Ottery St Mary Primary School

OTTERY ST MARY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 – 6 February 2003

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OTTERY ST MARY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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OTTERY ST MARY 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. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Longdogs Lane Ottery St Mary Postcode: EX11 1HY

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr R J Goose

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: September 1997 Ottery St Mary Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

22453 Brian Gosling Registered inspector Mathematics History Equal opportunities The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well is the school led and managed? 19322 Judi Bedawi 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? 13307 Ian Hancock Team inspector English Geography Physical education Religious education English as an additional language 32100 William Davidson Team Inspector Science Information and communication technology Design and technology Special educational needs How well are pupils taught?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

.22790 Jane Pinney Team Inspector Art and design Music Foundation Stage How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Full Circle division of Parkman The Brow 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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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:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London Ottery St Mary Primary School - 5 WC2B 6SE Ottery St Mary Primary School - 6

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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

The school occupies an attractive site in Ottery St Mary. It is bigger than most primary schools with 307 pupils: 156 boys and 151 girls. The pupils come from a cross-section of backgrounds and a mixture of owner-occupied and rented accommodation. Few pupils come from ethnic minority groups and one per cent of the pupils have English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is below average, as are the proportions of pupils with special educational needs and Statements of Special Educational Need. However, a significant proportion of the pupils join or leave the school other than in reception or at the end of Year 6. The school’s records show that when children start at the school, their attainment is a little above but broadly in line with the county average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Pupils are organised variously throughout the school. There are two reception classes. In Key Stage 1, there are two single-year classes and one mixed-age class of Year 1 and 2 pupils. In Key Stage 2, there are three parallel classes for pupils in Years 3 and 4, and a further three similar classes in Years 5 and 6. For English and mathematics in Years 3 to 6, two additional teachers allow pupils to be organised into two ability groups in each year.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Ottery St Mary Primary School is providing a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils. The pupils arrive with average levels of attainment and, by the time they leave the school, pupils’ attainment is broadly average. The quality of teaching and the leadership and management of the school are sound. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils attain good standards in mathematics by the time they leave the school. • Pupils enjoy school and their attitudes to lessons are good. • Pupils benefit from good relationships with other pupils and adults in the school. • The school’s provision for pupils’ social development is good. • There is a wide range of extra-curricular activities that enrich pupils’ education. • The school’s links with the community and partner institutions are good. • The role of subject co-ordinators has been developed well to allow them to develop a clear overview of their subjects.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in English are not high enough at the end of Year 6. • The school day is not organised well enough to ensure that sufficient time is given to all subjects of the National Curriculum. • Although the provision for the Foundation Stage has improved significantly, the inequality of provision between the two reception classes makes the overall provision for the Foundation Stage unsatisfactory. • The procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare are not good enough. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in September 1997 and has made satisfactory progress since then. The provision for information and communication technology has been improved and the subject now meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. Improvements have Ottery St Mary Primary School - 8 been made to the school’s planning of the curriculum and systematic procedures for the monitoring of teaching have been adopted. There has been significant improvement to the provision for children in the reception classes but more remains to be done, as is the case with the school’s assessment procedures for the foundation subjects. In addition to the areas for improvement identified in the last inspection report, the school has secured improvements to the accommodation by the provision of a computer suite and a music room.

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

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STANDARDS

The school’s results in 2002 showed significant improvement in mathematics and science. However, results in English were close to the national average but below the average of schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. Nevertheless, these pupils achieved well as they had not attained high standards at the end of Year 2. For example, when the results are compared with schools who attained similarly low results at the end of Year 2 in 1998, they are above the average in English and science, and very high in mathematics. (Very high indicates that the results were in the top five per cent of these schools.) Inspection evidence is that standards are good in mathematics and satisfactory in science, but unsatisfactory in English.

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STANDARDS

The school’s results at the end of Year 2 in 2002 were well above the national average in reading and above average in writing, but below average in mathematics. The results in mathematics were lower than those attained the previous year but inspection evidence shows that current standards are broadly average. This shows that pupils are now making at least satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2. The trend in the school’s results is in line with the national trend although there are variations from year to year. The school sets targets for pupils’ attainment in the national tests at the end of Year 6 but these are not sufficiently challenging as the targets, particularly in English, were exceeded in 2002. The targets are not significantly more challenging in 2003, although more challenging targets have been set for 2004. Pupils’ achieve satisfactorily as they arrive at the school with average levels of

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STANDARDS

attainment and their attainment is generally average by the time they leave. However, pupils achieve better in mathematics than English in Key Stage 2.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils have good attitudes to school and they work well in lessons. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 9 Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. Most pupils behave well both in class and the playground.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Relationships are good and there are suitable arrangements for pupils to develop personal responsibility.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance The attendance rate in the last year was well above the national average.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is satisfactory across the school and varies from very good to unsatisfactory. There is little difference between the teaching in Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6), and teaching in the reception classes has improved since the last inspection. The quality of teaching in English is better than for mathematics in Key Stage 1, whilst mathematics is taught better in Key Stage 2. Consequently, literacy and numeracy are taught satisfactorily across the school. This variation in the quality of teaching extends to other subjects. When teaching is good, clear learning intentions are shared with the pupils, tasks are set that take full account of the wide range of age and ability in the class and the lesson proceeds at a brisk pace. In these lessons, pupils are fully involved in their tasks, they maintain concentration well and are keen to do their best. In less successful lessons, tasks

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

are not sufficiently challenging and the pace of the lesson is too slow so that pupils lose interest and they do not apply themselves as well as they could. Teachers manage pupils well and they create and maintain good relationships with and between pupils. The available teaching time is not always used well and many lessons are slow to start, with pupils taking too long to move between classrooms for literacy and numeracy lessons in Key Stage 2. Many lessons are planned carefully to take full account of the different learning needs of pupils in classes with a wide range of age and ability. However, this is not the case in all lessons and the children in the reception class who are attending in the mornings engage predominantly in literacy and numeracy activities rather than the full range of experiences recommended for children of this age.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a broad curriculum with a wide range of extra-curricular activities. However, the school day is not organised well enough to ensure that sufficient time is provided for all subjects of the National Curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with special educational needs receive sound provision both in and out of lessons and they are supported well by teaching assistants. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 10 Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The school makes suitable provision for the few pupils with English as an additional language and these pupils make sound progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for pupils’ social development is good and is enhanced by a good number of after-school clubs and a variety of school visits. The provision for spiritual, moral and cultural development is satisfactory.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school has a new assessment policy and suitable procedures for monitoring pupils’ learning have been established. However, other procedures to monitor and ensure pupils’ welfare require attention.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school’s partnership with parents is satisfactory and steadily improving.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher has developed clear procedures to monitor standards and teaching in the school and he is well supported by the deputy headteacher. The role of the co-ordinators has been developed well to allow them to develop a clear overview of their subjects but the success of this has been variable as it takes time for co-ordinators to develop their monitoring skills sufficiently for them to be effective.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are well led by the chair of governors and they have organised themselves well to gain a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Statutory requirements are met .

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has established clear and detailed procedures to monitor its performance but these methods have yet to be fully effective in raising standards and eliminating unsatisfactory teaching.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school has used its resources strategically to provide additional teachers for the teaching of literacy and numeracy and also to provide a dedicated music room. However, support staff are not always deployed as well as they could be. The principles of best value are applied suitably.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There is a good number of teachers and a suitable number of support staff. The school’s accommodation has many good aspects, including the outdoor facilities and the music room but many classrooms are cramped, particularly for the older pupils. Learning resources are generally satisfactory and good for some subjects but resources for English could be improved. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 11

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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. • The progress their children make. • Behaviour in the school is good. • The good quality of the teaching. • The school is approachable. • The high achievement of the pupils. • Their children become mature and responsible. • The information they receive about their children’s progress. • The links with parents.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with many of the parents’ positive views of the school, but judge that there is room for improvement in the quality of teaching, pupils’ behaviour and their achievements. They agree that parents would benefit from more information in pupils’ reports about how their children can improve and through establishing individual pupil targets. Inspectors feel that links with parents are improving. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children begin at the school in either September or January depending on when they are five years of age. They attend part time for the first three weeks, although this was extended to five weeks this term to include the period of the inspection. The school’s records show that when they start school, children’s attainment is a little above, but broadly in line with the county average. The evidence available to the inspection indicates that most children are likely to attain the Early Learning Goals 1 expected of children of this age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The school’s results 2 in the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002 were well above the national average in mathematics and close to the average in English and science. When results are compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, they are well above average in mathematics and average in science but below average in English. This represents good improvement in mathematics and science, which were, respectively, average and well below average in the previous year’s national tests. The reason for the lower results in English is that fewer pupils attained the higher Level 5 3 in the national tests. Nevertheless, when the results of this group of pupils are compared with schools who attained similar standards in the national tests at the end of Year 2 in 1998, they were above the average in English and science and very high in mathematics. (Very high means that the results were in the top five per cent of these

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

schools.) This indicates strongly that these pupils had made good progress in Key Stage 2 but also that there had been unsatisfactory progress in Key Stage 1.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the national tests at the end of Year 2 in 2002, the school’s results were well above the national average and the average of similar schools in reading, above average in writing but below average in mathematics. Clearly, standards have improved significantly since 1998. The reason for the below average results in mathematics is that few pupils attained the higher, Level 3 in the national tests. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ attainment in science in 2002 were above the national average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The reasons for the improvement in pupils’ learning are changes in the school’s

