Stocks Lane Primary School

STOCKS LANE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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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STOCKS LANE 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. Stocks Lane Primary School - 3 - June 2003

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Stocks Lane Clayton Heights Queensbury Bradford

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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 B Sandford

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 December 1997 Stocks Lane Primary School - 4 - June 2003

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 21374 Heather Evans Registered inspector English Science Information and communicatio n technology Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education Education inclusion English as an additional language What sort of school is it? Schools results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

9163 G Humphrey Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 4926 Thelma Aspin Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Religious education Foundation stage Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Stocks Lane Primary School - 5 - June 2003 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Stocks Lane Primary School - 6 - June 2003

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 31

Stocks Lane Primary School - 7 - June 2003

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a smaller than average primary school on the outskirts of Bradford. The school has been developed from the first school that was in place when the first inspection took place. It was planned that the school would be closed but it has been expanded to accommodate older pupils. This is the school’s first inspection since it became a primary school. There has been an ongoing programme of building for some years that is due to be completed soon in order to make room for the additional pupils. There are 109 pupils on roll, of whom eight claim their entitlement to free school meals. There are 13 pupils who have special educational needs, one of whom has a statement. Most problems are related to reading difficulties. Although a few pupils are from ethnic minority groups, they all speak English as their first language. Pupils have the use of the adjacent recreation ground and this has been very useful

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

during the ongoing building programme. The attainment of children as they enter the Reception class is below average overall. There have been a number of changes in staffing since the last inspection.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school with a number of strengths. The standards attained have varied over time, reflecting the number of pupils with learning difficulties in the school's small classes. Most of the teaching is good and about half is very good. Work is challenging in most classes although some pupils in the class for the oldest pupils could do more. Pupils are expected to work hard, concentrate and persevere within lessons. The governors work very closely with the headteacher and staff, offering informed support with the purpose of working towards the highest possible standards and to enhance opportunities for learning. Together they strive to improve the school, which provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The provision for children in the Reception class is very good. • The leadership of the headteacher and her deputy is good. • Standards at the end of Year 2 exceed national expectations. • Pupils’ behaviour in class and around the school is very good. • Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are good. • The overall quality of teaching is good.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The use of the agreed and effective procedures for assessment found in all classes should be better linked across the school. • Regular tightly focussed monitoring of teaching in classrooms and the marking of completed work. • The level of challenge for those pupils capable of higher attainment at the end of Year 6. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the last inspection, the school has been successful in addressing most of the identified weaknesses up to Year 4. The curriculum has been reviewed and plans for what is being taught are better than in 1997. Strategies for assessment have been improved and are now thorough for individuals but are inconsistent between classes. At the present time, the school is still working to extend these changes and improvements to all of the pupils in the older year groups. These older pupils have been most affected by the many changes in the school and the problems encountered as a result of the extensive building programme. The decision to operate a system of shared responsibility for subject leadership has been only partially successful and the staff recognise that procedures that work very well within the mixed age classes need to be extended to cover the entire school.

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STANDARDS

Stocks Lane Primary School - 8 - June 2003 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 n/a B A A well above average above average A B Mathematics n/a B A B average below average C D Science n/a C B C well below average E

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STANDARDS

The results attained in the National Curriculum tests by pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2002 in English, mathematics and science show that the school has improved its standards to an above average level. When compared with similar schools, standards in 2002 were also well above average in English, above average in mathematics and average in science. There are fewer pupils in classes and year groups than in schools nationally and the nature of each year group varies considerably. In the present Year 6, a quarter of the group has identified special educational needs. Work seen during the inspection indicates that the overall standards of the present Year 6 pupils will not be as high overall as in 2002 although some pupils attain very well especially in English and science. Pupils are on course to meet the targets agreed by the school for the present year. Standards attained by pupils at the end of Year 2 in the tests

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STANDARDS

and assessments in 2002 were about average in reading but below the national average in writing. Standards in mathematics were well below those in schools nationally. This year group did not compare favourably with similar schools. Inspection evidence shows a significant improvement in the present Year 2, where attainment now is well above average in English, mathematics and science. Across the school, attainment in information and communication technology is at the expected level at the end of Years 2 and 6 with some pupils exceeding nationally expected levels. Attainment in art and design, music and some parts of physical education exceeds national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6. In other subjects, attainment is in line with expectations except in geography and religious education at the end of Year 6 where it is below expectations. Pupils’ work in religious education meets the recommendations of the locally agreed syllabus at the end of Year 2 but does not cover all of the areas

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STANDARDS

by the end of Year 6. All pupils achieve well when compared with their below average standards on entry. The trend of improvement over the past two years has been better than that for schools nationally. At the end of the Reception class, most children attain all of the expected learning goals.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school, demonstrate positive learning attitudes and work hard. They are polite, friendly and welcoming to visitors.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave very well in lessons, during break times and when moving around the school, showing care and consideration for others.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are good. They develop as mature individuals with good social skills and moral values.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Attendance remains below the national average but for most pupils it is satisfactory. Stocks Lane Primary School - 9 - June 2003 The below average attendance level is caused by the school keeping pupils on roll when they are absent until they are certain that they have been admitted to other schools or have returned to their foster carers. In this small school, every pupil counts as a high percentage and the two pupils involved seriously distort the figures overall.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall 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 quality of teaching has improved since the time of the last inspection and in lessons observed it was at least satisfactory in all but one lesson. It was good or better in more than eight out of every ten lessons. The percentage of very good and excellent lessons has improved, with half of the lessons seen being at least very good. Seven lessons including some taught by subject specialists were excellent. The pattern of good teaching is more consistent because planning is thorough. As a result, learning is almost always at least satisfactory, frequently good and often very good in lessons across the curriculum. The teaching of basic skills in English and mathematics has been strengthened as a direct result of the effective training in the literacy and numeracy strategies. This shared training is now having a positive effect on teaching in other subjects. The support for those pupils with special educational

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

needs is very good. The early identification and good teaching enable them to learn well, at a similar rate to other pupils in their class.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum meets all statutory requirements. The quality and range of learning opportunities are good. There are good additional learning opportunities including visits to places of interest, visitors to the school and through clubs.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs There is very good provision for those pupils with special educational needs. Pupils are identified early and very good support is given.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ personal development is well organised and pupils’ personal skills are well developed. There is good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares well for its pupils. The policy and procedures for child protection are very good. Pupils’ progress is tracked and information gathered is used to promote learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Between classes, work is not sufficiently linked to ensure that skills and learning are always carried forward as pupils move from one class to another. The quality of the school’s partnership with parents is good. The school works successfully with parents, and they make a very good contribution to their children’s work. Stocks Lane Primary School - 10 - June 2003

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The good leadership and management of the headteacher with the deputy headteacher and the staff ensure that there is a shared vision for the development of the school. Their enthusiasm motivates all of the people involved in the life of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is fully committed to the school and provides good support. It is dedicated to the standing of the school in the community and is fully involved in decision making.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school’s awareness of its strengths and weaknesses is good. This knowledge enables staff and governors to make systematic progress in addressing those areas identified for improvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Initiatives are linked successfully to the sensible use of resources in order to support the priorities listed in the school development plan.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There are sufficient suitably qualified teachers who are deployed effectively. The school building is old and has presented many challenges to which the teachers have responded well. The process of building new classrooms for the new school has impeded some work and has inhibited the full use of library facilities which has sometimes prevented pupils from learning independently. The facilities for the Foundation Stage are adequate, but the teacher is eagerly anticipating the improved separate, secure outside play area that is to be part of the new school. Learning resources across the school are adequate and funds are identified to enhance them in the coming term. The governing body is alert in seeking to find the best value possible in all its spending. The leadership role of teachers with responsibility for curriculum subjects remains underdeveloped.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children like school and make good progress. • Parents value the good teaching. • They welcome the approachability of the staff. • They are pleased that children are expected to work hard and grow in maturity. • They value the leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff. • A few have concerns that there is too much homework. • Some parents would like a greater range of extra-curricular activities, especially for younger pupils.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees with the positive views expressed by the majority of the parents. The team considers that the teachers make good use of homework to support learning, and that overall the amount of homework set is not excessive. The team considers that the range and quality of additional activities outside of lessons is good for such a small school. Stocks Lane Primary School - 11 - June 2003

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Strengths:

• children’s success in achieving or exceeding all of the early learning goals by the end of the year in the Reception class; • the overall good learning and progress made by pupils including those with special educational needs.

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Areas for development:

• improve standards in geography and religious education by the end of Year 6.

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Areas for development:

1. The attainment of children entering the school varies with each group but the most recent indications from the teachers’ assessments show the overall attainment level to be below average when compared with children of the same age nationally. Good teaching and very good provision of educational activities enables all of these children to make very good progress and to reach the expected levels in all of the early learning goals by the time they transfer to Year 1.

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Areas for development:

2. In the statutory National Curriculum tests in 2002, pupils' attainment in English at the end of Year 2 was about average in reading but below the national average in writing. Standards in mathematics were well below those in schools nationally. When compared with test results in schools with a similarly low take-up of free school meals, pupils’ performance in both of these subjects compared unfavourably. They were below average in reading and well below in writing and mathematics. This is because although most pupils attained the expected level, Level 2, very few pupils reached the higher level and the small class size meant that every child counted as 7 percentage points. The teachers’ assessments in science placed the pupils below the national average. In the national tests at the end of Year 6, the standards in English and mathematics were well above the national average and they were above

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Areas for development:

average in science. When compared with similar schools, pupils attained well above average in English, above average in mathematics and average in science. With the small numbers in each group and the short time that the school has been a primary school, the results cannot to be regarded as a trend.

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Areas for development:

3. The teachers have reviewed the test results carefully along with those of voluntary tests carried out in other years. The school has identified a need to increase the amount of practical, experimental and investigational work in mathematics and science. This is so that pupils learn how to be mathematicians and scientists and so deepen their understanding of the subjects rather than just learning and remembering facts. This has been successful in securing the improvement seen during the inspection in Years 2 and 4. As yet the process is not so well established in Years 5 and 6 but pupils are now extending their use of these necessary skills, especially in science. This represents an improvement since the last inspection but the process needs to be continued through all classes.

