Thurlstone Primary School

THURLSTONE 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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THURLSTONE 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. Thurlstone Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Royd Moor Road Thurlstone Sheffield Postcode: S36 9RD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs E. Marsden Halliday

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 January 1998 Thurlstone Primary School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs M. R. Shepherd Registered inspector Foundation Stage English Science Information and communication technology Physical education What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr A. Dobson Lay inspector How high are standards? How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mrs A. Patterson Team inspector Mathematics Religious education Art and design Design and technology Geography History Music Special educational needs Equal opportunities How good are curricular and other opportunities? How does the school cultivate pupils’ personal development?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect 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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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Thurlstone Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Thurlstone Primary School serves the small rural village of Thurlstone as well as the surrounding area. Pupils come from a mixture of private and rented accommodation. There are 78 pupils on the roll with the same number of boys and girls overall. Reception children begin school in September on a part-time basis. They begin to attend full time in the term of their fifth birthday. Pupils are organised in mixed-age classes, with reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in Class 1 with the use of two separate classrooms. In the junior school the Years 3 and 4 pupils are in Class 2 and the Years 5 and 6 are in Class 3. In Class 1, there are five more boys than girls, whereas in Class 2, there are seven more girls than boys. Thirteen per cent of pupils are on the special educational needs register, which is below average. Nearly 3 per cent of pupils have full statements of special educational needs, which is above average. Ten per cent of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is average. There are no pupils from ethnic minorities. Standards on entry to the school are average overall, although the small number of pupils in each year group significantly affects the range of attainment each year. At the time of the inspection, the headteacher had only been in post for a year. Both of the teachers in the junior school had only completed one full term in the school. One of these teachers is in her first year of teaching and the other has returned to full-time teaching after a five-year break. The remaining teacher is only in her second term with the mixed reception, Year 1 and Year 2 class. Over the past five terms, there have been ten different teachers in the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a satisfactory school that is rapidly improving. The headteacher has a crystal clear educational vision, which he communicates extremely effectively to the whole school community. He manages change very well, maintaining morale by identifying key priorities and by celebrating successes. All co- ordinators are keen to improve their subjects and have a good understanding of how to do this. The school has suffered from considerable changes of staff, which has adversely affected progress over time. The new teaching team has increased the rate of progress this year and good progress is made overall in Class 1. There is good progress in Classes 2 and 3 in speaking and listening, writing, mathematics, music and art and design. Progress in science and information and communication technology is still too slow by Year 6. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards their school and personal development is

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

very good. The school now provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The leadership of the headteacher is excellent and his management is very good. • Standards of Year 6 pupils in English, mathematics, music and art and design are above average. • Pupils’ attitudes, relationships and personal development are very good. • Teaching is good; teachers work in close partnership with the good quality support assistants. • The curriculum for spiritual, moral and social development is very good. • Partnership with parents is very good. • All staff have great enthusiasm to improve both academic and personal standards of each and every pupil.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards of Year 6 pupils in science and information and communication technology are too low. • More able pupils do not reach their full potential. • Handwriting and presentation. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good improvements since the previous inspection in January 1998. Since that inspection, there has been considerable turmoil created by the many changes of staffing and the two possibilities of closing the school. In the short time that the new headteacher and his current teaching team have been in post, they have worked extremely hard to raise standards and opportunities for all their pupils. Standards of Year 6 pupils have improved significantly in speaking and listening, writing and mathematics. There has been good improvement in reading, art and design and music for these pupils. Standards have risen in six subjects for Year 2 pupils. Progress of reception children is faster. The leadership and management of the headteacher are significantly better than the previous Thurlstone Primary School inspection. He has made significant improvements to the accommodation, the curriculum and

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

partnership with parents. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are better.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The considerable changes in staffing, the uncertainties about possible closure of the school and the lack of consistent systems have had a significantly negative effect on standards. Standards in science in 2001 were in the bottom 5 per cent nationally. The trend over the past four years is average, but this masks some low standards in 1999. The new headteacher and the current teaching team have produced a rise in standards but it is not possible to raise standards across all subjects in such a short time. They have clear plans to tackle subjects systematically to continue to raise standards across the curriculum. The school has set itself demanding targets. The inspection judges standards of Year 6 pupils as above average in English, mathematics, music and art and design. This is due to the priority put on English and mathematics and on the expertise of the headteacher in music and the Years 5/6

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STANDARDS

teacher in art. Standards in science, information and communication technology, design and technology and geography are below expectations. Standards in religious education, history and physical education are at the expected level.

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STANDARDS

The national tests for 2002 show standards of Year 2 pupils as average in reading and well below average in writing and mathematics. Standards compared with similar schools are the same as the comparison with all schools. There is now a different teacher in Year 2 and the headteacher works every week with these pupils to extend their writing skills. The inspection judges standards as above average in speaking and listening, writing, science and religious education. Standards in music are well above average. All other subjects are at the expected level.

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STANDARDS

Standards of reception children are above the expected level in all 1 Areas of Learning except for personal, social and emotional development where standards are well above the expected level.

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STANDARDS

More able pupils do not reach their full potential because they are not consistently challenged in lessons. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress.

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STANDARDS

1 The Areas of Learning are the recommended curriculum for children in reception classes. Thurlstone Primary School

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school These are very good. Pupils are very enthusiastic about school. The older pupils set a very good example for younger pupils. Pupils settle down quickly to their work.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms This is good overall. It is very good around the school, in the dining hall and at playtimes. Pupils are extremely well behaved in assemblies.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships These are both very good. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and to adults. They collaborate well together and appreciate each other’s work.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance This is average. A significant proportion of pupils are absent for holidays during term time. Punctuality is good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils develop into mature and responsible individuals with a sensible approach to life.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of music is excellent. No unsatisfactory lessons were inspected. Teachers work well with classroom assistants. Planning is very detailed and the computerised systems ensure that it is consistent through the school. The teaching of English and mathematics is good. Teachers provide clear guidance for the development of basic skills of literacy and numeracy. They develop high quality relationships with pupils, which motivates pupils to work hard and do their best. The Class 1 teacher organises pupils’ time very effectively to match the varying needs of the three different age groups. Teachers do not consistently challenge more able pupils enough or provide more difficult tasks in groupwork. Teachers do not ensure that computers are used consistently enough in lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum This is satisfactory in the junior classes with schemes of work all in place. They are carefully organised to provide different experiences for pupils when they stay in the same class two years running. The organisation in Class 1 ensures that the reception curriculum and the infant curriculum are both provided effectively.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs This is satisfactory. The school has just put good systems in place, but they have not had time to affect long-term progress. Individual education plans are good quality and detailed.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The curriculum for spiritual, moral and social development is very good. The curriculum for cultural development is good. Assemblies are high quality and provide excellent opportunities for personal development. The school makes very good use of its small size to extend pupils’ social skills and older pupils work and play sensitively with younger pupils. Thurlstone Primary School How well the school cares for its pupils This is very good. The school provides a caring place for learning. The new assessment systems are very good and now provide a firm basis for tracking individual progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Partnership with parents. This is very good. The school works hard to communicate with parents and welcome them into school. The headteacher and staff make themselves available to talk to parents informally every day.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has introduced good quality target setting systems for each pupil, which are produced in partnership with parents. There is an active parents’ association that plays a valuable role in organising social events and in fund raising. Procedures for child protection are good.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership of the headteacher is excellent. He provides a very clear educational direction for the work of the school. His management is very good. He introduces high quality systems very effectively. All co- ordinators have a great enthusiasm for their roles and have a clear understanding of how they want to improve their subjects.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors do this well. They have a strong commitment to the work of the school and a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher leads this aspect of the school’s work very well. Governors, teachers, parents and support staff all contribute to the analysis of the school’s successes and the identification of future developments.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school considers its resources carefully and targets key areas of spending well. The use of computers for administration and teachers’ planning is very good. The secretary is very efficient.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources Accommodation is satisfactory overall. There is a good amount of space, but there are three different buildings, with a road between the two different sites. The interior decoration is good.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The headteacher leads by example and provides high quality assemblies and teaching of music. The hall is too small for the teaching of physical education in Years 5 and 6. The school applies the principles of best value very well. Consultation is particularly good.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Forty six per cent of parents returned the questionnaire. Twelve parents attended the parents’ meeting.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • They feel comfortable about approaching the school. • The school is well led and managed. • Teaching is good. • The school expects their children to work hard. • Their children become mature and responsible. • Their children like school. • The amount of activities outside of lessons. Thurlstone Primary School The inspectors agree with all the positive comments. They disagree that there are not enough activities outside of lessons and judge the amount and quality of these activities to be good. Thurlstone Primary School

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the school with average standards overall but with a wide range of attainment. They strive to match the work of the older pupils in the class. Children make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development because the teacher organises the teaching team very effectively. All adults are very sensitive to children’s needs and give them every encouragement to succeed. Children are on track to be well above the expected standard by the end of reception in this Area of Learning. They show great confidence when tackling new tasks. Children receive a very well balanced programme of work and receive tasks that match their needs well in groupwork. This produces a good rate of progress and in the remaining areas of the reception curriculum standards are on track to be above the expected level by the end of the year. Children enjoy reading and tackle simple texts confidently. They enjoy

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

handling numbers up to ten. Standards in music are very high because the headteacher has very high expectations of their work in his lessons. Standards in exploration and investigation are well above expectations because the teacher provides very interesting opportunities to do this on a very regular basis. Standards of children in reception are higher than the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The table below shows attainment in English, mathematics and science.

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Writing

Above average Below average Above average

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Writing

Mathematics Well below average Average Above average Above average

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assessment)

Below average Above average Below average Below average

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assessment)

3. Care needs to be taken when comparing standards between year groups because in a small school the numbers of pupils taking the tests each year is low and there can be considerable variations from year to year. However, the trend in reading, writing and mathematics for Year 2 pupils has been steadily downwards over the past three years. This is not reflected on the standards on entry over these three years, which were average, so this represents unsatisfactory progress. Standards of Year 6 pupils have fallen over the past two years in English and science, although in mathematics standards rose last year. There are no significant differences in the trends of the attainment of girls or boys.

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assessment)

4. The inspection judges standards in writing in Year 2 to be above average. This is due to the very well balanced programme of work over this year, the additional teaching of Thurlstone Primary School the headteacher in this age group and the regular opportunities for pupils to write across the curriculum. Pupils write confidently and use spelling and grammar well. However, their handwriting is at a lower level because there is not enough emphasis put on presentation. Reading and mathematics are average, which is a considerable improvement in mathematics and reflects the quality of teaching now in place. Pupils read stories with interest and tackle unknown words confidently. Standards in speaking and listening are above average because teachers give pupils time to think through their answers and encourage them to listen sensitively to each other. In mathematics, pupils handle numbers confidently in mental mathematics and record

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assessment)

their work correctly. Their understanding of shapes and measurements is at the expected level. The inspection judges standards in science as above average due to the very interesting investigations that pupils carry out regularly. Year 2 pupils have a good understanding of fair tests and use prediction skills confidently. They have a good understanding of the scientific process.

