Trumacar Nursery and Community Primary School

TRUMACAR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 th – 12 th June 2002

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TRUMACAR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short 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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TRUMACAR 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. Trumacar Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Combermere Road Heysham Morecambe Lancashire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs S Illingworth

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 27 th – 30 th April 1998 Trumacar Primary School - 4

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Team members

21498 Fran Gillam Registered inspector 19426 Chris Farris Lay inspector 21227 Barbara Crane Team inspector 7838 Alan Cross Team inspector

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Team members

SCHOOL haus Ltd Suite 17/18 BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Newark Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Trumacar Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Trumacar Primary School is larger than most other primary schools. Three hundred and seven pupils attend the school of which 154 are boys and 153 are girls. Twenty-eight children attend the Nursery part-time and there are a further 39 children of Foundation Stage 1 age in the Reception Year. When children start in Nursery their attainment is well below that expected for their age. By the time the children start in the Reception Year their attainments are below those expected for their age. There are ten classes including the Nursery; four of these classes have mixed age ranges. All pupils are from a white British background. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals is 30 per cent, which is above average. The school has 20 per cent of pupils on the special needs register, including six pupils with statements of special need. These figures are broadly average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Trumacar Primary School provides a sound education for its pupils and has some good features. Standards in the present Year 6 are above average in English and average in mathematics and science. Overall, most pupils do as well as can be expected during their time in the school; teaching is good in the Foundation Stage and infants and satisfactory in the juniors. Children get a good start in the Nursery and Reception Year and this is built on effectively in Years 1 and 2; pupils make good progress in the infants. Pupils enjoy school very much; they work hard and have very good relationships with each other and the staff. The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory; recent work in tracking how well pupils are doing is beginning to identify more precisely the school’s successes and areas for improvement. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage and the infants are good. • Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in other subjects. • Pupils enjoy school very much; they work hard and behave very well. • Parental views of the school are positive.

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What could be improved

• The thoroughness of checking how well pupils are doing in the juniors to focus support more effectively and raise standards further in reading and mathematics. 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

Improvement since the last inspection in April 1998 has been satisfactory. Standards have risen in English largely due to the successful action taken to improve pupils’ writing skills; standards in mathematics and science are average and the same as at the time of the last inspection. Whilst the marking policy is used throughout the school and teachers mark work regularly, some still do not give pupils clear pointers on how they can improve their work further. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are now in line with expectations for pupils in Year 6; teaching is now better than it was and pupils have better access to ICT resources to support their learning. Teaching in the Nursery and infant classes remains good and teaching in the juniors is satisfactory, as it was at the time of the last inspection.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1 The stage of learning from the age of three years, when children start the Nursery, until the end of the Reception Year when children move into Year 1. Trumacar Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

In the tests in 2001, standards were well above average in English and average in mathematics and science. Compared with schools of a similar background, Trumacar’s standards were very much better and in the highest five per cent nationally in English, much better in mathematics and better in science. The school’s drive to raise standards in writing has been successful and is reflected in the well above average standards in English in the tests in 2001. The present Year 6 group of pupils are attaining above average standards in English and average standards in mathematics and science. The difference in standards the pupils in Year 6 attain compared with last year is due to this group having a number of pupils who require extra help with their work. During their time in the juniors pupils make satisfactory progress. Some higher attaining pupils do not do as well as expected in reading because they do not have enough guidance in choosing

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Key

books that challenge and extend their reading skills. In addition, repetition of work in the early stages of the juniors contributes to a slowing down in the rate of progress some higher attaining pupils make in mathematics by the end of Year 6. Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress in the juniors. By comparison, pupils in the Nursery make good progress and there is good progress in the infant classes in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils of all abilities. By Year 2, standards are well above average in writing and above average in mathematics; this is an improvement on the standards pupils in Year 2 attained in the tests in 2001 when there was a higher number of pupils with special educational needs within the year group.