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Areas for development:

4. Good and very good teaching in the Year 1 and 2 class enables pupils to gain skills in personal research and in working independently so that the match between work expected and pupils’ prior attainment is good. Together with the strong development of observational skills, pupils are enabled to extend the good start they have had very well, and to achieve levels that are frequently above those for most pupils of the same age nationally. Within the class that caters for two age groups, these skills help Stocks Lane Primary School - 12 - June 2003 pupils to attain at least nationally expected levels in all other subjects. In art and design and in geography, pupils exceed the levels normally found for pupils of the same age and their confidence and expertise in the design element is well developed. Pupils at the end of Year 4 are attaining at a level above that found in Year 4, the reporting age at the time of the last inspection. In the class for pupils in Years 5 and

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Areas for development:

6, there is a greater proportion of pupils with special educational needs. The average attaining pupils and those capable of higher attainment reach or exceed the expected levels in English, mathematics and science. The composition of the group is such, however, that the standards overall are not as high as in the classes for younger pupils. Most of the pupils capable of higher attainment achieve well but although most attain well in English and science, in mathematics whilst most reach the expected level and some exceed it others are not sufficiently challenged and could do even more.

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Areas for development:

5. Pupils with all types of special educational needs achieve very well overall and at least as well as others in the class in separate lessons. Although English is the first language of all pupils, a very small number are learning a language other than English at home. The school is very aware of the expertise of these pupils and regards them as part of their group with identified gifts and talents. The provision for the few identified gifted and talented pupils enables them to make good progress, seen in some aspects of school life that include academic, sporting, artistic and musical achievement.

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Areas for development:

6. Across the school, the systems for tracking pupils’ achievements and progress and recording their attainment help to maintain the rate of progress within the mixed age classes. This process that works well in each mixed age class is not yet sufficiently rigorous across the school as a whole. The links between classes are not sufficiently strong and opportunities to ensure consistent and continuous progress are missed. All classes except for the Reception class cater for two year-groups. There is a good level of challenge in the classes for younger pupils. Everyone is expected to work hard and to give of their best. In Years 2 and 6 this is supported by the provision of booster classes for pupils preparing for statutory tests and by specific support in skills in literacy and numeracy. In Years 5 and 6, in some other subjects, the challenge is not sufficiently high in some lessons and evidence during the inspection showed

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Areas for development:

some of those pupils capable of higher achievement to be guilty of ‘coasting’ now that the formal tests have been completed.

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Strengths:

• good relationships which support all the school’s work; • awareness of and respect for others’ needs and beliefs; • good behaviour and self-discipline throughout the day.

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Area for further development:

• levels of attendance; a very small group of pupils has significant amounts of absence from school.

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Area for further development:

7. Pupils’ attitudes towards school are good. They enjoy being in class, demonstrate positive learning attitudes and work hard. They listen carefully to their teachers; show good levels of interest and make positive and enthusiastic contributions to lessons. Parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting and returned questionnaires confirm that their children are happy at school, have positive attitudes towards learning and behave well. Stocks Lane Primary School - 13 - June 2003 8. Children in the Reception class readily explain the school routines and know and understand the school rules. They listen well and participate eagerly in lessons. Children follow instructions and hold up their hands to gain the attention of a teacher or to answer a question. They have good self-control and good awareness of space inside the classroom and when playing games. They demonstrate good social skills by collaborating well during structured play, sharing ideas and using their imagination

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Area for further development:

9. Many examples of good, very good and excellent learning attitudes were observed across the school. In the Years 1 and 2 class in one mathematics lesson, about two- dimensional shape, pupils showed enthusiasm, took pride in their achievements and demonstrated excellent learning attitudes and behaviour. In English, pupils in the Years 3 and 4 class were asked to write the opening sentence to a gripping story. They enjoyed the challenge, used their imagination well and demonstrated excitement and enthusiasm for the task. The same class made good contributions in an information and communications technology lesson and also showed exemplary attitudes to work in a physical education lesson where the teacher was a visiting specialist from the local secondary school.

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Area for further development:

10. As pupils progress through the school, their interest and maturity continue to develop. For example, in Years 5 and 6, pupils showed good levels of interest and enthusiasm when considering practical ways of setting up a set of linked investigations based on their earlier work about how seeds germinate and conditions for growth in plants. In a lesson about personal, social and health education, they were eager to make reasoned contributions to the lesson, demonstrating their own knowledge and listening carefully and with interest to what others had to say.

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Area for further development:

11. Behaviour in and around the school is very good. There have been no exclusions for some years. Pupils are well mannered, polite and welcoming towards visitors. They behave very well in lessons and during break times. Pupils with identified behavioural difficulties are rarely noticeable due to most teachers’ high expectations regarding behaviour and good control in lessons. Movement around the school is orderly, with pupils showing care and consideration towards others. For example, pupils regularly stand aside and hold doors open to let others pass. Lunch is a pleasant social occasion where pupils engage in conversation with adults and one another with confidence and very good humour.

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Area for further development:

12. Relationships are good. Pupils are valued by the staff and treated with respect and consideration, and this is reflected in the good relationships that are in evidence throughout the school. Boys and girls, pupils of differing ability, including those who find learning difficult, all relate well to each other. Pupils with special educational needs are valued members of the school community. There are high levels of tolerance towards those who find learning and good behaviour difficult, and the achievements of everyone are celebrated.

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Area for further development:

13. Pupils with special educational needs are fully integrated members of the school community. Others in the class do not laugh at their efforts to answer questions and accept that some pupils have learning difficulties, for different reasons. They recognise achievement. For example in the Years 3 and 4 pupils clap spontaneously when a pupil with learning difficulties makes a genuine contribution to class discussions.

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Area for further development:

14. Pupils willingly accept any responsibilities they are given but there are not enough opportunities for them to exercise their own initiative and responsibility. Classroom Stocks Lane Primary School - 14 - June 2003 monitors help to prepare and tidy up before and after lessons, and there are opportunities for the development of leadership skills during extra-curricular sports activities. As a result of the deficiencies of the old building, pupils are not sufficiently encouraged to take the initiative and responsibility for managing their own independent learning as teachers, aware of the limited library space, provide the resources to aid investigations for them.

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Area for further development:

15. Although most pupils attend regularly and on time, because of the impact of the poor attendance of two or three pupils, attendance overall remains below that of most schools nationally. This lower level is caused in the main because the school keeps ‘looked after’ pupils on roll until they are sure that they have been admitted to other schools or they have returned. In a small school, the high percentage absence of each child distorts the figures in a disproportionate way. Good learning attitudes and very good behaviour have been well maintained since the last inspection and continue to make a positive contribution to the performance of the school community.

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Strengths in teaching and learning:

• teachers’ planning is clear and effective; • day-to-day assessment is used well after lessons to evaluate progress and extend learning; • pupils are well organised and learning opportunities almost always match individual needs; • the quality of teaching is predominantly good with about half being very good .

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Areas for development:

• introductions are sometimes too long and this prevents activities being completed; • increased challenge for those pupils capable of higher attainment; • the quality of marking is inconsistent.

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Areas for development:

16. Overall, teaching is good across the school and there are many examples of very good teaching, particularly in the Foundation Stage and in the classes for younger pupils. Some excellent teaching was observed by class teachers and by specialist subject teachers. This was a great improvement for pupils in Year 4, the group that were the oldest in the school at the time of the last inspection. In the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, teaching is almost always good or better. Teaching was observed in 36 lessons or parts of lessons during the inspection. In all but one of the lessons seen, the quality of teaching was at least satisfactory. Just five lessons were graded as satisfactory, more than eight in ten lessons were judged to be at least good, and more than half were very good or better, with seven lessons graded as excellent. Lessons at the Foundation Stage for children under five were

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Areas for development:

predominantly good. 17. Opportunities to work with colleagues in the classroom, monitor lesson planning and work together to agree acceptable standards of marking have not been fully developed. The building programme has hindered this work but the need for monitoring needs to be addressed soon to ensure that the good skills that are developed within the mixed age groupings are extended and maintained as pupils move into new classes. The skills and dedication of the support staff make a positive impact on the overall effectiveness of the teaching.

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Areas for development:

18. The school has successfully implemented the strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy. This has had a beneficial impact on the overall quality of teaching Stocks Lane Primary School - 15 - June 2003 because the structure and organisation of work is becoming consistent in all classes. The training in planning and evaluating work, undertaken in the preparation for new initiatives, has had a positive effect on planning in other subjects. There are very few weaknesses in teaching and the only unsatisfactory lesson was on the first day when teachers were nervous and pupils in Year 6 were more willing to prepare for their coming visit to France than to work at curriculum subjects on returning to school after a holiday. In most lessons, the pupils learn well from the teacher’s instruction and guidance in lessons and are keen to explain clearly and knowledgeably what they are doing.

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Areas for development:

19. Teachers’ secure subject knowledge forms the firm foundation for assisting pupils’ learning. Teachers have a good understanding of what needs to be taught and as a result they are able to help pupils to develop the required skills effectively. Lessons are well structured in accordance with the recommendations of the relevant official guidelines and national strategies. Following the introductory session, pupils work collaboratively or independently within matched attainment groups in most lessons. Teachers select methods well fitted to the purpose for teaching the whole class, using for example the whiteboard, a 100 or 1000 square or a big book, with an overhead projector for class work with a shared text. Groups then work together to complete relevant activities and written tasks that are carefully matched to their particular needs. This is particularly effective as almost all classes contain pupils

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Areas for development:

from more than one age group. In some lessons where the quality of teaching is less stimulating, too much use is made of prepared worksheets when the teacher is concentrating on the other age group. In these few instances, pupils are not sufficiently encouraged to undertake personal research or to work independently.

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Areas for development:

20. Basic skills in English and mathematics are taught well. Teachers engage pupils in detailed discussion with structured questioning that extends their thinking and promotes their learning. In most lessons, pupils are learning to investigate resources systematically and to examine results carefully, seeking to find all possible relevant information. They are, however, usually presented with the correct resource material and are not expected to seek it out for themselves. There was very good investigational work in information and communication technology, design and technology and science in Years 3 and 4, and in science and mathematics in Years 1 and 2. In the excellent science lesson, pupils devised a range of investigations to determine the relationship between the height of ramps, and the distance travelled by rolling vehicles of different sizes. Pupils measured the distances travelled using

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Areas for development:

cubes, paper strips or standard measures depending on their age and prior attainment. From their results, they developed the skills of predicting how the different vehicles would perform. They eventually worked out why the results changed when the cars were run on carpet as opposed to a smooth floor. Pupils then made block graphs using collected data to help them make deductions that were tested by repeating the experiments. Pupils enjoy being investigators and the increased amount of work being undertaken through experimentation, is proving to be instrumental in helping to increase their achievements, particularly in science, mathematics and design and technology.

