Brookfield Primary School

BROOKFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 th – 12 th March 2003

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BROOKFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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BROOKFIELD 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. Brookfield Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Burlington Avenue Langwith Junction Mansfield

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr. A. Brickles

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 nd February 1998 Brookfield Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

3369 Mr. M. H. Cole Registered inspector Science Design and technology Music Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 19361 Mr. K. Ross Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 20003 Mrs. S. Metcalfe Team inspector Foundation Stage Geography History Information and communication technology 4351 Mrs. J. Strickland Team inspector English, Religious education Pupil’s attitudes, values and personal development How good are the curricular opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

11704 Mr. P. Williman Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Physical education Special educational needs

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Evenlode Associates Ltd. 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Brookfield Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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Ages Years Curriculum stage also known as

3 to 5 Nursery and Reception classes Foundation Stage

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Ages Years Curriculum stage also known as

5+ to 7 1, 2 National Curriculum Key Stage 1 Infants

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Ages Years Curriculum stage also known as

7+ to 11 3, 4, 5, 6 National Curriculum Key Stage 2 Juniors

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JUDGEMENTS OF ATTAINMENT

Inspection judgements of pupils’ attainment focus mainly on:

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JUDGEMENTS OF ATTAINMENT

• Pupils completing the Foundation Stage , at about age 5

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JUDGEMENTS OF ATTAINMENT

• Pupils in Year 2 completing Key Stage 1 , at about age 7 (this is also when pupils take standard National Curriculum tests (SATs)

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JUDGEMENTS OF ATTAINMENT

• Pupils in Year 6 completing Key Stage 2 , at about age 11 (this is also when pupils take standard National Curriculum tests (SATs) Brookfield Primary School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is an average size infant and junior school educating 234 boys and girls aged four to eleven. Children are admitted to the Reception classes in the September or January preceding their fifth birthday, depending on their age. Almost all have previously attended a neighbouring Nursery. Overall, children starting at the school have below-average attainment. Virtually all pupils are of white British origin. The school serves a former mining village. Unemployment in the area is very high and incomes low by national standards. Parents of one pupil in five apply for free school meals but many others are thought also to be eligible. The high level of deprivation in the area and the history of low educational attainment has led to the establishment of an Education Action Zone which supports this and other local schools in raising standards. About 23 per cent of pupils are identified as having special educational needs, mostly in relation

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

to learning difficulties, and three pupils have statements of their needs. These are typical figures for primary schools.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. The good quality of teaching helps pupils achieve well in their work. They also develop especially well in their attitudes, behaviour and personal development, and they make excellent relationships. Very good leadership and management of the school is improving the school and raising standards. Taking account of the below-average funds available to the school, it provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve well in most subjects, including English and mathematics, and standards in art and design and in physical education are above those expected for their ages. • Pupils are very interested and enthusiastic, they behave very well and they make excellent relationships. • Teaching throughout the school is of good quality and includes some very good features. • The school provides a good range and quality of opportunities for learning, provides very well for pupils’ moral development and makes excellent provision for pupils’ social development. • The school cares very well for pupils and the arrangements for encouraging good behaviour are excellent. • Good information is provided for parents and parents think well of the school. • The headteacher provides very good leadership and management and is well supported by a strong team of dedicated staff.

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What could be improved

• Standards in religious education are unsatisfactory. • Assessment of pupils’ progress in subjects other than English and mathematics is not precise enough and does not help teachers plan for progress in parts of the curriculum taught through topic work. • Although satisfactory, provision for spiritual and cultural development requires further improvement. • The layout of the building and some very cramped teaching spaces make the accommodation unsatisfactory. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the previous inspection in February 1998 there has been good improvement. Overall standards of work have risen. Pupils’ attitudes have improved from a good to a very good standard and their relationships, which were previously good, are now excellent. Within the teaching there are now more good and very good lessons, while unsatisfactory ones have been eliminated entirely. Concerns raised in the previous inspection report have been tackled with at least satisfactory and often good results. Accordingly, the teaching is more precisely planned and the work more challenging. The curriculum has also improved. In information and communication technology more time is given to the work, resources Brookfield Primary School - 8 are greatly improved and standards are now satisfactory. Provision for spiritual and cultural development, which was previously unsatisfactory has improved and is now satisfactory. Assessment of pupils’

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

progress, also a weakness at the previous inspection, has improved greatly in English and mathematics and is now satisfactory overall. Management processes for keeping a check on the school’s performance and for planning development are much improved and are now very good. These, together with the very strong commitment of the headteacher and her staff, give the school a very good capacity to build still further on the many existing strengths.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools 1

2000 2001 2002 2002 English B C D C well above average above average A B mathematics C C E C average below average C D science C E E E well below average E

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schools 1

1 Similar schools are defined by the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals; this measure has been found to be significantly related to the levels of attainment normally found in schools nationally.

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schools 1

Although there is a long-term trend of rising results, the school’s test scores in 2002 were lower than those for the two previous years. However, the school had expected this as the profile of ability in this year- group was lower than usual and the group included a significant proportion of pupils with learning difficulties. In fact pupils in this year-group achieved well in relation to their earlier attainment. Comparing their results at age eleven with their earlier scores in tests at age seven, these pupils made good progress in the four years between the tests. The school did not meet its official targets for the proportion of pupils reaching the levels of attainment in English and mathematics expected at age eleven. However, this was largely due to the impact of several pupils being absent from the tests. The present oldest pupils (Year 6) are achieving standards in English and mathematics that are in line with the national

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schools 1

standard. In science, present standards are below the expected level; pupils’ knowledge and understanding are sound but their skills of scientific investigation are insufficient. This reflects a past lack of opportunities to develop such skills. However, improvements in the science curriculum have begun to be made and pupils are achieving well in their lessons. In art and design, and in physical education, standards are good. In other subjects they are satisfactory, except for religious education where they are unsatisfactory because pupils’ knowledge is weak.

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schools 1

The results of pupils aged seven who took tests in reading, writing and mathematics in 2002 were average in reading, well above average in writing and below average in mathematics. The test results of seven- year-olds have risen significantly over the last four years. The work of present pupils at this age shows average standards in all three areas of reading, writing and mathematics. Their work in other subjects matches the standard expected nationally, except in art and design and physical education, where standards are higher. Pupils aged seven, like the older ones, have made good progress since they started in reception. Present pupils in the Reception classes are also achieving well and are likely to meet, at the end of the Reception year, all the early learning goals set for them and to exceed some of them.

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schools 1

Throughout the school pupils achieve well. This is true for boys and girls, for pupils with special needs and for pupils of differing abilities and backgrounds. The teaching is challenging yet very supportive and the pupils respond with good endeavour and very good behaviour. Brookfield Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are interested in and enthusiastic about school activities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. This is a calm, orderly school where pupils behave well as a matter of course and need little adult intervention.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils grow well in responsibility and independence. They make excellent relationships.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Poor. Despite the good effort of the school to encourage attendance, the rate is well below the national average and there is too much unauthorised absence.

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Teaching of pupils in: 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.

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

Teaching in both main subjects of English and mathematics is good. There is a systematic and thorough approach to teaching basic skills of literacy and numeracy. Teachers keep a good check on pupils’ progress in lessons and use their good appreciation of individuals to plan work that is well matched to the range of pupils’ abilities and needs. Plenty of extra help is given to pupils experiencing difficulty, with skilful classroom assistants often helping teachers give such support. Teachers make very good use of their resources of support staff, equipment and time. Pupils are expected to work hard and behave well. Teachers’ very good management of pupils is a particular strength. They use a good range of methods to ensure pupils take an active interest and participate well in lessons. Pupils respond with very good levels of interest and concentration and they behave very well. Lessons are calm, purposeful occasions.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The many educational visits and optional activities offered to pupils help to enrich their opportunities to learn. The school works hard to see that all pupils have good opportunities to learn that suit their needs. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Teachers and skilled support staff give well-planned and thorough support.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for moral development is very good and that for social development is excellent. Pupils are given extremely good guidance and opportunity for making good relationships and being co-operative and responsible members of the community. Provisions for spiritual and cultural development are satisfactory. Too little is done to help pupils appreciate and understand cultures other than their own. How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares very well for its pupils. Thorough procedures are conscientiously applied to ensure pupils’ welfare and to provide the support they need. The school tries hard to involve parents in supporting pupils and has a good partnership with parents. Procedures for encouraging good behaviour are excellent. Assessments of pupils’ progress in English and Brookfield Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

mathematics are good but in other subjects they are not sufficiently precise. Brookfield Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher has a clear vision and shows determination and dedication in improving the school and in ensuring that pupils’ needs are fully met. She gives strong leadership and full support to a committed team of staff. School staff work closely together to ensure that school aims and policies are very effectively put into practice.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors give good support and keep a good check on the school’s performance.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school has thorough procedures for checking its own performance, especially the quality of the teaching. These are used well to plan school improvement and support for teachers in developing their professional practice.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. Resources, especially of staff, are efficiently used and care is taken to see that best value is obtained from the available funds. Resources of staff are adequate and there are good supplies of books and equipment but the school’s accommodation is unsatisfactory. The layout of the building and some cramped teaching spaces hinder teaching of the curriculum significantly.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

That their children • like school and make good progress; • behave well at school; • become more mature and responsible; That the school • is well led and managed; • provides good teaching; • expects pupils to work hard. A very small number of parents stated that they would like • a different amount of homework; • closer links with parents and more information on their children’s progress; • more activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

NB. The pre-inspection meeting held for parents and carers was attended by only four, and the pre-inspection questionnaire was completed by only 33