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assessment)

5. The inspection judges speaking and listening and writing of Year 6 pupils to be above average. As in the younger class, pupils are greatly encouraged to express themselves carefully and they talk confidently across a range of different contexts. Year 6 pupils write well across a range of different styles. They use correct grammar and spelling. However, their handwriting is not well presented or fluent. Standards in reading are average. The less able pupils do well and read with enjoyment, but the more able pupils do not reach their full potential because there is a lack of challenge in their work. Standards in mathematics are above average. Pupils solve mathematical problems confidently and handle numbers at a higher level than expected for their age. They have a good understanding of measurements and shape, such as quadrants. Standards in science are below average because pupils have not received a steady

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assessment)

programme of work through the school and have not accumulated enough scientific knowledge over time. In Class 2, they are now developing investigative skills, but in Class 3 they still do not carry out enough experiments to develop a secure knowledge of the scientific process.

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assessment)

6. The following table shows standards in subjects other than English, mathematics and science.

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technology

At the expected level Below the expected level

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technology

Art and design At the expected level Above the expected level

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technology

Design and technology At the expected level Below the expected level

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technology

Geography At the expected level Below the expected level

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technology

History At the expected level At the expected level

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technology

Music Well above the expected level Above the expected level.

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technology

Physical education At the expected level At the expected level

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technology

Religious education Above the expected level At the expected level Thurlstone Primary School 7. The school has set clear priorities to raise standards in English and mathematics. In Year 2, the very good quality teaching has ensured that the pupils are reaching the expected standards for their age across all subjects. However, there is too much ground to be made up for the Year 6 pupils, who have not carried out a steady programme of work over time. Standards remain too low in information and communication technology, design and technology and geography. Older pupils are still not receiving enough direct opportunities to learn about information and communication technology or to practise their skills. The school makes very good use of teachers’ expertise. Standards in music are well above expectations for Year 2 and above expectations in Year 6 because the headteacher works with these classes and

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technology

is an excellent teacher in this subject. Progress in art is good in the junior school and standards are above expectations in Year 6 because both the junior teachers have very good subject knowledge.

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technology

8. Progress of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The school has only just set up effective formal systems to support these pupils and these systems have yet to have a strong impact. More able pupils do not reach their full potential because they are not consistently challenged in lessons.

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technology

9. Compared with the previous inspection there has been significant improvement in standards of Year 6 pupils in speaking and listening, writing and mathematics. There has been improvement in reading, art and design, and music. Standards have fallen in design and technology, geography and physical education.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The pupils have very positive attitudes to school. This judgement represents an improvement since the previous inspection. The good standards of behaviour seen previously have been maintained. Relationships within the school continue to be very good and the way in which pupils develop personal qualities remains very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils have a high enthusiasm for school and learning, a point confirmed by parents. In lessons, they settle down quickly, understand the routines very well and are very keen to participate. When questions are asked, hands shoot up. When given a task to do, pupils work hard, often very hard, and try their best. There is a purposeful culture in the school that allows older pupils in each class to set a good example to younger classmates. Pupils speak very confidently about what they have learnt. However, they do not take a pride in the quality of their handwriting or the general presentation of their work.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour is good and often very good. Pupils understand the rules and think they are very fair. Classrooms are orderly and conducive to learning. When the teaching is very good, pupils are fully involved in the subject and behaviour is always very good. On occasions, during the inspection, when the teaching was less challenging, a few pupils showed a lack of attention, which affected their learning. Movement around the school is always very orderly, a vital factor when it comes to crossing the road between the hall and the main school. Behaviour at lunchtime is very good, allowing lunch to be a social occasion with noise levels that allow easy conversation. The playground has a friendly, happy atmosphere. No incidents of oppressive behaviour were observed and pupils reported that neither bullying nor name-calling is a problem in the school. The pupils are extremely well behaved in assemblies allowing them to

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

benefit fully from the school’s high quality approach to spiritual, moral and social matters. Thurlstone Primary School 13. Relationships are very good with pupils and staff getting on very well with each other. There is a respect and friendliness that permeates throughout the school. Pupils are polite and courteous. They collaborate very well when working in pairs or larger groups. They appreciate each other’s work, at times spontaneously applauding success, as was observed in an infants’ physical education lesson when pairs of reception children were learning ball skills. A group of Year 5 pupils, when asked what was the best thing about the school, said, ‘ The kindness of people and the way they all help each other – adults and children’.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils make good strides in the way they develop personal qualities whilst at the school. They develop a strong caring instinct with older pupils often looking after younger ones. They take responsibilities seriously and show a good respect for their environment and property. By the time pupils reach the upper juniors, they are developing into interesting individuals. They are articulate, mature and have a sensible approach to life. Overall, the pupils’ learning is benefiting greatly from their very positive attitudes, the good behaviour and the friendly relationships apparent within the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attendance is in line with the national average for primary schools. Illness, however, is not the school’s only significant cause of absence. Last year (2001/02) over 40 per cent of pupils lost at least a week’s schooling due to being taken on holiday. Punctuality is good, allowing a prompt start to the school day.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Teaching is good overall and very good in Class 1. This has had a very positive impact on raising standards. The teaching of music is excellent because the headteacher has very good subject knowledge and matches the tasks very closely to the pupils’ needs, urging them to reach higher standards of singing and responding to music. No lessons were judged unsatisfactory. None of the teachers have yet completed a full year in their current classes. The Class 2 and 3 teachers are new to the school. The Class 1 teacher was faced with the organisation of combining teaching of Years 1 and 2 working on the National Curriculum and the reception children working on the Areas of Learning. All teachers have risen to the challenge of their new roles and approach their teaching with enthusiasm and commitment. The headteacher values the staff’s efforts and sets high standards himself, including very imaginative teaching in assemblies.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teachers work in an effective partnership with classroom assistants. Classroom assistants have a good understanding of the learning that has been planned and support group work very effectively. This is particularly good in Class 1 where classroom assistants take a year group and match the support carefully to the pupils’ needs. For example, in an art lesson, the classroom assistant took the reception children into a separate room and explained very carefully how to use the paint and how to produce individual designs. This increased children’s opportunities to ask questions and make suggestions. The school is working on using classroom assistants more effectively in whole-class sessions.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. In English and mathematics, teachers have good subject knowledge. The Class 1 teacher has a very good understanding of the reception curriculum and of science. Both the Class 2 and 3 teachers have very good subject knowledge in art. Teachers use their subject knowledge very effectively to provide challenging lessons, which is Thurlstone Primary School already raising standards. There is some lack of subject knowledge across the full information and communication technology curriculum and in science in Class 3.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teachers all work hard to build high quality relationships with each pupil. They have a good understanding of the needs of every individual and classrooms provide a harmonious context for learning. Teachers value each pupil’s contribution in whole- class discussion. They allow time and give additional support to ensure pupils have the confidence to express their responses in full. For example, in Class 2 in physical education, a pupil managed to explain a complicated pathway around and under different pieces of apparatus because the teacher reminded him of how he had jumped across a mat. The very good relationships that teachers form with pupils provide a very effective basis for managing behaviour. Pupils respond well to teachers’ instructions, expect to work hard and behave well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of basic skills in English and mathematics is good. Pupils receive clear guidance of how to carry out key tasks. This is particularly good in Class 1, where pupils gain confidence in skills, such as tackling unknown words or doubling and halving numbers under ten. Teachers all support pupils with special educational needs very sensitively in lessons and support their development of basic skills carefully. The recording of pupils’ development in basic skills varies through the school as teachers are trying out new systems. In Class 3, the use of a laptop to record daily progress is very efficient. In Class 1, the recording of reading progress in class lessons is very detailed. However, this is not transferred in enough detail for parents in the home–school diaries. The headteacher is encouraging the use of different recording systems in order to contrast different methods, analyse the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

strengths and then identify what will work best for the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers’ planning is very detailed and very consistent across the school. This is due to the use of computerised planning, which provides a clear format for planning. Teachers all handle computers confidently, which provides a good role model for pupils. A weakness of the system is the section for planning for more able pupils. This is added to the end of lesson plans rather than forming an integral part of the main organisation of the lesson. This results in a lack of challenging tasks set at a higher level to the rest of the class, which slows the progress of these pupils. Planning of individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs is good. The plans are detailed, but have only just been put in place.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Organisation of Class 1 is very good. The teacher identifies the key needs of the different age groups, considers the accommodation and the adult support that is available and then produces a well-organised programme each week. She groups pupils carefully to ensure that they work with others at a similar stage in their learning. For example, a group of Year 1 pupils worked very confidently with a classroom assistant to produce an information leaflet about goats because she supported each pupil very effectively. Pupils develop a very good understanding of this organisation because their tasks are set out on a display every day and referred to regularly. Teachers balance lessons well, combining whole-class discussion well with group activities. The discussions are lively and interesting but do not always extend the thinking of the more able pupils. The organisation of the use of computers is not

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

efficient enough. Teachers do not plan consistently for the use of computers across different subjects, which reduces the amount of time pupils have to develop their skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The use of homework is satisfactory overall. There is a good range of different tasks in Class 1 with opportunities for parents to make comments on individual sheets. There is not a significant increase of homework in Class 3, which reduces pupils’ skills Thurlstone Primary School of independent study in preparation for secondary school. Younger pupils do not expect to take their reading book home every night and there is not a regular dialogue between teachers and parents of the effectiveness of the reading being carried out at home.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. There have been so many changes of staff since the previous inspection that it is not appropriate to make a comparison on the quality of teaching. However, the current headteacher and teachers are determined to extend the quality of their teaching in order to raise standards further.

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PUPILS?

25. Overall, the school provides a broad and varied range of opportunities for all its pupils. The headteacher and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to reflect the aims and values of the school, ‘ To achieve potential and excellence in a wide variety of ways’. The quality and range of learning opportunities for Class 1 pupils are very good because the teacher’s organisation of the curriculum is very comprehensive and offers a wide range of worthwhile experiences. She combines the reception curriculum very effectively with the National Curriculum. The curriculum in Classes 2 and 3 is satisfactory. There is a very strong emphasis on the development of all pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills in the literacy and numeracy strategies, which have been implemented well. In mathematics lessons, pupils have rich opportunities to develop their mental skills in solving real-life problems. This is having a positive impact on

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PUPILS?

raising standards in English and mathematics. Links between other subjects enhance learning well. For example, in Class 3 pupils worked on an art and design project about hairdryers, which included scientific understanding of evaporation and technological features such as the use of switches. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to use information and communication to support other areas of the curriculum in Classes 2 and 3. Teachers in these classes do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to write about what they have learned in subjects such as religious education and design and technology, which reduces opportunities to extend literacy skills.

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PUPILS?

26. The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good. The school strives to develop each pupil’s self-esteem and confidence and this harnesses and develops their commitment to learning. For example, within a context of very caring relationships in lessons and in assemblies, pupils have opportunities to listen, to voice and to share their personal thoughts and feelings and learn to understand each other better. As a result, they grow in confidence and maturity as they accept a growing responsibility for their actions. In assemblies and lessons, pupils extend their knowledge of living healthily and learn to consider the needs of others in their families.

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PUPILS?

27. The school provides satisfactory provision for pupils with special educational needs. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. The co-ordinator, who is the headteacher, has a clear overview of their needs. The school follows the Code of Practice 2 very effectively. Teachers accurately match pupils’ individual education plans to pupils’ needs and this helps them to make the progress that they should. They regularly update and review these plans and share these with parents so that they have a clear understanding of their children’s progress. Teachers make effective use of classroom assistants. They share and understand the objectives of each

p.16

PUPILS?

2 The Code of Practice identifies the expectations for the support of pupils with special educational needs and is set by the government. Thurlstone Primary School planned lesson and provide valuable support to these pupils. As a result, they work well alongside their classmates, share in all the activities in each lesson and have very positive attitudes to their lessons. External support staff also work very well together to support these pupils.

p.16

PUPILS?

