Scholar Green Primary School

SCHOLAR GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Andrew Matthews RgI’s No. 19410

p.1

SCHOLAR GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 27th – 28th January 2003

p.1

SCHOLAR GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

p.1

SCHOLAR GREEN 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. Scholar Green Primary - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Congleton Road Scholar Green Stoke-on-Trent Staffs

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Ms P. Morgan

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 Scholar Green Primary - 4

p.3

Team members

19410 Andrew Matthews Registered inspector 9545 Kevin Greatorex Lay inspector 3692 David Hill Team inspector

p.4

Team members

The inspection contractor was: SES Ltd 132 Whitaker Road Derby DE23 6AP

p.4

Team members

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

p.4

Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.4

Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Scholar Green Primary - 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

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Scholar Green Primary is an average-sized village school situated on the south Cheshire/north Staffordshire border. Half of the pupils come from Scholar Green and an increasing proportion from the surrounding area. Pupils come from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, the majority from favourable family circumstances. Attainment on entry is average. The roll has risen since the last inspection in 1998 though the school is slightly under-subscribed. There are 192 full time pupils - 101 boys and 91 girls - aged from four to eleven and taught in seven classes. A low proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and no pupils have English as an additional language. Sixteen pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below average. There are 20 pupils on the special needs register, which is also below the national average. Only two pupils have a statement of special educational needs. Pupils join the Reception class in the September of the school year in which they

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

are five. Pupil mobility is about average.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Scholar Green Primary is a good school with many very good features. The headteacher provides very good leadership and is well supported by knowledgeable governors and a dedicated and hard working staff. The teaching is good overall and leads directly to pupils attaining above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. The school gives good value for money.

p.6

What the school does well

• Pupils achieve high standards because of good teaching and curricular provision • The school is very well led and managed and promotes its aims very successfully • Pupils have very good attitudes to school, work hard and have very good behaviour and relationships • Procedures for the care and welfare of pupils are good and highly valued by parents who give very good support to the school.

p.6

What could be improved

• Monitoring of pupils’ progress The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good improvements since the last inspection in January 1998. In relation to the key issues then raised, the school has developed a consistent homework policy, strengthened the planning of the pupils’ learning, improved school development planning and introduced good assessment procedures for the Reception class. High standards have been maintained in pupils’ work, behaviour and attitudes to school and the headteacher continues to lead the school very well. There have been further improvements in the role of governors, pupils’ attendance and the use of information and communications technology (ICT) across the curriculum. Scholar Green Primary - 7

p.6

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

Key

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

p.7

Key

The above table shows that in 2002, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 was well above average compared to all schools nationally and to schools who draw their pupils from a similar background. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels was also well above average. The school’s targets for 2002 were equalled in English and exceeded in mathematics. The trend of the school’s results over the last three years is in line with the national trend. Evidence from the inspection shows that the present Year 6 group of pupils are achieving well and their attainment is above average in all three subjects. The main reason for the fall in standards is the much higher than average proportion of pupils with special educational needs in this year. Until this year, boys had been performing better than girls but this year there is no marked difference between the attainment of boys and girls. Higher-attaining pupils are well

p.7

Key

challenged and pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress. However, it is doubtful if the present Year 6 pupils will meet the very high targets set for them in mathematics due to pupil mobility since the targets were set at the beginning of Year 5. In the 2002 National Curriculum tests, Year 2 pupils’ attainment when compared to similar schools was very high in writing, being in the top five per cent nationally, well above average in reading but well below average in mathematics. Boys achieved better than girls in all three subjects. Evidence from the inspection shows that pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 is well above average in reading and writing. Good use of teacher expertise has led to a marked improvement in mathematics in which pupils’ attainment is now above average. As in Year 6, there is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls.

