Summary
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- Inspectorssingle source
Foundation Stage
- URN verified
110759
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Strengths
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- The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are excellent, and the school enjoys the full and active support of a very effective Governing Body and a loyal and hard-working staff. p.6
- Where the best teaching occurs, teachers have a very good knowledge and understanding of the subject, and this is reflected in effective teaching methods, high expectations and well planned activities. p.40
- The headteacher enjoys the support of an excellent deputy headteacher, who shares the headteacher’s enthusiasm for the school, and who carries out her responsibilities in a thoroughly professional and systematic manner. p.24
- The subject is well led by a keen and very competent co-ordinator, whose enthusiasm and expertise have had a very positive impact on raising staff confidence. p.52
- Learning support assistants are very effective and their input has a very positive impact on the pupils’ learning. p.6
Concerns
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- Where teaching is not as effective, teachers lack the necessary expertise to move the pupils’ learning forward at a sufficiently brisk pace, and activities are not always p.47
- As in Key Stage 1, pupils’ plans and evaluations of their work are not always recorded in written form, and this is a weaker aspect of pupils’ learning. p.48
- In this element of the information and communication technology curriculum, standards are not as high as they should be, partly because of insufficient resources, and partly because of the teachers' lack of experience and knowledge in this area. p.51
- Some pupils make good use of phonics to decode unknown words, but lower attaining pupils rely heavily on the pictures for clues about the text, and are not always sufficiently confident about tackling unfamiliar words. p.39
- Although satisfactory, standards in speaking and listening are relatively weaker, and as in Key Stage 1 a number of pupils use only a limited vocabulary and some pupils do not take part in discussions without prompting by their teachers. p.14
Next steps
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- Standards in English at the end of Key Stage 1, and standards in geography at the end of Key Stage 2. p.7
- The monitoring of teaching and learning in subjects other than English and mathematics. p.7
- Assessment procedures in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. p.7
- The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. p.7
- The school was last inspected in March 1998. p.7
- Both the headteacher and the Deputy headteacher have been appointed since that time, and there has been a high staff turnover in the last four years. p.7
- Very good progress has been made in addressing the key issues identified at the time of the last inspection. p.7
- The school has a good and systematic programme for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics, which now needs to be extended across other subjects. p.7
What the report dwells on
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Anatomy of the report
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- Pages
- 57
- Words of findings
- 27,820
- longer than usual (typical 1049)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 46, typical 45
- Average sentence
- 23 words
- Next steps
- 8
- typical 5
- Hedged sentences
- 15%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
FULBOURN PRIMARY SCHOOL
Dates of inspection: 16 th – 19 th September 2002
p.1
FULBOURN 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.
p.1
FULBOURN 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. Fulbourn Primary School - 3
p.2
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
School address: School Lane Fulbourn Cambridge
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Appropriate authority: The Governing Body
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Name of chair of governors: Mr P Hodgson
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Date of previous inspection: March 1998 Fulbourn Primary School - 4
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 22361 Mrs M Gough Registered inspector Art and design Music Special educational needs Equal opportunities English as an additional language The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught What could the school do to improve further 19365 Mr G Stockley Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils or students How well does the school work in partnership with parents 12997 Mrs C Cheong Team inspector Mathematics Geography How well is the school led and managed 32255 Mrs D Blizzard Team inspector Science History Physical education 15023 Mr A Haouas Team inspector English Information and communication technology How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils 31807 Mr D Carpenter Team inspector Foundation Stage Design and Technology Religious education
p.4
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Lynrose Marketing Limited Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU
p.4
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:
p.4
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division
p.4
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Fulbourn Primary School - 5
p.4
PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6
Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school
p.5
HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 13
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
p.5
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
The school serves the village of Fulbourn and outlying areas, and caters for 247 pupils between the ages of four and eleven. The school does not have a Nursery class, but most children have had pre-school education before they start school. Their attainment on entry is generally below average, especially in terms of language, mathematics and social skills. The socio-economic circumstances of the pupils are very mixed. Although the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average at 12.5%, this figure does not reflect the true extent of deprivation experienced by a significant number of families. Almost all pupils are of white ethnicity. Four pupils have English as an additional language, but only one pupil is at the early stages of language acquisition. The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs is above the national average, and five pupils
p.6
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
have statements of special educational needs. There are relatively high levels of pupil mobility with sixteen pupils joining at a time other than the usual point of entry, and fifteen pupils leaving at a time other than at the usual point of transfer.
p.6
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
This is a very effective school that provides a good quality of education for pupils of all ages and abilities. Standards in English are below the national average at the end of Key Stage 1, and are average in mathematics and science. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils attain standards that are above the national average in English and mathematics, and well above the national average in science. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good, and they enjoy coming to school. The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are excellent, and the school enjoys the full and active support of a very effective Governing Body and a loyal and hard-working staff. The school gives very good value for money.
p.6
What the school does well
• By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils attain good standards in English, mathematics, history and art and design, and very good standards in science. Music is a strength of the school and standards are good at the end of both key stages. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and enables them to make very good progress towards their individual targets. • Teaching is good, and teachers cater well for pupils of all abilities. Learning support assistants are very effective and their input has a very positive impact on the pupils’ learning. • Pupils throughout the school have positive attitudes to work, and their behaviour is good. • The school provides a good quality curriculum for all pupils, and the provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is very good. • The provision for pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall.
p.6
What the school does well
• Procedures for assessing pupils’ progress and attainment are good in English, mathematics and science. They are very good in the Reception classes. • The school has established good links with parents and provides a very good range of information. • The school provides very good levels of pastoral care for all pupils. • The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher and deputy headteacher are excellent. The Governing Body is very good. The management of the school’s finances is very good. Fulbourn Primary School - 7
p.6
What could be improved
• Standards in English at the end of Key Stage 1, and standards in geography at the end of Key Stage 2. • The monitoring of teaching and learning in subjects other than English and mathematics. • Assessment procedures in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.
p.7
HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION
The school was last inspected in March 1998. Both the headteacher and the Deputy headteacher have been appointed since that time, and there has been a high staff turnover in the last four years. Very good progress has been made in addressing the key issues identified at the time of the last inspection. The school has a good and systematic programme for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics, which now needs to be extended across other subjects. Statutory requirements are now fully met in respect of collective acts of worship, and in terms of the content of the annual report of the Governing Body and the prospectus. The school gives clear information about homework, and communication with parents is now very good. The school has produced a very good quality School Development Plan which clearly states the main targets for development, the costs, and the expected outcomes. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have improved in
p.7
HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION
mathematics, science, art and design and history, and staff are very clear about what needs to be done to raise standards even further in other subjects. The overall quality of teaching has improved, and no unsatisfactory teaching was seen during the inspection. The school has been very effective in implementing Curriculum 2000, and provides a very good personal, social and health education programme. The school has a very good equal opportunities policy, and all pupils have full and equal access to all aspects of the life and work of the school. In line with recent legislation, the school has a policy to ensure racial equality, and is extremely effective in the way in which it teaches pupils to have respect for others. The school is very well placed for continued and further improvement.
p.7
STANDARDS
The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.
p.7
STANDARDS
Performance in: all schools similar schools Key
p.7
STANDARDS
1999 2000 2001 2001 very high A* English B C B A well above average above average A B Mathematics B C B A average below average C D Science C C A A* well below average E
p.7
STANDARDS
On the basis of the2001 end of Key Stage 2 tests, pupils’ attainment is above the national average in English and mathematics and well above the national average in science. In comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ performance is well above average in English and mathematics and very high in science where the pupils’ performance places the school in the top 5% of the comparative sample. The unvalidated 2002 results paint a very similar picture to the 2001 results, and confirm that standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are on an upward trend. The school sets appropriate and challenging targets. The inspection findings Fulbourn Primary School - 8 confirm the 2001 end of key stage national test results and show that pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics is above national expectations, and their attainment in science is well above national expectations. There is no significant difference between the attainment of
p.7
STANDARDS
The 2001 end of Key Stage 1 national test results show that the pupils’ attainment in reading and mathematics is below the national average, and that their attainment in writing is well below the national average. In comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ attainment in reading and mathematics is average, and their attainment in writing is below average. The inspection findings indicate that standards in reading are below national expectations, and that standards in writing have improved, although they are still below national expectations. Standards in mathematics have improved and are in line with national expectations. This picture is confirmed by the unvalidated 2002 national test results.
p.8
STANDARDS
The inspection findings indicate that standards in design and technology, information and communication technology and physical education are at the expected level at the end of both key stages. In music, standards are above national expectations at the end of both key stages. In history and art and design, standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are at the expected level, and standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are above the expected level. In geography, standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are in line with national expectations, but standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are below the expected level. Pupils’ attainment in religious education is in line with the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus at the end of both key stages.
p.8
STANDARDS
The children’s attainment when they start school is below average. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children attain the early learning goals in terms of their creative and personal, social and emotional development, and they attain beyond the early learning goals in terms of their physical development. The children do not attain the expected level in communication, language and literacy and mathematics or in terms of their knowledge and understanding of the world.
p.8
Aspect Comment
Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils of all ages have positive attitudes to school. They are enthusiastic, keen and hard-working. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Behaviour is good throughout the school and pupils are mostly polite and considerate of the needs of others. At playtimes, pupils play very well with one another, sharing equipment in a very friendly manner. Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils get on well with one another and their teachers. Pupils work particularly well in groups and show good levels of independence. Attendance Satisfactory. The school has made good efforts to improve the levels of attendance to above the national average. Fulbourn Primary School - 9
p.8
Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6
Quality of teaching Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.
p.9
Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6
The overall quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school, and some very good and excellent examples of teaching were seen during the inspection. Basic skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught in all classes, and there are many good opportunities for the pupils to practise these skills across the curriculum. Although pupils make effective use of the computers in the information and communication technology suite, in most classes, insufficient use is made of classroom computers to support pupils’ learning.
p.9
Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6
Reception teachers are very effective in the way in which they settle new children into the routines of the school, and the way in which they use assessment information to plan activities that meet the needs of all ability groups. There is a good balance between activities that are directed by the teachers and those that the children choose and organise themselves. Structured and free play activities provide good opportunities for the children to learn through practical experience, and teachers and classroom assistants are very effective in the way in which they constantly promote and encourage early skills of reading, writing and mathematics.
p.9
Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6
The teaching of English is good throughout the school. In mathematics, teaching is satisfactory in Key Stage 1, and good in Key Stage 2. In science, the teaching of pupils in Key Stage 1 is good, and the teaching of Key Stage 2 pupils is very good. In other subjects, whilst never less than satisfactory, the teaching is more variable, and depends on the expertise of individual teachers. This variation has not yet been identified through the monitoring of teaching and learning so that good practice can be shared and extended.
p.9
Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6
In all classes, teachers use questions well to check the pupils’ understanding and to extend the higher attaining pupils. Discussion sessions are often lively, and are at their best when teachers provide thinking time for the pupils who need longer to formulate their answers than others. In the best lessons seen during the inspection, teachers used resources particularly well to enhance the pupils’ learning, and to capture and maintain their interest. Teachers generally manage pupils well, and have high expectations of behaviour. However, the management of behaviour is not always consistent throughout the school.
p.9
Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6
The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is very good. Learning support assistants make a very good and significant contribution to the pupils’ learning, and ensure that they make very good progress towards their individual targets. Only one pupil is at an early stage of learning English and the teaching for this pupil is good. Fulbourn Primary School - 10
p.9
Aspect Comment
The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage, and for pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is appropriate to their needs, and is broad and generally well balanced. Not enough time however is given to the teaching of religious education in Key Stage 2. The school’s programme for personal, social and health education is very good, and the school provides a good range of additional activities which enrich the pupils’ learning. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The school has fully implemented the new Code of Practice and pupils with special educational needs receive very good levels of support from their teachers and learning support assistants. The management of this aspect of the school’s work is excellent. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Four pupils have English as an additional language, although only
p.10
Aspect Comment
one of these is at an early stage of learning English. The provision is good. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual development, satisfactory provision for their cultural development and very good provision for their moral and social development.
p.10
Aspect Comment
How well the school cares for its pupils Very well. The school provides a very safe, healthy and attractive learning environment for the pupils. Procedures for child protection are good, and staff are vigilant of the pupils in their care. Good procedures are in place for assessing pupils’ progress and attainment in English, mathematics and science, but assessment procedures in other subjects are under- developed. How well the school works in partnership with parents The school has developed good links with parents and provides very good levels of information about the life and work of the school. Parents are generally supportive and keen to help their children. Fulbourn Primary School - 11
p.10
Aspect Comment
Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide excellent leadership for the school and enjoy the full and loyal support of the staff and Governing Body. The monitoring role of the Senior Management Team, and the co-ordinators for English, mathematics and special educational needs is very well established, but other co-ordinators are not yet doing enough to monitor standards, or the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. The Governing Body is very effective, knowledgeable and supportive of the work of the school. A very good School Development Plan is in place, and finances are closely linked to educational priorities. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school is effective in the way in which it analyses available test data to highlight strengths and weaknesses in
p.11
Aspect Comment
pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science. The Governing Body and headteacher ensure best value for money through the processes of comparison, consultation, challenge and competition. The strategic use of resources Very good. The school uses its money very well and is effective in securing and using additional funds. The decision to employ a generous number of learning support assistants is proving to be very successful in helping to raise standards and to improve the quality of pupils’ learning. The adequacy of staffing, accommodation and learning resources The accommodation is good, although at capacity because of rising numbers. The school employs a good number of teaching and support staff, and there are enough learning resources for all subjects, with the exception of religious education, where there are insufficient multi-faith artefacts. Fulbourn Primary School - 12
p.11
What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved
• Parents are pleased with the small class sizes, which they believe enhance their children’s progress. • Parents agree that the headteacher and staff are easily accessible and willing to listen to and tackle their concerns. • Parents of children who have special educational needs are very pleased with the support their children receive. • Parents agree that their children like coming to school and that the school is a happy and caring community. • Parents value the contribution made by the learning support assistants. • Most parents are very pleased with the levels of information they receive. • Parents agree that behaviour is good and that bullying is not a problem. • Parents state that the school is well led and managed. • Parents are pleased with the emphasis the school places on music. • Some parents are not happy about the amount and frequency of the homework their children receive. • Some parents would like more
p.12
What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved
information about their children’s progress. • Some parents do not think that the school works closely with them. • Some parents would like more after- school activities.
p.12
What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved
The inspection findings fully confirm the parents’ positive views of the school, but do not support the parents’ negative views. Although limited in range, pupils receive appropriate amounts of homework for their age, and the school has worked hard over the last few years to make the expectations clear to parents. Reports of pupils’ progress are good and informative, and there are many formal and informal opportunities for parents to find out more about their children’s progress and attainment. The school makes every effort to work closely with parents, and the headteacher and staff are easily accessible and approachable. The school offers a good range of after-school activities which enrich the pupils’ learning. Fulbourn Primary School - 13
p.12
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
1. The children’s attainment when they start school is below average overall. Language, mathematical and personal and social skills are especially weak for some children. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children attain the early learning goals in terms of their creative and personal, social and emotional development, and they attain beyond the early learning goals in terms of their physical development. Because of their low starting point, and despite making good progress, the children do not attain the expected level in communication, language and literacy and mathematics or in terms of their knowledge and understanding of the world. The children get a good start to their education in the Foundation Stage, and benefit from good teaching and from experiencing a good range of practical activities that promotes basic skills.