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors’ findings support all of the positive views expressed by parents. As in many schools, parents are divided on the appropriate amount of homework. Inspectors judge present arrangements for homework to be satisfactory. Inspectors consider arrangements for informing parents about pupils’ progress to be good and find that the school is trying hard to create a positive partnership with parents. Although there are few regular after-school clubs the total picture of activities outside lessons is of good provision. Brookfield Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The overall picture of standards is that they are rising in all parts of the school and that pupils make good progress from year to year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Pupils aged eleven taking the 2002 National Curriculum tests of English, mathematics and science achieved average points scores that were below the national average in English and well below average in mathematics and science. However, compared with similar schools, results were average in English and mathematics and below average in science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The 2002 test results (see Part C) show that the proportions of pupils achieving or exceeding the level of attainment expected at their age (level four) were below the national average and below the previous year’s results. However, this pattern is largely explained by the fact that six pupils (15 per cent of the group) were absent from the tests. If the absent pupils are discounted, the proportions attaining level four were broadly similar to the national proportions and close to the school’s own teacher assessments.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The school had expected the 2002 results to be lower than in previous years because the profile of ability in this year-group had been lower than usual since they started at the school. Almost one pupil in three was identified as having a special educational need. When these factors are taken into account the pupils are seen to have achieved well. Comparing their test results with their earlier scores in tests at age seven, these pupils made good progress in the four years between the tests. Many pupils made greater gains in their learning than to be expected.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Allowing for the special circumstances of the 2002 Year 6 pupils, the long-term picture from the last four years’ national tests is of rising standards in English and mathematics. In science results have fluctuated but overall remained level. This picture reflects the fact that in recent years the school has rightly focused most of its drive for improvement on the basic skills of literacy and numeracy.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The trend of improvement is confirmed by the work seen during the inspection. Present Year 6 pupils’ work in English and mathematics is in line with the national standard and better than shown by last year’s test results. In science some weakness in pupils’ investigative skills makes their attainment below the national standard though still better than suggested by last year’s test. Recent improvements in the science curriculum to tackle the weakness in investigation have come too late to raise the oldest pupils’ attainment significantly. However, these improvements do mean that, overall, pupils’ present achievement across the science curriculum is now good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The work of the oldest pupils in art and design exceeds the standard expected at their age. Pupils’ show good skills in a wide range of materials and techniques, and especially in painting, collage and drawing. In physical education, too, standards are good. Their work in gymnastics, for example, shows good control, agility and poise and older pupils have good knowledge and understanding of strategy in team games and ball sports. In all other subjects standards are satisfactory, with the single exception of religious education. Here, standards do not meet the expectations of the local syllabus because pupils’ knowledge is sketchy and they show a weak ability to apply religious ideas to reflection on their own lives.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils aged seven took the 2002 National Curriculum tests of reading, writing and mathematics. In reading their results were in line with the national average but above the average for similar schools. In writing results were well above both the national average and the average for similar schools. Mathematics results were below the national average but in line with the similar schools’ Brookfield Primary School - 13 average. As with the oldest pupils, the seven-year-olds’ results compare well with their below average attainment at age five, showing that they have made good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The work of present seven-year-olds in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with the standards expected at their ages. There are fewer more able pupils in writing than in the previous year but improved teaching of mathematics has raised levels of attainment in this subject. In science and in all other subjects standards of work are at least satisfactory. However, as with the oldest pupils, standards in art and design and in physical education are good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Children enter the Reception classes with weaker levels of speaking and listening, knowledge of letter-sounds and personal and social development than would normally be expected for children of this age. Children make good progress, especially in the areas weakest upon entry. If this progress is maintained, standards when they end the Reception year will be at expected levels (the ‘Early Learning Goals’) in English and mathematics and creative development. In their personal and social development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development, their standards will be above the expected levels.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils with special educational needs also make good progress toward the individual targets set for them. Boys and girls of all abilities, backgrounds, and needs progress well. This reflects the school’s clear commitment to providing equal opportunities and the conscientious and thorough provision for pupils where extra help is needed.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Measurements of pupils’ long-term progress and favourable comparisons with attainments in similar schools support inspectors’ judgement that pupils throughout the school achieve well. This achievement is clearly seen in lessons where teachers’ high expectations, careful matching of works to pupils’ abilities and needs and the very keen and well-behaved response of pupils results in good progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and they show lively interest in the activities and opportunities provided for them. They are enthusiastic about their work, and they sustain their concentration and effort very well. Behaviour is very good, and classrooms are happy and purposeful places in which pupils work both independently and also in pairs or groups, where co- operation and sharing are the norm. They are not only interested in their own work but they take pleasure in the achievements of others and readily give support or praise. The very good behaviour noted at the previous inspection has been maintained while attitudes and relationships are now even better than before.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The school has been very successful in developing an atmosphere in which respect and care for other people, both in school and outside, are central values. Pupils watched and listened intently in an assembly, which dealt with the dire shortage of water supplies in some African villages. They were eager to talk about the implications of the video clip they saw and the practical help that might be given to meet a need remote from their own experience. Care for others is the basis of the ‘buddy’ system which operates very successfully in Years 3 - 6 and is now, at pupils’ own request, to be extended to the younger age group. In this well-managed scheme, a number of older pupils are carefully selected, from their own applications, and trained to act as ‘buddies’ for younger children. The system has earned pupils’ respect and it is used well, to settle arguments and provide advice, support or company to pupils who seek these in various circumstances. The

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

equally well-used school council encourages personal development, initiative and some early ideas of citizenship. Representatives take suggestions from each classroom to regular meetings which, according to pupils, have very good outcomes and have resulted in some welcome changes around the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. In all these activities, as in lessons, personal relationships are the key feature. Pupils respect the Brookfield Primary School - 14 adults in the school and are themselves treated with respect and consideration. Within this secure framework they learn to live and work with other pupils of all ages, enjoying the social life of the school and developing confidence and self-esteem. The courtesy and helpfulness they show to visitors provide an excellent illustration of this.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Although pupils clearly enjoy school, attendance was well below the national average in the last academic year. This is unsatisfactory. Unauthorised absence is high. A small number of parents continue to remove children for unauthorised activities despite the school’s best efforts to discourage this practice. A small minority of pupils arrives late for school. These pupils miss valuable introductions to lessons. A small but increasing minority of parents takes children out of school for family holidays and this has an adverse effect on attendance levels and sometimes the progress their children make. The school is rightly concerned about this and is monitoring the situation closely.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Throughout the school teaching is of good quality and includes some very good features. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour but they are also very supportive and they are very skilled at encouraging pupils’ interest and co-operation. Together these essential qualities lead pupils to learn well in lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The great majority of lessons seen during the inspection were of at least good quality and a substantial proportion was very good. Examples of very good teaching were seen in all parts of the school but especially in Year 6. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. This profile of the quality of lessons represents an improvement since the previous inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The teaching has also improved well in relation to previous inspectors’ concerns about the clarity of teachers’ objectives for learning and the level of challenge in the work presented to pupils. Lesson planning is now clear and precise about what pupils are to learn. Teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills is thorough and systematic. The general level of challenge in the work provided is high. These features reflect teachers’ good knowledge of their subjects which also helps them to explain clearly and ask suitably probing questions to draw out pupils’ understanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching is good overall for Foundation Stage children in both Reception classes. It combines effectively a clearly structured approach to teaching language and number skills with child-chosen activities and opportunities for creativity, exploration and role-play. The good teamwork between adults helps children to gain maximum benefit from the planned activities and so learn at a good rate. Lessons meet the needs of all the children including those with special educational needs. The adults have a good knowledge and understanding of the children’s needs and plan activities to meet these needs. The teachers and supporting staff have high expectations that the children will work hard, behave well and so achieve as well as they can. Children respond positively to the opportunities to learn, especially when working on creative activities such as art, constructions and role-play with the animal costumes. Their rate of learning and personal development is good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Children concentrate hard when working and are keen to learn. They work hard.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In Years 1 - 6, too, teachers set generally high expectations of what pupils can achieve, and are careful to match the tasks they plan to individual pupils’ abilities and needs. They are able to do this because they check individual pupils’ day-to-day progress well and can therefore identify the appropriate next steps in learning they need to take. They also recognise where pupils, including those with special educational needs, need extra help and they are conscientious about providing it. In English and mathematics the extra help is often given through close collaboration with support staff who work with individuals or small groups. The extra help given is well planned and supported with good extra resources. Support staff have been well trained and briefed so that Brookfield Primary School - 15 they are successful in the assistance they give. Pupils with both learning and behavioural difficulties are well supported.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. An especially strong feature of teaching throughout the school is teachers’ very effective management of pupils which results in pupils taking a lively interest in their work, concentrating on tasks, trying hard and behaving very well. Teachers make the work interesting and they also take pains to involve pupils actively in lessons through use of a range of strategies. A good example of this is the practice common throughout the school of asking pupils to discuss questions or ideas briefly with partners. This allows all pupils to take an active part and to try out their ideas and answers on their partners so that they then have the confidence to present them to the whole class in subsequent discussion. By keeping pupils active in this way, and by valuing their thoughts and comments, teachers are able to sustain pupils’ interest and concentration well. Because pupils are willingly engaged in lessons, teachers rarely need to spend time directing or correcting pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Lessons are calm, happy and purposeful events where there is a very good level of co-operation both between teachers and pupils and amongst pupils themselves.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. There is a range of other strategies, too, which teachers commonly use to keep pupils active and to allow them to learn in a variety of ways and settings. A marked feature of the school is the consistency of approach adopted by teachers. This is beneficial in that pupils become very clear about what is expected and are quickly able to respond to teachers’ wishes so that lessons proceed smoothly and the time available is well used. The consistency of the teaching reflects the way staff work very closely together to explore teaching methods and share good practice. This, in turn, is the result of the high level of support for the teaching given by the headteacher and senior colleagues and of the close checks they make on the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The school sets homework and most younger pupils, for example, have sound habits of taking reading books home to practise there. There are other tasks to support progress in basic skills and occasionally more open-ended ‘finding out’ tasks. Homework arrangements are satisfactory, but a significant minority of parents would like to see more.

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PUPILS?

25. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught. The curriculum is enriched by the provision of drama lessons for all pupils and by a weekly hour in which all pupils choose from a range of interesting options which they study for a whole term. All pupils have access to this broad curriculum, which prepares them for the national tests at 7 and 11 and also for the next stage of their education.

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PUPILS?

26. An appropriate curriculum is carefully planned for children in the Foundation Stage. The quality and range of learning experiences are good. Each activity is planned to give children the opportunities to learn drawn from the ‘Early Learning Goals’ of the six areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Each morning children follow a curriculum that links the English and mathematics development areas to the national literacy and numeracy strategies of Year 1. Each afternoon there is an appropriate balance between teacher-focused activity and the opportunity for children to learn from positive play. They have the opportunity to work together in pairs, on their own or in small or larger groups. To compensate for a lack of outdoor experiences there are formal hall physical education periods to further develop physical skills.

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PUPILS?

27. In Years 1 - 6 literacy and numeracy occupy a large proportion of the timetable. This work makes good use of the guidance from the national literacy and numeracy strategies and is successful in developing pupils’ basic skills. Physical education, science and drama are taught as discrete subjects. The remaining foundation subjects are taught within a topic framework. This Brookfield Primary School - 16 thematic approach has some significant advantages, as was evident in the good work done in geography and history. In other areas it is less successful and the disadvantages are more apparent. Planning and time allocations for subjects within topics are not precise. Concentrating time for some subjects at particular points of the year is designed to allow more time for in-depth study, but it also results in a break in the continuity of work and learning in some subject areas. The coverage of the religious education syllabus, for example, has been insufficient and there is

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PUPILS?

very little evidence of work building on what has gone before in this subject. There are also some limitations in the work being done in art and design and in design and technology.

