Becket Primary School

BECKET PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 – 16 January 2003

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BECKET PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 247261 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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BECKET 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. Becket Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Monk Street Derby Derbyshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

E-mail address: admin@becket.derby.sch.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs. M. Clements

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 February 1998 Becket Primary School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

18645 C.D. Loizou Registered inspector English as an additional language Educational inclusion English Information and communication technology Music Physical education How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

9446 H. Griffiths Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 20798 J. Marlow Team inspector Special educational needs Science Design and technology Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

23686 P. White Team inspector Foundation Stage Curriculum Mathematics Art and design Geography History

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Sandfield Educational Consultants, 16, Wychwood Drive, Trowell Park, Nottingham, NG9 3RB.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Complaints Manager, Inspection Quality Division Becket Primary School - 6 Becket Primary School - 7

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Becket Primary School is near Derby city centre. The school is average in size and admits up to 40 pupils into its Reception class each year. Reception children are taught alongside part-time Nursery children in the school’s Early Years Unit. Up to 40 part-time children (20 full-time equivalent) are admitted to the Nursery each year. There are currently 209 pupils on roll between the ages of four and eleven and they are taught in seven classes. Most of the pupils are white and have English as their first language and an increasing number (currently 21 per cent) also speak another language which includes a broad range (Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Eritrean and Turkish). Attainment on entry to the Reception class is currently well below that expected of four-year-olds. Forty-three per cent of the pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average and in some years this has been as high as 67 per cent. The school has identified 20 per cent of its pupils as having

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

special educational needs, which is average. Three per cent of the pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Need. There is a high mobility of pupils who join or leave the school and this is sometimes as high as fifty per cent of the number on roll.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a good education and the pupils achieve well in a caring and positive learning environment. Although standards in English, mathematics and science are below the national average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 the pupils make good progress in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. However, standards in mathematics and science could be higher, particularly among the more able pupils. The teaching is good with particularly effective English teaching as well as in art and design, information and communication technology and physical education, including swimming. The school is well led and managed by the headteacher and senior staff. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The pupils achieve well in English and they make very good progress in speaking, listening and writing by the end of Year 6. • The pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language achieve well in all subjects. • The teaching is good throughout the school. It is having a positive impact on the pupils’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour. • The leadership and management provided by the headteacher and senior staff is good and effective. Consequently, there is a very good and shared commitment to improvement. • The personal, social and moral development of the pupils are very good features of the school’s curriculum. This is having a very positive impact on relationships across the school. • The school works very successfully in partnership with its parents and the local community.

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What could be improved

• Standards in mathematics by improving the pupils’ problem solving skills. • Standards in science and, in particular, practical and investigative science. • Attendance rates. Unauthorised absence rates are too high. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Becket Primary School - 9

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1998 and has made good progress since then. All the key issues from the last inspection have been successfully addressed. The school has improved the curriculum for children in the Early Years Unit and raised standards in information and communication technology in the infant years. The school has also been successful in improving the way it manages and provides for pupils who have complex emotional and behavioural difficulties. Standards in English have improved well but mathematics and science standards have not improved as well as those seen in English. All statutory requirements are now met, including health and safety procedures.

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

(The “similar” in the table above refers to the percentage of free school meals and not the size of the school.)

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STANDARDS

The 2002 tests for Year 6 show that the school’s results were below the national average in English and well below average in mathematics and science. English results compare very well with similar schools. Standards in mathematics and science could be higher and in both subjects the school does not always provide work that is well matched to the pupils of average and above average ability. There are not enough problem solving activities in mathematics and in science and more could be done to improve the pupils’ investigative skills during practical tasks. Inspection evidence confirms that standards in Year 6 are currently below those expected but are close to the national average in English. In mathematics and science, standards are below average.

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STANDARDS

The performance of the pupils in the national tests for Year 2 show that standards were well below average in reading, mathematics and science. Writing standards were higher, although just below the national average. Inspection evidence confirms that science standards are too low and that reading, writing and mathematics standards are below average. The pupils achieve well in speaking, listening, reading and writing by the end of Year 2. But, like the junior pupils, they could do better in mathematics and science.

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STANDARDS

The school’s much improved curriculum and good teaching enables the pupils to achieve above average standards in art and design and in all other subjects they achieve well to reach the standards expected by the end of Years 2 and 6. This signifies good improvement in standards since the last inspection. The pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make good progress. Becket Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school The pupils’ attitudes to learning, to school and to each other are very good. They try hard and enjoy learning, applying themselves well, often co-operating and learning from each other.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. This helps to create an orderly and positive learning environment. There were eight temporary and one permanent exclusion last year.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. The pupils are independent and show maturity. Relationships are very good. Older pupils support younger ones. The school operates a very effective School Council which involves the pupils in the management of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Well below average. The school is doing enough to improve authorised attendance rates but now needs to focus on those families responsible for the high rate of unauthorised absence.

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

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: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The teaching is good overall and ranges between satisfactory and excellent. It has improved well since the previous inspection. One in five of the lessons seen were of high quality (mainly very good with one excellent lesson). The quality of teaching is having a positive impact on the pupils’ learning, although more could be done to provide problem solving activities in mathematics and more challenging practical activities for more able pupils in both mathematics and science lessons. The teaching is well planned to meet the needs of all the pupils in English lessons, but this is less evident in mathematics and science lessons, where the teaching is satisfactory overall. The teaching of numeracy is good, enabling the pupils to acquire a good range of mental arithmetic skills. Teachers use assessment well in English, mathematics, science and other subjects so that the teaching can focus on the pupils’

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

learning and takes account of the progress made in previous lessons. Information and communication technology is well taught across the school and good use is made of the school’s networked computer system so that the pupils can access computer programs and files from their classrooms as well as the computer room. Teachers have improved the way new technology is used to support learning across a range of subjects. Teachers regularly assess how well the pupils are doing but their marking of the pupils’ work could be more consistently applied. The pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, receive effective support in lessons and, as a result, make good progress. The school has improved the teaching in the Early Years Unit where the children receive effective support and make good progress in their learning. Becket Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is good. There is a good range of practical and relevant tasks with good opportunities for the pupils to use computers and other technology. It is a rich and balanced curriculum that includes high quality art and design work and good physical education lessons as well as a good range of activities outside lesson times. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The pupils receive good support. They are identified early and make good progress. Provision for pupils who have emotional and behavioural difficulties is effective. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language An increasing number of pupils are joining the school who speak an additional home language. Good assessments of their needs are made and they are supported well in lessons and when they are withdrawn for specialist support. These pupils make good progress. Provision for pupils’

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Aspect Comment

personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is very good and is supported by an effective programme of citizenship and personal, social and health education. The pupils are also developing a good understanding of life in a multi-cultural society.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There is a very good level of care provided for all the pupils and there are good procedures to assess how well the pupils are doing in English, mathematics, science and other subjects. More should be done to improve unauthorised attendance rates.

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Aspect Comment

Parents believe that the school improves their children’s personal development very well. Good quality information about the curriculum and school events is provided for parents.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide good and effective leadership. They work closely with all the staff and monitor lessons and pupils’ work. The management of the school is well focused on improving standards and supporting the pupils’ personal development. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body provides satisfactory support. They work closely with the school and its staff and have a clear understanding of their role in managing and supporting the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance This is good because the governors and staff have established clear priorities in the school development plan. The plan has involved all the staff in a systematic process of audits, monitoring and evaluations of the school’s performance. This has had a very positive impact on English standards in the national tests.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources This is good. There are clear targets which are matched to spending priorities. The school manages its finances well, ensuring value for money when committing the school’s funds. Becket Primary School - 12 The school’s accommodation is well maintained and has improved, especially with the establishment of a dedicated room for computers and the fully networked computer system. Additional support staff, such as teaching assistants and support staff for the pupils learning English as an additional language, make a valuable contribution to the pupils’ learning. The administrative staff are efficient and always make themselves available to parents and visitors as well as managing the smooth running of the school and its finances. Lunchtime supervision is good and well managed. Everyone associated with the school contributes to its very good ethos and warm relationships.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school and make good progress. • The teaching is good and sets high expectations. • They feel comfortable approaching the school and are kept well informed. • The school works closely with parents. • The school is well led and managed. • The school is helping their children to become mature and responsible. • The range of activities provided outside lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents think highly of the school and are pleased with the way the headteacher and staff are approachable and supportive. The inspectors agree with all of the positive views expressed by parents and judge that the school provides a good range of activities outside lessons. The parents are fully aware of the school’s established reputation for its good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Becket Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Inspection evidence shows that, on entry to the Reception year, the majority of the children’s attainment is well below that expected for their age. The good teaching in the Early Years Unit for both the Nursery and Reception children ensures that the children make good progress in all areas of learning. By the time they start Year 1 the proportion of the children reaching the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy, mathematics, creative and physical development and in knowledge and understanding of the world is still below those expected but the children have achieved well in relation to their attainment on entry. They have also made very good progress in their personal and social development, with the large majority of children reaching the standards expected for their age. Year 1 pupils continue to make good progress, particularly in speaking, listening, reading, writing and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics. From the Reception year through to Year 2 the pupils achieve well in English and mathematics and, in science, they make satisfactory progress. The teaching of mathematics and science is satisfactory, but the pupils are not being provided with enough opportunities to engage in problem solving activities and practical science investigations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in English, mathematics and science are below those expected nationally. In English, standards have improved very well because the school has focused on identifying those pupils who have the potential to reach or exceed the standards expected for their age. However, mathematics and science standards, although improving, could be higher. There is a lack of independent and practical work so that the pupils do not learn to use and apply their knowledge when investigating problems in mathematics or drawing conclusions from their hypotheses in science. In English, the work provided for the pupils is better matched to all abilities.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The pupils with special educational needs make good progress throughout the school. They have clear targets in their individual education plans with most having a specific focus upon speaking and listening, literacy, numeracy and the personal and social development of the pupils. These are used effectively by teaching and support staff, particularly to promote improvements in reading, writing, numeracy and developing positive behaviour. However, more able pupils are not always challenged enough to achieve at the higher levels, especially in mathematics and science. The school is inclusive and it receives pupils from other schools who find it difficult to settle into school and apply themselves in lessons. These pupils receive expert support from teaching assistants and support staff. There is also an increasing number of pupils joining the school who are learning English as an additional language. These pupils

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

also make good progress and receive appropriate support during lessons and at other times.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards have improved very well since the last inspection, especially in the infant years, where the last inspection found that this was a weak feature of the school’s curriculum. The pupils make good progress in all aspects of information and communication technology curriculum, for example, word processing, graphics, control technology, data handling and graphic modelling. The introduction of a dedicated computer suite and the very effective computer network enables the pupils to access a remote server from any computer across the school. These improved facilities have enhanced the school’s provision and helped the pupils to use a broader range of skills when using information and Becket Primary School - 14 communication technology. Furthermore, teachers and pupils are increasingly skilful at

