St Chad's Patchway CofE Primary School

PATCHWAY CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th - 27 th February 2003

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PATCHWAY CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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PATCHWAY CE 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. Patchway CE Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cranham Drive Patchway Bristol

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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 Margaret Bow

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: December 1997 Patchway CE Primary School - 2

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

23039 David Penney Registered inspector Mathematics Science Design and technology Information and communication technology What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well does the school care for pupils? What should the school do to improve further? 8986 Philip Andrew Lay inspector Educational inclusion Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 12116 Christina Morgan Team inspector Special educational needs English Physical education Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

12764 Wendy Thomas Team inspector Foundation Stage Art and design Geography History Music How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Patchway Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is an average sized infant and junior school serving a residential area to the north of Bristol. It has 191 boys and girls on roll, aged from four to 11 years, who are taught in seven, single aged classes. There are more boys than girls, overall, especially in Years 4 and 6, although there are more girls than boys in Year 5. In recent years the number on roll has declined and is continuing to do so. Nearly all pupils are from a white British ethnic background, although there is a very small number of pupils from a different ethnic heritage. One pupil has English as an additional language, which is below the national average. The proportion of pupils claiming free school meals (12 per cent) is broadly average. The proportion of pupils on the school’s list of those requiring special educational needs, mainly to do with learning difficulties, is below the national average, as is the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

proportion with statements of special educational needs. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school this year was slightly above that expected nationally but this is lower than in the previous year.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school gives a satisfactory standard of education to the pupils and has a number of strengths. It is led and managed well. The quality of teaching and learning is sound overall; it is good in Years 1 and 2. Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good and procedures for promoting good behaviour are excellent. As a result, the pupils behave very well and have good attitudes to learning and relationships are very good. Given their capabilities, overall the pupils achieve satisfactorily. In science throughout the school and in design and technology in Years 3 to 6, the pupils achieve well. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in Year 6 are above those expected nationally in science and design and technology. • Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good and results in mature and thoughtful pupils who have good attitudes to their work. • The procedures for eliminating oppressive behaviour and for promoting good behaviour are excellent and are effectively and consistently applied by all staff so pupils behave very well. • The results of assessments in English, mathematics and science are used very well to track pupils’ progress and to set challenging targets for further improvement. • The school is led and managed well by the headteacher with good support from the governors and key staff, who work as a good team.

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What could be improved

• Teachers do not identify with enough precision exactly what they expect pupils to learn in all lessons. • Consistent assessment procedures do not exist in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. • There are shortcomings in aspects of provision and practice in the Reception class and in religious education in Years 5 and 6. • The number of adults in class is insufficient in some classes to allow teachers to meet all pupils’ needs promptly enough, especially those with special educational needs in Years 5 and 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

The school was last inspected in December 1997, since when it has improved at a good rate. Standards generally are higher now and the main issues arising from the last inspection report have been addressed soundly, overall. Standards in the national tests in Year 2 are rising at a rate that exceeds the national trend. Standards in science and information and communication technology have risen since the last inspection in Year 6. The use of assessment information in English, mathematics and science has developed very well. Improvements in the provision for pupils’ personal development and the procedures for Patchway CE Primary School - 5 promoting good behaviour have been effective and standards of behaviour are now very good. Attendance procedures have recently been strengthened and attendance levels are beginning to rise. The leadership and management of the school are more effective and the development of the school is planned with more

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

rigour and financial control. However, the number of learning support assistants has been cut and the amount of support for pupils with special educational needs has deteriorated, especially in Years 5 and 6, with the result that these pupils are not achieving as well as they did. The school is well placed to continue this rate of improvement.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

In the national tests in 2002, pupils in Year 6 attained results that were above the national average and well above those for similar schools 1 in English and mathematics. In science, results matched the national average and were above that for similar schools. Girls tended to perform better than boys in these tests but this is not a recurrent feature over the last few years. The school met its targets in English and mathematics. The overall trend of improvement matches the national picture. Year 2 pupils attained results that were well above the national average in mathematics, matched it in writing and were below it in reading. The current standards of work match those expected in all subjects in Year 2 and in nearly all subjects in Year 6. The exceptions are science and design and technology where standards are above those expected nationally. Children entered the Reception Year this year with standards that were slightly above average.

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Key

Nearly all of them are on course to achieve the expected standards by the end of the Foundation Stage in each area of learning 2 except knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. Almost all pupils achieve satisfactory results in relation to their prior attainment, overall, but there are weaknesses affecting pupils’ achievement in religious education in Years 5 and 6. The school is likely to meet its targets for English and mathematics this year, although there are few higher attaining pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are interested in the activities and lessons provided and take part enthusiastically. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave very well in and around the school. No unsatisfactory or oppressive behaviour occurs. There has been one fixed period exclusion in the last year. Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils interact very well and relationships are very good. They accept responsibility fully and discharge their duties conscientiously.

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Aspect Comment

1 ‘Similar schools’ are those with a similar proportion of pupils claiming free school meals. 2 There are six areas of learning. They are personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development; and creative development. Patchway CE Primary School - 6 Attendance Satisfactory. In line with the national average and improving.

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

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

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

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, overall. It is good in Years 1 and 2 because of the extra amount of adult support in those classes and because the teachers match work closely to pupils’ needs more often than in other classes. It is never less than satisfactory in Years 3 and 6, and is good in Year 4. Teaching and learning are good in science and physical education throughout the school, in English in Years 1 and 2 and for pupils with special educational needs when they work in small groups or individually. In all other subjects and year groups teaching and learning are satisfactory, overall. The skills of literacy are taught well; those of numeracy are taught soundly but there is room to exploit them more systematically in other subjects. Pupils’ skills in information and communication technology are used well in other subjects. Teachers’ planning does not always identify exactly what pupils are expected to learn from each lesson,

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

especially in lessons other than English, mathematics and science. This means that the needs of some pupils, especially those with special educational needs and the potentially higher attainers, are not met as fully as they could be in those subjects. This is exacerbated in some classes where there are insufficient adults to attend promptly to pupils’ needs. Throughout the school, relationships are generally very good and pupils are willing and confident learners. The occasional lesson is less effective because teachers’ subject knowledge is insecure or the structuring of activities does not meet the learning needs of the pupils. In the most successful lessons, pupils’ attention is gained and retained because teachers’ expectations are high and they have very good subject knowledge. This enables them to sustain the purpose of the lesson and to intervene successfully to challenge and develop individual pupils’ skills. In these lessons, humour is used to

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

good effect and the atmosphere is one of purposeful and enjoyable learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. There are some weaknesses in provision in the Reception class and for religious education in Years 5 and 6. The provision for activities outside lessons is good, as is the way the school works with its partner schools. The strategies for teaching literacy are effective. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory, overall. It is good in Years 1 and 2 but there are weaknesses in provision for pupils in Years 5 and 6 because of the lack of an appropriate amount of adult support. The pupils with statements of special educational need are supported well. A good balance is struck between time they spend in class and that spent in small groups addressing their specific difficulties. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. These pupils are literate and need no extra support to enable them to make progress at the same rate as their peers.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Very good. It is particularly good for pupils’ social and moral development. The school council makes a very good contribution to the development of pupils’ citizenship and sense of responsibility. Links with local churches are good and enhance the curriculum. The contribution made to spirituality through religious education is limited. Music and art and design are under- exploited to develop pupils’ cultural awareness. Patchway CE Primary School - 7 How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are outstanding and those for improving attendance are very good. The school uses the results of assessment information very well in English, mathematics and science but has yet to address this matter sufficiently in other subjects. It supports and guides pupils well.

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Aspect Comment

The partnership with parents is very good; parents greatly appreciate what the school does for their children. Links between the school and parents are very effective.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher has a clear educational vision that has been communicated to and is shared by, all staff. He delegates responsibility very well and is supported very effectively by the deputy headteacher and other key staff. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are clear about their roles and responsibilities. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses because they contribute well to its direction and monitor its work well. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school has good procedures to enable it to judge how successful it is. As a result, it is well aware of what is needed to improve further and the priorities on the development plan are appropriate. Training is closely linked to identified priorities. The school makes good efforts to get the best value it can for its spending decisions.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Sound. All the available finance is used well for the purposes identified on the school development plan. New technology is used well. The falling number of pupils on roll has led to cuts in staffing levels, which is now having an adverse effect on pupils’ progress in Years 5 and 6. There are good levels of learning resources. The grounds provide very good opportunities for further learning.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • Children make good progress. • Teaching is good. • They are comfortable with coming into school with questions or problems. • The school has high expectations of their children. • The school helps their children to become mature and responsible. • The amount of homework. • The amount of information about their children’s progress. • The range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with those points that please parents; however, the quality of teaching is satisfactory, overall, rather than good. The team found that the information provided by the school on pupils’ progress is wide-ranging and good and that the range of activities outside lessons is also good for a school of this size and type. Homework is satisfactory in range, quantity and level. Patchway CE Primary School - 8

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. In the national tests in 2002, pupils in Year 2 attained standards in reading that were below the national average and well below average when compared to similar schools. In writing, the results matched the national average and that for similar schools. In mathematics standards were well above the national average because of a very high proportion of pupils achieving higher levels than is expected nationally. When compared to similar schools, the mathematics results were very high; they were in the top five per cent for this group of schools. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ standards in science indicate that they were well below the nationally expected levels, especially in those strands of the subject to do with biological processes and materials. However, the proportion of potentially higher attaining pupils in this subject was similar to the national picture.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In all tests and because of the nature of the cohort, the results were not as good as those for the previous year and are untypical of the school’s performance in recent years. In the reading test, boys did not perform as well as they had done and in writing both boys and girls underperformed by comparison with previous years. In mathematics, while both boys and girls performed less well than they did in 2001, the differences were not as marked. From 1998 until 2001, the school’s trend of improvement in both reading and writing had been better than the national trend and had been much better in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In 2002, pupils in Year 6 attained standards in the national tests that were above the national average and well above the average for similar schools in English and mathematics. This was because a greater proportion attained higher levels in both tests than was the case nationally. In both subjects, the school met its challenging targets. In science, standards matched the national average but were above that for similar schools. In all three tests, girls outperformed boys in school, although both boys and girls did better than their peers nationally. These results represent very good levels of achievement for these pupils in all subjects, with higher attaining pupils doing particularly well in English and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The findings of the current inspection are that children entered the Reception class this year with standards of attainment that were only slightly above average, which is not as high as in the previous year. There are, however, weaknesses in these children’s ability to express themselves orally, in their knowledge and understanding of the world and their creative development. They make satisfactory progress, overall and achieve generally satisfactory results in relation to their prior attainment in the Reception class. They are on track to attain the Early Learning Goals 3 in most of the areas of learning by the end of the year. However, their progress towards attaining the expected levels in their knowledge and understanding of the world and in aspects of creative development is hampered by weaknesses in practice and provision.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In Year 2, pupils attain standards that match the national average in English and mathematics, although there are weaknesses in pupils’ vocabulary. In all other subjects, standards match those expected nationally of pupils of their age. The levels of achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is not their mother tongue, are satisfactory in relation to their prior attainment in nearly all subjects. The exceptions are in English and science, where they achieve good results. Their achievement in English is good because they develop a good understanding of phonics and the emphasis given to developing writing through intensive blocks of work related closely to the books they are reading has proved effective. In science, their achievement is good because of good teaching and a good emphasis on developing pupils’ skills of investigation and experimentation, which overcomes the weaknesses in pupils’ knowledge and understanding of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the world that existed when they entered the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 The Early Learning Goals are the standards expected nationally of children when they leave the Reception class. Patchway CE Primary School - 9 6. Year 6 pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, continue to achieve well in science. They also do so in design and technology, where teachers’ focus on improving pupils’ skills of design and evaluation is particularly successful. As a result, standards are above the expected levels in these subjects. Standards match the national average in English and mathematics and are close to expected levels in nearly all other subjects. The difference between these judgements and the English and mathematics results in the national tests last year are because of the nature of this group of pupils, which has more pupils with special educational needs and fewer potentially higher attainers than had the previous group. The school is