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Key

The trend in standards by Year 6 has kept pace with improvements in the national trend. The school has recently made more rigorous assessments of how well pupils are doing and this is being used to set realistic targets, not only for pupils Year 6, but also for each class to attain by the end of the year.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good – pupils like school very much; they enjoy the range of activities the school offers and most of the pupils find learning interesting; they like the way their teachers encourage them to work hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good – pupils behave very well in lessons; they engage in lively, friendly play outside and show a clear awareness of the need to care for others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good – pupils have very good relationships with each other and the staff. Older pupils enjoy taking on responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory – the attendance and unauthorised attendance rates are average.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils work hard in lessons because teachers expect them to do their best. Younger pupils develop very good work habits because staff prepare them well for working on their own and give them well-focused feedback upon how well they are doing. Trumacar Primary School - 8

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

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

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

Teaching is the same as at the time of the last inspection; pupils get off to a flying start in the Foundation Stage and the infants, and teaching is satisfactory in the juniors. The children make a good start to their learning because the teaching of the basic skills of reading, writing and number is good. Pupils are given plenty of chances to practise and secure their skills and develop their knowledge and understanding in a range of well-planned and interesting activities. In the infants, pupils of all abilities settle quickly to their tasks and work on their own effectively because teachers share information with them clearly and set out exactly what they want them to learn. Teachers’ questions are probing and so check how well pupils are doing. They challenge pupils to try things out for themselves and to draw upon what they have learned before. The pupils rise to this; they enjoy what they are doing and this shows in the good work rate and the effort and

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

concentration they put into getting their work right. Pupils check their work for errors and, at an early age, are developing good work habits. This is reflected in the neatly presented work in books. Learning support assistants work effectively with pupils under the guidance of the teachers. Their timely support and gentle but firm encouragement lead to pupils with special educational needs, and the lower attaining, being fully involved in lessons. The teaching of writing is successful and pupils do well particularly in the infants and the three older classes in the juniors. Teachers in the older classes provide good chances for pupils to use their writing skills to support their learning in subjects such as history, geography and science and this helps them to develop their understanding, for example, of writing for different reasons and to increase the words they use in the course of their writing. There were some effective features of teaching in a

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

science lesson in Year 4/5 and in a numeracy lesson in Year 5 where pupils of different abilities did well. However, in other classes sometimes the demand made upon the higher attaining pupils and support for the lower attaining were not well matched to their abilities. At these times pupils could have done better.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory – the strategy for teaching writing is successful. The school’s strategy for teaching reading in the oldest classes does not ensure that the higher attaining pupils do well enough.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory – there is effective support for pupils in the infants. However, in the juniors, pupils with special educational needs sometimes struggle in lessons. Pupils with statements of special educational needs receive good support in accordance with their statements.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good – the staff treat the pupils fairly and this sets a good example for the pupils to copy. Teachers encourage pupils to be caring and this is promoted well in assemblies. There is an emphasis upon using art to develop pupils’ knowledge of other cultures, and geographical work provides some good chances for pupils to learn about other cultures.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory – child protection procedures are satisfactory. The tracking of pupils’ progress is in place but this information is not being used as well as it could to address any slowdown in individual pupil’s progress.

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Aspect Comment

Children in the Foundation Stage and the infants, have an interesting range of relevant activities planned for them. These activities meet their needs effectively. The school provides a varied and good range of activities for pupils to take part in outside normal lessons that support their sporting, musical and personal skills successfully. Trumacar Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory – the headteacher leads a hardworking and dedicated staff. The management of improvement could be better; the investigation of apparent strengths and weaknesses in the school’s work is not rigorous enough.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory – the governing body has committees in place to help them in making decisions. They know what is happening in the school but do not always seek out how cost effective their decisions have been.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory – the school analyses the test results in Year 2 and Year 6 which provides a broad picture of how well the school is doing. However, this is not rigorous enough in identifying precisely what it is, for example, in reading and mathematics, that pupils struggle with to focus support more effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory – the school has a larger than expected carry forward of money in the budget, some of which is earmarked for building work. Teachers deploy learning support assistants well in the Foundation Stage and infants. However, in the juniors, learning support assistants do not always have enough guidance from teachers to make best possible use of their skills.