p.13
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
2. The 2001 end of Key Stage 1 national test results show that the pupils’ attainment in reading and mathematics is below the national average, and that their attainment in writing is well below the national average. In comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ attainment in reading and mathematics is average, and their attainment in writing is below average. The unvalidated 2002 test results suggest that pupils’ attainment is below average in reading and writing, and average in mathematics. There is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls. Most pupils achieve well, and standards are starting to rise, although there is some fluctuation in the school’s results year by year because of variations in the natural ability of the pupils.
p.13
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
3. The inspection findings indicate that at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in writing is on an upward trend, and that standards are now just below the national average. This is because of the initiatives the school has put into place which are having a positive impact on pupils’ learning and on the progress they make. Standards in reading continue to be below national expectations. Standards in speaking and listening are below national expectations as many pupils use only a limited vocabulary to express their ideas. On the basis of the inspection findings, standards in mathematics are in line with national expectations and have improved in recent years. Pupils now have a better grasp of number and their mental arithmetic skills are stronger than they were. Pupils’ understanding of aspects of shape, space and measure is secure. The inspection findings show that in science, the pupils’ attainment
p.13
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
is in line with national expectations. Most pupils have a satisfactory scientific knowledge, and know how to carry out investigations and experiments, but their ability to predict what might happen next, and to understand the notion of ‘fair-testing’ are weaker areas of their learning. Overall pupils of all abilities make good progress in mathematics and science, but could still do even better in terms of their reading and writing.
p.13
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
4. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology and physical education. Pupils’ attainment in music is above national expectations at the end of the key stage, and pupils attain the expected standards in religious education. Pupils often make good progress as they move through Key Stage 1, as in many subjects they are starting from a relatively low baseline.
p.13
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
5. On the basis of the 2001 end of Key Stage 2 tests, pupils’ attainment is above the national average in English and mathematics and well above the national average in Fulbourn Primary School - 14 science. In comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ performance is well above average in English and mathematics and very high in science where the pupils’ performance places the school in the top 5% of the comparative sample. The unvalidated 2002 results paint a very similar picture to the 2001 results, and confirm that standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are on an upward trend. Pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their age and ability. The school sets appropriate and challenging targets.
p.13
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
6. The inspection findings confirm the 2001 end of Key Stage 2 national test results and show that pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics is above national expectations, and their attainment in science is well above national expectations. In English, there are particular strengths in reading and writing, and higher attaining pupils show a good command of language in their writing. Although satisfactory, standards in speaking and listening are relatively weaker, and as in Key Stage 1 a number of pupils use only a limited vocabulary and some pupils do not take part in discussions without prompting by their teachers. In mathematics many pupils have a good grasp of number and use and apply mathematical skills well in their work in other subjects. Key Stage 2 pupils have a good scientific knowledge, and there are particular strengths in the way in which pupils independently set up and carry out investigations. Pupils of all abilities
p.14
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
make good progress in English and mathematics as they move through Key Stage 2, and they make very good progress in science, where they benefit from taking part in a wide range of stimulating and creative activities.
p.14
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
7. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils attain the expected level in their work in design and technology, information and communication technology, physical education and religious education. Their attainment in art and design, history and music is above national expectations, and their attainment in geography is below national expectations. Because geography has not been taught in enough depth in recent years, pupils’ breadth of experience and knowledge is too narrow, and they have little recall of what they have learned. The school is already starting to address this issue, and geography is now taught on a more regular basis in all Key Stage 2 classes. As they move through Key Stage 2, pupils of all abilities often make good progress in their learning.
p.14
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
8. In both key stages, teachers are effective in the way in which they promote basic skills of literacy and numeracy across the curriculum, although in most classes, pupils do not make enough use of computers to support their learning. The very good support given to pupils with special educational needs enables them to make similar progress to their classmates, and to achieve the targets in their individual education plans. The school is very effective in the way in which it identifies pupils who have particular talents, and teachers cater well for more able pupils. Pupils with English as an additional language receive good levels of support in class and make good progress.
p.14
The school’s results and pupils’ achievements
9. Overall, standards have improved since the last inspection, with the exception of geography at the end of Key Stage 2, where standards have dipped. The school is well placed to raise standards even further, and to continue the current trend of improvement.
p.14
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
10. As at the time of the previous inspection, pupils have good attitudes to their work and to the school, and this has a positive impact on their learning. Most pupils are keen to come to school and most enjoy their lessons. Pupils of all ages and abilities are happy to talk about what they are doing and to share their work with classmates and visitors. From an early age pupils are encouraged to take an active part in lessons, and although a small number of pupils are reluctant, most are keen to express their ideas Fulbourn Primary School - 15 and views. Pupils throughout the school are courteous and friendly, and many Year 5 and Year 6 pupils provide very good examples for the rest of the school. Pupils show pride in their school, and have responsible attitudes to the building and their own and others’ property.
p.14
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
11. Behaviour in lessons is generally good, and in the playground at break and at lunchtime, pupils’ behaviour is often very good. This is a similar picture to that reported at the time of the previous inspection. The school is very effective in the way in which it supports pupils at playtimes, and this ensures that playtimes are happy experiences for pupils of all ages. A very good range of play equipment is available at breaks and at lunchtimes, and an adult leads and supervises groups of children as they take part in a variety of shared playground games. These activities have a very positive impact on the pupils’ behaviour and social development. In the dining room pupils are polite and well behaved, and require minimal supervision. Pupils engage in polite conversation with their friends as they dine but noise levels are low. In classes behaviour is usually good but a few children exhibit challenging behaviour which is not always successfully dealt
p.15
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
with by the teacher. There have been no recent exclusions.
p.15
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
12. Pupils’ personal development is good. The school’s very good personal, social and health education programme teaches children to show respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others, and effectively develops the pupils’ understanding of the impact of their actions on others. Pupils work very well together on joint tasks, and show very good levels of co-operation and collaboration. Often abler pupils help pupils who are having difficulties without prompting from the teachers, for example when sharing computers in the computer suite. Pupils are caring of one another, as demonstrated by an incident in the playground seen during the inspection when older pupils comforted a younger child who was upset, calmed him down and went with him to find an adult. Pupils of all ages are keen to accept responsibility and they clearly enjoy duties such as taking registers to the office and handing out classroom materials. Good relationships
p.15
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
amongst pupils, and between staff and pupils, help to create a happy working atmosphere, and have a positive impact on the pupils’ learning.
p.15
Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
13. Attendance levels are now satisfactory. The school has worked effectively to improve on the previously unsatisfactory attendance levels, which were largely attributable to an increase in the number of holidays taken during term time and the long-term absence of some pupils. Registers are correctly marked at the beginning of the morning and afternoon sessions, and authorised and unauthorised absences are accurately recorded. Fulbourn Primary School - 16
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?
14. During the inspection fifty two lessons were seen. In these lessons, the quality of teaching was excellent in 6% of lessons, very good in 18%, good in 38%, and satisfactory in 38%. Overall the quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school, and there has been a significant improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection.
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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?
15. The quality of teaching and learning in the Reception classes is good overall. Basic skills of reading, writing and number are well taught, and teachers make activities exciting and relevant. Teachers provide some very good opportunities for the children to practise their spoken language, and to develop listening skills, and in these activities learning support assistants play a crucial role in engaging the children in dialogue about their work. Teachers are very effective in the way in which they promote the children’s personal, social and emotional development, and they provide many opportunities for the children to develop independent learning skills. There is a good combination of whole-class, group and individual work, and a good balance of activities throughout the day so that the children’s interest is maintained. Support staff are used very effectively to work with individual children and groups of children, and they are a great asset.
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There is a good balance between activities that are directed by adults, and those that the children choose themselves, and the children experience a wide range of practical opportunities enabling them to practise newly acquired skills and to consolidate their learning.
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16. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, and some very good examples of teaching were seen during the inspection in both key stages. As a result, most pupils make good progress in these subjects. Time is generally used effectively, and most English and mathematics lessons move at a good pace. This helps the pupils to maintain high levels of concentration. Lessons are well planned and teachers make effective use of the end of lesson discussion sessions in literacy lessons to check the pupils’ learning and to enable pupils to share their work with one another. However, the use made of these ‘plenary’ sessions in numeracy lessons is not as effective, and sometimes end of lesson discussions lack focus and purpose. Teachers effectively encourage pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects, and there are some good examples in both key stages of pupils
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using these skills across the curriculum.
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17. There are strengths in the teaching of information and communication technology and music in both key stages, and particular strengths in the teaching of science at Key Stage 2. In information and communication technology, the subject leader teaches some lessons in both key stages, and his expertise and enthusiasm ensure that the pupils respond with high levels of motivation and interest. Pupils are encouraged to try new ideas out for themselves, enabling them to develop good levels of confidence. In music, teachers are very effective in the way they promote high standards of performance and creativity, and some specialist teaching has a beneficial impact on the pupils’ learning. In science in Key Stage 2, the strength of teaching is the variety of investigative and experimental activities that the pupils undertake which enable them to find things out for themselves and to pursue their own lines of enquiry. French is taught
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in some Key Stage 2 classes, and this teaching by a skilled linguist, fires the pupils with enthusiasm and gives them a real thirst for learning.
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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?
18. In art and design and history, the teaching is better in Key Stage 2 than it is in Key Stage 1, but in geography, teaching is better in Key Stage 1 than in Key Stage 2. In physical education and religious education, the quality of teaching is satisfactory in both Fulbourn Primary School - 17 key stages. Variations in the quality of teaching, within key stages and subjects, are the result of the teachers’ differing levels of expertise and knowledge, and lead to some inconsistencies in the pupils’ learning. Until now, the school’s monitoring of teaching and learning through the observation of lessons, has largely been restricted to English and mathematics. As a result, some relatively weaker features of teaching in other subjects have not been identified and addressed, and some very good and excellent features of teaching have not been identified and shared with the rest of the staff.
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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?
19. Relationships between teachers and their pupils are good, and this ensures that most pupils are confident about voicing their opinions and expressing any concerns they may have. The vast majority of teachers are very skilful in their use of questions, using them well to draw out pupils’ ideas, and to check pupils’ understanding of what they have learned. Most teachers have appropriately high expectations of behaviour, although in some classes, teachers do not consistently use the schools’ agreed behaviour management strategies, and this leads to confusion for the pupils when they are taught by different teachers.
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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?
20. Teachers use a good variety of approaches, and there is generally a good balance between class, group and individual activities. Pupils are successfully encouraged to develop independent learning skills, and confidently and co-operatively work together on shared tasks. However, in some lessons activities are over-directed by teachers, and this is particularly evident when pupils are carrying out creative activities in art and design and design and technology. As a result, the outcomes of such activities are often too similar, and the pupils’ imaginations are stifled.
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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?
21. In most English and music lessons, and in some physical education lessons, there are good opportunities for the pupils to evaluate their learning during end of session discussions. However, in some classes, teachers do not provide enough opportunities for the pupils to consider the extent to which the learning objectives have been achieved, or to evaluate how they could improve their work further. This is a relatively weaker area of teaching and learning, as sometimes pupils are unaware of the strengths and weaknesses in their learning.
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22. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good support from their teachers, and from learning support assistants, which enables them to make very good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Additional support by the part- time special educational needs teacher, and the special educational needs co- ordinator, is very effective and unobtrusive. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is good, and ensures their rapid progress. The school is generally very effective in identifying pupils who are gifted or talented, and provision for these pupils is good. The practice of teaching the upper Key Stage 2 pupils in ability groups for English, mathematics and science is particularly effective, and makes good use of the individual strengths of the teachers involved.
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23. The quality of pupils’ learning is good overall and some very good examples were seen during the inspection where pupils were particularly enthused by the activities. Most pupils throughout the school respond well to their teachers, and are keen to do their best, with the exception of physical education, where some pupils do not give of their best without considerable prompting and encouragement from their teachers. Pupils of all ages and abilities generally work hard, and usually achieve the targets of the lesson. Most pupils take an active part in discussions, although some Key Stage 2 pupils need cajoling. Some teachers are very effective in the way in which they encourage the pupils to evaluate the effectiveness of their own learning, but this practice is not yet consistent in all classes and subjects. The vast majority of pupils show good levels of Fulbourn Primary School - 18 independence and have a mature and responsible attitude to work. Most pupils can be
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trusted to work conscientiously, even when not under the direct supervision of their teachers. Pupils enjoy talking about their work and take pride in seeing their work displayed around the school.
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24. The quality of marking is satisfactory overall, and some very good examples were seen during the inspection. Most of the pupils’ work is marked regularly, and teachers make supportive comments which encourage the children in their endeavours. However, opportunities are sometimes missed for showing the pupils how they might improve their work further, especially in Key Stage 2, where pupils would benefit from a more critical analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in their work. Good use is made of homework to support the pupils’ learning in English and mathematics, but some homework tasks are a little unimaginative and routine. Little use is made of homework in subjects such as religious education, art and design, music, and physical education, and there are missed opportunities for extending and consolidating the pupils’ learning in this way.
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25. The school provides a good curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage, and for pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Since the last inspection the curriculum provision for all pupils has improved. The curriculum for pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum, and the Foundation Stage curriculum is effectively developed around the main key areas of learning for children of this age. The teaching of religious education meets statutory requirements, although lessons in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are sometimes too short, and some issues are therefore not explored in quite enough depth. The school’s strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy skills are good, but not enough is done in some classes to promote the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum. The practice of organising upper Key Stage 2 pupils into ability groups for
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English, mathematics and science is very effective, and has a positive impact on the pupils’ attainment and progress. In Key Stage 2, the statutory curriculum is effectively enhanced and enriched by the teaching of French in the upper part of the key stage, and by instrumental teaching, choir and orchestra, all of which impact positively on the learning of those pupils who choose to take part.
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26. The school is very effective in the way in which it includes all pupils, and it has a very good equal opportunities policy which is fully reflected in practice. Parents of minority groups of pupils are very pleased indeed with the way in which the school caters for the needs of their children, and appreciate the respectful way in which the headteacher and staff deal with their specific requests. The school has a race equality policy, which again is fully reflected in practice, and teachers are very effective in the way in which they encourage and teach the pupils to show tolerance and respect for the views of others. 27. The school makes very good provision for pupils with special educational needs, and this aspect of the school’s work benefits from the excellent leadership of the special educational needs co-ordinator. The school follows the new Code of Practice, and individual education plans are well written, with specific and purposeful targets for the
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pupils. Very good support in class from teachers and learning support assistants enhances the pupils’ learning, and promotes good and often very good progress. Five pupils have statements of special educational needs, and their needs are fully and effectively met. The school makes good provision for pupils who are gifted and talented Fulbourn Primary School - 19 and teachers’ planning reflects the specific needs of these pupils and shows how they will be challenged in lessons.
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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?
28. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities. They include art and craft activities, football, recorders, computers, drama and gym clubs. Choir and orchestra practice takes place during the school day, and the school has given a great deal of thought to the organisation of withdrawing pupils from lessons for these activities to ensure that their education does not suffer.