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

utilising other information and communication technology through the use of interactive whiteboards, in-class projectors, digital cameras and other advanced technologies that support and enhance learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The pupils make good progress in art and design where they achieve standards that are above those expected by the end of Years 2 and 6. In all other subjects standards are in line with those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. There has been good improvement since the last inspection in most subjects and very good progress in information and communication technology. Teachers set accurate and challenging targets for the pupils in most subjects but more could be done to raise standards in mathematics and science.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6. The pupils’ attitudes to learning, their personal development and relationships, which were good at the time of the last inspection, are now very good. Behaviour, which was found to be only satisfactory in some areas, is now good in all situations. Attendance is below average. Parents who responded to the questionnaire felt very strongly that their children liked school and that behaviour was good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. The school’s mission statement says that it aims to develop children who are confident, independent and self- reliant. The pupils’ attitudes to school reflect the school’s aims very well. The pupils know right from wrong and are thoughtful of others. They are very interested in their lessons and concentrate very well. For example, in a Year 6 science lesson, the pupils were engrossed in the activity and supported one another’s learning. In a Year 5 art and design lesson, because the teacher conveyed her enthusiasm for the subject, the pupils responded and persevered very well. Because teachers use praise and encouragement very well, pupils are eager to achieve, as for example, in a physical education lesson where Nursery children were learning to throw and catch. The pupils sometimes show a lack of independence in their learning, particularly in science where opportunities for them to investigate and solve problems are more limited. The pupils show a good level of respect in

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

assemblies and are sensitive to one another’s feelings. For example, during a Year 6 art and design lesson on ‘people in action’, the pupils commented on one another’s work with sensitivity and maturity.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Behaviour is consistently good and the school functions well as an orderly community. The pupils know the school rules well and feel that they are fairly treated. When teachers’ expectations of behaviour are high, the pupils respond very well and listen very well to teachers and to others. For example, in a Year 6 lesson on citizenship and personal, social and health education, the pupils learned basic first aid. They listened very well to instructions and took the activity seriously and responsibly. In the Early Years Unit, the staff work extremely hard to help some children settle into routines, especially those children who have recently joined the school. Throughout the school, behaviour at playtimes and lunchtimes is very good. The pupils are very friendly and courteous to visitors. They were, for example, always ready to chat to members of the inspection team at lunchtime. Relationships among pupils and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

between pupils and adults are always very good. Teachers are very good role models of courtesy and fairness. Bullying is rare and pupils are confident that when it does occur it will be dealt with quickly and effectively. No bullying was seen during the inspection. Becket Primary School - 15 9. There were eight fixed-period exclusions last year, four of which involved the same pupil who has now been permanently excluded. This was the first permanent exclusion. There have been no exclusions this year and procedures were correctly followed.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The pupils with special educational needs show positive attitudes to their work in class and around school, they are particularly enthusiastic when completing practical tasks. The behaviour of a significant minority is at times challenging for teaching and support staff, often because their speaking and listening skills are not well developed. Consequently, they have difficulty sustaining concentration and contributing to class discussions. In these instances the teaching assistants have a range of methods which they effectively use to support and motivate the pupils. The school also operates a ‘time out’ system, which allows some pupils with particularly challenging behaviour to sit quietly in a special room spending time to reflect upon their actions before returning to lessons. It also enables the school to work more closely with parents, who are contacted early so that the school and parents can work together. This

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

system is very successful and is having a very positive effect upon the pupils’ attitudes and in raising standards.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The pupils’ personal and social development is very good. There are many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and they take their tasks seriously. They appreciate the house system and the School Council and approach their roles with maturity. The pupils understand the values of other cultures through music, religious education, geography and art and design.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Attendance last year was well below average and the rate of unauthorised absence was well above average. Attendance rates this term show similar figures. This is mainly due to a small number of families who have problems with attendance. Punctuality is good for the majority of pupils, but a substantial minority of pupils arrive late.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. The teaching is good and ranges from satisfactory to excellent. A significant number of lessons, over one in five, were very good, including an excellent English lesson observed in Year 6. Three in five of the lessons seen were good or better and there was no unsatisfactory teaching observed. Since the last inspection, the teaching has improved well, especially in its impact on improving standards. The teaching has made very good improvements to standards in information and communication technology. Teachers manage and organise their lessons well. The use of teachers’ subject specialisms, where teachers with particular skills and strengths, teach other classes in particular subjects, is responsible for maintaining and improving standards across all subjects. However, more needs to be done in mathematics and science to ensure that practical work is provided for the pupils which is more challenging and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

ensures that they can draw conclusions from their investigations. Teaching assistants are deployed very well to support the pupils with learning difficulties and they make a positive contribution to the quality and range of teaching across the school. Many resources are tailor- made by the staff according to the topic focus or individual learning needs of the pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. There has been good improvement to the teaching in the Early Years Unit since the last inspection. The planning is well balanced to take account of the needs of Nursery age children as well as those in the Reception year. The teaching in the Nursery and Reception years is good overall with very good features. Nearly three quarters of the lessons seen in the Foundation Stage were good or better. The children learn to settle quickly to routines and make good progress in their personal and social development because adults respond well to the children providing them with a structured curriculum with practical and stimulating Becket Primary School - 16 activities. All the adults work very hard to provide resources and plan activities for all the children that challenge, stimulate and evoke language. Teachers and teaching assistants divide their time effectively to support all the children. Consequently, the children benefit from

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

effective support that enables them to make good progress in the acquisition of early language and numeracy skills. The children sing rhymes and count, follow shapes and choose to match shapes with numbers or pictures to letter sounds. More could be done to ensure that all adults supervising groups of children are more clearly focused on what the children are learning rather than what they are doing. Very good use is made of information and communication technology to support the children’s learning. This includes the use of computers, an interactive white board, video camera and tape recorders as well as walkie-talkies and robotic devices that stimulate and enhance the children learning. A higher than average proportion of children join the school with moderate learning difficulties. Early identification of their specific needs is helping these children as they are fully integrated and well provided for.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. The headteacher, senior management team and governors have put in place clear policies related to teaching and learning to maintain stability during a difficult period of staff turnover which has hampered staff development. This has helped to improve standards, especially in literacy, but the teaching of mathematics and science now needs to take account of planning more specifically for pupils of different abilities if the teaching is to have the same impact it does in literacy. The teaching of mathematics and science is satisfactory overall and mental arithmetic skills are taught well to all the pupils. Literacy is well taught and this has resulted in the pupils reading well and using a good range writing, with regular formation and accurate spelling and punctuation. The teaching of science is satisfactory but national test results show that science standards were low last year. The pupils’ mathematics and science work shows

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

that most of the lessons planned involve similar activities for all of the pupils, with fewer examples compared with literacy lessons, of work that will challenge the more able pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. Inspection evidence shows that the proportion of good lessons has improved compared with those found at the time of the last inspection. The teaching has improved well since the last inspection, resulting in effective targeting of pupils. There are good assessment procedures used by teachers in English, mathematics and all other subjects so that teachers are able to monitor their pupils’ progress closely and this informs their planning further. More could be done to sharpen this process in mathematics and science so that more work is planned specifically for pupils of different abilities. Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects they teach, which enables them to have a clear idea of the learning outcomes of the lessons taught. These are shared with the pupils so that it is clear to the pupils what is going to be learned and what comes next.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good. Nearly one in four lessons were very good and two out of five of the lessons observed were good or better and the rest were satisfactory. The teachers plan their lessons carefully so that pupils in all year groups have work that is matched to their capabilities. The pupils respond well to the teaching. They listen carefully to instructions and during class discussions they offer thoughtful answers and responses. They persevere with tasks, for example, when learning to sound out unfamiliar words in Year 2 in a good literacy lesson or when Year 1 pupils tried very hard to start from different points on a number line to count in 10’s during a very good mathematics lesson. The teaching is having a positive impact on the pupils’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching in the junior years is good. One in four lessons observed were very good, including an excellent English lesson in Year 6. Three in five lessons were good or better and the rest were satisfactory. There are clear rules and classroom routines which provide a Becket Primary School - 17 secure learning environment for the pupils. The introductions to lessons make it clear what is expected and the learning objectives are always shared with the pupils, for example, in mathematics lessons where counting skills are reinforced regularly at the beginning of each lesson. In most lessons observed, teachers provide opportunities to extend the pupils’ thinking further but in mathematics and science, the activities provided were not always challenging for more able pupils. The most effective lessons set more challenge in the middle part of the lesson with more evidence of this in literacy lessons but less evident in mathematics and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

science lessons. Good use is made of computers to support the pupils’ learning. Literacy lessons are usually good or very good because teachers provide a good balance of activities that are closely matched to the abilities of all the pupils. In an excellent English lesson, the pupils explored text at different levels so that more able pupils improved and edited their writing independently and those with learning difficulties searched the text to identify words that would help them order sentences and identify words that would help them write conditional sentences.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The teachers use assessments of the pupils’ performance in optional tests to monitor the pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science. Work is usually marked up to date and is clear so that the pupils know what they have to do to improve further. There is consistency in the way teachers use assessment to monitor the pupils’ progress but in some subjects, such as mathematics and science, the information is not being used to provide specific work for more able pupils in all lessons. In the most effective lessons this is done but in the evidence from the pupils’ previous work, this appears sharper in literacy and less evident in mathematics and science. Teachers keep detailed records having tested what the pupils know and this information is used to prepare annual reports to parents about their children’s progress. Individual learning targets are set for all the pupils and these help to predict what levels the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers and teaching assistants are fully aware of the intellectual and emotional needs of the pupils they are supporting. The individual requirements of the pupils are well matched to the learning targets within their individual education plans. The school takes particular care in organising the pupils’ individual support outside the classroom, making sure that they are given equal access to all areas of the National Curriculum. The teaching assistants and class teachers work well as a team to motivate and sustain the interest of the pupils and provide a very high level of support. The pupils learning English as an additional language are fully integrated in all lessons and receive good support from teaching assistants who are particularly successful in helping these pupils to participate in class and group discussions.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

21. The curriculum provided by the school is good. At the last inspection the quality of the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage was found to be unsatisfactory. Since that inspection the school has worked successfully to improve the planning, assessment and delivery of the curriculum for the children in the Early years Unit and this provision is now good. Planning in the Foundation Stage for Nursery and Reception children now covers all of the areas of learning required. The planning, content and implementation of the national Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been successfully introduced and this has had a positive effect on standards achieved in national tests. The weaknesses identified in the last inspection in the provision for information and communication technology have been rectified, with the result that standards have improved considerably over recent years. Becket Primary School - 18

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum that includes all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. All statutory requirements are met. In religious education, the school adequately meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. The planning addresses basic skills, such as listening, reading and the presentation of writing is strong, and is particularly suitable for less able pupils and those with English as an additional language. The curriculum meets the needs of most pupils, although there are weaknesses in the provision for mathematics and science. In these subjects the national guidelines are often not used well enough to challenge and extend the higher attaining pupils. This is particularly evident when the pupils are placed in ‘more able’ and ‘less able’ ability groups for mathematics. More able pupils are not consistently identified and given work to match their ability.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The system of supporting the learning of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language is a strength of the school, and this ensures that they make good progress in their learning. Individual education plans for these pupils include targets for English, mathematics and personal development, which are clear, achievable and manageable. This is an improvement since the last inspection when it was judged to be satisfactory. There are good links with support services, reviews are held regularly and parents and pupils are kept informed of progress. Detailed records are maintained and annual reviews are well organised. The school is very effective in providing a fully inclusive curriculum so that all pupils are given equal access to the statutory curriculum.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The curriculum makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ intellectual, physical and social development. Personal and social issues are raised across all subjects, and consideration for others is given a high priority. A very comprehensive personal, social and health education (PSHE) scheme is being implemented across the school by the deputy headteacher, within which the concept of citizenship is especially well developed. The School Council allows pupils a voice to influence improvement through change, and emphasis is placed upon the necessity for full consultation before proposals are adopted. There are appropriate opportunities for promoting health education throughout the school. For example, the school nurse works with Year 6 pupils about good health, hygiene and sex education in line with the guidelines agreed by the governing body. A programme of drugs awareness operates with the older pupils, and ethical and moral issues are dealt with through discussion in circle time and