p.7

Key

Children in Reception make satisfactory progress and enter Year 1 with attainment in line with national expectations.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have a great enthusiasm for school and extremely positive attitudes to their work.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good at all times.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships throughout the school are very good and this has a very positive impact on pupils’ confidence and the way they learn.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Pupils show a very good understanding and consideration for others. Pupils take their responsibilities seriously and become increasingly confident as they move through the school. They take part Scholar Green Primary - 8 enthusiastically in a good range of extra-curricular activities from which they benefit both socially and intellectually.

p.7

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

Quality of teaching Satisfactory 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.8

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

Overall the quality of teaching is good and this equates closely to the good progress that pupils make in the school. The substantial proportion of lessons observed during the inspection which were good and very good indicate an improvement since the last inspection. There was much high quality teaching observed in literacy, numeracy and science in all the years. Because teachers know their pupils well and teach basic skills very effectively, pupils of all abilities are appropriately challenged. Teachers have very good subject knowledge, explain things clearly and create a very positive learning environment where pupils feel valued and want to do their best. Teachers are very proficient at using questioning to challenge pupils’ thinking and deepen their understanding. Pupils also benefit from teacher expertise in subjects such as French, mathematics and English, when some staff exchange classes. Teachers’

p.8

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

planning is consistently good, with much of it appealing to the interests of the pupils, encouraging them to work hard. The quality of marking is good and encourages pupils to reflect on their work and points out where they need to improve. However, not all teachers’ marking informs pupils what they need to do to move closer to their personal targets in literacy and numeracy. The pupils in the larger classes in Years 4 and 5 benefit greatly from the expertise of an extra teacher when they are divided into smaller groups for numeracy and literacy lessons. Children in Reception settle quickly, and most respond appropriately to the satisfactory range of activities that the teacher and classroom assistant plan.

p.8

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. Pupils in Years 2 to 6 also benefit from weekly French lessons. The curriculum is well supplemented by a good range of extra-curricular activities.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ needs are accurately identified and fully met by the school. Very good use is made of support staff to work with these pupils. Individual education plans are of good quality.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, social and moral development and good provision for their cultural development. Good opportunities exist for the older pupils to take responsibility. The newly-established school council is becoming an established part of school life and provides a valuable insight into pupils’ thinking, whilst giving them an idea of how society functions.

p.8

Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Child protection procedures are well established and the school has good regard for pupils’ health and safety. The school cares well for all pupils and recognises and caters for their individual needs. As a result all are fully included in the life and work of the school.

p.8

Aspect Comment

The school curriculum has improved since the last inspection, with the school’s use of national numeracy and literacy strategies making a positive contribution to pupils’ achievement. Parents give Scholar Green Primary - 9 very good support to their children in the homework that is set and some give valuable help in the classroom, with extra-curricular activities and when accompanying school trips.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides very good leadership and his sense of vision inspires the whole school community, pupils, staff, governors and parents. He is ably supported by hardworking staff who take on the school’s priorities positively and work hard and successfully towards them.

p.9

Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governing body is fully involved in all areas of school life. Governors are very committed to fulfilling their specific roles and ensuring that statutory requirements are met. Even more use could be made of their expertise to help the school evaluate developments in the annual improvement plan.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Test results are carefully analysed and challenging targets set. Monitoring of teaching is thorough and leading to further improvements in the quality throughout the school. Whilst subject co-ordinators carefully check standards in their subject, the school needs to develop a more effective process for tracking pupils’ progress towards their end of year targets.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school uses its budget most carefully to maintain high standards and applies the principles of best value well in all areas.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The headteacher’s leadership and management are a great strength of the school and have helped its further development since the last inspection. The school’s commitment to the constant evaluation of its practices is helping it to improve even more. This improvement is particularly evident in the quality of pupils’ writing and their attainment in mathematics at the end of Year 2. Prudent use of its budget and grants is enabling the school to create a new teaching area/ library, and build cloakrooms for pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 as well as a new staff room.