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 On Early Learning Goals: QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of early learning goals for children in the Foundation Stage of education. These outcomes are a set of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the time they start the National Curriculum in Year 1 in six areas of learning: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; creative development; physical development; and personal social and emotional development. The Foundation Stage continues until pupils enter Year 1, when they begin Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 On the school’s results: An average points score provides schools with a single statistic with which to compare the overall grades attained by their pupils with the grades attained by pupils in other schools. At Key Stage 1, the National Curriculum levels of attainment are given a score. For example, in mathematics Level 1=9 points and Level 2=15 points, and so on. The average test score achieved by a school is calculated by adding up all the scores achieved by the pupils and then dividing by the number of pupils who took the test. These comparisons are the ones used in the figures printed in the summary of the report. When the percentage of pupils attaining a particular level is compared to that in other schools, this is stated clearly in the text.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 On Levels: The National Curriculum has been written on the basis that, by the end of Year 2, pupils are expected to attain Level 2 in all National Curriculum subjects. Those who achieve Level 3 are therefore attaining above nationally expected levels. It is a national expectation that all pupils should reach Level 4 by the end of Year 6. Pupils who reach Level 5 are therefore attaining above the nationally expected level for their age. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 13 teaching staff and improved school practices. There are new teachers in Key Stage 1 and the Foundation Stage. Further, the school has provided additional teachers so that each year group in Key Stage 2 is taught in two ability groups for English and mathematics. This permits a greater focus on the particular learning needs of groups of pupils. Teachers regularly review pupils’ progress and consider the advantages of moving some pupils between the groups. This arrangement is not possible in Year 4,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

however, because the higher ability group is taught English at the same time as the lower ability group is taught mathematics. Consequently, pupils have to be in the same ability group for both subjects, which is decided primarily on their attainment in English. This negates the advantages of setting pupils by ability as some higher attaining pupils in mathematics are taught in the lower ability group because that is the group they are in for English. Nevertheless, pupils are currently making satisfactory or better progress throughout the school although, in Key Stage 2, they achieve better in mathematics than they do in English. Furthermore, these lower standards in English have persisted for the last three years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The trend in the school’s results in Key Stage 2 is broadly in line with the national trend. Results in Key Stage 1 are improving steadily, despite a fall in mathematics in 2002, and are rising above the national trends.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Generally, the school has satisfactory arrangements to ensure that all pupils are included in its educational provision. However, there are inequalities of access to the curriculum between the two intakes of children into the Foundation Stage. A list of gifted and talented pupils is maintained listing the subjects in which they excel. Teachers are aware of this and are responsible for providing suitable challenge in lessons. The progress of pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language is sound. Some individual education plans contain specific measurable targets and these show the small steps needed to make progress. In some cases, however, targets are too general to be able to measure the pupil’s progress or help staff plan learning activities. There is little difference between the attainment of boys and girls, except in English in Key Stage 1 where girls perform

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The school set modest targets for the proportion of pupils attaining the nationally expected Level 4 in English and mathematics in 2002. These were exceeded in both subjects. The targets set for 2003 are insufficiently challenging as they are no higher in English than standards attained in 2002. Targets for 2004, however, are significantly more challenging. The school monitors the progress of all pupils as they move through the school and targets are set for classes and groups of pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils achieve well in English in Key Stage 1 and in mathematics in Key Stage 2. Their achievements are unsatisfactory in geography in Key Stage 1, and English, art and design and geography in Key Stage 2. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in all other subjects, although there was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement of standards in history in Key Stage 1.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. The school admits children into the reception classes in September and January, dependent on when they are five years of age. Those who began at the school in September have settled well into school routines, aided by the additional support and resources available to them. At the time of inspection, children admitted in January were still attending part time. These children are at an early stage of developing their social skills, such as taking turns, sharing and learning to follow school routines. It is Ottery St Mary Primary School - 14 praiseworthy that they already know that they should be kind to others. They are aware of the class rules but they do not remember them all the time. They enjoy the appropriate activities provided by the teacher, for instance, when learning about different shapes in mathematical development. However, there is no additional support in the class for children who started school in January and fewer resources. As a

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

result, the children have less opportunity to benefit from the quality individual attention of their teacher. The children respond well to praise and generally show remorse when unacceptable behaviour or actions are gently but firmly discussed as a class. In whole- school activities such as assemblies, these children behave well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils like school and they have good attitudes to learning. They respond enthusiastically to teachers’ questions that often encourage thoughtful answers. Boys can take longer to settle to their work than girls but, once fully involved, they usually work steadily. As pupils mature, their ability to work independently improves, although those who are less confident of their abilities still need much support and encouragement. The majority of pupils are interested in learning and work hard to achieve as well as they can. Pupils work co-operatively with others when asked to do so and most pupils maintain concentration well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ behaviour is satisfactory, overall. The great majority behave appropriately in class and at play, doing their best to follow school rules. Pupils are often helpful and polite. They will hold doors open, offer directions or provide a friendly greeting in their desire to be helpful. A small minority of pupils, mainly but not exclusively boys, sometimes exhibit challenging behaviour. In the last year, there have been three exclusions of pupils with extreme behaviour difficulties. This demonstrates the school’s determination to eliminate unacceptable behaviour. Pupils’ behaviour is generally satisfactory in the playground, although ball games tend to dominate the open space. There are instances of over-boisterous behaviour in the junior playground and sometimes minor disputes occur.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Relationships in the school are good. Pupils form good friendships and they generally treat each other well. They are usually respectful and value their teachers’ approval. They feel that their teachers are approachable and explain work clearly so they understand what is expected of them. Pupils work happily together, sharing resources and ideas co-operatively when asked to do so. The introduction of playground ‘buddies’ is very successful, particularly in the infant playground. Relationships and role models are enhanced significantly between the oldest and the younger pupils, boys and girls, who enjoy each other’s company. The formal programme for personal and social development is not well established, so that there are few planned opportunities to reinforce positive expectations of personal development issues or discuss important topics such as racism, sexism or other forms of harassment. The school council has

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

a positive impact on the development of personal responsibility for pupils in Years 5 and 6. The council members take their duties seriously and they regularly organise fundraising events, for example, to purchase small games equipment for the playground. They enjoy the status that being on the council affords them. Most responsibilities and opportunities for taking initiative, fall to pupils in Years 5 and 6. There are fewer opportunities for younger pupils to take on responsibility or use their initiative.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The attendance rate for the last reported year was well above the national average. However, the school registers suggest this high attendance is not being maintained and there is some evidence of pupils arriving late. During the inspection, some registration periods were unacceptably long and some lessons throughout the school did not start or end promptly to make the best use of the available teaching time. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 15 Ottery St Mary Primary School - 16

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The quality of teaching overall is sound and lessons vary from very good to unsatisfactory. There is little difference between the quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. There are clear indications that teaching has improved since the last inspection: the proportion of very good lessons has more than doubled, whilst the proportion of unsatisfactory lessons is half what it was at the time of the last inspection. The school has maintained many of the strengths identified in the previous inspection and has improved the quality of teaching in the reception classes. This is now similar to the quality of teaching in other age groups throughout the school. Since the time of the last report, considerable effort has gone into the monitoring of teaching by senior staff and subject co-ordinators. The focus for improvement has been on more interactive lessons, supporting literacy, the effective use of questioning and use of display to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

promote learning. However, this last initiative has led to a limited amount of pupils’ work on display, which also limits opportunities to raise pupils’ self-esteem and example the standards that teachers expect.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The teaching of children in the Foundation Stage has improved since the last inspection and is now satisfactory. The children who started school in September are often taught well and lessons are securely based on the Early Learning Goals for children in the Foundation Stage. However, the children who started school in January, and are still attending part time, are predominantly engaged in literacy and numeracy activities. This unnecessarily restricts the development of these children across the full range of the recommended areas of learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been introduced suitably. Planning follows the guidelines and learning objectives are often, although not always, shared with the children, which helps them understand what they are doing in the lesson and why. However, in some lessons, too much time is spent on exposition and pupils spend too little time on developing and using their skills. In Key Stage 2, good use is made of teachers’ expertise by organising pupils into two ability groups in each year for English and mathematics. In Years 5 and 6, this is extended to permit one teacher to teach all three classes in some subjects, such as science, information and communication technology and religious education.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Pupils with special educational needs are taught in class and are also withdrawn from lessons. Individual education plans ensure that the work is targeted to their needs, although some targets are too general to support pupils’ learning effectively. Teaching assistants make a positive contribution to the learning of pupils with special educational needs and are actively involved in helping pupils maintain interest by asking questions and explaining ideas. The few pupils with English as an additional language are supported suitably to ensure that they make sound progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. As a whole, teachers throughout the school show sound knowledge and understanding of the National Curriculum, although there are some weaknesses in geography and religious education. Teachers’ explanations are generally clear and they use questioning well to extend pupils’ understanding. In the majority of lessons, teachers’ expectations for pupils’ work and behaviour are satisfactory or better. Lessons usually take account of the needs of individuals, so that pupils of different levels of attainment, including those with special educational needs or English as an additional language, are challenged appropriately by the work provided. In good lessons, teachers ensure that all pupils are given work with sufficient challenge to move them forward in their learning and the teacher quickly allows the children to get on with the task. For example, in a lesson in information and communication technology, pupils used a traffic

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Ottery St Mary Primary School - 17 light control program. The introduction was succinct and the pupils quickly moved onto the task of creating their sequence of instructions for controlling the traffic lights. All pupils learned effectively because the task provided good learning opportunities that took account of the different ability levels of the pupils. There is an over-reliance on the use of worksheets and this does not always ensure that pupils take sufficient care over the presentation of their work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of planning is variable, although many lessons are planned with activities that are appropriate for most pupils in the class. Teachers often use a clear three-part lesson and they use a range of questioning skills to reinforce learning when they review work with the pupils, particularly at the end of lessons. In the best lessons, planning takes account of the range of age and ability in the class and learning objectives are clear and shared well with the pupils. For example, in one very good lesson in Year 1, the teacher used assessment well to plan for four ability groups with distinctly different levels of difficulty. This careful planning allows all the pupils to work at an appropriate level and results in pupils being engrossed in their tasks and enthusiastic to do their best. There are occasions when planned work is insufficiently challenging, for example, in history and geography when pupils are provided with little more than