28. The school works hard to provide all its pupils with equal opportunities. For example, the headteacher carefully analyses the results of the national tests to ensure that the school addresses the needs of both boys and girls. They have equal opportunities to take part in extra-curricular activities. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. However, teachers do not always provide appropriately challenging tasks for more able pupils so that they do not always make the progress that they should. The headteacher is aware of this issue and has already made plans to set up a ‘Concorde Club’ for more able pupils to work together from a local cluster of small schools.

p.17

PUPILS?

29. The school now has good quality policies and very detailed schemes of work in place for all subjects. They take good account of the national guidance and meet the needs of this small school. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. The school operates a two or three year programme of subjects, which ensures that pupils do not repeat work when they stay in a class for two years. Curriculum planning is now very effective and powerful. This is because the headteacher and staff use the computer-based termly plans. Each member of staff has a laptop computer on which they retain their own plans and to which they have shared access. Therefore, the headteacher and staff have a corporate and very clear overview of what they need to plan for each year group. They regularly meet to refine and improve this planning. This ensures that they provide consistent and relevant opportunities for all pupils,

p.17

PUPILS?

which build upon what has already been taught. They translate these plans into detailed daily plans that identify very clearly what teachers expect groups of pupils to learn in each lesson

p.17

PUPILS?

30. The school continues to provide a good range of visits and out-of-school activities, which parents appreciate. All pupils have the opportunity to be involved in a wide range of activities, such as playing in the recorder group and orchestra. Both boys and girls take part. Class 1 pupils enjoy ‘Food Fun’ with their teacher and parent helpers. They collaborate well and appreciate how to make exciting, healthy snacks, such as mashed potato snowmen, raisin whirls and mini-pancakes, cooked with candle-lights. Classes 2 and 3 have access to the drama club and maypole dancing takes place seasonally. All of these activities are very well attended. They benefit from a wide range of educational visits, which further broaden their knowledge and understanding. For example, pupils visit the church and Barnsley Football Club. The school has good links with the community and offers its premises for a good range of clubs and

p.17

PUPILS?

teaching groups. For example, the Daisy Chain pre-school group makes daily use of the school’s facilities. The school actively sponsors the wider community. For example, there is a very productive link with a school in Ghana.

p.17

PUPILS?

31. Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good and is an improvement on the previous inspection. It is a strength of the school and appreciated by parents. The school’s values and attitudes have a very positive effect on their children’s learning. Daily acts of collective worship contribute very effectively to the quality of the school’s provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.17

PUPILS?

32. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good because this small school creates a quiet, respectful ethos within a distinct family atmosphere. The headteacher, teachers and other adults work hard to ensure that all pupils value Thurlstone Primary School themselves and others. At the heart of daily assemblies is the belief that all pupils are appreciated, are equal and have a full contribution to make to the life of the school. For example, the headteacher shared his vision, ‘Never rest till your good is better and your better best’. Pupils sing tunefully and with feeling. They share their prayers with closed eyes and reflect upon non-material things, such as their developing understanding of inter-dependence, ‘becoming better friends and growing closer to each other ’. The school cultivates aspirations, imaginations and self-worth. For example, around the school, on each corner of a wall has been caringly placed a

p.17

PUPILS?

caption, such as, ‘Make this a happy place,’ and, ‘Wanted - inquiring minds’. All teachers reflect these aspirations for their pupils in class lessons. For example, in a Class 1 science lesson, pupils were enthralled as they watched their slices of bread turn to toast over a lit candle. One exclaimed in wonder at the success of the experiment, ‘There’s smoke coming out of the top!’ In Class 2, the display of aboriginal art evokes a sense of awe and wonder. In Class 3, pupils gasped with excitement as their teacher showed them cuboid images of famous artists, which were created to deliberately fool the eye. Some of the music composed by Class 3 pupils is a spiritual experience in itself. Opportunities such as these provide rich experiences for pupils to marvel at the wonder around them.

p.18

PUPILS?

33. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. The headteacher, staff and other adults working in the school set very good examples. This successfully promotes an awareness of the importance of rules that support the values of honesty, justice and care for others. Staff consistently give logical reasons for how their pupils should behave so that they have a very good sense of right and wrong. They readily praise them for their good behaviour and politely remind them when it could be better. For example, in a Class 2 lesson, the teacher began the lesson by stating, ‘Let me see your eyes’. There are good opportunities to celebrate pupils’ moral development. For example, there is a ‘Cup of the Week’ for best table manners at lunchtimes. The headteacher maintains a high profile throughout the school. This ensures that the school rules are applied and that pupils are encouraged to be co-operative. This has a

p.18

PUPILS?

very positive impact on their attitudes to work and to school.

p.18

PUPILS?

34. The provision for pupils’ social development is very good. There is a consistent message for all to build and maintain the very good relationships that exist within the school. Assemblies successfully emphasise the social dimension through the strong evidence of team spirit. Teachers regularly plan activities that encourage pupils to mix with others and build their confidence. For example, in each class, younger pupils work with older ones and gain in confidence and self-assurance. They learn to respect visitors to the school and open and close doors politely. This has a positive effect on their relationships within the school. Teachers encourage their pupils to take responsibility seriously. For example, they tidy away at the end of lessons and develop responsibility through roles such as registration and shoe monitors. Class 1 pupils consult the ‘task group list’ and take responsibility for organising themselves into the

p.18

PUPILS?

correct group before beginning their tasks. As they move through the school, they learn to work more closely in harmony and this fosters a strong sense of community. They take part in school productions, games and other social activities. Teachers encourage pupils to think about people less fortunate than themselves. For example, they raised money by holding a disco on ‘Red Nose Day’.

p.18

PUPILS?

35. Provision for cultural development is good. Studies of world customs and practices successfully teach pupils about cultures of other peoples, whether they live in faraway places or the local area. For example, they learn about people from other countries, such as Ghana. There are regular visitors to the school, such as groups of musicians and the local education authority string and wind group. Teachers provide very Thurlstone Primary School effective opportunities for pupils to listen to the music of a wide range of composers and to learn songs from other cultures and countries. Teachers include the development of understanding of the roles and purposes of artists who work in different times and cultures in their lessons. For example, there are studies of famous artists, such as Van Gogh, Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley. There is an effective programme of work to ensure pupils learn about other faiths, such as Hinduism and

p.18

PUPILS?

Islam. Throughout the school, there are very good displays of pupils’ work in art, history and science. All pupils experience a satisfactory range of educational visits to places, such as Eden Camp, Flamborough and Filey. These effectively enhance pupils’ awareness of their cultural heritage and further develop their spiritual, personal, social and cultural development.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school has good procedures for the care and welfare of its pupils. This is a similar judgement to the previous inspection

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school has a strong family feeling, where everybody knows everyone else and a high sense of caring is almost taken for granted. The pupils are well looked after in a safe and secure environment. The headteacher has a high profile and knows all the pupils by name. Supervision is good at all times. Dining arrangements are very good. Lunchtime is a civilised occasion where good table manners are very effectively encouraged by awarding a cup each week to the table whose pupils have the best manners.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Procedures for child protection are good. The person responsible for dealing with all aspects of child abuse has been trained and all staff are familiar with current good practice. Health and safety procedures are effective. The buildings and all equipment are regularly inspected, fire drills are held termly and the school has good first aid cover. Pupils are very well trained in the need for orderly movement when crossing the road between the hall and the main school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance have been tightened up since the arrival of the new headteacher. These are now good, but it is too early for their effectiveness to be apparent in the official figures. Attendance now has a much higher profile; certificates are awarded termly, parents are regularly reminded of the importance of good attendance and governors are given the current attendance figures at their termly meetings. Reducing the high incidence of holidays in term time is correctly seen as an urgent priority. Registers are well kept and very regularly monitored.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Procedures for promoting good behaviour are very effective and have the full support of the parents. The headteacher has very high expectations of behaviour, both in lessons and around the school. His teaching and playground supervision provide a very good role model on how high standards can be achieved and maintained within a friendly atmosphere. Pupils understand the rules and think they are fair. Parents report approvingly that there is a now consistent approach to dealing with behaviour. Bullying is not an issue. However, the school has very good procedures for dealing speedily with any problem that might occur. Racism is not tolerated and there have been no racial incidents in the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school takes the support and monitoring of pupils’ personal development very seriously. Staff know the pupils very well and keep good records. Individual targets for improvement are regularly drawn up, in conjunction with parents at parents’ meetings, Thurlstone Primary School and these are then reviewed at the next parents’ meeting. This is a powerful system for helping pupils improve their personal qualities but has not been introduced for long enough to assess the effectiveness. The sections on personal development in the pupils’ annual reports are of good quality.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Procedures for assessment are very good and assessment is well used. This is a marked improvement since the previous inspection. Teachers use results from national and other tests to track progress over a period of time and set targets for the future very effectively. In the short term that most have been in post, the headteacher and his staff have set up a very effective and powerful computerised system. This tracks, predicts and adjusts each year group’s and individual pupil’s progress in English and mathematics throughout each year in half-termly blocks. These results are all accurately matched to National Curriculum levels so that all staff know exactly what progress their pupils are making. In this way, they accurately identify any areas of weakness, consider the resources required and address this in their future planning in order to raise standards. They share these conclusions with all parents so that they

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

know exactly what their children need to achieve to make better progress. In English, each pupil has a target card which describes the elements of the level at which the pupil is working. This provides them with incentive and a desire to succeed because they know exactly what they need to do. This is already proving to be a very effective system that contributes very effectively to the improvement in pupils’ standards in school. Teachers intend to extend this valuable resource in mathematics and science.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. All pupils have their own profiles, which include general comments, personal targets and mid-year reviews of these targets. All staff keep accurate records of what their pupils have learned on their laptops and they make good use of this information to adjust their future plans to accommodate any areas that need to be revisited. As a result, they have a very accurate picture of their pupils’ achievements. However, although they have correctly identified more able pupils, they need to provide more challenging tasks and track their progress more accurately to raise standards further. Assessment in other subjects is still in its infancy. This is because the co-ordinators and teachers have not been in post long enough to set up systems to provide them with an accurate picture of pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Parents have a very high opinion of the school. They are very supportive of the changes introduced by the new headteacher and welcome the sense of urgency he has brought to the school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The response to the Ofsted questionnaire was very good with almost half of all parents replying. Their views were extremely positive with the vast majority of questions receiving no negative responses whatsoever. This is rare and an improvement compared with the response at the previous inspection. Areas praised particularly highly, both on the questionnaire and at the pre-inspection meeting, included the approachability of the staff, the impact of the new headteacher, the quality of the teaching and the high expectations the school has of their children. The inspectors agree with the parents’ positive views. A few parents thought the school could provide a more interesting range of activities outside lessons. The inspectors judge that, given the size of the school, there is a good range of extra-curricular activities.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The previous inspection had a key issue regarding greater involvement of parents in their children’s learning. This identified the need for appropriately planned homework, Thurlstone Primary School providing information about the curriculum and improving the quality of reports. All of these points have been attended to well: -

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

• homework is regular and parents have received a copy of the school’s homework policy. Parents have also been given a very useful leaflet giving very good guidance on how to help a child with reading, spelling and mathematics. This leaflet is one of a series published by the school to try to involve parents more in their children’s learning; the others cover behaviour and teaching and learning. These leaflets collectively represent very good practice by clearly recognising the impact that well-informed parents can have on pupils’ learning. However, inadequate use is made of the home-school reading diary; • parents are provided each term with a good quality outline plan of what is going to be taught in each subject area. This very effectively allows parents to be more involved in their child’s learning; • pupils’ reports are good quality. Progress is clearly stated together with information on what a child can and cannot do. Information on the National