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Areas for development:

21. The teachers’ personal enthusiasm and increasingly high expectations are challenging pupils and encouraging them to learn well across a range of subjects. Teachers are sure of the purpose of their planned activities and explain them carefully to pupils. Teachers know their pupils well. Where there is consistently interesting and effective teaching, many pupils are now on course to improve on the levels of attainment across the curriculum, even in the subjects where they are least confident at present. At the end of lessons, teachers check whether the objectives discussed Stocks Lane Primary School - 16 - June 2003 at the start have all been accomplished. This focuses the pupils’ thinking and attention on what they are doing and why. Pupils of all ages and attainment levels benefit from reflecting on the purpose of the lesson and this review enables them to be sure of what they have learned and how it fits into the pattern of their work in other

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Areas for development:

22. Pupils with special educational needs are taught very well. In the most effective lessons, classroom support assistants sit close to the pupils they look after when the teacher is speaking to the whole class. They quietly and effectively help them to answer questions and join in with the rest of the class. Teachers know the pupils' levels of attainment and set some questions that they can respond to unaided. Support assistants work well with the teachers and know how to present the activities so those pupils can succeed. Classroom assistants know their pupils well and are able to make sure that they are ready to move on to the next stage of learning. Recording of achievement in lessons and its use in planning varies, although there is some very good practice. Teachers prepare well for teaching new and familiar work. Planning is best in English, mathematics and science but is also good in other

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Areas for development:

subjects. Since the last inspection, the school has developed useful strategies for assessing the progress that pupils make on a day-to-day basis. The information gathered is used well after lessons in order to help to organise and develop the next stage of the learning programme.

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Areas for development:

23. Most written work is marked clearly and regularly. There is an agreed standard, and the scheme for marking offers a useful way of monitoring work and assessing pupils’ progress. There is some inconsistency, however, and although there is some excellent practice, some marking does not provide pupils with clear guidance of how best to improve their work. Where it is at its best, written comments, shared by the teacher and pupil, enable the pupil to develop good personal review strategies. The standard of marking in Years 1 and 2 is particularly helpful as a monitoring and diagnostic tool. With the youngest children, the teacher talks to each one as work is marked with them. Good features are praised and ways to do better next time are shared. Pupils derive great value from this individual interaction with the teacher. In some cases where work is based on worksheets, marking is in the form of ticks that

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Areas for development:

offer too little advice or encouragement to pupils to make greater personal effort.

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Strengths in the curriculum:

• a very well planned and interesting curriculum is provided in the Reception class; • provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good; • links with secondary schools and the community are good and support pupils' learning.

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Area for development:

• plans that set out the skills to be developed in each year do not make sufficient links between Years 2 and 3 and Years 4 and 5.

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Area for development:

24. The curriculum provided for the pupils in Years 1 to 6 is good overall and some very good experiences are provided in some classes. It covers all the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. For the children in the Foundation Stage, it is very good.

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Area for development:

25. The interesting curriculum provided for children in the Reception class is carefully matched to their age, maturity and prior attainment. It is very well planned to cover all Stocks Lane Primary School - 17 - June 2003 the required areas of learning of personal and social development, language communication and literacy, numeracy, creativity, knowledge of the world and physical development. Tasks are well balanced between those that children choose themselves and those guided by the teacher to cover specific skills, knowledge and understanding. A strong emphasis is rightly placed on first-hand experiences and children are taken to places of special interest, or have visits from 'special' people as often as possible.

p.16

Area for development:

26. In Years 1 to 6, teachers use the most recent national guidance to help them with planning, supported by commercial materials. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are securely established and lead to good achievement in Years 1 to 4 and satisfactory achievement for older pupils. Literacy and numeracy skills are developed well in many lessons, although in some lessons too much emphasis is placed on setting questions that require one word answers, and filling in worksheets. Increasingly use is made of information and communication technology to support learning. This new facility is enabling pupils to begin to seek out information for themselves rather than rely on the teacher providing pre-selected books. The staff plan together for other subjects and the two-year cycle of topics for each class helps teachers focus on areas of study, linking subjects together. Changes in the groupings of planned work have caused some duplication during the past year, an

p.17

Area for development:

issue that teachers have now resolved. The completed written work of older pupils provides insufficient evidence to show that all of the agreed areas have been fully covered. The well prepared daily planning clearly identifies what pupils are expected to learn in each lesson. There is, however, no secure link between each of the three cycles of work planned for each of the mixed age classes to make sure that skills in each subject are shared and extended as pupils move from one class to the next.

p.17

Area for development:

27. The curriculum meets the specific needs of pupils with special educational needs very well. High quality individual education plans set clear learning targets. These are not consistently used in planning lessons, but teachers know their pupils well and work is appropriately matched to pupils' levels of attainment. Pupils with special educational needs, including those with physical difficulties, are given every support to help them take part in all school activities. Support groups, led by trained classroom assistants help pupils develop literacy and numeracy skills. These operate at different times during the year. Gifted and talented pupils are identified and recognised by teachers, and some specific provision is made to meet their needs, for example in sport and music. In many lessons those with high attainment are challenged very well, but some older pupils do not always achieve as well as they

p.17

Area for development:

should. Pupils from ethnic minority groups are well integrated. A feature of the provision in the Reception class is that these children's own customs and beliefs are celebrated and shared with others in their class. The school is committed to including pupils of all attainment and ability levels in all of the activities. To this end, the school has adopted a programme of buying in additional specially skilled practitioners for music and sport to extend the skill base of the small staff. In turn, this enables pupils to work with other people in order to expand their experiences.

p.17

Area for development:

28. Regular visits to places of interest, including residential experiences for older pupils and visits from people with specialist knowledge are all used well to improve pupils' understanding of the world around them. Pupils in Years 5 visited Whitby and pupils in Year 6 are very excited about their proposed visit to France. These educational visits are shared with another primary school and enable pupils to take part in adventurous activities. There is a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities, including some very good opportunities for pupils to extend their sporting skills. Very good links are maintained with the receiving secondary schools to aid pupils' Stocks Lane Primary School - 18 - June 2003 transition between schools, and support learning. This liaison is particularly good in sport. There is a carefully planned induction programme to help young children get accustomed to life in the Reception class and getting to know the teacher before

p.17

Area for development:

starting school. Links with the community are good, for example with the Water Board, who provide reliable and regular support for hearing pupils read.

p.18

Strengths:

• provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

p.18

Strengths:

29. The overall quality of provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and has been maintained since the previous inspection and provision for cultural development has improved. Spiritual development is well promoted. There are good links with a number of religious organisations and the Christian values taught to pupils have a very good effect on this aspect of school life. Daily acts of worship make a very good contribution to learning and make pupils think. They are taught about the Christian faith, but they also learn to appreciate that other people may have different beliefs and associated cultures. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 compare some special occasions for Christians with those of Hindus for example. Pupils are expected to reflect on important issues such as the impact of their actions on others. This was very evident in an assembly when pupils listened to a visitor who

p.18

Strengths:

admitted that he hates being wrong, and talked about the effect that not accepting you are wrong can have on others.

p.18

Strengths:

30. Provision for moral development is good. Pupils are taught that good manners are important, and teachers and support staff set good examples in how to treat others with respect. Important keys to the good provision for moral development are the caring attitudes of the teachers and their consistently high expectations of good behaviour and, in most lessons, the quantity of work completed. Classroom routines are well established in the Reception class, and pupils know what is expected of them. Personal hygiene, healthy living, drug and alcohol abuse, sex education, the enhancement of social skills and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship are incorporated into a good, well-balanced, programme that meets the needs of all pupils as they progress through the school. In one lesson, the teacher really challenged pupils to think carefully before accepting from others things that looked like sweets but

p.18

Strengths:

which could be prescription medicines or other dangerous substances. Good provision is made for all aspects of pupils' personal and social education and citizenship, including bullying, and pupils enjoy these lessons.

p.18

Strengths:

31. Social development is good. Pupils are given opportunities to work together in pairs or groups of mixed gender. This is common practice in the Year 3 and 4 class where they are expected to discuss their opinions, views and predictions with a partner and come to a decision in a very short time. Young children learn to take turns in the 'hot seat' answering questions from the rest of the class. Opportunities are provided for pupils to consider and work to support those in need, through their own and local charity work. Activities such as the residential visits for pupils in Years 5 and 6 help them learn to work together more closely, both with each other and with pupils from another school. Teachers demonstrate that they value the contributions of pupils with special educational needs in the way that they plan to include them in all class activities and praise them for achievement, so setting a good example for other

p.18

Strengths:

pupils. Stocks Lane Primary School - 19 - June 2003 32. Pupils learn much about their own culture through visits to museums and other places of interest. For example pupils in Years 3 and 4 talk very knowledgeably about the Tudors, and about how their own local environment could be improved. Visits to places such as a Sculpture Park are used to stimulate pupils to create their own imaginative sculptures. Arts week, held every year, gives pupils a variety of exciting cultural experiences, such as Indian music and dance. In the Reception class, children experimented with chopsticks and noodles when they celebrated the Chinese New Year and ate Indian sweets and savouries at the time of Diwali. Some pupils in the Year 5 and 6 class are eagerly preparing for a visit to France as part of a shared educational visit with a neighbouring school. Pupils learn about other faiths and associated cultures in religious education lessons. Although there are a number of

p.18

Strengths:

incidental valuable experiences of different cultures, provision for education for life in a multicultural society is not securely planned into the whole school curriculum.

p.19

Strengths:

• teachers' detailed knowledge of pupils as individuals, which guides the support that they offer them; • very effective methods for promoting good behaviour and discouraging harassment.

p.19

Area for development:

• procedures for assessing, monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress between classes.

p.19

Area for development:

33. Pupils are very well cared for at the school, a view shared by those parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting and returned questionnaires. This is a small school where teachers and support staff know and understand their pupils well and provide supportive and sensitive pastoral care. The procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development are good. Equality of opportunity is positively promoted and all pupils, irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, ability or learning difficulty, are fully included in all aspects of school life. There are very good procedures for identifying pupils with special educational needs and assessing the level of support needed.

p.19

Area for development:

34. There is rigorous attention to all matters relating to health and safety. Regular risk assessments are undertaken in relation to the use of school premises and these take account of the activities of building contractors who have been on site for three years. The school has made very good use of external health and safety advisers and other fire and security specialists. Fire and electrical equipment is routinely tested and there are regular evacuation drills. Exit routes are regularly reassessed in the light of the construction work that is taking place. Senior staff and governors have a good overview of health and safety procedures. There are good arrangements for the provision of first aid.

p.19

Area for development:

35. The headteacher is the designated child protection officer. All staff have received appropriate training on child protection and are alert to the needs of vulnerable pupils and aware of the guidelines for dealing with sensitive issues. The school maintains close links with social services and other relevant outside agencies. The procedures for monitoring and promoting behaviour are good. The management of behaviour is consistent throughout the school. Good learning attitudes and behaviour are celebrated and this provides an ethos in which pupils strive to do their best. There are good procedures for dealing with any incidents of unacceptable behaviour, such as bullying or showing a lack of consideration towards others, and these are applied Stocks Lane Primary School - 20 - June 2003 promptly and effectively. The procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance are good.