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

colouring activities. In less successful lessons, planning is not always sufficiently rigorous or detailed to meet the learning needs of all pupils and extend their knowledge, skills and understanding. The learning objectives for the lesson are unclear and all pupils are given the same task, irrespective of their age or prior attainment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers manage their pupils well and discipline is good. They work hard to ensure that pupils develop good working habits and almost all pupils respond well. The relationships between teachers and pupils, both in lessons and around the school, are good. This has a positive impact upon pupils’ learning. Teachers have created a positive climate for learning and, consequently, pupils are generally enthusiastic and eager to learn. Teachers encourage the pupils to do well and their use of praise motivates pupils to greater effort.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Throughout the school, a range of approaches to classroom organisation is used despite the limitations of cramped teaching areas. Pupils are encouraged to show independence. They respond well to opportunities to organise resources for their work and to show initiative in their learning. A variety of teaching methods is used and pupils work as a whole class, in groups and individually. Generally, pupils work well together, sharing resources and ideas sensibly and with maturity. Assessments of pupils’ learning during the lesson are carried out effectively but these are not always used well to plan the next lesson. Marking is completed regularly but it does not always include guidance for pupils on how they can improve their work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers make suitable use of resources but time is not always used well. Many lessons are slow to start, often due to long registration periods or because pupils are slow to change classrooms, and others pack away too early. A number of lessons lack a suitably brisk pace. For example, in one mathematics lesson with a group of higher ability pupils, the introduction was too long and uninspiring, with the result that the children became restless and some stopped listening attentively. Some of the afternoon sessions are insufficiently varied and pupils spend long periods on single activities. Some lessons last for 75 minutes but the time is not always used well with the result that younger pupils, particularly, have difficulty maintaining concentration. Teaching assistants provide good support for both pupils and teachers throughout the school. In many lessons they are well informed of the purpose of the lesson, and they

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

show good expertise when dealing with both learning and behaviour. In these lessons, the teaching assistants make an important contribution to children’s learning. In other Ottery St Mary Primary School - 18 lessons, however, their role is unclear and they are restricted to moving around the classroom giving support as it is requested. Nevertheless, the support given is done quietly, with thoughtful prompting of individuals and words of guidance.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The school stresses the importance of involving parents in their children’s work. Homework is set and most parents are satisfied with what the school provides. All pupils take home reading books on a regular basis and many parents share books with their children. Spellings and mathematical tables are sent home for pupils to learn. Pupils are also given other work to do in English and mathematics as well as tasks linked with their work in other subjects.

p.18

PUPILS?

24. The quality and range of the school’s learning opportunities are satisfactory, overall. The school has successfully improved the opportunities for information and communication technology and provision now fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. There have been significant improvements in the provision for children in the Foundation Stage but provision remains unsatisfactory because the two classes do not receive equal provision.

p.18

PUPILS?

25. The school’s curriculum is broad, clearly structured and relevant, but the school day is not organised well enough to ensure that the available teaching time is used effectively. The school day is published in the prospectus and meets the recommended teaching time, although it includes registrations. Most teaching sessions are longer than an hour but this time is not used well, as time at the beginning and end of these sessions is unproductive. Registrations are often long as they are used to fill this ‘excess’ time and lessons after breaks often do not begin promptly. Additionally, five minutes is timetabled at the start of literacy and numeracy lessons in Key Stage 2 for pupils to move classrooms and again at the end. This represents a substantial proportion of the school day and limits the available teaching time. Consequently, insufficient time is given to some foundation subjects and this has an adverse effect on standards, most

p.18

PUPILS?

noticeably art and design and geography. Some lessons are not planned well enough for long sessions and the pace of the lesson slows to fit the time available.

p.18

PUPILS?

26. Curriculum provision for those children in the Foundation Stage is inconsistent although significant improvements have been secured since the last inspection. There is no separate co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage as responsibility is included with that of the Key Stage 1 co-ordinator. This is unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, the permanent teacher in the reception class for children who started in September ensures that planning is firmly in accordance with the Early Learning Goals and promotes all the recommended areas of learning well. These children have good opportunities for focused learning tasks and for child initiated activities. The teacher's planning allows well for the varying needs of the children and ensures that they are well prepared to begin Year 1. However, the children who started school in January are not given equal access to this provision as they are still attending part time five weeks after starting

p.18

PUPILS?

school, which limits their opportunities in some of the recommended areas of learning. There is also an unequal distribution of resources, including non-teaching support.

p.18

PUPILS?

27. The curriculum meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Curriculum planning is consistently based on policies and schemes of work that provide adequate guidance for teachers on the content to be covered each year. Long, medium and short-term planning is presented in a common format, but does not always clearly identify the learning expectations for Ottery St Mary Primary School - 19 different groups of pupils across all subject areas. Subject co-ordinators ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been implemented and this is having a positive impact on raising standards, particularly in mathematics. However, there are insufficient planned opportunities to develop literacy skills in subjects other than English. In Key Stage 2, pupils are organised into two ability groups in each year for English and mathematics.

p.18

PUPILS?

However, pupils in Year 4 are inappropriately placed in an ability group for mathematics based upon their ability in English. The provision for sex education and the dangers of drugs misuse are suitably included as part of the science curriculum. The school is developing its provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. This is mainly planned during whole-school and class assemblies, although there is insufficient clarity whether the focus is personal, social and health education or collective worship.

p.19

PUPILS?

28. Pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language receive satisfactory support and the requirements of the Code of Practice 4 for special educational needs are met. The procedures for identifying and assessing pupils are in place and a record system informs and supports staff in meeting the needs of the pupils. Individual education plans are constructed regularly and contain personal targets for the pupil. Reviews are carried out at appropriate times and parents attend these meetings.

p.19

PUPILS?

29. Pupils' learning benefits from a good involvement with the local and wider community, for instance, with visits to the Eden Project and to the nearby historical towns. Participation in community events, such as the May Day dance, has a positive effect on the pupils' experiences and the school has enjoyed visits from local business and sports people. Links with local schools are good and pupils are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education. The provision of a good range of high quality extra- curricular activities does much to enhance the learning opportunities for pupils. On offer is a diverse choice, including computers, sports, ocarina and stamp collecting. The innovative ‘challenge club’ is particularly popular and is currently attended by 45 pupils from Years 3 to 6.

p.19

PUPILS?

30. The provision for pupils' spiritual development is satisfactory. It is promoted suitably through school assemblies, which provide an opportunity for worship and a time for reflection. Pupils' own written prayers and plays feature positively in assemblies and they sing hymns with sincerity and enthusiasm. Religious education is provided for all pupils and, although Christianity is the main emphasis, other religions are also taught. Visits to local churches provide pupils with the opportunity to think about the use and meaning of religious symbols and artefacts. The effective contribution of local church leaders encourages pupils’ spiritual development. There are limited planned opportunities to encourage pupils’ spiritual development in lessons but the very youngest pupils demonstrate awe and wonder as they watch soap bubbles being carried away by the wind.

p.19

PUPILS?

31. Provision for pupils' moral development is satisfactory. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong. They are given clear messages about standards and expectations and members of staff provide good role models for them. Moral issues are effectively promoted in assemblies, often through well-chosen stories. Each class chooses their own rules and pupils are clear what they can expect by way of rewards and sanctions. Pupils are encouraged to consider their responsibility to others and

p.19

PUPILS?

4 On SEN Code Of Practice: This gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 20 they regularly engage in charitable activities.

p.19

PUPILS?

32. The social development of pupils is good. They are given a range of opportunities to develop their sense of responsibility and of being a member of a community. The school council is a good example of the way in which the school seeks to develop a sense of responsibility in its pupils. Pupils are given plenty of opportunity to work collaboratively and they respond well. Residential trips and extra-curricular activities make a good contribution to the development of pupils' social skills. The role of the pupils as members of the wider community is encouraged by the school when, for example, pupils perform musical concerts to the elderly people of the town.

p.20

PUPILS?

33. The cultural development of the pupils is satisfactory. Pupils learn about local traditions from participation in local events, such as the annual ‘tar barrel race’. Visits out and visitors to the school provide an understanding of their local heritage. However, pupils are offered limited experience of the rich variety of cultural traditions of modern Britain.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school has established whole-school assessment procedures and has developed its recording systems to monitor pupils’ progress in all subjects, as was required in the last inspection report. The results of national tests are carefully analysed by ability and gender, as are other optional tests. Co-ordinators prepare full reports for the governing body and staff discussion. This enables the areas requiring improvement to be identified and informs the setting of ability groups for literacy and numeracy in Key Stage 2. A system of assessment in the foundation subjects is now in place. However, too many assessment sheets are undated, limiting the ability to clearly identify pupils’ progress over time. Few teachers add any additional information noting successes or areas needing development to enable work to be more closely matched to individual learning needs. Assessment is now used effectively in planning activities

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

for children under five, as was required in the last inspection report.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The assessment policy is very new, dating from November 2002 and its objectives are not yet fully implemented. For example, there are group and class targets in literacy and numeracy but target-setting in other subjects is not well established. The school has recently invested in a computerised assessment program, but the tracking of pupil progress is still at an early stage. Some very recent work has been done recording individual pupil’s progress over time against National Curriculum attainment levels and the school is beginning to evaluate this to explain for example, unexpected falls in individual performance.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The monitoring and support of pupils’ personal development are unsatisfactory. The school has no planned, formal programme for personal, social and health education. There are few opportunities for pupils to share and discuss issues that are of concern to them or to enhance their own development by learning about relationships and the importance of listening to others and valuing their views, ideas and feelings. Comments on personal development in reports are often brief and uninformative.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The monitoring of behaviour and measures to prevent bullying are satisfactory. There are appropriate policies related to pupils’ behaviour and there is an extensive list of sanctions in the behaviour policy. In practice, teachers usually handle individual incidents at class level, using strategies such as verbal warnings, which may lead to removal from the main teaching group or from the room for a few minutes. Should misbehaviour be ongoing, pupils are referred to the headteacher, who deals with the matter. Midday supervisors keep records of any inappropriate behaviour at playtimes Ottery St Mary Primary School - 21 and the headteacher monitors these records. There is a clear policy offering guidance to members of staff on dealing with pupils who exhibit challenging behaviour. A few pupils have personal plans agreed between school and home, and some others are set behaviour targets. Procedures for the exclusion of pupils are followed properly when