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. Over the year, the choice and diversity of extra curricular activities on offer to the pupils is good. For example, after the breakfast club every morning, the pupils have the opportunity to contribute to lunchtime or after-school activities such as art and craft or sports club, or become part of the cinema session. There are numerous clubs which cater for football, information and communication technology, chess, netball and the creative and expressive arts and dance. Older pupils have the opportunity to take part in residential visits such as to the Kingswood Centre and study days at Chatsworth House, these are much appreciated by the pupils and help to promote their social and academic skills.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. There are very good links with the local community and the wider world. Such opportunities promote initiative and develop an understanding of the community, which enables pupils to appreciate their own and other cultures. There are strong links with the local churches of St. Peter’s and St. Luke’s, which the school uses to support the pupils’ work in religious education and PSHE as well as performing concerts at various times in the year. The local crime prevention group has liaised with the pupils to design a special logo. The school has successfully developed share groups to encourage parents to work in school and support their Becket Primary School - 19 children’s learning. This has proved so successful that some parents are progressing towards achieving nationally recognised qualifications themselves. Regular links have been made with the community group called the Stocksbrook Action Group to provide support and guidance to

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

parents and children. The school has established a laptop class for parents, which provides opportunities for parents to improve their computer skills. There are good links with other stages of education in particular with the feeder secondary school and a Nursery school that has been recognised as a beacon school.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The school’s provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The staff are very committed to promoting in all the pupils the notion of good citizenship and how the pupils can contribute, through active learning and positive action, towards their own contribution to the community and society in general. Spiritual development is good. Religious education and moral education, through the school’s comprehensive citizenship and personal and social education programme, contribute positively to the pupils’ personal development. Lessons and school assemblies develop parallels drawn between incidents in the life of Jesus and other religious figures, such as the prophet Mohammed, as well drawing from the pupils’ own experiences and the implications for life in the school, pupils’ families, their locality, and the wider world are considered. Hymns and songs give

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

praise and thanks, celebrating the joys of community and the wonders of the world. Short prayers and times for reflection help the pupils to express their feelings and thoughts. The pupils hear stories illustrating care and consideration for others and respect for those whose religious beliefs and ways of life are different from their own. Lessons for living are derived from the ways in which people’s beliefs influence their behaviour towards others. On these occasions and in lessons generally, the pupils are taught to appreciate music, the secrets of science, the magic of mathematics and the wonder of words in poetry and story writing. An especially striking example of the pupils’ awareness of such intangible aspects of human experience was captured in a Year 5 art and design lesson, where the pupils enjoyed sharing their thoughts about the work of contemporary artists.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. Provision for the pupils’ moral development is very good. It finds expression in the very good relationships that are seen throughout the school and in the passing moments when the behaviour of individuals in lessons falls below that usually present. These are relatively rare because the pupils absorb the values that the school’s ethos projects through their daily application by all members of staff. Positive behaviour circle times are provided for pupils with a range of problems and these are very effective. Most usually, the pupils treat others with the respect and consideration which they themselves are experiencing. Other opportunities for developing understanding include story telling which has a moral dimension. The happy, friendly atmosphere which results from this provision enables the pupils to give full attention to their learning which, in turn, enhances their achievements and their commitment to

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

further improvement. An achievement assembly (the weekly ‘Golden Book’) shows how deep these values go in pupils’ minds. The pupils enjoy celebrating the success of other pupils who are honoured for personal contributions to the daily life of the school or for their commitment and success in meeting academic challenges of various levels of difficulty. The pupils’ concern for others extends beyond people in their immediate environment to those in distress in distant countries. In geography, for instance, pupils learn about the desperate need for clean water in some African countries. Nearer home, the presence of refugees and asylum seekers within the local community offer opportunities for the pupils to learn compassion for people who are in need.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. Social development is very good. The pupils are encouraged in many lessons to work together in pairs and small groups and the school’s programme of educational visits increases these Becket Primary School - 20 opportunities. Often teachers and teaching assistants specifically plan group activities such as the School Council and the ‘constructed circle of friends’ to discuss issues that are relevant to the pupils and can be applied every day during school times. These sessions make a significant contribution to the pupils’ social development as well as improving their life skills. These experiences are strengthened when the pupils visit the local shopping centre, library or swimming baths. The pupils are encouraged to carry out useful tasks including tidying library areas, the dining room and working in the Early Years Unit.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. Cultural development is good. There are many opportunities for pupils to learn about different cultures through a geography curriculum that covers the concept of distant places very well. Work displayed throughout the school shows that the pupils learn about the cultures of Africa, Japan, China and India as well as European countries such as France and Italy. Cultural development is strengthened through the opportunities the pupils have to work with visiting artists, actors and musicians as a celebration of the pupils’ experiences in these aspects of their work. Religious festivals are celebrated with teachers taking opportunities to use the knowledge and experience of pupils from ethnic minorities within the topics being delivered. For example, the pupils have studied belief symbols such as the Muslim star, Sikh Khanda, Buddhist wheel and Christian cross. Residents of the local area have visited school to talk to

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

the pupils and to hear them read. A local Christian mission and church group visit regularly. All these make a valuable contribution towards the cultural development of the pupils.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The school is a caring community, which has very effective procedures for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its pupils. It has a warm and friendly atmosphere. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. Child protection procedures are very effective. The headteacher and the head of the Early Years Unit are trained designated persons. All the staff have been trained and they are very watchful and aware. Local authority guidelines have been adopted. There are many multi-agency meetings held at the school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The school now has clear policies to ensure the pupils’ health and safety. This is a good improvement on the findings of the last inspection. All statutory procedures are now in place and are very well implemented. All members of staff have been trained in first aid. Arrangements for dealing with the pupils’ medical conditions and with accidents are very effective. The school nurse runs a weekly drop-in clinic, which is a valuable addition to the provision for pupils’ welfare. Risk assessments are undertaken regularly. There is good practice in science, physical education and design and technology to ensure that the pupils use equipment safely. The very efficient and vigilant site manager has very good procedures for ensuring health and safety. Supervision at break-times is very effective and supervisors are active in their work. Security is very good. The Internet safety policy is very effective as the

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

pupils complete different levels of a ‘safe surfer programme’ before being allowed independent access to the internet.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Procedures for promoting good behaviour and eliminating bullying are very good. There is a clear and comprehensive policy. School rules are clear and all classes agree their own rules at the beginning of the year. Postcards of praise, ‘Chance tickets’, mentions in the Golden Book leading to certificates and House Points all contribute well to the overall approach towards discipline and behaviour management. The school has worked hard to involve parents in their children’s learning and this accounts for the very good response the school gets from its parents. Becket Primary School - 21 34. As part of the school’s Citizenship programme, all the pupils have very good opportunities to take personal responsibility. All Year 6 pupils have contracts and job records. The pupils from all years are eligible for election to the School Council. This has a high profile, as does the House System and has had a real impact on the pupils’ personal development. The pupils

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

have been involved in advising pupils in other schools about how to set up and run a Council. The Circle of Friends scheme has had much success in supporting those pupils lacking in confidence. Circle Time and the personal, social and health education programme have a good input. The ‘Buddy’ reading system enables the pupils in Years 3 and 4 to help younger ones. Procedures for monitoring the pupils’ personal development are good. All teachers and teaching assistants keep records of personal development and these are recorded in annual reports to parents.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Procedures for monitoring attendance are satisfactory. Registers are monitored on a weekly basis by the headteacher and the Educational Welfare Officer for patterns of lateness and absence. The Educational Welfare Officer is vigilant in pursuing families with long-term attendance problems. However, it is possible for the pupils to be absent for up to a week without action being taken. The high unauthorised absence rate arises from two main causes: the pupils whose parents move them elsewhere without informing the school and parents who condoned absence. There is a high degree of mobility of pupils. The school already has a number of awards for good attendance, but a number of families continue to have problems. Registration takes place promptly and ensures a calm start to sessions.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school has good assessment procedures which have a positive impact on the good levels of teaching and learning and these contribute to the good progress which the majority of the pupils make. There are also good procedures for monitoring the pupils’ academic performance and their personal development. The good use the school makes of assessment information to guide curricular planning and to support the pupils’ academic progress is strongest in English and mathematics and this has contributed to the improvement in standards in these subjects. Some assessment takes place in other curriculum subjects but this is not as consistent or as rigorous.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The staff in the Early Years Unit keep a profile of the children’s achievements from the time they enter the Nursery group and throughout their time in the Reception group. The teachers make regular on-going assessments as the children work at guided activities and the information is used to identify specific learning needs. The teachers and support staff then plan to meet these needs appropriately. The children’s progress against the stepping stones of the Early Learning Goals is recorded systematically and regularly. This represents a very good improvement since the time of the previous inspection when assessment, planning and recording of the children’s attainment was unsatisfactory.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school has a high number of pupils who join or leave the school between Year 1 and Year 6, and this makes it difficult to reliably compare the results from tests and assessments year on year. Nonetheless, as the pupils move through the school, a thorough analysis of the end-of- key-stage test results and the results of optional tests is used to identify areas for development with future classes and to set whole school targets. For example, the school has recently targeted writing as an area for improvement and has identified the need to improve the pupils’ performance in mental arithmetic. Assessment information is further used to set individual targets for improvement and to group the pupils according to ability in mathematics. Becket Primary School - 22 39. The pupils with special educational needs and those who are at an early stage of language acquisition are assessed regularly in order to measure progress and to ensure that appropriate

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire and attended the meeting were very supportive of the school and all that it does for their children. Nearly all felt that the teaching and the leadership and management were good, that the school expected their children to work hard and that it was helping their children to become mature and responsible. A few parents had some concern about homework and wanted more activities outside lessons. All felt comfortable about approaching the school with questions or problems. The findings of the inspection support the parents’ positive views. Extra-curricular activities were found to be good and homework supports class work well. A small number of parents help in school on a regular basis.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The school has very good links with parents. This is a considerable improvement on the findings of the last inspection. The information supplied for parents is good. The combined prospectus and governors’ annual report satisfy requirements and are full, clear and written in an accessible style. Newsletters are friendly and frequent and contain advance information on the curriculum. Homework and reading diaries are used well as a means of dialogue with parents. A pupils’ handbook is being written. Reports are clear and unambiguous. They offer opportunities for the pupils to comment and contain good comments on the pupils’ personal development. The welcome pack for new parents includes good information on the curriculum and activities. Introductory play sessions are run by the Early years Unit for new parents. The home/school agreement has been signed by all parents. An appropriate number