p.19

Area for development:

36. There are good procedures for identifying pupils with special educational needs and assessing the level of provision needed. A specialist who works for the school part- time ensures that their targets for learning are sharply focused and achievable and negotiated with pupils and their parents. Regular reviews take place to check achievement against these targets, and external agencies are involved when appropriate.

p.20

Area for development:

37. The procedures for assessing, recording and monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress are predominantly good. There is a well-established programme of tests to track pupils’ progress against projected targets in English, mathematics and science, and there are recorded teacher assessments for other subjects. Clear evidence is available on the attainment and progress of all pupils as they move through the school. The school has begun to use a computer program to review the results of assessment and further staff training is planned to extend this useful work.

p.20

Area for development:

38. Procedures for the guidance and support of pupils’ academic progress are thorough and meet the needs of pupils and teachers within classes. The use of recorded assessment data to amend the curriculum and support lesson planning into the next two-year cycle is, however, not fully developed.

p.20

Area for development:

39. A specialist, who works for the school for part of the week, ensures that the targets for learning for pupils with special educational needs are negotiated with teachers, parents and pupils, and are sharply focused and achievable. Regular reviews take place to check attainment against these targets and to enable external agencies to be involved, should this become necessary.

p.20

Strengths:

• parents’ positive views of the school; • staff’s commitment to helping parents become more involved in their children’s education; • the quality of information provided for parents.

p.20

Strengths:

40. Parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting and returned questionnaires expressed very positive views about the school. They consider that the school is well led and managed and that the quality of teaching is good. They are happy that the school expects pupils to work hard and to achieve well and are pleased that their children enjoy school. Parents find the welcoming atmosphere and the approachability of school staff reassuring, and this helps to create a close working partnership between parents and teachers. They like the way their children mature and make good progress in both their academic and personal development. The inspection evidence confirms these positive views.

p.20

Strengths:

41. A few parents were concerned that the amount of homework given to support their children’s learning was too great, and some wanted a wider range of additional activities outside of lessons. The inspection team did not find any significant weaknesses in these areas identified by these parents. Teachers make good use of homework to support learning, particularly for the younger children where specific homework tasks are set that involve both parents and their children, and the amount of homework set is not judged to be excessive. Since the completion of the statutory Stocks Lane Primary School - 21 - June 2003 tests, the amount of homework being set for pupils in Year 6 has been reduced. The inspectors also consider that the range and quality of additional activities outside of lessons is good for such a small school. Both pupils and parents enthusiastically support the range of opportunities provided.

p.20

Strengths:

42. The school offers a warm welcome to parents and involves them as much as possible in the education of their children. The home-school agreement defines what is expected from the parents, pupils and all those involved in the school. The majority of parents respond very positively to these expectations. A curriculum and topic update is issued each term for every class and there is regular communication about the wide range of activities and events on offer. Parents are welcomed to attend or take part in all of the school’s activities. For example, during the inspection there was an after-school athletics event involving pupils from another local school. A number of parents attended to support their children and the successful school team.

p.21

Strengths:

43. The information provided for parents over time about pupils’ progress is good. The annual progress reports provide a clear commentary on pupils’ knowledge, understanding and progress for English, mathematics and science, with some useful targets for future development. For other subjects, what pupils have learned and the progress they have made, is not always reported in sufficient depth. Parents are pleased with the written reports, however, as they talk with teachers regularly. Through the many informal links, they find out what their children are doing and how they might help. There is a very good annual programme of meetings that provide regular opportunities for parents to review the work that their children have done. At these meetings, they discuss progress and attainment in relation to their child’s individual targets and expected attainment levels for the end of the Reception class

p.21

Strengths:

44. There is no formal parent teacher association, but an informal, ‘friends of the school’ group supports the work of the school and organises many social and fund raising events. These activities help to link the school with the wider village community. A number of parents volunteer to help in school, particularly with after school activities, special events and school visits. Overall, the impact parents’ make on the work of the school is good and the contribution they make to their children’s learning is very good. The partnership between the school and parents is very good. This strong support has been well maintained from when it was a first school at the time of the last inspection to becoming the full primary school that it is now.

p.21

Leadership strengths:

• the headteacher, deputy headteacher and the chair of governors have an effective partnership and a clear vision for the future development of the school; • the governing body and key staff support the headteacher in leading the school purposefully.

p.21

Management strengths:

• the school has procedures and strategies in place to evaluate strengths and areas for development; • the plans for strategic management and shorter term development are clear and are well-structured; • the budget is managed well and governors are alert to evaluating best value in all of their decision making; Stocks Lane Primary School - 22 - June 2003 • the teaching and support staff are all suitably qualified and have a range of experience; they are instrumental in helping the school towards achieving its aims.

p.21

Areas for development:

• the management of the practical assessment systems across the whole school to ensure that skills learned in one class are fully developed in the next; • further opportunities for subject co-ordinators to work alongside colleagues in the classrooms.

p.22

Areas for development:

45. A range of useful strategies has been put in place since the last inspection and these have resulted in steady progress towards the completion of the new school. The planned closure was reversed and a new building with enhanced provision will soon be ready. The preparation for the new school and the impact on work in classrooms around the school has been kept to a minimum by the headteacher and her staff who have worked hard to provide pupils with a clean and attractive environment for learning, often with great difficulty.

p.22

Areas for development:

46. The headteacher, together with the deputy headteacher and the chair of the governing body, have a shared purpose and a clear vision for the future development of the school. Their purposeful leadership has enabled the school to rectify most of the areas of weakness identified during the last inspection. They have established a long- term structured programme to oversee the changes that have been implemented and rectify the few areas that are still outstanding. They have a shared understanding of the strengths of the school and are providing effective guidance where action is still required. The standards attained by pupils of all ages and prior attainment are evidence of their commitment to working towards continued and sustained improvement.

p.22

Areas for development:

47. The governors’ committee structure works well and, together with the staff and the senior management team, provides a clear educational direction for the school. The school development plan and the longer-term strategic management plan, drawn up in consultation with staff and governors, are useful documents that list priorities, track improvements and identify areas for future development. Together they present a clearly defined programme for sustained improvement and include review dates that demonstrate success criteria and also regular monitoring of progress made and reflection as to the next step forward. The governing body provides informed support and is meeting its statutory requirements well. Governors are alert to the strengths and weaknesses of the school and understand the issues concerning target setting and their individual and collective responsibilities in these aspects. There are named

p.22

Areas for development:

governors who play active roles in supporting pupils with special educational needs and monitor provision for literacy and numeracy. Governors have attended a range of appropriate training, sometimes with the staff of the school, and have enjoyed their work relating to performance management.

p.22

Areas for development:

48. The school’s arrangements for financial management and control are particularly good. The school’s administrator and the headteacher work well with the independent bursar to ensure that the budget is tightly controlled so that the requirements of the governing body are met. The finance committee’s experience and expertise ensure that the school seeks to secure the very best value that it can in its use of learning resources, the accommodation and personnel. The chair of the finance committee and members of that committee are particularly well-informed and fully understand the financial implications of school management. These governors have a good understanding of the principles of ‘best value’. An example of this is their commitment Stocks Lane Primary School - 23 - June 2003 to providing skilled staffing for booster classes, with the intention of raising standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 in the present academic year. The very good results in

p.22

Areas for development:

Year 2 in the present year show the wisdom of their decisions.

p.23

Areas for development:

49. The quality of formal and structured curriculum planning has been addressed. Although some fine-tuning is still required, it has been greatly improved since the previous inspection. The headteacher and the deputy headteacher have accurately identified the strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum and have begun to use their findings to guide a revised organisation. This improvement is reflected in the more effective use of their analysis of pupils’ work and the resultant changes in planning and teaching that are beginning to demonstrate positive results. This is especially evident in the younger classes, although the small numbers are always likely to make such progress uneven. Teachers have already improved planning on a day-to-day basis and are working together to promote longer-term improvements to ensure a consistent approach to learning across all subjects.

p.23

Areas for development:

50. The understanding of their leadership role by the subject co-ordinators has been improved, but the oversight of the ‘big picture’ in all subjects is not sufficiently precise. The work begun is proving to be useful but is not yet complete and teachers are keen to work with colleagues in other classes to share their considerable expertise in subjects across the curriculum. The work of subject co-ordinators in monitoring the work of colleagues in the classroom is identified in the school improvement plan as an area for development.

p.23

Areas for development:

51. Both the leadership and management of provision for pupils with special educational needs are very good. A very knowledgeable part-time teacher provides excellent support. Records are very carefully maintained, easily accessible and informative. The most recent national guidance has been fully implemented and legal requirements are met. The designated budget is used effectively and supplemented to ensure pupils are well supported. Staff members are suitably trained to cater for any specific needs. Links with agencies are co-ordinated effectively. Accommodation is easily accessible for those with physical disabilities. Resources for learning are good, and many are adapted and developed by the staff. Books are carefully chosen to match the age and maturity of pupils who find reading difficult. The part-time teacher also helps to maintain an overview of provision for gifted and talented pupils, and this is an area currently being developed.

p.23

Areas for development:

52. The school sets targets aimed at improving future performance for groups and individuals. The targets agreed by the school for pupils’ performance in the statutory tests in the current year have been adjusted to allow for the above average number of pupils with special educational needs but are considered to be achievable. The action plans for the coming years are relevant to the pupils’ needs, especially in literacy, numeracy, science and information and communication technology. The programme of building work is due to end in the next few weeks and the school looks forward to moving into new, purpose-built accommodation. Plans to improve facilities for the library and the Reception class are clearly identified, and money has been allocated to provide for additional learning resources. These additional resources are listed in the school development plan and orders have been placed so that they will be available to

p.23

Areas for development:

pupils and teachers by the start of the next academic year.

p.23

Areas for development:

53. The commitment and clear-sightedness of the headteacher and chair of governors is to be commended. With the support of the deputy headteacher, they have worked very closely together, in the face of total upheaval over the past three years. This has meant that despite floods, the collapse of ceilings and a number of staff changes, the Stocks Lane Primary School - 24 - June 2003 school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection. Secure systems for moving the school forward have been established. The school is now in a good position to go on to improve further. Most of the teaching is at least good. Pupils' attitudes to school and the relationships between all the people involved in the school are good. Taking these factors together with the very good behaviour of pupils set against the slightly above average financial resources that are usual in a small school, the school provides good value for money.

p.23

Areas for development:

Stocks Lane Primary School - 25 - June 2003

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

54. In order to build on the existing good practice, improve the school and raise standards, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) extend the good practice within classes for teaching skills and promoting standards to being a whole school policy by:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) ensuring that existing and effective assessment strategies are employed more fully between classes in order to improve planning and in turn raise standards across all of the curriculum; Paragraphs 3, 6, 17, 26, 33, 38, 79

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) ensure that subject co-ordinators have enough time to monitor planning across their subjects and to work alongside colleagues in classes to share the existing good practice; Paragraphs 50, 70, 74, 79, 81, 91, 96

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Increase the challenge for those pupils capable of higher attainment. Paragraphs 4, 6, 27, 72, 73, 80 Stocks Lane Primary School - 26 - June 2003

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 17

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 19 33 31 14 3 0 0 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 almost 3 percentage points.