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Aspect Comment

Although the school has a programme for improving teachers’ performance, the observation of teaching by senior managers is not regular or formal enough to give individual teachers ongoing guidance and points for improvement. The headteacher and governors have made some significant financial savings within the school by arranging the school’s meal service and fitting water-saving taps. They compare the standards that Trumacar attains with other schools to check how well they are doing and use this information satisfactorily to challenge what is happening in the school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The good teaching and the good progress their children make. • The way teachers expect their children to work hard and do their best. • The way they can approach the school with any questions or problems. • How they are kept informed about how well their children are getting on.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with most of the positive views of parents. However, teaching in the juniors is satisfactory and pupils make satisfactory progress from Year 3 to Year 6. Parents have two meetings with class teachers each year and annual reports provide satisfactory information about how well their children are doing and how they might improve. Trumacar Primary School - 10

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage and the infants are good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. Children in the Nursery get off to a good start because adults provide exciting activities that appeal to young children and encourage them to investigate, explore and develop their concentration. This builds well on the children’s natural curiosity and helps them to sustain interest when they are working either as part of a large group or on their own.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. When children start in the Nursery their ability to talk and communicate with others is well below that expected for their age and the adults work successfully to develop the range of words the children use. For example, in the ‘rainforest’ children act out preparing themselves for a jungle safari using words such as sun cream when packing essential equipment for a trip and using the correct names of different animals. During discussions, the adults make sure that they gently correct children’s speech and this is successful as children begin to copy the adults and use words correctly when talking about what they are doing. Activities that involve children in counting strengthen their understanding of numbers and help them to recognise how many objects equal, for example, four and the numeral that represents this. These activities prepare children well for when they move into the Reception Year. They provide a firm

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

grounding in the early skills of number and in being able to express themselves clearly. The children quickly learn the routines in both the Nursery and the Reception classes and this ensures that they become self-sufficient.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. Teachers in the Foundation Stage and the infants recognise the value of plenty of practice to ensure that pupils consolidate their knowledge, understanding and skills. They balance this well with the need for pupils to move on with their learning. They achieve this by building in the chance for repetition and practice during lessons and by setting work at the right level of demand for the different groups within the class. Therefore, at the start of the lessons there is often an element of, for example, counting to strengthen mathematical skills or reading aloud to improve expressive reading and accuracy. Well- focused questioning challenges the higher attaining pupils so, for example, when counting on in tens in Year 2, these pupils explained rules such as ‘in the ten family all the numbers end in zero’. Learning support assistants develop the confidence of average and lower attaining pupils and pupils with special

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

educational needs well because they quietly ask pupils what they think the answer might be and encourage them to speak up in whole-class sessions. When pupils seem not to understand the question staff are quick to give further explanation and support. Teachers also use questioning effectively to check how well the pupils are doing. For example, in an ICT lesson the teacher asked, “How would I change something if I made a mistake?” and the pupils responded, “You go to the tool bar, click on edit and choose undo.” This allowed the teacher to leave those pupils to get on with their work and so focus support where it was most needed. This form of checking how well pupils are doing is evident in other subjects; positive aspects of teaching such as this lead to the present high standards in writing by Year 2 and above average standards in mathematics.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. To ensure all pupils are involved in lessons teachers provide a range of resources that speed learning. For example, pictures to stimulate interest and provide a starting point were used effectively in an ICT lessons when pupils went on to use a paint program to draw their picture of Noah’s Ark. Discussion about the different tools that could be used and the effects they make helped the pupils to make good choices to give the impression of water or the sky.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. Teachers keep lessons moving at a brisk pace whilst ensuring that lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs do not flounder. The very effective deployment of learning support assistants in the Foundation Stage and the infants ensures that a brisk pace to learning can be maintained in these classes. Learning support assistants know what they are expected to do and are clear about what the Trumacar Primary School - 11 pupils in their care should learn by the end of the lesson. Pupils settle quickly to work on their own because teachers share with them what they are going to learn and why.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. In the infants, the preparation for independent work is thorough and the work provides the right level of challenge for the different groups of pupils within the classes. Boys and girls take part willingly and show interest and an eagerness to do well and please their teachers. Working relationships are very effective and well-focused praise and feedback give pupils a clear understanding of how well they are doing; this was a strong feature of the excellent lesson seen in Year 1. Teachers know what the pupils are capable of and will challenge them, for example, to think and use more interesting words in their writing. This is also true when pupils try to spell unfamiliar words; teachers remind them to use their knowledge of letter sounds and patterns and to have a go on their own. Pupils’ behaviour is often excellent because they are engrossed in their work and because the teachers set out clearly what they expect from them. Pupils