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The monitoring of attendance is unsatisfactory. Registers do not meet statutory requirements because they are not always completed at the beginning of each session, and sometimes not for several sessions. This has serious health and safety implications should there be any kind of emergency at the school. Some teachers use pencil when marking and required data such as daily totals of absences are often not completed. Although attendance was well above the national average in the last academic year, a scrutiny of this year’s registers indicate a decline in the attendance rate. There is some evidence of low weekly and daily attendance in many classes. This is partly due to a rise in unauthorised absence. There appears to be better attendance in Year 6 following a talk to pupils about the importance of attendance from the new education welfare officer. Office staff find there is insufficient time to monitor

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

attendance thoroughly. However, the school has arranged staff training prior to implementing a computerised system for the monitoring of attendance. Nonetheless, too many parents allow their children to miss school without due cause. This has a negative effect on the rate of learning of these pupils.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Practices related to child protection are satisfactory. Proper attention is paid to confidentiality and secure record keeping. Teaching staff are trained by the designated person with responsibility for child protection, who is due for updated training. Notes are maintained when there is any concern, prior to any formal referral following which case conferences are attended, but feedback from these meetings is not always forthcoming. Although a child protection policy was put in place following the last report, it is now out of date and requires review, as the school acknowledges.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Arrangements for ensuring health and safety requirements are unsatisfactory. The school policy is out of date and contains insufficient information about the frequency of tests and record keeping. Too many records are incomplete or not properly recorded. There is no health and safety governor and checks for assessing potential hazards are not well established.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The school’s partnership with parents is satisfactory and steadily improving. The quality of information provided to parents is satisfactory. Regular newsletters provide general information about the school and these include curriculum information. The annual governors’ report meets requirements, but the prospectus has a few minor omissions. Reports of pupils’ progress meet requirements by reporting on all subjects and supplying individual national test results. However, there is some justification for the view of a number of parents that reports are too impersonal. Often, comments do not focus sharply enough on providing information to help pupils do better and academic targets are often not sufficiently specific. Reports for children in the reception year meet requirements and these have more relevant and specific targets for personal development and learning.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Parental contribution to children’s learning is satisfactory. They want their children to do well and they are generally happy with the amount of homework their children are given. Parents are consulted about their opinions through questionnaires once every two years. Home-school books are a positive means of communication when used Ottery St Mary Primary School - 22 well and regularly by both home and school, although this is not always the case. A small number of parents help in class, usually with younger pupils or children in the reception year, and teachers get a positive response when they ask for parental support. The parent-teacher association organises a number of successful and well- attended events and they also help supervise fundraising events organised by the school council.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parents have positive views of the school. Their children like coming to school and most parents think their children are learning well. They appreciate the improvements to the accommodation, particularly for the children in the reception year. A number of parents expressed different concerns related to pupils’ welfare. There is some justification for their views and these are included in the relevant sections of the report.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The headteacher has a vision for the school in which it strives for high standards and works for the benefit of its pupils. He has developed clear procedures to monitor standards and teaching. He is well supported by the deputy headteacher and benefits from a good, supportive working relationship with the chair of governors. The headteacher has established a senior management team and effectively developed the role of the co-ordinators to enable them to gain a clear overview of their subjects. A very detailed programme of review and evaluation is in place to monitor pupils’ learning and the school’s educational provision. The headteacher monitors the planning of all teachers half-termly as do the curriculum co-ordinator and the co-ordinators for English and mathematics.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The role of subject co-ordinators has been developed significantly since the last inspection. The detailed evaluation process involves co-ordinators of all subjects in scrutinising pupils’ work and observing lessons. The co-ordinators of the core subjects observe all colleagues teaching the subject twice each year, whilst the co-ordinators of other subjects observe lessons across the school once each year. Teachers’ planning for lessons other than English and mathematics is also scrutinised, often during lesson observations. An analysis of the national tests is undertaken and this highlights strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning. There remains a need, however, for the necessary rigour to be applied to identifying and improving weaknesses, and also identifying the important elements of successful lessons and ensuring that these are incorporated into all lessons across the school. The management of the Foundation

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Stage is unsatisfactory as this is not distinct but is included as part of the responsibility of the co-ordinator for Key Stage 1. As a consequence of this, the budget for the Foundation Stage is not identified clearly.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The school improvement plan is an annual document that provides a useful focus for school development. The information acquired by the evaluations of subject co- ordinators inform the plan that is, initially, produced in draft form by the senior management team. All staff make contributions to the plan and it is discussed fully with the governors’ curriculum committee before being shared with the full governing body. In this way, all members of the school are involved in its development. The plan notes the personnel responsible, resource implications and the success criteria that are necessary for effective improvement. However, as the plan includes a number of maintenance items, the clarity of the most essential areas intended to secure improvement is limited.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The governing body is well organised, very supportive of the school and well led by the chair of governors. Governors have organised themselves effectively into a number of Ottery St Mary Primary School - 23 sub-committees and each governor is also linked to a specific subject. They visit the school regularly to conduct observations and this assists them in forming a strategic view of the school’s education provision. For example, there are two visits each half term to observe their subject and talk to the co-ordinator. These visits are recorded and shared with the curriculum committee, which allows all governors to be informed of the information gained during these visits. The premises committee has been very involved in seeking to ensure improvements to the school accommodation and has been very involved in decisions leading to the creation of a new, spacious music room. However, there is no designated governor with responsibility for health and safety

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

issues and there are a few minor omissions of statutory requirements in the school prospectus.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The governors have an established finance committee that is well led by the experienced chair of governors. He visits regularly and gives good support to help the school discharge its financial responsibilities. The finance committee has clear terms of reference, but there are no clear systems in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their decisions. Financial planning is linked clearly to the school improvement plan. This includes the appointment of additional teachers for literacy and numeracy lessons, which has had a positive impact on raising standards, particularly in mathematics. The school makes appropriate use of specific grants and additional funds. The school’s financial procedures and day to day control are sound and the school administrator effectively uses new technology for financial control and school administrative work. The parent-teacher association provides welcome additional

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

funds to supplement the budget by providing numerous items of equipment to support pupils' learning.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The principles of best value are applied suitably. The school is beginning to analyse test results and monitor the standards achieved in English, mathematics and science but this is less well developed in other subjects. Parents are consulted on some aspects of school life, such as homework provision, and they return a questionnaire on the range of educational provision to the school every two years. The headteacher and governors strive to achieve best value on expenditure by taking advice regarding contractors and gaining tenders on larger items of expenditure. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. There is a good number of teachers, that includes additional teachers for literacy and numeracy in Key Stage 2, and a suitable number of classroom support staff. The school’s accommodation has a number of good elements that include a learner swimming pool, attractive outdoor areas and a dedicated music room. However, the design of many classrooms means that space is often cramped, particularly for the older pupils, when the whole class is gathered together, as is the case in most lessons. This limits opportunities for practical and investigative work and restricts space for displays that could stimulate pupils’ imagination. Nevertheless, the buildings are bright and attractive. Wall displays enhance the environment, although there are few displays of pupils’ work. The school explains this is because they currently focusing on using displays that support pupils’ learning. Resources for learning are

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

good for art and design, information and communication technology, music and physical education. They are satisfactory for all other subjects, except for English where, despite the investment of the school, there are insufficient use of good quality resources. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 24

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

51. In order to raise standards, particularly in English, and improve the school’s educational provision, the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in English by: a) providing more opportunities for extended writing in literacy lessons and across the whole curriculum; (paragraphs 18, 68,71-72, 92) b) providing greater opportunities for the development of speaking and listening skills in all lessons; (paragraphs 18, 22, 36, 69) c) ensuring consistent use of the handwriting policy; (paragraphs 18, 71, 87) d) introducing a spelling policy for the whole school; (paragraph 71) e) improving the quality, range and use of learning resources; (paragraph 72) f) ensuring teaching and learning are monitored rigorously and taking effective action where weaknesses are identified. (paragraphs 45, 72). (The school has identified the need to raise standards in English in the current School Improvement Plan.)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Reconsider the organisation of the school day so that available teaching time is used profitably by ensuring that: a) the timetable reflects teaching needs and unproductive pockets of time are removed; (paragraphs 24-25, 64, 67, 85, 95, 112) b) sufficient time is given to all subjects; (paragraphs 25, 85, 95,112) c) registrations are conducted quickly and efficiently; (paragraphs 13, 25) d) lessons begin promptly and are planned to use the available time suitably; (paragraphs 13, 16, 22, 25, 72, 82, 109) e) time spent moving between classrooms is kept to a minimum. (paragraphs 25, 76).

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Continue to improve the provision for children in the Foundation Stage by: a) ensuring that all children are given equal access to all areas of the planned curriculum; (paragraphs 9, 15, 24, 26, 52-53) b) identifying clearly the role of the co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage to ensure effective monitoring that establishes equal provision; (paragraphs 24, 45, 54) c) establishing a discrete budget for the Foundation Stage; (paragraphs 45, 54) d) ensuring that sufficient support staff are deployed in both classes so that all children are given the close attention necessary for children of this age, especially in the outdoor play area. (paragraphs 26, 53, 63, 65).