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PUPILS?

28. Personal, social and health education, now including citizenship, benefits from the whole school approach. There is a sound provision for weekly circle time sessions, when pupils have the opportunity to discuss problems and personal feelings but there are also opportunities across the curriculum and through assemblies, the School Council and events and activities outside the classroom. The school’s sound policy for sex education is available to parents and they are informed that they have the right of withdrawal of pupils from any aspects of the programme other than those in the National Curriculum. They also know that they can withdraw pupils from religious education or collective worship.

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PUPILS?

29. In the last inspection, the time spent on information technology was judged insufficient and as a result pupils’ standards in the subject were a key issue. Adequate time is now spent and there has been improvement in the teaching and learning of information and communication technology across the curriculum but this does not yet fully meet national expectations. The recent addition of a computer suite now provides much better opportunities.

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PUPILS?

30. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and as a result these pupils progress well. The school has established the procedures required by the new national Code of Practice effectively. A recently created policy of good quality gives clear guidance to the work of teachers and support staff. Simple but clear individual education plans for pupils are translated into effective action in teachers’ day-to-day planning of their work.

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PUPILS?

31. The school provides well for activities beyond the normal programme of lessons that enrich pupils’ opportunities for learning. A great success is the school’s innovative use of one session every Friday afternoon as an ‘options’ hour. Here each teacher offers a specialism in which they have expertise or interest and pupils choose one of them to study for the whole term. Subjects offered include gardening, design and technology, music, drama, French, archaeology, and cookery. This session gives pupils the opportunity to work with a different teacher and with pupils from other age groups and they have responded with much enthusiasm.

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PUPILS?

32. Other activities outside the classroom in the last year have included twelve visits, giving pupils opportunities to go to museums, theatres and a variety of places of interest. At least one such visit is planned for every pupil during each term, and in the current term Years 5 and 6 enjoyed a particularly successful three-day visit to London. At present few clubs are provided in the lunch hour or after school and there is scope for the school to offer pupils a wider range of activities at these times. However, pupils have some very good opportunities to take parts in activities alongside pupils from neighbouring schools under arrangements made by the local Education Action Zone.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. The school has very good links with partner institutions and good links with the community to support pupils’ learning. There are strong links with the adjacent special school for example, including the use of valuable resources which impacts very positively on the school’s special educational needs programme. There is also a sharing of premises, staff and termly governors’ meetings which contributes effectively to the smooth and efficient running of both schools. Networking between schools in the area results in the sharing of good practice and joint training sessions to aid teachers’ professional development. The good links with the community widen pupils’ horizons when, for example, pupils visit centres for the elderly, see a ‘mock’ christening in Brookfield Primary School - 17 a local church or a visiting representative from a building society opens accounts for pupils in school.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. The provision made by the school for pupils’ moral development is very good, and for their social development it is outstanding. Provision for their spiritual and cultural development, judged unsatisfactory in the previous report, is now satisfactory but in need of further improvement.

p.17

PUPILS?

35. The school provides a daily act of collective worship, in assemblies for the whole school on two days of the week and for upper and lower age groups on other days. These are managed well and have a strong moral content, but the absence of the staff from most of these, and also of a few pupils withdrawn for extra help, devalues them as a central part of the school’s shared spiritual experience. Across the curriculum as a whole, and in some of the visits and activities organised for pupils, there are occasional opportunities for reflection and for pupils to experience feelings of wonder and reverence, but there is little planned provision for this.

p.17

PUPILS?

36. Very good provision for moral development throughout the school ensures that pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong and of the impact of their actions on others. Through a good behaviour code, and a consistent emphasis on partnership, sharing and support for one another, pupils develop a clear understanding of their obligations and responsibilities. They recognise the rights and needs of others. They play their part in keeping the school and their classrooms in good order, and do this willingly. Staff provide very good role models and make excellent relationships with pupils that contribute to the happy and purposeful atmosphere which is such a striking feature of the school. They show great concern for pupils in the strenuous efforts they make to help pupils in difficulty and they show respect for pupils by seeking, listening to and valuing their expressions of their ideas and feelings.

p.17

PUPILS?

37. The excellent social development of pupils is fostered in every aspect of their school life. In the classroom, they regularly work in pairs and groups, learning from and supporting one another. The pleasure pupils often take in the work or success of others was noted in several lessons. The School Council and the ‘buddy’ system give pupils very good opportunities to take responsibility, help others individually and contribute to the school community as a whole. Both systems are working very well and have earned pupils’ trust and confidence. They speak very warmly of the help a buddy can give to a child who may feel anxious or lonely and they are convinced that their School Council recommendations have brought significant improvements in the school. The help they give to others also extends to the wider community, in their fund-raising efforts and visits. The excursions and residential visits that the school arranges, particularly for older pupils, are

p.17

PUPILS?

important for their social development and their experience of the world beyond their school and locality.

p.17

PUPILS?

38. These visits, which have recently included a very well planned three-day stay in London for pupils in Years 5 and 6, also contribute much to pupils’ cultural development. They go to museums, study centres, theatres and a variety of places of interest in town and country. However, provision for cultural development in the daily life of the school needs more attention. Art, music and poetry do not have a high profile in lessons or displays. Music is played in assemblies, but pupils are not told what they are listening to. Few artists are known and named. There are very few poems on the walls or display boards and few signs of an interest in poetry in pupils’ work. Pupils have some awareness of cultures other than their own from religious education. They have learned something about Hinduism and Sikhism, but their knowledge of these and other faiths is very limited and is difficult to sustain when the subject is not taught in the spring term. Despite the

p.17

PUPILS?

school’s excellent intentions, there is very little on display or in use in lessons, to reflect a variety of cultures and traditions. The school does, though, have difficulty in using displays to enrich pupils’ experience because the accommodation provides relatively little suitable space. Brookfield Primary School - 18

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school cares for all its pupils very well. All staff show care and concern for the welfare and safety of pupils and relationships are excellent. The school succeeds with its aim to create an open, secure, caring, friendly, happy school for all who work in and alongside the school. Standards of pastoral support and guidance identified in the previous report have further improved.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Procedures for child protection are very good and meet statutory requirements. There is a good policy and procedures are communicated to staff very effectively. They are aware of their responsibilities if they feel a child is at risk. There are very good procedures to identify and control health and safety risks and to ensure that the premises, equipment and working practices are safe. First aid procedures are implemented well and there are sufficient staff trained in first aid. Appropriate procedures are in place for recording accidents and notifying parents of any injury that may require further monitoring.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school’s behaviour policy gives very clear guidance to staff on practices that ensure and encourage appropriate behaviour. This policy is implemented in an exemplary manner by all staff. The anti-bullying policy is clear about its purpose and approach to preventing bullying in the school. The overall very good behaviour and absence of oppressive behaviour seen during the inspection reflects the exceptional effectiveness of the school’s approach to its behaviour management. This is a very marked strength of the school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school’s procedures for monitoring attendance are good. Administrative arrangements are very efficient and unexplained absences are investigated. There are also some good procedures and incentives for encouraging attendance but these are only partially successful as the poor rate of attendance shows.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Procedures for monitoring and promoting aspects of pupils’ personal development are good. Staff have close and caring relationships with pupils and are quick to recognise where personal support is needed. A good example of the school’s commitment to pastoral support and guidance for all its pupils are the ‘positive play’ and ‘positive people’ initiatives. These address effectively concerns initially identified by class teachers such as pupils’ conduct, emotional and social concerns. The very good school council arrangements allowing participation in some school decision-making, and older pupils’ roles as ‘buddies’ supporting younger ones, promote personal development well.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. In keeping a check on pupils’ academic development the school has made some effective changes since the previous inspection, when assessment of pupils’ progress was found to be a major weakness and a key issue for improvement. Assessment in English and mathematics is now very good but assessment overall is judged only satisfactory as there continue to be some weaknesses in other subjects.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. In the Reception classes good procedures enable the teachers and support staff to effectively track the development of children through the footsteps to learning and the early learning goals of the Foundation curriculum. These ensure children make good progress. From the findings of an assessment of skills when children enter the school, adults plan work that helps children develop skills and learn. Adults also effectively track the progress of individual children through their planning sheets. These highlight problems and achievements and are used during regular planning meetings to guide the next group of activities. At the end of the school year the school evaluates the children’s progress from their initial assessments. This shows how well they have done over their first year in the school and helps adults plan to support future work in Year 1.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The assessment of progress in English and mathematics is now much more rigorous and regular than before and it is used well as a basis for planning the teaching and support for pupils. The Brookfield Primary School - 19 school makes increasing use of the data now available to track and forecast progress from year to year and the value it is adding as pupils move through the school. In Years 1 - 6, literacy grids chart pupils’ progress in reading and writing. Reading and writing ‘conferences’ between teacher and pupil take place twice a term to assess strengths and weaknesses and to set targets for each pupil. The writing targets are placed in each pupil’s exercise book. These are good practices. Optional tests are carried out in reading and writing in Years 1, 3, 4 and 5. On the basis of these, teachers make forecasts of pupils’ individual attainment at the end of the key stage and can adapt

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

their planning to meet needs. In numeracy, weekly assessments inform planning for the following week and pupils who need extra support are identified. As in literacy, optional tests are set and forecasts made.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. In other areas, assessment is less well organised. There is no system for assessing and recording pupils’ progress in speaking and listening and no system for assessment in religious education. In the foundation subjects assessment is still not sufficiently systematic. However, the school’s use of an ‘eleventh day book’ does provide a regular and useful check on each pupil’s progress overall, allowing comparisons to be made and achievement tracked. 48. The progress made by pupils with special educational needs is monitored carefully and the information used to make appropriate adjustments to the work and support they are given.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents think this is a good school and the school has a positive and beneficial relationship with parents. Parents speak highly of the care and support provided by teaching staff and feel the school is approachable and that they are kept well informed. The school’s partnership with parents is better now than at the previous inspection and the quality of information for parents has improved.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Good steps are taken by the school to evaluate its effectiveness in working with parents. The school has an ‘open door’ policy and encourages parents to voice any concerns. Questionnaires have been sent to parents to enable them to make suggestions, evaluate practices and changes have been made accordingly. For example, parents’ views were sought on developing the school’s personal, social and health education programme and they were subsequently asked for their views on the effects of those changes. The school reports a small response.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Appropriate home/school agreements are in place. These identify clearly the responsibilities of the school and of parents and they show the school’s behaviour code in the child’s section. Approximately fifty per cent of parents have signed and returned these agreements, indicating their commitment to supporting their children’s education.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The very high quality information to parents includes a very informative guide for new starters, a well-produced ‘welcome pack’ and a parents’ ‘before school’ pack showing very helpful tips on how parents can support their children’s learning at home and prepare their child for school life. The wide-ranging information is further enhanced by regular newsletters about the life of the school and including all activities and requirements of the school year. A particular merit of home/school communications is termly information for parents on the topics pupils will be studying and the numeracy targets they will be tackling. This gives parents an opportunity to support their child’s learning in a practical way. Pupils’ annual reports are of good quality. Parents and carers are happy with these reports and feel they are detailed and helpful. A section showing an overview of pupils’ general progress and achievements is particularly helpful to parents. Parents