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Curriculum level the child is working at is included and how this compares with the level expected for that age. Targets for improvement, both academic and personal, are included.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Overall, the quality of information given to parents is very good. In addition to the documents mentioned above, there is ‘Shuttle’, a very useful and chatty weekly newsletter. Parents’ meetings are very well used as a means of giving information on progress and as a way of establishing targets for the pupil’s future development. These targets, agreed with parents, are then reviewed at the next parents’ meeting. The procedure has only recently been introduced but is already providing an excellent means of involving parents in their child’s learning. Parents are encouraged to help in the classroom and this help is well organised and makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning. The school benefits from an active parents’ association that is successful in both fund raising and organising social events. The school has good procedures for involving parents in the drawing up of priorities for the school development plan.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The effectiveness of partnership between school and home has improved significantly since the previous inspection and is now very good. Much is now in place for all parents to be far more involved in the children’s learning and this provides a very good framework for improving standards.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The leadership of the headteacher is excellent. He has a very clear vision of the purposes of education. He is concerned with providing the very best opportunities for each pupil in the school in both academic and personal development. He transmits his beliefs extremely effectively across the whole school community. For example, he has put key texts all around the school, such as ‘Don’t complain about the darkness. Light a candle’. This reinforces the aims and values of the school very effectively. He sets extremely high personal standards for staff. For example, he leads extremely imaginative assemblies, with many spiritual dimensions, as well as providing excellent quality teaching of music throughout the school. His management is very good. He introduces very efficient systems, which provide consistency through the school. He maintains morale very effectively whilst bringing in changes. He does this by

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

celebrating successes, providing individual support where necessary and by ensuring that there are enough changes to raise standards but not too many to create impossible workloads. He sets up very effective communication systems throughout the school community by producing high quality documentation and following this up Thurlstone Primary School with personal reinforcement. For example, he meets and greets parents every morning in the playground to discuss any of their worries or concerns or to inform them of key events in the school. This is greatly appreciated by both staff and parents.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. All co-ordinators are very new to their roles. However, they are very enthusiastic about their responsibilities and have a very good understanding of what needs to be done to raise standards. They are very confident that the rest of the staff value their contributions and that the headteacher will support them in leading the changes. The Class 1 teacher supports the headteacher well in ensuring effective communication within the school community.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The leadership and management of the governors are good. They have a deep commitment to the school, which was tested to the full when the school was twice under threat of closure. For example, at the first consideration of closure they took their case all the way to the Secretary of State for education, which shows their determination to explain the importance of the school to the village community. Governors have a good understanding of the need to raise standards because the new headteacher explains key statistics to them very clearly. For example, he introduced them to the complexity of the national comparison of Year 2 and Year 6 national tests and supported them in an analysis of this data. The governors play an important role in shaping the direction of the school, particularly in their role of appointing new staff.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The headteacher has put high quality systems in place for school improvement planning. He has a very good understanding of key priorities for development and is very effective in implementing key changes to carry them out. All the key developments he identified in last year’s plan have been successfully implemented. The headteacher has a real commitment to consultation. He ensures that all stakeholders are involved in contributing to priorities and provides very effective support for them to identify how far the school has progressed. For example, teachers, support staff, governors and parents all meet together to discuss key strengths of the school as well as key weaknesses, using Ofsted criteria to identify specific features of the school. These strategies ensure a deep commitment from the whole school community to working hard together to further improve the school’s work. The headteacher’s monitoring of teaching is very good. He produces detailed written

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

comments for all teachers, with very clear identification of how to improve. This is linked thoroughly to performance management and to the support for the newly qualified teacher. There is good quality whole-school staff development, which dovetails with individual development well. There are plans for staff to extend their co- ordinator roles in monitoring teaching, when they have received training.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The headteacher and governors handle the budget well together. They use the principles of best value very effectively, comparing their performance with similar schools and making sure that any work carried out in the school is carefully costed. The new headteacher has considerably improved the interior decoration of the school, which parents appreciate. Accommodation is satisfactory overall. There are plenty of classroom areas, but there are three separate buildings, one on the different side of a road. Staff operate very careful systems when pupils move between these buildings, but the movement takes time out of the school day. The hall is too small for physical education of the Years 5 and 6 pupils. The school does not have a full computer suite, which reduces opportunities for teaching the whole class effectively or for pupils to practise their skills. However, more computers are on order and all of the networking

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

is complete. The school makes very good use of technology for administrative purposes. For example, all curriculum planning is on teachers’ laptops and all co- ordinators easily access each other’s planning and use the program to analyse Thurlstone Primary School balance across their subjects. The Years 5/6 teacher uses this system very effectively to record and analyse pupils’ progress. The headteacher and secretary work very efficiently together. She plays a valuable role in monitoring the ongoing budget. She is a valuable asset in ensuring the smooth daily running of the school and provides a warm welcome/farewell to anyone entering or leaving the school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The cost per pupil is higher than average because of the financial effect of being a small school. Children enter the school with average standards and the current Year 6 pupils have above average standards in four different subjects. However, the long- term effects of changing staff have resulted in some subjects being below average for the oldest pupils. Teaching is good overall with some excellent features. The current headteacher, teaching team and support staff have been so successful in improving the standards in both academic and personal development and in providing a stimulating curriculum and an attractive environment for learning that the inspectors judge the school to be providing good value for money. Thurlstone Primary School

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

55. In order to continue the significant positive changes that the new staff team have already brought about, the governors, headteacher and staff should:-

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise standards in science by:- • implementing the good quality science curriculum now in place; • increasing the quantity and range of written work in Classes 2 and 3; • increasing the proportion of investigative work in Class 3, • extending teaching strategies for developing pupils’ skills in using scientific vocabulary; • extending science homework; • devising a comprehensive revision programme for Year 6 pupils; Paragraphs 2, 5, 18, 78-79, 81

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) raise standards in information and communication technology (ICT) by Year 6 by:- • implementing the new scheme of work; • purchasing the software needed for the new scheme; • teaching the subject directly every week; • using the computer suite every week for large group teaching; • identifying the use of information and communication technology across all other curriculum areas and using computers in classrooms more effectively; • using assessment to inform planning; Paragraphs 6-7, 18, 25, 53, 93, 99, 101-102

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) increase the progress of more able pupils by:- • raising teachers’ expectations of these pupils; • using the good quality assessment to plan more challenging tasks specifically for these pupils; • including more difficult questions for these pupils in whole-class discussion; • providing more challenging homework for these pupils; Paragraphs 5, 8, 21-22, 28, 43, 68, 72, 77, 94

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) improve handwriting and presentation by:- • implementing a scheme of work throughout the school; • providing an increasingly challenging sequence of exercise books for pupils to use as they progress through the school; • practising handwriting much more regularly; • producing a portfolio to show the expected standards of handwriting skills from reception to Year 6. Paragraphs 4-5, 11

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governing body should also include the following weaknesses in their action plan:-

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• too little written work is produced in the junior classes; P aragraphs 70, 93, 97, 115 • home-school reading diaries are not used effectively enough. Paragraphs 20, 46, 67 Thurlstone Primary School

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 39

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 78

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 8

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 10

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.25

Attendance

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

p.25

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 2002 * * 16

p.26

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

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

Boys * 3 * * Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls * * *

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (93) 69 (87) 81 (87) at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.26

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

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

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (93) 75 (80) 94 (100) at NC Level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.26

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

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

p.26

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 * * 18

p.26

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

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

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (69) 78 (62) 94 (69) at NC Level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.26

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

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

p.26

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

3 When there are fewer than 10 pupils in the year group, either boys or girls, the figures are not reported. Thurlstone Primary School Percentage of pupils School 78 (31) 78 (69) 83 (54) at NC Level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.26

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

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

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Thurlstone Primary School

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4 Financial year 2001 - 2002

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 273,893

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 229,347

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 70 Expenditure per pupil 2,940

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 5,241

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 44,546 4

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

4 This surplus includes money reserved for sustaining the current staffing levels and for building projects. Thurlstone Primary School

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 53 44 3 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 47 50 0 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 33 67 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 47 3 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 28 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 39 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 53 47 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 69 31 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 44 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 50 36 14 0 0 Thurlstone Primary School

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. Children begin their education on a part-time basis from the beginning of the school year. They move on to a full-time basis in the term of their fifth birthday. The teacher in Class 1 organises reception children’s learning very carefully to ensure that they gain from the benefits of working with the Years 1 and 2 pupils. She works very effectively with two classroom assistants, who know the children very well. In whole- class sessions, the teacher provides specific questions for reception children that match their levels of learning very well. She also pairs older and younger pupils very effectively in whole-class sessions to discuss key features of the lesson. In groupwork, there is a good variety of different systems for reception children, varying from working with the teacher or support staff, to working independently. There are different types of activities in the two different classrooms and reception children work

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

well in either area, enjoying the contrasting facilities.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. Children enter the school with average standards overall, but there is a wide range of attainment. Children make good progress because the teaching is very good. The teacher makes very good use of the mixed age ranges and reception children strive to reach the standards of the older pupils in the same class, whilst still enjoying the different requirements of the reception curriculum. Children are on track to reach standards well above the expected level in personal, social and emotional development because they respond very well to the very high whole-school emphasis on this aspect of school life. In all other Areas of Learning children are on track to reach above the expected level. Within the Areas of Learning, children reach standards well above the expected level in exploration and investigation because they receive a comprehensive programme of work through the year. Standards in music are very high because the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

headteacher teaches these lessons so skilfully each week. Children now make better progress than the previous inspection and much better progress in personal, social and emotional development.

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Personal, social and emotional development

58. Teaching is very good. Children tackle tasks with great confidence because the teacher ensures that they get just the right level of support. For example, when investigating printing with different vegetables, the classroom assistant showed them exactly how to do it and they then started enthusiastically to try different ways of making the prints. Children have very good relationships with each other and adults, because they receive very good role models from all the staff. For example, in an assembly based on measuring personal qualities, a reception child was delighted to find that he was identified as being ‘always cheerful’. Children chose independent activities very confidently and have a very good understanding of the different tasks through the day because the teacher goes through this carefully at the end of whole- class sessions, using a stimulating display to refer to the different tasks.

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Communication language and literacy

59. Teaching is very good. Children speak and listen with great confidence because their views are respected and the teacher allows them more time than the older pupils in whole-class sessions to express their thoughts. For example, in an investigation into the inside of tomato, a child observed, ‘It’s round at the top and it’s a bit spiky’. Children approach reading with enthusiasm because the teacher uses stories at every Thurlstone Primary School opportunity to extend children’s literary understanding. More able children read simple texts confidently and tackle unknown words by sounding out the letters. Children use fiction and non-fiction texts equally well because both types of books are available around the classroom. Children enjoy writing and produce imaginative ideas because they have plenty of opportunities to express their thoughts. The teaching team then record these thoughts very well in children’s books. For example, a child dictated the

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Communication language and literacy

beginning of a story, ‘A little girl called Goldilocks came. She had gold hair’. Children develop independence in writing as the year progresses. However, they do not get enough practice in handwriting, which reduces the quality of their presentation skills.