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

present their work neatly and with a high level of care because teachers remind them of how they should set out their work.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subjects they teach and share this information very clearly with the pupils. This leads to pupils using the correct grammatical or mathematical terms when they talk about their work. It also shows in the high level of accuracy in the higher attaining pupils’ writing in both of the older infant classes and the good achievement of all the pupils which reflect in standards in the present Year 2 that are much better than you would expect for seven year olds.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

8. The school has worked successfully to raise standards in writing; this has come about by a whole school effort. For example, the staff ensure that pupils in the infants have a good grounding in how to organise their writing, develop characters in their stories and choose from a range of attention-grabbing words to add interest and excitement for the reader. In the juniors, pupils have been given good chances to develop these skills further in literacy lessons. By the time pupils are in the older classes they use their writing skills well to support learning in other subjects. Writing opportunities in other subjects not only help to develop, for example, greater historical, scientific and geographical knowledge but also enable pupils to practise how to develop their ideas or characters in stories, redraft and improve their work and write for different reasons.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

9. At the start of literacy lessons, lively and brisk discussions help pupils to be sharply focused upon what they are to learn in the lesson. This was a strong feature in a Year 2 lesson where the mixture of teaching methods included pupils listening to the teacher, joining in with reading, offering their ideas in discussions and looking for exciting and unusual words in the text. This was particularly effective in keeping pupils interested, involved and motivated to do well. It led on effectively to pupils deciding how they would write their description of a troll. Infant pupils pay close attention to what is being taught and this shows in the way they read aloud with expression, noting when different characters are talking and changing the tone of their voice to depict, for example, the troll in Three Billy Goats Gruff . They use the punctuation they see in the text when they come to do their own writing, showing a good understanding of

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

how, for example, commas in a list and capital letters at the start of a sentence and a full stop at the end should be used.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

10. In most lessons, pupils of different abilities do well with their writing because the level of demand allows for higher attaining pupils to develop their ideas at a pace suitable for them, whilst lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs receive timely help from learning support assistants. This often focuses upon encouraging these pupils to have a go at their spellings or asking them if there are more exciting words they could use in their stories, thus probing pupils’ range of words and at suitable times suggesting alternatives. Trumacar Primary School - 12 11. Throughout the school, teachers value pupils’ efforts and in most lessons seek their ideas and encourage them to answer. Useful guidance for Year 6 pupils in how to write a poem resulted in some lively ideas and helped them to settle quickly to their work giving them the confidence to develop their poetic writing.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

Lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs received useful help, for example, in developing the rhythm of a poem.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

12. During individual work, pupils in most lessons concentrate well and get on with their tasks because they are clear about what they are doing and resources are effective in supporting learning. For example, teachers used effectively the plan for writing poems in Year 6 and a model of a troll to stimulate interest for writing in Year 2. Group or independent work is often well paced; for example, in Year 1 pupils are given time limits to work to and they enjoy this challenge. In the most effective lessons, teachers remind pupils of what they are learning, and why, and how important it is to use what they already know or can do to help them further.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