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

likely to meet its challenging targets for English and mathematics again this year. There is no significant difference between the achievements of boys and girls, although there are more boys than girls on the school’s list of special educational needs, which has an effect on their levels of attainment. Because of the timing of the inspection, too little teaching and learning was observed in religious education and there was not enough written evidence to enable reliable judgements about pupils’ standards and overall achievement in this subject to be made. However, there are weaknesses in organisation in Years 5 and 6 that inhibit pupils’ learning in the shorter term and adversely affect their learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils with special educational needs generally achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment. In Years 1 and 2 especially, adequate levels of support staff ensure that pupils’ specific learning difficulties are adequately addressed and pupils with special educational needs make good progress against the targets on their individual education plans. However, this is not the case in Year 6, which is a larger than average class with a significant number of pupils on the register of special needs. The work in this class, and in Year 5, is not matched closely to the different learning needs of individual pupils. In these classes, the teachers are unable to respond promptly enough to the questions and problems that occur because of the lack of sufficient extra adult help. This slows the pace of learning for some pupils. As a result, potentially higher attaining pupils are not challenged

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

fully enough and pupils with special educational needs make unsatisfactory progress. This is not as good a picture as that shown during the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils with English as an additional language make progress at the same rate as their peers because they are fluent in English already and do not need any special provision made for them. No pupil is identified as being gifted and talented.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. During the course of this inspection a parent made the following comment, “I chose this school for my children as it has a wonderful sense of community”. It is this sense of community that underpins the attitudes, values and personal development of the pupils. The very good personal relationships, pupils’ very good behaviour and the enthusiasm for the school shown by the pupils and their parents provide a very firm base for the pupils’ social and academic development and are a major strength of the school. The pupils’ personal development and their behaviour have improved since the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Children settle into the Reception class quickly because of the care and support given to them by adults. They gain confidence and relate well to adults and to one another, although a small number find it difficult to work in a large group because their language and communication skills are not well developed. Most listen carefully and try to comply with instructions. They develop reasonable independence, for example when changing their clothes for physical development sessions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils have good attitudes to their work and to school in general. As shown in the replies to the questionnaire sent out before the inspection, almost every pupil likes school. They listen politely in lessons and join in enthusiastically with activities both in and out of the classroom. They interact well and show good levels of respect for each other’s individuality. Their very good understanding of the effect their actions might have on others helps to maintain a happy and purposeful ethos in the school and means that all pupils feel themselves part of the school community.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The behaviour in and around the school, including at lunchtime and in the dining hall is very good; it is never less than good. In 84 per cent of the lessons observed during the inspection, behaviour was either good or very good. No unsatisfactory or oppressive behaviour was seen anywhere in school Patchway CE Primary School - 10 during the inspection. At lunchtime in the dining hall the pupils are very polite and make visitors feel very welcome. The well-regarded ‘buddy’ scheme, in which Year 6 pupils look after pupils in the Reception class, helps the Year 6 pupils to mature and the Reception children to feel quickly at home. Many parents remarked on the success of this scheme and confirmed that the behaviour is very good. However, in the last school year one boy was excluded from school for a fixed period of time. 13. The pupils accept responsibilities willingly and discharge them very efficiently, without needing to be

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

reminded. For example, older pupils come into school early and help prepare classrooms for the day ahead and many help in the dining room. There is a vibrant school council with members from all classes, together with two parents and two staff; this is a good illustration of how the school sets out to involve everybody in relevant decisions. The council is currently negotiating with the Friends Association for regular funding for improvements recommended by the council. This is certainly giving the pupils an insight into the responsibilities and duties of citizenship. Pupils show good levels of initiative, for example, when they research topics independently both at school and at home.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Relationships across the school are very good between the pupils and the adults and between the pupils themselves. The pupils willingly accept a rota system in the playground for the use of the area to play football and to use the ‘trim trail’ and other equipment. Many instances were noted of pupils helping each other, including co-operation and collaboration in lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attendance is in line with the national average and has improved slightly this year. The downward trend over the last three years has been halted by the application of very good systems for promoting attendance. The level of late arrival is low. Registration is carried out promptly and efficiently.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, overall. This is a similar judgement to the one made in the previous inspection report. The quality is good in Years 1 and 2, where there was no unsatisfactory teaching, because of the extra adult support teachers receive in class and because work is matched closely to pupils’ needs more frequently than in other classes. Half the teachers in Years 3 to 6 are new to the age group they are teaching. Nevertheless, teaching and learning are never less than satisfactory in Years 3 and 6 and are good in Year 4. The newly qualified teacher is making a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The inspection team observed 39 lessons in whole or part. In two lessons, teaching was unsatisfactory because of weaknesses either in the organisation of the lesson or in the teacher’s subject knowledge and questioning strategies, which lacked sufficient depth and focus. These weaknesses inhibited pupils’ learning. In 17 lessons, teaching and learning were satisfactory and, in a further 15, teaching and learning were good. Five lessons were characterised by very good teaching and learning; there were examples of this standard of teaching in every area of the school. 18. Teaching and learning are good throughout the school in science and physical education, as well as in English in Years 1 and 2. In all other subjects and areas of the school, teaching and learning are satisfactory, overall. There are, however, some weaknesses in how activities are structured in the Reception class. The teaching of literacy skills is good and there are frequent occasions when they

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

are practised and reinforced in other subjects, such as history and religious education. Numeracy skills are taught soundly in mathematics lessons but are not exploited systematically in other subjects, although there are isolated good examples in design and technology, for instance. Pupils’ information and communication technology skills are used well to support work in other subjects – English, science, art and design and geography, for example. Computers sited in classrooms are used soundly for spelling programs for pupils with special educational needs. However, they are not capable of supporting the same software as those in the suite and so cannot be utilised more widely.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Throughout the school, the relationships between adults and pupils are generally very good and pupils are managed well. Consequently, they are willing learners and are confident enough to express their opinions and to ask questions. The quality of teachers’ marking is sound, overall. It is better in English books because it gives pupils clear indications of how they could improve their work. Teachers use homework satisfactorily to reinforce and extend pupils’ learning. The work given is Patchway CE Primary School - 11 regular and suitable in level but varies in nature from class to class, which might account for the concerns expressed by parents prior to the inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers’ planning, especially in subjects other than English, mathematics and science, often does not identify with sufficient precision exactly what it is that they intend individuals and groups to learn in that specific lesson. The objectives of the lesson are expressed in terms of the activities to be completed rather than what the pupils are expected to learn. There are examples of good practice, for example in most teachers’ science planning and in Years 1 and 3, but these are not widespread. As a result, work is not always matched closely enough to pupils’ needs, especially in Years 5 and 6.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good when they are withdrawn to work individually or in small groups because the work is closely focused on their specific needs and their questions and problems are addressed promptly so that they are actively learning for a high proportion of the time. The quality varies greatly in class according to the amount of support available. Learning support assistants make a good contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly in Years 1 and 2. However, in a number of classes and lessons, there are too few adults, especially in Years 5 and 6, to ensure that pupils’ questions are answered promptly and their needs addressed quickly, which slows the pace of the lesson and reduces the amount of time each individual can be productive. The reduction in the amount of extra support in classes, which has occurred because of the school’s declining roll, has adversely affected some pupils’ achievement.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Where teaching is most effective and learning is swift:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour, efforts and concentration are high and pupils respond fully, collaborating effectively. A Year 1 English lesson was effective in developing pupils’ ability to write the beginnings of stories because the teacher successfully created a very good working atmosphere in which pupils were motivated and very interested in the tasks and responded fully to the teachers’ expectations of their efforts and achievements. • Teachers’ subject knowledge is very good, so the focus of the lesson is fully on the development of subject-specific skills and they are able to explain basic skills and techniques clearly and effectively. In a Year 5 art and design lesson taken by the Year 2 teacher, the pupils listened attentively to the explanations of how to sketch a composition and then watched a good quality demonstration by the teacher of the techniques involved. They then

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

observed carefully and worked very effectively to produce really good sketches, developing their art skills very well. • The level of challenge is high and pupils are expected to work hard and participate fully for a very high proportion of the lesson. In a Year 4 science lesson, for example, the teacher ensured that all pupils were completely focused on interesting practical activities throughout the lesson, which enabled them to develop their skills of prediction, testing and measuring very well. • Pupils respond fully to humour and the atmosphere is one of purposeful and enjoyable learning. In a mathematics lesson about symmetry in Year 2, for example, the teacher cut a picture of a face in half. This intrigued the pupils and, when the teacher held the cut picture up to a mirror and the pupils saw the ‘completed’ face again, they laughed with delight. This made a very good contribution to their mathematical and spiritual development.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• The management of pupils and of learning is highly effective in sustaining the purpose, pace and challenge required to motivate all pupils to work hard. • Resources are prepared specifically to meet the needs of individuals and are used very effectively to help them achieve highly. For example, when working with a child with special educational needs in the Reception class, a learning support assistant had prepared a wide range of resources, such as photographs, to ensure that the child’s ability to place events in a correct sequence was developed very well. • Teachers’ interventions are purposeful; they do not interrupt the flow of the lesson but add to it and give the pupils a good idea of how they are doing and what needs to be done next in order to improve.

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PUPILS?

Patchway CE Primary School - 12 23. The school provides a broad and reasonably balanced curriculum with a suitable emphasis on English and mathematics throughout the school. Physical education is also given a strong emphasis and has a generous time allocation as well as figuring strongly in after school clubs. However, while religious education is planned for every week, there is no evidence in pupils’ work that this is adhered to in some classes and this results in a lack of continuity in the curriculum.

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PUPILS?

24. There are policies and detailed schemes of work in place for all subjects and the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy are firmly embedded. Planning for the foundation subjects is largely based on national guidelines but is generally adapted to meet the needs of the school and to make learning meaningful for the pupils, for example, a programme of skills development supplements planning for design and technology and for art and design. Planning for information and communication technology (ICT) has been adapted soundly to meet the context of the school. The guidelines are increasingly being adapted to allow skills to be used more widely in other subjects; this is especially the case with pupils’ writing and ICT skills, which results in them being used well in other subjects. However, pupils’ mathematical skills are not exploited as systematically. These opportunities are generally indicated in teachers’ planning. The school is aware of the possibilities for greater flexibility

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PUPILS?

in the use of its written guidelines and is continuing to refine the curriculum.