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Establishing suitable procedures to ensure pupils’ welfare by: a) ensuring attendance registers are completed as prescribed; (paragraph 38) b) implementing an effective system for monitoring pupils’ personal development; (paragraphs 12, 27, 36) c) updating the health and safety policy; identifying personnel with responsibility for health and safety; and ensuring that safety checks are regular and effective. (paragraphs 40, 47). Ottery St Mary Primary School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 37

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.25

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.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 307

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 25

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 33

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 37

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 20

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Ottery St Mary Primary School - 26 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 27

p.25

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 18 20 38

p.27

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.27

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

Boys 17 16 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 19 19

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (79) 92 (79) 97 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.27

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

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

Boys 16 16 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 18 19

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 89 (77) 89 (81) 97 (81) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.27

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

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

p.27

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 27 26 53

p.27

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.27

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

Boys 22 24 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 22 23

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 77 (70) 87 (68) 91 (79) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.27

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

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

Boys 22 24 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 22 24

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 77 (72) 87 (78) 92 (81) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.27

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 28

p.27

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.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 2 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.28

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. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 29

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13.0 Financial year 2001/2002

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.5

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 630,867

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 608,096

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 184 Expenditure per pupil 1,877

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 72

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 22,843

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 30

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 40 52 6 1 1

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 33 62 3 0 2

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 58 10 2 1

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 28 39 28 4 2

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 52 39 7 1 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 42 54 3 1 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 29 47 21 2 1

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 35 45 13 3 5

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 41 51 5 1 2

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 32 51 7 1 8

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentages may not equal 100 due to rounding. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 31

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. Children enter the Foundation Stage in either September or January in the year in which they are five years of age. It is usual school practice for these children to attend part time for the first three weeks. However, at the time of the inspection, the children who started school in January were still attending part time five weeks after starting school because of the inspection. This fails to ensure that both groups of children enjoy equal access to the school’s educational provision as stated in the school’s aims.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. The curriculum for children who started in September is well planned and promotes the Early Learning Goals in all the recommended areas of learning and development. This is an improvement since the last inspection. However, the curriculum provision for children who started in January and are still attending part time is unsatisfactory and it is not well balanced. Most lessons for these children focus on communication, language and literacy or mathematical development, at the expense of the other areas of learning. Planned activities do not always take account of the stepping stones leading to the early learning goals in order to meet individual needs. There is a lack of balance between the activities that children are free to choose for themselves and those where the teacher is involved in direct teaching. Resources are good in the class where children started in September but, in the other class, the resources are

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

more limited and in less good condition. The class teacher has attempted to remedy this by making many resources herself. In addition, in spite of the best endeavours of the class teacher of the January intake, who makes good use of volunteer helpers, learning is adversely affected by the limited classroom support to assist in the provision of activities appropriate to the needs of these young children. For example, the outdoor area is not used sufficiently to enhance learning, due to a lack of adults available to ensure safety or to interact with children to ensure effective learning. Because of the inequalities in provision for the two groups of children in the two classes, the quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory, overall.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. Management of the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory. The school has not appointed a co-ordinator with specific responsibility for the Foundation Stage. This responsibility is taken by the co-ordinator for Key Stage 1, who lacks sufficient knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the Foundation Stage provision. There is no separate budget allocation for the Foundation Stage and this limits the ability to plan effectively for the specific requirements of the curriculum.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. When they start in the reception classes, children's attainment is a little above but broadly in line with the county average. They make satisfactory progress and, at this stage of the school year, the indications are that most children currently benefiting from full-time education, are likely to achieve the Early Learning Goals in the recommended areas of learning and some children may exceed them. Most children have had pre- school experience at one of the two local playgroups, with which there are good links. The teachers thoroughly assess the children's language and number skills on entry and have begun to compile the nationally recommended profile of their achievement. Assessment of children's progress across all the areas of learning has improved since the previous inspection and is generally sound, although it is not always used effectively to guide the next steps in learning for individual children.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is now satisfactory, overall. When teaching is good or better, it is firmly based on the learning Ottery St Mary Primary School - 32 needs of these young children. In these lessons, there is a clear link between the activities the teacher plans and what she wants the children to learn. The classroom for the children who started in September is well organised for children to make choices and work independently. A strength of the teaching in the Foundation Stage is the good relationships that are established with the children. All the adults are good role models. They are caring and supportive and they manage the children well. When needed, they quietly reinforce the rules and praise and reward effort. This ensures that children are happy and relaxed and able to benefit from the activities they engage in.

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Personal, social and emotional development

57. Children achieve the expected standard in their personal and social development. They make sound progress overall, which increases rapidly when they attend school full time and become more involved in the school community. The learning environment promotes an appropriate emphasis on the development of these important skills throughout the day. A co-operative, kind ethos that promotes self-esteem is encouraged by all adults and there are supportive relationships between the staff and with the children. Rules of behaviour are gently, yet consistently, reinforced through praise and encouragement so children quickly learn what is expected of them.

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Personal, social and emotional development

58. Teachers plan a variety of stimulating tasks effectively, so that children are interested, excited and motivated to learn. Where there is a good level of support, children are suitably assisted in co-operating as part of a group and they are increasingly prepared to take turns, share and to help each other. This was evident, for example, when a group of older children were working in the computer suite. A higher achieving child was patiently helping a lower achieving child to write a sentence on the computer.

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Personal, social and emotional development

59. The focus of teaching helps children to become independent and they are encouraged to become self-reliant. As a result, they become increasingly confident and independent in class routines. For example, younger children select labels to indicate that they are playing in the role play area and older children dress and undress themselves independently for physical education lessons. As a result of the good support they receive and the planned opportunities to develop their social skills, children are developing positive attitudes to school, learning and each other. They follow routines and join in activities with enthusiasm. Most are happy to attempt something new and are not afraid to make mistakes.

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Communication, language and literacy

60. Most children are likely to achieve the Early Learning Goals in reading and writing by the end of the Foundation Stage. Children listen well to stories by sharing a ‘big book’ in a short literacy activity. These books are often used well as a theme to follow-up and link their learning in a meaningful way. For example, the story 'We're going on a bear hunt', is extended by gradually involving all the children in small groups searching for bears around the playground. As they use magnifying lenses and binoculars to search for the teddies, children extend their language skills because of very good questioning by the teaching assistant, who asks them to describe carefully where each bear is found. Most children respond clearly in well constructed sentences as they explain that the bear in the text is ‘stumbling over the sticks’. In writing, children hold their pencils correctly and most write their own names independently. A few higher attaining

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Communication, language and literacy

children write a few words independently and attempt writing for different purposes, as when they sequence words in a story map of the bear hunt. In reading, children know how to handle books correctly and they show interest in the pictures. Most children have already embarked on the school reading scheme and they enjoy talking about the Ottery St Mary Primary School - 33 stories. They are beginning to recognise letter sounds and remember a few familiar words. Children are encouraged to improve their reading by taking their books home.

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Communication, language and literacy

61. For children who were attending school part time during the inspection, some opportunities are provided for them to become involved in well-planned activities that develop their language skills, such as role play in the 'health centre'. However, tasks are not always appropriate to the needs of these young children, who are only in school for the mornings. For example, the children are expected to spend a part of each morning completing worksheets on each letter of the alphabet. They are not motivated by this repetitive task and many have to be persuaded to attempt it. For children who have been attending school since September, there is a focus on the development of language skills using relevant elements of the literacy strategy and tasks are very well chosen to meet individual needs. These children are excited by the challenging activities and react with enthusiasm and enjoyment.

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Mathematical development

62. Children make satisfactory progress in their mathematical development and most are in line to achieve the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. All children enjoy joining in with number rhymes and songs and most recognise, count and correctly sequence numbers to ten. Some higher achieving children have begun simple addition and subtraction. In an activity to make animals’ tails from play-dough and ribbons, children use mathematical language as they identify the 'longest' and ‘shortest'.

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Mathematical development

63. For the most part, teachers plan tasks effectively for small groups that appropriately match children's abilities. Teachers provide many opportunities for children to become confident and competent in their mathematical development. These include activities and direct teaching of counting, sorting, matching, finding and making patterns, working with numbers, shapes and a variety of measures. As a result, children learn the key skills and begin to use them with some confidence. Good questioning and clear explanation from the teacher help children to maintain their concentration. During the inspection, the quality of teaching and learning in one lesson was unsatisfactory, due mainly to the lack of classroom support. The teacher was working with a group of children, matching shapes and discussing their properties but they did not make enough progress in their learning because it was necessary for her to keep stopping in

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Mathematical development

order to supervise the rest of the class, some of whom were not behaving well.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

64. Children achieve satisfactorily and most children are likely to attain the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. Many of the children who began school in September are in line to exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of the year and they enjoy the planned activities immensely and they learn well. Consistently good teaching of these children, based on clear planning of a wide range of activities, encourages them to use all their senses effectively and introduces them to a world of meaningful experiences. Each week, a varied and interesting range of activities based round a theme develops children's knowledge of the world around them. For instance, through drawing a map of their 'Bear Hunt' around the school playground, children increase their understanding of the features of their immediate locality. They use large construction toys well to build a route for the bears to go on their hunt. As they make

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

sets of foods they like and those they dislike, discussing if they taste sweet or sour, they increase their understanding of the different senses. In regular sessions in the computer suite, children learn to perform simple functions, such as writing and printing Ottery St Mary Primary School - 34 simple sentences and phrases. For children who attend school part-time, progress in knowledge and understanding of the world is limited due to the lack of sufficient time allocated to this area of learning.

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Physical development

65. Children make satisfactory progress in their physical development and are likely to achieve the early learning goals. Resources for the secure outdoor play area have been much improved since the previous inspection. There are now sufficient wheeled vehicles and games equipment to assist in the development of children’s control, co- ordination and balance. Nevertheless, children's development, particularly in the class that started in January, is hindered by the lack of opportunity to use the outdoor play area as there are insufficient adults available to ensure safe supervision. However, children develop physical skills successfully during regular sessions in the school hall. They show good awareness of space and respond rapidly to the teacher's instructions as they move in different directions. They are learning to throw and catch accurately as they practise throwing a beanbag to a partner. Children are also beginning to gain

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Physical development

control of finer movements in the use of brushes, pencils and scissors in chosen activities such as jigsaws, 'cut and stick', writing table, model-making and painting.

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Physical development

66. In physical education lessons, adults dress appropriately to demonstrate techniques and pupils' learning is enhanced because they join in with the children, encouraging them to participate. Children are managed well and made aware of safety issues. Their social development is enhanced effectively as children are encouraged to work together in pairs and groups. However, in one lesson, the pace was slowed when the lesson was too long and children began to lose interest as a result.