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

of pupils with special educational needs are able to join in sensitive and sensible arrangements for regular review of these pupils’ progress. These take place more often than officially required.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The contribution of parents to their children’s learning at school and at home is satisfactory overall. A few parents support learning, for example by assisting in classrooms and with other Brookfield Primary School - 20 activities. A small number of parents also record comments in children’s reading books, and this helps to inform teachers further of any concerns or strengths. Additionally the school values the support provided by the Friends of Brookfield association. A small dedicated and active committee organises a range of social and fund-raising events, which are well supported by the parents. Each year an objective is set. For example, last year monies raised were for physical education equipment to be used in the school hall. This support is much appreciated by the school and increases pupils’ learning opportunities.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The school tries hard to involve parents and has a positive approach to engaging them in supporting their children’s learning, and is looking to involve parents further.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school has built on existing strength in leadership reported at the previous inspection and it has improved its management processes greatly. Brookfield Primary School - 21 56. The headteacher gives very strong leadership to the school and in so doing encourages the full support of a committed staff who work very closely together. The headteacher has a very clear and firm sense of priorities within the school’s aims and she shows much determination and dedication in pursuing them. The school has a clear commitment to raising pupils’ expectations of themselves, promoting pleasure and success in learning and arming pupils with the essential skills they will need to take their education and their lives further forward. To achieve this, the school understands the need to create an atmosphere of high expectations where pupils value themselves and their achievements and have co-operative relationships with others. The day-to-day life of the

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school shows all of these priorities being very successfully put into practice. The good quality of the teaching and of the support given to pupils and the excellent provisions for pupils’ social development reflect this.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Strong leadership is seen in the way school staff are given very clear guidance on how the school is to function and at the same time a great deal of help to be successful. The headteacher, aided by other senior colleagues, checks and supports the teaching very closely and gives much personal support as well as ongoing opportunities for further training to her colleagues.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The strength of this guidance and support has been especially valuable in a situation where the school has experienced a range of staffing difficulties in recent years. Difficulties in recruiting teachers with the right qualifications and experience have meant, for example, that at times in recent years the headteacher has herself taken on a significant teaching commitment. At the time of the inspection the deputy headteacher and another senior staff member were absent from the school during maternity leave. This has meant the adoption of many temporary arrangements for managing and co-ordinating the school’s work. Despite this, inspectors found the school to run very smoothly, a tribute to the underlying strength in leadership and management and to the enthusiasm and commitment of school staff.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The co-ordinator for special educational needs manages this aspect of the school’s work well but is very dependent upon the effective work of colleagues to ensure the continuity and success of the support for pupils. It is a matter of concern that she has no regular release time to give personal support or to monitor colleagues. Her overall workload comprises other extensive management responsibilities in addition to teaching the Year 6 class, on which the school’s reputation, in significant part, hangs.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Management systems are very good and thorough. This applies particularly to the very good procedures for keeping a check on the school’s performance. This is seen, for example, in a thorough agreed system for keeping a direct check on the quality of teaching and learning in lessons. The headteacher gives close personal attention to these processes and is well supported in them by senior staff. There are good procedures, too, for collection and analysis of data on pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics and its use to target individuals for extra help. The information gained from all these processes is well used to arrive at an entirely appropriate set of improvement priorities, to plan in clear detail what needs to be done, and to set targets for raised standards and a still better quality of education.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Despite the staffing difficulties of recent years, the school has managed to raise standards and make good improvement since the previous inspection. The school has much valued the support of its local authority advisor in its quest for improvement. This has gone some way to help the school cope with the pressures it reports from teacher shortages and from government requirements to implement change quickly.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school has also valued the support of its concerned and supportive governing body. Governors have been valued advocates of the school’s need to improve its accommodation, though this drive has so far yielded only partial success. As well as being supportive, governors are also appropriately watchful over the school’s performance, monitoring the annual test results and keeping account of the school’s progress in bringing about the improvements they have Brookfield Primary School - 22 agreed with governors. Brookfield Primary School - 23 63. The school continues the good practice of financial planning and control reported at the previous inspection and uses its financial resources very well to support the priorities of the School Improvement Plan. The governing body manages its financial responsibilities well and works effectively with the headteacher to target both general funds and specific grants. As a result,

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

standards have risen over time, pupils with special educational needs and pupils who are capable of higher attainment with additional support, make good progress and attain appropriately. The impact of the use of both Standards Funds and Education Action Zone funds to promote the employment and training of support staff is exemplary and demonstrates the high quality of the school’s management. The school has used its capital funding very well to begin the task of refurbishing and improving the unsatisfactory accommodation, by working with the local education authority to achieve the recent addition of two classrooms of appropriate size. The large financial surplus at the end of the last financial year was due to the planned receipt and accumulation of funds for establishing and equipping the computer suite and new classrooms over recent months.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school monitors the impact of its expenditure well to ensure good value for money and applies the principles of best value. For example, care is taken to evaluate the benefits of staff training to learning. Research is undertaken before expenditure is approved. The day-to-day management of finances is ably carried out by the headteacher with the very efficient support of the school secretary. Considering the below average socio-economic circumstances of the school, the rising trend in standards, the good progress pupils make, the very good management of below average resources to improve the quality of educational provision, the school represents very good value for money.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The number of school staff is just adequate. The ratio of pupils to teachers is higher than average. This is reflected in the fact that all teachers other than the headteacher have a full-time class commitment, including the co-ordinator for special educational needs. The school makes effective use of its entire staff and all are well qualified and well trained. Careful planning and the use of teacher’s specialist training and abilities support and enrich the curriculum. Formal systems for staff appraisal and performance management are in place with the headteacher as the appraiser. Learning support assistants as well as teachers are involved in these formal discussions about their individual needs and responsibilities and these are tied in with the school’s priorities. This promotes equality and helps to cement the team spirit among the staff which is evident in the very good co-operation between teachers and support staff. Targets are set for the headteacher

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

by the governing body with advice from the local authority. The procedures to induct staff new to the school, and newly qualified teachers are good. Administrative staff are very effective. The school office is run in a friendly but very efficient way, making use of up-to-date computer technology. The staff with responsibility for the cleanliness and care of the building are very effective and ensure that all who work in the school have a well-maintained and pleasant atmosphere within which to work.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. Overall, the school’s resources of books, equipment and materials are just satisfactory. There are strengths in some areas but weaknesses remain in others. A significant improvement since the last inspection has been in the provision of computers. The school now has a very well equipped room for information and communication technology and a good ratio of computers to pupils, at 1:4. The school has good resources for literacy and numeracy and money has been well spent on classroom book collections and on big books for use in lessons. Excellent displays make good use of a variety of resources and classrooms are colourful and stimulating work places. The library, however, is poor. Again, space limitations affect the school’s ability to build up a library which would give pupils a richer range of fiction and reference choices and the chance to acquire some library skills. The lack of large toys and equipment for outdoor play for children under five was

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

noted in the last report and there has been only limited improvement. Outdoor space is still inadequate and this restricts the quantity and safe use of large toys or climbing equipment for free play.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school’s accommodation is unsatisfactory. This is a similar picture to that found at the time Brookfield Primary School - 24 of the previous inspection. Although the headteacher and governors have worked hard to improve the school and have done as much as they can, the many disadvantages with the accommodation have a negative impact on standards in a significant number of subjects. For example, the several very cramped teaching spaces make it very difficult to teach properly practical work in science and in design technology, practical aspects of the Reception class curriculum and larger dimension work in art. It is also necessary to use classrooms as thoroughfares in order to reach other classrooms. This is disruptive for lessons despite the very good way in which teachers and pupils strive to minimise the disturbance. There is only a very small and inadequate library area. The lack of communal areas and corridors also severely restricts the space available for displays to

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

stimulate pupils’ interest and show their achievements.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. Whilst pupils are given encouragement to carry out independent study and research, this is made difficult by the very restricted space in the library.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The recently completed information and communication technology suite, an adventure play area for younger children and a shaded sitting out area with log benches, illustrate well the governors’ commitment to increasing the learning opportunities and improving the school environment for the benefit of all its pupils.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. The site manager and caretaker make a strong contribution to the life of the school through carrying out a range of improvements to the premises, including building computer desks for the new suite, erecting small partitions, decorating, and repairing computers. They also ensure that the premises are kept clean and orderly. Brookfield Primary School - 25

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

To raise standards and improve the quality of education further, the school should:-

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Raise standards in religious education by: • ensuring that the time allocated to the subject meets the requirements of the Agreed Syllabus; • planning work which always builds on previous learning and which ensures that pupils are learning from as well as about religion; • assessing pupils’ progress.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Make more precise assessments of pupils’ progress in subjects other than English and mathematics, and: • use the information derived to plan work that provides for pupils of all abilities to take challenging next steps in developing knowledge, understanding or skills in each subject; • use assessment procedures to check that the teaching of cross-curricular topics is successful in supporting continuous progress in each subject.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 27, 47, 104, 108, 113, 118, 130, 134, 140)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Improve provision for spiritual and cultural development by: • staff training in understanding and using a full range of strategies for promoting these forms of development; • incorporating in curriculum planning identification of opportunities to promote spiritual and cultural development; • monitoring and evaluating the effective use of these opportunities.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4. Take all reasonable steps to improve the accommodation in order to remove hindrances to the teaching and the curriculum.

p.25

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• Further developing procedures for encouraging attendance at school. (Paragraphs 16, 42)

p.25

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• Pressing ahead with the intended extension of links between work in information and communication technology and work in other subjects. (Paragraphs 29, 123)

p.25

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• Improving expertise within the staff in music. (Paragraphs 130) Brookfield Primary School - 26

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 36 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor Number 0 14 15 7 0 0 0 Percentage 0 39 42 19 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents nearly three percentage points.