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/a 109

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/a 8

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/a 1

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/a 13

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

p.26

Attendance

School data 6.0 School data 0.0 Stocks Lane Primary School - 27 - June 2003 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.26

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Stocks Lane Primary School - 28 - June 2003

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 5 11 16

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 88 (100) 94 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 88 (100) 88 (100) 88 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 7 7 14

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

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

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 93 (93) 93 (80) 86 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

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

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 71 (80) 71 (87) 71 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 73(72) 74(74) 82 (82)

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Stocks Lane Primary School - 29 - June 2003 * The number of girls and boys as individual groups is small so their results have been omitted from the table. The results of the group as a whole (girls and boys together) have been included. Stocks Lane Primary School - 30 - June 2003

p.28

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.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 1 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.30

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. Stocks Lane Primary School - 31 - June 2003

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5 Financial year 2002/03

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.4

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 360,202

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 3,390

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 95 Balance brought forward from previous year 15,502

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 12,882

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Stocks Lane Primary School - 32 - June 2003

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 59 31 7 0 3

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 69 31 0 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 31 28 7 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 38 14 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 86 14 0 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 76 21 3 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 45 48 7 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 72 28 0 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52 45 3 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 34 34 24 3 3 Stocks Lane Primary School - 33 - June 2003

p.32

Strengths:

• provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good.

p.33

Strengths:

55. Provision is very good in the Foundation Stage, which is the Reception class in this school. Children enter the Reception class in the September before their fifth birthday and attend full-time. In the current Reception class there are 15 children. A high proportion of these have birthdays towards the end of the school year. Observation and initial assessments show that these children have a wide spread of attainment, but overall levels of attainment on entry are below average although their speaking skills are average. Attainment on entry varies considerably from year to year. The differing learning needs of children are well met by an appropriate mixture of adult led and child initiated activities.

p.33

Strengths:

56. The latest national guidance for this stage of children's learning is well understood by the class teacher, whose expertise is improving through her involvement in a special project. This is having an immediate and positive impact on children's learning. The teacher has a very good grasp of how young children learn and provides a good balance between tasks that are directed by the teacher and those that children choose themselves. Teaching and learning are very good in all six of the areas taught to this age range. The current building program and lack of resources for outdoor activity temporarily hinders full implementation of the recommended curriculum. Every effort has been made to compensate for this during the changes taking place and children have good opportunities to run, climb and jump in the recreation ground that is adjacent to the school. Assessment procedures are good and carefully track

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Strengths:

attainment. One feature that is closely linked to the very good provision is the teacher's personal understanding of the attainment of each individual child. A well- informed classroom assistant provides valuable help to the teacher, and is rapidly developing support skills. There are very good links with parents, who are very pleased with provision.

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Personal, social and emotional development

57. At this stage of the school year, children are preparing for Year 1. Thus there are some appropriately structured lessons where all children are expected to concentrate on tasks for an extended length of time, but also recognition that they are still young children who need to choose activities themselves. The teacher plans many interesting activities to help them to learn to listen to adults and to each other. Children all manage to change their clothes for physical education, organise their book bags and know the importance of washing their hands before eating. They learn to share and work together in the regularly changed role-play areas. For example in one outdoor activity, using large plastic building blocks, three children carefully worked together to make a kennel around the 'dog', acted out by another child. By the end of Reception, even the young children in the class meet the recommended Early

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Personal, social and emotional development

Learning Goals in this aspect of learning. Stocks Lane Primary School - 34 - June 2003

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Language communication and literacy

58. Many and varied opportunities are provided for children to develop skills in this area of learning. The latest role-play area of a space ship provides earphones to listen to 'space control', a fax machine and telephone, space for writing and many knobs and controls to stimulate activity and discussion. The teacher encourages the children to take the 'hot seat' on occasions and answer questions about things they have done posed by others in the class to extend their speaking and listening skills. Vocabulary is carefully developed and pupils are taught different skills to help them read, for example the sounds of letters. There is a good range of books constantly accessible to children that they are encouraged to use. Most children are reading and writing at a level beyond the expectations of the national Early Learning Goals.

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Mathematical development

59. The staff organise many formal and informal opportunities to promote mathematical development. Children work with sand and water to learn about capacity, and fix things together to learn about shape. Most children add together numbers, using objects to help them, and those capable of higher attainment already add mentally. They write their figures correctly, although those with below average attainment occasionally reverse them. They know the names of simple shapes and have very good spatial awareness. They can, for example, use two-way tables to match colours and shapes. Even those with below average attainment make sensible estimates of length by comparing the distance with the length of a remote controlled programmable toy, and improve their ability to estimate distance using experience to help them. Almost all children attain the Early Learning Goals and many exceed them.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

60. Many opportunities are provided for children to explore and show curiosity; for example, they keep stick insects and their eggs. They became really excited when the eggs hatched and knew that the young stick insects had to be treated with care. One child said, “They should be with their mummies,” and all the others agreed, showing an understanding of family life. The teacher and her assistant provide lots of opportunities for exploration and investigation, for example, of things that sink and those that float. Children know and classify materials as plastic, metal, wood and brick confidently and they easily identify objects made from these materials. They make and adapt models using construction kits and reclaimable materials, and have clear ideas of what they want to do and why. Many activities are provided to stimulate learning including visits to museums and parks. In most aspects, children exceed the

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

nationally expected levels for their age. For example, in information and communication technology, they draw pictures using a computer following a design they have made, changing the colour and size of the paintbrush. Those capable of higher attainment label different features and print their work. All children write their own name correctly, finding letters on the standard keyboard unaided. They skilfully change the initial letter of their own name to a capital.

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Physical development

61. Although physical development was restricted at the time of the inspection due to the lack of a designated easily accessible play area, children have ready access to the school hall, the playground and the grassed spaces outside and attain average standards for their age. Children manipulate a range of small and large items and kits Stocks Lane Primary School - 35 - June 2003 imaginatively. They control a ball well, making it roll between two markers. They run around with an awareness of the space available when chasing bubbles. They are adventurous when they climb on frames and swing on ropes. The teacher has made sure that they know the importance of cooling down after lively activity.

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Creative development

62. Very good facilities for experimenting with a variety of media are provided by the teacher. Children experiment with a wide range of painting techniques, for example making patterns with paint bubbles and rolling marbles covered in paint. They make collages on their own or together. For example, children happily made houses of straw collage and sticks for their classroom wall to illustrate the story of the three little pigs. They sing a range of songs from memory, enthusiastically adding actions, and recognise some songs when the teacher claps the rhythm alone. They join in singing using musical instruments and are beginning to match the sounds of musical instruments to words of poems. Almost all of the children attain the Early Learning Goals by the time they complete their year in the class.

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ENGLISH

63. Inspection evidence indicates that standards of attainment are similar to the findings of the previous inspection when the oldest pupils were those in Year 4. Standards of attainment of pupils in Year 2 are well above those expected nationally. The standards at the end of Year 6, which were not reported on in 1997, are in line with national expectations overall with some pupils attaining at higher levels. This year’s results are likely to be lower than those in 2002 because although some pupils are attaining at above the expected level the above average number of pupils in the class with special educational needs is likely to depress the overall score. Standards at the end of Year 4 are better than in 1997. In the national tests in 2002, most pupils in Year 6, including those with special educational needs attained the nationally expected level 4 and some attained level 5. In that year they attained at a level well

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ENGLISH

above the average for schools nationally. There is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls. Standards are being maintained or improved because:

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ENGLISH

• the results of national and optional tests are analysed in detail to identify and remedy any gaps in teaching and learning; • teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the National Literacy Strategy and how to deliver this efficiently in mixed age classes; • standards in reading are particularly good for boys and girls across the school; • planning that makes good use of day-to-day assessment ensures that most pupils in the mixed age classes are provided with tasks that match their prior attainment; • learning support assistants and teachers provide effective support for all pupils; • pupils enjoy the subject and work with high levels of concentration.

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ENGLISH

64. As a result, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well, making rapid progress in Years 1 and 2 and maintaining this progress in Years 3 to 4. Some of the improvements have not yet worked completely through the school to the end of the present Year 6, where a significant number of pupils have special educational needs. The changes in practice that are working well in classes for younger pupils are now being followed through into the class for older pupils. Teaching and learning are good overall. Teaching in Years 1-4 is very good. The teaching of older pupils is good overall. In the school, there is a very good knowledge Stocks Lane Primary School - 36 - June 2003 and understanding of the National Literacy Strategy. The quality of teachers' subject knowledge provides a solid foundation for the teaching of English, not only during the literacy hour, but also in other subjects. Standards in speaking and listening are above

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ENGLISH

expectations by the end of both Years 2,4 and 6 and these are promoted by skilled questioning that is always matched to the prior attainment of the pupils.

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ENGLISH

65. Standards in reading across the school are above average. Teachers choose texts very carefully so that in most lessons the interest of pupils is aroused and they listen attentively as the teacher reads, such as in a Year 1 and 2 literacy hour during which pupils discussed why they found some stories exciting and others sad. They went on to consider how characters in their favourite stories were developed and why they liked the books written by their favourite authors. These were named as Janet and Allen Ahlberg, whose story and illustrations in the book ‘Funny Bones’ were the focus in one lesson. Pupils also listen to each other in discussions or when someone is chosen to read their work aloud. In a Year 3-4 class, pupils worked on a setting for a story and, when asked, a boy read as the others listened, ‘The weather was hot, heavy and sticky….’ As a result of the teachers’ encouragement all pupils achieve a

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ENGLISH

high level of competence and confidence when speaking. For example, an inspector was approached by an older pupil, who asked, ‘Would you like me to explain where the ‘hook’ is in this story? It is a strategy that the author has used to catch our attention and make us want to read more.’ Pupils enjoy explaining which part of the play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ they liked best and two pupils took different positions when explaining why they liked or disliked the story ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens.