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29. The school’s provision for the pupils’ personal, social and health education is very good and has a very positive impact on the pupils’ social development and behaviour. There are regular weekly timetabled lessons for all classes where pupils have opportunities to discuss and share their feelings on a range of relevant issues. During the inspection, some very good sessions were observed, including one where Year 4/Year 5 pupils expressed positive views about themselves. In addition to building up the pupils’ self- confidence this activity was also very effective in promoting speaking and listening skills. As well as timetabled lessons, time is allocated at the start of the day to deal with any issues or concerns that pupils have when they arrive at school. Pupils who are members of the School Council have additional very good opportunities to learn about relationships, and to take responsibility for aspects of the life and work of the school.
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The School Council meets weekly with the deputy headteacher, and pupils tackle issues with good levels of confidence and a good awareness of the need for democracy. Older Key Stage 2 pupils enjoy taking part in annual residential visits, and these opportunities very successfully promote the pupils’ social development.
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30. The community makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning. There are close links with the two churches in the village, with both vicars leading assemblies in school, and pupils visiting the churches for festivals such as Easter and Christmas. During the inspection, Year 3 pupils visited one of the churches to look at artefacts, and to study the layout of the church. Pupils benefit from the school’s links with the Fulbourn Local History Society and the Cambridge Archaeology Fieldwork Unit, both of which are based in the village. The school has close links with Homerton College and regularly takes trainee teachers on placement.
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31. Good links have been established with other local schools. The headteachers of all of the primary schools in the area meet monthly, and the headteacher of the main partner secondary school attends for part of that meeting. This effective partnership has enabled joint staff training days to be arranged, and pupils have taken part in joint art days and sports events at the secondary school, and have attended some lessons in mathematics and design and technology. There is very good liaison with the main receiving secondary school enabling pupils to transfer with good levels of confidence. Subject co-ordinators from the both schools meet regularly with their counterparts in the cluster group of primary schools, and teachers from the secondary school have taught the Year 6 pupils. This practice benefits the pupils, both academically, and in terms of preparing them for transfer.
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32. The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual development, very good provision for their moral and social development, and satisfactory provision for their cultural development.
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33. Pupils’ spiritual provision is promoted very effectively through daily assemblies, where pupils are encouraged to reflect upon aspects of their learning, the world in which they live, and on the impact of their actions on others. Pupils have good opportunities to express their thoughts and feelings through music in assemblies, and when discussing Fulbourn Primary School - 20 pieces of art or literature. Teachers are effective in the way in which they pick up on incidental opportunities for promoting spirituality that arise during the course of the day. For example, In a Year 2 dance lesson seen during the inspection, the teacher created a real sense of wonder when she asked the pupils to pick up and carry an imaginary mini-beast. Without any further prompting from the teacher, the pupils handled the imaginary creature with high levels of sensitivity, kindness and respect. Good relationships between teachers and pupils provide a good context for promoting
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spirituality, as pupils are not afraid of discussing their inner feelings, or sharing their opinions.
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34. The school promotes pupils’ moral and social development very well, fostering a good sense of community, which promotes respect for individuals. Pupils’ moral development is very good, and is strongly promoted through the religious education curriculum, through very good personal, social and health education lessons, and in assemblies. Positive guidance from teachers and other adults in school ensures that most pupils distinguish between right and wrong. Playtimes provide a very good framework of moral values, where pupils play with each other within an agreed and accepted code of behaviour. Pupils display good levels of self-control and consideration for others. Throughout the school teachers effectively help pupils to gain a wider understanding of morality when they present topics such as the pollution of the environment, or the destruction of rainforests.
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35. The provision for the social development of the pupils is very good. The school’s Personal, Social and Health Education programme is very well embedded in the curriculum and is taught regularly throughout the school This ensures that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, develop a very good range of social skills, and the personal qualities necessary for taking their place in society. Pupils are encouraged to undertake a variety of monitorial roles, for example, holding doors open for their class and others to walk through, taking the register to the office, collecting and putting away play equipment in the playground. Adults in the school set a very good example, and their positive manner encourages pupils to give their best. The deputy headteacher holds a weekly ‘social skills’ group for pupils whom it is believed will benefit from additional opportunities to develop their
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social awareness. These group meetings are very successful and pupils are keen to become involved.
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36. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory overall. The school is aware of the need to prepare pupils for life in a multicultural society, and satisfactory opportunities are provided to ensure that the pupils are aware of cultural diversity. Pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are encouraged to explore their beliefs and attitudes through discussion, and this helps them to reach their own views. There are some planned opportunities for the pupils to learn about other cultures through activities in music, art and design, history and religious education, but even more could to be done to raise the pupils’ awareness and to heighten their understanding. The school positively celebrates the richness of other cultures. Theatre trips, and the input of visiting speakers, raise the pupils’ awareness of British traditions and customs, as do some of the lessons in history and geography that focus on the development and
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
37. The school cares very well for the pupils, and this is a similar picture to the time of the last inspection. Very good procedures are in place for ensuring the pupils’ welfare, Fulbourn Primary School - 21 health and safety, and for child protection. The governors and all staff give health and safety a very high priority and this has created a safe learning environment for the pupils. The Governing Body reviews the health and safety policy regularly, and risk assessments have been carried out. All members of staff have undertaken emergency first-aid training, and some have qualifications in first aid. Teachers and learning support assistants are made aware of the specific needs of any child with health problems, and detailed instructions about emergency procedures are appropriately located and well known to all staff. Parents are informed when their child has suffered a significant injury at school, and to prompt parents to come into school to talk to the
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teacher when pupils have had bumps on the head, pupils are given a special sticker to wear.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
38. The curriculum includes drugs and sex education, and these aspects are taught in a sensitive way that reflects the age and maturity of the pupils. The school is very effective in promoting a healthy lifestyle, by reminding pupils about the effect of exercise on their bodies, and by encouraging them to bring fruit as snacks. There are very good opportunities for pupils to explore important personal and social issues within the safe and secure context of personal, social and health education lessons, and pupils are confident about approaching their teachers or other adults in the school if they have problems. The school’s arrangements for child protection are very good, and all staff are aware of the need to be vigilant of the pupils in their care. The designated person who has responsibility for this aspect of the school’s work attends regular training, and passes information on to teachers and support staff. The mid-day supervisors have not
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yet been included in this training, but this is a planned area of development.
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39. There are good procedures for monitoring attendance. Any absence not supported by a note or telephone call from parents or carers is followed up immediately, and any problems or concerns are referred to the headteacher. The headteacher and the education welfare officer meet regularly, and where there is a concern about attendance or punctuality appropriate procedures are followed.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
40. The school has good procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour, and this helps to make the school an orderly and pleasant community. However, some teachers are not always consistent in their management of behaviour and this leads to confusion for the pupils when they are taught by different teachers. The focus of the school’s behaviour management strategy is on recognising and rewarding good behaviour, which encourages the majority of pupils to behave well. There are school and class rules, which pupils themselves help to formulate. Pupils know these rules and are aware that good behaviour is recognised and rewarded. Pupils are encouraged to tell a teacher or other adult if they are being bullied and this, together with the action taken, successfully eliminates oppressive behaviour. The evidence of the inspection, including parents’ views expressed in questionnaires and at the parents’ meeting,
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confirms that the school’s procedures are largely successful in achieving the high standards of behaviour observed. However, a small number of pupils occasionally have difficulty in controlling their behaviour in lessons, and the sanctions in the behaviour policy are not always sufficiently effective in helping some teachers to deal with the situation.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
41. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are good, and are enhanced by the teachers’ good knowledge of pupils as individuals. Each teacher has a pastoral role for pupils in their care, and teachers are very well supported by learning support assistants in this role. Pupils’ good achievements are recognised and rewarded, and this has a positive effect on their attitudes. A number of children are identified as having particular personal and social development needs, and they attend Fulbourn Primary School - 22 a weekly social skills group led by the deputy headteacher. This is very effective and popular with the pupils and their parents. The school’s personal, social and health education programme makes a very good contribution to pupils’ personal development.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
42. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and ensures that they make very good progress towards their individual targets. Whenever possible, pupils are involved in setting their own targets for improvement and in monitoring their own progress. This practice is very effective in helping the pupils to take some responsibility for their learning, and for helping them to see the progress they are making. Pupils with statements of special educational needs receive very good levels of support, and learning support assistants who work with these pupils on a ‘one to one’ basis, are very sensitive and caring in the way in which they support the pupils. The school gives good support to those pupils with English as an additional language, and also to pupils who are gifted and talented. The school’s equal opportunities policy is very good, and the school is very effective in the way in which it promotes racial
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43. In the Reception classes, the use of assessment to plan the next stage of children’s learning is very good. Teachers make regular and accurate assessments of the children’s progress and attainment, and over the course of the Foundation Stage build up a good picture of the learning of individual children. In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the school’s arrangements for assessing and monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science have improved since the last inspection and are now good overall. The use of target setting to help the pupils to focus on their learning is particularly successful in English. The school now uses a good range of assessment activities to measure, track and monitor the pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. Assessment procedures in English, mathematics and science are effectively used to inform the grouping of pupils, the deployment of support staff and to
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respond to pupils’ individual needs. However, although assessment procedures in English, mathematics and science are well developed, there is little formal assessment and recording of assessment information in other subjects, with the result that the school has no real mechanism for tracking the pupils’ attainment and progress as they move through the school. The school makes effective use of assessment information to identify pupils who are gifted and talented, and those who have special educational needs. Although largely informal, the school’s procedures for monitoring the pupils’ personal progress are good overall.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
44. The school makes every effort to work closely with parents and carers, and the vast majority are pleased with the school, and with the education it provides. Parents agree that the teaching is good, and say that the school is well led and managed, although a few parents believe that the school could be even more effective in working with parents. Whilst parents are pleased with the small class sizes, a small number of parents, despite the reassurances of the school, would prefer their children to be taught in single age classes. Parents are appreciative of the welcome they receive when they visit school, and agree that the headteacher and staff are pleasant, accessible and approachable. Whilst most parents are pleased with the level of information they receive, a small number would like more information about their children’s progress. Parents agree that behaviour is good and that bullying is not a problem. Most parents
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are happy with the amount of homework their children receive, but some are not happy about the amount or frequency of homework. Some parents would like more extra- curricular activities. The inspection findings fully support the very positive views expressed by many parents, but do not support the negative views. The school has been active in seeking the views of parents, through their own questionnaire, and Fulbourn Primary School - 23 through regular informal discussions, but despite these efforts, and regular invitations to the parents to come into school to talk to staff, a small core of parents are dissatisfied with some aspects of the school’s work.
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45. The school provides very good information for parents and carers that gives them a very good overview of the school’s routines and keeps them up to date with the life and work of the school. The prospectus and governors’ annual report are excellent. They are informative, and extremely attractive and ‘user-friendly’, and a great deal of effort goes into their preparation. Both documents are printed in colour and they include photographs of teachers and examples of pupils’ work. The documents go beyond the legal requirements to provide interesting and useful information for parents. At the time of the last inspection, the annual report to parents and the prospectus did not meet statutory requirements, and the improvement in this particular aspect of the school’s work is excellent.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
46. The school’s admission procedures ensure that parents and their children are given a warm welcome to the school. Parents of pre-Reception children are offered open evenings where they can meet staff and ask questions, and home visits are available at the request of parents. New parents receive copies of the weekly newsletter in the term prior to their children starting school, and this makes them feel very welcome. The school is currently in the process of putting relevant information for parents onto the school’s web site.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
47. The school provides parents and carers with useful additional information to help them to support their child’s education, such as guidance on hearing reading and helping with homework. Each teacher sends information to parents at the start of the term about homework expectations and class routines, and teachers also send a topic web so that parents and carers are aware of the work that their child will be doing in the term ahead. At the end of each academic year parents receive a good quality written report about their children’s progress, which tells them how well their child is doing, and gives future targets for the core subjects. Children add their own views about what they think they are good at, and what they feel they need to improve on, and there is a section for parents to add their comments too.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
48. The school provides very good levels of information for parents and carers of pupils who have special educational needs. Parents are invited to regular reviews about their children’s progress, although some parents do not take advantage of these invitations.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
49. Parents are given the opportunity to contribute to school development by means of questionnaires, consultation meetings and joining working parties on, for example, reviewing the homework policy. There are three termly consultation meetings for parents as well as a monthly opportunity for discussions with teachers. Teachers greet their pupils each morning on the playground, and this gives parents another opportunity for a quick word about anything that is bothering them. The school nurse is available to see parents fortnightly about any health issues about which they have concerns.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
50. A number of parents help out regularly in class and this provides valuable additional support in some lessons. An active parent-teacher association organises social events that raise additional money for the children’s education. Overall, the input and support of parents have a good impact on the work of the school, and on the pupils’ learning.
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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
Fulbourn Primary School - 24 51. The quality of leadership and management is very good, and this aspect of the school’s work is a significant strength. The headteacher, Governing Body and senior management team work closely together to promote a caring and dynamic school community. There has been good improvement since the time of the last inspection in terms of the school’s leadership and management, and the headteacher, Governing Body and key staff have built very successfully on the positive features described in the last report, and have successfully addressed all issues.
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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
52. The leadership of the headteacher is excellent. She has a very clear vision for the future development of the school, and a great deal of energy, expertise and enthusiasm. She is an excellent manager, who has a very clear understanding of the school’s needs. The school development plan reflects this, and the long term planning now has the right amount of detail, and is considerably better than it was at the time of the last inspection. In her two years in the school, the headteacher has put in place thoughtful procedures that reflect the school’s aims and values very well. She is very committed to enabling all pupils to reach their full potential, and to ensuring that they make the best progress possible. In pursuit of these very inclusive aims, she has, with the support of the Governing Body, obtained grants to develop an information and communication technology suite and a designated outdoor play area for the Reception
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children. A very large proportion of parents feel that the school is well managed. The headteacher has established a very good and productive partnership with the Governing Body. Together they develop ways of monitoring and further improving the school, and of improving the education it provides. The headteacher enjoys the support of an excellent deputy headteacher, who shares the headteacher’s enthusiasm for the school, and who carries out her responsibilities in a thoroughly professional and systematic manner.
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53. At the time of the last inspection, the leadership role was almost entirely the responsibility of the previous headteacher. Now, the management team shares the responsibility very well. Members of the Senior Management Team maintain the school’s appraisal and performance management procedures, and the monitoring and evaluation of the school’s work are good. The Senior Management Team undertakes annual performance reviews of all staff, including learning support assistants, sets appropriate objectives for improvement, and reviews the degree of success with which the objectives are met. These processes make a significant contribution to the effective management of the school and to the continuing improvement of provision.
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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
54. The overall role of subject co-ordinators is generally well developed, and most co- ordinators have a good general overview of how their subjects are being taught throughout the school. However, with the exception of English and mathematics, the monitoring role of the co-ordinators is still under developed. The school has firm plans for all co-ordinators to take a more active role in monitoring teaching and learning through classroom observation, and this planned programme will ensure that the current variations in teaching within subjects will be highlighted and addressed, and will enable the school to share some of the very good practice seen during the inspection.