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PUPILS?

25. A good range of additional activities enhances the curriculum. Although these are mainly for the older pupils, there are some lunchtime clubs in which the younger pupils can take part. There is a regular programme of visits to the local area to support learning in history and geography. For example, a project on Isambard Kingdom Brunel was brought alive by visits to Clifton Suspension Bridge and Bristol Docks. The annual residential visit to Okehampton Youth Hostel makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ personal and social development as well as enhancing the curriculum.

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PUPILS?

26. The school’s provision for personal, social and health education is satisfactory and most classes have a regular ‘circle time’ 4 . Sex education and drugs awareness education are covered soundly in science lessons. The school is aware of the need to formalise and develop specific areas of the provision for personal and social education, particularly aspects of citizenship. In-service training for all staff is planned.

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PUPILS?

27. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs is variable but satisfactory overall. This is a significant decline since the last inspection. The new code of practice is being implemented fully. Although specific grants are used appropriately and pupils with statements of educational need are supported well, both the numbers of support staff and the number of hours they work have been reduced considerably since the last inspection. Pupils in the Reception class and in Years 1 and 2 are still supported well. The quality of support for a child with hearing impairment is particularly good, both from a learning support assistant and from a visiting specialist teacher. In Years 1 and 2, satisfactory levels of well-trained support staff ensure that pupils’ specific learning difficulties are adequately addressed and pupils with special educational needs make good progress. In Years 3 to

p.14

PUPILS?

6, although the quality of support is consistently good, it is spread too thinly for provision to be satisfactory. In Year 6, in particular, where there are large numbers of pupils with special educational needs in a larger than average class, the one hour per week allocated for support staff is inadequate and, as a result, these pupils make unsatisfactory progress. This is an anomaly within the school, where all pupils are otherwise made to feel valuable and valued and are included freely and fully in all that is on offer. In addition, teachers are required to show how provision for special educational needs is planned for in English and mathematics. This is not always happening in the classes of older pupils.

p.14

PUPILS?

28. Provision for the very small number of pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory. They are fluent in English and are treated as a part of the group with similar needs in all lessons. As a result, their achievements are similar to those of their peers.

p.14

PUPILS?

29. The school’s links with the community are satisfactory. There are strong links with the church and there is a long established tradition of local clergy making a valuable contribution to assemblies. The local churches are used for Christmas and harvest services and the pupils distribute food to elderly

p.14

PUPILS?

4 ‘Circle time’ is a time when the whole class talks in confidence about issues that concern them personally. Patchway CE Primary School - 13 people in the parish. Pupils also take part each year in the ‘Patchway Festival’ and groups of artists work with pupils to prepare their contribution. A local insurance company has helped the school refurbish its conservation area and has funded a visit from the Avon Wildlife Trust.

p.14

PUPILS?

30. Strong links have been established with other primary schools in the area and with the local secondary school to which most pupils transfer. This school has provided opportunities to use its computer suite and has helped train support staff. Business and enterprise money has been earmarked to further develop community links with the feeder primary schools.

p.15

PUPILS?

31. The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is very good overall. This represents a considerable improvement since the last inspection.

p.15

PUPILS?

32. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Assemblies, particularly those taken by visiting clergy, offer regular opportunities for pupils to reflect on moral issues. For example, the vicar of the local church told the story of the loaves and fishes as an example of the importance of sharing. Planning for these assemblies is thorough and thoughtful. Regular opportunities are also provided in English lessons to discuss the themes underlying some of the literature being studied. Pupils regularly contribute perceptive comments and use these ideas in their own writing. Teachers stimulate pupils’ imagination and get them to think beyond the routines of everyday life when they write imaginatively. As at the last inspection, the contribution of religious education to pupils’ spiritual development is limited in many classes.

p.15

PUPILS?

33. Provision for pupils’ moral and social education is very good. The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and almost all pupils respond to these in a positive manner. They exhibit a high degree of self-discipline and good relationships underpin the working atmosphere in all classes. The school awards ‘I Can Achieve’ certificates for good behaviour and discipline procedures are consistently applied across the school. There is a clear moral code across the school, which helps to make a cohesive and happy community where all are valued equally.

p.15

PUPILS?

34. The buddy system where Year 6 pupils take care of individual children in the Reception class is a good example of the very caring ethos in the school. Throughout the school, pupils are encouraged to work collaboratively, sometimes in mixed ability and/or mixed gender groups. Independent work is also encouraged. Pupils with special educational needs are expected to take a degree of responsibility for their own learning and all pupils are expected to address their own personal targets without being reminded. Pupils regularly show initiative, for example by doing independent research for topics both at school and at home. All pupils are given opportunities to contribute suggestions for the decisions made by the school council. All representatives of the council, including the very youngest pupils, take their responsibilities very seriously and report back conscientiously to their classes.

p.15

PUPILS?

35. The school has improved its provision for pupils’ cultural development since the last inspection and it is now good, but there is room to increase the contribution made in art and design and in music lessons. Opportunities to explore both their own cultural traditions and those of others are now planned for. For example, pupils looked at patterns in Hindu art, following a visit to a local temple. The school takes part in a local music festival and there is an annual musical production. The pupils in Year 5 have made a large-scale mural, which is mounted, outside the local library and the first focus week was on art. Displays around the school indicate that the profile of art has risen since the last inspection and that a reasonable range of artistic genres is being studied. However, there are, as yet, few musical instruments from other cultures. The school is showing an increased awareness of

p.15

PUPILS?

the importance of pupils’ creative and cultural development.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school looks after the pupils well and ensures their physical wellbeing in a supportive environment. Provision has improved since the previous inspection.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Good procedures for child protection are fully in place and the school works closely with all relevant outside agencies. There is a named member of staff responsible for their implementation. All members of staff are fully aware of the procedures and all have received training. All routine health Patchway CE Primary School - 14 and safety checks have been carried out satisfactorily. In addition, a full check was carried out in December 2002 for the local education authority and this included checking the arrangements for school trips. All pupils asked about the procedures for evacuation in case of a fire or other emergencies were fully conversant with them. The school has staff trained in first aid procedures. Procedures to ensure that the Internet is used responsibly are secure.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The systems for monitoring and improving attendance are very good and these have improved since the previous inspection. They are co-ordinated efficiently by the school secretary and are based on good use of information and communication technology combined with daily examination of the data. The effectiveness can be seen in the steadily improving rate of attendance and the low level of late arrival.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The measures adopted for promoting good behaviour and eliminating oppressive behaviour are excellent. These are managed by the deputy headteacher, who ensures that records of any inappropriate behaviour are kept, monitored and reviewed regularly. Each half term strategies are formulated to address the issues arising; these are discussed with all members of staff (teachers and support) and are implemented consistently. This is an improvement since the previous inspection and has resulted in standards of behaviour that are very good throughout the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The actions taken to monitor and support pupils’ personal development are good. These are based on the use of the “I can achieve” folders that provide a good resume of pupils’ achievements in a range of contexts, including successes outside of school. Pupils’ successes are celebrated regularly every week in an assembly and the importance of this to all pupils is evident in the way they concentrate on what is being celebrated. These measures make a good contribution to enhancing each pupil’s understanding of their own worth and that of other people and are reinforced by the comments on personal development in the annual school reports.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The procedures for assessing what pupils have learned are very good in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection and has been an important factor in improving pupils’ attainment and achievement in that time.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Annual testing in the core subjects enables teachers to analyse the test papers to discover what has and has not been understood by individual pupils and by the class as a whole. This information is supplemented well by a system of regular meetings at which teachers discuss a sample of pupils’ work and level it by reference to National Curriculum level descriptors. These systems give a very good picture of what pupils already know, understand and can do. In addition, teachers keep a regular check on how well pupils have done in the work for the term or half-term through a series of less formal assessments in mathematics and science.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The information is used to very good effect. The progress of individuals and groups of pupils is tracked closely to measure achievement. The Reception class staff have just begun to use the new Foundation Stage profile to help them in this respect. Every pupil is set a number of targets to help improvement; the results of initial assessments in the Reception class are used to set nominal targets for attainment by the end of the Reception Year, Year 1 and Year 2, based on an arithmetic ‘expected progress’ supplied by the local education authority. This system is continued throughout the school. All teachers check pupils’ progress towards these targets carefully and conscientiously at suitable points throughout the year, with the results being shared appropriately with parents and the pupils themselves. This gives the pupils a clear idea of how well they have done and new targets are set to show them what they need to do next. A thorough and comprehensive body of useful

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

information is discussed with and passed to, the next teacher who uses it, for example, to put pupils into groups with similar needs. A good example of this is the success of last year’s support groups for Year 6 pupils which resulted in ten of the 11 pupils involved improving their performance in both English and mathematics to the extent that they achieved the levels expected nationally in the end-of- year tests.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The senior management team, led very well by the assessment co-ordinator, keeps an eye on results and identifies any particular curriculum needs arising. This year’s English results, for example, were compared against previous years’ results and appropriate questions for consideration are suggested Patchway CE Primary School - 15 to analyse the reasons for performance. This has led, for example, to an increased emphasis on developing boys’ ability to spell correctly.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The procedures to assess standards in other foundation subjects are far less secure and, overall, are unsatisfactory. In information and communication technology, a potentially reasonable record sheet of what individuals have accomplished is filled in by teachers; however, the criteria for attainment are not consistently related to pupils’ skills and competencies and so the system is less useful than it might be in ensuring that these essentials are developed logically. The distances that pupils can swim are carefully recorded. Subject co-ordinators check the progress being made by a sample of pupils regularly, which gives them a useful idea of progression generally in the school. However, there are no coherent and consistent procedures in any foundation subject that would track the attainment and achievements of individuals and groups of pupils.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The targets on the individual education plans for all pupils with special educational needs are precise, measurable and regularly reviewed. Because of the lack of designated adult support in the upper part of the school however, the extent to which these needs are addressed is variable. Pupils with statements of educational need are supported well, particularly in the Reception class.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The parents have a very positive view of the school and this is best illustrated by a comment made during the inspection by a parent, “This is an excellent school, very friendly and committed to success and helping the children progress academically and socially”. This is an improvement since the previous inspection and a strength of the school.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The school has very good links with the parents. This results from a sustained effort by the school to enhance and improve the relationships. The parents are consulted through questionnaires and attendance at parents’ evenings is evaluated to see where improvements can be made to increase even further the numbers attending. In answers to the pre-inspection parents’ questionnaires, 98 per cent of parents said that they were comfortable with raising problems with the school and 93 per cent said that the school works closely with the parents.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. There is a strong ‘Friends of the School Association’, which raises funds for school improvements. For example, in the last year it raised £6,000, which was used in the main for the ‘trim trails’. In addition, the association organises three to four discos per year for the pupils. There is an informative newsletter, called ‘The Home/School Link’, that is edited and produced by a learning support assistant; this is produced fortnightly and is distributed to and features, all the school community. Contents range from school information, news on new members of staff, school events and articles by children.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The quality of information provided for parents on their children’s progress at school is good. The annual school reports give a good indication of progress made by pupils, particularly in the core subjects, but would benefit from explicit mention of the National Curriculum levels attained. There are four meetings with parents in each school year; there is a high level of attendance. These meetings start with an introduction to the current school year followed by a tripartite meeting between teachers, parents and children to discuss and set targets; a further meeting to discuss progress and finally, in the summer term, an open evening when children’s work can be seen and, if wished, the written reports discussed.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The parents make a good contribution both at home and at school to their children’s learning. Parents and other adults regularly help in classes, especially for the younger pupils. For example, in January they came into school to help on 58 occasions. The home school diaries are used well by the majority of parents as a means of dialogue with the school.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The headteacher leads and manages the school well. He has a clear vision as to how the school should move forward and provide the right opportunities for pupils’ academic, personal and social development. In this he is well supported by the effective deputy head, senior teachers and the Patchway CE Primary School - 16 governors. They all share his undoubted commitment to school improvement and driving up standards and are well placed to do so. The headteacher is very good at recognising the strengths of staff members and delegates responsibilities very effectively. This promotes colleagues’ professional development very well and gives staff very good opportunities to develop their management skills, for example through producing subject development plans covering a three-year period. The consistency of approach is seen in all aspects of the school’s work. This is underpinned by a clear set of aims