p.9

improved

• The school is very well managed and very approachable. • Children thoroughly enjoy school and behave well. • The teaching is good and helps pupils make good progress. • The school promotes good attitudes and values. • The school has close relationships with parents and works well with them in the education of their children. • Uniformity of class sizes. • Better information about how their child is progressing. • Homework • A more interesting range of extra-curricular activities.

p.9

improved

The inspectors fully endorse all the parents’ positive comments. They also agree that there is a marked difference in class sizes in the juniors. However, the school’s provision of extra teacher support is ensuring that these pupils’ needs are fully met, enabling them to achieve well. Inspectors think that the information parents’ receive about their child’s progress is good and that the school’s open door policy enables parents to discuss their child’s progress with teachers at any time. Homework is set regularly with pupils having a clear understanding of its importance and how it helps their learning. Inspectors Scholar Green Primary - 10 judged that the range of extra-curricular activities is good, as is the range of visits that pupils made to support their learning. Scholar Green Primary - 11

p.9

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Pupils achieve high standards because of good teaching and curricular provision.

p.11

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. In Year 6 pupils’ standards are above average in English, mathematics and science. The overall attainment of the present Year 6 is lower than the previous year, but still reflects significant achievement due to the high proportion of pupils in this group with special educational needs. Pupils make good progress as they go through the school. This is because of the good quality teaching that successfully encourages pupils’ very positive attitudes towards their work and the good quality of presentation in all their books. Pupils show good research skills, using both books and the Internet, and use these well, such as in their Ancient Greek history project and their art work on containers. Their writing is good and shows a mature working vocabulary. ‘ Zeus was resting his head on his favourite cloud, thinking of ways to resolve his problems’ is an extract from a pupil’s high quality piece of written work.

p.11

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The quality of pupils’ speaking and listening skills is also above that of other pupils of a similar age because they are given regular opportunities to develop these skills across the curriculum. The quality of their speaking skills and the correct use of technical vocabulary was evident in a Year 5 science lesson. When asked to describe what happened in the circulatory system, one pupil replied; ‘The atrium and ventricle are chambers in the heart that help to circulate the blood round the body’.

p.11

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. Pupils make good progress through the school because of the consistently good, and often very good, quality teaching in all classes. Teaching has improved since the last inspection because of improved planning of the curriculum, teachers’ good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of each pupil and the good quality lesson planning that appropriately challenges pupils of all abilities. Although Years 4 and 5 classes have significantly more pupils than others, the skills of the teachers, allied to the extra support from a part-time teacher, ensures that all these pupils are appropriately challenged and make the same good progress as the pupils in other classes. Teachers’ daily planning is of a consistently good standard and clearly identifies what pupils are to learn. This is shared with pupils so that they have a clear understanding of what they are going to learn in the lesson. Year 1 pupils were clear that their

p.11

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

literacy lesson was going to be about preparing questions to find out more information about the wolf in the story they had been studying and were made aware that they would be working in pairs. This successfully focused the pupils’ thinking and concentration, and helped them make good progress towards meeting the lesson’s objectives. Occasionally, there is too much reliance on worksheets and these reduce the opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills.

p.11

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. The quality of teachers’ questioning has a very positive impact on pupils’ learning. At the end of a Year 6 art and design lesson, careful questioning from the teacher enabled pupils to evaluate their peers’ still life drawings and paintings. It is not only the teachers’ questioning that is good but the way that pupils’ answers are reinterpreted and built on so that all pupils in the class learn from the response of individual pupils. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is thorough and supportive, and mostly identifies what pupils need to do to improve their work. Marking is particularly detailed in pupils’ Writing Chest books and clearly informs pupils about the strengths and areas for development in their writing. However, the marking in other books does not consistently inform pupils about what they need to do to move towards their termly targets for literacy and numeracy that are set jointly with their teachers.