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 234 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 44 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 49

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 9 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

p.26

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 4.4 School data 2.7 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Brookfield Primary School - 27

p.26

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 17 16 33

p.27

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 16 16 16 level 2 and above Girls 13 15 15 Total 29 31 31 Percentage of pupils School 88 (83) 94 (83) 94 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.27

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 17 16 17 level 2 and above Girls 15 14 15 Total 32 30 32 Percentage of pupils School 97 (88) 91 (79) 97 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.27

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 20 20 40

p.27

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 10 14 15 level 4 and above Girls 14 13 13 Total 24 27 28 Percentage of pupils School 60 (79) 68 (79) 70 (84) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.27

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 12 15 17 level 4 and above Girls 15 15 17 Total 27 30 34 Percentage of pupils School 68 (79) 75 (84) 85 (84) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Brookfield Primary School - 28

p.27

exclusions

White – British 232 0 0 White – Irish 0 0 0 White – any other White background 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 0 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 0 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 0 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. Brookfield Primary School - 29

p.28

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9 Financial year 2000-2001

p.29

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

p.29

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 410676

p.29

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 368071

p.29

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 98 Expenditure per pupil 1587

p.29

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Balance brought forward from previous year

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 8

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent. Brookfield Primary School - 30

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 67 30 0 0 3

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 58 27 9 6 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 43 18 3 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 33 52 3 9 3

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 58 36 0 6 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 73 27 0 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 36 49 6 9 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 58 36 0 6 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 67 27 6 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 46 27 15 6 6

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

NB. 1 parent or carer = 3 per cent Brookfield Primary School - 31

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. As at the previous inspection children under five are judged to make good progress. On entry to the school children’s attainments are below expected levels, especially in their speaking and listening skills and in their personal and social development. However, most children attain the Early Learning Goals in each area of the Foundation Stage curriculum by the time they end the Reception year and move into Year 1. A significant number exceed the goals for personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development. This gives children a very secure basis for future learning. There are few differences in the standards between boys and girls. Those who have special educational needs are well provided for.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. The quality of teaching is good and it promotes good achievement across the curriculum. Teachers and support staff show good teamwork as they plan a range of activities to give experiences and support matched to children’s well-understood learning needs. The teachers have good class management skills, grouping children with others of similar ability to fully develop basic skills and knowledge in the core curriculum of English and mathematics. This helps children settle down well and grow in confidence. The clear tracking of children to identify weaker areas, any confusions and the development of their knowledge and skills is used effectively in planning sessions to ensure the curriculum matches needs.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. Adults ensure that there is a balance between teacher-directed learning and child-chosen activities in the afternoon, though mornings are more formal, being concerned with English and mathematics. This prepares children well for National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy work when they move into Year 1. The quality of direct teaching is good. Lessons have good pace and challenge and encourage children to persevere and develop concentration as well as independence in choosing activities. Children work well together and have positive relationships with all the adults who support their work.

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Personal, social and emotional development

74. Children have positive attitudes to work. They enjoy coming to school and form good relationships with each other, older pupils and the staff. Children know what is expected of them and routines are well established. As a result behaviour is very good overall. In class children work hard. They play happily together with a high degree of independence. Children concentrate well in group and class sessions. They listen to teachers and each other and are learning how to take turns in speaking. Most put up hands to show they wish to answer questions, though the enthusiasm of some means they still call out and interrupt each other. In the afternoon, when working on themed tasks such as ‘jungles and rainforests’, they occasionally prefer solitary play activities such as making models with construction equipment or writing letters, but the majority of the time children co-operate and work together. This is seen, for example, in the role-play area

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Personal, social and emotional development

where they become a range of animals using the costumes provided. This shows their growing maturity.

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Personal, social and emotional development

75. A strong emphasis is placed on children’s personal and social development. Most children are polite. They say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when receiving resources or help from adults or each other because of the emphasis on politeness given by adults. All staff listen carefully and value what children have to say, giving children a good pattern for language use by often repeating to others what has been said. Adults are sensitive to the needs of all the children and work to increase confidence and self-esteem through asking them to undertake a range of jobs such as being monitors and responsibility for tidying up after activities. Praise is used well. Even when children make comments that do not fit in, they are encouraged to remember them for later. Adults hold high expectations that children will care for themselves independently. Children rise to Brookfield Primary School - 32 these expectations. They are encouraged to have a go first and then ask an adult for help if

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Personal, social and emotional development

needed, enabling them to develop independence.

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

76. Children make good progress overall in this area and achieve well. Most are likely to be achieving the learning goals for this area at the end of the Reception year. Children enter the school with a range of communication skills. Their speaking skills are weaker than listening skills but the younger children soon learn to speak in simple phrases and join in a group discussion with growing confidence. Older children are willing to speak in whole class discussions and are learning to listen and take turns in conversations. Children have regular opportunities to share their news and to talk about their experiences. They enjoy listening to stories and sit and listen well for some length of time. Through formal English lessons each morning children are developing their early reading skills and writing skills well. All recognise their names and are learning other letter names and shapes. Children know a range of well-known stories and understand that the print in books

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Communication, language and literacy

has meaning. They read simple texts and instructions. They know and use a growing number of frequently used words and make sense of unknown words using the initial sounds, the letter sounds and picture clues. Children explain what is happening in stories read to them and use their own pictures to predict what might happen next. Children are aware of the words ‘author’ and ‘illustrator’ and know the difference between the two. Children write their own names on the back of their work and are beginning to construct sentences using known words. All are aware that sentences start with a capital letter and higher attaining children put in a capital letter to start their own work.

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Communication, language and literacy

77. Teaching is good, particularly in the encouragement to develop speaking skills in both formal and informal situations. In English lessons children have time to share their ideas. The basic skills of reading and writing are taught well and children learn very quickly. For example, when reading a book with the group, teachers point to words as they read and emphasise that words carry meaning. Letter sounds are taught well and reinforced in games and written activities. Children are introduced to a wide range of books to stimulate interest. They take books home to share with their parents which help to develop children’s interest and skills. Children use their writing skills in formal lessons and also informally in child directed play activities. Displays of children’s writing reinforce the message that speaking, listening, reading and writing skills are important and valued. Occasionally guidance for children’s speech is ambiguous when staff use non-standard grammar

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Communication, language and literacy

or their diction makes word-endings unclear.

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Mathematical development

78. Children have a wide range of mathematical ability and skills when they enter the school but standards are generally lower than average in number and mathematical language. Some children can count objects up to 50 or more correctly whilst others have little understanding of numbers higher than 5. Through well-planned activities in formal mathematics lessons, as well as in more child-directed play sessions, children develop an understanding of number, pattern, shape and measurement, with an appropriate mathematical vocabulary such as ‘one more’ or ‘one less’ to make numbers bigger or smaller. Children learn to write numbers correctly and have started to write number stories. They learn about two- and three-dimensional shapes through direct teaching as well as practical activities. They use shapes in their construction work. They learn about capacity by estimating how many cups of sand or water will fill a container in afternoon activities.

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Mathematical development

79. The quality of teaching is very good overall. Teachers make use of every opportunity to encourage children to count, to recognise numbers and to do simple addition and subtraction as they play. Younger children, for example, start their mathematics lessons with mental agility games lead by a hand puppet while older ones work with a partner and number fans, showing numbers ‘one more than’. These lead to main sessions that extend the starting skills, with both teachers directly teaching before giving children the opportunity to practise these skills in a range of games. Lessons end back on the carpet, children consolidating their progress by sharing what has been done and learned. Brookfield Primary School - 33 80. Good use is made of a range of computer programs to reinforce learning in all areas of mathematics and children use these independently. In child-directed activities the children make

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Mathematical development

good use of the sand and water trays to investigate capacity and volume.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

81. Each afternoon children’s natural curiosity about the world around them is nurtured by effective teaching that gives a range of opportunities to explore the natural and man-made environment. For example, using the topic of an Ecuadorian rainforest, children investigate some of the creatures that live in the forest. They use photographs successfully to look closely at the colours, shapes and movement and note changes and differences depending upon whether the creature flies, crawls or climbs through the jungle. Children link what they can see in the photographs to their recent zoo visit. They show good knowledge of the young of creatures as well as what they eat and how they sleep. Children know that they are the young of their parents and will eventually grow to look like them just as a chick or kitten looks like the adult creature. While a group of children move to structured activities including using brushes to lay paint with careful and

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

controlled strokes to give the effect of scales and feathers and using a pencil well to make a close observational drawing of a creature, other children choose from a range of activities. These include role play using different animal costumes, working out how animals move through sand and water, and using construction materials effectively to build recognisable shelters and vehicles for the jungle as well as drawing programmes on the computers, when they use the mouse and keyboard with confidence. Staff-led activities are used well to teach and establish new vocabulary. Learning is good, and often very good, in activities led by the teachers. Good planning ensures that the children are encouraged to explore and apply what they have learned through activities of their choice.

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Physical development

82. Children control a range of equipment with skill and confidence and an awareness of space. In the classroom they show good co-ordination and control as they travel round the room. Although the rooms are small, children rarely bump into the resources or each other. They listen well to instructions and learn the routines of physical education lessons, paying good attention to safety. Finer physical skills are developed well as good teaching ensures that pupils hold tools such as scissors, pencils and paintbrushes correctly. At playtimes children are able to further develop their physical skills as they use the climbing equipment to develop their larger physical skills. The level of many children’s physical control, co-ordination and skills leads them to exceed the goals for this area of learning.

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Physical development

83. Activities in the classroom are well chosen to develop fine motor skills. For example, in mathematics children play a range of number games, manipulating equipment such as dice and cubes. They cut round pictures and colour in, keeping within the shapes, ordering them by size. Assessment is used well to identify children who need extra support in developing control with hand-held tools and equipment. Children who favour their left hand are given appropriate equipment such as scissors; however, all the mice attached to the computers are set up for right- handed learners only.

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Creative development

84. Achievement is good in this area of learning. Most children achieve the goals set for their age. Good teaching provides opportunities for children to express their ideas through a range of materials as well as to experiment to develop their fine physical skills. Most of the examples of artwork seen on display in the classroom, such as paintings and collages, are outcomes of structured activities though children also have opportunities for free flow painting and drawing. Children know a range of songs and rhymes and sing together with real enjoyment. Their response to music and rhythm is good. Through careful planning of the use of the small space available within the classroom, children learn to play together imaginatively in the role-play area, pretending they are different animals in the jungle. The classrooms show that an appropriate Brookfield Primary School - 34 range of activities is provided to enable children to express their feelings whilst they explore and

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Creative development

create. They can choose from a range of materials to create colourful and attractive artwork. The enthusiasm of staff who join in activities such as action songs and role-play contributes to children’s good progress in the creative arts.

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Creative development

85. Lack of space for Reception children reduces the range of opportunities for teachers to plan activities fully in the spirit of the Foundation Stage curriculum. For instance, it is hard for them to provide creative activities that include the making of large constructions to promote development of hand-eye co-ordination as well as knowledge of materials and design and construction skills. Work in knowledge and understanding of the world is constrained by lack of suitable space for ‘messy’ experiments and outdoor areas for digging and planting.