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

designed to promote the personal and academic development of pupils, which are translated into practice well. The subject co-ordinators are clear about their roles and play an important role in moving the school forward.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The governing body carries out its responsibilities effectively. Governors have a good understanding of their roles. They ask suitably critical questions of the headteacher and identify necessary improvements. Governors use their knowledge well in planning future developments for the school. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and of the areas that it needs to develop.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The co-ordinator for special educational needs is very experienced and dedicated and provides very good support for colleagues. However, she now has less time to work with pupils and to support colleagues than she did at the time of the last inspection, although she mentors most of the support staff in their external training. Nevertheless, she rigorously monitors the provision and is constantly refining the already good practice. Although class teachers write pupils’ individual education plans, these are carefully checked by the co-ordinator. She is also responsible for the close and effective liaison with outside agencies.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher and senior managers have a good programme for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. This gives them a good understanding of the areas that need developing, such as information and communication technology and the provision in the Foundation Stage. The headteacher monitors the quality of teaching frequently and sensitively. Nearly all subject leaders are effective in monitoring teachers’ planning and the work from a representative sample of pupils, to ensure that agreed procedures are followed and that there is a broad measure of progression in learning over time. However, there are some weaknesses in religious education provision that have not been addressed satisfactorily. These procedures feed logically into the school’s arrangements for performance management and staff development. This area of the school’s work is still developing and its impact on pupils’ learning has yet to be fully realised. The school improvement plan sets a

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

clear agenda for meeting the school’s targets.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The procedures for helping teachers new to the profession (NQTs) are not being followed with sufficient rigour or purpose. The appointed mentor has not attended appropriate training courses and has not established a suitable structure to utilise the non-contact time available to the NQT. He has not been sufficiently active in ensuring that the NQT’s induction programme is balanced, helpful and purposeful. However, on a personal level, the school has supported her very well and everyone has been keen to help in any way they can.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school makes effective use of new technology in the administration of the school and cleverly combines this with more traditional methods to provide the school with a very efficient system of administration, budgetary and financial control. A wide range of information is provided technologically for the school administration, headteacher, senior managers and the governors.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school makes good use of the financial resources available. Monies available are used very well to meet the school’s educational priorities and the school makes good efforts to secure the best value it can for its spending decisions. The headteacher and governors monitor the budget carefully; any variances are checked regularly to prevent overspends and clear reports are given to the governors. Specific grants are used appropriately for their designated purpose. However, the overall budget for special needs has been eroded by diverting resources to additional literacy support in Years 3 and 4 at the expense of pupils with more significant special educational needs in other year groups.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school has an adequate number of teachers to deliver the curriculum but the number of support staff has been significantly reduced since the last inspection and the number of hours they work has been cut, which has adversely affected the quality of provision. The quality of support staff for pupils Patchway CE Primary School - 17 with special educational needs is high. All are trained and show tremendous commitment and expertise in their work. Most of them work for more hours than they are paid.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The accommodation is satisfactory overall for the delivery of the curriculum. There have been improvements since the previous inspection with all the relevant issues having been addressed soundly. For example, the school has developed a suite for the computers and a secure play area for the youngest children, although it recognises both now need to be improved further. Plans await approval to improve further the building. The outside area is very good and well maintained and resourced.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Learning resources overall are good. The library has a general feel of functionality rather than warmth and attraction, although the book resources are adequate; the co-ordinator for English has appropriately identified this as an area for improvement. Resources in the Reception class, history, geography and information and communication technology (ICT) are satisfactory and are good in all other subjects. Resources for supporting pupils with special educational needs are good in literacy but have yet to be acquired for numeracy. The design of the current ICT suite is such that some teachers have difficulty seeing the whole class at once when they need to and the height of the standard chairs is too low.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. In order to improve standards, the headteacher, staff and governors should now:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

I. Ensure that teachers identify precisely what it is that they want individuals and groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs, to learn in all lessons;

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs: 20, 27, 87, 90, 112, 117, 127 and 142)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

II. Build on the existing very good practice in English, mathematics and science to devise manageable assessment procedures for all subjects, and use the resulting information to ensure that the pupils gain knowledge, skills and understanding in a logical sequence;

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs: 45, 106, 112, 117, 122, 127, 133, 138 and 143)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

III. Improve aspects of provision and practice in the Reception class and in religious education in Years 5 and 6; and

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs: 4, 6, 18, 23, 55, 65, 68, 71, 72 and 140)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

IV. Improve the ratio of adults to pupils, where necessary, to ensure that the educational needs of all pupils are met fully, especially those with special educational needs in Years 5 and 6.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs: 6, 7, 21, 27, 59, 74, 85, 126 and 140)

p.19

In addition, governors should also consider the following points:

• Improving the mentoring arrangements for new staff.

p.19

In addition, governors should also consider the following points:

• Developing further opportunities for pupils to use their skills of writing, speaking, mathematics and information and communication technology systematically in other subjects.

p.19

In addition, governors should also consider the following points:

• Exploiting all opportunities for enhancing pupils’ understanding of the art and music of other cultures.

p.19

In addition, governors should also consider the following points:

• Making sure that all subjects receive their full-time allocation in all classes.

p.19

In addition, governors should also consider the following points:

(Paragraphs: 18, 24, 35, 56, 83, 88, 91, 105, 124, 127, 131 and 140) Patchway CE Primary School - 18 Patchway CE Primary School - 19

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 191

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 23

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 23

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 17

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

p.21

Attendance

School data 5.3 School data 0.7 Patchway CE Primary School - 20 National comparative data 5.5 National comparative data 0.4

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Patchway CE Primary School - 21

p.22

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 11 15 26

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

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

Boys 8 10 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 14 14

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (97) 92 (97) 96 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 10 11 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 14 13

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (97) 96 (97) 85 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 84 (83) 89 (89)

p.23

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

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

p.23

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 18 16 34

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 12 13 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 14 16

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 79 (63) 79 (75) 91 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 10 13 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 14 15

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 68 (50) 79 (71) 91 (79) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.23

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Patchway CE Primary School - 22

p.23

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.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 2 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 1 0 0

p.24

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.

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 2001 - 2002

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.9

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 450,270

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 425,780

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 81 Expenditure per pupil 2,229

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 22,159

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 27,427 Patchway CE Primary School - 23

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Patchway CE Primary School - 24

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 56 44 0 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 53 0 0 1

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 41 47 7 1 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 53 11 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 79 19 1 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 74 26 0 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 44 49 7 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 60 37 3 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 66 33 1 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 38 34 15 3 10 Patchway CE Primary School - 25

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The Foundation Stage comprises the children in the Reception class. Children start school in the September following their fourth birthday. At the time of the inspection there were 19 children in the Reception class, all of whom attend full time. When children start school their attainment is slightly above average for their age in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and physical development, although a small number of children are below average in these areas. Attainment on entry is below average in knowledge and understanding of the world and in creative development. The school’s baseline assessment data shows that the attainment of the current Reception class is less good than in 2001.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. In relation to their prior attainment children achieve satisfactorily in communication, language and literacy, although some aspects of expressive language are underdeveloped. They also achieve satisfactorily in their personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development and physical development. Nearly all children are on course to meet most aspects of the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) in these areas of learning by the time they enter Year 1, although a small number of children have difficulties with aspects of their personal, social and emotional development. Few children are likely to meet the ELGs for knowledge and understanding of the world or in their creative development, although they are achieving broadly satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage are satisfactory in each area of learning. This shows an apparent decline in standards since the last inspection. However, there have been significant changes to the curriculum since that time. The class teacher plans for all the required six areas of learning satisfactorily. The nursery nurse is well involved and makes a good contribution to children’s learning. However, the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy are introduced too early into the Reception class and in a way that is too formal. This does not meet the needs of children in this class, many of whom will not be five years old until late in the summer term, or in the summer holidays. In addition, these children would benefit from more purposeful and structured play activities to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Adults have high expectations of children. The class has two children with statements of special educational needs that include as part of their provision additional adult support. At times this means that there is a high ration of adults to children. The class teacher is working hard on strategies for managing this. Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are satisfactory. The class teacher has worked hard to implement the new curriculum for the Foundation Stage and is about to undertake suitable further training to update her knowledge and skills.

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Personal, social and emotional development

67. Children are happy and settled in the class as a result of the caring and supportive environment created by adults. Children make satisfactory progress and gain confidence in relating to adults and to one another. Most listen carefully to adults and try to comply with instructions, although a small number find it difficult to work in a large group. Children learn to share and take turns through playing together in the sand and with construction toys, though the boys tend to dominate this area. The children manage their clothes independently when changing for physical development sessions. Whilst some children are already attaining the ELGs for this area, there is also a small group of children who are unlikely to do so by the end of the Reception Year. This is mainly because their language and communication skills are not well developed and this makes interaction with others difficult for them.

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Communication, language and literacy

68. The results of the school’s baseline assessments show that when they start in the Reception class, most of them have speaking and listening skills that are broadly average. This is a little better than in the previous two years. However, a small number of children have speaking skills that are well below Patchway CE Primary School - 26 average, which makes it difficult for them to take a full part in activities. Many of these children use gestures, such as nodding or pointing, to make their needs known. The formal aspects of language and literacy are taught well. Children are learning letter sounds and have good opportunities to practise their writing. There are a few opportunities for children to write when working independently but these are not fully exploited and children do not readily choose to write. This is because the range of play activities is not inviting enough for children to encourage them to write in a range of

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Communication, language and literacy

situations. Most children write their names independently, using the proper handgrip and controlling their pencils well. Children enjoy looking at books but the teaching of reading is too formal for some. For example, children were asked to choose books from the mini-beast section in the school library. The books available were not in good condition and not inviting for these young children and did not meet their learning needs. Children know that, in English, print goes from left to right and a large group have learned to read a good number of the most common words expected for the Reception class. Some are reading simple texts, using the picture and context clues to help them.