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Creative development

67. Children who are full time, have many opportunities to develop creatively and expressively through imaginative play, music, art and design and the beginnings of design and technology. They have a good range of activities that allows them to respond using all their senses. Progress for these children is good and most are in line to achieve the expected standards in this area of learning. Children develop their skills, knowledge and understanding by exploring colour and using paint, for example, to make repeated printed patterns. They also use a range of materials and tools, such as dough, fabrics, and waste materials for model making. Children have opportunities to develop their imagination through playing in the role-play area. Lessons are planned well and good resources are provided that allow children to gain experiences in a wide range of activities. Children are well motivated by the challenging activities and work

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Creative development

with enthusiasm and perseverance. Progress for part-time children is limited due to the lack of sufficient time allocated for this area of learning.

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ENGLISH

68. Currently, standards of attainment at the end of Year 2 are above average overall but they are higher in reading than writing, which is a similar picture to last year’s national test results. Standards are below average by the time the pupils leave the school in Year 6. However, these pupils did not attain well when they were in Key Stage 1 and they have made satisfactory or better progress through Key Stage 2. The local education authority has provided assistance to support teachers in using the literacy strategy more effectively. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are set into ability groups for English as the school has invested in additional teachers. These initiatives have a positive Ottery St Mary Primary School - 35 impact on raising standards and work is generally matched to challenge and support all pupils, including those with special educational needs or English as an additional language. Pupils in Year 1 benefit from the group support provided through the early

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ENGLISH

intervention strategy and pupils in Year 6 benefit from ‘booster’ classes.

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ENGLISH

69. Speaking and listening skills are generally satisfactory throughout the school although a number of pupils find it difficult to listen for long periods. Some teachers encourage careful listening and a clarity of speech but a more consistent approach is required to improve pupils’ confidence and extend their vocabulary. As a result, a number of pupils are hesitant when speaking and lack enriched vocabulary when explaining their thoughts. Many teachers are satisfied with answers of a few words or tend to answer their own questions. They do not encourage pupils to respond confidently to questions by discussing constructively and using appropriate specialist terms in different subjects. However, the use of role play, puppets, the ‘challenge club’ and school productions give good opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking skills. A number of pupils have poorly developed listening skills and lose concentration quickly,

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ENGLISH

especially when work is not well matched to their needs. When lessons are too long, many pupils find difficulty keeping their concentration, which has a negative impact on their learning.

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ENGLISH

70. Pupils’ attainment in reading is good by the end of Year 2 and satisfactory by Year 6. Many pupils make good progress through numerous opportunities to read at school and at home. In Year 2, higher attaining pupils develop fluency and confidence in their reading by using the appropriate strategies to read new words. They identify the main characters in the story and express opinions about the main events. The school has invested in a new reading scheme for younger pupils to improve the range of books available, having recognised that many pupils, particularly boys, become disenchanted with reading. However, guided reading sessions are not always effective during literacy lessons where poor quality resources are often used. Many teachers are not making the best use of the quiet reading sessions that are timetabled. By the age of eleven, many pupils become confident and fluent readers. They discuss features of their

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ENGLISH

reading, such as character and plot development, with good understanding. They enjoy reading a range of books including traditional and modern literature. Good teaching in literacy lessons has enabled pupils to understand the use of glossaries and contents pages when using non-fiction texts. Pupils’ retrieval skills develop steadily throughout the school so that by the age of eleven, many pupils can skim and scan texts effectively.

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ENGLISH

71. Writing standards are good at the end of Year 2 but unsatisfactory by Year 6. The school has identified this as an area for development and has attempted to improve standards in writing throughout the school. The handwriting policy is not being used consistently across the school and insufficient opportunities are provided for pupils to practise and develop a fluent, cursive style. As a result, standards are below expectations. Many pupils give insufficient attention to the presentation of their writing. A scrutiny of pupils’ work indicates that there have been insufficient opportunities across the curriculum, in subjects such as religious education and geography, to improve pupils’ writing. Pupils’ progress is inhibited by the lack of opportunity in many classes to express themselves and develop good techniques for extended writing, where insufficient attention is given to extending simple sentences into compound

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ENGLISH

sentences and to draft and edit their work. Many pupils have limited vocabulary, which inhibits them from writing imaginatively. Pupils learn the conventions of poetry by writing their own poems and play scripts. They write a profile of a character from novels such as ‘The Hobbit’. By Year 6, many are able to collect and classify information to write balanced arguments on issues such as fox hunting and school Ottery St Mary Primary School - 36 uniform. In the best instances, punctuation and grammar skills are in line with national expectations but many pupils fail to reach these standards. Spelling is often weak as there is no school policy for spelling and insufficient opportunities are given to use dictionaries and thesauri to check spellings and enrich vocabulary.

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ENGLISH

72. The quality of teaching is good in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. During the inspection, the quality of teaching varied from unsatisfactory to very good. Most teachers’ planning is detailed and closely linked to the National Literacy Strategy, which ensures that all pupils make at least satisfactory and often good progress in their lessons. In the best lessons, learning is very effective because pupils are well motivated and challenged by the high expectations of work and behaviour, set at a brisk pace and homework is used effectively to support learning. Very good attitudes and behaviour are evident in these lessons and pupils demonstrate good relationships with each other and are keen to succeed. In less satisfactory lessons, teachers’ expectations are too low, pupils are insufficiently challenged, time is not used effectively and the pace of lessons is too slow. In such lessons, a few pupils respond

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ENGLISH

inappropriately, are easily distracted and occasionally show signs of unacceptable behaviour, which has a negative impact on themselves and others in the group. During the inspection, most teachers used photocopied resources, which often failed to stimulate pupils’ interest, highlighting the need for the use of quality, colourful resources to support pupils’ learning in literacy lessons. Useful assessment procedures have been introduced recently, including the analysis of national test results and the use of pupils’ progress books. However, assessment needs to be developed further to modify and improve curriculum provision and set specific targets for pupils’ individual learning. Although the two co-ordinators have good opportunities to visit classrooms to monitor teaching and learning across the school, their evaluation is not rigorous enough to help raise standards in teaching. Literature is beginning to make a contribution to pupils’

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ENGLISH

spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through stories and the materials used. However, literacy skills are not well developed across the curriculum to support pupils' learning and there were very few examples of pupils’ writing on display during inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

73. Inspection evidence confirms that pupils attain good standards by the end of Year 6. Although standards in mathematics at the end of Year 2 were below the national average in 2002, inspection evidence indicates that standards are currently satisfactory. This is primarily due to the changes in the teaching staff in Key Stage 1 and also the analysis of the national tests by the subject co-ordinator that identified weaknesses in pupils’ learning, such as difficulties in translating words into mathematical notation.

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MATHEMATICS

74. In Key Stage 1, pupils develop a good understanding of the number system and the importance of place value. This helps them to develop a quick, mental recall of addition and subtraction facts to ten and many pupils extend these number facts to 20. They readily use these skills to carry out computations quickly in their heads when it has not been committed to memory. Pupils understand number patterns, such as odd and even numbers, and they halve and double numbers well. They recognise and name regular shapes, such as a circle, square, triangle, hexagon and pentagon, and they understand the properties of a right angle. Pupils develop a confident use of standard measures. They measure lines carefully in centimetres and they estimate and weigh everyday supermarket items with reasonable accuracy. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 37 75. In Key Stage 2, pupils extend their quick mental recall to include multiplication facts to

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MATHEMATICS

12x12. They make good use of their understanding of the number system to quickly round numbers using hundreds and thousands. They multiply and divide large numbers skilfully and they work confidently with ratios and proportions. Pupils improve their knowledge and understanding of fractions, decimals and percentages. They compare fractions well by converting them to a lowest common denominator and they are developing their understanding of the terms numerator and denominator. Pupils work with increasingly complex shapes, including kites and parallelograms, identifying their properties and recognising lines of symmetry. They investigate area and perimeter and work well with a variety of measures.

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MATHEMATICS

76. In Key Stage 2, pupils are taught in two ability groups in each year, which is made possible by the deployment of two additional teachers. This provides the benefit of smaller teaching groups and also limits the wide range of age and ability that teachers normally find with mixed year, mixed ability classes and allows them to focus more clearly on individual pupil’s needs. The groups are reviewed regularly to ensure they best suit the pupils’ needs. This is good practice and assists both teaching and learning. However, this is not possible in Year 4 where, because of the timetabling of mathematics and English, the same pupils must be in the same ability group for each subject. As the pupils are grouped primarily on their ability in English, some pupils are not in the most suitable group for mathematics. This negates the advantages of grouping pupils by ability and requires that these teachers make additionally careful use

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MATHEMATICS

of assessment to plan tasks for these pupils specifically focused on what they need to learn next. Unfortunately, all pupils in the group are sometimes given the same task and, consequently, the lesson is unsatisfactory for the higher attaining pupils. Five minutes is allocated at the beginning and end of each lesson for the pupils to move between classrooms. This is a substantial amount of time each week that is removed from the planned teaching time.

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MATHEMATICS

77. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2, although it varies from very good to unsatisfactory. All teachers manage pupils well and this is based on the good relationships that teachers maintain with their pupils. In the best lessons, clear and specific learning objectives are set for the lesson that are shared with pupils, often writing the learning objective in their books as a title. Teachers use assessments to set tasks with different levels of difficulty to match the varying learning needs of pupils in the group, such as in a Year 1 lesson when four groups considered how to measure time. Teaching assistants are used well to support one of these ability groups. They are well informed about the nature of the task and they make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. When teaching is less satisfactory and, occasionally unsatisfactory, it is because these good strategies are not employed. There are no

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MATHEMATICS

clear objectives for the lesson or these are supplanted by more general targets over a longer period of time. Sometimes the same activity is set for all pupils in the class, although adult support is given to those who find the task difficult. In some lessons, teaching assistants are not used well because they have no clear task and they are restricted to providing general support to pupils as the need arises.