p.11

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Scholar Green Primary - 12 4. Teachers’ very good subject knowledge is evident in the great majority of lessons seen. It not only contributes to the good quality questioning but also to the pupils’ level of understanding. Pupils in Years 2 to 6 benefit from weekly lessons with an experienced French teacher. Year 5 pupils made very good progress in a science lesson on the impact of exercise on the pulse rate, because the teacher emphasised the use of correct scientific terminology and set up carefully planned investigations to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding further.

p.12

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. There are very good relationships between staff and pupils and because of this pupils want to work hard for their teachers and earn their praise. Pupils have a very clear understanding of classroom routines and the expectations of the teachers. Pupils feel secure in this framework which continually reinforces the school’s very good moral development. The quality of the relationships gives pupils the confidence to volunteer answers and clarify their misunderstandings. Higher-achieving Year 2 pupils quickly learnt how to add and subtract 10 using three digit numbers in a numeracy lesson because the task was challenging and the pupils were able to discuss the difficulties they were experiencing. The quality of the relationships also extends to visitors to the school. A religious education lesson about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt taken by a local vicar was brought to life by the interchanges

p.12

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

with the pupils. The warmth of relationships was also a key feature in a school assembly that centred on a lonely fish.

p.12

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because they are well supported in class by their teachers, with their good quality individual education plans clearly identifying the next stages of their learning. As a result, these pupils are confident, play a full part in lessons and are very positive about their learning. As a result of this specialised input, pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and are making good progress in relation to their learning needs. Pupils with special educational needs also receive very good support from experienced classroom assistants. They show firmness and sensitivity when working with these pupils and a consistent desire to see them achieve well. Pupils in Year 6 with special educational needs will also benefit from carefully planned ‘booster’ groups to address weaknesses in literacy and numeracy.

p.12

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. The good use of resources throughout lessons gives pupils a much clearer understanding of what they are learning about. Good use is made of computers in many lessons to consolidate and extend the pupils’ learning in a particular topic. Pupils are confident with using the Internet and make very good use of word processing programs to enhance the quality and presentation of their written work. Year 5 pupils have particularly well developed skills in this area, and one pupil’s story entitled ‘Jacob and Suella’s Wedding Present’ was of outstanding quality not only for the quality of the story but also for the way it was displayed. The school makes very good use of visits to broaden and enhance pupils’ learning. Year 5 and 6 residential visits, for example to York, enhance their geographical and historical knowledge and extend their social development. ‘It’s educational,’ said one Year 6 pupil, ’and it makes

p.12

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

learning fun’ . Carefully planned visits for pupils of all ages bring the curriculum alive for the pupils and help them to understand the wider world.

p.12

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. The quality of art work and displays around the school is consistently good. Pupils’ work is sensitively displayed and is often supplemented by artefacts to put it into its context. During the inspection, pupils were often seen looking at the displays, particularly in the most impressive entrance hall, and responding to the interactive nature of many of them. Scholar Green Primary - 13

p.12

The school is very well led and managed and promotes its aims very successfully

9. The headteacher provides very strong leadership and has built up a strong team of well motivated staff who have a very good capacity to continue the school’s improvement. Much of the success of the school is due to the headteacher’s drive and his resolve that there must be no complacency over the high standards that the school achieves. Analysis of the 2002 Year 2 National Curriculum test results in mathematics showed that higher-attaining pupils were not achieving appropriately. Successful intervention and extra support from the mathematics co-ordinator has led to noticeable improvements in the proportion of the present Year 2 pupils working at the higher levels. The process for formulating the annual school improvement plan is thorough. Staff, governors and parents contribute to the plan which is then taken to the full governing body for further discussion and ratification. Prioritisation and the

p.13

The school is very well led and managed and promotes its aims very successfully

financial arrangements of the plan have been considerably improved since the last inspection and, as a result, it is now a far more useful document for driving school development forward. Very good use is made of the available funds to ensure that the developments are appropriately resourced. As a result of prudent financial management, the school is improving and developing both teaching and cloakroom areas. Due consideration is given to the training needs of all staff and to the induction of new teachers to the school and the profession. The staff’s professionalism and expertise are constantly being developed. They have a positive impact on pupils’ attainment, for example, in writing which was recently the focus of a whole-school initiative, and on teachers’ performance management targets. The school is carrying forward just over five per cent of its budget to next year, much of which is earmarked

p.13

The school is very well led and managed and promotes its aims very successfully

for the present building work and possible fluctuations in pupil numbers.