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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
55. The school is extremely effective in the way in which it provides for pupils who have special educational needs. The special educational needs co-ordinator provides excellent guidance for colleagues, and has overall responsibility for the work of the learning support assistants, many of whom are linked on a ‘one to one’ basis with individual pupils who have statements of special educational needs. The school has a very good equal opportunities policy which ensures that all pupils are fully included in the life of the school. A good racial equality policy has been drawn up, and pupils are taught to be respectful and tolerant of the views and lifestyles of others. The school has Fulbourn Primary School - 25 some facilities for people with disabilities, but because of the split site nature of the school, some parts are only accessible by short flights of stairs. The headteacher, staff and Governing Body are committed to ensuring that all pupils are valued as individuals,
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and parents are very pleased with the way in which the school acknowledges and addresses the needs of the individual.
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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
56. The Governing Body is very effective and efficient, and provides very good support for the school. All statutory requirements are met. The governors have a range of expertise and form a very effective and committed team. They not only have a high commitment to the school, but also have very good knowledge and understanding of the school’s successes and areas that need developing. The Chair of the Governing Body is experienced, and very well-informed and knowledgeable. The headteacher, and Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body meet regularly to discuss school development. This regular interaction is very helpful in moving the school forward. The Governing Body takes part in a well conceived rolling programme of visits, and these opportunities for the governors to visit the school regularly give them a good insight into the way in which the school is run. Appropriate committees have been set up to ensure that
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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
issues are fully discussed, and all governors are fully involved in making decisions about the management and future development of the school. Staff and governors have a high commitment to improving the school still further, both in terms of the site and buildings, and the standards achieved.
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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
57. The school has very good, well established systems for managing and controlling the budget. Spending decisions are firmly linked to the educational priorities identified in the School Development Plan. The school’s budget is efficiently managed by the administrative officer, and is monitored very conscientiously by the headteacher and Governing Body. The school is very effective in the way in which it uses specific grants. The governors and headteacher give very careful consideration to major spending decisions, and this enables the school to make best use of its funds. The school has over the past few years increased the number of learning support assistants. This was a very good decision which has benefited pupils of all abilities. The school effectively applies the principles of best value, and carefully monitors the impact of major spending decisions.
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
58. The school has enough suitably qualified and experienced teachers for the number of pupils on roll, and employs a generous number of learning support assistants. Teachers take part in a good range of training, and information from courses is effectively shared. The headteacher has a voluntary teaching commitment, which enables staff to be released for such activities as orchestra. Classroom support staff are very effectively deployed and make a very good contribution to pupils’ learning. Good procedures are in place for the induction of new staff to the school. The secretary, caretaker and other ancillary staff are very committed to the school, and are very supportive of both pupils and teachers.
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
59. The school’s accommodation is good, although because the school is at capacity, the headteacher’s office is regularly used as a teaching area for small groups. There are good facilities for reception and administration, and classrooms are of adequate size. The hall is well used for dining, physical education and music tuition. The new computer suite is a valuable addition to the school and is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning in information and communication technology. Two new classrooms were added recently to the school, and a superb new outdoor climbing area for the Reception children is nearing completion. The library is located in two separate circulation areas in different parts of the building. Neither of these areas is very suitable Fulbourn Primary School - 26 for individual research and private study, but there are no other suitable locations. The outside hard-surfaced and grassed areas are in good condition, and of good size.
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
60. Learning resources are good for English, science, information and communication technology, art and design, design and technology, history and physical education. Resources for mathematics, geography and music are satisfactory. Resources for religious education are currently unsatisfactory because there are not enough good quality artefacts to enable teachers to bring the subject alive for the pupils.
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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
61. The school was last inspected in March 1998, and very good progress has been made since that time across many aspects of its work. In the light of the good standards attained by pupils in a range of subjects by the time they leave school at the age of eleven, the overall good progress of most pupils, the good quality of teaching and learning throughout the school, and the many other strengths of the school’s work, the school is giving very good value for money. Fulbourn Primary School - 27
p.26
classes, so that the National Curriculum programmes of study can be covered
in enough depth. (paragraphs 7, 9, 129, 131, 132)
p.27
other than English and mathematics so that variations can be identified,
weaknesses addressed, and very good practice shared and celebrated. (paragraphs 18, 54, 115, 128, 133, 138, 143, 154)
p.27
other than English, mathematics and science, so that pupils’ progress and
attainment in these subjects can be carefully tracked and monitored. (paragraphs 43, 123, 128, 133, 143, 149, 154)
p.27
Other minor issues which should be considered by the school:-
• the school should look at ways in which homework might be used in subjects other than English and mathematics to extend pupils’ learning; (paragraphs 24, 132, 137, 153) • the school should ensure that information and communication technology is used more frequently in all classes to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum; (paragraphs 8, 107, 122, 128, 133, 138, 139, 143, 149) • the school should increase the range, quantity and quality of resources for religious education; (paragraphs 60, 160) • teachers should ensure that they are consistent in their use of the school’s agreed behaviour management strategies; (paragraphs 11, 19, 40) Fulbourn Primary School - 28
p.27
Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection
Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 28
p.28
Summary of teaching observed during the inspection
Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor
p.28
Summary of teaching observed during the inspection
The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 27
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 34
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 5
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 31
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
English as an additional language No of pupils
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils with English as an additional language 4
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16
p.28
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 15
p.28
Attendance
National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Fulbourn Primary School - 29 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.
p.28
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 17 23 40
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Boys 15 14 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 18 21
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Percentage of pupils School 88 (83) 80 (83) 90 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Boys 16 16 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 20 16
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Percentage of pupils School 93 (77) 90 (86) 78 (80) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)
Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 19 15 34
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)
National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)
Boys 16 16 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 12 14
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)
Percentage of pupils School 82 (82) 82 (79) 97 (91) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)
Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)
Boys 15 16 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 13 12
p.29
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)
Percentage of pupils School 79 (79) 85 (74) 85 (79) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Fulbourn Primary School - 30 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Fulbourn Primary School - 31
p.29
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 White – British 200 1 0 White – Irish 0 0 0 White – any other White background 8 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 2 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Indian 2 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0 Black or Black British – African 0 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0 Chinese 0 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 0 0 0 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.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Qualified teachers and classes: YR– Y6 Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.5 Financial year 2001/2002 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24 Average class size 27 £ Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 542,764 Total number of education support staff 10 Total expenditure 553,014 Total aggregate hours worked per week 187 Expenditure per pupil 2,239 Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 13,760 Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A Balance carried forward to next year 31,244 Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A Total number of education support staff N/A Total aggregate hours worked per week N/A Number of pupils per FTE adult N/A FTE means full-time equivalent.
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Recruitment of teachers Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4 Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4.6
p.31
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Fulbourn Primary School - 32
p.31
Results of the survey of parents and carers
Percentage of responses in each category
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
My child is making good progress in school. 49 47 3 1 0
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
Behaviour in the school is good. 18 66 15 0 1
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 23 40 28 1 8
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 45 12 3 0
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 43 45 8 4 0
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 43 55 1 0 1
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
The school works closely with parents. 28 49 19 4 0
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
The school is well led and managed. 37 59 3 0 1
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 46 50 0 3 1
p.32
Results of the survey of parents and carers
The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 36 43 13 4 4 Fulbourn Primary School - 33
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
62. The school currently has forty six children in its Reception classes. At the time of the inspection, which took place in the very early part of the autumn term, half attended in the morning and half attended in the afternoon. Children begin their schooling with levels of attainment that are below expectations for their age, and in their time in the Foundation Stage they make good progress overall. By the time they enter Year 1, the vast majority of the children have attained the Early Learning Goals in their personal, social and emotional development, and in their creative development. Many children attain beyond the early learning goals in their physical development. Despite making good progress, in communication, language and literacy, and in terms of their mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world, many children do not attain the Early Learning Goals in these areas because of their low
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
starting point. Standards are broadly the same as they were at the time of the last inspection, but the overall provision for Reception children has improved.
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
63. The quality of teaching and learning in the Reception classes is good overall, and during the course of the inspection some examples of very good and excellent teaching were observed. The teachers’ long term planning provides for a full coverage of the Early Learning Goals for children in the Reception year of the Foundation Stage, and there is a good balance between activities the children choose themselves and those which are directed by an adult. The classteachers are supported by very dedicated and well-briefed learning support assistants who play a crucial role, especially in terms of developing the children’s ongoing spoken language skills, and in promoting their personal and social development. Very good use is made of assessment to check the children’s progress and when planning the next stage of their learning. Staff are vigilant in identifying children who may have special educational needs, and this early
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
identification is very beneficial, and enables swift intervention. Likewise, teachers quickly identify children who may be gifted or talented and make additional provision for these children to ensure that they are fully challenged. Teachers know the children well and through good personal relationships, and good teaching, they create a secure and happy learning environment for all children.
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
64. The Reception classes have recently moved into their current classrooms and the full range of facilities is still under development. In the very near future the children will have access to a small environmental area with a pond, access to a hard play area shared with the rest of the school, and direct access from the classrooms onto a newly built dedicated play area containing attractive and imaginative play structures. This dedicated outdoor play area is in the course of being completed, and the children are becoming increasingly excited about using the new area and equipment. The classrooms are of a good size and are well equipped with provision for sand and water play, role-play and areas for quiet reflection. The Reception children have access to a wide range of good quality learning resources which are used very effectively to enhance the children’s learning. Books and early reading materials are of good quality
p.33
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
and are well used. Computers are available in each classroom and the children also have access to the recently installed computer suite where the school is building a resource bank suitable for children in the Foundation Stage. Fulbourn Primary School - 34
p.33
Personal, social and emotional development
65. The teaching in this area of learning is good and the children make good progress, attaining the level expected for their age group by the time they enter Year 1. The children quickly settle into the routines of the school and most willingly share toys and equipment. Although a few children have difficulty in forming relationships with other children, most are very co-operative, and a small number deliberately seek out others to share activities. Staff are very effective in encouraging the children to work collaboratively, and in monitoring shared tasks so that all children have full and equal access. The use of ‘stars’ to show the children which activities they are engaged in encourages them in their independent behaviour, and enables them to become self- reliant very quickly. Teachers encourage the children to resolve minor disputes amicably, and this was noticeable in the inspection during outdoor play, when
p.34
Personal, social and emotional development
individuals competed for access to the wheeled toys and large play apparatus.
p.34
Personal, social and emotional development
66. From the start, the Reception children are encouraged to take responsibility for organising aspects of their work. In their play they are expected to take out, and put away, materials and equipment, and the children know that it is important to maintain the tidiness and cleanliness of the classroom. Each child recognises a responsibility for their personal space, such as their coat peg, and also a shared responsibility for taking care of things belonging to others. Although they dress and undress at differing rates, the vast majority of children show a good level of independence and they are developing an awareness of the rules of safety and personal hygiene.
p.34
Personal, social and emotional development
67. As they progress through the Reception year, the children develop good levels of confidence. They take part in some whole-school assemblies, and these occasions provide a very good opportunity for the Reception children to see how older children behave, and for them to gain a feeling of being a part of the whole school community.
p.34
Communication, language and literacy
68. Pupils generally start from a lower than average level in communication, language and literacy. Because of good teaching, the vast majority make good progress in this area of learning, although a significant number do not attain the expected level by the end of the Reception year. Teachers provide a good range of activities that effectively promote early reading and writing skills, and the promotion of spoken language is an ongoing priority for all staff.
p.34
Communication, language and literacy
69. Most children communicate well with their teachers and learning support assistants, but a high number of children answer only in single words and short phrases. Higher attainers make good use of a wide vocabulary to express their ideas, but the lower attaining pupils have only a limited vocabulary on which to draw. Teachers and learning support assistants are very effective in the way in which they promote dialogue when the children are engaged in role-play activities, or when they are playing with sand and water. A small number of children maintain a constant dialogue with their companions, and are keen to describe and talk about what they are doing. Teachers and learning support assistants provide good role models for language development, and they encourage the children in their learning by allowing them time to formulate answers to questions, and by talking to them about things in which they are particularly interested.
p.34
Communication, language and literacy
Regularly, during the course of the inspection, children were asked challenging questions, and the good use of open-ended questions provoked some very thoughtful responses. 70. Teachers very successfully promote early reading skills and encourage the children to share their love of literature. ‘Big Books’ are used to good effect, and many children Fulbourn Primary School - 35 respond very positively. Most children have favourite stories, which they retell with varying degrees of accuracy, but always with enthusiasm. Higher attaining children are developing an appreciation of the characters in their storybooks. The willingness of these children to invent new storylines shows a good degree of self-confidence and imagination, as seen in the group restructuring the experiences of Humpty-Dumpty. Some children in the Reception classes quickly acquire an appreciation of the printed word, but for others the idea that print conveys meaning is difficult for them to
p.34
Communication, language and literacy
understand. Most pupils orientate their books correctly, and understand that the pictures have a part to play in telling the story. The children have access to a good range of books and regularly take books home to read with their parents or carers.
p.35
Communication, language and literacy
71. Children of all abilities make good progress in developing early writing skills. Higher attainers are aware that it is possible to write words, and most children willingly engage in early mark-making activities that help them to learn pencil control and to practise the formation of letters. Most children quickly learn how to write their own names and to recognise their names on labels.
p.35
Mathematical development
72. The teaching of mathematical development is good and all children make good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of number, shape, size and capacity. However, not all children attain the Early Learning Goals in this area of learning because of their low starting point, and by the end of the Foundation Stage, the children’s overall attainment is below the expected level. A good range of mathematical equipment is available to the children, including some new and exciting outdoor games that they can play with large dice and dominoes.
p.35
Mathematical development
73. Number activities are a regular feature in the Reception classes, and the children have many good formal and informal opportunities to recite numbers in rhymes, to recognise them in games, and to take part in simple counting activities during structured play sessions. In groups, most children are confident when counting to ten, and higher attainers sometimes go beyond this point. By the end of the Reception year some children have a secure understanding of how to add and take away numbers, but others do not grasp this idea until a later stage.
p.35
Mathematical development
74. Teachers provide good opportunities for the children to develop mathematical vocabulary through their play. For example, when pouring water from large containers into smaller containers, the children are encouraged to talk about what they are doing, and through ongoing dialogue with the children, adults draw out the comparative terms of ‘larger/smaller’, ‘more/less than. During the inspection, children enjoyed the experience of water overflowing from the containers, and higher attainers were starting to show an awareness of the relative size of different containers.
p.35
Mathematical development
75. By the end of the Reception year, the children have benefited from regular opportunities to match and sort objects according to criteria such as size, colour and shape, and higher attainers often select their own criteria for sorting. Puzzles help the children to gain an early understanding of the notion of problem solving, and opportunities for the children to thread beads are effective in helping them to gain an appreciation of repeating patterns.
p.35
Knowledge and understanding of the world
76. The teaching of knowledge and understanding of the world is good, and children of all abilities make good progress in this area of their development. By the time they transfer Fulbourn Primary School - 36 to Year 1, although some children achieve the Early Learning Goals in this area of learning, the majority of children are still working at below the expected level because of their low starting point in terms of their experience of the world in which they live.
p.35
Knowledge and understanding of the world
77. Children are made aware of the significant features of their classroom environments and from this secure base they begin to explore more widely. From the classroom windows they can view the small and attractive outdoor environmental area which contains a pond and a range of attractive plants, and the children show high levels of interest in this area. Some children have a good appreciation of the life cycle of a frog, and know some of the life that exists in ponds. The children’s observation and enquiry skills are effectively promoted when they grow plants, and some children have made their own miniature gardens. Teachers and other adults are very effective in the way in which they remind the children of the need to have respect for living things. During the inspection, a small collection of living spiders was the source of much fascination, and was used very well by the teachers to promote descriptive and scientific language.
