to pupils’ understanding and less capable and younger

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MATHEMATICS

pupils are given good encouragement and support. This helps them develop a good basic knowledge and understanding of processes like representing data on bar graphs. Pupils in Year 6 are given well-structured challenges which extend learning and they apply their knowledge of graphs to select the most suitable way to represent different types of data; for example when they investigate shoe sizes. They understand symmetry and the use of symmetrical patterns. Pupils know the names of various types of triangles and, with prompting, can recall some of the properties of equilateral and isosceles triangles. They have a good understanding of the number system and can work with numbers up to and including 10,000s and with fractions and decimals, ratio, factors and area with confidence. More capable pupils are introduced to simple algebraic equations. The standards of some Year 6 pupils are improved through the use of a withdrawal

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MATHEMATICS

system for ‘booster sessions’ in preparation for the national tests.

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MATHEMATICS

77. The role of the co-ordinator of mathematics is unsatisfactory because there is insufficient monitoring and evaluation of the subject. There are no clear systems for the allocation of funds and resources are lacking, particularly in the range of mathematical equipment. Day-to-day assessment is unsatisfactory, although some teachers keep accurate mark books. Since the last inspection, the school has successfully implemented the National Numeracy Strategy, but the co- ordination of the subject is now less secure. Norton CE VC Primary School - 30

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SCIENCE

78. Very few lessons were observed during the inspection, therefore evidence is based upon the analysis of pupils’ work, discussions with staff and assessment information. The good standards achieved by pupils when they leave the school have been improved on since the last inspection and this is borne out by the consistently very good standards attained in the national tests for pupils at the end of Year 6 over the last three years. Standards are currently above the expected level for pupils in Year 6 and in line with the national picture by the end of Year 2. Pupils make good progress in their learning, including those with special educational needs and pupils from traveller families, because of the close support they receive in lessons.

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SCIENCE

79. In Year 2, all pupils understand friction and know that forces can change the shape of an object. The most capable pupils record their results confidently in a table and explain exactly how push- pull factors affect the movement of items over different surfaces. They are familiar with force meters and use mathematical skills appropriately when recording experiments in Venn diagrams. Most pupils understand what constitutes a fair test and they use this information when planning their own experiments. They identify natural and human-made materials accurately and enjoy observing the changes in substances such as when melting chocolate and butter. All pupils understand the importance of healthy living and they make good use of computers to record graphs and pie charts of surveys undertaken on topics such as ‘School Journeys’.

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SCIENCE

80. By the end of Year 6 pupils have a very secure understanding of scientific vocabulary and can explain the use of terms such as 'nutrients' and ‘minerals’ in relation to flowering plants. Pupils in the junior classes accurately identify animals and their habitats in the local environment and they understand fully the concept of food chains, as well as terms such as, ‘carnivore’ and omnivore’. Studies of organisms and microbes help them to think about biodegradable products and they are able to conduct simple experiments on decay processes, involving tea bags, eggshells and fruit. They know that water can be a solid, liquid or a gas and they use their knowledge about materials to separate mixtures, such as salt and sugar in water. All pupils know what is required to make a fair test and record their results carefully, sometimes using computers to help them. The very good level of support by adults during lessons enables pupils with special educational needs to achieve

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SCIENCE

81. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Pupils are enthusiastic and keen to be involved in practical activities. Teachers are confident in their subject knowledge and use a variety of teaching methods successfully so that the pupils have the opportunity to question and explain their actions. Specific scientific language is used well to support pupils in their learning. For example, in a lesson for pupils in Years 5 and 6, the teacher gave the pupils a clear, detailed explanation of the terms 'transparent’, ‘opaque’ and ‘translucent’. Good use is made of literacy by the inclusion of texts such as Michael Rosen’s poem, ‘ Periscope’ to help pupils understand the concept of how light travels in a straight line, before conducting their own experiments. However, assessment procedures are inconsistent and the marking of pupils’ work is too variable generally.