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

of consultation meetings is held each year and these are well attended. The SHARE and PEEP programmes have proved very effective ways of working with parents and carers to improve the care and education of their children. The school also holds well-attended family workshops on literacy, numeracy, art and design information and communication technology.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide good and effective leadership. They work closely with all the staff and, together, they are an effective team. They set high expectations and lead by example. The headteacher is much respected by the pupils, parents, staff and governors. She focuses and steers the work of the school and raising standards has been the main focus for development. There has been good improvement since the last inspection because the school is well led and managed. All the adults who have day-to-day contact with the pupils, reflect the school’s stated aims extremely well, ensuring that they support and are committed to maintaining strong working relationships and include all pupils in all activities. This commitment to an inclusive education is clearly reflected in all the work done in the school so that there is a very good shared commitment to improve further. The school’s

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

capacity to succeed further is very good.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. There is an effective and coherent system of management. The headteacher and key senior staff have a thorough grasp and understanding of how to measure and improve the effectiveness of the teaching. They assess how well the pupils are doing in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and ICT, and this enables them to measure the impact that the curriculum, planning and teaching are having on standards. Curriculum co-ordinators monitor teachers’ planning and the pupils’ work to assess how well they are doing in their Becket Primary School - 23 respective subjects. More now needs to be done to improve problem solving skills in mathematics and investigative work in science. The school has already identified these as priorities for further development. The staff and governors are greatly influenced by the headteacher’s leadership and enthusiasm to succeed and improve the school further.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Consequently, the school has accurate and realistic targets for improvement with every pupil being monitored closely. Teachers are clear about what they are going to teach and what they are aiming for. This has been most evident in literacy, where standards have risen very well.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. Curriculum co-ordinators prepare satisfactory action plans for their own subjects. These feed into an audit of resources and staff training needs which informs the school development plan. There is both a short-term and long-term plan which fully takes account of changing trends in the school roll or, for example, the fact that many pupils joining the school have specific learning needs or language needs. A thorough evaluation and analysis of all these factors informs the way the school groups the pupils and plans its teaching. However, the focus for improvement should now be on practical mathematics and science and how tasks can be better matched to the needs of more able pupils to raise standards further. Resources have improved well since the last inspection and particularly information and communication technology resources.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The governors are knowledgeable and experienced and committed to the needs of the school and its pupils. They provide satisfactory support and help the headteacher to manage the school well. The Chair of governors works very closely with the headteacher and some governors are actively involved with all governors being kept well informed by the headteacher and senior staff. As a result, the governors have a satisfactory understanding of the school’s needs, strengths and weaknesses. Much has been done recently to ensure that there is a stable and full Governing Body although there are still a few vacancies which have yet to be filled. The headteacher prepares thorough reports to be presented at governors’ meetings and provides clear position statements to keep governors fully informed. The governors’ annual report to parents complies with statutory requirements. The school development plan is used

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

effectively to steer the work of the school. The process leading up to the production of the school development plan involves all the staff and governors, and is put together by the senior management team when deciding priorities for school improvement. The senior management team, together with subject co-ordinators prepare audits and action plans so that it is clear what is needed and what priorities need to be established. This involves regular evaluations with clear descriptions of who is checking progress and the impact on raising achievement and standards across the curriculum. The school makes very good use of information and communication technology to manage and support the school’s organisation and administration.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. There is a good mixture of experienced and well-qualified teachers and support staff. Teaching assistants are effectively deployed, working in close partnership with teachers in supporting pupils’ learning. Structured professional development interviews with the head teacher are used effectively in staff development and for setting performance targets. The senior staff are being trained in the techniques of classroom observation to enable them to give constructive feedback to teachers. Carefully targeted in-service training has improved the quality of teaching. Co-ordinators are effective in their role and help teachers to be more rigorous in developing subject confidence and pupils’ learning.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The staffing for pupils with special educational needs is good. The careful deployment of the special educational needs staff and staff who are responsible for teaching and supporting those who are learning English as an additional language ensures that the pupils are well supported individually or in groups in both class and withdrawal settings. The management of provision Becket Primary School - 24 for the pupils with special educational needs is an important factor in the development of Becket Primary School, and the commitment of the headteacher and governors is reflected in the significant proportion of its budget used for support in this area. The co-ordinator sets a clear educational direction for staff and pupils about special educational needs. The recently revised ‘Code of Practice’ has been successfully implemented throughout the school, and is being used effectively to support the pupils’ achievements. As in the last report, the school

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

has good numbers of appropriate staff deployed effectively to support all the pupils. The Nursery staff are now used effectively. Good support is offered by special educational needs staff and teaching assistants. The pupils learning English as an additional language receive good teaching and support from the staff who are paid from the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. Resources are well managed and subject co-ordinators check teachers’ planning to ensure that there is appropriate work being done. The deployment of learning support staff has been very successful in helping them to provide highly skilled intervention programmes that involve teaching reading, writing and numeracy as well as inclusive support when working alongside the pupils with SEN. The school’s finances are well managed. There are efficient and effective procedures to track spending and determine priorities for resources in the school’s management plan. Specific grants are used very well for their intended purpose and the headteacher and governors monitor spending closely. Governors and senior staff report on the effectiveness of spending and the priorities set in the school development plan. In this way the school is clearly committed to establishing best value when committing resources.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Accommodation is satisfactory overall. The information and communication technology suite offers a useful facility and is very well used, including its availability at lunchtimes as an extra- curricular resource. The library is spacious and well stocked. As in the last report, some classes are too small for independent learning. The number of adult toilets is very small. Storage is satisfactory for physical education. The children in the Early Years Unit have a covered and enclosed area for play and additional activities. Displays in classrooms and corridors are good. The outside play areas are good, although the playground is rather bare. Plans are being drawn up to remedy this, now that the school’s security is improved. Resources are satisfactory in most subjects. They are good in science, art and design and English and there is a very good range of resources across the school to support information

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and communication technology. Becket Primary School - 25

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

50. In order to build on the good education provided by the school, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.25

* Raise standards in mathematics by:

- ensuring that more work is provided for those pupils who have the potential to reach or exceed standards expected for their age;

p.25

* Raise standards in mathematics by:

- planning activities that involve more problem solving tasks. (Paragraphs: 1-2; 16; 19; 22; 68-73)

p.25

* Raise standards in science by:

- planning more work that is more closely matched to the abilities of the pupils;

p.25

* Raise standards in science by:

- providing more practical work that requires the pupils test ideas using their evidence drawn from observation and measurement. (Paragraphs: 1-2; 13; 15; 19; 22; 74-81 )

p.25

* Improve attendance rates by reducing the rate of unauthorised absence

through close monitoring and with the co-operation of parents. (Paragraphs: 12; 35) Becket Primary School - 26

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 26

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 13 214

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 95

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 42

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 37

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 28

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 42

p.26

Attendance

School data 5.8 School data 2.6 Becket Primary School - 27 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.26

Attendance

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

p.27

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 14 13 27

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.28

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

Boys 9 9 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 12 11

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (83) 78 (79) 85 (83) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 10 13 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 12 8

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (76) 93 (86) 63 (79) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.28

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

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

p.28

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 18 15 33

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 13 11 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 13 11

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (77) 73 (69) 79 (80) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 11 11 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 13 11

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 64 (68) 73 (69) 73 (54) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.28

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Becket Primary School - 29

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 2 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 19 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 5 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 11 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 5 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 4 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Becket Primary School - 30

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.5 Financial year 2001/2002

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.2

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 637,385

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 628,384

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 210 Expenditure per pupil 2,544

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 13,610

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1.6 Balance carried forward to next year 22,611

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 8.1

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 90

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3.5

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Becket Primary School - 31

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 71 27 2 0 0

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 62 31 5 0 2

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 43 36 10 0 11

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 62 31 5 0 2

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 81 17 0 0 2

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 83 15 0 0 2

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 69 21 7 0 2

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 81 17 0 0 2

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 74 19 2 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 29 36 12 2 21

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The parents say that they choose the school because it provides a positive and supportive environment for their children. Many believe that the school is very supportive and welcoming. Parents are particularly pleased with the range of work the school provides in school hours. Some parents would like to see more activities provided outside school hours but many are pleased with the work the school does that involves adult learning and the partnership the school has with the community it serves. Becket Primary School - 32

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. A key issue of the last inspection was to improve the curriculum for the children under five in the Nursery and Reception classes so as to provide equal access for all the children, to improve consistency in the assessment, planning and recording of their attainment and to ensure that the staff were more evenly distributed across the age range. Since that time the school has reviewed and improved its provision by forming an Early Years Unit which accommodates both Nursery and Reception children. Assessment procedures are now good and this results in good quality teaching and good progress being made by the children. The staff plan and work very well together and ensure that all the children have equal access to the activities and learning opportunities on offer. The provision provided by the Early Years Unit is good and this represents very good improvement since the last inspection. In order to

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

build on this good work further, the staff should sharpen and focus their questioning skills so that they more closely relate to the learning objectives and stepping stones for learning as set out in the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. The children start in the Early Years Unit at the beginning of the term following their third birthday. All of them attend part-time initially and, at the time of the inspection, there were 32 full-time equivalent children of Nursery age and 16 children in the Reception group who attend full-time. The school has very good relationships with parents and a good home-school link system that provides useful information about the work and activities in the Early Years Unit. A six-week induction programme before the children start helps to secure the very good relationship with parents and has a positive impact on the way the children settle quickly into the routines.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. The attainment of most children when they start in the Early Years Unit is well below the average that is expected for children of this age, particularly in communication, language and literacy. The quality of the teaching the children receive ranges from very good to satisfactory and is judged to be good overall. As a result of this good teaching and the good curriculum that the school provides, the children make good and sometimes very good progress.

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Personal, social and emotional development

54. All the staff emphasise this area of learning very strongly and the quality of teaching is good. As a result, the children are likely to attain the Early Learning Goals for this area of learning by the time they start Year 1. The good range of opportunities and activities provided for the children’s personal, social and emotional development ensure that the majority of the children make good and sometimes very good progress. They make particularly good progress in developing their independence and self-confidence as they make choices, organise themselves for the activities and clear away sensibly. They develop good attitudes to school and are keen and enthusiastic to take part in all the activities on offer. The children co-operate well with each other and with the adults in charge of them. They show particular sensitivity and tolerance towards those in the group who have special educational needs.

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Personal, social and emotional development

55. When the children first start they soon settle into the routines. For example, they know where to hang their coats, where to line up and where to put their lunch boxes. Almost all of the children follow instructions and persevere with their tasks for a good length of time. They know what is expected of them and respond well to the adults supervising them. The older Becket Primary School - 33 children listen and behave well during literacy and numeracy sessions and they are very able when dressing themselves for physical education or outdoor activities. There has been very good improvement in this area of learning since the last inspection.