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Mathematical development

60. Teaching is very good. Children develop a good understanding of numbers up to 10 and are beginning to accurately identify one more, or one less. They produce numbers written the correct way round by practising them. They gain confidence in mathematical language because they are supported well in group activities by a member of the teaching team, which ensures a high level of interaction with every child. For example, they use the correct names for simple two-dimensional shapes. Children develop a good understanding of shape, space and measures through practical investigations. For example, they compared the lengths of different lines and then drew them in their books.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

61. Teaching is very good overall and excellent in investigating and exploration. Children develop very good observational skills because they are guided carefully through this work. For example, they looked carefully at a bean plant and then drew the different parts, showing the roots below the soil and the leaves and stalk above. Children develop a good understanding of Christian beliefs because they visit the local church and learn how ceremonies, such as baptism, take place. They produce a range of different graphics on computers, using simple lines to create recognisable pictures, such as themselves. They develop a very good understanding of place because they listen to the diary entries each week of the journeys of Bruno the dog, who is taken home by a different child each weekend.

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Physical development

62. Teaching is very good. There is a carefully organised programme for developing large physical skills with other activities based in the outdoor play area and some with all the rest of the class in the hall. Tasks are carefully planned in order to meet the children’s needs. For example, they learnt to catch small balls by beginning with larger ones and learning to cup their hands together when catching. Children develop good skills in handling tools and materials because they are given clear instructions of how to use them. For example, when using paintbrushes, the classroom assistant showed them how to hold the brush in order to get paint right into each part of the cauliflower.

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Creative development

63. Teaching is good overall and excellent in musical development. Children sing sweetly and confidently because they have such a high quality example of the headteacher’s singing. They learn to respond to music through regular listening to extracts during lessons. For example, children listened to an extract from Saint Saens’ Carnival of the Animals and then thought of words to describe the personality of the animal. Children choose different materials confidently to produce pictures because they are regularly Thurlstone Primary School given the opportunity to select from different materials. For example, they chose different coloured hair and different shaped noses for their collages of a face and selected different coloured and shaped paper for their vegetable prints. They mix colours confidently and have some interesting ideas of which colours are produced from primary colours because these basic skills are taught directly at the beginning of

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ENGLISH

64. The table below shows attainment in the national tests for Year 2 and Year 6 pupils together with the inspection judgements.

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listening

Level 2, the expected level (Teacher assessment)

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listening

Level 3, above the expected level (Teacher assessment)

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listening

Reading Level 2, the expected level Below average Below average Above average Reading Level 3, above the expected level Above average Well below average Average Writing Level 2, the expected level Well below average Very low Above average

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listening

Writing Level 3, above the expected level Below average Well below average Above average

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English Level 4, the expected level Average Average Above average English Level 5,above the expected level Well below average Well below average Average

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65. Standards of Year 6 pupils in English were below average at the last inspection and have been below average for the past two years. The standards over the past two years reflect the uncertainties that the school has been facing over its future and the considerable number of changes in teachers. The headteacher identified this weakness when he took up his post and the school has been working hard to put in new systems. For example, the school now has an attractive library, which pupils enjoy visiting. A major development, which is ensuring consistency through the school, is the new planning system. The new co-ordinator has not had enough time to settle fully into her role but she is very enthusiastic and has a clear view of what needs to be done. The Class 1 teacher has only completed one full term in this class. Thurlstone Primary School However, she has high expectations and standards are now higher in reading and

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have risen significantly in writing. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in Class 1 and satisfactory progress in Classes 2 and 3. The additional contribution of the headteacher working with Year 2 pupils every day is also increasing the rate of progress of pupils in Class 1. All of these changes have already had a considerable impact and there has been good improvement since the previous inspection in Year 2 and very good improvement in Year 6.

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66. Teaching of speaking and listening is very good. There is a high emphasis on personal development throughout the school and this is having a significantly positive impact on speaking and listening. Pupils feel confident to think through their responses because teachers give them time to put their thoughts into words. Teachers all value pupils’ responses and encourage them to extend their speaking. Assemblies are excellent opportunities for pupils to develop their listening skills because so many interesting things are happening. They are very keen to answer questions because it may mean that they are selected especially for a demonstration. Year 2 pupils speak clearly when they are presenting their ideas. For example, when sharing their observations of the inside of a tomato they expressed ideas such as, ‘It’s like a small apple’, ‘There are little yellow bits in the middle’, ‘It’s a pattern like a bird’

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and ‘It’s like angel’s wings’. By Year 6, pupils talk confidently in a wide range of contexts. They offer their views when discussing situations, such as advertising a supermarket, or after analysing other pupils’ demonstrations in gymnastics.

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67. Teaching of reading is good overall and very good in Class 1. Year 2 pupils all enjoy reading and discuss the stories confidently. They tackle new words confidently because the teacher supports them very effectively in this basic skill. For example, in a literacy session the Year 2 pupils recorded the spelling of simple words, as dictated by their younger partner, and then divided the word up into its phonemes. Pupils read with expression because the teacher reinforces this in whole-class reading and uses play scripts very effectively to extend this skill. For example, the whole class delighted in using little tiny voices for the ‘Little Billy Goat Gruff’ and very deep voices for the troll. Year 2 pupils have a good understanding of using non-fiction texts and read them confidently. The teacher keeps high quality records of the guided reading sessions, but does not use them to communicate progress regularly to parents in home-school

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diaries. Parents have a very good understanding of the longer-term targets for their children because they are discussed in depth at parents’ evenings. Pupils choose books confidently in the classroom, but do not choose their own independent reading book.

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68. Year 6 pupils enjoy reading and choose their favourite books with confidence. They compare stories from the same author, such as J. K. Rowling, expressing their preferences and identifying key differences between them. Pupils understand the way that authors use technical devices, such as adjectives, to portray different characters. Pupils benefit from the daily reading session where they are involved in different activities, such as reading independently, reading with the teacher or listening to stories on headphones. Less able pupils achieve well and enjoy their reading. However, more able pupils do not consistently work at higher levels because they have not had the benefit of whole-school planning challenging them from year to year. All pupils handle non-fiction texts confidently and read them fluently. However, they do not all identify the Internet as a source of reference materials. The school effectively

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provides additional support for pupils with special educational needs from volunteer parents. Thurlstone Primary School 69. Teaching of writing is good overall and very good in Class 1. Throughout the school, teachers now provide a well-balanced range of opportunities for pupils to develop writing skills in English lessons. In Class 1, these opportunities are extended across the curriculum and Year 2 pupils produce good quality writing in subjects, such as science and religious education. The Class 1 teacher has high expectations and provides clear guidance in her marking of pupils’ work in order to give clear targets for improvement. For example, after complementing a pupil on her interesting ending to a story, she wrote a question asking a pupil why she had stopped using speech marks. More able pupils mix different length sentences confidently for dramatic effect. For example, a pupil wrote, ‘My mum and dad began to snore. I didn’t. I crept out’. The

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Class 1 teacher provides very clear frameworks to support pupils’ writing, which gives them confidence to write independently and often with touches of humour. For example, in a story about a winter’s walk a pupil wrote, ‘I met a duck. He said you can’t break the ice because you haven’t got a beak’. Year 2 pupils write with expression because the teacher encourages pupils to talk about their feelings and relate this to characters in stories. For example, in a multi-cultural story a pupil wrote, ‘Ashi was trembling with fear, the snake was getting closer and closer’. Less able pupils are also confident in writing because the teacher values their efforts and encourages them to spell words as they sound, rather than stopping the flow of their thoughts to find out the correct spelling. For example, a pupil wrote, ‘You can get froot from me eney time’. The Class 1 teacher provides a good balance of spelling and

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grammatical lessons and pupils overall handle spelling at a higher level than expected. However, pupils do not practice handwriting regularly enough. Handwriting and presentation do not, therefore, match the higher standards of the other elements of writing.

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70. In Classes 2 and 3, pupils receive very interesting opportunities for writing. In Class 3 pupils write in a formal style for items, such as letters or invitations. For example, pupils all produced a word-processed invitation from Prince Charming to come to the ball, with similar touches of humour that are evident in younger pupils’ writing. A pupil wrote, ‘I am holding this grand dance to find someone willing to marry me and live with me for as long as I am appreciated’. Teachers select interesting texts for pupils to analyse and extend. For example, in Class 2, the teacher chose a historical text with illustrations to support pupils’ understanding of writing non-fiction. In Class 3, the teacher selects unusual ways of working with texts. For example, pupils wrote about the nursery rhyme of ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’. A pupil wrote, ‘Its woolly coat was as shiny as the bristles of a new toothbrush and wherever the owner Mary went, the lamb

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went too’. More able pupils develop a very confident use of vocabulary to set the scene in imaginative stories. For example, a pupil wrote, ‘A laugh of evil echoed from the air’. Year 6 pupils’ spelling and grammar is higher overall than expected, but their handwriting is at a lower level. Pupils suffer from only practising presentation skills irregularly and in not following a scheme of work. Teachers in Classes 2 and 3 do not extend writing skills effectively across the curriculum because they do not expect pupils to produce regular pieces of writing consistently. They do not use computers enough to extend pupils confidence in word-processing skills. This reduces opportunities to raise standards even further. Thurlstone Primary School

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MATHEMATICS

71. The table below shows attainment in the national tests for Year 2 and Year 6 pupils together with the inspection judgements.

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judgements

Level 2, the expected level Well below average Well below average Average

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judgements

Level 3, above the expected level Well below average Well below average Average

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Level 4, the expected level Average Average Above average Level 5, above the expected level Average Above average Average

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72. The inspection judges standards of Year 2 pupils as average overall. This judgement matches that of the previous inspection. By the end of Year 6, standards are above the expected level. This represents considerable improvement since the previous inspection when standards were below the expected level. In the short time since their appointments, the staff have accurately analysed national and other tests to identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. They have set up very good systems to track and assess pupils’ progress over time in order to raise standards. Teachers use these results to plan accurately for all their pupils. However, they do not provide sufficiently challenging tasks for the more able pupils so that they do not always make the progress that they should. All teachers place a strong emphasis on teaching real-life problem-solving. They allocate time at the start of each lesson for pupils to practise

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mental calculation. This has had a positive impact on their progress. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress because they receive support form teaching assistants who know these pupils very well. All pupils have very positive attitudes to their work. The subject leader is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about raising pupils’ standards and improving their progress. All staff are determined to raise standards even further because there is a shared commitment to improvement and a very good capacity to succeed.

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73. In Class 1, pupils work well together. Year 1 pupils enjoy counting backwards and forwards in ones and tens. Their teacher skilfully uses a counting stick to support them. They focus on this very carefully to keep track of where they are. As a result, they become more confident in working with larger numbers. Year 2 pupils understand the difference between plus and minus signs and use these to calculate simple sums, such as ‘5-4=1’. Pupils work hard to achieve the correct answers to their tasks, accurately using their fingers to help them. The teacher has very good subject knowledge and clearly explained the task so that they knew exactly what they had to do. They were excited when their teacher asked them to double numbers such as ’8, 10 and then 20’. They continued eagerly and knew that if ‘double 2 was 4’ then ‘double 20 was 40’ and reached double 4,000 successfully because they enjoyed the

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Thurlstone Primary School challenge and their teacher had high expectations for them to succeed. More able and average pupils understand how to share a 10p piece between two people by exchanging the coin for ten 1p pieces. They learn how to represent this in the formal way by using a division sign. They know that £4.35 can be recorded as 435 pence. They understand that 38 is half-way between 36 and 40. Below average pupils use 2p, 5p and 10p coins to help them with multiplication tables. By the end of Year 2, all pupils recognise simple two-dimensional shapes and measure objects in non- standard units. Most understand that weight is measured in grams and kilograms. They work confidently with number problems because their teacher ensures that they are able to read the question and so understand the task. There are many opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills because they enjoy sharing

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their knowledge and are eager to take part. They share resources amicably and behave very well because they understand the systems in the class. As a result, they make good progress.