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ENGLISH

66. The teaching of reading is fostered well. By the end of both Year 2 and Year 6, standards of attainment are above those expected nationally. This is because the books are well-chosen and the skills of reading are taught effectively using a range of strategies, including the teaching of phonics that helps pupils to work out what unknown words might be. Their knowledge and understanding of sounds and the different ways they are written in English also ensure that spelling skills are developed well, particularly for the average attaining and higher attaining pupils. Reading skills are consolidated and extended in other subjects. As part of a project to extend pupils’ attainment, visitors from local industry have formed partnerships with pupils and have helped them with their reading for a long time. Some of these links have been in place for years with great success. Pupils know how to locate appropriate

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ENGLISH

information books by using a classification system and then, having identified a possible source of information, to use the contents page, index and glossary to find the appropriate page or chapter. Further support for extending reading skills is through encouraging pupils to take books home to read to adults. The outcome of this approach to teaching reading is that almost all pupils have a love of books. One Year 6 pupil’s face glowed as he described how he was striking out the days on a chart until the new Harry Potter book would be available. There was a good deal of good-humoured banter about this from other pupils, some of whom preferred the books written by Roald Dahl or Jacqueline Wilson.

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ENGLISH

67. The effective teaching also enables pupils to attain standards in writing that are above national expectations for average and above average attaining pupils across the school, especially by the end of Years 2 and 6. This is because teachers provide an interesting range of writing experiences in the literacy hour and in other lessons. Teachers take great care to help pupils acquire new skills, such as in a Year 3-4 class where pupils were learning how to build up a picture of a character. The bank of skills learned in Years 1 and 2 is not well communicated to the teacher in the class for Years 3 and 4 and so on, although the work in each class is detailed and thorough. Stocks Lane Primary School - 37 - June 2003 The good quality of the teaching, coupled with the choice of tasks, encourages pupils to write with confidence and to enjoy their work. The variety of writing tasks, such as biographies, letters, instructions, poetry, stories and factual reports, enables pupils to

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ENGLISH

extend their communication skills as they write for different audiences. Handwriting is taught carefully from an early stage so that as pupils move through the school their handwriting becomes fluent as well as neat and legible. In most cases, the high quality work produced in special handwriting books is carried through into other written work.

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ENGLISH

68. A key factor of the teaching is the detailed planning. Almost all lesson plans show very clearly what it is that pupils will know or be able to do by the end of the lesson. Pupils are made aware of this at the beginning of every lesson. In the few lessons where the planning is less precise, or the lesson is based on work on pre-prepared sheets which is very rare in work in English, the quality of teaching and learning is then no more than good and compares unfavourably with the best teaching. Resources and how they are to be used are identified. In all classes, this preparation includes how learning support assistants will be deployed, for example, to support lower attainers and pupils with special educational needs. The tasks are challenging in the classes for younger pupils, reflecting the high expectations that teachers have of all pupils in relation to their prior attainment. In the class for Year 5 and 6 pupils,

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ENGLISH

most groups worked carefully through a very arduous task comparing texts written in the first person describing profound and even heartrending emotions of the authors, both separated from their families at an early age. At first the pupils found the work too difficult and began to flounder until the teacher selected a third text in a book that was familiar to the pupils and used this to very good effect to bridge the gap between the familiar and the unknown. This modification of the task and the support and inspiration of the teacher enabled them to complete their task successfully.

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ENGLISH

69. Teachers use information and communication technology to support learning. In a class for pupils in Years 3 and 4, pairs worked confidently using ‘Word’ to enter their writing about a setting for a story on a computer. In the class for Years 5 and 6, pupils used a secure search engine to find information about authors prior to writing their story, written of course in the first person. The school is now making good progress in expanding the use of information and communication technology to foster learning.

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ENGLISH

70. Following the promotion of the former co-ordinator to another post with the local education authority, the subject is led by the headteacher. She monitors planning and, with colleagues, analyses work, completed by the pupils so that their work is meeting the National Curriculum requirements. The monitoring of classroom practice by teachers is informal and the evaluation of the effectiveness of marking is not sufficiently rigorous. The school’s very thorough analysis of the results of national and optional tests helps to identify areas of teaching and learning for the school development plan. This has a positive effect on the quality of teaching and learning and is helping the school to achieve the predominantly above average standards attained by the pupils. With her many other commitments, there has been very little time for the co-ordinator to work alongside other teachers in the classroom. This has

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ENGLISH

limited her ability to ensure that the predominantly good practice is in place across the entire school.

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MATHEMATICS

Stocks Lane Primary School - 38 - June 2003

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Strengths:

• attainment is well above average in Year 2; • Improvement in attainment and achievement for Years 1 to 4 has been very good since the previous inspection; • There is excellent teaching in Years 1 to 4.

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Areas for development:

• the subject co-ordinator has too little time allocated to monitor planning and support work in other classes; • pupils capable of higher attainment are not sufficiently challenged at the upper end of the school.

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Areas for development:

71. Attainment is well above average by the end of Year 2 and achievement is very good. Pupils in Year 4 also achieve very well and have above average attainment for their age. In the previous inspection, when pupils left at the end of Year 4, standards were judged average; thus improvement in mathematics up to Year 4 is very good. By the end of Year 6 in 2002, standards exceeded the national average. In the present Year 6 group. Most average and above average attaining pupils are expected to reach the nationally expected standard. The above average number of pupils with special educational needs means however that overall the results are likely to be lower than those in 2002. In the national tests in 2002 pupils in Year 2 attained standards that were well below average. Because of the great variation of attainment of different year groups on entry to the school, outcomes in national tests vary and cannot easily

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Areas for development:

be compared with results in other years. Compared with similar schools, attainment in Year 6 in 2002 was above average. The school's target for pupils reaching the nationally expected level was exceeded. The school is likely to reach the target set for 2003, which is lower due to the number of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. There are no significant differences between the performance of boys and girls.

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Areas for development:

72. By the end of Year 2, all pupils are confident in using some multiplication tables. They have a good grasp of basic number skills and know the names of 2 and 3- dimensional shapes. Mental arithmetic and problem solving skills are above those expected for their age. Pupils record their work neatly showing that they understand what they are doing. By the end of Year 4, pupils have a very broad base of understanding in number, shape and space and data handling. They tackle new problems with confidence, in their own way and demonstrate a very clear understanding of different strategies for calculation. Pupils in Years 1 to 4 use their skills well in other subjects, for example creating graphs in science and geography. By the end of Year 6, though pupils know tables and respond rapidly to addition and subtraction questions, they find it difficult to use these skills in calculations involving simple fractions and percentages, as they forget the work they have covered. All of

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Areas for development:

the required basic skills in number, shape and space and data handling have been taught and learned, but the quantity and quality of their mathematics shown in written work indicates that those pupils capable of higher attainment are not always sufficiently challenged.

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Areas for development:

73. The quality of teaching is good overall, although excellent teaching was seen in two classes. Teachers demonstrate a good understanding of the numeracy strategy. Lessons are well planned, and provide separate tasks for those with different levels of prior attainment. Classroom assistants support pupils with special educational needs very well. They understand the needs of their pupils and have good subject expertise. In the most effective lessons, work is demanding and meets the needs of all pupils, including those with higher attainment. Pupils are expected to know and use specific Stocks Lane Primary School - 39 - June 2003 mathematical vocabulary, such as "product". High quality and well-prepared visual aids hold the pupils' attention. The teacher is constantly aware of the different ages and levels of attainment in the class, cleverly involves them all in all activities at their own level and has very high expectations for behaviour and attainment. In these

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Areas for development:

lessons, relationships between staff and pupils are very good so that pupils are eager to please and try hard. Because pupils are interested, and find the activities fun, they do not fidget, they maintain their concentration and do not waste time. In a lesson in the class for Year 3 and 4 pupils, the teacher demonstrated her own excellent subject knowledge in the way she carefully developed pupils' understanding of place value. Her knowledge of the pupils and her use of very good classroom management skills helped her maintain a driving pace where all pupils, regardless of age or prior attainment, made excellent progress. Where teaching is less effective, the pace is slow and pedantic and offers little challenge. Too much time is taken revisiting and revising work that pupils already know and can do easily. Marking in some books is superficial and gives little or no guidance to help pupils improve. In some other books,

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Areas for development:

marking is excellent. It is analytical and explains what pupils understand and can do and helps them to improve.

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Areas for development:

74. The 'whole staff' approach to subject management means that there has been insufficient checking of attainment, marking and achievement across the school to highlight the excellent practice and pick up areas of weaknesses. The use of consistent assessment and recording methods to track pupils who are underachieving is in the early stages of development, although all teachers know their own pupils very well. There are sufficient good quality resources to support learning through the National Numeracy Strategy, and some high quality resources are made by the teachers to help pupils learn. Satisfactory use is made of information and communication technology to support learning.

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SCIENCE

75. Inspection findings are that standards of attainment of pupils by the end of Year 2 are above those attained by pupils of similar ages nationally. At the end of Year 6, although some pupils do very well, and are on course to attain at a level above national expectations, standards overall are in line with expectations. Comparisons with the previous report are unrealistic because of the difference in the nature of the small age groups and the fact that the school was only a first school in 1997. However, the results of the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002 indicate that the school’s performance at the end of Year 6 was then above the national average and about average when compared with similar schools. The improvements in practical work in Year 2 and in all other lessons seen across the school are because: • the subject co-ordinator has been thorough in analysing the results of statutory

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SCIENCE

and voluntary tests and suggesting practical ways for modifying the curriculum; • teaching is good because teachers have good knowledge and understanding; • work is matched carefully to the prior attainment of pupils within mixed age classes; • pupils are encouraged to learn through investigation, experimentation and independent enquiry, supported by the teaching staff.

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Areas for development:

Stocks Lane Primary School - 40 - June 2003 • information about the match of work and the development of skills that works so well within some classes is not communicated sufficiently well to the teacher in the following year.

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Areas for development:

76. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils achieve well as they move through the school. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress with their friends because of the good support given by the teachers and by the learning support assistants.

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Areas for development:

77. By the end of Year 2, pupils have made good progress in their knowledge in all areas of science and in their scientific understanding and investigation skills. They know the different parts of the body and identify these by drawing labelled diagrams. Through their study of healthy foods, they know which foods are important for the body. They understand which materials are translucent, transparent or opaque and can demonstrate their knowledge of light travelling in straight lines. They readily sort materials according to whether they stretch or not or whether they are hard or soft. They are skilled in relating different materials and their properties to different uses in commercial or daily life. They investigate the effect of friction on vehicles and suggest and evaluate ways of testing their ideas.