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ENGLISH

86. At ages seven and eleven pupils’ work in all areas of the English curriculum is in line with the standard expected for their ages. In the national tests taken in 2002 pupils’ attainment in English at the age of 11 was below the national average. However, the long-term trend of results since the previous inspection is upward. In the current year, pupils at this age are doing rather better than last year’s test suggest though the proportion of pupils achieving the higher level attainment (level 5), still appears to be lower than nationally.

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ENGLISH

87. The school has made good use of the structure and requirements of the National Literacy Strategy in planning work in English. Pupils understand the learning objectives in their lessons, and they take part eagerly in starter activities, whole class, group and independent work. Speaking and listening skills benefit from the friendly and encouraging relationships in classrooms, where individual contributions are valued and pupils listen to one another as well as to their teacher. Much thought has been given to the value of pair talk and pupils talk readily to one another about work in class or issues that arise in assembly. The quality of listening in the school’s assemblies also reflects these high levels of concentration and response. However, although they answer questions readily and talk well in groups and pairs, pupils do not always have enough opportunities for more varied or creative speech activity. In the lessons observed, in Years 1 and 2, there was

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ENGLISH

no use of role-play or acting out even when good opportunities arose, and pupils were not heard speaking verse. In literacy work in Years 3 - 6 there was some use of pupil presentations to the whole class. These skills were also demonstrated in other lessons, for example when pupils in Year 6 explained to the class what they had been doing in a science experiment.

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ENGLISH

88. Reading skills are developed steadily through Years 1 and 2, building on the word and sound recognition which pupils acquire, through a variety of strategies, from their early years in the school. Games and stories give children a sense of fun with language and the clearly enjoy their work. Later, lessons follow more closely the whole-class and group reading processes of the Literacy Strategy with Big Books, flip charts and overhead projection used well and sets of class reading books providing staged material as pupils progress. By the age of seven, overall standards of reading are satisfactory at least. Most pupils open their books with pleasure, can talk about the characters and events in their stories and make simple predictions. The home-school reading scheme is working well for most pupils, and the dialogue often established between parent/carer and teacher in the reading diaries encourages pupils and helps to monitor their reading progress.

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ENGLISH

89. In Years 3 – 6 pupils encounter an increasing range of texts, read more non-fiction and begin to understand genre and theme. During the inspection week some were focusing on setting and character in their written work and making use of some of the books they knew for comparison and suggestion. They read newspapers and learn about newspaper style and presentation. Keener readers are able to name favourite authors and describe the kinds of books they like. Although there are good small classroom libraries, the school library is inadequate, lacking both stock and space. As a consequence, pupils have few library skills. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 were Brookfield Primary School - 35 not able to explain how books are arranged in a library and how they would set about finding a fiction or non-fiction text. Not all had been to a public library.

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ENGLISH

90. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 did particularly well in writing in the 2002 national tests and good standards are evident in the work now being done. Pupils develop a sound understanding of sentence making by Year 2 and use simple sentences for description and story writing. Work is usually carefully presented, with good overall standards in handwriting. Higher attainers use capital letters and full stops confidently and most pupils have an understanding of sequence and narrative structure, though lower attainers still struggle with punctuation, spelling and sentence structure. In Years 3 - 6 the careful presentation of work and the care taken with the books is noticeable, though lower attaining pupils do not always complete their work. Cursive writing, neat work and understanding of some key language features were evident in the books of the majority. Pupils with special educational needs and lower attainers have made good progress over time.

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ENGLISH

Most take trouble with their work and respond well when the classroom assistant gives them support.

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ENGLISH

91. Teachers in Years 3 - 6 use a variety of methods to stimulate pupils’ imagination and enjoyment of writing. Working on story settings, a Year 3 class listened to the opening of The Little Mermaid , followed by taped sounds of sea and storm. Pupils in Year 6 considered a redundancy letter taken from a novel then used role-play as a preface to writing a dialogue between two characters reacting to the news the letter contained. A Year 4 class listened to three short musical extracts and thought about the kinds of stories and settings each suggested. Pupils responded well to these stimuli, ready to talk about their ideas and impressions. Pupils’ books show that some of their lively ideas result in good writing, but sometimes they do not write at sufficient length. Their exercise books in Years 3 - 6 contain much useful and regular writing which improves their language skills and knowledge, including comprehension exercises, but there is less creative and

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ENGLISH

extended writing. In marking work, too, teachers often focus more on the technical correctness than on the content or ideas in a piece of writing. There are too few comments on content to help pupils to make connections and extend their experience and vocabulary. An area for development is poetry - rather little poetry writing was seen in books or on display and very little was in evidence in pupils’ reading or in the books being read in classrooms.

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ENGLISH

92. The teaching of English is good overall, with some very good lessons seen in Years 3 - 6. Progress since the last inspection has been satisfactory, and is good in assessment, which was a weakness at that time. Literacy grids, reading and writing conferences and pupil tracking are some of the good methods now in use to ensure that pupils’ progress is monitored, their learning needs identified and targets set. An enthusiastic co-ordinator who is very familiar with Years 1 and 2 has support from a teacher working in Years 3 – 6. Relationships between teachers and their classes, and between pupils themselves, contribute significantly to the pleasure pupils take in their literacy work and to their achievement. Another strength is the good contribution made by the classroom assistants and the joint planning which ensures that their time in the classroom is used effectively. Some very good teamwork was seen at all levels. In response to good teaching,

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ENGLISH

and the interest their teachers show, pupils work with enthusiasm and energy. As in all aspects of the life of the school, partnership and respect for other people and their feelings are central to the work in English. Teachers are committed to raising standards further and to improving their own performance and that of their pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Standards of work seen in mathematics are in line with the national standard for pupils at ages 7 and 11. This represents a more positive picture than that shown by last year’s national tests. Fewer pupils than the national norm attain at the higher level of attainment (level five), but, unusually, the great majority of pupils are enabled to attain at the national average level (level four). This is because the school targets its teaching resources well. Those finding difficulty and Brookfield Primary School - 36 pupils with special educational needs receive plenty of help and make good progress. Pupils’ achievement is good regardless of gender, social circumstance, ethnicity or previous ability.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Pupils at age seven generally have a sound knowledge of additions to 20. They identify the value of digits in numbers to 100. They are competent and confident with ordering numbers to 100 and can solve simple problems applying this knowledge. They demonstrate accurate skill in, for example, drawing and measuring lines and use standard measures of weight appropriately. Their skills with mental strategies are emerging but this is an aspect which could be strengthened. The evidence of exercise books demonstrate that pupils make good progress, although work generally is not as well presented as could be expected. By the end of Year 6, most pupils attain, at least, satisfactorily but significantly, consistently across all aspects of the mathematics curriculum. They demonstrate a sound knowledge of the number system and competence in using formal and informal methods of calculating with the four basic rules. They make and measure acute and

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MATHEMATICS

obtuse angles and can show that the angles of a triangle are equivalent to a half turn of 180 degrees. Most pupils can calculate the equivalent fraction or decimal of a given percentage. Good teaching enabled lower attaining pupils to make good progress in understanding percentages by measuring strips of card very accurately and used their knowledge of halves effectively to determine 50 per cent, 25 per cent and 75 per cent of their length.

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MATHEMATICS

95. Pupils generally make good progress in lessons because teaching overall is of good quality. Most teaching is good and often very good, particularly in Years 2 and 6. Teachers have very good relationships with pupils. Pupils of all age groups enjoy their work, try hard and concentrate well. They have very positive attitudes to the subject because teachers use their knowledge of their pupils and the information from the national and regular school assessments well to plan work at a level which assures pupils’ success in their learning. Pupils in Year 6 gave a cheer when the lesson objective of equivalent percentages and fractions was announced and subsequently worked hard in their class and group activities! Pupils achieve a lot of work in lessons as a result of good concentration. Older pupils in particular take care in writing neatly and presenting their work well.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Teachers use the strategies of the National Numeracy Strategy effectively. They structure lessons well to challenge pupils’ mental skills and to provide opportunities for independent work and this supports good progress. Teachers and pupils use the school’s routines of thinking time and paired discussion to good effect to support learning. In particular, the teaching raises the standards of lower attaining pupils very effectively through the intensive support by well-briefed and competent classroom assistants. Teachers ensure pupils are aware of the next stages of learning through termly targets. However, marking is insufficiently focused in many classes to tell pupils what they need to concentrate upon to improve. Although higher attainers are appropriately catered for by more challenging work, the school recognises that their standards could be raised if resources were available to provide similar booster strategies.

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MATHEMATICS

97. Pupils use their numeracy skills in other subjects such as geography and science. For example, Year 6 pupils applied information and communication technology (ICT) effectively to record data graphically in science. ICT, is not, as yet, used sufficiently extensively to support teaching and learning, although where it has been observed in use, this has been appropriate.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Progress in the subject’s development has been well supported by a co-ordinator who has a very good understanding of the teaching of the subject and can demonstrate those skills. She works effectively with the headteacher to ensure that the analysis of national assessments is used appropriately to adjust teaching. This is more clearly evident in Years 3 - 6. In addition to training meetings, she uses opportunities for monitoring teaching and demonstration lessons well to further develop the work of colleagues.

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SCIENCE

Brookfield Primary School - 37 99. The work of the oldest pupils in science is better than last year’s well-below-average test results suggest but it remains below the national standard. This is principally because the oldest pupils’ skills of scientific investigation are not as good as they should be; their knowledge and understanding, however, is generally sound. Standards are broadly similar to those at the previous inspection but the up-to-date evidence of the teaching is that it is improved and promoting better achievement.

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SCIENCE

100. The school conducted a review of its work in science recently and itself identified the need to provide pupils with more opportunity to develop investigation skills which had also been a source of some concern at the previous inspection. Improvements have been made and this was evident during the inspection both in pupils’ written work since the beginning of the school year and in some lessons seen. Good investigative lessons were seen in Years 3 and 5 and a very good one in Year 6 and there are examples in pupils’ exercise books of pupils undertaking investigative work of a good quality. As a result of these developments pupils are now achieving well in science. However, the improvements made have not been in place long enough to compensate for the oldest pupils’ past slow progress in investigative aspects of the subject.

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SCIENCE

101. Throughout the school, pupils develop sound knowledge and understanding. Year 6 pupils, for example, show some sound understanding of the forces that are at work when objects float on water, using proper terms like gravity and upthrust. They understand the concept of balanced forces and the most able are able to talk about the difficult concept of displacement. Year 5 pupils, also undertaking work on forces, understand the balance between gravity and air resistance as a result of testing simple parachutes they have made. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils tested the electrical conductivity of a range of materials and objects by inserting them in a test circuit they constructed employing a bulb and battery. Almost all understood well the way the circuits had to be constructed and why, and they used them effectively to test their predictions. The weakness in the oldest pupils’ investigative skills were most apparent in discussion with an inspector when they

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SCIENCE

were asked to evaluate an imaginary scientific test. They had a good deal of difficulty in recognising that the test described to them was not a scientifically fair test. They were not clear about the variables that would need to be controlled for the test to be fair.