p.36
Knowledge and understanding of the world
78. Most children are keen to talk about their journeys to and from school, and they know that being safe is an important principal governing their experience of the world. However, few remember the landmarks they pass on their way to school. When engaged in role-play in the classroom shop they are able to act out their growing awareness of the significance of the shopping expedition, and higher attainers talk with authority about their experiences of the local supermarket. Through their participation in the assemblies, and the daily routines of lessons, playtime and snacktime, the children are developing a good understanding of the routines of the school day and a sense of the passage of time. Higher attaining children have a good sense of gender relationships, and those children with older brothers or sisters in the school show an understanding of the importance of age in establishing status. Whilst most children
p.36
Knowledge and understanding of the world
describe the main relationships in their immediate families, few children have yet sorted out what the relationship of their aunties, uncles and grandparents is to their parents.
p.36
Knowledge and understanding of the world
79. The children benefit from having regular access to the computer suite, where they have good opportunities to learn important basic computer skills. Most children have satisfactory mouse control for their age, and an awareness of how to use the mouse to control events on the computer screen.
p.36
Knowledge and understanding of the world
80. Religious education is taught regularly to the Reception children, but none was seen during the inspection.
p.36
Physical development
81. Teaching in this area is good and the children make good progress. By the time they transfer to Year 1, most children achieve beyond the Early Learning Goals in this area of their learning.
p.36
Physical development
82. In their classrooms the children move with a good sense of balance and confidence, and are generally mindful of the needs of other children in the room. Outside they play in robust but safe ways, and are well supervised by teachers and support staff. When undertaking physical activities in the school hall, they use space well and many children have a good sense of balance when off the ground on small apparatus. The children respond well to the teachers’ instructions and stretch, curl and move in different ways. Almost all children have very good levels of confidence and little sense of fear as they work on climbing apparatus. The children will shortly have access to a new physical and role-play area adjacent to their classrooms and they have already been able to make an initial voyage of discovery into this potentially exciting new resource. In their Fulbourn Primary School - 37 conversations it is apparent that they have many ideas for the physical activities that
p.36
Physical development
will be associated with the new play area. Many of the children are able to dress and undress with some skill but at varying speeds. They can turn their garments to the correct position and are able to manipulate them over their heads in many cases. In the development of the physical skills of dressing and undressing teachers also encourage the children in the social skills of shared activities and helping each other.
p.37
Physical development
83. Many of the children arrive in school with some experience of using pencils, paintbrushes and scissors and they exhibit a good degree of fine-motor control when using these tools. Teachers effectively encourage independence in the use of equipment such as brushes and scissors and the children are beginning to apply these skills well when carrying out art work.
p.37
Creative development
84. The teaching of creative development is good and the children make good progress in this area of learning. By the end of the Foundation Stage, most children attain the Early Learning Goals in terms of their creative development. The children’s art work is highly valued and is displayed around the classrooms, helping to give the children a feeling of ownership of the room.
p.37
Creative development
85. A good range of resources is available to the children, and they regularly have the opportunity to experiment with paints, clay, sand, water, construction and modelling materials. When making their miniature gardens, the children successfully and confidently used materials of differing character, such as peat and straw. In their painting of portraits and more abstract patterns the children use and mix colours well, and also make art with the use of finger paints. Teachers are very successful in the way in which they promote language development as the children discuss and evaluate their own work and share the joys of the work done by their classmates. For example, during the inspection, children expressed their feelings about using finger paints before they started an art activity.
p.37
Creative development
86. Role-play is used very well to enhance the children’s creative development. The children greatly enjoy acting out a variety of relationships in their beach shop, and most show a good understanding of the customer shopkeeper relationship. Higher attaining children are often very creative in their appreciation of the use of money in commercial transactions and guard their resources with care. Fulbourn Primary School - 38
p.37
ENGLISH
87. The results of the 2001 national tests show that standards in reading at the end of Key Stage 1 are below the national average, and that standards in writing are well below the national average. In comparison with similar schools, standards are average in reading, but below average in writing. The inspection findings indicate that standards in writing are starting to improve, although they are still slightly below national expectations, and that standards in reading continue to be below national expectations. The unvalidated 2002 test results indicate a similar picture to the inspection findings. The school has recently implemented a range of strategies to raise standards further in reading and writing, but they have not yet had time to impact fully on the pupils’ attainment. Standards in speaking and listening at the end of Key Stage 1 are below national expectations, and the promotion of these skills is an ongoing area for development. On
p.38
ENGLISH
the basis of the 2001 national test results at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is above the national average, and well above average in comparison with similar schools. The inspection findings confirm the 2001 test results, and indicate that overall pupils’ attainment is above national expectations, although standards in speaking and listening are relatively weaker, and are in line with national expectations. The unvalidated 2002 test results suggest that standards are similar to what they were in 2001. Standards at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are broadly the same as they were at the time of the last inspection.
p.38
ENGLISH
88. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall in Key Stage 1 from a low starting point, and most pupils make good progress in writing. In Key Stage 2, pupils make consistently good progress in reading and writing as they move through the key stage, and their progress in speaking and listening is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs in both key stages receive very good levels of additional support which enable them to meet the targets in their individual education plans, and their overall progress is similar to their classmates. Pupils for whom English is an additional language are well supported and because of very good classroom support, they are able to take a full and active part in all lessons. The school has been effective in identifying pupils who are high attainers, and lessons provide good levels of challenge for these pupils. There is no marked difference in the achievement of boys and girls
p.38
ENGLISH
89. Pupils’ attainment in speaking and listening is below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1. By the end of the key stage, the majority of pupils listen attentively, although there are times, such as in whole school assemblies, when their attention wanders and they lose concentration. Higher attaining pupils speak confidently in a range of contexts, and take an active part in responding to teachers' questions, often giving complex answers. However, a high proportion of pupils of lower ability are more tentative when responding verbally, and many have difficulty in explaining and developing their ideas because of limited vocabulary. The school recognises the need to continue to promote speaking and listening skills, and to extend the vocabulary of the lower attaining pupils so that they can express their ideas more clearly.
p.38
ENGLISH
90. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in speaking and listening is at the expected level. Although the majority of pupils take a full and active part in class and group discussions, some pupils remain passive and do not participate unless cajoled by their teachers. Higher attaining pupils use a rich and varied vocabulary to express themselves, but as in Key Stage 1, the lower attaining pupils have only a limited vocabulary on which to draw, and their answers to questions are often brief. There are many good opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to talk about their work, or to informally discuss topics, such as in personal, social and health education sessions, but currently there are not enough formal opportunities for the pupils to develop their Fulbourn Primary School - 39 speaking and listening skills, for example through planned debates, whole class presentations or drama activities.
p.38
ENGLISH
91. Attainment in reading is below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1. By the age of seven, above average pupils enjoy reading and are able to talk about the plot and compare their current reading with material read previously They express their preferences confidently, justify choices and know how to retrieve information. They are familiar with the organisation of non-fiction books, and use the contents and index pages to find information quickly. Although average and lower attaining pupils are keen to talk about the content of their books, they often read hesitantly, and are much less forthcoming when invited to comment on the plot, characters or their preferences. Some pupils make good use of phonics to decode unknown words, but lower attaining pupils rely heavily on the pictures for clues about the text, and are not always sufficiently confident about tackling unfamiliar words. A small number of higher attaining
p.39
ENGLISH
pupils confidently predict what they think will happen next in the stories they are reading, but the majority of pupils are not at this stage in their learning.
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ENGLISH
92. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils attain standards that are above national expectations in their reading. Most Year 6 pupils are confident readers who read extensively in a range of genres. They cope well with demanding material, read independently and use non-fiction material well for research purposes. Pupils enjoy talking about the books they have read, and express preferences for favourite styles and authors.
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93. Pupils throughout the school keep a record of their reading in a home/school diary, and these diaries contain useful diagnostic comments. The majority of parents add their own comments, and the diaries are a useful informal means of communication between the home and the school. Library facilities have improved since the last inspection with a sufficient number of books to meet the pupils' needs. Guided reading is taught effectively in most classes, and where these sessions are well led they have a very positive impact on the pupils’ learning.
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94. Attainment in writing is below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1. By the age of seven, higher attaining pupils develop their ideas in sequence, use punctuation well, and take care with spelling and handwriting. These pupils write extensively and choose vocabulary imaginatively, with some starting to review what they have read, and comment on story structure. However, whilst many Key Stage 1 pupils manage to communicate meaning, the majority do not write in sentences, and have difficulty in sustaining and developing their ideas. The spelling of lower attaining pupils is often inaccurate, and these pupils do not consistently use and apply their knowledge of punctuation and grammar when engaged in writing activities. Although there are regular opportunities for pupils to take part in writing tasks, the time allowed for some writing activities in the literacy sessions is short, and the lower attaining pupils have difficulty in
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formulating and organising their ideas within the allotted time.
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ENGLISH
95. By the age of eleven, pupils’ attainment in writing is above national expectations. Higher attainers write extensively and produce a variety of narrative and non-narrative texts. Writing is well organised with appropriate use of paragraphs and complex sentences. Pupils write in a variety of styles and genres, including poetry, fables and ‘promotional’ writing. Pupils make very good progress in their writing because in many instances it is thoroughly marked with constructive comments highlighting strengths and weaknesses, and guidance as to how work can be improved. The use of ‘unaided’ writing as a means of assessing pupils' progress and attainment, and to set targets, is a strength. In the best practice weaknesses that have been identified in one piece of work are followed up with comments showing pupils how and where they have made Fulbourn Primary School - 40 concrete improvements. The handwriting of most Key Stage 2 pupils is legible, fluent
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and mostly joined, and most pupils take care with grammar and spelling.
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96. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, as it was at the time of the last inspection. Where the best teaching occurs, teachers have a very good knowledge and understanding of the subject, and this is reflected in effective teaching methods, high expectations and well planned activities. The National Literacy Strategy has been effectively implemented in all classes, and the available lesson time is used well. Lessons are clearly focussed to enable pupils ample time for discussion of shared texts and the rehearsal and practice of key elements. Teachers in both key stages work hard to motivate the pupils and to encourage them to take a full and active part in lessons. During the inspection, this was well illustrated in a Year 2 lesson, when the teacher introduced a game whereby pupils constructed sentences, and clapped their hands every time they reached a full stop, and raised their hands when they heard a
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‘time phrase’ used. Teachers provide good opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to use their literacy skills, and are very effective at promoting subject specific vocabulary so that pupils can express their ideas more clearly. In all classes learning support assistants make a very good contribution to the pupils’ learning, especially when they are working with lower ability groups and groups of pupils with special educational needs. This additional classroom support has a very positive impact on the pupils’ progress and ensures the smooth running of lessons. Pupils in both key stages have good attitudes to the subject, and the majority put a good amount of effort into their work. Pupils of all ages work very well together in groups and pairs, sharing the writing of a story, for example. Good use is made of homework to enhance and extend the pupils’ learning, although some tasks could be a little more imaginative.
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ENGLISH
97. The subject is well led by an enthusiastic and committed co-ordinator who is very keen to raise standards further. Both the analysis of data and the monitoring of teaching and learning have been used judiciously to identify priorities for development with a clear focus on raising achievement. This process is also effectively used to identify groups and individuals whose achievement exceeds or falls short of expectations to determine the kind and amount of support needed. Assessment systems and procedures are good overall, and a distinctive strength is the system used for setting targets which arise from ongoing marking. These are well defined, realistic and often used to remind pupils of the improvements they should be striving for. Targets are shared with parents, and pupils are invited to comment on their own progress in relation to the targets. This enables pupils to have a good overview and understanding of the extent of their
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ENGLISH
learning. The teaching of some Key Stage 2 pupils in ability groups is having a positive impact, and enables teachers to closely match work to the pupils’ individual needs. Resources for the subject are good, and they are well used by teachers to enliven lessons. Information and communication technology is appropriately used in the subject and pupils have good opportunities to word-process pieces of writing, to rearrange text, and to combine text and graphics. English makes a good contribution to the pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and there are many good opportunities for pupils to enjoy reading, to listen to stories, and to use language to express their ideas about the world in which they live.
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MATHEMATICS
98. The results of the 2001 national tests show that standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are below the national average, and average in comparison with similar schools. At the end of Key Stage 2, on the basis of the end of key stage 2001 test results, standards are above the national average, and well above average in comparison with similar Fulbourn Primary School - 41 schools. There is no marked difference in the achievement of boys and girls. The unvalidated national test results for 2002 suggest that standards have improved, especially at the end of Key Stage 1. This picture is confirmed by the inspection findings which indicate that pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with national expectations, and pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is above the expected level. Standards have improved overall since the last inspection.
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MATHEMATICS
99. Pupils make good progress as they move through the school, and benefit from good teaching and a broad and well balanced curriculum which addresses all elements of the mathematics National Curriculum programmes of study. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good levels of support from their teachers, and from learning support assistants, enabling them to make similar progress to their classmates. Pupils with English as an additional language are well supported in class, ensuring that they take a full and active role in all activities. The school is effective in the way in which it identifies and provides for pupils who are higher attainers, and work is challenging and well matched to their needs. The practice of teaching some of the Key Stage 2 pupils in ability classes has a positive impact on standards and on the pupils’ progress.
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MATHEMATICS
100. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils demonstrate a satisfactory knowledge of number bonds and multiplication facts. Pupils successfully read, write and order numbers up to one hundred, but only a few pupils are confident about going beyond one hundred. Most pupils have a secure understanding of place value, which is regularly reinforced and consolidated. Teachers provide good opportunities for the pupils to talk about numbers between ten and one hundred, enabling the pupils to develop subject specific vocabulary, and to gain an appreciation of the value of each digit. Pupils quickly spot number patterns on a hundred square, and higher attainers are beginning to understand the infinite nature of number and pattern. Pupils gain a secure understanding of aspects of shape, space and measure as they move through Key Stage 1, and by the end of the key stage, most recognise and name a wide variety of
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two and three dimensional shapes, although lower attaining pupils are less confident about defining their properties in terms of number of sides, faces and corners. Pupils have good opportunities to develop an understanding of how to measure length, weight and capacity, and higher and average attaining pupils know some of the most commonly used metric measurements. For most pupils the aspect of estimating measure is a weaker area of their learning in this element of the mathematics curriculum. Pupils have good opportunities to use and apply their mathematical and numeracy skills in their work in other subjects, such as when they draw charts and graphs in science, or collect data.