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MATHEMATICS

78. The co-ordinator provides good leadership of the subject and has been instrumental in raising standards. He has analysed pupils’ work in the national tests carefully to identify areas in their learning that can be improved. This has shown that pupils in Key Stage 1 have problems in understanding mathematical terms such as ‘right angle’, that ‘dividing’ means ‘sharing’ and solving problems given in words. The weaknesses identified in Key Stage 2 include the understanding of fractions, decimals and percentages. This has allowed the curriculum to be reviewed to give more careful attention to these aspects of pupils’ learning. The co-ordinator observes each class twice each year, Ottery St Mary Primary School - 38 which is reported to the teacher by means of an agreed form and pupils’ work is also scrutinised. However, sufficient rigour is not always applied in identifying areas for improvement in the lessons seen to ensure that all lessons employ the best practice in

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SCIENCE

79. By the end of Year 2, almost all pupils attain the nationally expected standards for pupils of this age. Inspection evidence shows that most pupils currently in Year 6 are likely to attain the nationally expected Level 4 at the end of the present academic year and standards are satisfactory.

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SCIENCE

80. Most pupils begin in Year 1 with an inquisitive approach to science and they enjoy the opportunity to find the answers to questions such as ‘What’, ‘Why?’ and ‘How?’ When lessons are planned to meet pupils’ needs they are keen to learn. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, for example, were intrigued when listening to different sounds and in one class they pleaded with the teacher to use a tuning fork repeatedly. The pupils worked co- operatively to compare and contrast different sounds and test how far each sound would travel in the playground. In Year 1, a more able pupil was able to state that the test was made more difficult because the wind changed. Much of the work done in Years 1 and 2 is based on pupils observing, classifying and recording what they see. They learn about the properties of different materials, themselves, mini-beasts and electricity. It is through such a range of activities that the pupils successfully learn the

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SCIENCE

basis of a number of scientific principles.

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SCIENCE

81. The school places an appropriate emphasis on pupils carrying out investigations to extend and consolidate their knowledge about a wide range of scientific concepts. Pupils enjoy these activities and most take pride in using their previously acquired knowledge. An effective example of this approach was seen in a lesson with a Year 3/4 class, when the teacher discussed with the pupils a range of interpretations of previously collected data against new data. Several capable pupils responded with observations about how the investigation had to be more accurate, specifically where they should measure the circumference of the head. Pupils' attitudes and enthusiasm are good and they work well together, willingly sharing resources and discussing ideas.

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SCIENCE

82. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall in both key stages and is sometimes good. In the better lessons, the teacher holds and maintains the interest and motivation of the pupils by ensuring lessons proceed at a brisk pace. In some lessons, time is used less well and, for example, pupils spend too much time completing data charts and have less opportunity to ‘be scientists’. In Key Stage 2, teachers’ expectations are generally appropriate. Teachers’ subject knowledge overall is satisfactory but when it is good it enables the teacher to move the learner forward. For example, in one Year 3/4 class the teacher uses the term ‘hypothesis’ and gives a number of examples related to the investigation. In a Year 1 class the teacher asks the pupils to make predictions that can be checked later. The pupils and teacher later discuss whether the predictions are accurate or not. However, where subject knowledge is less secure

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SCIENCE

the focus of the lesson is not always clear and opportunities to develop scientific thinking is missed. Work is marked regularly but much of the marking is limited to ticks with occasional comments on neatness or effort. However, some more effective marking shows comments that challenge the findings of investigations or seek to raise questions to extend pupils’ knowledge. For example, in one book the teacher comments, ‘Did the metal change shape?’ This encourages the pupil to think more deeply about the observation and the properties of the material. Written work is Ottery St Mary Primary School - 39 generally well presented with careful diagrams. Information technology is used on occasions, particularly to present data, and the school has recently acquired control technology that can be used in experiments.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. During the inspection only one art and design lesson was taught and the subject is not otherwise represented on current timetables. Inspection evidence is gained from a scrutiny of pupils' work, teachers’ planning, and conversations with pupils. Pupils' finished art products are not strongly displayed around the school. Standards meet national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 but they are below expectations at the end of Key Stage 2, where standards have deteriorated since the previous inspection because insufficient priority is given to the subject in curriculum planning. Consequently, not enough emphasis is placed on progressively developing pupils' artistic skills as they move through the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

84. In Key Stage 1, pupils use a satisfactory range of media, such as pencils, pastels, crayons, paints and textiles with confidence. These sound foundations to learning result in pupils working confidently and creatively. For example, they demonstrate appropriate use of colour in watercolour paintings and produce imaginative sculptures from natural materials. Pupils use information technology to generate designs, for example in pattern work for Christmas calendar designs. In Key Stage 2, pupils' work shows a limited use of media, with most samples of work being pencil sketches. Pupils use charcoal, pastels and paints in their work, but have limited experience of attempting work in three dimensions. By Year 6, artistic skills are not well developed. For example, pupils do not use sketching techniques effectively to create tone and texture. In painting, there are few examples of mixing colour for light and dark. Year 6 pupils are

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ART AND DESIGN

enthusiastic about art and design and explain how they regularly appraise each other's work in lessons, making suggestions for improvement.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. Teaching is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 but unsatisfactory in Key Stage 2 because insufficient time is given to the subject and standards do not meet expectations. However, in the one lesson observed pupils were making good progress in their learning. Learning intentions were made clear to them and they were well motivated by the well organised resources as they studied the line, shape and patterns in buildings, before creating their own pictures using a variety of media. Pupils are given some opportunity to become aware of different artists, including Paul Klee and Marc Chagall, as they compare their different styles. The quality of teaching and planning and samples of pupils' work are regularly monitored. The co-ordinator is aware that curriculum organisation limits the amount of time given to the subject. Assessment procedures have been implemented since the previous inspection, but have not yet had

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ART AND DESIGN

time to impact on standards. Resources are good, but space is limited for practical activities in some classrooms. For pupils in Year 6, learning is enhanced through an annual residential trip to a local arts centre and the subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86. Standards meet national expectations by the end of both key stages. It was not possible to see lessons in Key Stage 1 during the week of the inspection. Judgements on standards are based on the lessons seen, from talking to pupils and the subject co- ordinator, a scrutiny of pupils’ work and from displays and photographic evidence. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 40 87. Pupils make satisfactory progress throughout the school. Pupils in Year 6 talk very enthusiastically about the process of designing and making artefacts, showing a sound knowledge of the design process. They discuss the importance of evaluating the success of a product and know that evaluation means looking at what they have done and considering how they can improve the process and the product. Whilst some pupils’ folders are well presented with careful diagrams and drawings, others indicate that some pupils do not take sufficient care in the overall presentation of their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. The curriculum is planned as a series of topics based on the national scheme of work. There is a good selection of designing and making topics some of which include wheeled vehicles, fruit salads, musical instruments, picture frames, moving books and slippers. Some links are made with other subjects, for example, religious education when making a multi-coloured coat for Joseph. This involves decorative features that demonstrate good links with religious education, art and design and includes producing a design using a computer program. The curriculum is progressively more demanding with pupils initially using simple equipment and progressing to using glue guns and traditional tools, such as hacksaws.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. Teaching is satisfactory in both key stages. Although no lessons were seen in Key Stage 1, displays, photographs and the quality of pupils’ work indicate that teaching is satisfactory. In Key Stage 2, teaching is satisfactory with some examples of good practice. In a Year 3/4 lesson, the teacher kept the discussion short, gave the pupils set times to make their decisions and then counted them down to the deadline. This kept the lesson moving forward at an appropriate pace and motivated the pupils. In another lesson with Years 5 and 6, pupils were asked to make evaluations of their musical instrument for the rest of the class. This was slow and went on too long with the result that pupils lost interest, which restricted their learning. Generally, pupils’ attitudes are generally positive and enthusiastic. In one case, a Year 6 pupil designed a musical instrument and arranged to use a pipe-bending tool, at home, to shape copper tube into

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

his design. However, in one lesson that lacked pace, some children became restless, making too much unnecessary noise that disrupted learning. Pupils work well together and independently.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. While resources are satisfactory, classroom space is limited and this means teachers have to plan practical activities carefully. In one example of good planning, pupils in Years 3 and 4 worked as a group creating ‘moving books’ for the children in the reception class. Each child in the group had a part to create and make and therefore each was actively involved in the process. Good use was made of extra space outside the classroom and an additional adjacent room. Teaching assistants are used effectively to help individual pupils with special educational needs and also with groups of pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

91. Standards of attainment are below national expectations at the end of both key stages. The scrutiny of pupils’ work indicates that geography teaching has been fragmented with little attention given to developing a systematic acquisition of skills to support pupils’ learning. Too much time is spent on low level tasks, including colouring activities at the upper end of the school. Consequently, standards have declined since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

92. Pupils in Key Stage 1 develop an understanding of their own environment by a local Ottery St Mary Primary School - 41 walk to Ottery St. Mary where they identify various buildings. However, opportunities are missed to learn about human and physical features of the area or to be aware of localities beyond their own. Pupils in Key Stage 2 extend their learning through a comparative study of Chembakolli, a village in India, where they compare similarities and differences of the school day. Older pupils consider traffic problems in the town by conducting a traffic survey. However, there is little recorded evidence to ensure that pupils make satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of geography.

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GEOGRAPHY

93. The lessons observed varied between satisfactory and unsatisfactory but the overall quality of teaching is unsatisfactory in both key stages. Most teachers manage their pupils well and use resources and visits to support pupils’ learning appropriately. In such instances, pupils have positive attitudes and their social development is promoted well. However, work is not planned effectively to challenge and stimulate all pupils and learning is unsatisfactory. Some lessons are too long and the pace is too slow so pupils lose interest. Teachers’ lack of subject knowledge and confidence to teach all aspects of the subject have a negative impact on learning. Teachers’ expectations are too low and assessment procedures are underdeveloped. As a result, many activities are not well matched to the needs of pupils with different abilities in mixed age classes and many pupils are underachieving. The co-ordinator plans to raise the profile of the

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GEOGRAPHY

subject. She has identified the need for more enquiry work and hopes to make the curriculum more relevant and exciting to pupils. She accepts the need to develop more cross-curricular links including extended writing opportunities and the use of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning. Currently, the monitoring of teaching and learning is not sufficiently rigorous to improve standards in teaching.