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Areas for development:

78. By the end of Year 6, pupils know many more facts about the human body and how to keep healthy. They develop their knowledge and understanding of a fair test by investigating, for example, what happens when salt or baking powder dissolves and record their findings in graph form using computers. They formulate hypotheses, carry out planned investigations and draw conclusions based on careful detailed observation and measurement. When they revisit a topic, they extend their knowledge and understanding: for example from healthy foods to healthy living by learning about the use and misuse of drugs, including prescription medicines. Pupils use and understanding of line graphs as well as bar charts and pie charts supports learning in mathematics, as does measuring and recording distances and height accurately. Literacy is supported effectively in their recorded work, using labelled drawings, in charts and maps. The school uses information and communication

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Areas for development:

technology well to support learning in science through the use of work to support data-handling, spread sheets and CD ROMs.

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Areas for development:

79. Teaching is consistently good and was seen to be very good in 2 out of 3 lessons. All teaching is based on the secure knowledge and understanding of the teachers and is developed from a well-structured set of plans that set out exactly what pupils are expected to learn in each class. This leads to good planning that clearly identifies what it is that pupils will know or be able to do by the end of the lesson. These plans are based on the latest national guidance and have been adapted in conjunction with commercial schemes. Although science is seen as a priority subject little time has been allocated during the present academic year for formal evaluation and, as a result, the information made available between classes is not as good as the work within the mixed-age classes themselves. This means that teachers do not always ensure that work in each year builds on that completed earlier. Teachers use time

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Areas for development:

towards the end of the lesson to assess learning and to ensure that pupils know what they have learned. This was demonstrated well in a lesson where pupils in Year 5 and 6 explained how they had planned their investigation strategies in order to make sure that their testing procedures would be fair and would actually test their statement. In one case this was that, "All plants need light to grow strong". Other groups planned testing procedures for other statements about plant growth with the intention of building a set of conditions that could be proven to be true. They checked Stocks Lane Primary School - 41 - June 2003 to confirm that their collected conclusions were within a realistic range that could be explained by discussion and reason.

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Areas for development:

80. Lessons are well organised and managed. The school’s strong commitment to equal opportunities ensures that every pupil is included in, for example, questioning. Classroom assistants are used sensibly to support the learning of all pupils, but particularly those with special educational needs. Teaching methods include effective questioning that draws on pupils’ previous learning and extends their thinking. The skills of the teachers ensure that learning is invariably good. Teachers motivate pupils well by their own enthusiasm that helps to capture their immediate attention. The enthusiasm with which groups of pupils worked together co-operatively in response to the challenge of set tasks and the high level of concentration and application had a positive effect on their learning during lessons. Most classes cater for pupils of mixed ages. Teachers therefore plan that groups are required to undertake some element of independent learning in turn. In most cases this

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Areas for development:

independent work is well organised but in some instances this has meant a too heavy reliance on commercial worksheets. Many pupils find this work too simplistic, lacking in challenge and boring. Most pupils have very good attitudes to science and behave very well. The relationships between pupils and between pupils and all staff are good.

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Areas for development:

81. The subject is led and managed well by a new co-ordinator who has good personal knowledge and a clear view of the aims and priorities for science in the school. Test results and other teachers’ assessments of attainment are being analysed to identify any obvious or hidden areas of weakness in pupils’ learning. This information is being used to track the progress of individual pupils and groups and to set targets. The school is more aware of the progress of pupils than it was at the time of the previous report, but is alert to the need to constantly review how it might continue to improve learning in science. The co-ordinator shares in the planning process but only samples completed work. It is intended that she will work in classrooms next term alongside colleagues to make sure that every teacher benefits from the collective wisdom, experience and expertise that exists within the school. As yet, with staff

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Areas for development:

changes and the extensive building programme, there have been other priorities that have required more urgent attention.

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Areas for development:

82. The school has sufficient good quality resources to maintain its present strategy but some shortages have been identified for the coming year and funding has been allocated to pay for them. Teachers and pupils make good use of the grounds and of educational visits, for example to the countryside and the seaside and to science museums, to support learning and this helps to promote interest and raise attainment.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

83. These subjects are taught as separate elements within a combined programme. A greater emphasis is placed on one or the other each half term. An analysis of work, displays and policy documents, lesson observations and discussion with pupils indicates that standards of attainment are above average in both subjects at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. At the time of the last inspection, attainment levels at the end of Years 2 and 4 were in line with national expectations in both subjects. There has been good improvement particularly in the design phase. All pupils learn well including those with special educational needs and they make good progress as they move through the school. The improved attainment is because: • the school works hard to ensure that within mixed age classes all of the requirements of the National Curriculum are met; Stocks Lane Primary School - 42 - June 2003 • pupils’ acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding are assessed and

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

recorded; • teachers are knowledgeable and plan well and their enthusiasm captures and maintains pupils’ interest; • information and communication technology is used satisfactorily to support learning.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

84. The school’s established planning for these subjects provides clear guidance on the skills and techniques required to develop and promote pupils’ progress. This is achieved through a sensible selection from suggested topics that ensure that pupils in mixed age classes have good experiences.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85. The quality of teaching was never less than good and was very good in some lessons in both art and design and design and technology. All teachers are enthusiastic and well organised, and their knowledge captivates pupils’ imagination and makes them eager to work and learn.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86. Teachers’ planning is detailed and lists the different skills and techniques to be learned or extended. Following a design element, pupils in the class for Year 3 and 4 discussed how their knowledge in science enabled them to design and make an attractive and functional switch to control a lighting system. The teacher questioned pupils about their ideas and, when working in small groups, they then questioned their own decisions and those of their friends as they worked. This involved experimenting with card and wires before incorporating plastics and colour into their final working models.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. In art and design in Years 1 and 2, pupils used a small viewfinder to isolate a part of a printed picture. They manipulated the frame around their picture to find a section or design that they then drew as their personal work. Some selected a simple style concentrating on line and shape whilst others paid careful attention to producing an effect of depth and texture. Pupils were selective with colour, seeking an intensity that would make the completed pictures totally original whilst reflecting the mood of the original starting point. Some used the style of William Morris and others that of other artists with whom they were familiar, including Salvador Dali and Paul Klee.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. Work around school reflects pupils’ work using careful pencil studies, free interpretation of copies of photographs and pictures from their imagination. There is detailed work using a range of styles including those of Andy Warhol, Picasso, and Salvador Dali amongst others. Pupils’ skills and techniques have developed over time as their understanding of available media, colour, pencil control and use of light and shadow have developed. Collaborative work supported by a visiting artist led to a large mural showing the best features of the school as judged by pupils and large framed paintings that depict the school at sunset and sunrise. Work undertaken as part of the local arts festival week is shown in an array of pictures that portray different sporting achievements and use both contemporary and traditional styles.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. Teachers constantly challenge pupils’ thinking, and sketchbooks are used productively as useful tools to plan new work building on past experiences. Pupils seek additional information from the resource books drawn from the school library. The collection of books although limited is of good quality and is extended through block loans from the local authority library. When pupils have found satisfactory answers to their prepared questions, they speak clearly to the class, sharing the results of their research. Stocks Lane Primary School - 43 - June 2003 90. Teachers use simple but practical assessment strategies to check that pupils' experience the required elements of the curriculum. This information is used to assist with subsequent planning. Information and communication technology used to support learning includes videos and CD-ROMS. Pupils regularly undertake research by using a search engine and willingly share such information with the class. The

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

school is working hard to increase such opportunities to promote learning.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. The subjects are led successfully and teachers plan together informally. In such a small group, expertise is shared readily and completed work is displayed well although some displays have been spoiled by water getting into school during a spell of bad weather. There are many successful projects recorded in attractive and well- labelled photographic files. The school development plan includes opportunities for teachers to work with the co-ordinators in the classrooms but as yet these subjects have not had high priority. This has limited whole school development.

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Strengths:

• standards in geography are above national expectations at the end of Year 2.

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Areas for development:

• standards in geography that are below national expectations in Year 6; • whole school planning to identify the specific skills to be developed in each year in both history and geography; • consistent assessment across all classes to improve attainment.

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Areas for development:

92. Attainment in geography is above the nationally expected level by the end of Year 2 but is below the nationally expected level by the end of Year 6. Attainment in history is at the level expected nationally by the end of Years 2 and 6. In the previous inspection, attainment was below the nationally expected level in both subjects at the end of Year 2 but was satisfactory by the end of Year 4, which at that time was the final school year. Since the previous inspection there has been satisfactory improvement, in history across the school and in geography in most classes. There are still some weaknesses in planning for the development of key skills in both geography and history, particularly in the latter part of Key Stage 2.

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Areas for development:

93. In geography, pupils in Year 2 find out about places other than their own locality through the travels of Barnaby Bear, a toy that goes on visits with each pupil at different times, for example to Dublin. Pupils ask each other questions about their visits. They develop geographical vocabulary and begin to use this in their writing. They collect information from surveys, present the data clearly and use their graphs to answer questions and express opinions about the results. Those with otherwise low attainment reach all the expected learning targets and those with high attainment demonstrate a wide breadth of knowledge in their writing. In history, they have a growing awareness of timelines, related to their own lives. They study objects carefully and make judgements about whether they are old or new based on observations and extract information from pictures and photographs to help them compare past and present. The pupils know about some key events such as the

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Areas for development:

great fire of London and important people from the past. In both subjects, pupils use their literacy skills well, for example making lists of things to take on holiday, describing places, and answering questions in their own way, using sentences.

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Areas for development:

94. In Year 6, there is very little written evidence of attainment in either subject. Work tends to be a collection of facts and not the development of skills. In Year 4, however, Stocks Lane Primary School - 44 - June 2003 pupils have made secure progress in history. Pupils draw information from various sources such as photos and museums. They compare and contrast the lives of people in different situations. They write well thought out accounts as if they were living in a different era, for example as a poor child in Tudor times. They express opinions and learn to make judgements about historical characters such as Henry VIII. Literacy skills are used well to support learning. There are still some weaknesses in geographical skills, such as researching information from atlases, although they do use simple maps. They comment on their local environment and how it could be improved and know some facts about life in Korea.

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Areas for development:

95. One lesson was seen in geography and one in history. This was due to the timetable arrangements therefore no judgement is made on teaching. Daily planning is good and sets clear targets for learning. Marking is inconsistent, with very good practice seen in Years 1 and 2 where pupils’ work is carefully assessed and annotated. There is also some very superficial marking, which gives no support to pupils or guidance on how to improve. Older pupils are often expected to complete low level tasks, indicating the lack of specific subject teaching expertise, and they also waste time colouring pictures or completing simple worksheets that require few skills of literacy and numeracy.