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MATHEMATICS
101. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils have a good knowledge of number facts and multiplication tables. Teachers provide pupils with a good, wide variety of calculation methods which help to consolidate their understanding of number. In mental arithmetic sessions, pupils are encouraged to explain the methods they use to arrive at their answers, and this helps them to clarify their thinking. By the end of the key stage pupils are effective in using and applying strategies they learn in numeracy sessions, such as doubling and halving numbers, or rounding numbers up or down, when carrying out written calculations. Pupils also have a good appreciation of whether their answers to problems are reasonable, and this prevents them from making careless mistakes, when using a calculator, for example. By the end of the key stage, most pupils have a good understanding of the relationship between decimals, fractions and percentages,
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MATHEMATICS
and a very secure understanding of place value. Pupils have a good grasp of most aspects of shape, space and measure. They talk with knowledge and confidence about a wide variety of two and three-dimensional shapes, using mathematical vocabulary Fulbourn Primary School - 42 effectively to enhance and clarify their explanations. Older pupils estimate angles before efficiently using a protractor for accurate measurement, and recognise and name a variety of different types of angles, including obtuse, reflex, acute and right. Pupils are conversant with the most commonly used imperial measures that are still in daily use, and know their metric equivalents. In their work in other subjects, such as science, pupils read mathematical scales quickly and accurately.
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MATHEMATICS
102. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school, and some very good and excellent teaching was seen during the inspection in Key Stage 2. Teachers make good use of assessment when planning work for the pupils, and plan a good range of work that caters for the different levels of ability within the class. Teachers give pupils good opportunities to contribute their ideas and to demonstrate methods, although occasionally discussions of this kind are too long. Teachers provide regular opportunities for the pupils to practise mental arithmetic skills, and where the best teaching occurs, teachers are effective in encouraging all pupils to contribute their ideas. Teachers give pupils clear information about the tasks they are expected to complete, and this enables them to quickly set to work. Most pupils throughout the school show good levels of concentration and involvement in mathematics lessons,
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MATHEMATICS
and are enthusiastic. Pupils work particularly well in small groups and pairs, sharing ideas, and finding ways of solving problems. In all classes, teachers use questions well to probe the pupils’ thinking and to challenge the higher attainers. However, in a few classes, end of lesson discussions lack focus and purpose, and are not used sufficiently to establish what the pupils have learned. Most teachers have very good subject knowledge and their consistent use of the correct vocabulary helps pupils’ understanding, and enables the pupils to explain their answers and ideas clearly. Good use is made of homework in Key Stage 2 to support the pupils’ learning, and although satisfactory use is made of homework in Key Stage 1, even more could be done to make the activities more exciting and stimulating.
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MATHEMATICS
103. The subject is well led and managed, and the monitoring of teaching and learning is good. Teachers are familiar and secure with the National Numeracy Strategy and they use it well, although ‘plenary’ sessions at the end of the lesson are not always as sharp and focused as they could be. Tests are used regularly to monitor the pupils’ progress and attainment, and the results are effectively used by teachers to set termly learning targets for groups of pupils. These are shared and reviewed with pupils and parents. Marking, whilst satisfactory, does not always give enough help to pupils in terms of them understanding how they can improve their work further. Resources are generally satisfactory, but in some classes they are too small, or placed too high up for pupils to be able to see them clearly and access them easily. There has been a steady trend of improvement over the last few years as the result of better teaching and higher
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expectations. The use of ‘booster’ classes, and extra group-work and support by learning support assistants, has also made a positive contribution.
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SCIENCE
104. On the basis of the 2001 end of Key Stage 2 national test results, pupils’ attainment in science is well above the national average. In comparison with similar schools, pupils’ attainment is very high, placing the school in the top 5% of the comparative sample. Standards have improved steadily over the past few years, and the inspection findings confirm the 2001 test results and indicate that pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is well above national expectations. The 2001 teacher assessments for the end of Key Stage 1 show that pupils’ attainment is in line with the national average. The inspection findings confirm this picture. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have Fulbourn Primary School - 43 improved since the time of the last inspection. The school’s 2002 test results for both key stages are very similar to those of 2001.
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SCIENCE
105. Key Stage 1 pupils make good progress from a low starting point. In Key Stage 2, pupils make very good progress as a result of very good teaching and a well balanced, broad and exciting curriculum. The progress of pupils’ with special educational needs, and those with English as an additional language, is similar to that of their classmates and they benefit from very good levels of additional support from learning support assistants and their teachers. Higher attaining pupils in both key stages are enabled to achieve their potential and are fully stretched by the activities that are provided.
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106. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ investigative skills are in line with the expected level. As pupils move through Key Stage 1, they take part in a good range of practical activities that successfully develop their skills of observation. The pupils investigate through the appropriate use of all their senses, and make sensible judgements based on a range of evidence. Pupils record their findings in a variety of different ways including prose, drawings and simple charts. A relatively weaker area of pupils’ learning is their ability to make predictions and to carry out ‘fair-tests’. Although some higher attainers achieve well in this strand of the science curriculum, average and lower attainers could do better.
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SCIENCE
107. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ investigative skills are well above the expected level. As they move through the key stage, pupils take part in a wide range of different investigations and experiments, which provide very good opportunities for the pupils to use and apply their scientific knowledge. Teachers encourage pupils to take responsibility for setting up their own investigations, and higher attainers in particular show very good levels of independence when carrying out investigations and experiments. As they gain in experience and confidence, pupils become more creative in their ideas for solving problems, and where the very best teaching occurs, pupils are encouraged to pursue their own lines of enquiry. Pupils of all abilities record their results using a good variety of different methods, including drawings, tables, diagrams and bar charts. Very good teaching helps pupils to develop an extensive scientific
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vocabulary, which they use well in their own writing. Literacy and Numeracy skills are effectively promoted across both key stages, but currently too little use is made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’ learning on a day to day basis.
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SCIENCE
108. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of living things, and much of this work is reinforced through practical activities that promote investigative skills. For example, through carrying out extended observations of seeds growing, pupils learn the stages of growth, acquiring the relevant vocabulary during the process. Most pupils understand the importance of maintaining a healthy life style, and understand the importance of exercise and its impact on the body. Older Key Stage 1 pupils explain the basic needs of living things, and higher attaining pupils understand that these requirements are similar for all groups of living things. The majority of pupils make a clear and accurate distinction between things that are dead, but which have had life, and those which have never been alive. Pupils’ personal, social and health education is effectively promoted as they learn about the dangers of
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misusing medicines, and teachers achieve a good balance between promoting medicines as potentially harmful, but also as beneficial under given circumstances.
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SCIENCE
109. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have very good knowledge and understanding of living things. Pupils are aware that all living things reproduce, and know the main stages of life cycles of butterflies, frogs and humans. Pupils understand the notion of Fulbourn Primary School - 44 food chains, and explain succinctly the links between the ‘predator’, the ‘prey’ and the ‘consumer’. Pupils have a good knowledge of how animals require different habitats, and are confident when classifying living things according to their main distinguishing features. Science activities are used very well to provide a real and meaningful context for sex and drugs education, and pupils have a very good awareness of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle through a balanced diet and regular exercise. Pupils use their literacy skills well to record and explain their findings, and also graphs and charts, for example when recording whether the colour of eyes affects sight.
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SCIENCE
110. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have satisfactory knowledge and understanding of materials and their properties. Most pupils are beginning to understand the differences between manmade and natural materials, and appreciate that materials can be changed by heating, such as changing bread into toast. Higher attaining pupils are confident when explaining that some changes are reversible whilst others are permanent, but some lower attaining pupils are still grappling with this idea. In lessons, pupils learn a good range of vocabulary, such as floppy, hard, soft, rough and squashy, and they use these words well to describe the properties of the materials they are handling.
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SCIENCE
111. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have very good knowledge and understanding of materials and their properties. Their understanding is enhanced by very good opportunities for them to carry out practical tasks that help them to clarify their thinking. For example, in their recent work, Year 4 pupils looked at and compared the properties and main uses of materials such as gold, clay, plastic and glass, using a wide vocabulary to express their findings. A particularly good piece of work was carried out by pupils when they labelled the materials used for individual bicycle parts, and then wrote the reasons why the various materials had been selected. This activity was very effective in ensuring that pupils understood why materials have to be suitable for the intended purpose. By the end of the key stage, pupils have a very good understanding of the relationship between solids, liquids and gases and know the main ways of
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separating substances. Much of the work linked to materials and their properties is carried out through practical activities, and this approach has a very positive impact on pupils’ learning as they organise resources, and plan and carry out investigations. Teachers’ constant use of probing questions ensures that abler pupils are fully challenged, and effectively guides the work of all pupils.
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SCIENCE
112. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ knowledge of physical processes is at the expected level. Most pupils have a good understanding of the notion of forces as pushes and pulls, and know that the shape of an object may change if it is bent, stretched, twisted or squashed. Teachers provide some good practical opportunities for pupils to discover, and to provide a description of, the movements of particular objects. For example, pupils successfully carried out an experiment to find out what happens when a ball is kicked gently, with considerable force, and sideways. Pupils have a growing understanding of how sound and light travel, and by the end of the key stage, most can construct simple electrical circuits.
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SCIENCE
113. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of physical processes is very good. Pupils learn about the everyday effects of light, for example, by setting up a fair-test to find out which material would reflect light best at night time. They consider whether light travels in a straight line, and look at ways of making shadows larger and smaller. Pupils continue to make good progress in developing their understanding of forces, and know the effect of forces such as gravity and air resistance. Higher attainers have a good grasp of the effect of equal and opposite forces on an object, although lower attainers do not fully understand this notion. Pupils have a good Fulbourn Primary School - 45 knowledge of how to construct simple and more complex electrical circuits, and understand the importance of insulators and conductors. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the earth and beyond are mostly secure, although some pupils have
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difficulty in explaining the relationship between the earth, the moon and the sun, and in describing why night and day occur.
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SCIENCE
114. The quality of teaching and learning is good in Key Stage 1 and very good in Key Stage 2. A particular strength of the teaching in Key Stage 2 is the very good choice of investigations for the pupils to carry out. Throughout the school, teachers are effective in promoting subject specific vocabulary, and where teachers insist upon pupils using correct terminology to express their ideas, this has a very positive impact on the pupils’ learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge which enables them to plan and present activities in a structured and stimulating way. All pupils have full and equal access to the science curriculum, and participate in a wide range of exciting activities which promote their learning. Pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, receive very good support from support staff and from their teachers, and this enables them to make similar progress to their
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classmates. Teachers are very effective in the way in which they reinforce and consolidate pupils’ learning by asking pupils to draw on their previous knowledge. Questions are often used very well, especially in Key Stage 2, to probe the pupils’ understanding and to challenge the higher attainers in their thinking. Pupils generally have good attitudes to the subject and take a full and active part in activities. Pupils work well together in pairs and small groups, and older Key Stage 2 pupils show good method in their working. Work is generally satisfactorily marked, but on the whole, marking could be better in terms of showing pupils how they might improve their work further. Currently limited use is made of homework to enhance and enrich the pupils’ learning.
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115. The subject is well led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable co-ordinator who provides good support and advice for colleagues. The school has just adopted and implemented a new scheme of work for all age groups, and this scheme provides regular assessment opportunities which until now have not been consistently identified and used to track and monitor the pupils’ progress and attainment. The co-ordinator effectively monitors teachers’ planning, but has not yet had the opportunity to monitor teaching and learning through classroom observations. The co-ordinator is based in Key Stage 2, and whilst this enables her to have a good overview of what is happening in that key stage, she does not have the same good grasp of how the subject is being taught in Key Stage 1, and this is a proposed area of development. The school has a good range of learning resources which are used well to support teaching and learning.
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SCIENCE
Throughout the year the school invites specialist visitors, such as astronomers, and staff from Linton Zoo, who bring animals for the pupils to observe. These visits enliven the pupils’ learning and are thoroughly enjoyed by staff and pupils alike.
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ART AND DESIGN
116. Pupils’ attainment in art and design is in line with national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1, and above national expectations at the end of Key Stage 2. Standards in Key Stage 1 are similar to what they were at the time of the last inspection, and standards in Key Stage 2 have improved. The school places a good deal of emphasis on art and design in both key stages, and the annual ‘creative arts’ week at the end of the summer term is a valuable opportunity for pupils to work on joint projects, often with the support of a visiting artist. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English as an additional language, make Fulbourn Primary School - 46 satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 and good progress in Key Stage 2. The difference in progress between the two key stages is mainly because teaching is more effective in Key Stage 2, and this means that pupils make significant gains in terms of the
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development of artistic skills and techniques.
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ART AND DESIGN
117. Drawing skills are taught well throughout the school, and there is evident progression in the pupils’ work as they move through the school. In Key Stage 1, pupils are given good opportunities to experiment with different media, such as pencils, pastels, crayons and felt-tip pens. Pupils make good progress in learning the skills of mark-making, but they do not consistently transfer the skills they have learned to their own drawings. Many pupils show good skills of observation, but a few do not pay enough attention to detail when they are drawing. As they move through Key Stage 2, pupils acquire a good range of drawing skills, and they use these skills well to show light and shade in their drawings, to create a feeling of perspective, and to represent different textures. During the inspection some good work was produced when Year 5/Year 6 pupils made drawings of the backs of their friends’ heads using a variety of lines. Pupils
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ART AND DESIGN
concentrated hard and made detailed and accurate representations of what they observed. Where the teaching in Key Stage 2 is particularly effective, pupils are helped to see how they can keep improving their drawing technique, and this enables them to achieve very good standards in their work. There are good opportunities in these classes for pupils to learn and to practise how to convey perspective, and for them to blend media, such as pastels, charcoal and chalk, to show light and shade.
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ART AND DESIGN
118. Pupils throughout the school have good opportunities to work with paint. From an early age, Key Stage 1 pupils are encouraged to mix colours to achieve different shades and tones. Pupils are aware of how to mix secondary colours, and know the effect of adding white or black to other colours. Pupils make good use of paint to produce pictures and repeating patterns, and their work is often lively, cheerful and colourful. In Year 2, where artwork was linked to an ongoing topic about weddings, pupils produced very individual paintings of aspects of the wedding ceremony. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils blend paints carefully to a given shade, and in one class approach this task in a very scientific manner, recording the amounts of colours they have used to create a particular shade so that it can be reproduced again in the future. There are some good opportunities for Key Stage 2 pupils to consider the effect of using different brush strokes and
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techniques when painting, but even more could be done to encourage the pupils to be more creative by painting pictures of different sizes, such as miniatures, or using very large brushes to paint on large pieces of paper. In Year 6, pupils have linked printing activities to their work about buildings, and made pictures, by, for example, printing with string for the door frame, a glue stick lid for the roof tiles, and cuboids for the window frames. Older pupils are conversant with using paint and dye for ‘tie-dying’, and have produced some simple batiks.
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ART AND DESIGN
119. The school is fortunate to have its own kiln, and pupils from both key stages use this regularly to fire their clay pieces. Often clay work is linked to history topics, and pupils of all ages have made of a variety of Roman or Greek pots, using techniques such as coiling or moulding. As part of the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations, pupils throughout the school designed and glazed plates, and most pupils achieved good standards in this work. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have had experience of making collages using different materials, and confidently create three dimensional pictures. A very attractive seascape is currently on display in the foyer, and is the result of work carried out during the most recent ‘creative arts’ week. Key Stage 1 pupils have successfully used fabric, card and paper to make sea creatures and to create an under-water ambience. In Key Stage 2, pupils enjoy a wide range of three dimensional experiences, but have relatively
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few opportunities to work with textiles or to design and make sculptures. However, they Fulbourn Primary School - 47 talk knowledgeably about the properties of clay, and those pupils whose clay tiles form part of the outdoor ceramic wall plaque, show justifiable pride in their achievements.