13. The consistent approaches to teaching writing in the infants and the teachers shared sense of high expectations is reflected in the pride pupils take in their work. Boys and girls of different abilities write clearly, are often accurate in spelling and punctuation and present their work neatly. This consistent approach by teachers continues in most of the junior classes and reflects more successfully in much of the written work in other subjects in the oldest three classes. In these classes, pupils develop their writing skills effectively in subjects such as history, science and geography. For example, pupils in the mixed Years 4 and 5 class used the skills of writing convincing arguments well in letter writing to the President of Egypt about why the Aswan dam should be built and then in subsequent letters why not. This not only strengthened their geographical knowledge of how people can influence the landscape in which they live

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

but also gave good chances to develop the range of words they used and in writing for different reasons. In Year 5, developing the pupils’ understanding of how difficult life must have been during the plague was skilfully developed. Pupils reflected a sense of hopelessness and sadness at the plight of the plague victims. In Year 6, pupils organised their writing effectively when writing pamphlets encouraging visitors to an all-weather park.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

14. By Year 6, the higher attaining pupils punctuate their work correctly, organise their writing into paragraphs and use interesting words to build a picture in the reader’s mind. Average attaining and lower attaining pupils are not always as accurate as the higher attaining pupils or in developing more complex sentences and in the range of imaginative and lively words they use. However, they introduce characters in their stories effectively and use conversation between the characters to bring their writing to life.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

15. The standards in writing by Year 6 are above average and pupils make good progress in developing their writing skills during their time at Trumacar.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

Pupils enjoy school very much; they work hard and behave very well.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

16. Pupils like school very much; they enjoy the range of activities the school offers. Older pupils have the chance to go away on trips that extend their physical skills as well as their learning. Most of the pupils find learning interesting and like the way their teachers encourage them to work hard. Most pupils feel happy and that their efforts are valued. Teachers praise pupils when they do well and this spurs them on to try harder; pupils in Year 1 are proud if they are chosen as the hardworking table!

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

17. Children in the Nursery and Reception Years like to get involved in activities. For example, at the start of a number lesson, children in the Reception Year listened attentively to the teacher when she told them what they were going to be learning. They all joined in counting aloud with plenty of enthusiasm and pleasure in what they could do. They settled very quickly to their work and concentrated well. In the Nursery, children learn to have care and consideration for others. By the time the children are in the Reception Year, they know how to take turns and when to listen to what others have to say. They are Trumacar Primary School - 13 attentive and curious, and want to learn more; together with their very good behaviour it gives them a good start to their schooling.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

18. Throughout the infants, teachers develop these positive aspects of learning successfully. Coupled with the pupils’ very good behaviour, classes are happy places to work and learn in. By the time the pupils are in the juniors, they have a positive outlook and know what is expected of them. Most teachers explain clearly to pupils what they are going to learn and why. This helps the pupils to deal with their work with confidence and in almost every instance settle quickly to their work. Boys and girls are willing to offer their ideas and some teachers are particularly effective in posing questions to make sure that all the different groups of pupils are fully involved in the lessons. Older pupils co-operate very well. For example, in a science lesson in Years 4 and 5, pupils knew what they were doing because they listened well to the instructions of the teacher and so organised themselves efficiently when they came to work in groups.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

The teacher expected the higher attaining pupils to work with a high level of independence and they did this very well. Pupils with special educational needs and the lower attaining had good help from the teacher and the level of demand on them ensured they did not struggle with their work. This had a positive influence upon how much effort the pupils put into their work because they felt fully involved and able to tackle the work. This was also evident in a Year 5 numeracy lesson where the teacher provided steps in learning how to divide one large number by another. In addition, pupils set out their work carefully and checked what they were doing because of the high expectations of the teacher. Positive aspects of teaching such as these develop in pupils good work habits and an interest in their learning.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