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Communication, language and literacy

56. The children start in the Early Years Unit with well below average skills in communication, language and literacy and they are unlikely to achieve the Early Learning Goals in this area of learning by the time they start Year 1. However, in response to the good teaching they receive, they make good progress. The youngest children share books and stories and enjoy using the puppet and story sacks that they take home to share with parents and carers. The older children choose books to take home or to share quietly in the book corner. Almost all of them hold the books and turn the pages correctly and, during pre-reading activities, many of them are beginning to use picture clues to aid their understanding. The children’s early reading skills are further developed through the learning of initial letter sounds and key words from early reading books. Good questioning skills by the teachers and assistants as well as

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Communication, language and literacy

opportunities for role-play help the children to recall the story of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ in the correct sequence. Reciting rhymes and poems and joining in the sharing of news, knowledge and information all help the children to use and improve their spoken language. The children regularly practice handwriting patterns and letter shapes in order to improve their writing skills. Although writing skills are generally weak, the scrutiny of the children’s work shows some good progress as the children move from copy and shadow writing to attempting independent writing. The older children’s writing and phonic skills show how they are beginning to develop when they write about the materials the pigs used for building and when they make labels to identify the rooms of a house. At the time of the inspection, approximately eleven of the sixteen Reception age children were able to write their first name. There has been very good

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Communication, language and literacy

progress in this area of learning since the last inspection.

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Mathematical development

57. The quality of teaching in the mathematical area of learning is good. The teachers organise and plan a range of activities so that the children gain good experience in learning how to match, count and organise by size. The children also use the ‘smart board’ and a computer programme very effectively to consolidate their number recognition and counting skills. All the children can confidently count up to ten orally and most of the older children can recognise and read the numbers. The older children also show their developing knowledge and understanding of mathematical language when they respond to ‘more than’, ‘less than’, ‘add’ and ‘equals’. Older, higher attaining children further understand that ‘zero’, ‘nought’, ‘nothing’ and ‘none’ all have the same meaning. From their start in the Unit the children learn the importance of ‘touch and count’ to ensure accuracy in counting and they are able to use a

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Mathematical development

variety of apparatus to help them count, including their fingers. When using shapes to make a picture, a comment from one child, ‘If I put these two triangles together it makes this square’, shows that the children are learning the names of the basic two-dimensional shapes and are beginning to recognise some of their properties. The teachers use songs, rhymes and counting games to help make the learning of numbers fun as well as to learn to count on and back. However, despite the good teaching they receive and the good progress that many of the children make, they are unlikely to achieve the Early Learning Goals in mathematics by the time they start in Year 1. There has been good progress since the last inspection in this area of learning. Becket Primary School - 34

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

58. Good teaching and a well-organised curriculum with a balance of activities ensure that the children make good progress in this area of learning. However, overall, they are unlikely to have achieved all of the stepping stones towards the Early Learning Goals by the time they begin Year 1. The children gain good early information and communication technology skills as they use a computer program to ‘fix’ a variety of problems encountered in building a house. They show good knowledge and understanding of the tool bar as they touch and drag items both on the computer screen and on the ‘smart board’. The children build a range of models using construction toys and are beginning to appreciate the usefulness of their finished work when the space they allow for sitting in their ‘car’ is too small. As part of their topic on homes, the older children show a good understanding of the similarities and differences

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

between ‘now’ and ‘then’ as they talk animatedly about their visit to an Edwardian house museum. As they engage in water play, they learn about floating, sinking and capacity as well as some of the creatures that make their home in water. There has been good progress since the last inspection.

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Physical development

59. The children make good progress in their physical development and, as a result of the good teaching and the good use that is made of regular outdoor play and indoor physical education sessions, the children are likely to attain the Early Learning Goals in this area of learning by the time they start Year 1. All the children have full and equal access to a secure outdoor play area although some of the equipment provided for them is old and in need of replacement. The children enjoy riding a variety of wheeled vehicles and use a selection of small apparatus such as hoops and balls with increasing skill and control. The children can use large play equipment to jump, climb and balance and their co-ordination and awareness of space and of others develop soundly when playing outside and when learning to throw and catch a beanbag in the hall. The children are able to measure out and mix ingredients when cooking vegetable

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Physical development

tarts and they are able to paste, thread and hammer as they work at a range of guided activities. They show confidence and dexterity as they manipulate the controls of a ‘walkie- talkie’ and especially enjoy making a robot turn and move forwards and backwards. There has been very good progress in this area of learning since the last inspection.

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Creative development

60. From a low starting point, the children make good progress in their creative development. Several of the activities provided for the children in the Early Years Unit provide them with opportunities to express themselves through painting, drawing and making collage pictures and models. Nonetheless, by the time they start in Year 1 the children will not have achieved all the stepping stones towards the Early Learning Goals. Creative activities are planned to link with the current topic and the children try hard to make observational drawings of items used in building, such as nuts and bolts and a spirit level. They use pastels effectively and some of the children are successful in reproducing a recognisable outline shape. They also co-operate well in wallpapering a model house and show a developing awareness of fitting to a shape and the need to overlap. They explore the textured surface of logs and compare this with the

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Creative development

smooth surface of wooden bricks. A drawing program on the computer and the ‘smart board’ are very well used by the children to experiment freely with shape and colour. Modelling materials are also used to produce figures, shapes and decorations. There is a satisfactory selection of musical instruments that are frequently played outside so that the children can explore the sounds freely. The children sing well and know and enjoy a range of songs, Becket Primary School - 35 rhymes and poems. These are used effectively to reinforce learning and also for enjoyment and fun. There has been very good progress in creative development since the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

61. Standards in English are below those expected nationally but are improving well. By the end of Year 2, reading and writing standards are below average and speaking and listening standards are well below those expected. By the end of Year 6, the pupils make good progress, building on the good work done in the Early Years Unit and infant classes, so that standards, although below average, are close to the national average, especially in reading and writing. The pupils make very good progress in Years 5 and 6 and this accounts for the very good national test results over the last three years, which show that standards in English compare very well with similar schools. The large proportion of pupils identified with special educational needs and the increasing number of pupils who are learning English as an additional language also make good progress and achieve well towards their individual learning

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ENGLISH

62. All the pupils make good progress in the development of language and communication skills. They listen attentively to their teachers’ expositions. They respond confidently to questions and express themselves adequately. When in small groups, they converse freely and use interesting vocabulary when describing their experiences. Younger pupils in the infant classes sometimes speak in punctuated phrases where word endings are swallowed but they are making good progress so that by the junior years they become confident speakers. They answer questions readily and more able pupils acquit themselves well and with good expression. In Year 2 for example, the pupils were observed recalling the familiar and traditional story of ‘Little red Riding Hood’. The pupils had made good progress and had gained in confidence as they could re-tell different parts of the story to others in the class. Year 5 pupils could explain different parts of Geraldine McGaughrean’s, ‘In the beginning and

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ENGLISH

Pandora’s Box’, during a thought-provoking and stimulating class discussion about traditional stories and their meaning and morals. However, in class discussions it is clear that the pupils, although making good progress and gaining in confidence, lack the vocabulary to expand their ideas so that many answer questions in punctuated phrases or short sentences. The teachers and support staff do very well to encourage all the pupils to participate in discussion.

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ENGLISH

63. Reading standards are below those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The pupils like reading and enjoy the books available in school. Most pupils read accurately and are able to use the punctuation in the text, such as speech marks, commas and exclamation marks, to help them read with expression. They recall the detail of a story well and are able to make reasonable and plausible predictions. Average and lower attaining pupils also recall the main story lines. They refer to the text when describing what has already happened. They are equipped with a number of strategies when confronted by new words and build words up phonetically as well as looking for clues in the text. When words are read incorrectly, junior pupils are able to self-correct, often still making sense within the sentence. Infant pupils look for picture clues or re-read a sentence if they misread a word and are making good progress.

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ENGLISH

Most pupils are aware of the use of a contents and index and they are clear about which books are fiction and which are non-fiction. The pupils enjoy reading and give reasons for their preferences, for example, Year 6 pupils enjoyed reading ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ by Phillippa Pearce because they explained to their teacher that the mystery and surprises in the narrative keeps them wondering what will happen next. In this excellent lesson, the teacher Becket Primary School - 36 was able to draw out from the pupils plausible answers which explained how authors use language to describe time-slips in their stories.

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ENGLISH

64. Writing standards by the end of Year 2 are below average and by the end of Year 6 they are close to average. Infant pupils write clearly and consistently and spelling rules are well taught. Throughout the school the pupils experience a wide range of writing experiences, and their good reading skills help them to write accurately so that infant pupils include capital letters and full stops and junior pupils are able to punctuate accurately with commas and speech marks. Most pupils use lower and upper case letters correctly, including when using proper nouns. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils’ writing is developing well but the pupils limited vocabulary limits the extent to which they use description when writing independently. There are clear links between events, and spelling is phonetically plausible if not entirely correct. Handwriting is consistent and well formed, reflecting a consistent policy towards the teaching

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ENGLISH

of writing across the school. Most pupils attempt to use a reasonable cursive style before Year 6. From Year 3 onwards, the pupils have developed a confident writing style and effective teaching in Years 5 and 6, the pupils’ independent writing begins to flourish. This accounts for the much improved standards in English by the end of Year 6 which is clearly reflected in the national test results. Year 6 pupils were observed editing and improving conditional sentences so that some would write, “If Tom were dreaming then he would imagine being transformed into this other world…”. The pupils with special educational needs are supported very well with appropriate writing tasks and teaching support to help them improve in confidence when writing sentences independently. Throughput the school, the pupils are confident to take risks when hazarding the spelling of ‘ie’ words and ‘ei’ words. They give good reasons for their choice of literature or favourite stories, such as the pupils in

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ENGLISH

Year 2 who say, “I like it because it is funny…..” or “It is exciting because she (Little Red Riding Hood) is lost and doesn’t know what’s going to happen to her.”

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ENGLISH

65. Five lessons were seen during the inspection which included sessions that involved the teaching of pupils who are learning English as an additional language and those identified with special educational needs. The standard of teaching and learning is good with very good features. Teachers plan well and deliver lessons of a uniform structure, which follows the format of the National Literacy Strategy. This whole-school approach provides a consistent framework within which the pupils learn securely. The pupils respond well to this structure, which generates an environment conducive to good learning. Assessment procedures have improved considerably since the last inspection, so that teachers plan lessons which cater for the current and ongoing needs of their pupils. Realistic and challenging attainment targets are set and progress towards those targets is carefully planned so that teachers plan work that

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ENGLISH

matches the needs of all ages and abilities. In a good Year 2 lesson, the teacher used her knowledge of the pupils and their relative levels of attainment and was able to improve and reinforce spelling and punctuation rules. This was achieved through the use of ‘sound buttons’ so that the pupils recognised letter and word sounds using familiar stories and rhymes in the text. The pupils with special educational needs made particularly good progress as they were fully involved and were able to attempt some unfamiliar sounds and words to improve their knowledge of letter sounds and improve their writing.

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ENGLISH

66. In most of the lessons seen the pupils were given time to express their views about authors and stories. For example, in an excellent Year 6 lesson, the teacher evoked good discussion and questions from the pupils as they discussed ‘Tom’s midnight garden’ and an average ability group in Year 5 used the African ‘Anansi’ stories to investigate the text and search for information about the setting, characters and plot. In all the lessons seen there was a good introduction with specific learning objectives that related to investigating a very good range of Becket Primary School - 37 texts or searching for information, as in Year 5, when the pupils looked for direct and implied evidence to answer questions. The provision of very good quality texts and photocopied extracts, encourage the pupils to investigate different styles of writing and to draw conclusions about the authors’ intent. All teachers question well and give the pupils time to articulate their

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ENGLISH

responses. Relationships are very good and the management of the pupils is very good. Teachers interact well with the pupils and offer useful ongoing advice, which clarifies the learning. Hence, when pupils encounter difficulties, they are confident to approach the teacher and respond positively to the guidance given. The staff apply the school’s effective special educational needs policy to deploy learning assistants to work alongside those pupils who need them. Teachers’ marking is good, and the evidence gathered informs planning and sets targets for the pupils. Consequently, the pupils’ aspirations are raised and they gain a good understanding of their own learning and progress.