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SCIENCE

102. The school assessed the science attainment of seven-year-olds at the end of the 2001-2 school year as above average. This was a more able year-group than most, as their high scores in the writing test suggest. The attainment of the present seven year-old pupils (i.e. those in Year 2) is not as good as last year’s were assessed to be, but their standards are still satisfactory. No science lessons in Years 1 or 2 took place during the inspection but the past work in pupils’ books and discussion with a representative group of pupils point to satisfactory standards. These pupils show some examples of good knowledge and understanding when, for example, they talk about the way their bodies work. They use proper terms to describe major organs and can explain simply what the heart, lungs and skeleton are for. They also show some good knowledge of the way the animal kingdom can be classified and can define key characteristics that distinguish

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SCIENCE

mammals from reptiles. As with older pupils, the younger ones are not so sure about the ways scientists carry out investigations and the care they have to take.

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SCIENCE

103. Four lessons in science were seen during the inspection and all were of at least good quality. Lessons are planned with a clear sense of what pupils are to learn. In three of the lessons seen well-designed practical investigations captured pupils’ interest and enthusiasm. In all lessons, pupils concentrate well on their tasks and behave very well. All, including those with special educational needs, make good progress, helped by teachers’ clear explanations and careful questioning. A very good lesson in Year 6 generated particular enthusiasm when pupils were able to test simple model boats floated on water in a range of ways to explore the impact of altering various aspects of their design on propulsion. This led to some very thoughtful application of pupils’ knowledge of forces to lively discussion of their findings.

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SCIENCE

104. The review of teaching and learning conducted by the co-ordinator has led to some valuable Brookfield Primary School - 38 improvements in the attention paid to investigative work. However, the possibility of further development is hindered by a current lack of systematic assessment of pupils’ progress in this subject and use of the information gained to guide planning of future teaching. A further hindrance to work in the subject is presented by the many cramped teaching spaces which make the organisation of practical, investigative science very difficult.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. Standards in art are above the national expectation for pupils at the age of 7 and 11. The standards of the younger pupils have improved since the last inspection. Pupils of all abilities achieve well, regardless of gender or background. Pupils’ skills and knowledge in specific aspects, such as painting, collage and drawing, are especially good, while their attainments in other aspects of a wide range of 2D and 3D media in all age groups are at least in line with national expectations.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. Younger pupils develop a good knowledge of colour mixing and begin to use this skill to good effect. They understand how to apply paint of different consistencies and with different styles of brushstrokes. This gives them the independence to work more imaginatively. For example, Year 2 pupils use a range of liquid greens and browns to illustrate rain forest trees, but use dry brushwork for ground plants. Older pupils apply this skill with greater subtlety. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 paint water scenes with a good range of well-chosen colours and tones. At Year 6, pupils are painting well in the style of Monet. However, they add an effect to their work, which is compelling to the viewer, by creating a translucent quality through the careful mixing of glue with some colours. Pupils develop a confidence to combine different materials from a young age. This culminates in Year 6, for example, in imaginative underwater scenes, which combine very

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ART AND DESIGN

effectively pupils’ skills in tie-dying and carefully selected collage. The latter reflect pupils’ knowledge from sensitive observational drawings of fish that they have made earlier.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. It is evident from observation of lessons and from the good quality of their finished work that pupils concentrate hard to do their best. Their behaviour is good. They listen carefully to their teachers and apply what they have learned sensitively. The happy chatter of younger pupils, sharing their ideas, gives way to reflective, quiet concentration by older pupils as, for example, they strive to maintain the pattern of a design or fit a piece of material exactly. Pupils’ relationships with classmates and adults are consistently very good.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. The quality of teaching is good overall with some teaching being of a very good standard, particularly for older pupils. Good teaching ensures that pupils have a broad and balanced curriculum of good quality. Lessons are well planned to develop the learning of skills and knowledge. Occasionally, though, insufficient time is given to pupils to reflect on or evaluate their work or the teacher lacks some technical knowledge. Teachers encourage pupils to explore design through the use of sketchbooks. However, the lack of systematic assessment of pupils’ progress leads to insufficiently refined and sequential planning of pupils’ skill development over time. Thus the potential benefits of the good teaching skills are not fully exploited. The acting co- ordinator acknowledges that the art element in the school’s adopted thematic curriculum requires further detailed development to ensure pupils’ work always builds on previous learning. The work

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ART AND DESIGN

of English and European artists is appropriately represented in the curriculum but insufficient opportunity is given to pupils to experience art from other cultural traditions.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Very limited evidence of pupils’ achievements and the teaching in this subject was available to inspectors. The school teaches the subject mainly through a concentrated focus on particular topics at certain times of the year. This was not, however, happening at the time of the Brookfield Primary School - 39 inspection. Prior to the inspection many pupils had, for example, been concentrating on a topic on food technology but inspectors were unable to examine the outcomes of this work as they had been eaten! The school also has an acute shortage of storage space and is unable to keep the items pupils have made.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. The intensive work on occasional design and technology topics is supplemented by other work linked to other subjects. For example, Year 2 pupils have made musical instruments alongside work in music and science. Year 6 pupils have made their own insulated containers while exploring the idea of thermal insulation in science. Two lessons linking elements of design and technology with other subjects took place during the inspection, one in science and one in geography. Standards are judged on the basis on these lessons, on examination of the few examples of pupils’ past work on display or in photographic records and on discussion with pupils. This evidence points to satisfactory standards throughout the school. No overall judgement on teaching is made.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. In a lesson for pupils in Years 1 and 2 they designed and made houses suitable for life in a rain forest, applying their knowledge and understanding in geography. Pupils joined in a good discussion in which they thoughtfully debated the materials, construction methods and equipment they should use and tried out some of these ideas. They showed a sound understanding that their designs had to be suited to their purpose and to the circumstances in which they would be used. In a Year 3 lesson pupils built on recent work in science on electrical circuits by starting to design and make model lighthouses incorporating a lamp, a battery and a switch. This task followed a seaside visit when pupils had seen a real lighthouse and it started with examination of photographs of lighthouses which led to a good discussion in which pupils developed a sound understanding that the design and construction of lighthouses had to suit their function and location. Both of these

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

lessons were well taught and made a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ progress in design and technology although the design element in the curriculum was limited in scope and challenge by the link to another subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. Examples of pupils’ past work such as model windows with curtains and fittings made in connection with Year 6 science work, or puppets in Year 5 made alongside a story read in English, show a good standard of construction and finish. Discussion with a group of Year 6 pupils presented with a design challenge showed that they have a satisfactory understanding of the range of questions that they need to consider about the function of the item, the needs of the user and the practicality of their chosen methods of making.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. The headteacher currently leads the work in the subject and provides a sound framework to guide teachers’ planning of the work. There is, though, no systematic assessment of pupils’ progress in the subject. A useful addition to pupils’ learning opportunities is made by the headteacher’s leadership of an optional session on Friday afternoons when pupils can further extend their learning. This is popular with pupils and has given participants the opportunity to develop a real enthusiasm and competence in the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

114. Throughout the school standards in history and geography are in line with those expected nationally and pupils make good progress. This is a similar picture to that found in the last inspection where for both areas standards and progress were satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

115. During the inspection it was not possible to see any history lessons as history, especially for older pupils, is not the focus for work until the summer term. From discussions and the work in topic books and on display it is clear that both geography and history receive an appropriate amount of time and that pupils’ knowledge and understanding are soundly developed. However, the progressive and systematic development of research skills is less well taught and pupils receive Brookfield Primary School - 40 too little regular practice here. A highlight, though, of a very well taught Year 6 geography lesson was pupils’ successful use of grid references on Ordnance Survey maps, the more able using the more challenging six-figure references.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

116. Each term a theme for work is chosen from the religious education, history and geography programmes of study. Year 1 and 2 pupils are on a three-year rolling programme and those in Years 3 - 6 on a four-year programme. The work is planned so that each year group develops skills in each area through different themes appropriate to their ages and abilities. Older pupils are studying ‘Our World’ focusing upon the growth of Grimsby and Cleethorpes, the rise and fall of the fishing industry and how the area and industry have changed over time. Pupils have made a sound study of the three stages of development of the locale, researching carefully how the village began, was developed and is today, and comparing clearly an inland mining area with a coastal region. Younger pupils, having looked at the religious, cultural, historical and geographical background to celebrations such as Bonfire Night, are learning to use secondary evidence such as

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

documents (including the teacher’s birth certificate) and photographs as well as well known stories from folk law. This term Year 1 and 2 pupils are investigating thoroughly the plants and animals of Ecuador, again using secondary evidence such as films, books and photographs.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

117. The teaching of geography is good overall, with that of older pupils very good. As a result pupils learn well. Teachers know the curriculum for these subjects very well and focus upon the development of skills through different areas of the history and geography curriculum. They teach map reading and writing skills soundly, encouraging pupils to compile keys for their own maps and plans. Teachers make an appropriate amount of time, resources and personal expertise available to support the learning of everyone, being particularly good at asking questions and encouraging pupils to find out for themselves and share with others. Too little evidence of teaching in history was available for a judgement of its quality to be made. In both subjects, however, good and successful use is made of educational visits to stimulate pupils’ interest and acquire first-hand evidence which teachers and pupils use in their teaching and learning.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

118. Geography and history are well led and managed and this has a positive impact on the progress made by pupils. The co-ordinators for both subjects do not formally monitor teaching. However, every eleventh day all the work for that day is done in a specific book and the head teacher takes these in to monitor work against teacher’s plans. She thus is able to make some checks on pupils’ knowledge acquisition and their developing understanding. Both co-ordinators have started a collection of samples of pupils’ work, annotated against statements from the National Curriculum programmes of study. Assessment procedures are not formalised across the school and are an area for further development. Resources are generally good, with a good range of artefacts, books and pictures to support pupils’ learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

119. Pupils are achieving well and overall their attainments throughout the school meet the expectations for their ages. Standards in aspects of the subject seen during the inspection involving word processing, graphics and data handling are satisfactory. Staff are aware that standards in some other aspects of the subject, including control, use of the Internet and e-mailing, are still lower than national expectations. Standards are rising, especially now that a new computer suite is in operation, and they are better than at the previous inspection when they were judged to be below national expectations overall and progress was unsatisfactory across the school. A key issue for action was to “ensure that sufficient time is spent on information technology in order to raise pupils’ standards” as inspectors found insufficient time was spent on teaching basic skills, that the school had inadequate numbers of computers and programmes and pupils’ skills were not