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Mathematical development

69. For a small number of children, their weakness in language development hampers development of their mathematical skills. This affects their ability to discuss and develop mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems. Most children, however, count reliably to ten and some do so beyond this. They match objects correctly to the numbers as they count. When playing a number bingo game, children match the numbers but are unsure of the numerals above ten, most children finding it difficult to put numbers in the right order beyond ten. Children are beginning to write numbers correctly, though they are not always sure of the orientation of some digits. Many children are not secure in their use of mathematical language and find it difficult to order objects by length. The older children recognise and correctly name common two-dimensional shapes and draw repeating patterns.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

70. Children start in the Reception class with a very basic knowledge of their families and immediate neighbourhood. Although they achieve satisfactorily, many children are unlikely to reach the required standard by the end of the Reception class because of this low starting point. They show an interest in their environment and in visitors to the classroom. They enjoy using computers and confidently use the mouse to drag and drop objects on the screen when playing the ‘apple picker’ game. Children enjoy talking about how they planted bulbs outside which are now growing into daffodils. Higher attaining children correctly sort pictures of animals and non-living objects into sets, saying that living things are those that breathe and grow.

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Physical development

71. Children show good control of their movements in using the hall for their physical development lessons. They are aware that when they run, jump and exercise, they breathe faster and their heart beats more quickly. They are agile and move around the hall safely. They show good awareness of others in the space around them and have a good control of their bodies. When using the outdoor play area in a less structured and supervised situation, they show less awareness of other children. The outside space is very small and offers limited opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. In the classroom, children use pencils, brushes and other small tools with increasing skill to draw, paint, cut and make pictures.

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Creative development

72. This aspect of children’s learning is not well provided for. Children enjoy painting and drawing but have limited opportunities to explore a range of media and materials. The area is not set up well enough to encourage purposeful and structured creative play, for example to encourage children to explore their creativity through role play, music or imaginative play. As a result, there are too few opportunities for children to use their imagination independently or to respond effectively to experiences and express their ideas. Children enjoy singing songs and rhymes but they have few opportunities to do this. In one of the lessons observed, the learning support assistant modelled play Patchway CE Primary School - 27 in the home corner. She made good use of opportunities to develop children’s language skills and their knowledge and understanding of the world.

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ENGLISH

73. At the time of the last report, pupils’ attainment in English was well below national expectations at the age of seven but in line with national expectations by the age of 11. The strategies for raising standards in literacy for the younger pupils, which had only recently been introduced at the time of the last inspection, are now firmly embedded. They have been successful in raising standards and evidence from the current inspection indicates that the attainment of both seven and 11 year olds is now in line with national expectations. The general trend in the school’s results in national tests is a steady upwards rise in the numbers of seven year olds reaching national expectations with a dip last year. The results for 11 year olds have improved considerably from a very low point in 2000. The difference between the inspection judgement for pupils in Year 6 and the results of last year’s national

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ENGLISH

test is because the current group has a greater proportion of pupils with special educational needs and fewer potentially higher attainers.

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ENGLISH

74. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress in the acquisition of basic skills. The current Year 2 pupils entered the school with below average attainment in literacy and language skills. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment. If recently implemented initiatives are continued, it is likely that most pupils’ progress in writing will accelerate. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in relation to the targets on their individual education plans (IEPs) in Years 1 and 2, as there is sufficient extra support provided in classes for their specific learning difficulties to be addressed. The literacy targets on pupils’ IEPs are appropriate, precise and measurable but the level of additional support for older pupils is inadequate. As a result, those teachers with large classes in which there is a greater proportion of pupils with special educational

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ENGLISH

needs than their colleagues find it difficult to address the targets adequately. Work is insufficiently matched to different levels of ability within classes, particularly in Year 6. Consequently, older pupils with special educational needs do not achieve as well as they should in writing.

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ENGLISH

75. By the end of Year 2, the pupils’ speaking and listening skills are satisfactory. They listen carefully to stories and respond appropriately in discussion. However, many of their answers are simple and unelaborated as only a relatively small number of pupils have a wide vocabulary and broad general knowledge. The teachers work hard to develop pupils’ language skills and pupils achieve satisfactorily as they move through the school. By the age of 11, approximately two thirds of pupils are articulate and confident in using a wide and imaginative vocabulary and develop a complex argument in discussion. They listen well to each other and respond to points made by other pupils in discussion.

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ENGLISH

76. Pupils in Year 2 use a wide range of strategies to work out unfamiliar words when reading. They are independent and fluent readers of books in the reading scheme and group readers. The texts used are well matched to different levels of reading ability and, because of this, even lower attaining pupils read simple texts with confidence and fluency. Most pupils pay appropriate attention to punctuation and read expressively with good comprehension. All pupils have a good knowledge of phonics and use this to aid word recognition.

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ENGLISH

77. By Year 6, pupils read a range of material by well-respected modern writers such as Penelope Lively and Michael Morpurgo. They read with enthusiasm and good understanding. For example, the higher attaining readers gave a lucid and comprehensive account of the historical background to Michael Morpurgo’s ‘Friend or Foe?’ They talk sensitively about the characters and why they might behave as they do. They are beginning to distinguish between literal and metaphorical meaning in the text and offer reasoned opinions about what they are reading, using evidence from the text to justify their viewpoint. Average-attaining readers also enjoy reading and have a range of favourite authors, including Jacqueline Wilson, Dick King Smith and Jeremy Strong. Most pupils understand the term ‘genre’ and can give examples of different kinds of writing. They use a wide range of reading strategies and are generally fluent and independent. Lower-attaining readers have sound technical

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ENGLISH

reading skills but in general do not possess the wide range of vocabulary to cope with demanding text. Patchway CE Primary School - 28 78. In Years 1 and 2, pupils use their knowledge of phonics satisfactorily to support their writing as well as their reading. The spelling of phonically regular words by higher- and average-attaining pupils is generally accurate or at least plausible and pupils are already beginning to write stories with simply structured sentences. Joined writing and basic punctuation are also generally well established. Higher-attaining pupils use a good range of imaginative vocabulary and write freely for a range of different purposes. Examples in pupils’ books include ‘How to make a magic potion’ and writing to a relative.

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ENGLISH

79. The school has analysed weaknesses in the pupils’ writing and has developed effective strategies for improving standards. For example, the pupils’ reading is used as a basis for their writing and block key elements of the literacy strategy in order to provide good opportunities for pupils to consolidate their understanding of what is taught. These are recently introduced strategies but are already proving to be effective in raising standards in writing across the school. The school aims to provide a real purpose for pupils’ writing and pupils are expected and accustomed to writing at length. As a result, literacy skills are used effectively to support learning in other areas of the curriculum. For example, work on writing newspaper reports in literacy lessons was extended into history lessons when pupils wrote a report on the reasons behind Britain’s entry into World War Two. In religious

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ENGLISH

education, pupils wrote a biography of Jesus. Regular opportunities are provided for pupils to analyse text and to structure their own writing in a similar way.

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ENGLISH

80. The quality of teaching and learning in English is good in Years 1, 2 and 5 and satisfactory in other year groups. These are similar overall judgements to those made in the previous inspection report.

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ENGLISH

81. In Years 1 and 2, teachers have a lively and stimulating approach that captures pupils’ interest. Activities build securely on what has been learned previously and pupils understand not only what they are learning but why. Resources are carefully prepared and a good range of interesting stories is used to stimulate pupils’ writing. For example, in Year 1 the teacher had collected a number of different versions of the same story so that pupils could compare and contrast them before writing the beginning of the story in their own words. A particularly strong and successful emphasis is put on developing pupils’ vocabulary through effective questioning. Basic skills are taught well in an interesting fashion and the skilled support staff are used efficiently to provide extra help where specific difficulties have been identified. Lessons proceed at a good pace and pupils settle quickly to tasks

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ENGLISH

and work conscientiously even when not directly supervised. Teachers make every effort to encourage independent and collaborative learning. For example, learning support staff do not necessarily stay with pupils with special educational needs throughout the lesson, which helps them to become less reliant on adults. Pupils are then expected to use their initiative and collaborate to achieve the tasks set for them. A good balance is maintained between giving all pupils access to the curriculum and addressing their specific learning needs. As a result all pupils feel included and involved in the curriculum.

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ENGLISH

82. In Years 3 to 6, teachers are also successfully implementing a ‘writing through reading’ policy that engages pupils’ interest and gives a purpose to pupils’ writing. Good pupil management ensures that lessons proceed in a calm and purposeful manner. Collaborative learning is encouraged, for example in a Year 5 lesson to identify the key features of myths and legends and pupils know class routines and operate them without fuss so that a calm and purposeful working atmosphere is created and pupils achieve good results in relation to their prior learning. When support staff are present, they are generally used well to ensure all pupils are able to access the curriculum. Lessons have an overall cohesion and build satisfactorily on previous learning. Occasionally, however, introductions to lessons are too long and give pupils too few opportunities to contribute to the discussion. For example, the teacher dominated the introduction to a Year 6 lesson about how to analyse text and

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ENGLISH

this limited pupils’ opportunities to contribute.

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ENGLISH

83. The co-ordinator manages the subject well; this has improved since the last inspection. The National Literacy Strategy is firmly established and has been modified to meet the needs of the school. Teaching is rigorously monitored and monitoring is guided by the literacy action plan. Specific areas for improvement are fully addressed and in-service training is provided when general areas for development are identified. Resources have been improved since the last inspection and are now good and regularly updated. There are some examples of information and communication technology being used to support learning but this is recognised by the school as an area for further Patchway CE Primary School - 29 development. A very good range of assessment procedures is in place and the results of national and school tests are analysed in detail to identify areas requiring additional focus. For example, when it

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ENGLISH

was identified that boys were having difficulty applying spelling rules, a spelling club was set up to help address this.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Although the results of Year 2 pupils in the national tests in 2002 were not as good as they were in the previous year, standards have improved significantly since the last inspection and many more pupils are achieving levels higher than those expected nationally. This was also a feature in the results for Year 6 pupils in the same year, where improvements in results over time have exceeded the national trend. The Year 6 results represented very good levels of achievement for that group of pupils and enabled the school to meet its agreed targets.

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MATHEMATICS

85. The findings of the current inspection are that standards in Year 2 and in Year 6 match the national average. Pupils, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and those for whom English is an additional language, achieve generally satisfactory results in relation to their prior attainment throughout the school. These findings are similar to those in the last inspection report. However, the lack of extra adult support, particularly in Year 6, where there is a wide spread of needs, means that SEN pupils and the potentially higher attainers in this class sometimes do not have their needs met fully enough. In addition, the evidence of work in pupils’ books indicates that there is too little specific provision to meet the differing needs of all pupils in this class. These are the reasons that standards are currently not as high as they were in the national test last year. In addition, the nature of each

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MATHEMATICS

group of pupils is different from year to year. Nevertheless, the school is likely to meet its challenging targets again this year.