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ENGLISH

67. The quality of assessment and monitoring of the subject encourages good progress in both teaching and learning. The procedures, planning and whole-school practices established since the last inspection have had a positive impact on the school’s National Curriculum test results. The consistent teaching style, target setting and teachers’ detailed knowledge of their pupils’ needs, are resulting in improving standards. The co-ordinator is very experienced and, with the headteacher’s support and guidance, has accurately assessed the school’s strengths and weaknesses and has produced an action plan to address the school’s needs. There is a common purpose in the school and a desire to do very well. Teachers work very hard. Resources have improved and book provision, especially of sets of books, is good. Books are accessible to the pupils and are well used. There is a well stocked library which acts as a

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ENGLISH

central resource and information centre. The introduction of the information and communication technology room has also improved the pupils’ access to computers and has had a positive impact on the quality of word processing and writing standards.

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MATHEMATICS

68. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6 the pupils achieve standards that are below the national average for their age group. Current standards are not as high as they were in the two previous years and this is mainly because of the high number of pupils who have special educational needs and the increased number who are in the early stages of learning English as an additional language. The high number of pupils who join or leave the school other than in Year 1 or Year 6 further adversely affects standards. Nonetheless, due to the good levels of support provided for those pupils who have language or special educational needs, the majority of pupils make good progress as they move through the school. There is no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

69. When compared with all schools nationally, the most recent tests show that the number of pupils achieving the higher levels in Year 2 and Year 6 (Levels 3 and 5 respectively) was well below average. This is because there is some lack of challenge in the work planned for the higher attaining pupils and they are not achieving as well as they should. However, standards compared with similar schools are average.

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MATHEMATICS

70. By the end of Year 2, the pupils know and can use the vocabulary of number successfully and they confidently use terms such as digit, tens, total and subtract. They can count on and back in tens and use number fans successfully to show ten more or ten less than numbers above one hundred. They know how to create their own addition and subtraction sums using numbers up to 20. Almost all of the pupils have a sound knowledge of a range of common two and three-dimensional shapes and they complete work with money, time and simple Becket Primary School - 38 measures. By the end of Year 6, most of the pupils can work confidently with numbers in the thousands and are able to use a range of different methods of calculation. They are also able to explain many of the processes used in their calculations. In Years 5 and 6 the pupils show a sound understanding of negative numbers. They have a good knowledge of place value and

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MATHEMATICS

can explain what each figure is worth in numbers with up to three decimal places. Most of the Year 6 pupils understand the relationship between fractions, decimals and percentages and work confidently when converting one to another. The majority of the pupils are able to use calculators with ease in order to help them do this. All the junior pupils recognise number relationships and number patterns but many of them do not recall multiplication tables and number facts sufficiently quickly for this to either improve their mental skills or the general pace of their learning. Additionally, although the scrutiny of work reveals some instances where the pupils are beginning to understand the application of mathematics in everyday life, across the school, practical and investigative work in mathematics is not strongly represented in the pupils’ work.

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MATHEMATICS

71. The quality of the teaching ranges from satisfactory to very good and is judged to be satisfactory overall. The teaching of mental arithmetic and numeracy skills is good. In the best lessons both the teachers and the pupils are quite clear about what is to be learned. The teachers build well on the pupils’ previous learning in order to extend it further, which results in good progress for the majority of the pupils. Deadlines for completion of the work and the effective use of open-ended questions are other good features of many of the lessons. In a very good lesson with the Year 1 pupils, the teacher used a number line very effectively to assess the pupils’ learning of counting in tens. Her strategy of removing random numbers and her good questioning skills helped the pupils to explain how they knew the position and value of the missing numbers, successfully reinforcing their learning in the process. Similarly, in a good

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MATHEMATICS

lesson with the Year 4 pupils, the teacher brought the group together frequently to assess learning and to reinforce the pupils’ understanding through the good use of questions and the sharing of strategies and methods of calculation. Almost all of the teachers use the plenary session very well to praise the pupils for their efforts as well as to share, reinforce and assess the learning that has taken place.

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MATHEMATICS

72. In several of the lessons seen the mental and oral session could have moved at a brisker pace in order to improve the pupils’ rapid recall of number facts, tables and counting skills. In other less successful lessons, learning for the more able pupils is sometimes affected by a lack of sufficiently challenging activities. More complex questions targeted specifically at this group and extension activities to stimulate and stretch them would enable them to achieve more.

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MATHEMATICS

73. The teachers plan well for numeracy lessons and have recently begun to use the national plans although, at the time of the inspection, it was too early to judge their usefulness for the school as a whole. The new co-ordinator and the headteacher have analysed test data in order to identify and target areas for improvement. They readily acknowledge that more use needs to be made of the attainment target related to using and applying mathematics and that the pupils’ speed and facility in mental mathematics needs to be improved. They are planning to address this through additional staff training and team-teaching in order to share good practice. The co-ordinator’s role in monitoring teaching and learning needs to be widened in order to assess the delivery of the numeracy strategy school wide and to help secure further improvements in standards.

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SCIENCE

Becket Primary School - 39 74. The Year 2 pupils’ attainment in science in the 2002 teacher assessments was well below the national average and well below average for schools in similar social circumstances. Work seen during the inspection confirms this, and shows that pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 2 is below that expected for their age. Inspection evidence shows that at present, standards by the end of Year 6 are below average. At the time of the last inspection attainment was reported as average for pupils aged 7 and 11. Standards have declined mainly due to the lack of opportunity to develop the pupils’ experimental and investigative skills.

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SCIENCE

75. Although standards at the end of Year 2 and 6 are currently below national expectations many average and less able pupils are making satisfactory progress, particularly when comparing achievement with that of pupils in similar schools. The pupils with special educational needs make good progress. The main weakness since the last inspection has been the lack of investigative work undertaken which may have restricted the pupils’ progress. The pupils’ skills in experimental and investigative science are not sufficiently developed, too often teachers organise and lead experiments with pupils merely observing the practical activities and recording data. Opportunities for the pupils to experiment in small groups, share equipment and discuss their findings are limited. Consequently, they do not extend their skills in predicting, hypothesising, observing and interpreting data from first hand discoveries. While

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SCIENCE

most understand what they are studying, many do not know what they have to do to improve their work and this inhibits the progress they make.

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SCIENCE

76. A weakness in the present science curriculum for infant pupils lies in the quality of recorded work done by the pupils. Too often they record findings untidily in pictorial form or on worksheets. The result is that many pupils are only required to record their findings from investigations in a very basic written form, whereas some are quite capable of writing their own explanations or producing simple tally charts. Junior pupils often write up results of their tests using worksheets. These are often the same for all pupils and this restricts opportunities for higher attaining pupils to devise their own methods of recording. The use of scientific vocabulary is not encouraged sufficiently when pupils record their work.

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SCIENCE

77. By the end of Year 2, the pupils use their knowledge about living things to describe basic conditions, such as a supply of food, water, air or light that animals and plants need in order to survive. Most pupils can construct simple electrical circuits involving batteries, wires and bulbs. They are able to sort objects into groups according to their properties. For example, in a Year 1 class, the pupils were observed sorting materials into groups according to whether they were rough, crunchy, smooth or see through; they used their sense of touch to ‘feel’ the differences. The children then progressed onto deciding which materials were transparent and recorded their results.

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SCIENCE

78. Junior pupils are developing their knowledge about the suitability of materials to conduct electricity. The pupils in Year 4 were seen placing materials into a simple circuit to see if the flow of electricity was impeded or allowed to continue. The children understood that good conductors allowed the bulb in their circuit to shine. Older pupils have developed their understanding of processes of mixing and filtering, and how mixing materials can cause them to change. For example, in a mixed ability Year 6 group, the pupils were observed contributing to a class experiment where combinations of flour, currants, gravel and sand were added to water. Most understood that not all materials dissolve in water. Later the pupils had an opportunity to mix soil and water together and then sieve the contents to filter the dirty water. Most were surprised at how clean the water became after just one attempt at filtering. They

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SCIENCE

applied their previous knowledge of mixing materials, and were able to make sound progress in understanding which solids dissolve more easily in water. Becket Primary School - 40 79. Science as yet, does not make a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ literacy development because teachers do not always take full advantage of the opportunities the subject offers for pupils to write in a range of styles and to explore their own ways of recording methods and results of investigations. The pupils routinely use standard and non-standard measurements, and while they are often used to report data on worksheets, it does make a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ numeracy development.

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SCIENCE

80. The teaching is satisfactory overall and varies from satisfactory to good. Taken as a whole, the teaching is stronger in the junior classes when compared with that in infant classes. This is especially the case for the Year 5 and 6 pupils where the teachers’ knowledge and understanding is better and expectations are much higher. In good lessons the teachers show their enthusiasm for the subject to the pupils, they plan the lessons well with clear learning objectives. They organise their lessons efficiently and use resources effectively to provide interesting activities. In these lessons the pupils behave well and respond to the teacher with searching questions during experiments. However, evidence from the scrutiny of the pupils’ recorded work shows that there is not enough difference between the lower and higher attaining pupils’ work in most classes. More able pupils are not pushed on as quickly as might

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SCIENCE

be expected because work is not suitably matched to their abilities. However, most pupils have good attitudes to their work, co-operate well and concentrate for long periods in lessons.

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SCIENCE

81. The management of science is sound. The recently appointed co-ordinator provides good informal advice and support for colleagues, and recognises the need to raise standards throughout the school. At present, the monitoring of planning, assessment and teaching are in the early stages of development. As a result, the new co-ordinator does not, as yet, have a fully informed picture of the main strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning across the school. During each year the school selects pieces of pupils’ work which are placed in their individual portfolios. These are used to assess the children’s attainment and progress. However, the use of this data is unsatisfactory. It has not, for example, been used to track the progress of more able pupils, or to identify the reasons for the gradual decline in standards over the last two years. The quality and quantity of resources is satisfactory, but the cramped

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SCIENCE

conditions inside some classrooms is inhibiting the development of some elements of practical science work. The school has extensive grounds but they are underused as a resource for scientific investigations. However, the pupils have been very involved in developing a wildlife area and the school received a grant from a national organisation in recognition of this.