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74. Class 2 pupils work very well together because the teacher provides interesting activities to support the different age groups and abilities. Nevertheless, work planned for more able pupils is set as extra work after these pupils have completed the same work as average pupils. As a result, they do not spend sufficient time working on appropriately challenging tasks. Year 3 pupils understand place value to at least 1,000. They add and subtract to at least 100 and work with simple fractions. They understand that multiplication and division is the same as repeated addition and subtraction. Pupils recognise analogue time and two- and three-dimensional shapes. They make a good attempt at recognising symmetrical lines in shapes, such as rectangles. They understand the meaning of mathematical vocabulary such as vertical and horizontal. Year 4 pupils have a clear understanding of how to represent

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‘greater, less than’ by using the signs ‘< >‘ and more able pupils practise this skill with hundreds, tens and units. They confidently record examples, such as 52<62. This is because their teacher provides them with an interesting activity and clearly explains the task so that they want to take part. For example, in one lesson, one pupil remarked, ‘ I know that people standing on either side of you have numbers greater or less than your number because that’s what’s written on the learning objective on the board’. Below average pupils work with simpler numbers Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress within their targets because teaching assistants support them well

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75. By Year 6, most pupils, including those with special educational needs, use the number facts that they have learned, quickly, efficiently and accurately. They have a sound understanding of concepts and ideas. They develop their investigative skills well because their teachers have very good subject knowledge, provide challenging tasks for most pupils and encourage them to explain their methods. For example, they calculate the distance and the time it takes to walk from Thurlstone to Penistone with time for stops in between. All use written methods of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with confidence. They understand the meaning of factors, multiples and ratio. They work with co-ordinates in four quadrants. All pupils know how to convert fractions to decimals and percentages. More able pupils work conscientiously and determinedly. For example, in one very good lesson, the teacher

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asked pupils how they could sort different types of fractions. One pupil replied, ‘ You could sort them as mixed number, for example, two and three quarters’. They confidently solve number problems because their teacher provides regular opportunities for them to work in this way. For example, they have an animated discussion about how to calculate, in milligrams, the correct proportion of water needed to add to a fruit concentrate in order to make a palatable drink. Average and more able pupils understand how to reflect and rotate shapes in four quadrants Thurlstone Primary School through 90 or 270 degrees. Lower attaining pupils are very well challenged and carry out similar tasks with simpler numbers. They all take responsibility for their decisions, positively developing their speaking and listening skills. They enjoy their lessons and make very good progress because their teacher shows great respect for them and

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values their responses. Year 5 pupils benefit greatly from working with Year 6 pupils because they have the opportunity to share in many similar tasks. These experiences boost their confidence and all enjoy mathematics.

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76. The quality of teaching is very good overall. Teachers have very good subject knowledge, high expectations and provide very clear explanations of tasks so that pupils know exactly what to do. Teachers value their pupils’ contributions whatever their ability and this develops their positive attitudes to learning. Most pupils behave well, although they do not always present their work as neatly as they should. Teachers regularly mark pupils’ work but the quality of this is inconsistent. In the best marking, teachers provide constructive comments to support pupils’ achievement and explain clearly what pupils need to do to improve. A very good feature is the clear emphasis on mental and investigative mathematics. Teachers in Classes 2 and 3 do not make regular use of information and communication technology to support mathematics or identify enough opportunities for the use of numeracy in other

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subjects, which reduces the pupils’ development of skills of numeracy.

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77. The co-ordinator regularly monitors teachers’ plans to check that they teach the whole curriculum. She does not have a clear enough overview of the quality of teaching and learning because she has not had the opportunity to look at pupils’ work to assess standards. However, the headteacher has monitored the quality of teaching and is, therefore, aware of the best practice. Teachers share this information through careful planning and discussion to raise pupils’ attainment further. There is a valuable range of assessment procedures, which the school uses very well to track cohorts and individual pupils’ progress. For example, all staff work as a team to analyse test results to more accurately adapt their tracking records and medium term plans . These accurately match the needs of most pupils, paying attention to equal provision for boys and girls in order to raise standards further. However, the co-ordinator is

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aware of the school’s need to raise standards further and provide tasks that are more challenging for the more able pupils in order that they make better progress. Thurlstone Primary School

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SCIENCE

78. The table below shows attainment in the national tests for Year 2 and Year 6 pupils together with the inspection judgements.

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judgements

Level 2, the expected level (Teacher assessment) Average Not available Above average

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judgements

Level 3, above the expected level (Teacher assessment) Below average Not available Above average

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Level 4, the expected level Above average Above average Below average

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Level 5,above the expected level Below average Well below average Below average

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79. Standards have improved since the previous inspection in Year 2, but remain below average in Year 6. The rise in standards in Year 2 is due to the implementation of the new scheme of work, the high expectations of the teacher and the regular opportunities for pupils to develop skills and understanding and record their work in different formats. Pupils with special educational needs in Class 1 make good progress. Pupils in Class 2 have not had the benefit of a scheme of work over time, but they are now receiving regular opportunities to carry out investigations. However, in both Classes 2 and 3 pupils do not record their science in enough detail. In Class 3, the lack of steady development in this subject over time through a scheme of work has had a significantly negative impact on pupils’ progress, including those with special educational needs. Pupils in this class still do not receive enough opportunities to

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carry out investigations or to gain confidence in using scientific vocabulary. They do not get regular science homework. The new co-ordinator is enthusiastic about her new role and is keen to develop her responsibilities in this subject.

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80. Teaching in Class 1 is very good. Pupils develop confidence in carrying out interesting investigations. For example, they were fascinated to observe the effect of a candle on a piece of bread. They develop good skills of predicting because the teacher builds up the tension by getting pupils to suggest what might happen one day and then carrying out the experiment on the following day. For example, a pupil wrote, ‘I think that the choclt will go hard’ and was delighted when this happened . All pupils record their work well because they are supported in expressing their observations. For example, after watching the effect of heat on an egg a pupil wrote, ‘We waited until the outside of the yowk went wite ’. Pupils have a very good understanding of fair tests because they regularly identify these features in their investigations. For example, a pupil wrote, ‘Put every single thing on each sandwich and the same amount of water on the material’.

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The teacher provides a balanced variety of different ways of recording pupils’ work Thurlstone Primary School over a term, such as simple charts, carefully observed drawings and diagrams. For example, pupils wrote about the different stages of the scientific process and explained what needed to be done to complete the experiment. Pupils extend their literacy and numeracy skills very effectively in this class because the teacher provides regular opportunities for writing, recording and measuring the outcome of experiments. For example, a pupil wrote, ‘I think the choklat will go runny because it will be very hot’.

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81. Teaching is satisfactory overall in Classes 2 and 3, but has some unsatisfactory features in Class 3. In Class 2, pupils are now building their skills of investigations because the teacher provides regular interesting experiments that pupils enjoy carrying out. For example, pupils used sandpaper to rub on sandstone and slate to identify the levels of erosion of these substances. They then went on to investigate the permeability of these rocks, by dropping water carefully onto each one and observing the outcomes. Pupils completed simple charts correctly to record their findings. Older pupils in Year 6 lack confidence in talking about different aspects of science. They do not have the expected level of technical vocabulary and their knowledge is not at the expected level. Their written work is not detailed enough and does not cover a wide enough range of recording strategies, which reduces development of both

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scientific, literacy and numeracy skills. Teachers do not include the use of computers enough in lessons, which reduces pupils’ opportunities to extend their computer skills. When pupils have the opportunity to write about their work, they produce some insightful comments. For example, a pupil wrote, ‘Take an aerosol for example, the liquid transmits into tiny little bits of vapour that come out and stay together before separating and wandering away’.

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82. There is a new co-ordinator in post, who has a good understanding of science and is very keen to work across the school to raise standards. She is well supported by the headteacher, who appreciates the need to raise standards in this subject. He has focussed teachers’ efforts onto literacy and numeracy, and now plans to move onto this subject.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. Standards of Year 2 pupils are at the level expected. The teacher has good subject knowledge and high expectations of pupils to do their best. Standards of Year 6 pupils are above the expected level and all pupils make good progress because the quality of teaching is very good in the junior classes. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. In Classes 2 and 3, teachers provide an exciting range of activities, which their pupils thoroughly enjoy. Teaching assistants provide valuable support to those pupils with special educational needs so that they achieve their full potential within the targets set for them. There are very good displays around the school that clearly indicate pupils’ development of skills and illustrate the breadth of the curriculum. These are very sensitively and tastefully displayed and illustrate the importance that teachers place on developing their pupils’ self-esteem and worth. The newly appointed

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ART AND DESIGN

co-ordinator has produced a helpful draft policy.

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ART AND DESIGN

84. In Class 1, pupils have regular opportunities to represent their own observations. Their displays provide clear evidence that they have regular opportunities to experiment with a variety of materials. For example, they use the story they have read about ‘Pinocchio’ in their literacy lessons as a stimulus to create very colourful collages of his appearance. They use shiny, coloured, shredded paper for his hair. Carefully cut, pointed pieces of card for an elongated nose are firmly attached to a brightly painted face. Bright colours also feature in their computerised pictures of a room filled with Thurlstone Primary School various pieces of furniture. There is clear evidence that they are familiar with importing images from other sources and accurately arrange these to create a pleasing effect.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. In Class 2, pupils further develop their skills in painting. Their display of stencilled shapes of the aboriginal style of depicting animals illustrates their knowledge of aboriginal art. The earth colours, which they use in their patterns, reflect their understanding of this form of art. Pupils confidently translate designs into a three- dimensional shape. They work very well together and share resources amicably. All pupils are particularly careful with their models because they are very proud of them. In Class 3, pupils show a growing appreciation of how to represent line and tone and use a good range of strategies. By Year 6, pupils draw patterns related to what they see in the work of famous artists. Their finished tasks are tasteful and very detailed because they make very good use of their sketchbooks to practise their skills and plan their drawings. They learn to record from direct observation. Their work in pencil

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ART AND DESIGN

illustrates their ability to depict shadows, lightness and darkness in their work. For example, there are very fine sketches of a stone wall and five-barred gate. The bareness of trees in winter is sensitively depicted in a cold atmosphere with lifeless twigs and bare branches. Their work shows care and imagination. The teacher makes very good use of information and communication technology. She projects images on the wall of three-dimensional art by famous artists, which provides a powerful opportunity for pupils to notice the important elements and qualities of art. For example, pupils were amazed by the visual power of cuboid images. They gasped with wonder as the teacher projected each image on the wall and realised that these were designed deliberately to fool the eye. They were totally engrossed and talked eagerly and maturely about the colour, shape and line of each. They generated ideas

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ART AND DESIGN

eagerly and offered independent opinions, such as, ‘They capture the eye because of the clashing colours such as blue and orange’. Another pondered, ‘How do I look at it? Which way does it go? Hypnotic!’ This offered very effective opportunities for pupils’ spiritual development. Pupils make accurate comparisons with the style of different artists whose work they have studied earlier. They have respect for each other’s opinions and applaud when they acknowledge a valuable response. They share their enthusiasm with maturity. They make very good progress because excellent relationships exist between the teacher and all her pupils. The lesson provides an added dimension to pupils’ spiritual development, moral, social and cultural development.