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SCIENCE

82. The management of the subject is unsatisfactory because the co-ordinator has not had sufficient time to monitor teaching and learning across the school. Nevertheless, the school uses the objectives in the nationally recommended scheme of work to ensure good coverage of the science curriculum. This fits appropriately into the programme of topics planned for the pupils in the mixed- aged classes. Resources are limited, but staff supplement them with their own items and pupils are encouraged to bring in resources from home.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. Standards exceed the national expectations at the age of seven. At age 11, pupils attain the expected levels. Standards have remained the same as at the previous inspection. All junior pupils, including those with special educational needs and from traveller families, make at least satisfactory progress and infant pupils make good progress due to consistently high quality Norton CE VC Primary School - 31 teaching.

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ART AND DESIGN

84. Pupils in the infant class use a range of media, including paint, crayon and clay to experiment successfully with colour and shape and to develop appropriate techniques. By the age of seven, these good foundations to learning result in pupils working confidently and creatively, For example, pupils look for pattern and shapes in buildings as they go round school, before creating their own line drawings from photographs of well-known buildings. The finished results are impressive and demonstrate a keen eye for detail, as is evident on one pupil's line drawing of Tower Bridge. Pencils are used very well to create line. Pupils go on to interpret the same buildings in the abstract, which is a challenging undertaking for pupils of this young age. The finished results demonstrate very good use of shape and colour for effect. The project is completed as pupils transfer their shapes to the computer, using information technology very effectively to enhance

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ART AND DESIGN

their learning. Watercolour observations of daffodils show a mature use of shading to create form and texture. Pupils are learning to copy the work of famous artists. For example, Year 2 pupils demonstrate a good knowledge of the life of Matisse. They explain animatedly how the infirmity of old age affected the way he worked before they go on to create vibrant pictures of mini beasts in his style.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. Junior-aged pupils continue to develop their skills effectively as they use a variety of media in two and three dimensions. For example, pupils in Year 3 use a malleable material confidently to cover wire as they develop simple models. They have already experienced using clay and papier-mache to make models and, as they evaluate their work, they make well-considered judgements as to the advantages and disadvantages of the different media. Pupils in the Years 5 and 6 class demonstrate sound observational skills as they sketch objects in their natural environment. They observe carefully and record what they see accurately, using HB pencils to show line and shape, although they pay limited attention to light and shadow. In the juniors, the use of computers to generate ideas and produce images is limited. Pupils in Year 6 have begun to use sketchbooks to investigate and draft their ideas, but this good practice is not consistently applied throughout the

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ART AND DESIGN

86. The quality of teaching is good in the infants and sound in the juniors. Where teaching is very good, the teacher demonstrates secure subject knowledge and the lessons are planned very well to provide interesting and challenging tasks to motivate pupils. Teachers transmit their own enthusiasm for the subject to the pupils who are often excited by the challenging tasks and work with concentration and enjoyment. This was evident in one lesson where pupils became so involved in what they were doing that, for a while, they were working in total silence. In all lessons, pupils are managed well. Good use is made of praise and encouragement and pupils' work is valued. Art is used effectively to enhance learning across the curriculum. For example, as part of their history topic on the Tudors, pupils in Year 4 used printing techniques to produce portraits of the rulers of the period. The curriculum is further enhanced by the annual Arts Week, in which

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ART AND DESIGN

pupils are given the opportunity to work with a visiting artist and by the provision of the weekly art club, which is supported well by the pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

87. The management of the subject is unsatisfactory. The co-ordinator has had insufficient opportunity to monitor standards through scrutiny of teachers' planning, analysis of pupils' work or observations of lessons. Assessment procedures are unsatisfactory and there has been a lack of funding for resources, which are inadequate, supplemented by the goodwill of parents and teachers, who provide many of the consumable resources themselves.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. Standards have been maintained since the previous inspection. Although no design and technology lessons were observed during inspection, a scrutiny of pupils' work, displays and talking with pupils, showed that they make satisfactory progress and reach expected standards by the time they leave the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. In Years 1 and 2, pupils follow the design processes successfully, from the original idea to the finished product, as they work with textiles. A variety of puppets on display demonstrates the Norton CE VC Primary School - 32 translation of pupils' drawings to simple working models. Pupils make drawings and notes after looking at a variety of puppets, before using tools accurately to draw round and cut out templates for glove puppets. In discussion, pupils explained how they used their skills to make large jointed puppets from card and paper. They described how they stapled and glued the hands to the puppet and drew round a template for the puppet's head. When asked if they had attached the paper fasteners for the joints independently, they answered proudly, ‘Of course, we're Year 2!’ Pupils describe how they make their own choice of materials with which to decorate their puppets and the most capable pupils show good consideration of the safety aspects of their designs when