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HISTORY

94. No lessons were observed during the inspection as only one class includes the subject on its current timetable. Nevertheless, the evidence of a scrutiny of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and talking to teachers and pupils, shows that standards at the end of Year 6 meet national expectations. There was little work available for scrutiny in Key Stage 1 and it is, therefore, not possible to make a secure judgement of standards and the quality of teaching in this key stage. This is similar to the last inspection, when there was also insufficient pupils’ work available to make a judgement of standards in Key Stage 1.

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HISTORY

95. The work of pupils in Key Stage 1 that was available showed that pupils learned about the great fire of London and considered some of the effects of this event. However, pupils’ work was generally limited to drawing activities that do not fully develop pupils’ historical understanding. Although planning for the subject aims to ensure that the National Curriculum Programmes of Study are covered, insufficient time has been given to the subject in the first half of this school year.

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HISTORY

96. Although no lessons were taught in Key Stage 2 during the inspection, a range of pupils’ work was provided for scrutiny. Pupils study topics that include the Victorians, World War II, the Tudors and Invaders and Settlers. They develop a sound understanding of the main events of these periods and begin to consider the effects of some events. For example, in a study of the Danish invaders, one pupil wrote, ‘Eventually Guthrum was forced to sign the Treaty of Wedmore which brought some peace to the war-torn country.’ Pupils’ knowledge and understanding are enhanced by a series of visits to places of interest, such as Coldharbour Mill for a Victorian Ottery St Mary Primary School - 42 experience, and Maiden Castle and Dorchester Museum to learn about the Romans. In addition, good use is made of visitors. For example, two visitors talked to the pupils about their experiences in World War II.

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HISTORY

97. It is not possible to make a secure judgement of the quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 as no lessons and little work was seen. However, the standards attained in Key Stage 2 indicate that teaching is at least satisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

98. The previous inspection judged that statutory requirements were not being met. The school has used a number of strategies to raise standards. These include training for teachers, the purchase and commissioning of a good range of new hardware and software including a suite of computers connected to the Internet as well as machines in classrooms. The requirements of the National Curriculum are now met.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

99. Standards at the end of both key stages meet national expectations in those aspects of the subject that are taught. This is mainly because pupils have more opportunities to use computers, both to develop computer skills and to apply some of these skills to learning in other subjects, although this aspect is still developing. Younger pupils have opportunities with word processing and, by the end of Year 2, are on target to achieve appropriate standards for their age. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use a drawing program and write simple sentences. By the time they reach the end of Year 2, pupils develop word processing satisfactorily and can amend, save and print their work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

100. Pupils in Year 6 use the computer to navigate through simulation programs and can use spreadsheets, with the support of the teacher, as a tool to present data in tables or graphs. Some pupils create and save a multimedia presentation. Pupils have access to the Internet, although none were seen using it during the inspection. There is little evidence of word processing in Key Stage 2. The older pupils have the opportunity to use Cosmic, a mock-up of the space shuttle that visits the school and enables groups of pupils to work on laptops. The school has recently acquired the hardware to develop pupils’ skills in control technology. Also, it has started to introduce pupil self- assessment where pupils can make judgements on their learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages with some good teaching. Teacher knowledge has improved and some teachers use additional hardware. For example, they use an interactive white board to explain to pupils what they should do. In the good lessons, teachers make use of pupils’ previous learning as a basis for developing their skills further. For example, in a good lesson in Years 5 and 6, pupils ask the teacher for advice on using a traffic light simulation program, who encourages them to have a go and see what happens. This gives them the confidence to investigate and they are motivated because they feel competent to tackle the challenge. However, in another lesson, the teacher’s failure to prepare resources effectively, restricts learning when information is displayed on a piece of card that is too small, despite the availability of a white board and technical support. Nevertheless, pupils have

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. There is some evidence of the use of information and communication technology to support other subjects in displays and pupils’ work that include poster designs. The many displays in the school include labels and text using computers, although much of this is the teacher’s work. There is a lack of pupils’ work displayed that had been Ottery St Mary Primary School - 43 completed using computers. The accommodation for the computer suite is small and when a class is using the machines, the room is cramped and soon becomes warm. Both staff and pupils move around the room with difficulty. Ottery St Mary Primary School - 44

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MUSIC

103. Standards meet national expectations at the end of both key stages, which is similar to the findings of the last inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. The introduction of assessment procedures, an additional scheme of work and a new music room have improved the provision for the subject but have not been in place for sufficient time to impact positively on standards.

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MUSIC

104. Pupils have the opportunity to develop their singing in assemblies and the whole- school hymn practice that is held once a week. The singing of all pupils is satisfactory and they demonstrate an awareness of dynamics and phrasing. Older pupils explain how they sing in three part rounds and harmonies, although none was heard during the inspection. Pupils confirm their enjoyment in taking part in musical productions, both in the school and the wider community.

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MUSIC

105. Pupils in Year 1 use their voices expressively as they sing, 'The Wheels on the Bus', making high or low pitched sounds where appropriate. Pupils know the names of common percussion instruments and are familiar with the sounds they make. Most play the instruments in time to the beat as they accompany singing. In Year 2, pupils begin to explore pitch as they identify higher and lower sounds and use pitch expressively in their singing. As they move through the school, pupils make satisfactory progress. When teaching is more confident, and subject knowledge is more secure, pupils make good progress as they identify rhythmic patterns before performing their own compositions to the rest of the class. The oldest pupils enthusiastically explain how they are in the process of writing a 'musical score' about the country and the town.

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MUSIC

106. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in both key stages. Lessons are organised effectively with appropriate attention given to the planning of suitable tasks for pupils' age and abilities. The expertise of the co-ordinator and another teacher, who lead hymn practice, has a positive effect on pupils' singing skills because the piano playing is of a high standard and the direct teaching of techniques leads to improved performance. Lessons are mostly well prepared and good use is made of resources, including recorded music and songs. In most lessons, the appropriate terminology is used. There was no evidence during the inspection of the use of information and communication technology to support learning. Pupils are given good opportunities to learn instruments in extra-curricular music groups, which include ocarinas, recorders and a flourishing school choir. Currently, learning is enhanced for approximately thirty

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MUSIC

pupils, who benefit from the expertise of visiting specialists.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107. Standards at the end of both key stages meet national expectations and have been maintained since the last inspection. Pupils have the opportunity to use the school learner swimming pool in the summer months but the lack of any heating restricts its use and there are no opportunities to develop swimming skills in deeper water. The school does not keep records of the pupils who attain the nationally expected standard in swimming, but estimates that most pupils can swim 25 metres by the end of Year 6. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities to support older pupils’ learning in physical education and increase their skill levels to which staff freely give their time.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

108. Pupils in Key Stage 1 learn the importance of warming up at the beginning of lessons Ottery St Mary Primary School - 45 and the necessity to respond to commands for personal safety. They develop basic ball skills including controlling and bouncing a soft ball. Higher attainers control and hit a soft ball using a racket. Pupils in Key Stage 2 develop their ball skills and many pass and catch a foam rugby ball with accuracy while moving. They learn to take off and land in a controlled way in gymnastics. By Year 6, pupils use their skills to effectively play invasion, net and striking games and many higher attainers begin to develop attacking and defending skills. Older pupils have opportunities to participate in competitive football and netball matches.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

109. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages with a number of good lessons seen. Pupils benefit from more specialist teaching in Years 5 and 6 when all physical education lessons are taken by the co-ordinator. In the best lessons, teachers plan lessons well with clear objectives based on appropriate targets. They intervene appropriately and use demonstrations to draw attention to particularly good work as a form of evaluation and assessment. In such lessons, pupils participate enthusiastically, work hard and enjoy the lesson. However, in less satisfactory lessons where time is not used effectively and the pace is slow, pupils lose interest and a few pupils demonstrate inappropriate behaviour. Good use is made of the hall, extensive grounds and good resources to support pupils’ learning. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and has good opportunities to monitor teaching and learning across the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

school to share his expertise with less confident teachers. Although resources are good, he has identified the need to develop resources in dance and improve teachers’ confidence and subject knowledge in this area of the curriculum and to use assessment more effectively to support pupils’ learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

110. Standards in religious education meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus throughout the school and some work is of a high quality.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

111. Pupils in Key Stage 1 develop a good awareness of Christianity. They understand the importance of baptism to Christians by visiting the local church where the vicar demonstrates each part of the ceremony in detail. As a result, many pupils remember the events well and some pupils know the significance of the water, cross and candle. Pupils learn about Christian festivals and begin to learn about customs and celebrations of world religions such as Divali and Hanukkah. Pupils in Key Stage 2 extend their knowledge by learning about the importance of pilgrimages to many religions and discuss various holy sites. By Year 6, pupils have a good understanding of Judaism and symbols associated with the religion. They appreciate the importance of the Sukkot festival, the feast of the Passover and the Shabbot to practising Jews. They recognise the Bible is a special book for Christians and it consists of many books

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

by different authors. During inspection, pupils made good use of their literacy skills when they matched passages from the Bible to its genre and gave reasons for their selection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

112. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages but varies between good and unsatisfactory. In the most successful lessons, teachers’ subject knowledge, good relationships, well-structured planning and the valuing of pupils’ ideas have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. In such lessons, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes. They are interested and eager to contribute their ideas. In less satisfactory lessons, teaching fails to maintain pupils’ concentration due to inappropriate activities, often due to the lack of teachers’ knowledge of the subject. This has a negative impact on pupils’ learning together with insufficient time allocated to the teaching of religious education in Ottery St Mary Primary School - 46 some classes. In a few classes, there is little or no recorded written work. However, the scrutiny of pupils’ books show that good records of religious education lessons are

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

kept at the upper end of the school, where pupils literacy skills are effectively used to learn about Islam and Hinduism.

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