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ART AND DESIGN

86. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and high expectations of behaviour. As a result, lessons move at a brisk pace and pupils make very good use of time. In Class 2, the teacher employed very good behaviour strategies. For example, when she noticed one pupil engaged in conversation with another, she intervened and asked politely, ‘ If you’re talking, is it because you want to ask a question?’ This indicates clearly the respect that exists between teacher and pupils. Teachers in Classes 2 and 3 miss opportunities to use information and communication technology to extend pupils’ artistic skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. Attainment of Year 2 pupils in design and technology matches expectations for their age. Pupils with special educational needs in this class make satisfactory progress. The school has maintained its standards since the previous inspection. However, by the time they leave school in Year 6, pupils’ attainment is below national expectations, which is a drop in standards from the previous inspection. This is because most staff are new to the school and have not had the time to teach all the elements of the subject. As a result, pupils in Classes 2 and 3, including those with special Thurlstone Primary School educational needs, have only a limited knowledge of the subject across a narrow range of experiences. The recently appointed co-ordinator has made a good start in monitoring teachers’ plans. She is already aware that these do not accurately match the needs of more able pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. In Class 1, pupils design leaflets to illustrate the features of different objects, such as vegetables, and write descriptive captions. More able pupils draw and label vegetables and fruit with confidence and record appropriate descriptions, such as, ‘The carrot is long and thin. It is orange and has green leaves’. Pupils respond well to a similar task and, with valuable support from the teaching assistant, complete a simple chart to provide them with success. One attractive display in their classroom reveals that they have carefully designed chocolate bars by shaping clay into rectangles and made accurate cuts to represent squares. A carefully produced, multi-coloured wrapper around each chocolate bar provides an attractive package to entice any purchaser. Pupils’ information and communication technology skills are developed well in this subject because the teacher uses it as part of the making process. For example,

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

pupils produced the covers of the chocolate bars by designing them on computers and using the printed version to wrap around the bars.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. In Class 2, pupils have satisfactory experience of the design element of the curriculum. This is the most prominent part of pupils’ work. For example, they have produced satisfactory plans to make a sandwich. They have made a comprehensive list and evaluated their different fillings. Class 3 pupils build on their previous knowledge and use the results of their survey of popular types of bread to design an appealing loaf of bread. They consider carefully what makes an advertisement tempting to the public and they work hard to accommodate this into their designs. They make good use of their skills of persuasive writing and so develop their literacy skills. Their plans include how they think they could improve their designs. They work very well together because they are well behaved. They have good relationships with their teacher, who has high expectations of their attitudes to learning. Useful comments by the teacher to

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

help them to improve their work have a positive impact on their learning. However, they do not develop their practical skills in making their products because they have not had sufficient opportunities to be involved in the making element of the curriculum. Opportunities are missed to develop numeracy and information and communication technology skills in this subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. A visit organised by Barnsley College Construction afforded Class 3 pupils the opportunity to take part in an exciting project. For example, they observed how a housing estate is designed and built and had the opportunity to be involved in the ‘making’ process of brick-laying and plastering. Both boys and girls had equal access to the tasks. Real-life experiences such as these have a very positive impact on pupils’ personal, social and cultural development.

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GEOGRAPHY

91. By Year 2, pupils’ standards in geography, including those with special educational needs, match the level expected for their age and the judgement of the previous inspection. By Year 6, pupils’ standards are below the expected level. This is because pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to record what they know about the subject. They have not benefited from a steady programme of work through the junior school, which has slowed their progress. This includes pupils with special educational needs. In the previous inspection, standards matched the expected level. The new co-ordinator has not yet had the opportunity to monitor pupils’ work through the school. Thurlstone Primary School 92. In Class 1, topics provide good opportunities for all pupils to learn about the immediate area, including looking at houses and developing their mapping skills. For example, they draw their homes and clearly identify the physical features. They express an

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GEOGRAPHY

awareness of a locality beyond their own. For example, they consider what it would be like to live in a hot country like Africa. ‘I would like to live in Africa because it is hot but don’t want to fetch water’. They begin to develop their mapping skills by studying a map of Great Britain and other parts of the world, such as Hong Kong and the United States of America. Their ‘passports’ provide a clear insight to their understanding of other countries, such as France and Tunisia. They make good use of their literacy skills, for example, in their letters to friends whilst on a holiday in Scotland. They use the appropriate form of address and write in the first person. One begins, ‘Dear Mum, I am having a great time in Scotland’. By the end of Year 2, pupils are familiar with the different types of houses and identify them using correct terms, such as ‘detached, semi-detached, terraced’.

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GEOGRAPHY

93. Year 6 pupils do not have the expected level of knowledge because they have not followed a steady programme of work through the junior classes. They have some knowledge of aspects, such as different oceans such as the Pacific, Atlantic and the Mediterranean seas. They have a simple understanding of the contrasting rainfall in different countries. Written evidence reveals that they have studied their own locality and drawn comparisons between their likes and dislikes. They know about the need for keys on maps and use the geographical symbols for buildings, such as a church, leisure centre and a school. However, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop geographical skills, to write about what they have learned, to analyse geographical data to develop numeracy skills or to use information and communication technology.

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HISTORY

94. Standards of Year 2 and Year 6 pupils in history are at the expected level for their age. These results match the judgement of the previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. The recently appointed co-ordinator has a clear understanding of how to raise standards. With the headteacher and recently appointed staff, she has introduced a clear policy and computerised interactive scheme of work based on national guidelines. This effectively provides clear long and short term planning for the subject. Teaching assistants work closely with teachers and are very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. They provide very positive support to those pupils with special educational needs. Much of the teaching focuses on exploring and discussing evidence. However, there is insufficient challenge for the more able pupils in Classes 2 and 3 and pupils do not produce enough written work,

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HISTORY

which reduces opportunities to development literacy skills.

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HISTORY

95. In Class 1, teaching is good. Pupils have a simple understanding of the passing of time because they investigate objects from the past to the present day. For example, they share and discuss their favourite toys and make comparisons between old and new teddy bears. They understand the various growing steps that they take from babyhood to the present day. They represent this in a simple time-line with captions, such as ‘slept; sucked a dummy; wore a nappy; walked; skipped; rode a bike’. They make satisfactory progress because they learn at first hand about themselves. Their teacher provides them with every opportunity to share their experiences.

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HISTORY

96. In Class 2, pupils have a sound knowledge and understanding of the history of their own locality. They carry out research of their own homes and the original village school and make interesting comparisons over a period of time. They prepare their Thurlstone Primary School findings as a questionnaire for a local historian. Their written work shows a clear understanding of the significance of the passage of time. For example, in their study of the Romans, they learn about their various sports, entertainment and food. In one lesson, pupils drew on information from previous learning about Queen Boudicca to use in later writing about what they thought about her appearance, her attitude and her ability to fight. The teacher made very good use of three posters, which depicted the queen in different styles of battle dress. She effectively assessed pupils’ understanding of the different ways that information could be presented and how this

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HISTORY

could be interpreted. Open ended, skilfully adapted questioning provided pupils with rich opportunities to respond confidently. For example, one pupil remarked, after having closely compared the images, ‘ She wants to look scary because she wanted to fight. She needed to be scary because she needed to save her tribe’. Others commented that there would appear to be less authenticity in a poster that depicted a queen in a long dress and wielding a sword! This lesson had a brisk pace so that pupils made best use of their time and were well behaved. The teacher’s enthusiasm for the subject sustained their interest so that they wanted to be involved in the discussion. As a result, they made good progress. The content of these lessons develops pupils’ social, moral and cultural development well.

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HISTORY

97. In Class 3, pupils compare the differences between images. For example, they contrasted pictures of celebrities taken at different periods in their careers. They clearly understood the meaning of ‘portrayed images’. They were very interested in the changes in appearance and demeanour of, for example, the Beatles as they grew in popularity. One pupil remarked, ‘ At first they looked clean and decent and now they look scruffy but people at that time would have thought that they were cool’. In a letter written to Queen Victoria, one pupil wrote, ‘ I present this letter to tell you about a magnificent man called Thomas Barnardo…’ and ends, ‘Your humble servant’. Pupils have a good understanding of the development of different forms of transport. For example, they have used a variety of sources of evidence to track the improvement of cars, aircraft and space travel over time. Pupils develop their speaking and listening

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HISTORY

skills well because the teacher provides many opportunities for pupils to interact and to have respect for each other’s opinions. Relationships with each other and with their teacher are very good because she has sound subject knowledge and cares about her pupils. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils in Classes 2 and 3 to record what they have learned or to use information and communication technology in this subject, and this has a negative impact on their progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

98. Standards of Year 2 pupils are at the expected level. This is an improvement on the previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. The teacher ensures that pupils cover the full range of skills by carrying out tasks that extend their understanding of information communication technology as well as supporting learning in other subjects. For example, pupils worked with a graphics package to produce a cover for a chocolate bar the pupils had produced in design and technology.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

99. Standards of pupils in Year 6 are below the expected level. These pupils have not had the benefit of following a scheme of work through the school, which has slowed their progress. This includes pupils with special educational needs. They have not had enough time to develop their individual skills on computers. The headteacher has made a good start to raising standards in this subject. He has introduced a scheme of work and is about to purchase additional software to support the new scheme. He has begun to create a computer suite, which will be completed in the near future. He has Thurlstone Primary School clear plans for pupils to spend regular time each week to learn and practise new skills in this suite. All of the teachers produce good quality displays to celebrate pupils’ work and raise the profile of the subject throughout the school. For example, in Class 2, the teacher has produced a sequence of instructions to guide pupils through the process

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

of combining text with graphics and included a good range of different examples for the pupils’ own work. There are good quality targets for all pupils that are agreed with parents on a half yearly basis. This gives pupils a good understanding of their future learning. The headteacher has sensibly included this subject alongside literacy and numeracy in order to raise standards in this subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

100. Teaching in Class 1 is good. Pupils understand the technical terms for different parts of computers because the teacher has specific lessons to extend this knowledge. For example, pupils labelled a large diagram showing all the various components. Pupils produce lively graphics and text because the teacher uses other subjects well to stimulate their thinking. For example, pupils produced detailed pictures to show the race between the hare and the tortoise. Pupils produce simple bar charts using different geometric shapes, which support numeracy skills well. The teacher creates interesting opportunities for pupils to create simple databases that record investigations. For example, pupils recorded the answers to key questions about television programmes, such as, ‘Is your favourite television programme scary?’ These tasks extend pupils’ personal development well. Pupils develop confident skills

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

in word-processing because they carry this out regularly. More able pupils are beginning to use speech marks in their stories and Year 2 pupils try hard to put capital letters and full stops in the right places. The teacher encourages pupils to have a go at their own spelling, which encourages pupils to use more complex language. All these strategies extend pupils’ development of literacy skills well. A younger pupil produced a lively picture from a story and then wrote, ‘ The inorms pancake’. The Class 1 teacher makes very good use of her extra-curricular food club by getting pupils to use computers for design. For example, a pupil produced a detailed badge for the rest of the pupils in the club.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. Teaching in Classes 1 and 2 is satisfactory with some unsatisfactory features. Teachers do not make the best use of computers in lessons and they are often left unused during group work. Computers tend to be used when other work has been completed, rather than as an integral part of the lesson. This reduces pupils’ rate of progress in extending their skills. Pupils in Year 6 produce some interesting work. For example, they created very attractive invitations for Prince Charming’s ball, using subtle colour combinations, various styles and sizes of fonts, different backgrounds or borders and suitable graphics. However, they do not know how to use multi-media presentations because they have not had the opportunity to use these techniques for themselves. They do not use the technical terms related to word processing correctly and most of this work is at a lower level than expected for their age. They lack

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

confidence in drafting their written work directly on computers. There is no allocated time for teaching information and communication technology skills each week. Although teachers do go through some basic skills with pupils, the lack of a regular slot on the timetable reduces the impact of this teaching. Teachers have recently introduced the use of floppy discs for saving pupils’ work. However, this does not provide a basis for monitoring pupils’ work over time.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. Due to the considerable changes over the past two years and the lack of a scheme of work, the standards of pupils by the end of the school are too low. They have not covered key skills, such as control technology or using spreadsheets. The teacher in Class 3 has not benefited from the training programme for teachers because she has recently returned to full-time teaching. However, the headteacher is fully aware of Thurlstone Primary School these deficiencies and has implemented a range of strategies to improve the school’s work. All teachers are confident in using technology and are keen to explore and extend this subject. There is a very good capacity for improvement.