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Areas for development:

96. The method of subject management and curriculum planning means that, although topics are carefully linked to each pair of year groups, insufficient work has been done to plan for the development of specific subject skills. Visits to interactive museums and places of interest have a great impact on learning in history. Satisfactory use is made of information and communication technology to support learning.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

97. Pupils' attainment at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 is in line with national expectations overall although a few pupils with computers at home exceed expectations. This is chiefly because:

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• teachers are becoming skilled at using computers and encouraging pupils to make good use of them in subjects across the curriculum; • teachers have good subject knowledge as a result of recent training; • pupils are eager to share their skills and achievements with others as partners and tutors.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

98. All of the teachers have benefited from a range of training; both government funded and that organised locally. Specialist teachers have been bought in to work with pupils as well as their teachers. As a result, pupils are learning complex skills to organise their work and research and present it to the whole class.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

99. Whole classes and matched attainment groups work together to develop skills and use the computers to support work in other subjects. The majority of pupils from Year 1 upwards understand how to ‘log on’ to the system and are able to use the ‘mouse’ accurately, highlighting and selecting icons and changing fonts. Older pupils are adept at adding colour and sound, negotiating their way through complex ‘menus’ with confidence.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

100. In Years 1 and 2, pupils use a paint program to create patterns, then to make puzzles that require them to move sections round the screen. Using a word-processor program, they write stories and create imaginative labels for their work or design covers for collected anthologies of poems and stories. Pupils enjoy demonstrating Stocks Lane Primary School - 45 - June 2003 how they program a ‘floor robot’, estimating how many lengths it will take to get to a certain point and programming this into the robot machine. Older pupils plan and write programs to send the robot round a maze with accuracy and explore distances and angles such as when playing skittles. They confidently clear the memory, turn a calculated number of degrees without help and work out how to write instructions for other groups to repeat their investigations. In an introduction to data-handling, pupils in Years 3-4 were seen developing their understanding of the use of information and

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

communication technology to sort and store banks of information. These pupils are accessing records on a spreadsheet and selecting the range of information required. Pupils build up their knowledge and understanding of control and modelling by answering ‘What if…’ questions such as, ‘What if you have to completely refurnish your bedroom?’ Given the size of the room and budget, they insert this data into the program. They show how to select appropriate ‘icons’ for tools, adding fittings and changing colours. Their work has needed them to use the ‘scroll bars’ and ‘menus’ as well as the colour palette and ‘zoom’ lens to good effect.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. In the lessons seen, the quality of learning was good overall. Where learning was good or better, this was due to well-planned activities, which motivate pupils well. The quality of teaching in information technology lessons throughout the school is good. Teachers have good classroom management skills and plan their lessons well. Pupils’ attitudes to work in the computer suite and their behaviour are very good because they are eager to work on the computers for as long as possible and would willingly work through break times. Pupils of all ages work together appropriately, persevering, taking turns, and working independently where required.

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INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. The effective leadership by the subject-co-ordinator and the whole-school adoption of a well-organised scheme of work for the subject is promoting clear and steady progression in the required skills. In addition, the in-service training provided for all teachers has led to a significant improvement in teachers' confidence in the subject and, hence, the quality of teaching. Additional information technology equipment such as programmable floor robots and a digital camera are used effectively. Good use is made of information technology in other subjects, for example, English, mathematics, science, history and geography lessons.

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MUSIC

103. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ standards are above the national expectations. This is an improvement on the standards seen at the time of the previous inspection when the oldest pupils were in Year 4 when standards were in line with national expectations. The school provides opportunities for music making and all pupils enjoy music lessons and are keen to take part in singing, composing and performing. These standards are achieved because:

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MUSIC

• pupils sing together with obvious skill and pleasure; • the teaching of the music specialist is excellent; • pupils are confident when composing tunes and rhythms; • there is good provision for individual instrumental teaching and learning in music; • opportunities are provided for pupils to perform for parents and friends.

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MUSIC

104. A specialist music teacher works very closely with each class for one lesson each week. This very skilled teaching is providing all pupils in every class in the school with an exciting musical experience. During these lessons, everyone including those pupils with special educational needs makes good progress in their knowledge and Stocks Lane Primary School - 46 - June 2003 understanding of music. In addition, there is provision for pupils to learn a range of brass and stringed instruments and to play with other pupils at a local centre for musical excellence.

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MUSIC

105. In Years 1 and 2, pupils learn to identify high and low notes and to sing in tune with good phrasing. They compose simple tunes and rhythms using clapping, singing and instruments. They listen carefully to one another and make sensible and constructive suggestions as to how other pupils' performances might be improved. As they move through the school, pupils gain confidence and improve their expertise in music making. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 learn how to use simple percussion to accompany and enhance a musical performance of a known song. They play and sing in two and three parts and are all able to read formal music notation and keep up with other pupils. Year 6 pupils played tunes in four parts, sometimes together and sometimes accompanied by the piano. The pupils were totally involved and the specialist teacher inspired them to perform at a high level and give a good performance. When pupils were preparing for their end of year concert about the

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MUSIC

Pied Piper of Hamelin called ‘Rats’, they all worked incredibly hard at a new section that involved very demanding work with a high level of syncopation.

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MUSIC

106. Arrangements are made to allow pupils to hear music of a high standard such as when visiting musicians play in the school and another visitor leads stimulating and energetic singing accompanied by his guitar. Information about the life and work of famous composers is displayed around the school and is discussed in assembly as part of collective worship. For example, during the inspection, calming music provided an aid to worship as the pupils entered and left the hall for collective worship. The curriculum for music supports pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development very effectively.

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MUSIC

107. The subject leadership is shared and is very well supported by the peripatetic specialist music teacher and other visitors. These skilled people enable teachers to provide a good curriculum for the pupils. Assessment is at an early stage of development but is based on in-depth knowledge of what pupils can do, balanced against national expectations for the subject. Resources are good and are well cared for by staff and pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

108. Although the attainment overall of pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6 matches the expected levels overall, standards are above those normally expected in gymnastics and athletics. Boys and girls play a range of games including football, rugby, and netball. These games develop their ball skills and every opportunity for competition is grasped. Pupils use the adjacent recreation ground and this large well-maintained grassy area provides very well for their sporting activities. Teachers’ records indicate that attainment in swimming meets the expected levels and most pupils attain the recommended 25 metres before leaving school. Pupils of all abilities make good progress across the school. These positive outcomes are because:

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• the teachers, including specialist coaches from other organisations, are knowledgeable and manage pupils well; • pupils listen carefully to instructions and comply with requests quickly without wasting time; • skills are taught well, are reinforced systematically, and are assessed and evaluated regularly; Stocks Lane Primary School - 47 - June 2003 • the school seeks all possible opportunities to extend the range and scope of physical opportunity that is presented.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

109. By the end of Year 2, pupils develop their physical strength by balancing and carefully controlling their movements in a confined space. They demonstrate that they can move safely in different directions and stop quickly on a command from the teacher. Pupils develop confidence, co-operative skills and spatial awareness as they find imaginative ways to move. When working on the field, they respond instantly to teachers' instructions and are imaginative when devising rules for their own invented games when throwing and catching balls. By watching the work of others, they learn to evaluate what they are doing and improve their own efforts.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

110. In Years 3-6, pupils refine and increase the ways in which they can move. They understand how to work together to blend sequences and create elaborate and repeating patterns. Gradually, they develop these sequences to a high standard and perform them well. They work to create symmetrical balances and spin from one balance to another with grace and agility. Pupils evaluate their own performances by comparing what they do with demonstrations given by other members of the class. Suggestions as to how their friends might improve their performance are sensible and are well thought out. In all classes, pupils have a good understanding of safety and how to move apparatus with care. They appreciate the importance of warming up and cooling down when exercising. Dance was not seen during the inspection but video recordings of pupils’ work show how they work well as individuals and with partners and groups, building their patterns to create very pleasing collaborative

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. The school buys in specialist teachers and coaches for physical education as part of an in-service training programme for the teachers. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning is never less than good and class teachers are gaining valuable experience in areas where they were less confident. Lessons are carefully planned and move at a brisk pace, with little time wasted. When necessary, teachers give appropriate demonstrations and handle pupils’ responses very effectively. This gives the pupils a clear idea of performance techniques and enables them to improve their skills. Relationships with pupils are very good and lessons provide very good opportunities for them to extend their health and fitness. Pupils with special educational needs make equally good progress. Assistants support pupils well in lessons so they are able to share in all of the activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. There are clear objectives for the subject and the school has developed the curriculum well, with planning based on national guidelines and relevant in-service training. The school’s ethos of fair play and involvement by all is clearly present in the team spirit that pupils show in games and outdoor activities. Physical education makes a good contribution to pupils’ social and moral development. Stocks Lane Primary School - 48 - June 2003

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Strengths:

• daily lesson planning is good and indicates what pupils are expected to learn.

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Areas for development:

• attainment in classes for older pupils; • the full range of experiences expected in the local agreed syllabus; • long-term planning that will list the skills to be covered in each class; • continuous review and assessment, including marking.

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Areas for development:

113. Attainment in religious education is satisfactory in Year 2 and meets that expected in the local agreed syllabus. The same judgement was made in the previous inspection. Attainment is unsatisfactory by the end of Year 6. Only one lesson was seen during the inspection due to timetable arrangements, so no judgement is made on teaching, but work from every year was scrutinised and discussions were held with pupils in Years 4 and 6.

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Areas for development:

114. In Year 2, pupils know about some of the most important ceremonies from different religions, for example the welcoming of a new baby born to Muslim parents into the mosque, and the naming ceremony for Christians. They recognise that people and places can be special and give reasons for selecting their ‘special’ people. Those with high attainment write expressively about important Christian festivals such as Easter and Christmas. For example, one pupil wrote “Jesus had the 12 disciples as very good friends, but one of them let him down”.

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Areas for development:

115. By Year 6, pupils retain very limited knowledge of comparative religions, and very little written work is recorded in their books. General issues are covered in personal, social and health education but the full range of experiences expected in the syllabus are not met. The one lesson seen was well planned. The pupils listed their ideas of special places and contrasted them with places of fear and sadness, or those they would like to forget. They discussed different places of worship, and what they understand about God from what they have learned about different religions. They cover some aspects of learning both about and from religions, but not in sufficient depth for their age.

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Areas for development:

116. A cycle of areas of study is in place, but insufficient attention has been given to what skills, knowledge and understanding should be developed in each year. Individual lesson planning indicates what pupils are expected to learn in each lesson. However, pupils' learning is erratic because there is no clear whole school structure for the development of skills and knowledge. Assessment, including marking, is not sufficiently developed to help pupils improve. Regular visits are made to the school by leaders from local churches and very occasionally religious leaders from other faiths to provide first hand experiences.

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