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ART AND DESIGN
120. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ knowledge of the work of well-known artists and craftspeople is at the expected level for their age, although most have difficulty in recalling the art work they have studied. As they move through Key Stage 2, pupils make very good progress in this aspect of their work, and older pupils especially have a clear understanding of the way in which different artists approach the same topic in quite different ways, using different media, colours and techniques in their interpretations. Year 6 pupils have produced some very good critiques, based on the work of Matisse and Renoir, which show that the pupils are perceptive and observant, and in Year 4 pupils have focused on techniques such as ‘pointillism’, as used by Seurat, and the notion of ‘impressionism’ as demonstrated in the work of Monet.
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121. In all classes, very good use is made of sketch books for pupils to practise newly learned skills, to record their ideas, and to collect preparatory sketches and samples. However, very few pieces of the pupils’ work are annotated to show what the focus of the activity was, nor have they been marked by the teachers. This limits the usefulness of these potentially very good records of the pupils’ work.
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ART AND DESIGN
122. The teaching of art and design is satisfactory in Key Stage 1, and good in Key Stage 2. Lessons are well planned, and the main focus of the activities is clearly communicated to the pupils. Tasks are well matched to the pupils’ levels of experience, but there is a tendency in some classes, especially in Key Stage 1, for the tasks to be too prescriptive with the result that the outcomes are often very similar. A good balance is achieved across the different disciplines of the art and design curriculum, and the subject is taught regularly in all classes. Teaching is often at its best when teachers have good levels of subject knowledge. In these lessons, teachers really advance the pupils’ learning by suggesting ways in which the pupils might improve their work. Where teaching is not as effective, teachers lack the necessary expertise to move the pupils’ learning forward at a sufficiently brisk pace, and activities are not always
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sufficiently adventurous or challenging. Teachers throughout the school value the pupils’ work highly, and pupils take pride in seeing their work displayed around the school. However, as in the sketch books, there is not enough annotation on displays to show what the focus of the activity was and what media were used. Pupils have good attitudes to their art work, and in Key Stage 2, pupils are very keen to share what they are doing with others. In some classes, teachers provide good opportunities for the pupils to evaluate the success of their work, but this good practice is not consistent across the school. In lessons, pupils behave well and are very co-operative, especially when working on shared tasks. They willingly take on board suggestions from their teachers, and try hard to do their best. Some use is made of computers to support the pupils’ learning, but even more could be done to raise the pupils’ awareness of how
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information and communication technology can be used to influence and support the art and design process. Currently too little use is made of homework to enhance and enrich the pupils’ learning.
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ART AND DESIGN
123. The subject is well led by the co-ordinator who is enthusiastic about the subject and keen to raise standards even further. Although the current scheme of work provides good levels of progression as the pupils move through the school, the co-ordinator is looking at ways of providing more teaching materials to support those teachers who are less confident than others. Assessment for art and design is in the very early stage of development and assessment procedures do not yet give enough information for teachers to track the pupils’ progress and attainment as they move through the school, or to identify pupils who may be particularly talented, or conversely experiencing Fulbourn Primary School - 48 difficulties. The school is well resource for art and design, and this enables staff to provide a wide and good range of learning experiences for the pupils. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development,
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and older Key Stage 2 pupils especially are receptive to the beauty and wonder of some art work.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
124. Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress as they move though the school. Standards have been maintained since the time of the previous inspection.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
125. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have a secure grasp of the skills associated with design and technology, and a good appreciation of the properties of a variety of materials. They have good opportunities to make a range of models, although often the outcomes are very similar because the tasks are sometimes over directed and prescribed by the teachers. Pupils know how to join different materials, and appreciate the need to use appropriate methods. Although Key Stage 1 pupils make plans of their work, and carry out simple evaluations, much of this work is not recorded, and as a result pupils have little written work on which to draw, so that they can refresh their memories, or measure their progress. Higher attaining pupils know that there are ways of strengthening structures and joints, and this understanding is enhanced by the use of commercial construction kits which give pupils the opportunity to experiment and to
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learn through first-hand experience. By the end of the key stage, pupils have experience of making wheeled vehicles, and using pneumatics, levers and hinges.
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126. Pupils make steady progress as they move through Key Stage 2, and their work is at the expected level by the end of the key stage. Pupils successfully build on the experiences they have enjoyed in Key Stage 1, and develop their understanding and knowledge of materials and techniques for joining materials. Pupils have good opportunities to assess and use materials of varying degrees of resistance, and they have a good knowledge of how to make secure structures. In discussion pupils describe the use of a range of tools and materials, and show a secure appreciation of the need to observe health and safety protocols. As in Key Stage 1, pupils’ plans and evaluations of their work are not always recorded in written form, and this is a weaker aspect of pupils’ learning. Pupils have a good understanding of how products should be suitable for their intended purpose, and know that their work must be visually pleasing
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
127. The quality of teaching and learning in design and technology is satisfactory overall. The subject is taught regularly, and pupils show good levels of enthusiasm for the subject. However, teachers have varying levels of expertise and knowledge, and there is some variation in the quality of teaching that has not been identified and addressed. Teachers in both key stages provide a good range of making experiences for the pupils which enable them to experience different materials and to work with a range of tools. However, not enough emphasis is placed on the designing element of the curriculum, and pupils do not keep written records of their initial design and final evaluations. Where the best teaching occurs, good opportunities are provided for the pupils to develop their own ideas and to fully exploit their individuality. However, in some lessons, activities are over-prescribed and this constrains the pupils’ creativity. Pupils of all ages have a
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
positive attitudes to design and technology and are keen to talk about their work. Teachers value the pupils’ work, and create attractive displays which the pupils enjoy Fulbourn Primary School - 49 looking at. Homework is used infrequently in both key stages, and this means that there are missed opportunities for enhancing and extending the pupils’ learning.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
128. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership and management for the subject, but has not yet had the opportunity to monitor teaching, learning and standards through classroom observations. A good scheme of work is in place which effectively guides teachers’ planning and ensures that there is no unnecessary duplication of work in the mixed age classes. As yet there is no formal whole-school programme of assessment, and this means that it is difficult for teachers to accurately track and monitor the pupils’ progress and attainment as they move through the school. Currently not enough use is made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’ learning in design and technology, although this is a planned area of development in the school. Resources for the subject are good, and are used well by the pupils.
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GEOGRAPHY
129. Pupils of all abilities make good progress in Key Stage 1 from a low starting point, and by the end of the key stage, pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations. However, in Key Stage 2, pupils do not make enough progress, and their attainment is below national expectations. Because of the emphasis placed on raising standards in English and mathematics in Key Stage 2, not enough time and attention has been given to geography, and standards have dropped in Key Stage 2 since the time of the last inspection. Standards in Key Stage 1 have been maintained. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make similar progress to their classmates and because of very good levels of support from learning support assistants, they are able to take a full and active part in all activities.
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GEOGRAPHY
130. In Key Stage 1 teachers provide a good range of learning experiences which successfully build on the knowledge the pupils acquire in the Foundation Stage. Through making their own passports, for example, pupils are encouraged to learn about the wider world, and this promotes good levels of discussion about different forms of transport. In a very good lesson seen during the inspection, Year 2 pupils learned a great deal about different countries when they looked at and handled a range of very different artefacts. Pupils develop an early understanding of maps, and draw their own routes to school. Higher attainers are developing an understanding of the difference between manmade and natural geographical features, although lower attaining pupils have difficulty in making this distinction. Most pupils have a good awareness of the different seasons of the year, and some of the higher attaining pupils
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GEOGRAPHY
recognise that certain weather conditions, such as cloudy skies, are a predictor of the weather that is to come.
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GEOGRAPHY
131. In Key Stage 2, pupils do not make enough written records of the work they have covered, and this means that they have difficulty in recalling their previous learning. By the end of the key stage, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of some of the moral issues associated with geography, such as pollution, and urban development, and a good appreciation of the impact of humans on the natural environment. However, the pupils’ knowledge of the world is very insecure, and few pupils are able to name major cities, continents and countries. Most pupils have difficulty in retrieving information from maps and atlases and in comparing their own location with that of a contrasting area. Pupils lack the necessary fieldwork skills, and do not have enough opportunities to carry out practical geographical tasks. Fulbourn Primary School - 50 132. The teaching of geography in Key Stage 1 is good overall, and the teaching in Key
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GEOGRAPHY
Stage 2 is now satisfactory, although until recently, teaching has been unsatisfactory in this key stage. In Key Stage 1, good coverage of the National Curriculum programmes of study enables pupils of all abilities to make good progress and to attain appropriate standards for their age. Teachers often make very good use of resources to capture the pupils’ attention and to maintain their enthusiasm. Practical activities enhance the pupils’ understanding and provide a good context for their learning. Pupils respond enthusiastically in lessons, and show very good levels of co-operation when working in small groups or pairs. Lessons now are well planned in Key Stage 2, and are systematically addressing the National Curriculum programmes of study. However, not enough emphasis is placed on the pupils developing fieldwork skills, and too little recording is carried out. Not enough use is made of homework in either key stage to
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GEOGRAPHY
133. The management of geography is unsatisfactory. There is currently no co-ordinator for the subject, and the headteacher has temporarily assumed responsibility. Over the last few years, there has been no monitoring of teaching, learning or standards through classroom observation, and this means that good practice has not been identified and shared, and weaknesses have not been addressed. The lack of a school-wide system for assessment and record keeping means that it is difficult for teachers to track and monitor the progress and attainment of individual pupils. The use of information and communication technology to support teaching and learning is an ongoing area of development within the school. The subject makes a good contribution to the pupils’ moral and cultural development, especially in Key Stage 1 where pupils have good opportunities to consider the lifestyles of people in other countries, and in Key Stage 2,
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GEOGRAPHY
where moral issues such as pollution and the destruction of rainforests capture the pupils’ interest and attention.
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HISTORY
134. Pupils’ attainment in history is in line with national expectations by the end of Key Stage 1, and above national expectations by the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1, and good progress overall as they move through Key Stage 2. Standards have improved in Key Stage 2 since the previous inspection, and have been maintained in Key Stage 1. Pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, make similar progress to their classmates.
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HISTORY
135. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils have developed a secure understanding of chronology, and higher attainers appreciate the distinction between the recent and long ago past. Pupils draw comparisons between life today and life in the past, through looking at photographs and artefacts. Most pupils understand that artefacts are a good source of historical evidence, and a valuable means of finding out about the past. Pupils make satisfactory comparisons between Victorian seaside holidays, fashion and schooling with those of the present day. They record their findings in a variety of interesting ways including tables, pictures and text. Themed days, such as those to celebrate the Queens’ Golden Jubilee, and Victorian Days, give pupils good first-hand opportunities to learn about how people used to live in the past.
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HISTORY
136. By the end of Key Stage 2, the vast majority of pupils have a good sense of chronology. Through their studies of the local area, they have gained insight into the effect of change. For example, pupils have considered how housing in Fulbourn has changed since the Anglo Saxon times, and most pupils appreciate the historical uniqueness of one of the local churches. Teachers are often very effective in the way in which they encourage pupils to develop historical enquiry skills, and pupils are skilled in carrying out research, using both books and computers to find appropriate sources of Fulbourn Primary School - 51 information. For example, during the inspection, Year 6 pupils used CD Roms very well to find reasons why the Tudors were explorers. Good use is made of visits to bring history to life for the pupils, and older Key Stage 2 pupils talk with animation about their visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum where they looked at artefacts linked to topics about the
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HISTORY
Ancient Greeks and Egyptians. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a secure grasp of the difference between primary and secondary evidence, and understand that information passed from generation to generation by word of mouth is often unreliable. The subject is very effective in promoting aspects of pupils’ cultural and moral development, and where the best teaching occurs, there are good opportunities for the pupils to consider the moral implications of historical events, such as war. Higher attaining pupils have a very secure understanding of how a different course of action several hundred years ago would have altered the entire course of history, and describe the notion of cause and effect with clarity.
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HISTORY
137. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall in Key Stage 1, and good in Key Stage 2. Where the quality of teaching is good, activities are presented in a lively and stimulating manner, and this enthuses the pupils about their learning. Pupils’ learning is enhanced when they are asked to carry out research, and to find information for themselves. Older Key Stage 2 pupils are very keen to do this. Teachers often make good use of incisive questioning to further extend pupils’ learning and to challenge their thinking, especially in Key Stage 2. Pupils throughout the school generally have positive attitudes to history and are well behaved in lessons. Where good use is made of resources to enliven teaching, pupils respond well. However, in some classes, activities are not enhanced in this way, and there are times when pupils start to lose concentration. Currently little use is made of homework to extend the
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HISTORY
pupils’ learning, and this is an aspect of teaching that could be improved further.
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HISTORY
138. The subject is well led by the co-ordinator who regularly monitors colleagues’ planning and provides good levels of support and advice. However, little has been done in terms of monitoring standards, teaching and learning through classroom observations, and this is a proposed area of development. Although teaching is never less than satisfactory, there is some variation across the school which has not been picked up and addressed. The school has not yet devised and implemented appropriate systems for tracking and monitoring pupils’ progress and attainment. Resources for the subject are satisfactory overall, and good use is made of the local area, with visits to museums used well as an additional resource for learning. There are some opportunities for pupils to use computers to support their learning in history, but even more use could be made of information and communication technology to enhance the
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
139. By the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology is broadly in line with national expectations. The pupils' progress and achievement are satisfactory overall, but in Key Stage 2, pupils do not have enough experience of controlling and monitoring external events. In this element of the information and communication technology curriculum, standards are not as high as they should be, partly because of insufficient resources, and partly because of the teachers' lack of experience and knowledge in this area. Standards are similar to what they were at the time of the last inspection, but there has been a significant improvement in teachers’ overall subject knowledge, largely because of recent training, and also because teachers now have regular access to a well equipped and purpose built information and communication technology suite. The use made of information
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Fulbourn Primary School - 52 and communication technology to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum is an ongoing area of development, and the school recognises that there is still more to be done in this area.
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
140. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ work in information and communication technology is at the expected level. Pupils have good levels of confidence and a good knowledge of basic operations when using a computer, although some pupils have difficulty in locating specific keys on the keyboard. Pupils in Year 1 know how to compose text on the computer, and explain how it can be amended by deleting and adding information. During the inspection, following the teacher's careful demonstration on the electronic board, the pupils successfully wrote their name and used basic functions to import pictures to illustrate their favourite pets. Most pupils know how to select different fonts and have an appreciation of the need to select an appropriate size of font when making labels. As they move through the key stage, pupils have opportunities to use data- handling programmes, and to make simple graphs and pictograms. Pupils have a
p.52
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
basic understanding of how computers can be used to control external events, and have experience of using programmable floor robots, instructing them to move forwards and backwards, and to turn through ninety degrees.