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MATHEMATICS

86. Year 2 pupils count correctly in sequence as a group in twos to 50 and in fives or tens to 100, with higher attaining pupils confident to continue beyond that number. They have a secure grasp of basic number facts and some higher attainers check their additions by using known subtraction facts. Higher attaining pupils show a good understanding of basic number operations when they, for example, find as many ways as they can to reach a target number such as 24. Pupils correctly identify the key facts in problems involving, for example, money and use their numeracy skills soundly to solve them. Lower attaining pupils often use apparatus, such as number lines or number squares sensibly to aid their accuracy. Pupils correctly identify halves or quarters of common two- dimensional shapes but their drawings often lack the expected levels of precision. They correctly name a reasonable number of two- and three-dimensional shapes and classify them accurately by

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MATHEMATICS

reference to the number of edges and faces they have. They collect data carefully and represent it accurately in a bar graph.

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MATHEMATICS

87. In Year 6, pupils have a reasonable grasp of how to work out percentages of whole numbers and correctly use their existing skills of adding and subtracting to work out, for example, the price of articles reduced by ten per cent. They add and subtract three-digit numbers accurately, although only about a quarter of them do so in their heads. All pupils realise that perimeter is the distance around a two-dimensional shape; about half calculate the distance by addition while a quarter use various forms of multiplication and the other quarter struggle to calculate correctly. Many pupils are beginning to use formulae to express relationships, for example between area and perimeter, but only the higher attainers use them securely. All of the work done in this class is, quite properly, to the same focus for all pupils. However, there is too little evidence that it is sufficiently matched to the

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MATHEMATICS

wide range of needs in the class. Extension work for the higher attainers tends to be the expectation that they will complete a greater number of examples of the same type as their average- and lower- attaining classmates. This does not provide enough challenge.

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MATHEMATICS

88. There are some examples of pupils’ mathematical skills being used in other subjects, for example in design and technology in Year 6. However, these are not widespread or systematically planned into pupils’ work but rely instead on the teacher being aware of such possibilities. In addition, there are Patchway CE Primary School - 30 satisfactory examples of information and communication technology being used to extend pupils’ mathematical skills, as in lessons on data handling in Years 3 and 6.

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MATHEMATICS

89. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. This is the same as at the time of the last inspection. Teachers plan their lessons carefully and ensure that all the necessary resources are readily to hand so that no time is wasted. Some imaginative strategies are used to help pupils understand new concepts. For example, an overhead projector was used effectively in Year 6 to explain to pupils how to measure the perimeter of irregular shapes and, in Year 2, cutting paper heads and showing their reflections in a mirror captured pupils’ imagination and interest and ensured they quickly grasped the idea of symmetry. Relationships are very good and teachers manage pupils’ behaviour sensitively and consistently. This means that the pupils are willing learners who will give answers politely and confidently, even when they are not sure they are correct and who concentrate well on their work.

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MATHEMATICS

90. In Years 1 and 2, where there are more often extra adults in the class, pupils’ questions are answered promptly and their difficulties addressed more immediately. This helps sustain the pace and flow of the lesson and ensures that pupils learn at the best rate possible. In these lessons, the extra adults make a good contribution to learning, especially for the pupils who are lower-attaining or have special educational needs. However, although all teachers include a general set of objectives for the week’s work that is securely base on national guidance, it is not clear enough exactly what pupils of different prior attainment are expected to learn in particular lessons. In some classes, most noticeably in Years 5 and 6, the evidence in pupils’ books or teachers’ planning shows that pupils are often expected to attempt the same work, with the higher attainers expected to produce more completed

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MATHEMATICS

examples. This does not challenge the potentially highest attaining to achieve highly enough and sometimes leaves the lowest attaining struggling. However, the teachers’ subject knowledge in these two classes is good and this helps all pupils to make adequate progress over time.

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MATHEMATICS

91. The subject is led and managed soundly. The co-ordinator has already correctly identified that insufficient provision is being made for pupils to develop their investigative skills and has begun to address the issue by giving training to his colleagues. This has not yet been successful enough and there is little evidence of work in this area of the subject, although pupils’ skills in solving problems are developing well. Time is given to him to fulfil his role and this is an improvement since the last inspection. He has monitored colleagues’ planning to make sure that what is planned is in accordance with expectations and pupils’ work to check that there is a broad measure of progression through the school. He has yet to observe colleagues teaching to check on the impact of teaching on learning. Through a significantly improved use of the information gained from regular testing, the co-

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MATHEMATICS

ordinator has a very good grasp of pupils’ standards and achievement throughout the school and has used the information well to improve provision, for example by emphasising problem solving strategies.

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SCIENCE

92. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ standards in Year 2 in 2002 showed that many pupils, especially the average- and lower-attaining pupils, were well below the levels expected nationally, although the proportion achieving higher levels matched the expected level. Because of the continuing strength of provision and teaching, pupils achieved very well in the Year 6 national tests in the same year. Their results matched the national average and were above that for similar schools. Improvements in standards in the national tests for Year 6 pupils have not kept pace with the national trends. However, the nature of successive year groups has been different and the school has reliable data to show that last year’s Year 6 pupils achieved very well to produce the results they did.

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SCIENCE

93. These strengths in teaching and provision are still in evidence. Pupils, including those with special educational needs (SEN), make good progress in acquiring knowledge in Years 1 and 2 from a lower than expected base and all, including those with SEN and those with English as an additional language, build well on these firm foundations in Years 3 to 6. The consistent emphasis on ensuring that pupils acquire the scientific skills of experimentation, investigation and enquiry is successful and pupils develop these skills well in relation to their prior attainment throughout the school. As a result, pupils’ standards in Year 2 now match those expected nationally. In Year 6, they are above average Patchway CE Primary School - 31 because of the good subject knowledge of the teacher in that class that enables her to build well on the standards attained in previous years. These judgements about standards are the same as those

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SCIENCE

94. Year 2 pupils have a sound grasp of which materials will change shape when a force is exerted on them and which will not. They predict, for example, what is likely to happen to a ball when it is squeezed. They then use a useful framework for recording the results of their experiments and draw sensible conclusions; higher attaining pupils base their conclusions very firmly on what they have done and seen. By a similar process of investigation and experimentation, pupils understand that some materials conduct electricity better than others and that some change is reversible, for example when ice changes to water. They classify living things correctly into groups of plants and animals and higher attaining pupils classify these groups more precisely into mammals, insects, fish and birds, explaining their differing characteristics accurately. 95. Year 6 pupils have developed good scientific skills. They know how to control variables to ensure that

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SCIENCE

a test is fair and make secure predictions based on their prior knowledge, for example about the degree of stretch in elastic bands of varying size and thickness. They test carefully, often repeating the process to assure the reliability of the results, which they tabulate accurately, if messily in some cases. Nearly all pupils draw valid conclusions based on their work, with higher attainers often giving possible reasons for what they have observed; lower attainers sometimes do not base their conclusions securely enough on what they have seen but include continuing misconceptions.

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SCIENCE

96. Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of the functions of bones and muscles and of the circulation of blood through a human body. They know that oxygen is carried to cells through the bloodstream and understand the benefits of regular exercise and a good diet. They talk knowledgeably about some diseases, sometimes basing their work on personal knowledge. All pupils have a good grasp of the relative gravities of the Earth, the Moon and other planets, such as Jupiter and relate this well to the effects of pushes and pulls, using the correct conventions to show the strength of such forces. They also use the conventional symbols for circuit diagrams generally accurately and correctly, although lower attaining pupils sometimes struggle to ensure that circuits are complete.

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SCIENCE

97. Homework is used well to support and extend class work; some of the research projects completed during the holidays are beautifully presented, often using information gathered from the Internet and show high levels of care, attention and scientific understanding. Good links were made with pupils’ work in English when they presented their work complete with contents and index pages, as well as a bibliography in some cases. The teacher’s marking of pupils’ work sets high expectations of accuracy and presentation and corrects misconceptions consistently. This makes a considerable contribution to pupils’ achievements.

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SCIENCE

98. Education about sex and about drugs misuse is given during science lessons. Although satisfactorily and sensitively handled, the school intends that such provision will become more formalised shortly.

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SCIENCE

99. The quality of teaching and learning is good and has improved since the last inspection. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject is at least good, as the result of good levels of pertinent training given by the subject co-ordinator. As a result of this and the support given by the school’s scheme of work, lesson planning is precise. Because of the emphasis put throughout the school on learning through experimentation and practical investigation, this ensures that all pupils participate for large proportions of each lesson. Teachers intervene to good effect and use their good subject knowledge to make sure that pupils’ understanding of what they are doing is probed thoroughly and they remain focused on the main purpose of the lesson. A Year 4 lesson, for example, was characterised by a very clear emphasis on group work to find out which type of hair – thick, thin, curly, long – was the strongest. The teacher successfully used good humour and a range of teaching

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SCIENCE

strategies to ensure that all groups gave continual thought to which of the variables were to be controlled and which were not. As a result, the pupils achieved very well.

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SCIENCE

100. Questioning is skilful and ensures that pupils realise what they have learned and what remains to be done. Because activities are chosen carefully, pupils are interested in what they are doing and sustain good levels of concentration. Very good relationships ensure that they work hard and productively, enjoying their tasks and collaborating very well. Patchway CE Primary School - 32 101. The subject is led and managed very effectively, as it was during the last inspection. The co-ordinator is enthusiastically determined to maintain an appropriate emphasis on developing pupils’ skills as well as giving them knowledge enough to do well in the national tests. He has a very good grasp of the quality of teaching and learning through the regular evaluation of colleagues’ planning and the analysis of pupils’ work and their test scores. It is through this analysis that he has a very good understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the subject, including of the quality of

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SCIENCE

teaching, as well as the standards, achievements and progress of individuals and groups of pupils. The use to which the information derived from assessments is put has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now very good. It is a crucial element in sustaining good levels of achievement through the school. Resources are good in amount and quality, which is an improvement since the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. During the inspection days it was only possible to observe one lesson in art and design. Evidence for judgements on teaching and learning was obtained from teachers’ planning, pupils’ work on display and in sketchbooks and discussion with pupils. At the end of Years 2 and 6, standards are in line with nationally expected levels. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, achieve satisfactorily results. These are similar judgements to those made in the previous inspection report.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. Work on display successfully demonstrates pupils’ knowledge and experience of a reasonable range of different media. Pupils in Year 2 are inspired by the work of Van Gogh and create their own attractive sunflower pictures using paint or pastels. They also create satisfactory wax resist patterns and use a reasonable range of different pencils to draw plants from close observation. Pupils use a computer program to create designs that are recognisably in the style of Mondrian. Art is linked well to other curriculum areas. In Year 3, pupils make collage pictures of the creation story, which links well to their work in religious education. They also use printing and stencilling techniques to investigate pattern. An attractive Year 5 display focuses on the use of textiles, making pictures to illustrate the Greek myth of ‘Perseus the Gorgon Slayer’. A display in the hall was made from recyclable materials, linking to work in science. Pupils design and make space monsters based on a