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

explaining why a wooden puppet might not be suitable for a baby.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. Pupils enjoy practical work and talk enthusiastically about their constructions. By Year 6, they follow instructions, make suitable choice of materials and give thought to the suitability of the article for its purpose. This was demonstrated well in designs for hats. For example, pupils design hats for postmen that sometimes include a pocket for dog biscuits! They satisfactorily learn how to join fabrics using different types of seams and to decorate the product to reflect their own personality. In their work on shelters, pupils describe how they investigated a tent before designing and making their own shelters. They used their mathematical skills effectively to calculate measurements and worked with a variety of tools, including hacksaws, bench hooks and glue- guns. Finished structures demonstrate sound understanding of how to strengthen the framework through reinforcement and incorporate a frame and a cover. Discussions with the pupils revealed

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

their interest in design and technology. Their concern that there is sometimes not enough time to complete their work is echoed by the subject co-ordinator, who confirmed the difficulty of completing projects in the allotted period of time, due to the constraints of curricular planning. Throughout the school there is limited evidence of pupils using computers to refine and extend design ideas; however, progress is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs and those from travelling families take a full part in lessons and make sound progress in line with the rest of the class.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. As no lessons were observed, a judgement on teaching cannot be made. The subject co-ordinator has sufficient knowledge to develop the subject but, at present the role is too limited to have an impact on standards and because of this the subject is not well managed. For example, although a nationally recommended scheme of work provides useful guidance to teachers, the co-ordinator is aware of the necessity to adapt the scheme to allow for the mixed-year classes within the school. Insufficient identification has been made of the key skills, methods and evaluations throughout the school, based on reliable assessment information and there has been little checking on the quality of teaching. There has been no recent allocation of financial support for the subject and resources remain only barely adequate, due to the goodwill of parents and teachers who frequently provide them.

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GEOGRAPHY

92. Only a few lessons were observed and so it is not possible to make a secure judgement about teaching overall. From the analysis of pupils’ work and discussions with them, standards are similar to the national expectations by the time pupils leave at the end of Year 6.

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GEOGRAPHY

93. By the end of Year 2, standards in the work seen are broadly average. Pupils are observant when studying pictures of a village in India and make good comparisons between life in the village and the lives they lead. For example, they consider the jobs undertaken by children and what jobs they undertook at home and recognise that the work undertaken by children in India is important for their survival. Pupils have a basic understanding of maps and plans and know about their locality through field studies and visits. They record their work carefully and show good attitudes to their work.

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GEOGRAPHY

94. In Years 3 to 6, pupils’ progress is steady. Pupils in Year 3 continue to learn about their local area and undertake a survey of how people get to work and, through a consideration of the physical features in the area, develop their mapping skills. They compare and contrast different climates, for example, rainforests with deserts and begin to understand that the climate in countries of the world is different. Pupils know about the various places that make up the United Kingdom and can Norton CE VC Primary School - 33 name the key cities. They can point to the major continents and countries across the world on a world map. In Year 4, pupils learn about the symbols on maps, develop their knowledge of co- ordinates and make temperature comparisons between Birmingham and Tokyo as part of their research for a holiday destination. Such work develops pupils’ wider knowledge of the map of the world. In Years 5 and 6, good progress is made because of the teachers’ specialist knowledge.

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GEOGRAPHY

Pupils recall their work on climate confidently and how it affects which crops can be grown. They research which mountains are the highest and compare the heights of mountains across the continents. They know many of the common mapping symbols and more recently have followed news items from around the world; for example, the war in Afghanistan, the conflict in Israel and a missing person in Australia. Through these experiences, pupils gain insight into the wider world around them. Their work shows that they understand how to use secondary sources to find out information about other countries. However, their understanding of the range of cultures present in the United Kingdom and the richness of cultural traditions is not well developed.

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GEOGRAPHY

95. The co-ordination of the subject is unsatisfactory. An appropriate amount of time has been allocated to the subject and a satisfactory review undertaken since the previous inspection, resulting in the now suitable study units for Years 3 to 6. However, teachers do not always follow the timetable and curricular balance is not achieved. There is little assessment of the development of skills and marking does not tell pupils how they can improve further. Resources are inadequate and teachers rely heavily upon materials and artefacts they borrow or purchase themselves and on objects brought in by pupils. Limited use is made of computers to support the pupils’ learning, particularly in the use of the Internet for information and email to make contact with schools in other countries.