p.13

The school is very well led and managed and promotes its aims very successfully

10. The role of governors has improved considerably since the last inspection. Their future development is very clearly laid out in the school’s improvement plan and shows a tacit determination to continue developing their skills. They are now far better informed from their monitoring visits than at the time of the previous inspection, and this enables them to be more proactive in giving a strategic steer to the school’s work and developments. Governors share the headteacher’s determination to ensure the highest standards and he has their full confidence. Governors work very hard on the school’s behalf and bring a wide range of expertise to the school’s management, and this is well harnessed by the experienced and knowledgeable chairperson. Governors gain a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses from their own visits. Particularly useful are the governor’s visit sheets whose findings are

p.13

The school is very well led and managed and promotes its aims very successfully

fed back to the governing body and also provide the focus for the next governor visit. The planned lesson observations with numeracy and literacy co-ordinators monitoring alongside their respective governor is a good initiative and will give the governing body an even fuller insight into the school’s provision in these areas. Whilst governors are fully involved in the setting of the school development plan and in ensuring that the timetable for developments is adhered to, even more use could be made of their expertise to help in the evaluation of the school’s developments, particularly through discussions with pupils. The results of the school’s National Curriculum tests are discussed in detail, and the governing body is made aware of the results of the assessments in Years 3, 4 and 5. At present there is no formal process for tracking pupils’ progress through a year. However, the headteacher does bring to the

p.13

The school is very well led and managed and promotes its aims very successfully

governors’ attention any concerns that he has over the performance of individual years so that appropriate action and resources can be applied to address concerns.

p.13

The school is very well led and managed and promotes its aims very successfully

11. The school’s aims are extremely well reflected in its practice. The school provides a relevant and balanced curriculum and a variety of approaches to learning which take Scholar Green Primary - 14 place in a happy, secure and caring environment. All pupils are fully included in the work and life of the school, and, as a result, pupils flourish, develop self-respect and self-confidence and are extremely well motivated in all aspects of their learning.

p.13

Pupils have very good attitudes to school, work hard and have very good behaviour

12. Pupils’ social development is very good and this leads to high quality relationships throughout the school. As a result, the school is a harmonious, supportive and hard- working community, where the ethos is relaxed but also very clearly focused on learning. In lessons, pupils are eager and willing and co-operate well. These very positive attitudes are a significant factor in the good progress they make as they move through the school. Classrooms have a very purposeful atmosphere, with teachers being able to concentrate on the lesson’s work without having to dwell on behaviour. Very good relationships are also evident at break and lunch times. Older pupils show great maturity as monitors and in the way that they look after the younger members of the school. Discussion with the older pupils revealed a desire to be able to give more long-term support to the new children in Reception, such as through a ‘buddy’

p.14

Pupils have very good attitudes to school, work hard and have very good behaviour

system. This would help to formalise the relationships between the oldest and youngest pupils and ensure all pupils take on this responsibility. Lunchtime is a very orderly occasion, with pupils showing very good manners and behaviour, and a keen awareness of others. Lunchtime supervisors carry out their roles effectively and are treated with respect.

p.14

Pupils have very good attitudes to school, work hard and have very good behaviour