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ART AND DESIGN

104. The lesson observed was in Year 5. In this very effective lesson pupils explored painting techniques. Pupils talked sensibly about the criteria they should use to group artefacts attractively for a still life painting. They made satisfactory use of the work they had already done in their sketchbooks to choose a composition to paint. Pupils have a developing understanding of how to use sketchbooks to collect and explore ideas to use in future work. They made good observations and several pupils produced good sketches to use in their painting. The oral evaluation of pupils’ work was a good feature of this lesson and, as a result, pupils developed their critical skills well.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. The quality of teaching and learning is at least satisfactory, as it was at the time of the last inspection. Planning and displays show that teachers are secure in their understanding of art. The main purpose of the lesson is shared with pupils and is reinforced throughout lessons. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are good. Pupils are encouraged to try out their ideas and explore different techniques of sketching and shading. Teachers use the specific vocabulary for art and ensure that pupils use it too. Pupils develop a secure knowledge and understanding of art from different periods. However, there is little evidence in teachers’ planning documents of opportunities to study art from different cultures and no examples were observed during the inspection. In the specific lesson observed, the teacher’s subject knowledge and personal expertise were very good. As a result, she was able to explain and demonstrate techniques successfully so that all pupils

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ART AND DESIGN

understood not only what they had to do but also how to do it. Consequently, they enjoyed a large measure of success, which heightened their self-esteem and enjoyment. Pupil’s attitudes to art were very good in this lesson and other pupils say that they enjoy art lessons. This contributes to their good learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. The leadership of the subject is very effective and has improved since the last inspection. The co- ordinator has bought resources of good quality, which is having a beneficial effect on the quality of Patchway CE Primary School - 33 pupils’ work. She has designed a planning format for colleagues that ensure skills are covered progressively. However, there are no consistent assessment procedures to give teachers information about the skills of individual pupils so that they can plan future work to meet their needs. She has not yet had the opportunity to observe colleagues’ teaching but has taught art in other classes, which enables her to monitor pupils’ progress and skills in art. She has also held discussions with pupils about their experiences in and attitudes towards art. Teachers make good use of information and communication technology to support the art curriculum. The curriculum is enriched by visits to

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ART AND DESIGN

galleries and visits to the school from professional artists.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Because of the timing of the inspection, only one lesson was observed in this subject. Judgements, therefore, are also based on discussions with the co-ordinator and an analysis of standards of work on display and in pupils’ books. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2 and the standard of work in Year 2 is close to that expected nationally of pupils of their age. In Years 3 to 6, all pupils achieve well because of a continuing focus on developing their skills logically and sequentially. As a result, standards in Year 6 are above those expected of their age nationally, which is better than at the time of the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. In their work books, Year 2 pupils produce clear labelled diagrams and drawings to show what they intend to build, for example a model with a light or a buzzer, which links well with their work in science on electricity. They list their needs reasonably accurately and explain their methods logically. Evaluations are suitably focused on what went well and give reasonable suggestions for future improvements.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Year 6 pupils research the topics they are studying before starting to design, for example, Anderson shelters linked to their work in history. In groups, they work effectively and efficiently, using books and computers to see what gives structures their strength and rigidity. They then explain the basic principles correctly, for example realising that triangles and arches are better shapes for building than others. Their subsequent designs include accurate measurements, which are extremely precise for the higher attaining pupils; this is a good use of their mathematical skills. They give sensible reasons for their choice of building materials as well as listing the amounts needed. Having decided which members of the group are responsible for particular parts of the project, they describe the stages in some detail and there is ample evidence of the amendment of initial ideas to cope with unexpected

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

difficulties! They join a small range of materials carefully and securely using suitable methods, such as gluing and sticking. In their evaluations, they compare their finished product with the original intention and make sensible suggestions for improvements the next time around.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. The scrutiny of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work indicates that the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is at least satisfactory. Teachers’ expertise has improved since the last inspection. In all classes, teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to work in pairs or larger groups, which makes a good contribution to developing their interpersonal skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. The lesson observed was a Year 1 food technology lesson that was taken by a volunteer helper. In spite of rudimentary lesson planning, the adult’s expertise was high and her knowledge of the subject very good. This enabled her to explain very clearly and logically the reasons, for example, for safe handling of peelers, knives and graters. She questioned pupils purposefully and so they gained a lot of knowledge about hygiene and how to handle utensils safely, for example using a cork to cover the point of a sharp knife. Through good practical demonstration and then careful practice, the pupils gained a good understanding of how to prepare a variety of vegetables for a vegetable soup, which they then made using the microwave cooker in the staff room. They concentrated well and worked carefully and enthusiastically. The group being taught was very small, which meant that they were required to join in often; this made a good contribution to developing their vocabulary as well as their

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

making skills. The pupils all realised that they had changed the taste, texture, appearance and smell of the vegetables by processing them as they did.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. A significant improvement since the last inspection has been the production of a scheme of work that focuses appropriately on the development of pupils’ skills in a logical sequence. This ensures that there is an agreed and detailed progression of skills throughout the school and enables teachers to Patchway CE Primary School - 34 adapt it flexibly to fit in with other work being done in other subjects. The co-ordinator leads and manages the subject with infectious enthusiasm. He monitors colleagues’ planning and pupils’ work regularly, which is an improvement since the last inspection. He provides good support for colleagues when appropriate, ensuring that they are kept up to date with changing requirements and improved resources. As yet, there are no effective and consistent assessment procedures, which limits teachers’ ability to build fully on an individual’s skills over time. This is unsatisfactory, but recognised

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

by the co-ordinator as an area for further improvement as time and priorities permit.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. At the time of the last inspection, standards in geography matched national expectations for pupils in Years 2 and 6. In the current inspection it was only possible to observe two lessons; these were in Years 4 and 5. In addition, teachers’ planning and the work in pupils’ books and on display were scrutinised. The evidence gained shows that attainment is at least satisfactory in both Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, achieve satisfactorily results in relation to their capabilities. The school has maintained sound standards in geography since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. Pupils have a sound knowledge of local places and develop their map reading and other geographical skills satisfactorily. For example, in Year 2 pupils study the city of Bristol and contrast it with the area where they live. Year 4 pupils show a good understanding of the facilities that should be found in a small town. They read maps well and interpret the keys appropriately. Year 5 pupils study maps of Patchway from 1880 and 1990 to consider how the area has grown and changed. Some pupils extend their knowledge well through the use of a homework task, which required them to ask their families and friends about the changes they have seen in the locality since they have lived there. However, not all pupils had done the task. Pupils consider changes in local industry, road and rail patterns and the differences in housing in the area since the time of the maps studied. Year 5 pupils study the nearby seaside town of Weston Super Mare as a contrast to their own locality.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. Pupils enjoy their lessons and visits. The curriculum is enriched through field studies; for example, Year 2 pupils have just been on a visit to Bristol in order to compare it as a city to the area where they live. This linked well with their history work. Year 6 pupils have a planned river study in the locality for the next half term.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Teaching and learning are satisfactory, which is the same as at the time of the last inspection. Teachers place appropriate emphasis on developing pupils’ geographical skills. They plan their work well and use good questioning skills to assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding. For example, in a Year 5 lesson the teacher encouraged pupils to use more than one source of evidence when investigating how the local area has developed from a rural to an urban environment over time. Through skilful questioning he led the class to note that hearsay evidence might be unreliable because it could be opinion rather than fact. The quality of questioning also ensured that pupils concentrated well. The teacher encouraged pupils to identify specific features on maps from the 19 th century and later 20 th century, for example the previous site of their school. Pupils found the site quickly and noted that there had formerly been a railway that had a tunnel passing under the River

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GEOGRAPHY

117. The co-ordinator for geography is effective in her role; no judgement was given in the last report. She has organised the curriculum to ensure that all aspects of the programme of study are covered. She ensures that colleagues cover the required programme by monitoring their planning and setting clear learning objectives for each topic. She also meets with pupils to assess their knowledge, skills and understanding. Formal procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment in geography are developing but do not currently give teachers enough information to ensure that they plan work that matches individual needs closely.

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HISTORY

118. Just as during the last inspection, it was only possible to observe one history lesson, as history and geography are taught in blocked units. Very little evidence was available in pupils’ books. This means that evidence is based on discussion with pupils and with the co-ordinator and on teachers’ Patchway CE Primary School - 35 planning. In the last inspection standards in history were judged as satisfactory for pupils in Years 2 and 6. From the limited evidence available the school has maintained sound standards. Pupils continue to achieve satisfactorily.

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HISTORY

119. Discussion with the co-ordinator and evidence from teachers’ plans shows that the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, as it was during the last inspection. In the lesson observed, in Year 2, pupils showed good recall of the events of the Great Fire of London. They knew where and when it happened and understood that the fire spread rapidly because houses were mainly constructed from wood at that time. One pupil was able to say that we know about the fire because Samuel Pepys left a diary recording the events. The lesson was prepared well with a good number of appropriate posters and paintings to stimulate pupils’ interest. Good levels of discussion sustained pupils’ concentration well and good management ensured that they produced satisfactory work.

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HISTORY

120. Some good links with other subjects were observed. For example, in Year 5, pupils had used their map reading skills well to consider how the local area has changed since the 19 th century. Pupils develop their skills of enquiry satisfactorily and describe ways of finding out about the past. For example, pupils in Year 5 listed a range of ways of finding out about how the local area has developed over time. They showed evidence of having interviewed long-standing residents, using the Internet, looking at old photographs, using the local library and even looking at gravestones in the old churchyard.

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HISTORY

121. Teachers’ plans show that history is taught regularly and that National Curriculum requirements are met fully. A good range of visits enriches the curriculum and supports pupils’ work. There are close links with a local heritage centre. Staff from the centre visit the school and bring in historical artefacts to support history teaching. Pupils have also visited a nearby Roman villa. A recent curriculum focus week was history based, each year group choosing their own topic. Pupils enjoyed their visits. They used reference books, the Internet and interviews to research their topics. This supported the development of their reading and research skills. Good links were also made with geography in considering the changes in the local area over time. The school invites local residents into school to support work in history. They talk, for example, about how the local area has developed and changed

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HISTORY

since they have lived there and also talk about their experiences of World War II. This engages pupils’ interest in history and helps them to understand the impact of historical events on the lives of ordinary people.