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HISTORY

96. Overall, standards have been maintained since the last inspection and they are sound throughout the school. Pupils enjoy the subject and they make satisfactory progress as the result of sound teaching in Years 3 to 6. It is not possible to make a judgement on the quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 as no lessons were observed and the subject is not timetabled for this term.

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HISTORY

97. In Years 1 and 2, pupils develop an idea of chronology, understanding the concept of old and new and past and present. They begin to develop observational skills by looking at pictures of the Vikings and pupils make good use of them to help them with their writing. They learn a little about India and its past history through their work on geography.

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HISTORY

98. Satisfactory progress continues in Years 3 to 6. In Year 3, pupils are motivated by the study of the Romans and Celts. The subject links well with literacy when pupils are asked to imagine and write about such topics as having to make a choice between fighting with Boudicea or with the Roman army. Pupils make good use of secondary sources of evidence and understand the importance of using these to come to a decision. They learn from the designing of a ‘Wanted’ poster and understand that the Romans were invaders. Pupils also develop an understanding of democracy when they learn about the ancient Greeks, their great wars, the Greek alphabet, how they educated children and what medicine they used. In Year 4, pupils enjoy learning about the Great Fire of London and write a diary entry about their experience as if they were living close to the fire, taking as their model the Diary of Samuel Pepys. Teachers are skilled at ensuring that pupils are

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HISTORY

all involved in the activity and in repeating the difficult vocabulary so that all have a chance to master it. They compare life in their own village with that of the time of Henry VIII and write pen- portraits of Henry’s wives. Pupils develop an understanding of the differences between their lives and those of children in the past. They investigate how Henry VIII spent his time and compare the lives of the rich and poor and children’s games with the ones they play today.

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HISTORY

99. In Years 5 and 6, pupils’ analytic skills develop further and they show good recall of important events in the 1950’s, making comparisons between everyday objects of the 1950’s and the objects they know today. They are aware of the fact that some present-day objects had not been invented then and that many older persons in the village lived through this time. Through skilful questioning, teachers lead pupils to an understanding of the extent of the Commonwealth and how this affected Norton CE VC Primary School - 34 levels of immigration into the United Kingdom at the time. This helps to deepen pupils’ understanding of racial issues and makes a contribution to their cultural development.

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HISTORY

100. The school uses national guidelines as a scheme of work, but has not ensured that medium-term planning covers all the elements required over time. This is because the organisation of pupils of differing ages into classes varies each year and so it is possible for them to miss considerable parts of the scheme. The assessment procedures are unsatisfactory. Resources are few and teaching staff frequently supplement them. This lack of resources sometimes means that topics cannot be taught because the resources required are not available; for example, in Years 1 and 2, the topic of ‘The Medieval Times’ is on hold because books are not available from the library. There is no funding allocated to the subject co-ordinator whose management role is unsatisfactory, but sound use is made of the resources and computers that are available.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection and are currently in line with the national expectation by the end of Years 2 and 6, although pupils have limited knowledge of control technology. Nevertheless, by the time they are 11 years old, pupils have made sound progress over time and have added steadily to their understanding of the subject. In Years 1 and 2, pupils handle computers with confidence. They log on and off, use the mouse and keyboard well and know how to save and print their work. In Years 3 to 6, pupils use word processing to write simple stories and poems. They understand how to analyse data from a database and know how to create a simple spreadsheet. All pupils enjoy using computers and those from traveller families or with special educational needs work well with other pupils to extend their skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The teaching staff have worked hard to develop their own computing skills and show reasonable confidence when teaching the subject. In the best lessons, teachers show a good grasp of the computers and software; they use this knowledge well by setting clear objectives and explaining how pupils should proceed. In a good Year 3 lesson, pupils were learning how to enhance their mathematical skills through the use of spreadsheets. The teacher used good knowledge of the software during the introduction to question pupils skilfully, making clear which skills they should be developing during the activity. Pupils listened carefully to the instructions, which were understood well and helped them to make a good start to the activity. Teachers invariably manage their pupils well. This leads to pupils being motivated in lessons and an ensuing buzz of interest at what they can do on the computer. Often in the mixed-

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

ability lessons, more capable and less confident pupils sit together and a good level of co- operation and mutual respect soon develops.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

103. The school has improved its resources since the last inspection and is making sound use of computers for literacy and numeracy. This is not the case, however, across other subjects of the curriculum, such as geography and design and technology, where computers are under used to extend pupils’ learning. Assessment is not used effectively to guide teachers’ planning and the management of the subject is unsatisfactory because there is no formal monitoring of teaching and learning to make sure that the curriculum is implemented fully.