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ART AND DESIGN

82. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, the pupils’ work in art and design reaches a standard which exceeds national expectations and pupils of all abilities make good progress. Only two lessons were observed during the inspection but the scrutiny of the pupils’ work on display, a large portfolio of photographic evidence, discussions with pupils and teachers and the scrutiny of the school’s planning all contribute to this judgement. This represents an improvement since the last inspection when, although it was recognised that some work was of a higher quality, standards were judged to be average overall.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. The pupils enjoy art and design activities. They are proud of their work and talk knowledgeably and enthusiastically about how they achieved the finished piece. They explore a range of media confidently and, by the end of Year 6 they can refine their ideas. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, the pupils were able to experiment with ideas and comment on Becket Primary School - 41 each other’s efforts in a mature and sensitive way. The pupils’ achievements are celebrated in well-presented displays that enhance the classrooms and communal areas of the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

84. The pupils in Year 1 paint children in bright clothes as part of their winter display. They also wind wool to produce unusual winter colour designs. The Year 1 pupils print using one colour and by Year 2, they have progressed to printing designs using the three primary colours. The Year 2 pupils produce collages and also study the work of other artists such as Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian and Matisse.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. By the time they reach Year 5 the pupils are able to produce high quality paintings in the style of Van Gogh using pictures such as ‘The Chairs’, ‘Wheat Fields and Cypress Trees’ and his ‘Self-Portrait’. These efforts show the pupils’ skill in reproducing landscapes as well as observational drawings. Both the Year 5 and Year 6 pupils use their observational skills when they complete collages of Tudor costumes and foil pictures of Henry VIII armour as part of their history topic. They are further able to use lines and shading very effectively to make detailed pencil drawings of Tudor houses.

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ART AND DESIGN

86. From the range of work seen and from the lessons observed, the quality of teaching in art and design is good. The pupils are carefully taught the skills and techniques needed to make good progress in a range of art and design activities. The teachers plan work that provides opportunities for the pupils to use a variety of media and to develop their knowledge and skills. In a very good lesson with the Year 5 pupils, the teacher used questions very effectively to encourage the pupils to express their feelings about examples of book illustrations. She taught them how to think about and plan their work by looking closely at the colours required and then allowed them time to mix paints in order to obtain the right shade. Although the lesson was short, the time was used well and the teacher provided encouragement and motivation by sharing good practice and praising the pupils’ efforts. The teacher conveyed her own love of

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ART AND DESIGN

art and her enthusiasm for the subject so that the pupils wanted to work hard and achieve success and most of them did. In another lesson in Year 6, the teacher urged the pupils to ‘have a go’ as they used pencils and oval shapes to draw moving figures. Her encouragement raised their confidence and led to good levels of learning and success with the task.

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ART AND DESIGN

87. Work in art and design is often linked to other areas of the curriculum, most notably history and geography, but the school also organises specific art and design activity days which are either taught by school staff or where outside artists provide support for the pupils. One of the most recent has been the school’s involvement with a community ceramics project where the pupils have produced tiles to be used on a walkway in the city centre. As part of another project the pupils worked to produce a collaborative, large-scale plastic wave mosaic.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. The co-ordinator manages and leads the subject well. She has produced a scheme of work for art and design based on national guidelines which ensures that the pupils are taught a range of skills year on year. She is further lending support to colleagues with ideas and suggestions as to how the skills can be taught consistently through suitable activities. Across the school, art and design work makes a good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Resources are satisfactory but the school acknowledges the need for a collection of three- dimensional artefacts and models to further inspire and enthuse the pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. Only one lesson in an infant class was observed during the inspection. However, additional evidence was assessed from looking at the pupils’ work, displays, photographs, teachers’ Becket Primary School - 42 planning and from discussions with the subject co-ordinator and pupils. This evidence shows that standards in design and technology are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils make satisfactory progress. The previous inspection reported that standards were in line with national expectations so standards have been maintained since then. The pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress and achieve the standards expected for their age.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. By the end of Year 2, pupils develop a satisfactory understanding of the design, make and evaluation strategies used in the subject. Designs do improve as pupils move through Years 1 and 2, but the presentation of their designs needs improving further and many of the more able pupils are not yet developing sufficient accuracy in their designs. In food technology lessons, pupils learn about the suitability of fruit and vegetables for various dishes and where the products originally come from.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. By the end of Year 6, the pupils have developed these basic skills further. Pupils in Year 3 test the suitability of materials used to make picture frames and then design and make their own from a suitable range of materials. Evidence from photographs show that they also experiment with designs for making bases for Christmas decorations, and then progress to testing the strength and rigidity of the structures. The pupils in Year 5 produce their own biscuits, using and evaluating various ingredients. All the pupils have designed a waste bin for use in the school grounds, the final version will eventually be constructed commercially and become a practical reality for the pupils. This was organised by the school council.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92. Although only one lesson was observed during the inspection, the evidence from teachers’ planning, sampling the pupils’ work, and discussions with pupils, suggests that the quality of teaching and learning is generally satisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

93. The management of design and technology is satisfactory. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and has plans to make the subject a priority for development during the next year. She provides informal support and guidance to colleagues, but does not systematically monitor the teaching and learning in each class. While teachers work hard to ensure that the content of the design and technology curriculum is fully covered, they compile very little information about the levels reached by pupils, so cannot be sure about significant strengths and weaknesses in learning. There have been sensible purchases of resources to support the school scheme, and pupils have access to a sound range of equipment.

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GEOGRAPHY

94. Standards in geography by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are broadly in line with those expected nationally and the majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who are learning to speak English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. This is a similar picture to that found at the time of the previous inspection in 1998. At the time of this inspection the current topics were just beginning across the school and, consequently, there was little past recorded work in the subject. However, the school does have a portfolio of photographic evidence as well as some examples of assessed work completed in previous years.

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GEOGRAPHY

95. The Year 2 pupils learn about the features of different locations such as the city, the countryside and the seaside. For example, by comparing the area where they live with the fictional Isle of Struay, or with a coastal town such as Skegness. They are beginning to learn geographical facts and skills by comparing and contrasting the different features of each Becket Primary School - 43 location and are beginning to understand the similarities and differences between life in a coastal, rural and city environment by looking at the different modes of travel, where people work and the houses they live in. They show some awareness of places beyond their own locality but for some of the lower attaining pupils this is limited. By Year 6, the majority of the pupils have some understanding of mapping skills. The higher attaining pupils can identify some of the continents of the world and almost all know the countries that make up the British

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GEOGRAPHY

Isles. Several of the pupils in Years 5 and 6 know and can talk about the major physical and geographical features of the British Isles. The higher attaining pupils can also talk about the location of the village of Chembakoli in India, which is central to their current topic. The pupils learn more about the local area and contrast this with studies of communities in India.

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GEOGRAPHY

96. In the three lessons observed during the inspection the quality of the teaching was satisfactory. In all of the lessons the teachers used questions effectively to make the pupils think more deeply. For example, in a lesson with the Year 5 pupils, questions such as, ‘Why do you think Bombay is called the gateway to India?’ made the pupils look more closely at the map and the position of Bombay and this extended the learning for many pupils. The majority of the teachers have sound geographical knowledge and they ensure that the pupils become familiar with and use the correct geographical vocabulary. Where the teaching is less effective, it is often because the task is insufficiently stimulating and challenging for the pupils. Consequently, they finish quickly and then begin to lose concentration. In other lessons, the teachers miss opportunities to expand and extend learning fully for all the ability groups. For example, in

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GEOGRAPHY

asking a good question about why there are no planes on the Isle of Struay the teacher did not extend the pupils’ knowledge and understanding through discussion of the reasons. Similarly, in another lesson, the teacher used a variety of different maps with the pupils but missed the opportunity to discuss the idea of scale.

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GEOGRAPHY

97. In the absence of a co-ordinator, the head teacher has recently taken on the role and she is aware of the need to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the subject. As a result, the humanities curriculum is due to part of the school improvement plan in the coming year. Planning is currently based on the national guidelines and the teachers plan according to a two- year topic cycle. This ensures that all the elements of the geography curriculum are covered, but currently there is little monitoring of how teachers’ short-term planning is delivered to the different classes. From evidence during the inspection, the coverage of some skills is variable. There is a portfolio of pupils’ work but its usefulness is limited since the samples are not recent and formal. However, end-of topic assessments of skills and knowledge are at an early stage of development. Resources for the subject are satisfactory and information and

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GEOGRAPHY

communication technology is beginning to be used, for example, to support the pupils’ work on rivers. Learning in geography is enriched through visits to places of interest as well as a residential visit for the older pupils.

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HISTORY

98. No history lessons were seen during the inspection but from the scrutiny of work, including that on display and from discussions with pupils and teachers it can be judged that across the school, levels of attainment in history are in line with those expected nationally and progress for the majority of pupils is satisfactory. This includes those pupils who have special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language. This is a similar judgement to that made at the time of the previous inspection in 1998. There is little difference between the attainment of girls and boys. Becket Primary School - 44 99. In Years 1 and 2, the pupils’ folders reveal a limited amount of recorded work. This is because much of the learning involves discussion of the pupils’ ideas and observations about the past through the examination of pictures, videos and artefacts. Photographic evidence and

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HISTORY

discussions with pupils reveals satisfactory learning and knowledge about the past. For example, the pupils in Year 2 can use simple terms about the passing of time and can produce a personal time-line of their lives. They can compare and contrast life in the past with modern living when they learn about holidays in Skegness. When using pictures and photographs, they begin to show an understanding of the changes that have taken place over time. Many of the higher attaining pupils are beginning to have a sound understanding of sources of evidence and are able to explain some of the ways in which we find out about the past.

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HISTORY

100. The Year 3 pupils use their previous learning to explain how we know about life in Ancient Greece. Their recorded work shows some evidence of personal research into such topics as Greek national dress. In Years 5 and 6 the pupils produce booklets on the Tudors. These are well presented and show the pupils’ good use of a range of sources of evidence to find out about aspects of Tudor life such as schools and types of entertainment.

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HISTORY

101. From the scrutiny of work the overall quality of teaching in history is satisfactory. The quality of recorded work in Years 3 to 6 is variable and suggests that, in the lower junior classes, teacher expectations of the quality and quantity of finished work could be higher. In Years 5 and 6 the work is generally of a good standard and well presented. However, all the pupils complete the same worksheets and there is limited evidence that the teachers provide different work for the range of ability within the class. Although the school has purchased new computer software to support many of the history topics, the use of information and communication technology to support work in history is beginning to develop. Teachers are becoming accustomed to new information and communication technology resources and exploring its future potential for supporting history lessons.