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

systematically developed. All these matters have been addressed with the creation of a computer Brookfield Primary School - 41 suite containing 18 machines and a range of peripherals including an interactive white board 1 , scanners, printers, microscopes and digital cameras. Substantial staff training is in progress and is helping teachers to make good use of the new resources and teach effectively.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

120. Each class in Years 3 - 6 now has two timetabled sessions in the suite, one to learn the skills of the ICT curriculum and the other linked to literacy activities. Year 1 and 2 pupils have one suite session for each class. The school has wisely ensured that there is also still a group of 3 computers in each classroom so that skills taught in the suite to the whole class can be practised and used within classes. Year 1 and 2 pupils benefit particularly from this. There is no discernible difference between the standards of boys or girls and pupils with special educational needs generally make the same progress as their peers. Any differences that do occur reflect home accessibility as pupils bring into school a broad range of prior experiences.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

121. Pupils are developing a sound competence and confidence in their use of computers. They enter programs following instructions from teachers, select a program from the menu, complete their tasks and log off, leaving the computer ready for the next user. However, left-handed pupils are not offered the opportunity to use their strongest hand and fingers to use the mouse, as all the machines in the suite are arranged for right handed pupils. Year 2 pupils are familiar with inserts such as ‘Clip Art’ to make their writing more interesting while older pupils successfully add pictures previously drawn using art programmes such as ‘Dazzle’ to illustrate their stories. Year 5 pupils take data from their science experiments on thermal insulators and use computers successfully to tabulate it and then construct good graphs. Year 6 pupils enter data into spreadsheets and competently present a range of effective graphs, for instance favourite meals

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

and their costs. Across the school, pupils recognise a range of icons that perform tasks such as checking spellings. They are learning to touch-type and older demonstrate growing dexterity in their use of the keyboard.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

122. The teaching is of good quality. All the teaching is at least satisfactory with two-thirds of lessons good or very good. Teachers prepare well, making sure that all pupils know what they are going to learn and what they are to do. The time available for each class to use the computer suite is appropriate in length and teachers do not waste a minute of that time. They manage learning well, ensuring that pupils work in mixed ability and gender pairs to enable each to support the learning of the other. Both pupils learn by combining their knowledge and skills and thus free the teacher to offer specific support to pupils experiencing difficulties. Pupils enjoy their work, concentrate hard, and behave very well, treating the equipment with care.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

123. Work in the subject is soundly planned to teach the key skills and understanding for the subject while linking well to the school’s overall cross-curricular topic planning. As they move through the school, pupils build up a good basis of skills . Teachers look at what they are teaching in different curriculum areas and examine ways that ICT can support learning while giving pupils the opportunity to practise taught skills. In this way the work has begun to support learning in a number of subject areas but the range and breadth of such work is limited at present.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

124. Further development in the subject is a current priority in the School Improvement Plan. The co- ordinator and staff are continuing to work hard together to raise standards through continuing staff training drawing on expertise both within the school and from outside, such as that provided by the Education action Zone. At present the school has limited assessment arrangements but the improvement plan has this as a focus for the next term. Planning provides for the co-ordinator to have time to monitor work within classes to ensure that planning matches the curriculum and is raising standards. The parent agreement forms for Internet access were last sent out in 2001 and need to be re-issued to include pupils new to the school since then.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

1 A large touch-sensitive screen on which images are displayed by a projector linked to a computer, as an alternative to a conventional monitor. By touching the screen, teacher or pupils can control events instead of using a keyboard or mouse. Brookfield Primary School - 42

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MUSIC

125. Only one music lesson took place during the inspection. This was taught well but with no further reliable evidence of the quality of the teaching, no overall judgement about it is made. The evidence available of standards in music comes from this lesson, from discussions with representative group of pupils in Years 2 and 6 and from observation of pupils’ singing in assemblies. This limited evidence suggests that standards and pupils’ achievement are satisfactory, as they were also at the previous inspection.

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MUSIC

126. A group of Year 2 pupils demonstrated a satisfactory ability to join in with or recall rhythmic patterns clapped to them and they can distinguish high notes from low. They know the names of some instruments they play and recognise the variety of ways in which instruments produce sounds. They appreciate that music can vary greatly in the effect it has on the listener and in their own simple terms describe some of these.

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MUSIC

127. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils worked well together in small groups to rehearse and then perform rhythmic speaking of short verse extracts which they accompanied with some thoughtful effects achieved with percussion instruments. Pupils showed a sound rhythmic sense in their well-co- ordinated speaking and made sensible use of their instruments. Pupils commented thoughtfully on each other’s performances and suggested refinements.

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MUSIC

128. Almost all pupils join in the singing in assemblies sustaining the melody clearly and stopping and starting together. This is a satisfactory achievement in that no accompaniment is provided for their singing. Nevertheless, the great majority sings in tune and with confidence and produces a pleasing sound. They enjoy singing and many take advantage of the opportunity offered at certain times to form a school choir to perform before parents. 129. In discussion with an inspector, a group of Year 6 pupils rose satisfactorily to the challenge to think about how they might compose a piece of film music to create a feeling of sadness. They recognised the range of alternatives open to them, including tempo, dynamics, pitch, beat, rhythm and instrumentation and for each one of them made suitable suggestions to fit the desired effect.

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MUSIC

130. One of the reasons why only one lesson took place on the days of the inspection is that most lessons take place on Friday afternoons when the school employs a pianist to support lessons. No teacher has musical expertise and, in the absence of one, the work is currently co-ordinated by the headteacher. To support teachers, the school has wisely acquired detailed schemes of work and related resource materials, which give teachers thorough guidance and help in planning and teaching lessons. However, there is no systematic assessment of pupils’ progress to measure the effectiveness of the teaching. The lack of a teacher with expertise in the subject reflects the general difficulty the school has in attracting applicants to vacant teaching posts. This greatly reduces the school’s prospects of finding one with musical expertise. Music is not currently a prominent feature of the life of the school and it makes only a small contribution to pupils’ cultural

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. Standards in physical education are above the national expectation for pupils at ages seven and eleven. This is an improvement since the last inspection when standards were in line with the national expectation. Pupils, regardless of gender or previous ability, achieve well in their lessons and make good progress over time.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. Only gymnastics lessons could be observed during the inspection. However, a review of planning, observation of pupils’ agility, anticipation and performance and discussions with them about their knowledge suggest that attainment is consistent across the various strands of the curriculum. Brookfield Primary School - 43 Younger pupils develop good control and co-ordination in floor work and transfer these skills with balance and fluency on to the apparatus. Older pupils, because of the very well-structured lessons they receive, develop the skills of creating taut shapes, transferring weight and finding imaginative means of travelling to create sequences which reflect good control, agility and poise. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, pupils in groups of four developed their practice from simple beginnings, to performing sequences of shapes with symmetrical and asymmetrical forms and awareness of the dimensions of height and size. Gymnastic agility began to take on dance form.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Pupils have good knowledge of the important strategies to employ in team games and understand significant processes of co-ordination and anticipation in ball sports.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. Pupils enjoy their lessons because their teachers are encouraging and plan to provide the satisfaction of success. As a result pupils are keen to demonstrate their efforts to others and when invited to do so, try hard. Pupils behave very well in lessons and waste no time and this promotes their learning. They work very well with partners and in groups regardless of gender. They manage equipment with care and safety. The enthusiasm they express about the games opportunities they gain from the weekly options time, spreads infectiously to their formal lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers make effective use of the adopted local education authority scheme to plan their lessons well in a series of structured experiences for pupils. As a result, pupils develop good knowledge, skills and confidence and a positive attitude to developing the quality of performance to a good standard. Teachers make sure pupils understand health aspects of exercise. They emphasise the importance of care before and after before intensive exercise. During lessons they use pupils’ demonstration well as a means to improve performance. However, there are missed opportunities in the use of the school’s learning routines of partner and group discussion, to strengthen pupils’ capability to evaluate their work. Although teachers use ongoing assessment in lessons well there is inadequate provision to record and monitor progress longer term. The school makes very good use of the opportunities afforded by local sporting

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

organisations and works well with its school cluster to broaden the curriculum and opportunities for competition. Further, residential visits, some of which are funded by the Education Action Zone, give extensive opportunities, especially to older pupils, for outdoor pursuits such as orienteering, walking, cycling and climbing. Appropriate provision is made for swimming.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. The indoor and outdoor facilities for the subject are good. There are extensive hard and soft surfaces although drainage is a problem on grassed areas and playground markings are worn. The recently appointed co-ordinator, having audited the available equipment, has agreed an appropriate action plan with the headteacher to replace the worn hall apparatus and to give priority to further training for teachers.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. Standards of attainment in religious education are satisfactory for pupils aged seven but for the oldest pupils they are below the expectation of the locally agreed syllabus.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

137. As religious education is not taught during the spring term, it was not possible to observe any lessons or see current work. Attainment and progress were assessed by examination of work done previously, in portfolio and topic books, and also by conversation with some older pupils about their work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. Work by pupils in Years 1 and 2 shows that they are familiar with the Christmas story and with harvest festival. They had learnt about some of the ceremonies and celebrations in other faiths. They had made Diwali cards and considered some of the features of Jewish and Christian wedding ceremonies. They knew the story of Ram and Sita. Overall, they had made a good start in religious education, with some lively and colourful writing and drawing. Brookfield Primary School - 44 139. In Years 3 - 6, work follows a similar pattern with some necessary repetition and re-visiting but insufficient evidence of the work building on that previously undertaken as pupils move up through the school. The lack of continuity caused by the omission of religious education in the spring term results in some pupils forgetting what they have learned, or feeling confused about the various faiths. There are several pieces of good writing in the portfolio but not enough to show that in

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Years 5 and 6, particularly, pupils are learning from as well as about religion, by taking religious ideas and using them to reflect on their own lives and experiences. In this term when the subject is not taught there are no pictures, artefacts or examples of pupils’ work on display to sustain pupils’ interest in religious education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. The co-ordinator is keen to develop the subject, and aware that the recommended time allocation for religious education needs to be observed more closely if pupils are to do well. The present allocation of time appears to fall short of that advised within the locally agreed syllabus. The co- ordinator also recognises the need for a system of assessment, so that progress can be charted and used as a basis for planning work. The previous report noted that the co-ordinator had little opportunity to monitor teaching and learning. This remains the situation. The co-ordinator has now undertaken training in the new local syllabus which is in the process of adoption and recognises that this represents the appropriate moment for monitoring to begin.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. The excellent provision that the school makes for pupils’ moral and social development provides a very good basis for the extension of its work in religious education.

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