19. Pupils understand how they should treat others because teachers provide good examples for them to copy. Teachers ensure that pupils understand the difference between right and wrong and this has significant impact upon the very good behaviour of the pupils. Older pupils like the way that adults treat them as ‘grown ups’ and feel that they are treated fairly. Pupils feel that teachers discuss any incidents fully with them and this helps them to be aware of the impact of their actions on others. This ensures that pupils are treated justly and feel safe. Out on the playground pupils play a range of lively games; they get on very well together and act sensibly.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

20. Some of the older pupils like to know how they are getting on; some of the more recent setting of targets for them to aim for in the oldest classes is proving popular with the pupils.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

21. The way that most pupils concentrate and show a lively interest in what they are learning, and their very good behaviour, contribute well to the standards the school attains.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

Parental views of the school are positive.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

22. Parents are pleased with the school because they appreciate the way their children are cared for and the way that most teachers expect their children to do their best. Parents are confident that their children make a good start in the Nursery and that this prepares them well for future learning. This fosters good working relationships between home and school and reflects in the way that many parents of younger pupils regularly hear their children read and help them complete their homework. Most parents feel that the work the school asks their children to do at home is of good quality and helps the children to build upon what has been learned and so they can improve and do even better. However, parents of the oldest children feel that more guidance could be given to their children about the books they read at home; the inspection team supports this view.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

23. Parents know that the school wants the best for their children. They appreciate the way that the staff help their children to understand the difference between right and wrong and are rightly pleased with the children’s behaviour, which is very good. The ideals that parents hold essential for developing children’s understanding of how to behave and treat others are supported and promoted well. Parents indicate that this is because of the way that staff encourage pupils to care for others and the very good relationships their children have with their teachers. A good example of how the school encourages a sense of care Trumacar Primary School - 14 and consideration came through in an assembly, when children were asked to think about whom it is easy to help and whom it is difficult to help. Through listening to a modern day account of the story of the Good Samaritan, pupils developed a clear understanding of how important it is to put prejudices to one

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

side and treat others in the way you would like to be treated yourself.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

24. Parents find the staff approachable; staff are willing to find spare time to talk to parents about how well their child is doing and parents appreciate this contact. Parents know they can talk over problems with teachers safe in the knowledge that they will receive accurate information and prompt action. Parents of pupils with special educational needs feel that the school is quick to contact them over a problem and that they are kept fully involved until the situation is resolved. This sort of contact strengthens the parental partnership because parents know they are being listened to and that the school recognises the importance of their involvement in their children’s learning.

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Standards in writing have risen and pupils use their writing skills well to support their learning in

25. There is a very active and supportive Friends of Trumacar group who raise substantial funds for the school. The events they organise are well attended. The school very much appreciates the contribution this makes to teaching and learning, particularly more recently in ICT and physical education. The group is made up of both members of the local community and parents. Some parents at the meeting before the inspection suggested that they do not always know about the Friends of Trumacar meetings. However, the pupils take information in newsletters, outlining dates, times and venues and inviting interested parents to attend.

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The thoroughness of checking how well pupils are doing in the juniors to focus support more

effectively and raise standards further in reading and mathematics.

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The thoroughness of checking how well pupils are doing in the juniors to focus support more

26. Since September 2001, the headteacher has been compiling information about individual pupils’ attainment and using this information to set targets for standards in each of the classes. This is a positive move and leads towards a joint responsibility for raising standards in the school. However, interpreting this information is not rigorous enough in identifying how well individual pupils are doing. For example, the school’s own information shows that some higher attaining pupils did not do as well as expected during their time in the juniors in reading, mathematics and to some extent science. Why this had happened has not been investigated either by the headteacher or those staff with responsibility for co-ordinating English and mathematics, although the science co-ordinators were aware that science was relatively the weakest of the three subjects by Year 6. The areas for improvement identified by subject co-ordinators are not

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The thoroughness of checking how well pupils are doing in the juniors to focus support more

precise enough because the collating of this type of information is only in its infancy. There has been no investigation into the responses pupils make in the tests they take at Year 2 and Year 6, which would possibly help identify where the pupils’ strengths lie and where improvements are needed.