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MUSIC

104. Only a few lessons were observed during the inspection. However, from discussions with pupils and staff the indication is that pupils make sound progress in their learning and attain the expected standards by the time they leave, as found at the time of the last inspection. Standards are satisfactory in singing in the infant and junior classes. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 understand the meaning of tempo and melody. They read simple graphic notation confidently when playing tuned instruments. Pupils are able to follow an ascending and descending tune in melodies and they play untuned percussion instruments, appraising their compositions effectively to improve their performances. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and pupils from traveller families, make sound progress in their learning because they are integrated well in activities and given good support. Throughout the school, pupils develop their musical vocabulary satisfactorily

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MUSIC

Norton CE VC Primary School - 35 and most are keen to improve their performances through repeated practice. Pupils enjoy taking part in activities during the annual arts week, such as drum workshops and Caribbean music- making.

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MUSIC

105. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Classes are organised effectively, with appropriate attention given to the planning of suitable tasks for pupils’ age and capabilities. The expertise of the co-ordinator and one other teacher has a positive effect on pupils’ singing skills because piano accompaniment is of a high standard. In the few lessons observed, pupils were managed well and a sense of fun was promoted, within a calm environment. For example, pupils in Year 4 listened to each other and their teacher with interest and sustained concentration. They improved their singing skills by responding well to changes in tempo when performing songs such as, ‘Harry Hare is in a Hurry’ and ‘Susie Snail’ . Pupils are given good opportunities to learn instruments in extra-curricular recorder groups and from visiting specialist teachers for woodwind instruments such as flute and clarinet. A few opportunities are provided for pupils to perform to an

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MUSIC

audience in assemblies, but these are limited and do not extend beyond the school into the local community.

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MUSIC

106. The management of the subject is unsatisfactory. Although the co-ordinator has appropriate plans to develop the provision, including the need to improve assessment procedures, she has had little time to monitor teaching or review the curriculum and there is no specific budget for the purchase of new instruments or taped music. Resources are limited; there are no keyboards available for pupils to use and insufficient opportunities for them to use computers or experience instruments from other cultures.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107. By the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils attain standards in line with those expected nationally for their age. The standards found at the time of the last inspection have mostly been maintained, although standards in dance at age seven have dipped slightly.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

108. In dance, pupils in Year 2 recognise basic rhythms and create appropriate movement patterns in response to instructions. As they imitate the style of mini-beasts, they move high and low, forwards and backwards, fast and slow in imaginative interpretation of the music. Pupils demonstrate co-ordination and an awareness of shape and space as they move around the hall in pairs, copying each other's actions. A few pupils work to improve the quality of their movements and to independently devise simple movement sequences, but these skills are not well developed. By Year 6, pupils have made satisfactory progress in their games skills. They throw, catch and field balls confidently and they attain a sound standard in team games. Pupils with special educational needs and those from travelling families are integrated well in lessons and do equally as well as their peers. Many pupils enjoy competitive sports and they have gained success

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

against other schools in events such as the Tewkesbury schools’ netball and athletics competitions. Although pupils observe the performance of others, they do not regularly evaluate their skills and those of others to improve the quality of their work. Pupils have a clear understanding of the need to warm up and cool down before and after exercise. It was not possible to see any swimming during the inspection. However, the school makes good provision for this aspect of the subject and all pupils take part in regular swimming lessons. At the time of the inspection no records were made available with which to judge the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in this area of the programme of study.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

109. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall and occasionally good. Teaching is good where lessons are organised well and activities are planned to provide for different skills according to individual needs. Pupils make sound progress in their learning because they are challenged appropriately and clear guidance enables pupils to extend their skills successfully. In some lessons, although teaching is satisfactory overall, teachers miss opportunities to improve performance through the direct teaching of techniques and strategies. In all lessons pupils are managed well and they behave courteously. The school provides a sound range of extra-curricular activities for sport. Throughout the year, there are various clubs for netball, football, athletics and cricket. School teams are often successful at winning prizes in local tournaments. The subject Norton CE VC Primary School - 36 contributes well to pupils’ personal development. It gives opportunities for pupils to develop team

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

spirit and compete fairly within understood rules of the games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

110. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic, but there is currently no monitoring of the quality of teaching or standards of pupils' work and assessment procedures are not secure. She has a good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. These are largely dictated by the absence of such facilities as a hall or playing field that have to be compensated for by using community facilities. These are adjacent to the school and permit dance and gymnastics floor work in the village hall and games and athletics on the playing field.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

111. Standards are good. Cohorts vary in size and, as a consequence, class year groupings change annually. The planning and assessment procedures to ensure coverage of the agreed syllabus are not yet fully effective and so curricular coverage is not assured rigorously. Nevertheless, teaching is generally good and pupils make good progress in the areas of the syllabus covered. 112. In Years 1 and 2, pupils are introduced to Hinduism as a follow up on their work in geography. Pupils’ interest is captured when they see the artefacts the teacher has borrowed from a local Hindu family and when they put rice-flour on their feet to imitate Krishna in the presence of the family. As a consequence of this good direct teaching, pupils extend their knowledge and understanding about the Hindu festive of Janmashtami and the multicultural nature of society. Pupils are also encouraged, through the study of ‘Special Friends’, to discuss and respond

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

sensitively to the experiences of others, develop concepts of right and wrong and think about how they would behave in a given situation. Good links are made between the festival of Christmas as the celebration of the birth of Christ and pupils’ own birthdays.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

113. In Year 3, pupils discuss the definitions of Christian values confidently; for example, self-control, trust, patience and caring. Such good opportunities help pupils to express their opinions and show that they understand that values are inherent within the teachings of Jesus Christ and that they can apply them to their own lives. Pupils are beginning to understand the variation between religions in the way they worship and know about the birth of Christ and his baptism. Pupils in Year 4, consider life in the times of the Jews when they explore the format of the Bible and focus on the historical and religious links between the Jews and Christians. In one very well taught lesson, pupils quickly understood that the Bible is really a ‘library’ of books of various types, for example law books, history book, poetry. Pupils displayed their good knowledge by successfully sorting out samples of Bible text into the most likely section. Pupils also develop concepts of

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

good conduct and rules when they compare the Laws of Moses with the teachings of Christ and they explore the moral issues of poverty. They continue and deepen their knowledge of various religions and this development continues into Years 4 and 5 where pupils study Jewish Chanukiyah candles, the Torah and other artefacts. They show good respect for other religions and understand that most faiths have a ‘special book’. In other lessons, pupils gain knowledge about different types of festivals and places of worship and draw comparisons between them. They explore and gain an understanding of prophets as ‘role models’ for different societies and they explore the meaning of the Ten Commandments. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a good understanding of a comparative religion, its symbolism and the differences and similarities between it and Christianity.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

114. Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. All lessons have a distinct religious content. Teachers challenge pupils to think for themselves and to make personal responses to the matters and issues being discussed. Imaginative teaching strategies stimulate pupils’ responses to their work and enrich their understanding. The good quality of teaching results in pupils displaying positive attitudes towards the subject and being keen to engage in discussions. All pupils are valued equally by teachers and their contributions to lessons are shared with interest. Pupils from travelling families share their views openly with others, as do pupils who are from other backgrounds.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

115. The subject is managed satisfactorily. A good scheme of work is derived from the Gloucestershire agreed syllabus and this has a positive effect on pupils’ response and achievement, particularly as Norton CE VC Primary School - 37 it provides opportunities for pupils to reflect and consider religious concepts. Religious education makes a good contribution to the spiritual and moral development of pupils. The local vicar is a governor of the school and he visits regularly to support the staff and pupils; his expertise and help are much valued by the school. Resources in the school are inadequate, but they are supplemented by some good resources brought into the school for specific purposes. No evidence was seen of computers being used to support learning, but good use is made of classroom displays to focus pupils’ attention on particular aspects of the subject.

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