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HISTORY

102. Planning for history is satisfactory. To ensure coverage of all the elements of the history curriculum, units of work are allocated to the year groups and work is planned according to a two-year cycle of topics. Due to staff turnover, there is currently no co-ordinator for history and, as a result, there has been limited monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning in the subject. Similarly, although some end-of-unit assessments of attainment have been carried out, these are not regularly used across all year groups. However, the pupils do have some history work in their personal profiles that they take with them as they move through the school. The pupils’ work and interest in history is stimulated through a good range of educational visits.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

103. Standards in information and communications technology (ICT) are in line with those expected at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards are improving well with some current work being done by older pupils in junior classes that exceeds the standards expected. There has been very good improvement in standards in the infant classes since the last inspection. The new computer suite came into full use after the last inspection. This, together with very effective management of the subject and substantial staff training, has had a positive impact on standards and the pupils’ achievement in ICT. The pupils are achieving very well and making very good progress. They usually work in pairs in the ICT room and this is helpful to pupils with special educational needs, who also make good progress. The pupils who are learning English as an additional language make good progress and are adequately supported.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Becket Primary School - 45 104. By the end of Year 2, the pupils can use the keyboard and mouse with confidence to operate drawing programs and access games, stories and information. Year 1 pupils were observed using a graphics program with confidence to design posters as well as draw and label pictures. The pupils had clearly been taught well and had acquired the necessary skills to draw pictures by controlling the computer mouse. They can correct their own mistakes and are increasingly becoming confident as they load and save their work. By Year 2, the pupils can combine text and graphics, edit and improve text using a range of word processing tools and skills and can orientate their way around a range of programs, recognising icons and tools to achieve the desired results. The pupils can correct their writing using spell checks and other editing tools in a word processing program.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

105. By Year 6, the pupils can search the Internet for relevant information on a specific topic and also retrieve information from CD-ROMs. A group of Year 6 pupils were observed using sophisticated multimedia skills to refine and present information about themselves. These skills are being used to work towards designing an Internet web page with relevant links and information being presented in interesting and varied ways. The pupils throughout the school respond very well to the challenges and potential of ICT and know that much of their word processing and graphics work involves forward planning and design. For example, older pupils in Years 5 and 6 are making good progress developing colourful and varied illustrations when combining text and graphics. In Year 3, the pupils have used a database program to produce information about themselves. This is going to be extended so that the pupils learn to present

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

information in a variety of forms which includes tables and graphs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

106. The pupils have very good attitudes to ICT. They enjoy working in the computer suite and also using the machines in their classrooms. Very good use is made of the ICT room at lunchtimes because the pupils take turns to use the computers. These sessions are very well supervised and organised by a teaching assistant. The youngest children in the Reception classes are making a very good start and also have access to the ICT suite. The pupils behave very well and they respect the equipment and all take pride in the work they complete and print out.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. The teaching is good. Teachers use interactive whiteboards on which to demonstrate to the class particular teaching points. The teachers use this extremely well to ensure that all the pupils can see what they are demonstrating. There has been a systematic and very well co- ordinated training programme for all the staff and their confidence is increasing as they use the facilities. Consequently, there is now some very good expertise within the school. Very good links are made with other subjects such as English, mathematics, science, geography, history and design technology. The comprehensive network which serves every computer across the school enables the pupils and staff to access programs and information easily. This is a very effective system which has resulted in increasing staff confidence and development in the use of information and communication technology as a powerful tool for learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. The co-ordinator provides effective leadership. He has a thorough knowledge of the ICT curriculum and has the necessary expertise to lead and co-ordinate staff training. The last inspection was critical of ICT and the standards achieved by infant pupils. Since then the co- ordinator and staff have improved standards rapidly and ICT is now a good feature of the school’s curriculum. An effective scheme of work is in place. The recording of pupils’ work on computer files is well established and this forms the basis for assessing skills and progress. Resources are very good and are fully utilised.

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MUSIC

Becket Primary School - 46 109. Five music lessons were observed during the inspection. These lessons and an examination of teachers’ planning documents and singing during assemblies, indicate that pupils make satisfactory progress in their music skills and achieve standards in line with expectations for their age by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. However, there is good teaching in Year 6, which is having a positive impact on the achievement of these pupils and, in particular, their singing skills. The pupils with special educational needs make good progress in music in relation to their prior learning and achieve well over time. The school has done well to maintain standards in music and has been particularly successful in helping new staff to teach music to their own class.

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MUSIC

110. The pupils in Year 1 can handle untuned percussion instruments correctly as they experiment with different sounds. The pupils listen carefully as they distinguish between different types of sound and how these are made. Year 2 pupils develop a sense of pulse and rhythm as they sing familiar and traditional songs. Standards by the end of Year 2 are in line with those expected. The pupils in Year 6 were observed making good progress during a good music lessons. They listened to a recording of a concerto by J. S. Bach and could identify the rondo in the sequence and have also gained an understanding of ostinato – an underlying rhythmic pattern in music – from previous lessons. In assemblies, the pupils sing well with enthusiasm and enjoyment and older pupils were observed leading the school song which was performed in the form of a rap with the rest of the school accompanying during the chorus. Satisfactory

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MUSIC

progress was made in both a Year 3 and Year 4 lesson. Year 3 pupils listened to a recording of Peter and the Wolf to identify the melody, rhythm and pitch of the music. They enjoyed the lesson as they identified different instruments which represented the animals and characters in the story. In Year 4, the pupils enjoyed listening to different styles of folk songs, including Caribbean and Irish music, to identify the characteristic beats and rhythms of this genre of music. The pupils throughout the school are given good opportunities to sing songs, to accompany and compose using a range of tuned and untuned instruments and to begin to record and read musical notation. The pupils display positive attitudes towards their lessons, and work with real interest and enthusiasm. In all the lessons seen, the pupils were given the opportunity to make an active contribution to the lesson, and to explore musical instruments.

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MUSIC

There is a good element of inclusion for all in the music playing and communal singing.

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MUSIC

111. The quality of teaching in music is satisfactory with some good and very good features. Teachers plan, organise and resource their lessons well. They provide pupils with the opportunity to respond to both elements of the music curriculum, listening and appraising and composing and performing. There are also opportunities for the pupils to listen to and appraise the music of accepted great classical composers. Good opportunities are given for the pupils to consider music from other cultures and traditions. The pupils meet as a whole school in order to engage in singing practice. Singing is well taught, with appropriate emphasis on breathing technique, articulation and projection, and the sensitive interpretation of lyrics. The pupils sing in a tuneful manner and with enthusiasm. The subject is managed well. The subject makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ cultural development and the overall ethos of

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. The pupils make good progress in their skills in physical education in both infant and junior classes. They achieve standards in line with those expected for their age by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards in the subject have been maintained since the last inspection. The school has done well to maintain standards during a period of substantial staff turnover. This Becket Primary School - 47 is mainly due to effective staff training and a good curriculum which is well planned so that teachers are able to provide a continuous programme of physical education that has good progression and development for the pupils as they move up the school. Swimming standards are in line with those expected by the end of Year 6. Swimming is very well taught and the pupils have made very good progress in swimming.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113. Teachers’ good planning for the subject indicates that pupils are given the opportunity to make good progress, and to work towards developing all the skills and knowledge required in the subject. In the infant classes, the pupils make good progress in gymnastics and dance skills. In a good dance lessons, Year 1 pupils were able to improvise well after discussing how snow falls to the ground. They moved with expression and changed body shape to represent falling snow. The lesson was well planned because the physical education co-ordinator has provided an effective curriculum which enables all teachers to provide good lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. The pupils in Year 4 displayed good gymnastics skills as they considered different ways to balance and hold body shape during a sequence of movements. They were given the opportunity to extend their skills as they refined their body shapes to change how they balance using different parts of the body as balancing points. Teachers’ planning shows that physical education is well planned to provide the full range of activities and programmes of study. This includes the use of an annual residential visit for older pupils where social and physical skills are enhanced through adventurous outward-bound activities and team building exercises. In all the lessons seen, the pupils were observed making good progress, especially in developing their skills both independently and when co-operating with a partner, team or group. In all lessons, the pupils display an effective understanding of the importance of physical activity in a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

115. The pupils in Years 5 and 6 attend the local swimming baths where qualified instructors and their class teachers provide very effective teaching. As a result, the large majority of them fulfil the expected swimming requirements by the end of Year 6. This indicates very good progress in relation to their attainment at the beginning of Year 5 in swimming. The very good progress made in the swimming lesson observed was enhanced by the pupils’ excellent self- discipline in the pool. They listened with interest to the coaching points and clearly focussed on the skills to be developed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

116. The quality of teaching throughout the school is good. Lessons are well planned, organised and resourced, with teachers sharing lesson objectives with the pupils. Teachers focus on health and safety issues and provide appropriate warm-up and warm-down activities at the beginning and end of lessons. Teachers give good individual demonstrations of the skills to be learned, and provide opportunities for the pupils to demonstrate good practice. Praise is well used to promote the pupils’ self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. The final part of lessons is used in an effective manner to review, to share and to celebrate by showing what has been learned in the lesson. The co-ordinator is developing some formal and systematic procedures to assess and record how well the pupils are doing.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. The subject is managed well and the co-ordinator ensures that teachers’ plans are monitored for consistency and progression. There is a policy for the subject and a useful scheme of work which guides teachers in their planning. Resources for the subject are good and includes a good-sized hall and a playing field. Hard surface areas are limited but good use is made of these. Becket Primary School - 48 118. There is a good range of extra-curricular sporting activities including football, hockey, basketball and athletics. Pupils are also given the opportunity to take part in inter-school competitions. The school benefits from additional coaching activities from a teaching assistant who is very active in promoting physical activity at lunchtimes. This is having a very positive impact on the pupils’ attitudes to sport and physical exercise. With its emphasis on inter-active work and team building skills the subject makes a valuable contribution to pupils’

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

119. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, the pupils reach standards which are in line with those expected for their age as set out in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. There are no significant differences in attainment between boys and girls. Over the course of their time in school, the pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. The pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

120. As pupils move through the school they gain appropriate knowledge and understanding about Christianity and other faiths such as Judaism and Islam. They reflect on what they learn and how people’s faith influences their daily lives. By the end of Year 2, the pupils are beginning to examine relationships between themselves and others. They know something of the main festivals of the Christian calendar and other faiths. They can recount the birth of Jesus and are beginning to understand the meanings attached to some festivals, for example, why Easter is so important to Christians. However, a considerable amount of the work given to pupils is over reliant on the completion of worksheets, and this restricts opportunities for the pupils to develop their own writing and recording styles.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

121. By the end of Year 6, the pupils have developed a satisfactory knowledge of the six main world religions. They learn about the symbols, clothing and buildings that are important to the people who follow these religions. The pupils show respect and tolerance for the opinion of others, and share their ideas and experiences with growing confidence. They are encouraged to reflect upon ‘special places’ and the impact they as children have in making those places so unique. For example, in a Year 3 lesson, the pupils were seen discussing what they felt were the special qualities of their friends. Many of the pupils chose qualities such as friendship, caring nature, and always being happy as features they admired. This makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ moral and social development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. The pupils respond well in lessons and often display much enthusiasm for expressing their ideas during lessons. Teachers encourage collaboration in activities and discussion work so that all individuals have a full chance to participate in the work. No teaching was observed in the infant classes but from the scrutiny of pupils’ work and conversations with the pupils, the teaching is satisfactory. The quality of teaching in the junior years is satisfactory, with some good teaching seen. Lessons are planned to build upon pupils’ knowledge, understanding and cultural experiences. Teachers show confident subject knowledge, and therefore present information to pupils in a lively and interesting way. The best teaching ensures that pupils are active participants during lessons. Teachers’ questioning particularly with the older pupils is sensitive yet searching. There are effective links made with personal, social and health

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

education, as well as literacy, art and design and reading stories as well as encouraging the pupils to record sections of their work in fine pictorial form. Becket Primary School - 49 123. Religious education is led and managed by an effective co-ordinator. Links have been established with the school’s personal, social and health education programme and the subject makes a valuable contribution towards developing the pupils’ spiritual awareness. A new syllabus will be introduced into the school in September 2003, and the co-ordinator sees this as an exciting development for the school as well as an opportunity to further raise the achievement of all the pupils. Whilst the co-ordinator monitors planning and informally liaises with colleagues, she does not yet have the opportunity to observe and support the teaching and learning in classes throughout the school. The co-ordinator also recognises the need to

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

develop a more formalised approach to monitoring pupils’ progress. Overall, the resources for the teaching and learning of religious education are satisfactory.

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