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The thoroughness of checking how well pupils are doing in the juniors to focus support more

27. Standards could be higher in reading in the juniors. The present arrangements for teaching and developing reading skills in the oldest classes in the school are not rigorous enough. There is not enough guidance for pupils about what books they should be choosing to challenge them and to extend their reading skills further. This shows in the way the higher attaining pupils find it more difficult to discuss the underlying features of a story or suggest what the writer might mean. In discussions, they tend to describe what is happening in the story rather than why a character might behave in a certain way. Pupils are keen to read and explain the type of books they like and why. For example, one pupil talked avidly about his love of poetry books but said these are limited in number. His choice, when not able to obtain a poetry book to read, was from one of the published reading schemes and too easy for his level of ability. He had no

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The thoroughness of checking how well pupils are doing in the juniors to focus support more

guidance from the teacher about the suitability of this text. In Year 6, the guided reading sessions do not have enough variation in the difficulty of the text to challenge the higher attaining pupils nor do the questions always probe their level of understanding or encourage them to voice their opinions. In terms of focusing support for lower attaining pupils, some of the present Year 6 who are attaining below the level Trumacar Primary School - 15 expected for their age receive no additional support from the school’s special educational needs programme whilst others do.

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The thoroughness of checking how well pupils are doing in the juniors to focus support more

28. In mathematics, a similar pattern of some of the higher attaining pupils not doing as well as expected reflects some of the unnecessary repetition of work in the lower juniors. This does not ensure that pupils make the best possible progress and they mark time. The headteacher is aware of where the strengths in teaching lie and where staff need extra support. During the inspection, whilst some good features of teaching were seen in the juniors there were also weaknesses. These related to the demand placed upon pupils in the lower juniors in literacy lessons and, to a lesser degree, support for the lower attaining pupils in a Year 6 numeracy lesson. In both literacy lessons the choice of text was too hard for the lower attaining pupils and too easy for the higher attaining pupils, leading to one group struggling to complete the task and the other wasting time. In one of the literacy lessons and in the numeracy lesson, not enough

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The thoroughness of checking how well pupils are doing in the juniors to focus support more

explanation was given to ensure that the lower attaining pupils fully understood and by the end of the lesson, these pupils did not have firm grasp of what they had been expected to learn. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning have been largely informal and staff do not have targets set for them to improve their work; this leads to variation in the quality of teaching in the juniors. This contributes to the slowing down in some pupils’ progress and is evident not only from the data the school has from outside sources but also from their own collection of information. Trumacar Primary School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

29. The headteacher, senior managers and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Raise standards further in reading and mathematics by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Investigating more rigorously and taking prompt and effective action to check any slowdown in pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics. • Taking effective action to identify weaknesses in teaching and providing clear guidance and points for improvement for teachers, particularly in the lower juniors. • Improving the arrangements for teaching reading, particularly in the older junior classes. Trumacar Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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 seven percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 14 279

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 87

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 59

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Trumacar Primary School - 18

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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 22 22 44

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 19 18 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 19 20

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

Percentage of pupils School 86 (93) 84 (90) 91 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

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

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

Percentage of pupils School 80 (95) 89 (95) 91 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 14 28 42

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 12 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 25 23 24

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (87) 83 (82) 88 (87) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 13 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 26 22 24

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (82) 81 (76) 88 (87) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Trumacar Primary School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13 Financial year 2001/2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.5:1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 691681

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 657435

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 105 Expenditure per pupil 2121

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 72350

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 106596

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 14:1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 35

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Trumacar Primary School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 48 44 4 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 57 35 6 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 35 15 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 43 29 24 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 68 27 5 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 34 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 39 43 14 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 53 43 1 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 45 48 2 1 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 48 31 7 4 10

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