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MUSIC

103. Pupils’ standards in music in Year 2 are well above the level expected for their age and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make very good progress. Pupils’ standards in Year 6 are above the level expected for their age and they make good progress. The headteacher, who is the co-ordinator for the subject, teaches all classes and monitors pupils’ standards. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. He has excellent subject knowledge, is an accomplished musician, has high expectations for all pupils and shares his great love of music with them. He seeks to help his pupils to continually strive to do better. As a result, pupils respond to his enthusiastic teaching, thoroughly enjoy their lessons and eagerly develop their musical skills. The school makes very good use of its policy and scheme of work, based on national guidance, to ensure that all pupils receive a rich and varied

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MUSIC

curriculum. A developing range of extra-curricular activities, such as the recorder club and orchestra, gives pupils additional opportunities to apply and develop their skills in the subject. The school has purchased a variety of resources to support the curriculum and a visiting specialist provides extra musical tuition.

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MUSIC

104. Throughout the school, pupils sing tunefully and enthusiastically because they enjoy the experience. For example, in assemblies, they sing with expression and feeling, with clear diction and accurate tempo. They all take part because they are praised for their efforts and want to improve their performance. They accept responsibility readily to choose the hymns they would like to sing. This has a very positive impact on their personal and social development.

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MUSIC

105. Teaching is excellent throughout the school. In lessons, pupils listen carefully to music. Class 1 pupils sing in tune with beautiful voices, firstly, all together, then with an echo and finally in two parts. They understand how to sustain a long note independently whilst others sing the key refrain. For example, they listen to music by Saint Saens and act as detectives to identify and explain the characteristics of some of the animals, making very good use of their understanding of human qualities - ‘I can feel its eyes moving’. They make excellent progress because there are very high expectations for them all to enjoy their music, take an active part and share their enjoyment with each other.

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MUSIC

106. Pupils in Classes 2 and 3 increase their musical vocabulary very well. Most pupils correctly use musical terms, such as ostinato, because the headteacher has excellent subject knowledge, which he regularly shares with his pupils. Class 3 pupils build very well on their previous learning. They confidently create and develop their own musical ideas. They work in small groups to develop and improvise both the melodic and rhythmic patterns to perform to the rest of the class. The headteacher’s excellent relationships with his pupils encourage them to have confidence to perform and improve the quality of their work. In one excellent lesson, pupils listened most attentively to each other’s performances. They worked in small groups and used tuned and untuned percussion instruments, such as tambourines, xylophones and drums, to create a well-sustained arrangement of individual pieces collected into one

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MUSIC

composition. They confidently and sensitively evaluated their performances. These experiences provided pupils with opportunities to offer well-considered interpretations of the quality of each performance. They discussed these maturely and with enthusiasm - ‘I liked the end because it was such a surprise’. This makes a very Thurlstone Primary School positive impact on the development of their speaking and listening skills. All pupils use musical notation confidently to create their pieces and work hard to achieve very pleasing musical structures. They are very confident in polishing and improving their own work. Not a moment is lost. All pupils work with respect for each other and all are eager to take part. At the end of each performance, the headteacher supports each group extremely well by discussing the strengths and areas for development in their compositions. He motivates them to do well because he takes every opportunity to

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MUSIC

applaud their achievements. The school makes very good use of end-of-term assessments to identify and monitor pupils’ progress as they move through the school. This has a very positive impact on raising standards. This subject has a significantly positive impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107. The impact of the changes over the past years has had a negative impact on standards on physical education. However, teaching of the current teaching team is consistently good throughout the school and pupils are now making good progress in lessons. Standards are now at the expected level in both Years 2 and 6. Standards in swimming are above the expected level in Year 6. Teachers are very enthusiastic about this subject, which ensures that pupils tackle their work with confidence and enjoyment. The new scheme of work that has been put in place provides a very good basis for planning. Daily lesson plans are very detailed and provide a good level of challenge in lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

108. In Class 1, the careful organisation of the different year groups ensures that the older pupils have a good level of challenge and younger children and pupils with special educational needs receive sensitive support. This is because there are some sessions each week when younger children use the outdoor play facilities and the older pupils concentrate on developing their games skills. Year 2 pupils develop good skills of inventing their own simple games because the teacher supports them carefully on deciding on the different rules. These older pupils thoroughly enjoy demonstrating their new games to the younger pupils, who join in once they have understood how to play. This is a very effective strategy for developing pupils’ personal development and moral understanding. Year 2 pupils kick and intercept the ball at the expected level because they practise this regularly in lessons. The teacher

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

provides well-balanced lessons, with warm up and cool down sessions. Pupils develop good skills of moving on different parts of their bodies because they do this regularly at the end of lessons. They develop a good understanding of their learning because the teacher allows them time to reflect on their progress at the end of the lesson. Pupils co-operate well in the simple team games because the teacher encourages these skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

109. Both the teachers in the junior classes set a good pace to lessons, which ensures that pupils complete a good number of tasks in lessons. In Class 2, pupils respond swiftly to commands and stop, jump, spin and move backwards with confidence. The teacher uses commands for a tape recorder, such as pause, reverse, record and play, very imaginatively. Pupils thoroughly enjoy pretending to move electronically. Class 2 pupils follow complicated instructions very well and follow each other’s lead to complete a circuit across the hall. For example, a team remembered to jump over a blue mat, go round a yellow cone, go under a bench and reach the opposite corner of the hall. The teacher links this subject very effectively with geography by requiring pupils to produce a map of their journeys, creating their own symbols. In Class 3, pupils produce interesting sequences in gymnastics. For example, they produce

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

combinations of rolls and balances at different levels. The pupils work very carefully Thurlstone Primary School around each other, but the small size of the hall restricts the range and speed of movements that these physically larger pupils need. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because teachers give them sensitive support. For example, a pupil managed to complete a balance for the first time and the group he was working with were delighted.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

110. Pupils throughout the school behave very sensibly in lessons because teachers have high expectations of their concentration and commitment in lessons. The distance between the classrooms and the hall takes time out of lessons, however pupils move very briskly and sensibly under the careful supervision of their teachers. Teachers all use demonstrations well to celebrate pupils’ achievements and to share different ideas. Pupils respond very well to this and are proud to do their best in showing the rest of the class their work. Pupils co-operate very well in group tasks, which extend their social development very well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. The co-ordinator is new to the school and already has the responsibility of leading another subject. However, as usual in this school, she shows great enthusiasm for her responsibility and has already brought in an expert to extend the school’s expertise in dance. For a small school there is a good range of sporting activities in school clubs to extend pupils’ skills in this subject. These clubs include maypole dancing, which extends pupils’ understanding of their own cultural heritage effectively.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

112. Pupils’ standards exceed the expectations set out in the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Year 2. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. This is because the teacher ensures that pupils receive a balanced programme of work and produce good quantity written work on a regular basis, which extends their literacy skills very well. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards match expectations. Pupils with special educational needs in Classes 2 and 3 make satisfactory progress. The co-ordinator has already conducted an audit of resources and identified significant areas for development. He is determined to raise standards further. For example, he monitors the quality of co- ordinators’ planning and pupils’ written work. He has planned a series of staff development meetings.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

113. In Class1, the quality of teaching is good. Pupils understand the qualities that they need to show God their love. This is because the teacher provides regular opportunities for her pupils to express their feelings, values and self-understanding in a wide range of writing styles.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

114. One pupil has written, ‘Be kind and good’. They understand how important it is to belong to God’s family. For example, they have visited their local church to learn the meaning of a baptism. They understand the significance of Christian symbols, such as the cross. They know that a dove is a symbol of peace and that the Greek spelling of ‘fish’ means ‘Jesus’. They have satisfactory knowledge of Hindu signs. They are beginning to understand the importance of the commitment to a set of values. For example, they learn about the values of honesty and truthfulness and making choices. In their writing, they make sound use of their literacy skills. There are touching and thoughtful sentiments such as, ‘A friend is truthful and generous’ and, ‘Don’t talk with your mouth full!’ They understand how to send a letter of apology – ‘I’m sorry I cheated’. Thurlstone Primary School 115. In Class 2, pupils’ use special phrases effectively to describe God, for example, ‘My

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

God, my King, my life’. They develop a sense of personal relevance – ‘ I am kind and helpful, smart and good at mathematics’. They write for different audiences. For example, a newspaper article reads, ‘ The Daily News – Shepherd amazed. A baby has been born. Go and see Him’. One pupil’s letter illustrates a clear understanding of the meaning of a pilgrimage. It begins, ‘Dear mum and dad, I have come on a pilgrimage because it is important to Christians’.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

116. Year 6 pupils are confident speakers and willingly shared their knowledge and understanding about the subject, which is at the expected level. They understand the practices of Islam and Christianity and what it means to be a member of a faith. As a personal response, they know what it means to belong to a community of families and friends. Based on their knowledge of Mohammed, they discuss the characteristics of a good leader and the importance of the Koran to Muslims. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are very positive. They talk and listen with assurance and courtesy. However, they have not had the opportunity to record their learning often enough. This also hampers opportunities to develop their literacy skills in extended writing. There are no computer programs to support this subject, which restricts pupils’ opportunities to extends their information and communication skills.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

117. Assemblies provide splendid opportunities for all pupils to appreciate and reflect upon the wonder and variety of the world and all that lives in it. For example, in one assembly taken by the vicar, pupils shared the theme of ‘Life is Great!’ He drew their attention to the brightness of the hall. He shared his joy at the sight of the four seasons depicted in the displays on the windowsills. He sensitively set the scene for a sense of awe and wonder as he produced a lone daffodil from his plastic bag. He gave it pride of place in front of him. The hall was silent. Reflection time provides valuable opportunities for all to consider their talents, their skills, their faults and their uniqueness as individuals. For example, in the headteacher’s assembly, everyone read each ingredient of his ‘food’ tin – ‘ Forgive each other’s faults; respect each other’s views; understand each other’s feelings’. The assembly ended, ‘This is a tin for

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

growing families. What else should we put in?’ All assemblies provide high quality opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development. For example, assemblies begin with the lighting of three candles, which captivates all pupils’ attention and sets a reflective tone for pupils’ learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

118. The school welcomes visitors such as the Salvation Army and vicars from various denominations and these occasions provide an added dimension to pupils’ religious experiences.

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