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HISTORY

122. Management of history is effective; no judgement was given in the previous inspection report. The co- ordinator is knowledgeable and has a good view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses in the subject. She has a good action plan, which should prove an effective tool for raising standards in history. It focuses, appropriately, on the development of assessment procedures, which currently are unsatisfactory and supporting teachers in providing pupils with opportunities to develop their skills of historical enquiry further.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

123. Because of the timing of the inspection, not every class was observed. Judgements are also based on a scrutiny of pupils’ work in books and on display and of teachers’ plans and records. Overall, pupils’ standards are close to those expected nationally in Years 2 and 6. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, achieve satisfactory results in those areas of the subject for which there was evidence during the inspection. This represents improved achievement and attainment for pupils in Year 6 compared with the findings of the previous inspection report.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

124. A significant reason for this improvement has been the establishment of an ICT suite, which allows more pupils in each class to work on a particular exercise at the same time. However, the school has realised that some computers are now unreliable and further improvements are needed. The school has plans to move the location of the suite to enable more computers to be bought so that whole classes can work on them at the same time. This is appropriate, as is the purchase of further software to enable the required curriculum to be delivered in greater depth and more systematically in all appropriate subjects. Nevertheless, provision for ICT has improved well since the last inspection. Patchway CE Primary School - 36 125. In their work to draw Christmas trees, pupils in Year 2 use a reasonable range of available tools in the program, for example the pencil, fill and spray tools. They change the colour they are using

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

confidently to produce the desired effect. Higher-attaining pupils use geometric shapes, such as rectangles, to add effect. When communicating text, all pupils use the shift key correctly to introduce capital letters. Year 3 pupils work at levels above those expected nationally when they import clipart characters and organise their text effectively, for example as a poem, to enhance its effect and when they interrogate and present data as a coloured bar chart, complete with a key. Year 6 pupils communicate information soundly when giving a PowerPoint presentation linked to their history topic. Average-attaining pupils use a reasonable variety of forms and attain a greater degree of quality than their lower-attaining peers, while higher attainers give good attention to the needs of their audience. In their work on spreadsheets, pupils input and amend data correctly. They use a reasonable range of tools, such as highlighting, to access and manipulate information and save their

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

work confidently to their own folders on the hard disk.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

126. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and has improved since the last inspection. Lessons are planned thoroughly and programs chosen with care to fulfil the purpose of each lesson. Teachers’ subject knowledge is at least satisfactory, which enables them to answer questions correctly. This sustains a good pace to lessons, which in turn keeps pupils interested and productively occupied. Relationships are very good, so pupils are willing to work hard and are confident enough to have a go at the tasks. The management of pupils’ learning is made easier on those occasions when there are extra adults in the suite to keep pupils focused and to deal with their queries promptly. In the Year 6 lesson, pupils’ attention and concentration were less good than in other ICT lessons observed. Although the teacher was successful in teaching aspects of data handling to half the class, the other half was too noisy in their research work for religious education.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

This form of classroom organisation did not work effectively because there was no extra support for either the teacher or the pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

127. The co-ordinator manages the subject soundly. However, she is a newly qualified teacher and this responsibility is too heavy a load. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic though she is about the subject, she is unable to come to grips with the leadership and evaluation functions of the role to her satisfaction or to the degree that is necessary to move the subject forward. This is merely because she needs time to develop her relationship with her class as a priority. She has monitored colleagues’ plans and checked what is necessary to improve provision. This has led to a satisfactory written plan for improvement and the production of a bid to obtain more finance to enable planned improvements to take place. A satisfactory assessment record has been introduced and is being used by all teachers to sum up what pupils have learned. However, teachers do not always identify exactly what it is that they expect pupils to learn in a lesson or series of lessons and they also

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

confuse learning intentions with the activity that is to be taught. Consequently, the attainment statements on the record sheets sometimes reflect this confusion and the system is not as useful as it could be in providing information about individuals’ skills and competencies for teachers to build on in the future. The curriculum is enhanced by the identification of good opportunities to use pupils’ ICT skills and competencies in other subjects, such as history and art and design. Secure procedures for using the Internet responsibly have been established.

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MUSIC

128. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 attain standards expected nationally. All pupils, including those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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MUSIC

129. Younger pupils enjoy singing in lessons and in assemblies. In Year 2, pupils enthusiastically make loud and soft sounds and use a good range of instruments satisfactorily to build up a ‘sound picture’. They devise appropriate and simple symbols to represent dynamics to direct other groups in their playing. In a Year 3 lesson, music was linked well to the class history topic and pupils devised a simple accompaniment to a song they had learned about ancient Egypt. Pupils in Year 4 have a satisfactory initial grasp of musical scales and notation. They use the ‘boom-whackers’ (tuned plastic tubes) to make up different melodic sequences, using the musical alphabet (A to G) and use tuned percussion instruments to work on a class composition. They work with concentration and Patchway CE Primary School - 37 enthusiasm. In a singing practice for pupils in Years 3 to 6, pupils sing tunefully and show good

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MUSIC

development of their rhythmic skills. In all the lessons observed pupils show very good attitudes.

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MUSIC

130. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, which is not as good as that reported during the previous inspection. A specialist teacher who works in the school on a part-time basis teaches music throughout the school on a rota. Some class teachers also take music lessons but these were not observed during the inspection. The specialist teacher has good subject knowledge and prepares her work satisfactorily, although the intended objectives for each lesson are too broad. She manages pupils well, which sustains their concentration and ensures that they behave well. In some lessons, the pace is too slow and too long is spent on each activity, which slows the speed of learning. An example of this was a Year 2 lesson, when pupils were required to play a loud or a soft sound in response to a variety of signals. By contrast, in a successful lesson for Year 4 pupils, the teacher planned a good range of challenging activities to develop pupils’ rhythmic skills. The activities

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MUSIC

built well on their work in previous lessons. As a result, they made good progress and achieved good results. A class composition was organised with care; the teacher ensured that appropriate melodic instruments were provided to help pupils to produce a pleasing sound when putting their pieces together. This enabled them to produce a successful piece and they were very proud of their efforts.

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MUSIC

131. Resources for music are good, as they were at the time of the previous inspection. The school has a good range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments. However there are few instruments representing different cultural traditions, which hinders the development of pupils’ cultural understanding. 132. There is no official co-ordinator for music; this has changed since the last inspection when one was in post. However, the specialist music teacher co-ordinates the extra-curricular activities and ensures that resources are maintained in good condition. She is readily available to give support and advice to colleagues. As a result, even though she is a part-time teacher employed on a supply basis, leadership and management are currently broadly satisfactory. There are missed opportunities to use the specialist teacher’s knowledge and skill to develop the confidence and skills of other teachers in

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MUSIC

the school as they do not take part in those lessons taken by her.

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MUSIC

133. All pupils have the opportunity to learn brass instruments at no cost to their parents. At present seven pupils are having lessons. There are also three recorder groups. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 learn the descant recorder and a small group of pupils in Years 5 and 6 learn the treble recorder. Numbers fluctuate – the younger groups had about 12 pupils and trebles four or five pupils. A school choir is formed in the autumn term for the Christmas production and in the summer term for an end of year presentation. The music teacher has recently bought in a new scheme of work to support teachers and encourage them to develop their confidence in teaching music. The scheme is too new to have had an impact on standards and progress. There are no assessment procedures for teachers to use to plan work that matches the aptitudes and needs of individuals or groups of pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. Standards in physical education are in line with national expectations across the school. This reflects a similar picture to the last report. Physical education has maintained its high profile in the school and a broad range of activities is provided with a generous time allocation. Skills are developed appropriately as pupils move through the school. A number of after school sporting activities, including football, basketball, netball and cricket supplement the provision and the school participates successfully in a number of local sports competitions. By Year 6, nearly all pupils have achieved the nationally expected level in swimming.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. During the inspection, only lessons in gymnastics and dance were observed. In a Year 2 dance lesson, pupils used their own ideas to devise a reasonable sequence of movements and some gave thought to the speed and level of movement. Most used space well and moved with awareness of other pupils. All understood the idea of mirroring a partner’s movements. In gymnastics, most have good body control, for example they have straight knees and pointed toes in stretches. All run and jump safely to show a stretched shape in the air. Higher attaining pupils land and go into a roll, show a stretched shape and then continue the movement. Patchway CE Primary School - 38 136. In a Year 3 gymnastics lesson, pupils understood the effect of exercise on the heart. A few held a headstand securely; the majority copied, created and linked movements including rolls and balances, for example on three body points. Pupils in Year 4 held a balanced position using three body points

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

but when moving between balances very few did so gracefully or fluidly. When performing rolls, movements were smoother and pupils landed safely when jumping from apparatus, with a few doing so stylishly, for example ending their movements with a balance and a flourish.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. The quality of teaching and learning in the four lessons observed was consistently good; no judgement was given in the previous inspection report. Teachers use a good range of suitable warm up activities and pay close attention to safety issues. Lessons have clear and precise learning objectives and build well on previous learning. Teachers have high expectations of both achievement and behaviour. Most make good use of pupils to exemplify good practice. Pupils are well motivated and keen to do their best. They behave in a safe and orderly fashion at all times and get out apparatus without fuss. Effective collaborative and paired working is a strong feature of all lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. The recently appointed co-ordinator is keen, knowledgeable and enthusiastic; no judgement on the management or leadership of the subject was given in the previous inspection report. She has taken over a well-organised subject with a useful policy and scheme of work, but is keen to develop new initiatives. For example, she is aware that there are no assessment and recording procedures in place. Although a newly qualified teacher, she is already developing the school’s participation in the school sports co-ordinator programme, whereby expertise is shared between schools. She has already carried out an equipment audit and is aware of the need to develop staff expertise in some areas. The quality and range of resources are good; they are stored safely and are easily accessible. A plan for monitoring the delivery of the curriculum is in place.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

139. Standards in religious education are in line with national expectations in Year 2 and pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, achieve satisfactorily, as they did at the time of the previous inspection. There is insufficient evidence to make a reliable judgement about standards or achievements in Year 6. Over time, pupils’ achievements are unsatisfactory in Years 5 and 6 and the progress they make is inhibited because of weaknesses in organisation and the low status given to the subject. This is worse than during the previous inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Although there is a good scheme of work based on local guidelines, the extent to which this is adhered to is variable. There was very little work in religious education recorded in pupils’ books. There is not always a regular weekly time allocation for religious education. For example, in Year 5 the only evidence available of pupils’ work in the previous term was of one day when pupils used books and the Internet to research different world religions. However, there is no evidence that ICT is used systematically to reinforce or extend provision in this subject. In Year 6, religious education is timetabled to be a parallel activity while the main focus of the teaching is information and communication technology. Pupils are asked, for example, to research the religious and non- religious uses of water and, crucially, have no extra adult to help them and to ensure that they maintain focus fully. In these circumstances the contribution which religious education can make to

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

pupils’ spiritual development is minimal. As noted in the previous report, pupils are given too few opportunities to reflect on and discuss personal beliefs and attitudes.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. In Year 2, pupils have a sound knowledge of different Jewish festivals. They understand the key terms ‘festival’ and ‘celebration’ and sensibly compare Hanukah and Christmas as Festivals of Light. Assemblies, particularly those led by visiting clergy, make a valuable contribution to pupils’ understanding of Christianity. Visits to the local church are important in developing pupils’ understanding of places of worship. Visits to a Hindu temple and a mosque also augment pupils’ learning and support the school’s provision for pupils’ cultural development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. The quality of teaching and learning in the lessons observed is satisfactory, although there was one unsatisfactory lesson. Learning objectives were unclear in all the lessons observed and the purpose and focus of learning had not been clearly thought through. For example, although pupils in Year 2 could relate the outline of the Hanukah story, no pupil had a clear idea of its religious significance. In Patchway CE Primary School - 39 a Year 5 lesson on patterns of worship in different religions, preceding a visit to a mosque, a range of diverse issues was covered but there was little discussion of Islam.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and committed and resources are good. However, although she monitors progress through discussions with pupils and by looking at pupils’ work, in practice this is insufficiently rigorous to ensure that the required skills, knowledge and understanding are developed adequately and regularly as they move through the school. She has not had opportunities to observe teaching, despite concerns about variable staff expertise and commitment. There are no formal assessment procedures in place and marking of work is superficial. There is an urgent need to ensure that the scheme of work is fully implemented in all classes in an effective manner and that the profile of religious education as a pivotal subject in the school is raised.

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