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
141. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils attain satisfactory standards when using computers for word-processing. Pupils confidently open and close applications, save and print their work, and draft and edit pieces of writing ‘on-screen’. Most pupils quickly change the size, style and colour of text, and in a Year 3/Year 4 lesson seen during the inspection, pupils showed a clear understanding of the importance of layout, the size of letters and overall impact of the title page when designing a cover for their history project. Pupils throughout the key stage make good progress in learning how to combine text and graphics, and they are confident about ‘cutting and pasting’ work from one programme to another. By the end of Key Stage 2, the majority of pupils have a good understanding of how information can be gathered from a variety of sources. For example, Year 6 pupils have recently collected and shared information about Australia
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
and the Gambia in preparation for a future exchange of information with other schools through the use of electronic mail. Pupils use CD Roms well for research, and have a good understanding of the potential of the Internet as a source of information. Although pupils have some experience of using computers to control external events, this is a relatively weaker area of their learning, and few pupils attain the expected level in this aspect of the information and communication technology curriculum.
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
142. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Pupils benefit from the expertise of the co-ordinator, who often teaches classes other than his own. The information and communication technology suite is a very good resource, and comfortably accommodates a full class. Lessons are well structured and have clear learning objectives. The demonstration of new skills, using the electronic board to model key skills for pupils, has a very positive impact on their learning. Skilful questioning is used to focus pupils on the key learning points, and effective interventions and support for individuals enable pupils of all abilities to have equal access to the activities, and to make good gains in their learning. Pupils' positive attitudes and interest in information and communication technology contribute to the progress they make. Pupils of all ages listen attentively during presentations, collaborate well when working in pairs and are
p.52
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
keen and proud to demonstrate their ability. Pupils willingly help one another.
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
143. The subject is well led by a keen and very competent co-ordinator, whose enthusiasm and expertise have had a very positive impact on raising staff confidence. Since the last inspection, the school has adopted the national guidance for the teaching of the subject, and has made significant improvements in the overall provision for information Fulbourn Primary School - 53 and communication technology. However, procedures for assessing the pupils’ information and communication technology capability are underdeveloped. The co- ordinator is aware of this, and has identified it as an area for development. Good use is made of the computer suite for individual lessons, but the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum is not yet systematically developed, or consistent throughout the school. The monitoring of teaching and learning is mainly focused on planning, and the subject leader has not yet had any opportunities to
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
assess the quality of teaching and learning, except in an informal way when he works with colleagues to provide staff development and guidance.
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MUSIC
144. Music is a strength of the school, and by the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the pupils’ attainment is above national expectations. These good standards have been maintained since the time of the last inspection. Pupils of all abilities make good progress, and benefit from enthusiastic teaching, and regular creative music-making opportunities. The school places a great deal of emphasis on the subject, and lessons are supplemented by a very good range of additional opportunities which enrich the pupils’ learning and successfully promote their social and cultural development. Key Stage 2 pupils are keen to join the choir and orchestra, and there are many opportunities for all pupils to perform informally in assemblies, and in more formal situations such as end of term concerts. Visiting music teachers provide instrumental tuition for those pupils who choose to learn an instrument, and this additional expertise
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MUSIC
enhances the pupils’ learning and has a positive impact on their progress and attainment.
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MUSIC
145. Singing is good throughout the school, and pupils of all ages enthusiastically join in with the singing of hymns and songs in assemblies and class lessons. Pupils sing tunefully and rhythmically, and articulate their words carefully. They try hard to interpret the lyrics by varying the volume and style of their singing. From an early age the pupils are encouraged to sing in rounds, and this helps them to understand the idea of singing in different parts. Older Key Stage 2 pupils, especially those who are in the choir, are skilled at maintaining their own part, whilst listening carefully to other parts to ensure that the harmony is accurate. Those pupils who are in the choir often take a good lead in whole school singing activities, and provide a very good example for other pupils.
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MUSIC
146. By the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils’ composing skills are of a good standard. Pupils of all ages and abilities take a full and active part in class music- making activities, and are encouraged to be creative in their work, and to develop their own ideas. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils recognise and name a wide range of instruments, and most pupils accurately describe the sounds the instruments produce, and understand the different effects that can be achieved by playing them in different ways. Most pupils have a good sense of rhythm, and accurately copy short rhythmic patterns, and enthusiastically devise their own patterns. Although most pupils quickly discriminate between high and low sounds, a small number of Key Stage 1 pupils struggle to accurately describe the relative pitch of two sounds, especially when the interval between the sounds is small. In Key Stage 2, there are regular opportunities in
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MUSIC
lessons for pupils to devise simple accompaniments to their singing, and for them to compose creative and imaginative pieces. For example, in a Year 3/4 lesson seen during the inspection, pupils quickly put together an accompaniment to a song using a range of untuned percussion instruments. As they move through Key Stage 2, pupils of all abilities become more skilled in layering different rhythms, and in combining different sounds. In a very good lesson seen in the upper part of Key Stage 2 during the Fulbourn Primary School - 54 inspection, pupils achieved very high standards in their composing work when they combined rhythmic patterns with different time signatures. Because the pupils carefully emphasised the first beat of each pattern, the finished composition was extremely interesting, and quite complex.
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MUSIC
147. Pupils of all ages and abilities often listen well to music, and attain standards that are above national expectations by the end of each key stage. However, because pupils rarely record these experiences, their recall of what they have appraised is limited. Each morning, pupils come into the hall for assembly to the accompaniment of an extract of music which is changed on a weekly basis. Teachers leading the assemblies ask pertinent questions, which Key Stage 1 pupils often answer as enthusiastically as those from Key Stage 2. Pupils from both key stages often know the name of the composer, the title of the piece and the main instruments that are being played. Whilst these regular opportunities are very valuable, even more opportunities could be provided in most classes for pupils to listen to and appraise recorded music. In dance lessons, pupils listen well to the music before devising movements to reflect what they
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MUSIC
have heard. For example, in a Key Stage 1 lesson seen during the inspection, pupils used light and fast movements to reflect the fast-flowing nature of a piece of music played on a flute, and in Key Stage 2, pupils used large sweeping movements to interpret the distinctive nature of African music.
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MUSIC
148. Overall, the teaching of music is good throughout the school, although during the inspection the teaching was variable, ranging from satisfactory to very good, depending on the expertise and confidence of individual teachers. Pupils learn well. They respond to the enthusiasm of their teachers and approach tasks with high levels of motivation. Teachers’ expectations are often high, and this means that pupils of all ages are challenged in their thinking. Very good support for pupils with special educational needs enables them to take a full and active role in music activities, and to make similar progress to their classmates. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to work together on group tasks, and these opportunities have a very positive impact on the pupils’ social development. Pupils share ideas well, and co-operate so that the set tasks are completed within the allotted time. Pupils from both key stages are very keen
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MUSIC
to perform for others, and in a Year 3/4 lesson seen during the inspection, pupils were extremely willing to sing solos and duets for the rest of the class. Teachers are often very effective in promoting creativity, especially where their own subject knowledge is very secure, and they have high levels of confidence. Where the best teaching occurs, teachers provide very good opportunities for the pupils to evaluate their own work, and this helps the pupils to appreciate what they have learned and to know where the strengths and weaknesses are in their learning. Where teaching is only satisfactory, teachers do not always match the activities closely enough to the pupils’ abilities, and lessons do not have enough variety to maintain the pupils’ interest. In most classes, too little use is made of homework to extend and enhance the pupils’ learning.
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MUSIC
149. The subject is well led by an enthusiastic co-ordinator whose subject knowledge is very good, and who is able to provide very good levels of help and support for colleagues. The school makes good use of a scheme of work which ensures good progression as pupils move through the school, and the co-ordinator has recognised the need to supplement this main scheme with additional material to give further support to colleagues who are not music specialists. The practice of some specialist teaching is effective, and during the inspection some of the best teaching was done by these teachers. The school currently does not have a tried and tested method of formally assessing the pupils’ progress and attainment as they move through the school, and this means that it is difficult to track the progress of individual pupils, and to pick out those who are experiencing ongoing difficulties. The choir and orchestra are both held
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MUSIC
Fulbourn Primary School - 55 during the school day, and a great deal of thought has been given to ensuring that pupils who are withdrawn from class for these sessions are not missing important work in other areas. Little use is currently made of information and communication technology to support teaching and learning, and this is an identified area of development. The school has a satisfactory range of instruments, but some are quite old and in need of replacement, and more good quality tuned instruments are needed.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
150. By the end of Key Sage 1, and Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in physical education is in line with national expectations, and pupils of all ages and abilities make satisfactory progress. This picture is very similar to that at the time of the last inspection, but there have been improvements in the quality of curriculum planning. During the course of the year, all areas of the physical educational curriculum are fully covered, but at the time of the inspection, only dance and gymnastics lessons were observed. The school has its own swimming pool, and all pupils have swimming lessons for six weeks during the summer term. By the time pupils leave school at the age of eleven, most can swim the recommended twenty five metres. Adventurous activities are enjoyed by Year 6 pupils when they attend a residential course in their last year at school. This experience is also extremely valuable in promoting the pupils’ personal and social development as
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
they mix with pupils from other schools, and learn the importance of being a reliable member of a team.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
151. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in dance and gymnastics is at the expected level, and they make satisfactory progress. In dance, pupils listen well to the music, and use movement in an imaginative way to express their ideas. For example, in a Year 2 lesson seen during the inspection, pupils depicted the movements of the bears from the story of ‘Goldilocks’, varying their movements to show the light, quick movements of ‘baby bear’, and the more ponderous and heavy movements of ‘daddy bear’. Pupils respond well to the teachers’ suggestions for improvement, and are keen to perform their dance sequences for others. In gymnastics, Key Stage 1 pupils move in different ways on the floor and on the apparatus, and work at different levels, often changing speed and direction. They stretch, curl, jump, turn and balance with satisfactory levels of confidence and control, but often need reminders from their
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
teachers to ensure that they achieve their best efforts. Although there are good opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their work for the rest of the class, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to evaluate their own work and that of others, and most pupils are too reliant on the teachers’ comments and observations as a means of improving their performance.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
152. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress as they move through Key Stage 2, and by the end of the key stage, their attainment is in line with national expectations. In gymnastics, pupils are proficient at linking movements together to form short sequences on the floor and on the apparatus. They incorporate variations in speed, level and direction into their sequences, and use rolls and balances appropriately to move smoothly from one action to another. In dance, pupils respond well to the music, and try hard to reflect the mood of the music in their movements. In a good lesson seen during the inspection, the teacher introduced the pupils to African dance movements, and the pupils responded well, using large sweeping movements, and swooping and dipping with their bodies as they moved around the hall. Higher attaining pupils showed good levels of imagination in this lesson as they worked in pairs, mirroring the
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
movements of the other, but the lower attaining pupils were too reliant on the ideas of others, and their work lacked creativity. There are often good opportunities for pupils to Fulbourn Primary School - 56 demonstrate their ideas, but there are too few opportunities for pupils to critically evaluate their own work or that of their classmates. As in Key Stage 1, in both gymnastics and dance lessons, pupils often need reminding to give of their best, and some pupils do not put enough effort into their work.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
153. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, but varies from class to class. During the inspection, the quality of teaching ranged from satisfactory to very good. Most lessons are well planned, and have a clear purpose which is often shared with the pupils. Teachers are often very effective in reminding pupils about the need to observe the rules of health and safety, and without exception the movement of apparatus is carried out in a well controlled way. Where the best teaching occurs, teachers make good use of the ‘warm-up’ and ‘cool-down’ sessions at the start and end of lessons, and remind pupils about the positive impact of exercise on their health and well-being. However, in some dance lessons, teachers do not always pay enough attention to ‘warm-up’, activities and move straight into the lesson. Teachers often use demonstrations, both by themselves and the pupils, to share good practice, and these
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
opportunities are effective in showing pupils how they can improve their work further. However, not enough use is made of evaluations by pupils to raise standards further. Most pupils work hard and are enthusiastic and responsive, but not all pupils put enough effort into their work, and a few need constant reminders from their teachers. Teachers often manage the pupils well, and have high expectations of behaviour, but there are occasions when pupils do not always pay enough attention to the teachers’ requests and instructions. Pupils generally have positive attitudes to physical education lessons, and work well in small groups and pairs, sharing ideas, and contributing to discussions. Little use is made of homework to further enhance the pupils’ learning, although there are good opportunities for pupils to take part in after-school sporting activities.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
154. The subject co-ordinator is enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and provides satisfactory leadership for the subject. The co-ordinator provides good levels of informal guidance and support for colleagues and monitors their planning, but has not yet had chance to monitor the quality teaching and learning across the school or to gain an overview of pupils’ attainment and progress. An effective two year rolling programme has been developed to ensure that pupils in the mixed age classes enjoy a full range of learning experiences. A good amount of time is given to the subject, although some of the individual lessons are rather short. Teachers make regular informal assessments of the pupils’ progress and attainment, but no formal assessment systems are in place to ensure that the progress of individual pupils can be carefully tracked as they move through the school. The school provides a number of extra-curricular sporting activities,
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
and there are some good opportunities for the pupils to participate in inter-school sporting events. The pupils’ learning is further enhanced by coaching from representatives from the local cricket and tennis clubs.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
155. Pupils’ attainment is in line with the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus at the end of both Key Stages. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress as they move through the school. Standards have been maintained since the time of the previous inspection but the school has not fully addressed the problem of the shortfall in the time allocated to Religious Education in the curriculum. Pupils display positive attitudes towards the subject and behaviour in lessons is good. Fulbourn Primary School - 57 156. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of stories from the Bible and other religious traditions. They have a good understanding of many aspects of Christianity, and know that Jesus taught His people through special stories called parables. Most pupils know that days of celebration are an important part of all faiths, and that worship is also a common feature. Pupils make good use of the local church
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
as a resource, and through visits learn the layout, and gain a satisfactory understanding of the purpose and meaning of important artefacts.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
157. Pupils make satisfactory progress as they move through Key Stage 2, and develop their understanding and knowledge of religious education. Pupils extend their understanding of places of worship when they visit a local mosque, and this opportunity is also effective in promoting cultural development as the pupils learn to respect the views and beliefs of others. In discussion, older Key Stage 2 pupils express an interest in the way in which different faith communities often have similar traditions and stories. Key Stage 2 pupils discuss religion in a mature and sensible manner. They consider issues of morality and spirituality, and they are beginning to address some of the major dilemmas of the modern world. Older pupils are often genuinely reflective in their moods and answers. Pupils of all abilities have a good knowledge of Christian ceremonies, although their knowledge of the significance of ceremonies and festivals in
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
158. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in both key stages, and teachers’ planning appropriately reflects the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. However, not enough time is given to the subject. Lessons are well planned, and the most effective teachers present information in an exciting and stimulating way. For example, in a Year 6 lesson seen during the inspection, pupils were asked to set the seven days of creation to music. They responded to the teacher’s enthusiasm and worked very well, gaining a real understanding of the creation process as they composed their music.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
159. With a more secure time allocation, better use of recording and information and communication technology, pupils could achieve higher standards. The overview held by the co-ordinator is not supported by a school wide system of assessment to assist teachers in their planning and to increase the pupils’ awareness of their own learning and progress.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
160. Teaching is based on the Locally Agreed Syllabus, and the co-ordinator has a good overview of what is being covered. Lack of time prevents the monitoring of teaching and learning in the classroom and this combines with the limited amount of recording carried out by the pupils to conceal many existing achievements and to prevent further raising of standards. Teaching is satisfactory. They have a limited access to resources to help them in their understanding of other faith communities and the co-ordinator is now giving priority to raising the quality and quantity of the resources available.
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