13. The strength of the relationships in school is used well by teachers in the learning process. Good quality group work, such as in literacy and science lessons is carefully planned by teachers so that pupils learn from each other. Pupils have very good collaborative skills; these are reinforced by perceptive and thoughtful comments that they make in class discussions. This was clearly evident in a Year 4 history lesson when pupils interviewed a local person to find out about aspects of the past. Pupils benefit from growing up in such a supportive environment, with many of the older ones showing a keen understanding of the importance of listening to, and working with, peers to help in the learning process. In several lessons observed there was a sense of excitement about the new learning that was taking place. Pupils in Year 2 put their knowledge of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ to good effect when they

p.14

Pupils have very good attitudes to school, work hard and have very good behaviour

interviewed a volunteer Little Red Riding Hood as part of a ‘hot seating’ technique. There was a real moment of wide-eyed awe from the pupils when Little Red Riding Hood told the class that the woodcutter’s axe just missed her arm when he cut open the wolf’s stomach. In the Reception class, children enjoyed the challenge of eating with chopsticks and writing their names on the white board. As a result of involvement and excitement in their learning, pupils respond by producing good quality work and also by taking care in the way that it is presented. The quality of presentation in the Years 5 and 6 classes is particularly good and very good in all the pupils’ Writing Chest books.

p.14

Pupils have very good attitudes to school, work hard and have very good behaviour

14. The school offers increasing responsibilities as pupils move through the school. This was clearly seen in the contribution that older pupils make in assemblies, such as when they give out relevant road safety news and up-to-date information from the school council. In interviews with the oldest pupils, inspectors were made aware of pupils’ maturity, sense of responsibility and great commitment to the school. ‘I would like to turn it into a high school so I can stay’ , retorted one pupil in answer to the question about how the school could be improved. The school council provides a very appropriate vehicle for the articulate pupils to reflect on the life of the school and Scholar Green Primary - 15 to make suggestions for improving it further. They show a keen awareness of the needs of others when, for example, in their last meeting they were brainstorming ideas for fund raising for different charities.

p.14

Procedures for the care and welfare of pupils are good and highly valued by parents

who give very good support to the school.

p.15

Procedures for the care and welfare of pupils are good and highly valued by parents

15. Parents’ have very positive views about the school. They feel that it is a caring school, where their children do well and people listen to one another and are concerned for each other’s welfare. The headteacher consults with parents and has established initiatives to consult even more closely through regular questionnaires. The headteacher and all staff are readily available to talk to parents. This ‘open door’ policy is appreciated by parents who feel this openness enables any potential problems to be ‘nipped in the bud’. Issues are dealt with promptly and effectively. The school’s experienced bursar warmly welcomes all visitors, manages the school’s administration very effectively and gives very good support to the school.

p.15

Procedures for the care and welfare of pupils are good and highly valued by parents

16. Pupils are encouraged, through the school’s ‘golden rules’, to be kind, helpful and honest. The school’s very good programme for pupils’ personal and social education provides opportunities for pupils to talk about issues which concern them and to consider their relationships with other people. The recently established school council is giving pupils a valuable insight into how they can help the school improve and through this work they are learning valuable lessons on citizenship and democracy. A Year 6 pupil succinctly summed up the ethos of the school; ‘Everyone knows each other and looks after each other‘.

p.15

Procedures for the care and welfare of pupils are good and highly valued by parents

17. The support for pupils with special educational needs is good, with very good care for those who have statements of special educational needs. Classroom assistants support these pupils very well indeed, working with them during written and practical activities to ensure that they are fully included in all parts of the lessons. Carefully planned programmes of work ensure that pupils learn systematically, building on what they already know and can do. Teachers mark all these pupils’ work with helpful comments to make clear what has been done well and what needs to be improved.

p.15

Procedures for the care and welfare of pupils are good and highly valued by parents

18. All pupils benefit from the school’s systems for establishing rules and routines so that they know what to do and how to behave. This is especially important when pupils move during the day to work in other classrooms with different teachers. The teaching of classroom routines begins in the Reception, where children soon learn the pattern of the school day. For example, they know what is expected when the register is called and when they have to move into different activity groups. The classroom assistant in the Reception class helps children to keep on task and gives good support to the wide variety of activities. Throughout the school, teachers reinforce the school rules and maintain pupils’ interest in lessons so that discipline seems effortless. This creates a purposeful atmosphere in which pupils learn at a good rate.

p.15

Procedures for the care and welfare of pupils are good and highly valued by parents

19. Pupils have many opportunities to interact with adults. Teachers, classroom assistants and parents work alongside pupils in lessons. Lunchtime supervisors support and encourage pupils so that they develop very good relationships and play happily and sensibly together. Pupils say that instances of minor bullying are rare and are dealt with firmly and fairly by staff. In keeping with the school’s positive approach to discipline, pupils who have been particularly good or helpful during lunchtimes are rewarded with praise from teachers for the good example they have set. Scholar Green Primary - 16 20. Parents are able to help with homework because they know what their children are learning at school. Most feel that the amount and difficulty of homework are appropriate for their children. Information about their children’s attainment and progress is good and clear targets for improvement are highlighted in reports. Parents also appreciate

p.15

Procedures for the care and welfare of pupils are good and highly valued by parents

opportunities for them and their children to comment on the annual reports. Parents are welcome to ask questions at any time. The school also holds curriculum meetings which have included mathematics, literacy and most recently ‘mind games’. Parents give very good support to their children’s work at home. This is clearly evident in the two-way communication in pupils’ reading diaries. The enthusiastic involvement of parents in fund-raising, visits and social events brings further support for pupils, adds a sense of community spirit and sets a good example of citizenship.

p.16

Procedures for the care and welfare of pupils are good and highly valued by parents

21. Procedures for health and safety are good. Governors manage these issues well and there is a vigilant system for identifying problems. The accommodation is regularly inspected and teachers carry out risk assessments to ensure safety for both pupils and adults in the school. An adequate number of staff have qualifications in first aid. Staff are properly trained to deal with particular medical difficulties of pupils with special educational needs. The school’s procedures for child protection are good and there is appropriate training for staff.

p.16

Monitoring of pupils’ progress

22. The school has developed effective systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and using this information to help teachers plan work that builds on pupils’ strengths and addresses their weaknesses. Whilst co-ordinators systematically check standards in their subjects, the school does not make enough use of this information to track pupils’ progress through a school year to ensure that they meet the annual targets that are set for them in literacy and numeracy. As a result, some pupils are missing these targets and this is putting extra pressure on the pupil’s next teacher to make up the learning deficit.

p.16

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to improve the standard of education further, the headteacher, governors and staff should make greater use of the results of assessments to track individual pupils’ progress towards their end-of-year targets. Scholar Green Primary - 17

p.16

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 20

p.17

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.17

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 six percentage points.

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 192

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 16

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 20

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

p.17

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

p.17

Attendance

School data 4.1 School data 0 Scholar Green Primary - 18 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.17

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Scholar Green Primary - 19

p.18

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 11 10 21

p.19

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.19

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

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

p.19

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

Percentage of pupils School 86 (77) 100 (91) 90 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.19

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.19

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

Boys 10 10 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 8 8

p.19

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (86) 86 (91) 81 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.19

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

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

p.19

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 12 9 21

p.19

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.19

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

Boys 11 11 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 9 9

p.19

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (82) 95 (89) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.19

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.19

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

Boys 11 11 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 9 9

p.19

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (89) 95 (93) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.19

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Scholar Green Primary - 20

p.19

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.95 Financial year 2001

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.1

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 408776

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 402906

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 89 Expenditure per pupil 2035

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 19870

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 25740

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Scholar Green Primary - 21

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 58 36 6 0 1

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 48 4 0 6

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 46 39 11 2 2

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 34 47 17 1 1

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 67 25 5 0 3

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 34 3 0 1

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 32 49 16 0 3

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 67 28 1 1 3

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 38 1 0 4 Scholar Green Primary - 22 The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 41 42 11 1 5

p.21